Chapter 14 (1/2)
TL: So I have some bad news to the readers of this series. It appears that the author has finished this webnovel at 73 chapters. He started in May 2012 and ended it in July 2017. At his ending post note, he states that the published version will have a different kind of ending. I might want to speed things up from chapter 17 onward. I’ll see how it goes.
Chapter 14 – Rising Magician
Just exactly how much time pa.s.sed? — Rafael thought while he wiped away his sweat.
Huge tree-like monsters a.s.saulted the kingdom’s army, splendidly charged into the ranks and files of the troops’ formation, and they fell into chaos. Moreover, the divided army was scattered, splitting into smaller companies and platoons, and it became a situation where they could no longer move like how the army was led in the beginning.
The orcs that laid in ambush until then concentrated their attacks and swooped in, making it unbearable for the army. The human forces fell into complete disadvantage and repeatedly retreated.
In that unfavorable situation, there was one unit led by Rafael which put up a good fight.
They boast the strongest force in the army and even amongst the whole kingdom; they withstood the orcs’ attacks and fought them off. However, the repeated battles they faced had caused them to lose one man after another, and the group that he led was no longer the original hundred.
Everyone was drenched in blood mixed with the orcs and their own. Fatigue was setting in strongly. Injuries could be healed because of the health potions and magicians’ healing spells. However, they did not have any effect in replenis.h.i.+ng the blood; unable to prevent anemia from the dire blood loss, neither could it fully restore the acc.u.mulated fatigue. If things continued that way, it was a matter of time before they were completely wiped out.
There was no way to join up with the other groups and escape from this danger.
Yet, while there was no way—
(Just how are the orcs reading our movements and moving before us!)
In order to join up with the other groups, they had to aggressively attack the pathless roads held by the orcs which spread out endlessly. It was as if the humans’ movements had been thoroughly read and toyed by the enemies’ fingertips, and they could not regroup.
(If I recall correctly, the survivors of that village were also ambushed by the orcs in the same way.)
Rafael remembered that event and gritted his teeth.
(It seemed like our army’s movements were being leaked. Did the tree monsters observe us? How did they transmit information to the orcs again?)
The situation was completely in the opponents’ advantage. But he could not give up here. He had to take up the responsibility for this loss and leave the Commander Knight’s seat— .But now he was still the Commander Knight who was in charge of two thousand and two hundred lives.
He had to reduce the casualties of his allies and bring back information at all costs, despite how little it might be for the next battle.
Explosions were ringing out at regular intervals in the forest. Perhaps they were made by an ally magician who was still fighting. Maybe he had not given up yet.
Rafael tried to regroup and escape with his allies again.
He saw an area where sunlight was s.h.i.+ning in dazzlingly. He had earlier entered the forest and thought he exited the place when he saw that scene, but it seemed like he was wrong. It was a clearing in the forest which opened up a little. Instead of escaping from the forest, he had traveled further into the forest and lost his way.
In the center of the clearing, was a huge ancient tree resembling the Tree-like monsters he had encountered earlier.
(Is this also a monster?) — Rafael became suspicious while he approached it nervously.
[You have done well to come this far, powerful human.]
A voice that sounded like an old man reverberated in his ears. Rafael’s eyes widened. If one looked closely, the trunk had huge dents that formed the shapes of eyes and a mouth. It looked like a tree with a human face. Monsters with high intelligence were capable of talking. This was not a strange thing, and Rafael increased his vigilance when he saw the Tree-like monsters earlier.
[Who the h.e.l.l are you!]
He pointed his sword at it and demanded. His troops also surrounded the ancient tree and prepared to fight.
[I am an Elder Treant, follower of revered Moussdeus.]
Moussdeus — Rafael had heard that name before.
[You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! You’re an evil G.o.d’s subordinate?!]
[Not an evil G.o.d. Revered Moussdeus is our magical creatures’ G.o.d.]
The Elder Treant was unhappy with Rafael’s tone and increased its pressure on him.
[Well that’s fine. Powerful human. You should be proud of your strength. You have repelled my subordinates multiple times with your warriors, and I will dedicate your deaths to revered Moussdeus.]
[My sword is dedicated only to the kingdom and not for the Evil G.o.d! It is used for tearing up you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds that hurt the citizens and threaten the kingdom!]
[Hah, then go ahead and try it if you can—]
[Your prattling is irksome! My magicians and archers, unleash your fury onto that b.a.s.t.a.r.d!]
The magicians and archers under Rafael start moving at Rafael’s command. But the ground shook violently before they could attack, breaking their postures with a sudden earthquake. The earth was uplifted and the Elder Treant’s roots attacked the soldiers mercilessly.
[Fuhahaha, how unsightly. I merely shook my roots once and all of you humans are downed. What fragile things you are—]
The Elder Torrent mocked them.
[Let me teach something beneficial to you. My roots do not merely shake the earth. The roots that are connected to the surrounding plants, will eventually become my retainers and become under my control. To turn them into treants I require human sacrifices. Eventually, my roots will cover all over the kingdom’s soil and I will increase my retainers.]
[…… Is that the purpose of attacking the villagers!]
[Indeed, our army’s prowess is insufficient because my strength is sealed away and the incompetent orcs living here are useless.]
(This is dangerous) — Rafael was trembling when he heard the words that were beyond his imagination.
The summary was the Evil G.o.d Moussdeus’s subordinate, an Elder Treant, was intentionally attacking the kingdom. He had heard that the Evil G.o.d’s retainers were able to share their sight and information even if they were far away. This fairytale-like story from the Elder Treant was something like a tall tale of a human becoming a vampire, but if the monster’s words were true, it would explain the situation they were in.
And the Elder Treant’s plant retainers in this area must have transmitted information back to it.
If the trees in the kingdom became subordinates and turned into Treants—, then they would overwhelm this kingdom, and it would surely collapse. Even if he had to put his life on the line, he would prevent it as a knight. Based on the Elder Treant’s words its roots had not covered the entire kingdom yet. He must first remove this monster and minimize the damage.