Chapter 109
“Looks like all three of you had a good day, huh?”
During dinner time.
Tiltil sat at the table after finishing the strategy meeting and spoke.
“Huh? Out of nowhere?”
“I just thought your expressions looked good.”
“Ah~ I did have something good happen. I’ll show you after we eat.”
Hanarine wore a pleased smile.
“Ah… okay.”
Tiltil replied without knowing what it was about.
“How did the meeting go?”
“There weren’t any major changes; we just adjusted the formations a bit. Making small alterations took a lot of time since I had to keep an eye on the overall situation. I’m sorry for making you wait. Because of me, you couldn’t even eat yet.”
“I waited about ten minutes, so it’s all good. With the increase in scale, it can’t be helped.”
Kim Il-shin had previously delegated the tactical parts entirely to the trainees.
After things wrapped up, they had to make their own judgments and fight.
This way, he could nurture their judgment and flexibility in thinking through prior experience.
Normally, when they came up with tactics, Kim Il-shin provided feedback, but that was no longer necessary.
The trainees had learned to understand their own strengths and prepare tactics accordingly.
“You’ve been through a lot. Crafting tactics isn’t an easy task.”
“Eh, it wasn’t anything much. I just did some odd jobs while Roham handled most of it.”
Among them, Roham’s tactical abilities were exceptional.
With his uniquely broad perspective, he created tactics considering all trainees, even the increased numbers, and the quality was remarkable.
“I originally planned to come faster, but it took longer because of Roham. Even when everything was done, he wanted to double-check just once more.”
“Being thorough isn’t a bad thing.”
“True, but it took two hours to confirm everything. I think we checked over twenty times.”
“…That’s a bit excessive.”
However, he still hadn’t completely shaken off the obsession with saving everyone.
He had plenty of trust in his comrades but couldn’t entirely let go of his fixation on his beliefs.
“As a leader, a bit of stubbornness is necessary.”
His obsession with those beliefs translated to the safety of those around him, so it wasn’t a bad thing.
Even if that fixation intensified, he had comrades nearby who could assist him.
“So tomorrow, you’re going to show us something amazing, right?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Eh, what’s that? You lack confidence!”
“Haha…”
Despite Tiltil’s humble attitude, Kim Il-shin recognized the serenity radiating from him.
Since reflecting on his previous mistake, he had notably grown.
Tiltil seemed ready now.
“I can’t let this slide. Follow my lead. I’m the best!”
“Yes, yes?”
“I said follow me! I’m the best!”
“I’m the best…!”
“Louder!”
“I-I’m the best!”
“That’s right. One more time!”
“I’m the best!”
The amusing spectacle between Hanarine and Tiltil brought laughter to both Hazuki and Kim Il-shin.
“Haha, what’s this!”
“Huh? What’s funny?”
“I’m the best!”
This was probably the last dinner for the four of them. It was a joyful time once again.
*
The next dawn.
Tiltil and the trainees stepped outside the castle walls, right on cue for the attack to begin.
“How much time is left?”
“About ten minutes.”
“Got it! The start is in ten minutes! Get ready!”
Unlike before, when they had lined up as one, this time several groups formed at uniform intervals.
This was due to the increased number of trainees.
They organized the larger group into units of ten, assigning roles, with the overall strategy still being encirclement and annihilation.
In each unit, experienced individuals who had faced real battles were appointed as leaders to command.
Tiltil was assigned to the scouting unit again, while Roham took the position of overall commander on the battlefield.
Craaack! Sha-haak!
Soon enough, the monstrous creatures began to dig up from the ground, and the battle commenced immediately.
Swoosh! Fwoosh-fwoosh!
These fearsome weapons of the castle wall now stepped beyond the category of mere ballistae, showing power as formidable as their appearance.
Massive iron stakes drove down at incredible speeds, massacring the monsters.
The smaller creatures were torn apart merely from grazing them, and even the larger ones couldn’t withstand that onslaught.
“Whoa!”
“This is why I can’t quit modifying! How does this firepower feel, you beasts!”
“Ahahaha! Die, die!”
With each raging cheer echoing from the wall, it had almost become a roar.
“They’re coming! Shields up!”
Bang! Smash!
“Encirclement complete! Clear them out!”
“Unit three needs support from scouts!”
“On my way!”
The battle went smoothly.
Under Roham’s leadership, based on well-prepared tactics, the monsters fell one after another, helpless.
Should any issues arise, the scouting unit led by Tiltil would swiftly handle them, leaving little room for variables.
At this rate, it seemed they could fend off the attack without any losses.
GWWAAAHHHHH――!!
“Ugh…!”
“What, what is that!”
At that moment, the ground shook with a roiling growl, and from the southern wall, something gigantic emerged.
It was a bear-shaped monster, appearing several times larger than the three-story buildings around.
“Units three and five, widen the distance from the giant monster! Everyone else, hold your positions! All personnel, including scouts, focus only on dealing with the existing monsters!”
Roham quickly assessed the situation and issued commands.
As the commander displayed an unwavering demeanor, the confusion soon settled.
“Tiltil!”
“Hey!”
“Go on your own. If possible, take it down; if not, just buy as much time as you can.”
Tiltil’s skills were unmatched. No trainee could keep up with him.
Thus, he specifically instructed him to confront the giant monster. The other scouts would only interfere.
Tiltil was Roham’s most trusted comrade and friend, and he believed he could take on that giant.
“Leave it to me.”
“Don’t push yourself.”
“Got it!”
Tiltil charged toward the southern wall with all his might.
‘Already this close…!’
The giant monster was already near the walls.
The very spot it had protruded from was far too close to the wall.
GWWAAAARRR!
The giant monster lifted its foreleg. I can’t let it attack the wall like that.
Tiltil squeezed his muscles and leaped onto the beast’s body.
‘I have to stop it!’
Due to its size, he couldn’t finish it off in one go.
He had to aim for a critical point to thwart the attack, and the target he focused on was its unprotected eye beneath its tough skin.
“Ha!”
Thwak!
Tiltil’s sword plunged into the giant monster’s enormous eye.
He twisted the firmly embedded sword in various directions.
KUEEEEK―!!
It must have been an immense pain. Yet, the giant monster didn’t halt.
It swung the raised foreleg menacingly toward the wall.
“Grrr!”
It certainly felt pain; still, it continued to attack without any thrashing from the agony.
That reaction wasn’t characteristic of a normal living creature.
BANG!
The force of the attack served as a powerful recoil. Tiltil couldn’t hold on and was thrown off the beast’s body.
He landed lightly and quickly accelerated again.
With its strength, the wall could likely withstand a few more hits, so he aimed to finish off the remaining eye quickly.
CRUMBLE!
But right after, an entirely different situation unfolded than he’d anticipated.
To his shock, the wall crumbled down from the attack of the monster.
“AHHHHHH!”
“The wall has collapsed! Run away quickly!”
Immediately, the interior of the castle turned into total chaos.
Monsters that had penetrated through the broken wall rushed into the city, while citizens screamed and fled.
‘What the hell is going on…!’
Tiltil couldn’t comprehend the situation at all.
In all the assaults he had experienced, there had never been a monster of that massive size.
Moreover, to have brought down the wall with just one attack—!
‘Was that monster stronger than I thought? …No, that can’t be.’
In that instant, a memory from the past flashed through Tiltil’s mind.
Monsters pouring in through the gaps in the broken wall and people screaming as they fled.
The ruins left behind where his heart raced as if it might burst, and the red blood flowing from beneath.
The difference with now was that the current situation was unfolding far too rapidly.
CRACK—
As he recalled one complete family, his head heated up, and he gripped his sword tightly.
But he didn’t let his emotions consume him as before.
First, the safety of the citizens must come first.
Tiltil kicked off to block the monsters approaching the houses, but then stopped.
A massive force was approaching from the distance.
CRACKLE―!!
A flash of light started from the center of the town, spreading through the broken wall and out into the open.
After a brief moment where it felt like lightning struck, all that remained on the ground were neatly severed bodies of monsters.
“…Master.”
“Good job. That was a sound judgment.”
He thought they’d become a little closer, but they were still far apart.
In an instant, Kim Il-shin had disposed of all the monsters and patted Tiltil’s shoulder.
However, that didn’t mean the situation was resolved.
Just because the monsters were dealt with didn’t mean the citizens’ chaos would disappear.
“What do we do now?”
“With the wall breached like this…”
Now that the belief in safety from the attack had shattered, anxiety began to creep in.
“What do we do? At this rate, everything we’ve worked for….”
“It’s alright.”
Just as Tiltil expressed his concerns, a vision began to play in the air above the city.