CH 133

The time for the final battle had finally arrived.

On that day, a curfew was imposed on the entire capital of the Kingdom of Zain.

The people living in the city, as well as vendors from outside, were forbidden to leave their homes or lodgings. All the shops in the normally crowded commercial districts had closed their doors tightly and the streets were silent, not even a cat’s litter had disappeared.

The city is a ghost town, the whole country seems to have suddenly disappeared.

“……mommy.”

“Shh! Be quiet!”

In one such house in the capital, a mother is scolding her child for crying out in anxiety.

The reason for the curfew has not been explained to the people living in the capital. This has only served to increase their anxiety, and the unseen monster of fear grows ever larger.

The fact that they had only recently been at war with a neighbouring country was another factor adding to their unease.

Perhaps the war with the Empire had resumed. Or perhaps the hordes of demons were gathering. There may be countless armies outside the city gates trying to overrun the capital.

The inhabitants of the capital are trembling at the sight of the unknown monster, hiding in attics and under floors, gasping for breath without knowing why.

They were right in some aspects. It is true that outside the walls of the city there is an enemy army.

But who could have imagined it?

It’s not the Imperial army or the hordes of demons that are the enemy. It was the army led by the hero who saved their country, Raidorl Zain.

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A large number of soldiers were gathered on the city walls surrounding the perimeter of the Royal Capital.

In addition to the soldiers who originally guarded the walls, the knights of the Kingsguard were sent as reinforcements from the Royal Palace. The total number of them is about two thousand.

This was all the troops the kingdom was currently able to field, as most of the kingdom’s main forces were stationed in the eastern border fortresses due to the previous war with the Alsatian Empire.

They were gathered for one purpose: to intercept the enemy army that was about to invade the capital.

“You…… really came here?”

One of the soldiers on the ramparts murmurs in dismay. The soldier looks up and sees the enemy army staring at the wall.

The number is probably about one thousand. It is only about half the number of their own army.

In a siege war, the defender has the advantage and the attacker has to prepare several times more troops. In this respect, the King’s side has the overwhelming advantage in this battle.

But the faces of the soldiers on the defending side are dark, tinged with anxiety and confusion.

And so it should be. The enemy army is flying the flag of the Kingdom of Zain, which is the same as their own army, and at the head of the flag is the hero and brother of the king.

This is because the saviour who saved the kingdom from the invasion of the great Alsatian  Empire is Raidorl Zain himself.

“That’s……His Highness Raidorl. Why is that person attacking the Royal Capital?”

The question was put to him, the man who was the captain of the wall guard.

The man’s name is Ranid Zens. He is the third son of a low-ranking nobleman in the service of the kingdom, but as he is not the eldest, he cannot inherit the family and is an independent soldier in the kingdom’s army.

He is thirty years old. Ranid was supposed to be in the prime of his life after his late marriage about half a year ago, but now he is in the midst of misfortune.

A few days ago, Ranid was guarding the city walls as usual when Lockwood Marcell, the prime minister, appeared before him.

Lockwood’s tone of voice was calm as he instructed Ranid, who was in a panic at the unexpected appearance from Lockwood. 

“Soon an army led by His Royal Highness Raidorl Zain will invade the capital. I leave the command of the Kingsguard to you, so you can intercept them.”

“W-what?”

Given such an impossible instruction, Ranid forgot his position and let out an exclamation of dismay.

Of course. Raidorl Zain is the hero who saved the Kingdom of Zain from the invasion of the Alsatian  Empire.

Why would the hero of his own country invade Royal Capital?

He was given the command of the Knights of the Kingsguard, which was supposed to be guarding the royal palace, and was given the command of 2,000 soldiers. This was a speedy rise to the top that would have been unthinkable for a knight from a lowly noble family.

And then – a few days later.

As the Prime Minister had expected, the army of Raidorl really came to the capital.

The army of Raidorl, which emerged from the east side of the capital, formed a long square formation, side by side, staring at the city walls.

At the head of the army stands a man in jet-black armor. From Ranid’s position on top of the city walls, it is impossible to see his face, but he must be Raidorl Zain.

“Aaa……damn it. This is the end of my life. Just when I’m about to settle down with my beautiful, young wife. …..”

Ranid looked up at the sky and let out a sigh of resignation.

The battle had not yet begun, but Ranid was already convinced that he would be defeated.

The army of Raidorl is only 1,000. Half of their number. If he looks at the numbers alone, it is not an unbeatable opponent. In fact, it is an overwhelming advantage.

But Raidorl, the general of the enemy army, is the hero of the Holy Sword. He is literally a transcendent figure with the power of a single sword. The rumour has reached the capital that he fought in the war against the Alsatian Empire.

His own troops numbered 2,000, but their morale and discipline were at an all-time low.

It would be tempting to call it a coalition of the wall guards and the knights of the royal court, but in reality it’s just a bunch of hangers-on.

The two units, which have never trained together, clearly do not work well together and have been fighting all week. There are many knights who are complaining about the fact that Ranid is in charge of the whole operation.

In the first place, on the attacking side were the rearguard who had been unable to take part in the war with the Empire. Most of them were young recruits, and they were clearly in high spirits.

Less than an hour after the appearance of Raidorl’s troops, the Kingdom’s army is already in a state of intense unrest.

“We can’t win, we are up against the hero of the Holy Sword.”

“Yeah, that’s right. …… Why are we in this mess…..?”

“I don’t want to die. ……”

One by one, cries of anxiety are escaping from the mouths of the soldiers gathered on the city walls.

The war with the Empire has ended and peace has finally returned. Just then, the army of Raidorl, which should have been their allies, turned their spears and attacked the Royal Capital. There was no way that this mishmash of troops would have the courage to deal with such an unexpected situation.

“I want to scream, I want to cry!　My life is a nightmare!” 

Ranid let out a cry of grief into the sky.

He was supposed to be just a captain of the guard, but before he knew it, he was ordered to defend the last wall protecting the capital. The responsibility is incredibly heavy.

If he could, he would run away, but if he chose to do so, he would certainly be guilty of death. Ranid alone might be able to escape, but his new wife would be left with a lifetime of guilt.

How could Ranid, who was at the height of his happiness after marrying his young bride, be in this situation? He wants to curse God for the injustice he befall on him.

“If only General Garst were here!　What’s the Protector General doing at a time like this?”

The chief of the kingdom’s armed forces, Bazel Garst, is currently at the border to deal with the aftermath of the war against the Empire.

If Bazel were here, he would be able to calm the soldiers’ agitation and bring them together.

But it would be too much to ask a mere captain of the guard to do the same as the captain of the Protectorate.

As the old military strategists say, “the outcome of a battle is already decided before it begins”, and the Kingdom’s army was already defeated before the battle had even begun.

“Oh no, ……! They’re moving!”

While Ranid was bemoaning his misfortune, Raidorl’s army was finally on the move.

The black knight at the head of the army, Raidorl Zain, draws his sword and points the white blade at him.

“「「「「「Ooooooh!!!」」」」”

At the same time, a battle cry sounded like an avalanche.

Raidorl’s armies, standing side by side, moved in unison and began to march towards the fortress.

At the head of the charge were soldiers carrying large logs. It was a mallet that was used to pry open the gates from the outside.

They must have got it from the nearby woods. The improvised siege weapon, with branches and leaves still attached in places, was slammed into the gate, and a dull thud sounded.

“Aaa, you bastards!　Soldiers, take up your bows if you don’t want to die! And don’t you cry all the time!”

Shouting at the young knight, who was cowering and crying, Ranid gave frantic instructions.

No matter how much they wanted to lament their misfortune, the enemy army in front of them will never disappear. So, the only way to survive was to win.

“Don’t let them break through the gates!　Give priority to the soldier with siege equipment!” 

“Yes, sir!”

“If you want to survive, you’ll have to work hard!　If you die, you won’t even be able to make out with your wife! I’m a newlywed, for God’s sake!”

In a fit of desperation, Ranid draws his sword and holds it up to the sky.

“Mānaaahhhh! I love you so much!”

It’s not clear whether his impetuous command was appropriate or not.

However, the command of the uncanny certainly won the hearts and minds of all the soldiers, and succeeded in moving them towards the common goal of “survival”

Ranid Zens.

This was the moment of the birth of a new hero, who would later be known as the “Affectionate General.”