First Coordinated Battle
After we moved to a forest that’s slightly away from the northern gate, we tied the horses to the trees with ropes and moved on foot.
“Nice to meet you. I am Micaela who is serving as the leader of the guild,《Treasured Sword》. I will be in your care”
When we move all the way to the vicinity of the northern gate, the leader of the four-persons guild called ‘Treasured Sword’, a black-haired man with androgynous facial features called Micaela holds his hand out to Hart, who is outfitted with a set of mighty armour.
Hart put his sword back into the sheath on his left waist and grabbed that hand.
“Same here, I will be in your care. I am Hart who is serving as the leader of the guild,《Elserez’s Hope》”
It appears that the man called Micaela and the three men behind him are friendly.
Their ages are comprised of the early 20s and I guess they’re all vanguard occupations without any rearguard occupation judging from their equipment.
Hart, who noticed that, talks about the strategy from now on while approaching the gate.
“It’s fine to assume that everybody in Treasured Sword is a vanguard occupation, right?”
“Eeh, there is no rearguard occupation. On your side……erm, I can tell from the equipment that Hart-san is an Advanced Occupation’s Armour Knight, but what are the occupations of the three at the back?”
Micaela’s large round eyes stare at us.
He’s unable to predict our occupations from our robed figures, that are shady from top to bottom, from our outfits to our equipment.
Hart is also looking at me and it feels like he’s silently saying that he’ll entrust the response to me.
I think they’re a bunch that we can get along withーーbut.
“Hart, weren’t we not going to disclose each others’ occupations?”
Neither they nor I know about it because we’re coming to this quest for the first time, but there’s such a strange rule in this quest.
I want to make use of that. Until I can be completely certain that they aren’t the traitors.
“Wel, well, that’s right huh………”
and Hart made a troubled expression,
“There is such a rule huh. Understood. I shall refrain from asking about it here”
and Micaela also acknowledged with a reluctant expression.
And then when we started walking again, Eleanor, who walks beside me, softly spoke to me.
“……Is it fine to not tell them? ”
“Ah, not yet. Even if they say that it’s their first time participating, we’re in a situation where we don’t know what kind of people the traitors are. In that case, it’s better to not trust anybody other than those from your own guild. Besides, ーーit’ll turn into a nuisance if I told them my occupation”
“Nn, what nuisance?”
Serina, who walks side by side with me, tilted her head.
“My Sword Lancer is an occupation that solely belongs to me, in other words, it’s an occupation I could get precisely because I became S Rank. So if I gave the name of my occupation, they’ll realise that I’m different from everybody around”
“Now that you mention it, that’s right huh”
“Besides, they’ll find it strange that Hart who’s an A Rank and has an Advanced Occupation is the leader, and I who’s an S Rank and has a characteristic occupation is just a member, right?”
“I see. The strong one could have just become the guild leader, you are one of the very few S Rank Adventurers after all. They will find it odd huh”
“Ah, that’s the reason. So Iーー”
I put my hand inside the robe and take out just one sword that I’d stored from the empty space.
“I’ll fight with one sword for a while. It’s been a long time so I hope I didn’t get rusty”
“You didn’t get rusty. I mean, even that time when you taught me how to use a sword, you actually held a sword and taught me, didn’t you”
“Well, that may be so”
It’s different to teach and to have an actual battle, but if I’m told that it’s fine then I can only assume it is.
“ーーAlright then, we arrived huh”
Hart and the others, who walk in front, stop their feet.
We’re in front of the gate. It hits me that the entirety of this fortress is large when I stand before the large gate that’s over 4 metres.
Hart then turns around and talks in a way that it conveys to everybody.
“Review. There are mainly three species of monsters inhabiting this Goliath Fortress. They are the Goblin Species, Gyrofus Species, and Dragon Species. HoweverーーI think the monsters’ species will change when we proceed deeper”
“Hart, that means there might also be other species of monsters, right?”
“Eeh, that’s what I think. Other than this First Gate that’s before our eyes, this Goliath Fortress has a Second Gate and Third Gate, we’ve not been able to reach the last Third Gate. So there might still be different species deep inside”
If we reach the deepest part, which is the middle area of the fortress, and we subjugate the monsters around, this quest will be cleared.
But it’s difficult to reach all the way to that middle area, and the deeper we go, the stronger the monsters around become.
Naturally, that means there’s also the possibility of the species of monsters becoming incomparably stronger.
“Because our objectives for today will be to get a feel for things and to improve our coordination, let us proceed without overdoing it”
We receive Hart’s words and proceed forward.
To begin with, a fortress is a facility made by men for war and it’s separated into areas that were made for their respective varying objective.
An area which has its interior in a complicated form so as to prevent enemy invasion.
An area for soldiers to sleep, in the interior of the fortress.
An area with a large building where the one who commands the battle between humans was probably overlooking the entirety.
I guess this fortress is probably also being divided into these three areas.
Although it’s occupied by monsters and it’s unthinkable for the monsters that are lacking in intelligence to make use of the fortress facilities well, there are still areas that are troublesome nevertheless.
ーーAnd then, we entered from this First Gate and we were firstly greeted by an area that has a complicated labyrinth in order to confuse intruders.
Hart was looking out at the surroundings.
“We’ve made markings to show the route so I think we won’t lose our way. ……Ah, here is it”
He points at a red arrow that’s marked on a wall that has the height that befits a labyrinth.
I guess it’s precisely because it’s an area that they’ve been before that if we proceed by this route, we can head towards the Second Gate without getting lost.
However, there are of course attacks from monsters that try to obstruct us the further we proceed.
“It’s here huh……”
Green-skinned goblins appear ahead of the narrow road.
“Huh, somehow there’s a pink-skinned one as well. Egil-san, is that also a goblin?”
Serina points at one goblin amongst the pack of the goblins that’s ahead.
“Ah, that’s also a goblin. Nonetheless, it’s a female goblin though”
“Is that so. It is the first time I have seen one, a Female Gob”
“Female Gob……. Well, it’s because female goblins have the trait of hiding in the nest and they don’t appear before people. But in Land of Death, female goblins and whatnot aren’t rare and they also show up before humans like this”
Because females are necessary no matter what in the act of breeding, there are lots of female monsters inhabiting the Land of Death.
Although for the monsters, it’s a necessary existence for breeding, from humans’ perspective, they are the main source that perpetually increases monsters so they’re more of a hindrance than male monsters.
“Alright, let’s go!”
said Hart who started running energetically.
Treasured Sword’s members also subsequently start running.
“Will we, go as well?”
“No, your comrades’ existence becomes a hindrance no matter what in a large-numbered battle at a narrow place, you might even accidentally attack your comrades in the worst case scenario”
“I see. In that case, does that mean that we will just be watching?”
Both Eleanor and Serina are watching the course of events boredly.
It’ll be an easy win if they’re up against goblins and I want to leave it to Hart and the others as it is but…….
“ーーHart! I want to practise coordinated battle during the Joint Quest while we can! Look for a suitable time and substitute with us!”
Assuming that the Treasured Sword is our comrade and isn’t the traitor, I want to firmly structure our coordination today.
So I called out to Hart, who’s currently in a battle with the goblins, and it seems Hart understood my intention.
“Got it. Our opponents may not be good enough butーーis the Treasured Sword fine with it as well!?”
“We don’t have that much experience with a Joint Quest but……well, it’ll probably be fine. We’ll leave the commands to Hart-san, but we’ll be taking some time to prepare”
Micaela, the Treasured Sword’s leader, nods and instructs the comrades around him.
“Egil-san, what’s ‘substitute’?”
“Nn, well, yeah. Although there are various ways to call it, it has a similar nuance to, ‘exchanging your opponents’. For exampleーー”
I point at the goblin whose attack Hart is blocking with a large pentagon-shaped shield.
“Do you know who’s in that goblin’s field of vision right now?”
“Eh, that will be Hart-san, right? Since they are attacking each other. After all, Hart-san is attacking with his sword and the goblin is striking with its club”
“Yup. So the goblin pays no attention to us. So what will happen if the person before its eyes suddenly changed?”
“……It will be surprised huh”
Well, that’s right…….
“Hart-san, our guild’s preparation is done”
“Got it. The three of you, are your preparations okay!?”
It looks like the preparations of the ones who are unfolding the battle are completed.
I know that Serina will remember it better if I let her experience the actual thing rather than explaining.
“For the time being, we’re going to run, alright?”
“Eh, no explanation or anything?”
“You run and defeat the goblin with your sword. That’s all there is to it”
“……How vague. Well, I understand”
“Erm, Egil-sama. What should I do?”
Eleanor will…….
“Wait here”
“……Yes”
Eleanor who was dispirited.
And then, Hart shouts.
“AlrightーーI’m counting on you!”
All of those who are fighting goblins maintain a defensive stance and draw the goblins’ attention.
“Got it, let’s goーーSerina!”
“Yes! ”
In that instant, Serina and I start running.
When we reduced the distance in one go and approached right behind Hart, Hart bent forward, aggressively pressured the goblin and made it bend backwards.
“I’m leaving the rest to you!”
When Hart moves away from his spot, I stab my sword at the goblin’s heart that was left wide open.
I taste the sensation piercing through the meat with resistance from my hand. I was glared by the goblin that rapidly turns pale, and then the life in its yellow eyes fades. When it drops the club it’s holding in its right hand onto the ground, I pull out the sword that stabbed deeply into it.
We were immediately about to target another goblin that’s in a bent backwards state, but the Treasured Sword members and Hart who was preventing the movements of the goblin that Serina and I killed, replaced the attackers like we did and finished it off in one hit.
As we’re replacing each others’ position and killing the goblins one after another, the goblin battle instantly came to an end.
“Uhyaー, it ended in the blink of an eye huh. It’s our first coordination but, to think that it’s this simple……”
“It was Micaela-san’s first time huh. It went smoothly because goblins are weak enemies, but it won’t go that smoothly from now on so it might be better to increase the precision of our coordination a little bit more”
Micaela and Hart seem to be having fun.
“I was worried because I didn’t really explain but, I’m glad that you seem to be able to properly do it, Serina”
“If you’re going to say that, couldn’t you have explained it to me a little bit more, Egil-san?”
“I said I’m sorry……”
It’s a simple battle method of just substituting the position of the vanguard and the rearguard.
It won’t wrap up this easily originallyーーit’s because they were goblins that it went smoothly even when the number of vanguards and rearguards is so all over the place.
There are also other ways to coordinate and attack but……I wonder if we’ll actually get to try it.
“Fufu, both of you looks like you are having fun huh”
said Eleanor in a cold voice.
I guess she’s probably angry because she didn’t have any turn, and I told her to wait.
“It’s because this battle method is unsuitable for Eleanor’s occupation……sorry”
“No no, it is fine, you know? I do not particularly mind……”
“Is, is that so……”
Eleanor who’s still looking displeased even when I told her the reason.
It can’t be helped, I guess I’ll change the topic.
“Hart, let’s carry on like this to structure our coordination while we move forward, shall we”
“Yeah, since the monsters will also be becoming stronger from here on, let’s strengthen our coordination while we can”
Quite a bit of time and actual battles are necessary to attain sufficient coordination with a party you’ve met for the first time.
I can’t imagine that it’ll become perfect immediately, but still, the amplitude of our battle style will widen if we increased our coordination.
And then, we carry on to hunt monsters from the First Gate until the Second Gate like this.
♢
“ーーE, Egil-san……do you, actually hate me?”
A girl whose face is dyed red said in trembling voice.
I step back and try to escape from such a girl, but the sensation of a pair of soft and springy voluptuous breasts came in contact my back and I’m unable to back down.
“Egil-sama, why are you trying to escape from a girl who is approaching you? Here, you have to properly answer her feelings, you know……. Goshujin-sama has to always be strong, resolute, and protect us, who are slaves, right?”
“Well, there are such things called time and placeーー”
“Even though I like Egil-san, why……why, won’t Egil-san, look at me lewdly?”
“That’s, because you say you’re afraid of menーー”
“Even so, if I’m always made to watch the two of you having sex, hear the two of you having sex……even I will, erm……start to want it”
The girl who’s embracing me from behind cackles.
The girl who’s approaching on all fours complains to me with teary eyes.
Why did it end up like this?
How did it end up like this?
Yeah. It’s all the fault of that thing that Hart brought over.
That thingーーthat one bottle1 turned the two of them strange.
