Vol. 1 - Ch. 19 - Watershed Operation_4

"Gee-ho! Gah-hoo! Gahaha! ・・・・・・ hah... hah!"How long had I been swept away? I drifted downstream to the riverbank, and I was out of oxygen.

Beyond the riverbank, the dry land spread out. The sun was shining overhead. Everything in sight was so desolate that for a moment I thought I was in the afterlife.

But I am alive. My whole body aches, and I even have an arrow in my shoulder to prove it.

This arrow, which was shot by a demon craft unit before I entered the tributary, was broken off near the base.

Well, of course. I grasped the few remaining shaft parts with my right hand.

"Gghhhh!"

I pulled it out with all my might. Then I threw the broken arrow and fell on my back.

"Huh...huh..."

I checked my condition. For the time being, my limbs are fine. But by "safe," I mean "properly attached."

First of all, my left arm is broken. The little fingers of my left and right hands are also broken. In addition to the arrow wound in my shoulder, there are lacerations and contusions all over.

As for the legs, the bones seem to be intact. My right ankle seems to be sprained and is quite painful, but I should be able to walk.

Also, a rib is broken. Probably not just one.

"Sigh...whew..."

Even in this condition, I am still alive. It must be close to a miracle. I'm a man who hasn't been given a blessing.

If it wasn't God's blessing, what protected me?

"・・・・・・・・・"

I look up at the sky while lying on the ground. I don't even want to move my fingertips anymore. I am terribly tired. I'm drowsy.

I quietly close my eyes. I let go of my consciousness. I let my thoughts fade away.

I melt my body in the pleasant darkness....

・・・・・・・・・

・・・・・・・・・

・・・・・・・・・

・・・・・・・・・

"...Well, it doesn't work that way, does it?"

I stand up with my hands on the ground. This is the first time in my life that I have woken up that required such mental strength. I got up and checked the position of the sun.

"The El Verde River is... that way."

◆ ◆

I continued walking through the deserted wilderness.It was almost dusk, but the sun still did not want to do anything about it. The sun had not yet taken its toll, and my soaking wet body was already dry.

Since my leather armor was half destroyed, I took it apart and used it as a brace for my broken arm, discarding the rest. My body, which should have been lighter because of this, was as heavy as lead. Sweat seeping from my entire body licked the wound, causing intense pain. Even though I had drank enough water earlier, my throat was sticking to my thirst. My broken ribs screamed as I gasped for breath in the heat.

My sprained right ankle throbs and aches.The arrow wound in my shoulder aches slowly.The wound on my head opens and blood trickles down my face.

I keep walking even in this condition because I have no choice but to do so.

"Today... is a memorable day..."

I had the rare experience of gunpowder exploding behind me. Twice in one day.

"It's a rare experience..."

There won't be a third time, I'm sure. Anyway, I'm lucky to be alive. And I was also lucky to be alive when the river washed me away. It's a small tributary compared to the El Verde River.

I wonder if Felicia and the others who were enduring the current on the El Verde  survived. Not much time had passed between the bridge explosion and the release of the tributary.

I had ridden a horse into the tributary, which was only a few kilometers away, and plunged straight into it to blow up the weir.

It would only take a few minutes. I think I made it in time. If they had survived the enemy's attack, they would have been saved.

I believe so.

◆ ◆

I wondered how far I had walked. As darkness fell, I saw a number of tents ahead of me.

They were garrisons.

Since I had been swept down the tributary that divides the demon territory and walked in the direction of the El Verde River, it was naturally the garrison of the demon army.

This meant that I had struck it from behind.

I approached cautiously. I approached the camp, hiding in the bushes, and crossed the fence to enter the camp. I noticed that there were strangely few demons there.

The garrison was on a hill behind us. The entire garrison could be seen in front of us, with the El Verde River stretching out beyond. I stepped out in front of the hill and looked around the battlefield, taking care to be aware of my surroundings. The sight I saw took my breath away.

The royal army was fighting. They had already entered this garrison. It seemed that the crossing force had completed the river crossing.

The demon army, which had been attacked up to this point, was mobilizing all of its forces to fight back. That is why there were few demons around here.

After the bridge was blown up, victory was in sight. However, as expected, the enemy resistance within the garrison was fierce. The Royal Army was also unable to attack the garrison with just one more step.

If this is the case, what I would have to do would be diversion and distraction. I would draw the enemy back to the rear of the garrison and thin the front line. I looked around and saw four horses tied up.

Let's borrow that.

Next, I looked for a bonfire. The sun was already setting, so it was easy to find. The bonfire of the demon tribe consisted of several torches pushed into an iron basket. I knocked down the basket and took out four torches that were lit on fire.

With these, I approached the horse and strapped them to the saddle. The horse was a little rough, but I asked him to bear with it.

"Don't worry, you won't get burned."

Besides, I've been through more pain and heat today than you. Then I let go of the horses and let all four run. The horses go wild with the fire, running into the tent and setting it on fire. I sent the horses off, and next I searched the deserted tent .

What I found was an arrowhead. It was the same as the one I had used earlier in the tributary. I also borrowed a bow.

Then I shot fire arrows one after another from the high ground. I gripped the bow with my broken arm, but of course, I couldn't aim. However, it was not difficult to shoot into the tent, which was not moving.

Since the goal was to distract them, it was enough if I could ignite the tent, just as the horses had done.

In no time at all, the horses and fire arrows started to catch fire from various locations in the rear of the garrison.

The front line of the demon army was instantly disrupted. They must have thought they were being pincer attacked.

Well, actually, it was a pincer attack. The only one behind them is a man with a broken arm. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ NøᴠᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

The royal army immediately deals a crushing blow to the disrupted ranks.

The pink blonde knight at the front can be seen clearly from here. Commander Tisserius had also come to the front. Her magic sword spurts out fire, further breaking the ranks of the demons.

There was one more conspicuous person in the royal army.

A flaxen-haired knight.

She was wearing a thunderbolt on her sword, and with a single swing, she cut down several enemies.

"Emily?"

Why is she coming to this side? As I questioned, "Frost Gravel" rained down on the demon tribe. Beyond it, I saw Felicia holding up her staff.

I was glad to see her.

"You're safe." I exhaled loudly in relief.

The broken ribs ached, but it didn't matter. I was so glad that Felicia was okay.

The battle was now entering its final phase. The kingdom's army cut into the front line of the demon tribe, which had been thinned out by the diversionary tactics.

"Alright...I'll go too."

I moved my body, which screamed so much that I could no longer tell which pain was where, and descended from the high ground. The fire that was rising from everywhere was staining my scarred face red, and I looked around cautiously.

Enemy troops were returning to the rear of the camp, and I could see them everywhere. I proceeded quietly, hiding in the shadows so as not to be spotted.

I looked for enemy soldiers who were relatively lightly armed, on horseback, and as far away from the troops as possible.

I said to myself, "I can't go for that one. That one is no good."

After continuing my search without making any compromises, I found one horseman who met my requirements. He was at the tail end of a four-rider force, a little behind the line.

"Let's go with that one."

I approached from the shadows. I had already taken the horses once today. I had carried a gunpowder box then, but now I was using my bare hands.

It will go more smoothly than before. No, I didn't break any bones earlier.

Well, it doesn't matter. You'll know if you try. You just have to do it. With that thought in mind, I attacked from the side at once.

"!?"

The enemy's face twisted in surprise, and he reflexively swung down the spear in his hand. But I was already in his pocket. I caught the handle of the spear with my right shoulder and pulled the enemy down from the horse.

"Gghh!"

At the sound of that voice, the three riders in front of me turned around. I quickly mounted my horse, turned, and rode toward the front line.

"Wait, you!"

I ran with the enemy's angry shouts at my back. It worked. I knew I could use the hands-on experience. I was able to take the horse with the same movement as the first time.

But I was able to get to him first, so I was able to get by, but if the enemy had a sword in his hand instead of a spear, I might have been in trouble.

I will be careful next time.

I ran with the enemy who was in pursuit of me. I could see the two armies fighting in front of me. That is the front line.

I put my heel on my horse and rushed into the front line. The enemy was wary of a pincer attack. However, they did not seem to have anticipated that a cavalryman would rush into the front line from the rear.

The cavalry charged through the ranks of the demon tribe, which had been caught off guard, slashing them in half. They kept their heads low and ran through at full speed. No one in their own ranks was aiming arrows or magic at them. And, as a result of the rear disturbances that siphoned off the front line troops, the enemy line was still thin.

Consequently, I broke through the enemy force. I traversed the enemy line and arrived at my own army.

Emily and Commander Tisserius were in the front line of the royal army. I approached them and dismounted from my horse.

My legs were no longer strong enough, and I failed to dismount, falling to both knees.

"Why did that man come from the other side?"

"He's all in tatters.... What happened?" A voice came from the ranks of the Royal Army.

Emily was stunned.

"Rolf Buckman ... Did you do it?" Commander Tisserius said.

This person know my name? I wonder if Emily told her. No, does it matter now?

I can't get my thoughts together in any way.

But anyway, I'm back to my own army.