"Isn't there anyone else with weapons?"
"I have one! But I don't know how to shoot!"
Then what am I supposed to do! Cordelia made a tearful face. Everyone here was the sa. Including Cordelia herself.
Wait. Not everyone.
"Lord Sterling! You said you received military training, right?"
Alastair, who had been unable to step forward and was only shooting from one corner, belatedly answered. Even relying on crutches and unable to stand properly, his accuracy was the highest.
"Yes, Lady Cordelia."
"I entrust command to you."
"But."
"Everyone listen. Follow Lord Sterling's instructions. I'll take responsibility."
Alastair looked back at Cordelia with wavering eyes. The pale girl forced a smile by putting strength into the corners of her mouth. As if she trusted him.
While not forgetting the humiliation received from Dunbarton, while hating him so much, to hand over command so easily. It was trendous courage. Even a seasoned soldier, not an eighteen-year-old girl, couldn't have easily made such a decision.
"Quickly, won't you give orders?"
That's precisely why he couldn't let his guard down even a little. Since Cordelia had decided to take all responsibility, not even the slightest flaw could be found.
"Those with ranged weapons fall back and aim for the head. Those with close-range weapons co forward! We'll evacuate the injured and elderly first!"
??????°??☆????°??????
Every ti the monster swept the floor with its long arms, people fluttered and fell like fallen leaves. The gaunt monster of only bone and skin had terrifying strength.
People with swords, scythes, axes, and spears also usually just flailed uselessly, unable to find the right mont to attack. Truly a ragtag bunch. Even Alastair, who had only commanded orderly soldiers like chess pieces, was at a loss. anwhile, the monster's hand finally grasped a person. It was a poor young child whose clothes had caught on the hooks.
"Sa-save !"
Cordelia, trembling all over, raised her pistol and aid at the monster. Bang. Luckily, the monster's body accepted even Cordelia's weak bullet, but it had no particular effect. Alastair, who had approached on crutches, placed his hand over Cordelia's hand.
"I'll excuse myself for a mont."
Alastair forcefully pulled Cordelia's trembling hand to aim at the territory resident who was now streaming blood from his head.
"What are you doing!"
The firing was concise like a soldier's manner of speaking. The monster scread and dropped the person it was holding.
"Is he... dead?"
"He's not dead. Lady Cordelia, magic weapons lose power when your hand shakes. Never shake. It's fine to fail at aiming, but aim for the head."
For most creatures, the head is a vital point. Especially the eyes. If the mouth is open, aiming inside the mouth is also a good thod, but Cordelia lacked such skill.
She shot while being mindful of what Alastair said, but no matter how many shots she fired, the monster showed no sign of falling. Magic bullets flying from all directions hit the skin on the back of the monster's swinging hands and bounced off.
Esperanza supposedly brought down a giant bird in one shot. Holding the sa gun, why can't I even hit properly? Why doesn't it even blink when hit by the magic bullets I fired?
Cordelia made a tearful face but aid only at the monster's head as instructed. Naturally, she missed more than when aiming at the torso.
"Aah!"
She couldn't even tell whose scream it was. When the monster swung its limbs, people were sent flying, pushed back, and scread as bones broke from the force.
Cordelia could remain safe because she was still standing far away, but she couldn't be safe forever. The monster was still advancing this way. Cordelia swallowed dry saliva and stepped back one more step.
"Over there!"
A group of people appeared with weapons from the hall stairs leading to the second floor. They were either covered in unidentifiable liquid or soaked with sweat, but paradoxically, that appearance was more reassuring.
The fact that people who had experienced combat were coming down ant the situation upstairs was at least relaxed enough to divide forces.
Cordelia asked loudly while putting strength into her arms that were beginning to tingle.
"How's the situation upstairs?"
"Lord Avondale is handling it. It's almost over. He sent us down first."
"Ah."
A strained smile burst out.
"Lady Cordelia, look ahead!"
That's when it happened. Cordelia saw a grueso arm thrust before her eyes and reflexively rolled her body. The hem of her unadorned dress tore on sothing, but she had no ti to mind that. Cordelia scread and wildly swung her gun while shooting.
Her vision went white. She couldn't maintain composure. The monster's arm struck the wall with trendous force like a teor. The wall cracked. Stone fragnts fell onto Cordelia, who was trembling beneath it. If it hadn't been for the sword that stabbed the monster's leg, if that hand hadn't missed the wall. Cold sweat flowed.
People with swords stabbed at the monster's arms. The monster, dripping green fluid from its long arms, shrieked and wildly swung its arms.
When swords were pulled out like toothpicks, sticky green blood spurted out like a fountain. Its movents beca sluggish but more aggressive. An injured monster was more troubleso to deal with than an unhard one.
"Maintain formation. Don't run away!"
Even though Alastair shouted until his throat was raw, he was the only one who had received military training. Civilians couldn't maintain composure and wield weapons while facing the monster's flesh-tearing arms.
"What? Huh? The magic power's gone!"
"Damn, mine too!"
The situation spiraled toward the worst. Not only could the villagers not use magic power almost infinitely like Esperanza, but the Hunter's magic weapons were designed for Hunters with magic power, so magic efficiency was poor. Moreover, the refining technology of the magic stones inserted to compensate for this was from thirteen years ago.
Combining all these conditions, even adding the plus factor of Cider Claiborne, it was natural that recovery from the negative would be difficult.
Cordelia's pistol had just started being used so it still worked, but seeing the magic weapons stopping one by one, she couldn't tell how long it could be used.
Please, before then.......
The monster swung its arm again. Across the giant hall, toward Mrs. Wellesley, who was slowly tending to the elderly and injured while staying close to the wall.
"Grandmother!"
A tearing scream filled the hall completely. The upright elderly woman couldn't even think of avoiding the monster's arm pouring down on her head. She couldn't bear to watch.
"Ugh!"
Mrs. Wellesley made no sound at all. Cordelia steeled herself and slowly opened her eyes. Mrs. Wellesley was pinned down. Crutches thrown on the hall floor, and a large back that had blocked the arm rushing toward Mrs. Wellesley. Blood seeped through the shirt.
"Lord Sterling?"
The monster swung its hand once more. If hit by that, he'd really die. Cordelia barely aid her gun. Click. The magic power was exhausted. Her vision went completely white.
Then gunshots poured from above the stairs. It was like a cannon rather than a gun. The sharply split bullet precisely burrowed into the monster's head and ca out through the eye. Cordelia blankly raised her head. Cider lowered his pistol and sighed. He too was disheveled from fighting a battle.
"You really used only the good stuff for yourself?"
Cordelia didn't forget to mutter even in that mont.
"Amazing observational skills to have ti to notice that, Lady Cordelia. But shouldn't we handle the injured first?"
Ah, right. Cordelia moved hastily. Dr. lson and the villagers transported the injured to rooms with beds. So had broken bones, but fortunately, no one was seriously injured enough to be in mortal danger. Though it was a battle fought with clumsy command and even clumsier force, that alone was a remarkable achievent.
"Lord Sterling, can you move?"
Mrs. Wellesley personally supported him. Alastair, who had a broken leg plus a large wound on his back, was in the most serious condition among them. Two more servants joined in. Cordelia sent them off and looked back at Cider.
"Lord Avondale."
Before Cordelia could speak, Cider pointed to the window and said.
"I'd like to help, but I want to see that."
Everyone who looked at the window following his gesture held their breath.
Outside the window, a trendous battle was taking place. A monster as huge as the mansion spewing poison, and a small human facing it single-handedly.
But it didn't look reckless.
Stomping once to fly up to the sky, not failing to aim even while floating in midair. This was Esperanza's real combat. To think they had worried about such a person—it was completely presumptuous.
"It's my first ti seeing this."
Cordelia whispered blankly. It wasn't just them. People passing by busily also occasionally had their attention stolen by the battle unfolding beyond the large window. Cider approached the first-floor window.
"......So this was it."
This is why 'Hunters' were needed. The people in this mansion needed dozens to tackle even one monster. He knew better than anyone that having trained soldiers wouldn't change the situation.
Not just one such dungeon, but dozens within this country. Warriors capable of fighting a hundred enemies were inevitably needed. The 'Hunter' race that appeared luckily at that ti.
So thought flickered through Cider's mind, but it was too faint and left no trace when the battle's phase shifted.
After treatnt of the injured was sowhat finished, other people also gathered in groups of three to five near the mansion's windows. It was an unrealistic battle. Rather, that's why they didn't feel a sense of crisis.
Cider recalled the monster he had dealt with. Compared to that, it was laughably small. Though it hadn't taken him long to deal with it either, if it were Esperanza, she would have cut off its breath in one stroke with her characteristic skill and decisiveness.
The ground underfoot was blackened with poison. However, even considering that Esperanza was ard with equipnt, she was excessively unhard. Shouldering one giant gun, standing on the severed neck section of the monster, the trajectory of magic power shot toward the other writhing heads was vivid.
What captured attention more than the artwork-like movents was her gaze.
Her sharp gaze was stained with cruel pleasure. A gaze that showed exactly what kind of person Esperanza was. Even in the tangle of poison and magic power, even from this far distance, it was clearly visible.
"What do we do!"
Then Cordelia, who had been helping treat the injured while glancing at the window, clenched her fists and stamped her feet. It was the mont the Hydra's tail struck Esperanza. Cider also gripped the window fra tightly.
His magician landed without losing balance and prepared for the next attack. However, the enjoynt Cider had felt until then disappeared without a trace.
Is she hurt?
Reviews
All reviews (0)