CH 47

TN: Obligatory I’m busy because of finals. It happens to the best of us. Expect uploads around this time for the time being.

Two weeks have passed since the Saint and Mercenary arrived at the temporary camp. No progress had been made in restoring the city. Bactins might as well have never existed. The rebuilding of the harbor had yet to begin. 

The city’s wreckage had to be cleared away, and they had to build from scratch. Even with wizards at their disposal, removing the debris would take a long time.

Iris was tasked with healing the people of the city. But there were too many people. As she helped one person, another died. Their wounds were infested by fungus, the hot air allowing it to fester.

“Saintess… help me, Saintess….”

A boy moaned, holding up his severed arm. He was the twentieth patient of the day. The mother who had brought him limped with her leg bandaged. I poured her mana into his shoulder. It was impossible to sprout a new arm. All I could do was soothe the boy’s phantom pain.

“Please help me….”

No matter how much power she poured into him, the boy still cried in agony. I poured out most of my remaining mana and broke into a cold sweat as I healed his mother’s leg. The broken leg slowly healed, returning to its rightful place.

“Thank you.”

But her expression showed that she was only concerned about her son, not that her leg was healed. I watched them leave the makeshift hospital tent. I could hear people chatting.

“Please don’t overexert yourself, Saintess.”

A priest who had been helping me said. I shook my head. Forcing my mana up, I hunched forward to call for the next person. However, before I could say anything, a man with bandages on half his face tried to enter the tent. The soldier controlling the flow of people in and out of the tent blocked him from entering. The man’s one remaining eye looked up at me with desperation through the gap in the tent.

“Let him in.”

“No, Saintess. If you use too much mana, you won’t be able to save more people waiting for you. Isn’t it okay for him to be treated tomorrow?”

The soldier spoke in a stern voice, but I remained stubborn.

“Let him in….”

“You should take care of your own body, Iris.”

Arjen grabbed my hand from behind me. I tried to shake his hand away, but my body wouldn’t listen. My knees slowly sank as the day’s exhaustion caught up with me.

“That’s enough for today; the sun is already setting.”

“I… can’t… do that.”

“Stop being so stubborn, Iris. You know your body won’t hold out.”

Arjen lifted and carried me to the bed. The priests who watched sighed amongst themselves.

“I didn’t think the aftermath of the Disaster would be this bad. They didn’t call it the end of the world for nothing.”

“It only ended up like this with a brief battle. What would have happened if it had continued its advance beyond Bactins?”

A blur of priests discussing. I couldn’t help but remember that day.

“If you want to kill everyone in Bactins, go for it.”

At that time, his words were too far away. My life was more important than others. My death was near, and theirs seemed distant. The Hero who went to the front in search of death was irresponsible and without measures, and the Mercenary who sought our lives through the end of the enemy was rational and strong.

“Hang in there if it hurts. We need to sterilize the wound. You must not die; stay awake.”

The screaming and moaning never stopped. Whenever I closed my eyes, I could hear them more clearly. The smell of festering, decaying wounds under the summer sun is more potent than medicine.

What am I? What does it mean to be the “Saintess,” and what is having a”sense of duty?” What did we do wrong then? Why did the Bishop look at me as if he wanted to reprimand me? Am I regretting my choice that day?

I clenched my fists, trying to hold on to my fading consciousness. I heard urgent footsteps approaching. A sweaty soldier burst into the tent.

“What’s going on?”

The priest, sitting with her in the hospital room, greeted him. “The Fourth Disaster is coming,” the soldier gasped, unable to catch his breath.

“It is coming. They say the enemy’s force is larger than expected. So much so that Archduke Stroff of Evernode has sent an urgent request for reinforcements to the Capital… They mentioned they could fall without it, but…”

“…The forces of Evernode, including the Hero, will not retreat a step.”

The soldier’s words rang in my head.

***

We began to see the silhouette of the Giant beyond the veil, so Archduke Quenor called a council meeting. We used torches and lanterns to light the room, but the atmosphere was no brighter. In the lengthening shadows, the Archduke’s expression was more profound than the night.

“The Fourth Disaster is coming.”

The atmosphere in the room became heavier with each word. The Archduke let out a long breath, resting his arm on the map of the North on the table.

“And the reinforcements will still take some time to arrive.”

With the fate of the kingdom, the continent, and perhaps the world at stake, reinforcements will surely come, but even if they’re riding day and night, it will be a long time before they reach the Evernode. While we could deal with the monsters alone, it would be a different story if the Giant itself joined the battle.

“The horizon has already covered the forest, and the cold has already begun to reach the city walls.”

The sky was not as bright as before, the sun was faintly visible through thick clouds, and snow clouds filtered the light, making for a dreary morning. The soldiers, who had fought in their uniforms yesterday, began to bundle up in blankets and heavy coats. A sudden gust of wind pounded the ramparts, creating a ghostly whine.

“In bad weather, we can’t fight as we normally can, but the monsters will more or less be unaffected. Our casualties will be noticeably higher starting tomorrow. If any of those Legionnaires are still left, we may find it difficult to hold the line. Evernode has many fine knights, but we don’t know how much they are still hiding.”

Archduke Quenor jabbed a finger at the citadel on the map. I stared at the places labeled “Beyond the Forest,” “Horizon,” and “The Great Gorge” behind it. Evernode stood at the end, with the rest of the continent behind it.

“I don’t think we have too many options, so I’d like to hear what you say, Rhys, before I offer my opinion.”

The Archduke looked at Rhys first. He followed his finger and looked down at the map.

“What do you think?”

“I don’t care how many of them come. We’re only protecting the Evernode. I’ll do what I’ve always done, stand here and face the onslaught.”

Rhys’s voice was determined. The Archduke merely nodded.

“Next, Hedwig.”

“I agree with Rhys. What other choice could I have as a knight born and bred here?”

The knights began talking amongst themselves. Even though he knew the answer, Archduke Quenor looked at each of them and asked the question. It was as if he were checking their resolve and confirming their commitment. The vassals and chamberlains answered the same way.

“…Very well, then, let us ask the outsiders for their opinions.”

The Archduke’s blue eyes bore into mine. I couldn’t read his thoughts.

“There is also the option of abandoning this castle and retreating, Hero Elroy. We could vacate to one of the cities in the south, reorganize there with the full force of the kingdom, and launch a counterattack. Don’t you think we can catch the Giant better?”

“We can’t do that. The Evernode must be defended.”

I responded immediately. The Evernode is the last line of defense, not the front line. In the original game, Evernode was surrendered to the oncoming giant. Countless knights, including Archduke Quenor, oxidized along with the citadel, and the monster spread across the world, spreading fear of disaster.

“And what makes you think that, Elroy?”

He asked, narrowing his brow.

“If the Giant crosses this citadel, the horizon will freeze the world completely, and it will crush every city and nation simply by walking.”

I stroked the hilt of my sword out of habit and calmly spoke of the catastrophe that would occur. The faces of those assembled hardened at my words.

“Even if we retreat from this place, there is no guarantee that there will be a next time. The Disaster and its minions will not stop and reorganize, nor will they be satisfied and settle; they will go on without end, freezing mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans until the world is destroyed.”

I don’t know what Arjen would have thought. In the original stories, the collapse of the Evernode was always portrayed as inevitable. They said it was the fault of the warriors who failed to defeat him. But was it really?

“We won’t be able to stop the monsters from spreading, either. Once it crosses Evernode, they can go anywhere on the continent.”

The Archduke nodded. He looked a little lighter.

“I see. Thank you for saying that. Then what does the rest of the party think?”

I could feel Georg’s eyes on me. It was a very complicated look.

“I… I agree with the Hero.”

That was all Georg said, and he didn’t say anything more. Marianne and Daphne also nodded and didn’t say anything else. Having heard the opinions of all present, Archduke Quenor closed his eyes. The only sound in the silent room was the crackling of the fire.

“Here’s the deal.”

The Archduke opened his eyes and opened his mouth.

“I will split my army in two. One will remain in Evernode and defend the castle, while the other will open the gates and advance toward the heart of the enemy.”

My eyes widened.

“We will do hit and runs, slowing their advance and accumulating damage, so when the Crown’s reinforcements arrive, we will leave the castle to them and set out to drop the Fourth Disaster.”

Archduke Quenor’s head turned to me.

“I will be in charge of slowing the advance. And you, Warrior Elroy, I will ask you to accompany Rhys to defend Evernode.”

“…If we break through their lines, we won’t need many troops on the walls, so it would be better if I accompany you to slow the Giant’s advance.”

I said that with some uneasiness. The original story mentioned that the Archduke had single-handedly halted the Giant’s advance several times. Still, I was no longer willing to rely solely on the original’s description, and Archduke Quenor shook his head at my suggestion.

“It won’t take that many men to break through their forces. And we need a rallying point. If not you, who will rescue the men in distress?”

The Archduke trusted me. But I was afraid to leave him to face the Disaster alone. I didn’t fully trust the original’s portrayal.

“If we wish to protect the Evernode, we have no choice, Elroy. We must buy time until we can face them at full strength, and I am strong enough not to need your help.”

I bit my lip. I didn’t see an alternative. I could rebel against the Archduke’s words and force myself to accompany him, but that would leave no soldiers to protect the citadel.

“Very well, but.”

I said, holding up a single finger.

“Promise me you won’t try to take down the Giant alone. If you are pushed to the brink, you must retreat.”

“Of course, I promise. Unlike you, I don’t have the greed to take it down myself.”

Archduke Quenor joked and laughed. One by one, the knights burst out laughing at his words. The icy atmosphere in the room thawed a bit.

“The force to slow the Giant’s advance will be elite and minimal. No more than twenty. Patty, Rhys, and Serin, you will stay behind. Hedwig, Hans, Adrian, and Tyrone.”

He quickly began to organize his troops. After careful thought, he selected fifteen men.

“We will set out tomorrow morning before the battle begins. I will retire for the night so you can rest.”

The Archduke was the first to rise from his seat. His steps seemed heavier than usual as he left the room. The doors to the conference room opened and closed. The torches flickered and extinguished as the wind blew through the cracks. The air in the room was clouded by the wafting smoke.

***

“We’ll be back by tomorrow morning. If we are still left, we can attack the invading monsters from the front and back.”

The morning after the meeting, Archduke Quenor spoke from his horse. I stood in the gateway of the outer castle with him.

“Good luck, Archduke. May you return safely.”

“You should worry about yourself, not me, and defend this castle.”

The gate’s grate rose. The monsters bared their teeth to welcome the Archduke and me. I drew the Holy Sword and awakened its first stage. The Archduke looked at my stance and chuckled.

“Very well. In times like these, we can’t hold back.”

“Let me concentrate.”

I shrugged off the Archduke’s words and pulled myself together. The monsters began to recoil slightly from the pure white aura. I slashed down with my Holy Sword, and the path opened as the creatures on the road were swept away. The Archduke poked his horse’s flank and started to gallop away.

“I’ll be back.”

“I’ll keep watch.”

I watched the backs of the Archduke and his knights, quickly becoming a dot until the gates closed behind them, then turned back to the ramparts.

Fewer demons attacked the walls that day. As the attacks ceased, the soldiers became more fearful than relieved. The day passed with more tension than fighting, and the night fell again. I stayed awake that entire night.

The next day.

The sun rose, and the monsters began pounding on the gates again, but the knights still hadn’t returned