Raid
“We will be heading to the site immediately. The two of you should promptly go back to the dormitories without taking any detours.”
Schlen-san tells us impatiently.
“We’ll come with you.”
Elysia said in a strong tone.
“But…”
“I have confidence in my abilities. Since you invited me to join the Order, you think so as well, don’t you?”
Elysia has already received an offer from the Knights of the Orthodox Order.
Since Schlen-san is a member of the Knights of the Orthodox Order, he should have a grasp of Elysia’s true abilities.
“…I understand. Then, follow me.”
“Sch-Schlen-dono! Are you going to involve students in this fight!?”
“These two are no amateurs.”
Schlen-san looked at us as he said that.
“Elysia-dono, is an exceptional swordswoman who has inherited the swordsmanship of the former Commander Galia. And…that boy. You are the student who landed a blow on Commander Lauren during the joint exercises, aren’t you?”
It seems that he’s referring to the mock battle we had during the joint exercises. Certainly, at that time, I was able to land a blow on the man called Lauren, the Commander of the Knights of the Orthodox Order.
“Tweight-dono. I have heard about you directly from the Commander…may I count on your combat ability?”
“…At least, I promise that I won’t be a burden.”
Saying so, I lightly adjust the [Sniper Cane] resting on my shoulder.
If I provide long-ranged support, I shouldn’t be a burden to them as long as I don’t misfire. And I have no plans to misfire.
“Then, let’s hurry on site.”
Schlen-san activated <Rage> and began to move.
Elysia and I soon followed.
“This is where the transmission was cut off!”
Seeing our unusual appearances, the passers-by let out shrieks.
As we continued to run, we could gradually hear a commotion. When we crossed through the square and made our way to a large street, we ran into a crowd of fleeing citizens. It seems that there was a battle going on in the middle of the city.
At that moment– I felt an unpleasant presence stick to us.
“– Who is it?”
I stopped and turned around.
But no one responded to my voice.
“Tweight…?”
“…I guess it was just my imagination.”
Our priority right now, is to proceed to the site of the incident and cooperate with the knights.
To avoid unnecessary confusion, I gave a false report to Elysia and started running again.
◆
“…That surprised me.”
While watching Tweight, who had started running again, the boy used his hand to wipe the cold sweat dripping from his temple.
“Elysia, who is rumoured to be the most talented woman in the Hero Course, and the active knights didn’t notice…”
He had originally thought that Tweight wasn’t an ordinary person due to his conduct. However, this exchange had turned that premonition into conviction.
They were probably the same: people who had gone through special experiences.
This intuition, peculiar to those who were accustomed to such experiences, spoke for itself.
“Please don’t think ill of me…I’m also worried.”
The boy muttered, as if making an excuse for his guilt.
◆
“This is…ugh!?”
When Schlen-san arrived at the site, he let out a voice of shock.
Amidst the tragic destruction wrought about the cityscape, there were several knights who had fallen by our feet.
“Oi! Are you alright!? What happened!?”
“C-Commanding Officer Schlen…I also, don’t understand that. We were in the middle of patrolling the city, when we were suddenly attacked. We were somehow able to evacuate the residents, but…sorry, we weren’t able to seize the enemy…”
“What are the details of the enemy?”
“There is only 1…hiding their appearance, with a red cloak…after defeating us, he headed southwards…”
The fallen knight speaks with ragged breaths.
“Commanding Officer…please take care. The enemy is skilled.”
“…It seems like it.”
Schlen-san nods with a quiet expression.
The fallen knights number at least 5. If they were able to do this alone, then they should be considerably capable.
Ready to deal with a sudden attack, we vigilantly moved southwards.
At that moment, a blazing pillar of fire rose from diagonally in front of us.
“Over there!!”
Schlen-san increases his speed.
As we headed towards the pillar of fire, we caught sight of someone clad in a bright-red cloak on a roof. While his face couldn’t be seen, owing to the deeply worn hood, his physique indicated that he was a man.
“We are the Knights of the Orthodox Order! Surrender immediately! Or we will seize you by force!!”
Schlen-san yelled, with veins popping out of his forehead.
Naturally, he only said this as a formality. Schlen-san had already drawn his sword, and in the next moment, he enhanced his physical abilities with <Rage> before approaching the man.
“We’ll support you!!”
Thalia, a talented member of the Knights of the Royal Guard, drew her sword and followed after Schlen-san.
A moment later, 5 masses of flame surrounded the cloaked man. The heat of the flames crackled, scorching the atmosphere, before turning into a barrage that assailed the two knights.
“What’s with the sheer number of this barrage!? Is he really doing this by himself!?”
“Kuh– !?”
Having no other choice but to retreat, the two knights scattered to either side.
Each shot is powerful; they aren’t something that can be defended against. The released barrages hollowed out large holes in the buildings, grandly gouged out the ground, and set off ear-splitting roars.
“Thalia-dono, are you safe!?”
“I-I’m sorry, it grazed me a little…!”
Thalia-san says in anguish.
Her left arm was bleeding heavily. To have left such a wound with just a graze, it was a dreadful barrage.
“…Elysia, can I leave the vanguard to you?”
I ask Elysia, who draws her sword.
“The entrance exam for the Hero Course…the same as that time with Farnese-sensei.”
“Roger that.”
Elysia nods, giving a fearless smile.
“– I’m charging forward!!”
Elysia approaches the man, passing through Schlen-san’s group, who were reorganizing their stances.
The man raises his hand to the sky, and the masses of flames manifest once more.
“Shh– !!”
Faster than the barrage could be unleashed, Elysia brandished her sword.
The man instantly activates <Rage>, quickly leaping to the roof of another building behind him. Elysia immediately pursued, not stopping her momentum.
With both of them in my field of view, I take a stance with Divine Hawk.
I compress the magic power inside the wand.
“Elysia-dono! There’s an incoming barrage!”
Thalia yells, seeing the flames swirling above the man’s head once more.
But before the flames could be unleashed–
“– Too slow.”
A transparent bullet is released from Divine Hawk.
It pierces through the air at a speed that couldn’t be followed, puncturing the mass of flame above the man’s head.
In an instant, the mass of flames loses its shape, and violently explodes.
“Well done!!”
Immediately following the explosion, Schlen-san rushes over to the man with great momentum.
The man, who seemingly failed to defend against the explosion, had greatly lost his stance. At that moment, the two sword fighters, Schlen-san and Elysia, pursued the man.
At the sword fighters, who were approaching from both sides, the man extended both of his hands– and unleashed barrages from his palms.
“Wha!?”
It was far too powerful for an instantaneous counterattack.
Schlen-san and Elysia both evaded the barrages by hitting the ground. The aftermath of the barrage caused the building that the three of them were using as a foothold to collapse.
Atop the collapsing building, the man pointed his palm at Schlen-san’s head.
— Oh no.
The two of them have completely lost their stances. If he follows up with an attack now, they won’t be able to deal with it.
I quickly load a second bullet, aim it, and fire it at the cloaked man’ chest.
Clang! There was the violent sound of something colliding.
The bullet, was blocked by a transparent wall that appeared in front of the man’s chest.
“<Barrier>…and five-fold at that.”
It wouldn’t be easy to shoot through that wall.
But it was enough to create an opportunity. While the man had deployed <Barrier>, Schlen-san and Elysia stood up and retreated.
In the midst of the dust cloud that swirled from the building’s collapse, the man and I glare at each other for a moment.
The man left for somewhere, his deep crimson cloak swaying in the wind. Schlen-san was about to chase after him, but stopped, seeing the figure of Thalia-san collapsed on the road.
“…Are the two of you safe?”
Schlen-san said while looking at Elysia and I.
Fortunately, neither of us had a single scratch. We both nodded.
“Our enemy just now, might be an operative of another country…With that kind of skill, he should have been well-known if he came from this country. With the days of the festival and the conference drawing close, the heads of this country are gathering in the Royal Capital. This attack may have been aimed at them.”
Schlen-san says with a grim expression.
“I’m sorry, but the security around the academy will remain as is for a while longer. Since it has come to this, we have to prioritize the escorting of the dignitaries for now.”
We have no choice but to follow his judgement.
They had no more leeway to leisurely escort us on the way back. After parting from the knights, Elysia and I both went back to the student dormitories.
“Tweight, what’s wrong? You’ve been silent for a while now.”
“…No.”
Elysia gives me a concerned glance, but I shake my head to indicate that there is no problem.
I was thinking about the objective of the attacker.
This incident certainly seems like what Schlen-san had perceived it to be…but I feel that it was most likely different.
The academy might not be the only target of the operatives. Besides the Empire of Lucia, there may be other countries that want to attack the Kingdom. There is also the possibility that several organizations are simultaneously plotting different schemes.
There are too many possibilities to count.
However, if I were only to state the facts–
— Then this incident, has caused the academy’s security to become shorthanded.
The attack happened in a place that was quite far from the academy. The knights who were deployed around the academy will probably be sent as security there for a while.
Their strategy was surprisingly extensive. But because of that, it has caused serious harm to unrelated people.
Seeing this…I can no longer leave it be.
Mines of Mordoth 