Chapter 20 The Commander, Shouts

The Commander, Shouts

With preparations already made, my army and clan members led by Sieg were able to leave the city the next day.

Although it consisted mainly of spear-wielding infantry, it was exceptionally fast for an army of 3,000.

Although it was billed as a joint operation between my army and the clan members, it was essentially a subjugation operation led by my army.

There are less than 50 clan members who can challenge the Demon Lord again.

In total, there were many rearguard members, and most of them were women.

Upon closer inspection, they were all members who had a good relationship with Veiss-sensei.

…That idiot Sieg, he’s cornered.

Even if the subjugation is successful, the clan will inevitably be weakened.

Even if Sieg tries to replenish their numbers with new recruits, he’s missing Veiss-sensei, the key figure.

And will the remaining members even follow Sieg willingly?

The ones derisively called the “Sensei Fan Club” still haven’t returned from their expedition.

…Is this a dead end?

According to the servant at the clan house, Sieg seems very irritated, and he likely knows it himself.

From here on, it’s all up to his ability, but honestly, I’m not optimistic.

…Did the scheming drug work too well?

It’s rare that everything goes according to plan, but this is a mess—especially considering how many clan members have been injured or killed.

I lower my head and bite my lip.

Ah, what am I doing?

I didn’t start this, but I could have stopped it.

…Damn it!

I want to give up my noble status and live a simple life in the city.

Sieg and the others would probably be outraged to hear this, but being a noble isn’t all that great.

Meaningless political squabbles, boring arranged marriages, and on top of it all, helping to trap a friend!

It makes me sick.

But I can’t just give up.

Because I have blue blood in my veins.

I can’t shirk my responsibilities.

That’s the responsibility of a noble.

And for the sake of my little brother, who is desperately trying to mingle with the blue blood.

I shake my head slightly to focus my thoughts.

Even from the perspective of the powers that be, the shrinking of a powerful clan isn’t a welcome result.

But the damage is too great.

I’m going to ask some members of this clan to join my army.

Before, they would say, “If Sensei doesn’t go, I won’t go”.

Sieg misjudged the power of the Demon Lord Goblin King.

He probably mistakenly thought that there were a few hundred, maybe a thousand.

According to my Count’s family, there were about 5,000.

Of course, even the most experienced adventurers would be overwhelmed.

Now that they’ve clashed with the clan, it’s likely that their numbers have decreased somewhat.

This time, I brought an army of 3,000.

Although each individual is inferior to the clan members, the army is superior in group combat.

As for the goblins, we should be able to handle up to 10,000 of them.

I’m a little worried about the entity that seems to be supporting the goblins, but it should be fine.

Even if they are somewhat organized, goblins are inherently weak monsters.

As long as we watch out for sneak attacks, we should be fine.

The principle is to match numbers with numbers.

There have been some minor problems, but unfortunately, things are largely going according to my father’s plans.

Well, I’ll make sure I don’t get the hero skill.

I’ve decided to leave the Demon Lord to Sieg.

Actually, I’m not that fond of fighting….

Sensei even told me straight out that I’m not cut out for combat because I’m not quick on my feet….

When something unexpected happens, I immediately become sluggish.

I’m aware of it, but it’s not easy to overcome.

That’s why Sieg’s marriage is supposed to compensate for that….

What a messed-up world.

I sighed inwardly.

To avoid a night raid, we decided to spend the night just outside the goblins’ habitat and prepare for the decisive battle.

After sending out scouts to confirm, we found a group of goblins, though their numbers had dwindled somewhat.

One report said there were about 3,000 left.

We also seem to have confirmed the presence of Demon Lord Goblin King.

Sieg and the others must have thinned them out quite a bit.

That’s good news.

Though it’s not a fair trade for the lives lost.

But that shouldn’t be a problem.

You filthy scum, you’ll soon learn what happens when humans get serious about fighting!

This is a battle of revenge for Monica and the others.

“Did you all fight there?”

I ask Sieg, who is walking beside me.

“Yes… Over there! There’s definitely a trace of my skill!”

I’m speechless.

It was a scorched earth that stretched for hundreds of meters.

I wonder what kind of skill he used….

I give orders according to our previous discussions.

“Everyone! Form up! They’ll probably be coming soon!”

“Shields up! Tortoise formation!”

The squad leader’s voice echoed.

The well-trained army moves like a living creature.

Ah, I love watching this movement.

The movements of humans optimized for killing—it’s exciting.

I remember mentioning this to Sensei once, and he looked a bit surprised.

…I learned how to move troops like this from Sensei too, but how did he know that and where did he plan to use it?

He modestly claimed that it was child’s play, but that’s not the kind of knowledge a country bumpkin should have.

This time, we’ll keep the clan members in the back as a backup.

They’re just for show.

Basically, I don’t want them to do anything.

While I was thinking about it, I received a report from the soldiers.

“Report! A woman has come out of the forest!”

…A woman?

It’s a forest full of goblins!

Did she get lost somewhere?

No, it’s suspicious no matter how you look at it.

Could it be some kind of trap?

Even when the clan was decimated, the goblins used tactics, albeit crude ones, so it’s better to be cautious.

When I turned my gaze towards the forest, I could see someone walking unsteadily.

Just as I was about to give the order to get more information, I heard Sieg’s voice call out next to me.

“Monica! Is that you, Monica?”

Monica!?

Is she alive?

Honestly, I thought she was dead.

…She’s a white mage, right?

I have a bad feeling about this.

No, it’s not that.

It’s just the opposite.

Why is she alive?

“Monica!”

Unable to sit still, Sieg runs off.

“Hey, Sieg, wait!”

I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t catch up when he got serious.

The soldiers look on with blank expressions.

“Monica! Are you okay!? Do you know anything about the others!?”

Sieg hugs Monica, who is walking unsteadily.

Is she trembling?

I can’t see her expression from this distance, but she seems to be trembling slightly.

…Am I overthinking this?

But that intimacy… Monica, could it be that she’s switched to Sieg?

I see; now I understand why Sensei left.

No wonder he wanted to leave!

To have his woman taken by his student!

What are you thinking, Sieg?

I’ll have to talk to him later… and maybe I’ll have to scold him.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t pursue women, but choose your partner wisely, you fool.

Damn it, my head hurts.

Monica clings to Sieg.

It’s a passionate embrace.

Damn woman!

My opinion of Monica has gone down a notch.

Well, Sensei and Monica, they’re not married.

These things sometimes happen.

It makes me sad to think about Sensei’s feelings.

For now, there doesn’t seem to be a problem.

It’s a relief that she’s back.

I sighed slightly and came closer.

That’s when….

“It’s okay now. At least you’re safe——”

Sieg staggered backward.

“Ugh!”

A short moan.

And slowly he fell.

“Siiieeeg!?”

I hurried over.

As I rushed to help him up, I noticed.

Blood?

My hands were covered in blood as I picked him up.

An injury…? When…?

I’m confused.

Just then, I heard someone running.

When I looked up, I saw Monica fleeing with her back turned.

What the hell is… what’s going on?

It is unbecoming of a commander, but my mind went blank and I couldn’t move.

I stared blankly at Sieg.

There was a knife in Sieg’s stomach.

I suddenly understood.

“Monicaaaaa!!! You damn bi🬀ch!!!”

She did it! She did it! She stabbed Sieg!

I shouted in anger.

“Gideon-sama! Please calm down!”

Several soldiers rushed over in panic.

“It’s not a very big knife! It shouldn’t be fatal….”

“We need to treat him! Hurry! Call a healer immediately! Forget about Monica!”

I hurriedly gave orders.

“Yes!”

The soldier ran off.

“Sieg! Are you okay?”

There’s a lot of blood; my fear is growing.

Where’s the healer…?

“Gah…cough, cough….”

Sieg started coughing up blood and convulsing.

He wouldn’t be like this if he’d just been stabbed.

“Poison!? You damn bi🬀ch, Monicaaaaa!!!”

All I could do was scream in frustration.

My vision turned completely red with rage.

That bi🬀ch! Returning kindness with evil!

Just then.

Vuoooo… vuoooo…!!!

Suddenly, a chorus of goblin war cries echoes from somewhere.

Where?

I quickly looked around and saw that holes had been dug all over the place.

One by one, goblins emerged from the holes.

Why didn’t I notice this?

A moment ago, there were no holes!

Had they dug them earlier?

No, if that was the case, there should have been more signs….

Could it be an illusion spell?

Then the one behind it is…!

No! I’ll think about it later!

I drew my sword and shouted.

“All troops, prepare for battle!!!”

The soldiers took up their positions.

At an unexpected time for me, the army and the goblin horde clashed.