Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 11 - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Provincial Army’s Rampage

“Commander Louis. We’ve arrived at our destination.”

Louis’s adjutant, who had the look of an excited soldier on the eve of a battle, called out to Louis while they rode on horseback.

“I see.”

Louis remained calm, his mannerisms befitting his status as the man in charge. Despite being a commoner, and an orphan at that, his constant effort had finally brought him to the very pinnacle at the head of an army. He looked down at the village walls before him, brought his horse to a stop, and gave out his orders.

“Tell the captain to prepare for an assault. We’ll go forward just as planned.”

“Yes, sir!”

The entire army moved in accordance with his will. The formation that had broken up during the march came back in order and took on a shape more suited to attacking.

The Maclaurin Provincial Army was made up of three branches: infantry, archers, and mages. All of the soldiers wore the same armor. The infantry were armed with spears and shields, and though their gear was heavy, their movements were brisk. The lines of shields and spears had no gaps in it, demonstrating their prodigious experience.

The archers were armed with bows and carried swords at their waists for close combat. They stood behind the shielded infantry. The infantry carried the burden of defending, while the archers formed the cornerstone for attacking. Morale was high, and they had more than enough arrows at the ready.

There weren’t many mages, so they were embedded in the other ranks. They were armed with swords and shields, and all of their equipment assisted in casting magic by suppressing the consumption of mana. At a glance, they looked rather plain, but upon closer inspection, one would notice the jewels decorating their equipment and see that they were the true pride of the Maclaurin Provincial Army.

Of the five thousand soldiers, only two hundred were mages, but all two hundred carried magic weapons. About the only other armed forces who were so well equipped were the Holy Order and the emperor’s personal Imperial Guard. This was due to the many runestone mines in the margraviate and the vast wealth they provided. It wasn’t just their equipment that was impressive, of course; the margraviate provided its soldiers with plenty of training, so every soldier was considerably skilled.

With such a large army marching through the Fringes, they’d encountered monsters on multiple occasions, but they hadn’t suffered a single casualty. They were also accompanied by cavalry, who stood at the ready as a quick response force. It was a powerful army worthy of the grandest noble in the southern Empire. To any who opposed it, it was something straight out of a nightmare.

Before long, Louis’s adjutant returned.

“All preparations are complete, sir. We can begin at any time.”

“Excellent,” Louis replied with a nod. “Our target is Kehdo, the village the fake savior Majima Takahiro is hiding in. We will launch an all-out assault.”

A cheerful, steely glint shone in his eyes as he passed his next order.

“Annihilate them.”

At Louis’s command, the ranks of soldiers started advancing. This large army would trample anything and everything in its path.

Watching this orderly advance, someone let out a deep groan, his voice trembling with resentment.

“You bastard...”

Louis turned around. A man with his wrists bound together glared back at him. If the people of Aker were to see this, they would probably seethe with rage.

“Prince Philip. I see you’ve come to watch.”

The soldiers had brought Aker’s second prince, Philip Kendall. Indeed, just as Adolf had predicted, Philip had tried to stop the provincial army. In contrast to his easygoing demeanor, he was still a member of Aker’s militaristic royal family. He protected others. He fought. Much like his fierce little sister who’d thrown herself onto the front lines to protect humanity, he had a strong heart, so when he heard news of the Maclaurin Provincial Army’s transgression while on his journey to report to the king, he’d immediately decided to retrace his steps to Diospyro.

Majima Takahiro had saved Akerian citizens, and Philip had promised to provide his support. Thus, he had to live up to that promise and pay back the great debt he owed. He was sure he was doing it for his country’s sake, and not just because Takahiro was a savior.

Philip greatly valued Takahiro’s stance of doing everything necessary to protect what was dear to him. He sympathized with it, and he strongly believed that Takahiro couldn’t be allowed to die over some petty misunderstanding.

After returning to Diospyro, Philip had asked the Royal Army stationed there for details, then made haste for the Maclaurin Provincial Army advancing on Kehdo. It was impossible to stop their expedition without having a member of royalty like him around. That was what he’d thought.

He’d been granted an audience with the provincial army’s commander, Louis Bard. Philip had claimed that Majima Takahiro was no fake savior. Even if he couldn’t clear all their suspicions, Philip had pleaded that they at least put the attack on hold. He’d admonished them, saying it wasn’t too late to wait for contact from the exploration team and confirm things with them.

His argument made a lot of sense, but the negotiation had failed completely. What’s more, Philip hadn’t even been given the time to plot a withdrawal before he was restrained on the spot. He bitterly regretted how careless he’d been.

How could he have predicted this situation, though? It wasn’t just a matter of Louis being hardheaded and refusing to listen. Nothing had gotten through to him from the very beginning. To put it another way, Louis hadn’t even attempted to have a proper conversation. Nonetheless, this didn’t mean Philip’s stance would change.

“Your Highness, I asked for your presence because I believe it is about time for you to come to your senses.”

Louis was polite to the very end. Even though Philip was restrained, Louis showed a certain respect for him.

“I have no intention of harming you,” he added.

He wasn’t lying. The only reason Louis had restrained Philip was because there’d been a need for it. Even though their opinions differed, he couldn’t disregard his opponent’s dignity. They were both fellow humans, after all. Louis would act this way even when faced with a criminal. It was the core of his beliefs.

“If we do not join forces, humanity cannot continue to live in this harsh world. Even if our nations differ, we are fellow brethren. Brethren are meant to be loved, not hurt.”

Louis was serious. Depending on the perspective, he had the same disposition as Philip. He was a protector. He was a fighter. To be more precise, Louis upheld the nature of House Maclaurin, which had a tremendous influence on his life. However, there was an enormous disconnect between Akerian royalty and House Maclaurin in this regard, which was why there was so much discord between them.

“I believe that, even if you’ve been entranced by evil, you will come to understand one day,” Louis said.

“How can I understand?!” Philip snarled, his gentle features twisting with rage. “Do you understand what the hell you did?! What the hell you’re about to do?!”

“Of course. I will destroy evil and enact justice for the sake of the people,” Louis declared without hesitation. “The wicked being who manipulates monsters must be burned to ash.”

Louis’s ideology perfectly aligned with Glantri Maclaurin’s, hence his being here as the margrave’s representative. In truth, Iino Yuna’s hunch about Louis when she’d met him in Serrata was right on the mark. Louis Bard was, without a doubt, an incarnation of justice who existed solely for the sake of destroying evil. And his definition of evil wasn’t restricted only to Majima Takahiro. That was exactly why he’d ordered annihilation.

“I’ll kill every last thing in that village. Majima Takahiro, his servants...and even the village’s elves. Yes. The elves are also evil beings who manipulate monsters they purport to be spirits. They are an abnormality that cannot exist in the world.”

“You’re inhuman...”

Philip was speechless. He knew that Louis wasn’t all talk: he had already seen it for himself. Louis had attacked the neighboring village of Rapha—the reclamation village where Majima Takahiro had befriended the local elves.

It had happened just the other day. The majority of the villagers had escaped due to the village chief’s decisiveness, but the few elves who’d remained had put up a resistance. The reclamation village had some amount of defenses in place in preparation for monster attacks, but they could do nothing against five thousand soldiers.

Pursuers had been dispatched to mercilessly hunt down the escaping villagers. At that rate, Philip’s subjects would have been slaughtered. The only reason they had survived was because something had gotten in the way.

“That was an unfortunate turn of events yesterday. If not for that grotesque wolf, we would’ve annihilated them.”

Right at the very last moment, a two-headed wolf with wriggling tentacles had cut off the pursuers as if to protect the last of the fleeing villagers. The force had only been expecting to mop up villagers, so they hadn’t brought that many soldiers. They were preserving their strength for the true battle against Majima Takahiro, so the pursuers had given up the chase. Thanks to that, the villagers had managed to get all the way to Kehdo, where Majima Takahiro was staying. All the same, their life spans had only been extended a little. Philip understood this.

“Open your eyes, Louis Bard!” he screamed in a bloodcurdling voice. “Elves are citizens to be protected like any other!”

“No. They are evil. They are abnormalities that must be purged. You should be the one opening your eyes.”

Louis refused to listen. It was like his speech about discrimination regarding the prairie dwellers was an utter lie, but to him, at least, there was no contradiction. Louis loved the people without a shadow of doubt, and he believed his one and only value as a survivor of his village was to protect the powerless masses and execute justice. Louis’s subordinates idolized him for this.

Even when faced with someone of different opinions, even when facing a criminal, Louis never forgot to show respect. However, that only applied to his fellow “humans.” The “people” he was meant to protect didn’t include elves.

On the contrary, he was convinced that purging their existence from the world was a good deed made with good sense. These were the true colors of Elf-Hater Maclaurin. As someone whose stance was thoroughly aligned with House Maclaurin, Louis was almost like a pious believer—an analogy that wasn’t far off the mark. Ever since the day he’d been saved from his ruined village, Louis Bard had revered Glantri Maclaurin. That faith was now backed by the highest powers in this world.

“Hey, ain’t it about time?” a deep voice said, cutting into their conversation.

“Sir Edgar,” Louis responded.

“What’s the situation?” Edgar asked, stopping Louis from dismounting his horse.

Edgar had a rough way of speaking, but his tone was quiet. The wild impression he usually gave off, which anyone who spoke with him could feel, had faded. On the other hand, that only emphasized his gloominess. Like this, it was almost easier to talk with him when he was just pining for battle. In fact, Louis’s adjutant actually froze. Louis himself was unaffected, though.

“Everything is going as planned, Sir Edgar.”

His words were filled with respect, which was natural for Louis. Edgar was a member of the Fourth Company of the Holy Order. He’d not only fought Majima Takahiro, but had inherited the will of Travis Mortimer—who had regrettably fallen unconscious since the battle with Majima Takahiro—and was offering his aid to the provincial army.

Moreover, right before the provincial army went on the offensive, he’d successfully carried out a surprise attack at the risk of his own life. Majima Takahiro was surely unconscious now. This led to an inevitable deterioration in the enemy’s morale and chaos among their chain of command. In addition, it was expected that Majima Takahiro’s servants, including the former knight turned ghoul, were less than half as strong as usual. In other words, Edgar’s independent action had driven the enemy into a state where they couldn’t even put up a proper defense. That said, the wounds Edgar had suffered in the process meant he couldn’t participate in the battle. Other survivors of the Fourth Company were participating in his stead.

“This is your fight from here. I’ll provide support,” Edgar said.

“I know, Sir Edgar. I won’t put your contributions to waste. I’ll exhaust my abilities to their fullest. For justice.”

“Yeah. For justice.”

Philip gritted his teeth. The Fourth Company’s very existence had given the Maclaurin Provincial Army just cause for this preposterous expedition. Philip didn’t believe that Edgar meant it when he said this was for justice. Edgar merely wanted vindication for losing to Majima Takahiro. Nevertheless, Edgar was a knight of the Holy Order—the very symbol of justice in this world. His mere presence meant that Aker’s Royal Army couldn’t move against the Maclaurin Provincial Army for this border transgression.

With no exaggeration, that was how significant the Holy Order was. Philip had promised Takahiro to prepare a place for a savior and the Holy Order to reconcile over a misunderstanding, not to make an enemy of the Holy Order. Making an enemy of them was like turning one’s back on all forms of legality. Consequently, nobody could touch the provincial army so long as the Holy Order was supporting them. Nobody could stop them anymore.

Battle cries shook the air as the army pushed into the village.

“Aaah...”

Philip groaned in sorrow. The attack had already begun. An overwhelming and hopeless one-sided battle was taking place—if one could even call it a battle. They were simply trampling whatever was in their path.

“Sir, hostilities with monsters have begun!” a messenger from the front said. “Even though we have come under fierce attack, our forces are superior!”

Philip clenched his jaw, unable to endure listening to this report. He couldn’t even plug his ears with his hands restrained like this. The army closing in on the village was like a giant beast—a righteous beast that devoured all evil. Its repulsive figure made Philip want to vomit.

“Reporting, sir!”

And then the report Philip really didn’t want to hear finally came.

“An enemy monster has been defeated!”

In the next instant, cheers of celebration erupted all over.

“Yeah! Yeah! Splendidly done!”

“Purge all evil! Blessings upon the righteous!”

“Hail to the margrave!”

Philip was dumbfounded as he listened to their cheers of joy.

“A monster...a servant...killed? N-No way. Th-That can’t be...”

When he’d visited Majima Takahiro, Philip had met and spoken with all of Majima’s servants. He’d only been there for a short while, but he’d caught a glimpse of how much those girls cared for each other. It had shocked him, but he didn’t harbor any ill feelings because he was sure that they were something entirely different from what his people called monsters.

And now one of those girls was dead. They’d been killed. Losing the pillar that supported them, they couldn’t even bring half their strength to bear. They just couldn’t fend off this enormous army. It was over. With what faint hope he had now lost, Philip fell to his knees. But just then...

“That’s odd,” someone muttered.

“Is something the matter, Sir Edgar?” Louis asked.

Edgar maintained his gloomy expression and shot Louis a glance.

“It’s weird,” he said. “It’s too damn early for any victories.”

“Are you saying we were too rash and made a false report?” Louis’s adjutant said, his expression sullen. He probably felt indignant at what sounded like criticism.

“No, I’m not saying nothing like that. It’s just...” Edgar fell eerily quiet, then one beat later, he asked, “You said a monster croaked. Which one?”

“Huh?”

“It’s outta the question that the impregnable slime got done in first. So the fox? Or maybe the puppet? You’re not gonna tell me you got the spider, right?”

Edgar glared at the adjutant.

“So?” he urged.

“I-I’ll get confirmation!”

The adjutant ran off in a hurry. After a few exchanges with the messengers, he returned.

“So?” Edgar repeated.

“Sir! It appears a rabbit was defeated!”

“I see...”

For an instant, Edgar’s gloomy expression split into a twisted smile—the expression of a ferocious carnivore. He looked cheerful.

“They got us good.”

◆ ◆ ◆

A line of people with delicate features and pointy ears walked through the forest. These were the elves of the reclamation village. All of the surviving villagers were here. Those who couldn’t move on their own due to wounds were riding in manamobiles and hand-pulled carts. All the elves looked grim, but not a single one had given up.

A girl walked at the end of the line. She wore a maid outfit and had gray hair. She wielded an enormous bardiche in her hand. Her cold features seemed even stiffer than usual, a show of her tension and determination.

Just then, her finely shaped brow twitched. She spotted a white spider approaching from behind. The distance between them closed quickly, and they were soon face-to-face.

“I’ve returned, Rose.”

“How did it go?”

“I did just as Katou instructed. Those fools fell for it completely.”

“Well done. Hopefully, this bought us some time.”

Rose nodded and looked into the distance—toward where the army of justice was supposed to be.

“I won’t let you do as you please.”

That was her declaration of war. It was her vow to protect what was dear to her to the very end. The do-or-die flight from a five-thousand-strong army had now begun.