152.Don'T Stop The Party
「油をしみこませた槍に火をつけて打ち込むのです!」
「狙いは不死兵だ! 箱から出てくる前に焼き尽くすつもりでやれ!」
イメラリアとネルガルの指示が飛び、オーソングランデとホーラントの連合軍が次々に火矢よろしく燃え盛る槍を城に向かって打ち込む。
時折投槍器本体を燃やしてしまう兵がいるのはご愛嬌というものか。
「......その、いいんですか? お城に向かって火を点けるなんて......」
臨時相談役という適当すぎる役職を与えられたプーセが、肩書に似合わない落ち着かなさを見せながら、イメラリアに話しかけた。
「構いません。本来、城というものは火事になりにくいように基本的に石で作られていますし、外壁付近には燃える物を置かないのは基本です。ネルガル様に確認もいたしましたので、周囲の小屋などは焼けるでしょうけれど、城そのものは問題ありません」
「そ、そうなんですか。お詳しいのですね」
プーセの感想が、イメラリアは可笑しくて仕方なかった。
「うふっ。わたくしはオーソングランデ第一王女として生まれ育ったのです。お城が自宅だったのですよ」
「あっ」
自分が話している相手が何者かを再認識して、プーセは赤面する。
「良いのです。わからないことがあれば教えてさしあげますから、何でも聞いてくださいね。それに、わたくしからも色々と聞きたいと思っておりますから」
イメラリアが視線を戻すと、城門の向こうで炎が上がり、うめき声が次々に上がっては消えていく。
「不死兵の無力化は順調のようですね。もう少し打ち込めば、完全に押え込めるでしょう」
ネルガルの言葉にうなずいたイメラリアは、サブナクに視線を移す。
目があったサブナクは無言で頷いた。
「では、ネルガル様。予定通りに」
「わかりました。作戦開始!」
ネルガルの号令と共に、火がついていない槍が数本、ホーラント兵から射出された。
槍が狙うのは、晒し者然として吊り下げられたクゼム宰相その人だ。
「ええっ!?」
声は聞こえないが、燃え盛る前庭を呆然と見ていたクゼムは、自分のすぐ脇の壁に槍が当たり、石の破片を飛ばしたのを目撃して、再びもがき始めた。
だが、縄で完全に縛り上げられた体は、芋虫よりも動ける範囲が少ない。
数本の槍が貫通した時点で縄はかなり解けたが、その時点でクゼムは血を流して死んでいる。
一本の槍が、無惨な死体を吊るしていた縄を偶然切断し、外壁の突起に当たって跳ねた死体は、燃える前庭へと落ちていった。
「落下を確認。おそらく、生きてはいないでしょう」
「ああ、見えていた」
ネルガルに従っていた将兵たちの会話は、騒音の中にかき消された。
兵たちにとっては、自分たちを私利私欲のために操ろうとした奸臣を成敗したという達成感を充分に味わうことができ、その機会を譲ってくれたオーソングランデ側に感謝もしていた。
だが、一部の将官たちの感想は違う。
「......オーソングランデの手でホーラントの高官が殺害されたという記録を残さないために、自分たちで始末とつけろというわけか。あのエルフの進言があったかどうかはわからんが、少女だと甘く見ていると、いつの間にか国号が変更されていても不思議ではない」
「すみません。良く聞こえませんでした」
騒音に紛れた苦々しい言葉。
そばにいた兵が、指示を聞きそびれたと感じて聞き返してきたのを、咳払いをして言い直した。
「ネルガル様の指示は、火が収まり次第とつげきというものである。時間も惜しい。魔法兵で水魔法が使えるものは消火を開始せよ。歩兵は状況確認と魔法兵の護衛を行うように。不死兵がまだ残っているとも限らん」
「承知しました!」
後方に下がって待機していた魔法兵が、命令を受けて燃える城を目指してじりじりと前進する。水魔法の使い手を前に、念のため他の魔法兵も追随させるようだ。
「正面からは我々ホーラント軍。側面からオーソングランデ軍が突入する、か。しかしどうするつもりだ? 側面に門は無いのだが......」
気にしても仕方がない、と一人の将は雑念を振りほどく。
「消火が完了し次第突撃する! ここまで来たのだ! オーソングランデの兵たちに我らの実力を見せるのだ!」
声を揃えて応えた兵たちに、将は笑顔を見せた。
これら全てが囮だとは口が裂けても言えないな、という苦笑だったのだが。
城内には、不死兵以外にホーラントのクゼム側の兵士たちが五十名ほど残されていた。
彼らは戦闘要員というわけではなく、一二三に指導を受けたガアプの指示で罠を設置したり、敵が突入してからの罠や相手の状況を確認するため、雑用のような役目を負わされている。
本来が城内警備の兵たちで、城の構造については熟知している。
「あんなに燃えてても大丈夫なのか?」
休憩室として詰め込まれていた二階の部屋。城の西端にあるその部屋からは、燃え盛る前庭が見渡せた。
「多分、問題ない。城の本体には火がついてないし、延焼するような物もないだろう」
「不死兵だっけ? あっさりやられちまったな」
待機命令を受けて、見回りに出た者たち以外は手持無沙汰で、雑談に精を出す。これも、彼らにとっては不安を紛らせるための大切なコミュニケーションだった。
「正面の守りがやられたんだ。そろそろ一階に突入されるんじゃないか?」
「ああ、確か一階の罠の状況は五人で確認するんだったな」
あらかじめ役割が決まっていた五人が立ち上がり、道具を持って一階へ向かう廊下へと歩いていく。
「うまくいけば、部隊長とかを仕留められるかもな」
「どこからそんな自信が出てくるんだ......」
話しながら待機室を出ていくのを見送り、残った兵士たちも立ち上がる。
「じゃあ、突破されて二階に来られた時のための準備をするか」
「......なあ、やっぱりやらないとダメかな」
用意された道具を見て、一人の兵士が呟く。
「いい加減あきらめろ。俺たちには、やれと言われたことをやるしかない」
同じ道具を抱えた兵士は、これが運命だ、と語った。
「マジか......」
城の東側、そびえたつ塀を見上げたオーソングランデの兵は、四メートルはある塀に長い縄を付けた鎖鎌をひっかけ、するすると上っていくフォカロル兵たちを呆然と見上げていた。
塀の上に立ったフォカロル兵が、下にいる二十名ほどの選抜されたオーソングランデ兵を見下ろす。
「鎖鎌はそのままにしておくから。もう鎮火し始めてるみたいだから、急ごう」
さらりと伝えると、向こう側へ飛び降りてしまった。
十名ほどいたフォカロル兵すべてが、同様に縄を伝って登り、次々と向こうへと飛び降りる。
そこからがオーソングランデ兵にとってこの戦い最大の修羅場だった。
軽装で精々革製の胸当てていどの装備しかしていないフォカロル兵と違い、オーソングランデ兵の多くが金属の鎧や兜をつけている。重量差は言うまでもない。
「なんのこれしき!」
とロープにしがみつく者もいるが、ほとんどが半分も到達せずに落下する。
あきらめて装備を外し、塀の上まで到達。さらにその高さから全員が飛び降りる勇気を振り絞るまで、たっぷり二十分を要した。
消火が完了し、一階に突入したホーラント歩兵たちは、広々として何も置かれていないエントランスへと入っていく。
「痛っ!? なんだこりゃ?」
痛みを訴えながら、次々と転がって悶絶する兵士たち。
遅れて入ってきた部隊長がよく見ると、エントランスの床一面に糸がついた釣り針が敷き詰められていた。
明るいエントランスでも小さな釣り針は見えづらい。サンダル状の履物をしていた兵士が針の痛みに座り、転がると、後続がそれに引っかかって転倒し、小さな針を全身に受けた。
「落ち着け! 冷静にならないと......あつっ」
床に転がる彼らを踏み越えた部隊長は、肩に液体が入った小さな陶器瓶をぶつけられて、思わずよろめいた。
「な、なんだ?」
肩を見ると、得も言われぬ色をした液体がべったりとついている。
怪我をするような攻撃でないことを確認し、少しだけホッとして息を吸い込む。
「臭っ!」
卵が腐ったような刺激臭が、部隊長を襲う。
至近距離で思い切り吸い込んだ部隊長は昏倒寸前で身もだえし、周囲の兵士たちもそこから離れようとする。
しかし、部隊長だけでなく動きが止まった兵士たちに次々と投げつけられた液体は、エントランスを瞬時に腐臭の地獄絵図に変えた。
糸と針に絡まれて、小さな痛みを全身に受けながら、息を止めても鼻の奥を刺激するほどの悪臭に包まれ、少なくない兵士が嘔吐している。
「これは訓練だから、命は取らなくても良いと言われている!」
ややくぐもったその声は、エントランスから二階へ上がる大階段の上にたつ警備兵のものだった。
手持ちの瓶を投げ終わった警備兵は、声が出にくい、と顔にマスクのように巻いていた布を外す。
「罠にはまり、攻撃を受けた! 同国人だからこれ以上攻撃はしないから、て、撤退を、おえええええ......」
一緒に瓶を投げていた警備兵が、その様子を見て眉をひそめた。
「なんで布を取るんだよ......」
マスク越しでも涙目になるような状況で、無鉄砲な真似をした同僚から警備兵は目をそらした。まともに見たら、つられてしまいそうだったから。
「負けた、か......」
部隊長はこみ上げるものを必死で抑えながらつぶやいた。
「だが、ここでの負けは別に問題ない」
彼らはあくまで陽動に過ぎない。城内を制圧するのは見せかけの目標であり、城へと侵入したのがホーラントとオーソングランデの兵士たちだと錯覚させるためでしかない。
もちろん、彼の本心を言えば、何かしらの戦果は欲しかったのだが。
「ネルガル様、ご武運を......」
祈りの言葉を紡ぎ、部隊長はそっと目を閉じて、吐いた。
「こちらが隠し通路の入り口です。本来であれば、緊急事態のみ、王族とその侍従のみが利用できるとされているのですが......」
ネルガルが、城内へとつながる隠し通路は、城の真裏、木々が生い茂る中にある石碑にあった。
石碑の前に立ったネルガルが振り向き、同行者を確認する。
護衛のホーラント兵二名、イメラリア、サブナク、ヴァイヤー、そしてアリッサに、プーセも同行している。
「ここを他国の方が通る......しかもエルフの方が我が城へ来られるのは初めてですよ」
緊張をごまかすように話すネルガルに、イメラリアは会釈をする。
「光栄でございますわ。......ネルガル様、急ぎましょう。時間はあまりないのでしょうから」
遠く、城の向こう側からはホーラント兵士たちが突入する雄叫びが聞こえる。
逆に、東側から侵入しているはずのオーソングランデ兵たちの声がいまいち聞こえてこない。
「アリッサさん。侵入方法は斥候をされた貴女にお任せいたしましたけれど、本当に大丈夫ですか?」
「大丈夫、大丈夫。簡単な方法でやるように言っておいたから」
それより、早く行こうと急かすアリッサに、イメラリアは不安ではあったが、今はやることがあるのだ、と気持ちを切り替えた。
「では、参りましょう」
「はい。兵士たちに犠牲が出る前に、終わらせてしまいたいですからね」
石碑の中ほど、楔のように撃ち込まれた小さな石のパーツを叩き落とすと、ネルガルは石碑本体に肩を当て、ぐっと力を入れた。
すると、ゆっくりと石碑が台座の上を滑っていく。
そして、階段が露わになった。
「この通路にはこれといって罠などはありませんし、一本道です。二人が並んで精一杯の幅しかありませんので、気を付けてください」
ホーラント兵たちが先に入り、ネルガルが続く。
ヴァイヤーの後にイメラリアとプーセが続き、サブナク、アリッサと続いた。
中は暗く、先頭の二人と、騎士二人が持っているホーラント製の魔法具の明かりが頼りだ。
石造りの床、壁、天井は飾り気もなく、延々と先へ続く通路が、不安を掻き立てる。
だが、明かりの向こうに仄かに見える上り階段が、少しだけ希望を与えてくれた。
「ちょっと暗いですね......」
「ネルガル様」
ゆっくりと歩いていたネルガルに、イメラリアが声をかけた。
「走りましょう。時間が惜しいのです」
「ですが、イメラリア様を走らせるわけには......」
「わたくしが何者であろうと関係ありません」
乗馬服のイメラリアは、置き場所に困って持ってきていた鞭を握る。
ろにするような愚か者にはなりたくありません」
「......わかりました。二人とも、ペースを上げよう。一本道だから、後ろは気にしなくて良い」
「はっ」
ホーラント兵が走りだし、全員が続く。
「はっ、はっ、一二三様を、絶対、驚かせて、やるのでくぴっ!?」
「しゃべりながら走るとベロ噛んじゃうよ?」
息を切らして走るイメラリアは、思い切り舌を噛んでしまったらしい。
口を押え、鼻息をふぅふぅ吹いているイメラリアに、アリッサが余裕の顔で声をかける。
基本の体力がまるで違うのはイメラリアも承知の上だが、無性に腹が立つ。
文句の一つも言いたかったが、想像以上に舌が痛くて、声が出せない。
「ぷぷっ......」
涙目でアリッサを睨むイメラリアを見て、思わずサブナクが噴き出す。
通路を抜けたらもう一度鞭で打っておこう、と固く誓うイメラリアだった。
Chapter 152: Don'T Stop The Party
"Set the spears, which were soaked with oil, on fire and launch them."
"The targets are the immortal soldiers! Do it with the intention to burn them to nothing before they can crawl out from the box!"
Imeraria's and Nelgal's instructions are flying around. Brightly burning spears and of course fire arrows are shot towards the castle one after the other by the allied forces of Orsongrande and Horant.
Is it an amusement for the present soldiers that sometimes the main body of a spear thrower ends up catching fire?
"... That, is that fine? To set fire to the castle..." (Puuse)
Puuse, who was assigned the overly ambiguous position of temporary advisor, addressed Imeraria while showing an unsettled expression that doesn't fit her post.
"No problem. Originally something like a castle is made out of stone which makes setting it on fire basically difficult. Not placing burnable things in the vicinity of the outer walls is the standard. Given that Nelgal-sama confirmed it as well, the surrounding pens and such will probably get burned, but there's no problem for the castle itself." (Imeraria)
"I-Is that so? You are quite knowledgeable." (Puuse)
It was inevitable that Puuse's thoughts were funny for Imeraria.
"*chuckles* I was born and raised as First Princess of Orsongrande. A castle was my home." (Imeraria)
"Ah." (Puuse)
Seeing the person she is talking with in a new light, Puuse blushes.
"It's fine. Please ask me anything as I shall teach you if there's something you don't understand. Besides, I believe that there are various things you want to hear from me as well." (Imeraria)
Once Imeraria returns her sight ((to the castle)), flames are rising on the other side of the castle gate and the groans, which rose successively, are vanishing.
"The disabling of the immortal soldiers seems to be going well. If we fire for a bit longer, they will probably be immobilized completely." (Nelgal)
Imeraria, who nodded at Nelgal's words, shifts her look towards Sabnak.
Meeting her eyes, Sabnak nodded silently.
"Well then, Nelgal-sama, just as planned." (Imeraria)
"Got it. Start the operation!" (Nelgal)
Alongside Nelgal's order, several spears, which haven't been ignited, were shot by Horant's soldiers.
The aim of the spears is Prime Minister Kuzemu who was suspended by a rope outside the castle just like a pilloried criminal exposed to public view.
"Eeh!?"
His voice can't be heard, but Kuzemu, who watched the brightly burning front yard in a daze, began to squirm again after witnessing a spear hitting the wall right next to him and stone splinters hurling about.
However, his body, which was completely bound by a rope, had less flexibility to move than a caterpillar.
The rope came apart quite a bit when several spears pierced it, but at that time Kuzemu had already died to blood loss.
One spear severed the rope with the tragic corpses hanging onto it by chance. The corpse, which bumped about as it hit the protuberances on the outer wall, fell into the burning front yard.
"His fall has been confirmed. He is likely not alive anymore."
"Yea, I saw."
The conversation of the officers accompanying Nelgal was drowned out by the noise.
The soldiers are able to fully savour a sense of accomplishment for punishing a treacherous retainer who tried to manipulate them for his own selfish desires. They were grateful towards Orsongrande's side for conceding them the opportunity for that.
However, the thoughts of a part of the generals are different.
"... Does that mean that we've been told to get rid of him by ourselves in order to not leave behind records that a high official of Horant was killed by the hands of Orsongrande? I don't know whether it was according to the counsel of that elf, but if you take her lightly because she
"Sorry, I didn't hear you properly."
The scandalous words were lost in the noise.
When the soldier, who was next to him, asked again feeling that he failed to hear an order, he corrected himself after clearing his throat.
"Nelgal-sama's instruction is to charge as soon as the fire abates. Time is valuable, too. Begin extinguishing the fire with the magic soldiers who can use water magic. Have the infantry check the situation and act as guards of the magic soldiers. We will limit the fire's range to the still remaining immortal soldiers."
"Acknowledged."
The magic soldiers, who moved back to the rear and were on standby, slowly advance towards the burning castle after receiving the order. With the water magic users in front, the other magic soldiers are made to follow as well just for caution's sake.
"Orsongrande's forces will storm in from the sides and our Horant forces from the front, huh? However, what is the plan? There are no gates at the sides, but..."
, a single general shakes off his idle thoughts.
"Attack as soon as the fire fighting has finished! We came this far! We will show our true strength to the soldiers of Orsongrande."
The general showed a smile to the soldiers who answered with an uniform voice.
No matter what, I won't tell them that everything of this is just a decoy
Inside the castle there were around 50 soldiers of Horant's Kuzemu camp left besides the immortal soldiers.
Their duty is to carry out miscellaneous chores like setting up traps under the instructions of Gaap, who received training from Hifumi, or checking the situation of the opponents and traps after the enemy storms in, but that doesn't mean that they are combat personnel.
They are familiar with the structure of the castle as soldiers originally defending inside the castle.
"Will it be alright if it burns this much?"
The room on the second floor, which was made into a break room, was crowded. The brightly burning front yard was visible from that room which is located on the west side of the castle.
"Probably it's no problem. The castle's main part hasn't caught fire and something like the fire spreading won't happen either, I guess."
"And the immortal soldiers? They were finished off easily."
Having received a standby order, except for those who left on patrol, they are bored and put their energy into chatting. For them this was also an important communication for the sake of distracting themselves from their worries.
"The defence at the front was done in. Won't the first floor be stormed any time now?"
"Yea, if I remember correctly five people have to check the state of the traps on the first floor."
Five people, whose role had been decided beforehand, get up, take their tools and walk towards the corridor leading to the first floor.
"If it goes smoothly, they might be able to kill a commanding officer or such."
"From where are you getting such confidence...?"
Staying on standby while talking, they see off those leaving the room and the remaining soldiers stand up as well.
"Well then, shall we prepare for the time when the enemy will reach the second floor after breaking through?"
"... Hey, isn't it fine if we don't do it after all?"
Looking at the arranged tools, one of the soldiers mutters.
"Just give it up already. We have no other choice but to do what we were told to do."
A soldier, who carried the same tool, said "This is our fate."
"For real...?"
A soldier of Orsongrande, who looked up the wall towering high over the surroundings on the east side of the castle dumbfoundedly, respected the soldiers of Fokalore who were climbing the four-meter-high wall swiftly while hanging onto kusarigama's with long ropes attached.
A soldier of Fokalore who stood on top of the wall, looks down on the 20 chosen soldier of Orsongrande below.
"Leave the kusarigama as it is. It looks like they have already started to put out the fire. Let's hurry."
Once he told them without delay, he jumped off the wall on the other side.
All of the 10 present soldiers of Fokalore climb up the same rope and jump down towards the other side one after the other.
From there on it was this battle's worst scene of carnage for the soldiers of Orsongrande.
Different from the soldiers of Fokalore, who were at the most equipped with leather breastplate as lightweight armour, many of Orsongrande's soldiers are wearing metal armours and helmets. It goes without saying, but those are slightly different in weight.
"What a trifle!"
There are also those who cling to the rope, but the majority falls without even holding on for half a minute.
Giving up and removing their equipment, they arrive on top of the wall. Furthermore it took a full 20 minutes until all of them mustered the courage to jump down from that height.
Horant's infantrymen, who rushed into the first floor after the fire fighting finished, entered an entrance hall where nothing has been placed apart from spaciousness.
"Ouch! What the hell is this?"
While complaining about the pain, the soldiers fall over one after the other and faint in agony.
Once the commanding officer, who entered late, looked properly, the surface of the entrance hall's floor was covered by fish hooks with strings attached.
It's difficult to see the small fish hooks even in the bright entrance hall. A soldier, who wore a type of sandal footwear, sat down due to the pain of the hooks. Once he rolls around the one following behind tumbled after getting caught in that and suffered from the small hooks on his whole body.
"Calm down! If you don't collect yourself... Ack!"
The commanding officer, who stepped over those rolling around on the ground, was hit by a small earthenware jar and a liquid got onto his shoulder. He staggered unintentionally.
"W-What?"
Once he looks on his shoulder, a liquid with an indescribable colour sticks to it.
Ascertaining that it's not an attack that will cause an injury, he feels slightly relieved and breathes in.
"It stinks!"
An irritating stench, similar to rotten eggs, assaults the commanding officer.
The commanding officer, who inhaled it with all his might at point-blank range, writhes while on the verge of fainting. The surrounding soldiers also try to get away from him.
However, the liquid which was successively thrown at the soldiers, and not only the commanding officer who stopped moving, changed the entrance into a hell of rotten smell in an instant.
Getting entangled by the strings and hooks, they are enveloped by a stench to the degree of provoking their noses' insides even if they stop breathing while receiving small injuries on their entire bodies. Quite a lot of soldiers are vomiting.
"We've been told that this is training, thus it's fine as their lives won't be stolen!"
That voice, which slowly mumbled this, was that of a guard who stood on top of a large stairway leading from the entrance hall to the second floor.
The guard, who finished throwing the jars on hand, removes the cloth which he wore like a mask on his face, as it's difficult to use his voice.
"You suffered attacks after getting caught by traps! I won't attack you any further since you are fellow countrymen, r-retreat, buueeeehhhhhh..."
The guard, who threw jars together with him, looked at his condition and knit his eyebrows.
"Why did you remove the cloth...?"
The guard averted his eyes from his colleague, who acted recklessly, in a state similar to becoming teary eyed across his mask. It was apparently because he would be lured in if he looked directly at him.
"We lost, eh...?"
The commanding officer muttered while frantically suppressing the feeling of something welling up.
"However, a defeat in this place is not a particular problem."
They are no more than a diversion to the bitter end. Gaining control of the castle is a fake objective. It's nothing but causing the illusion that the soldiers of Horant and Orsongrande invaded the castle.
Of course, if he talked about his true feelings, he wanted to get some kind of military gains though.
"Nelgal-sama, may the fortune of war..."
Spinning words of a prayer, the commanding officer quietly closed his eyes and barfed.
"This way is the entrance to a hidden passage. Originally it has been decided that it can only be used by royalty and their chamberlains and only is a state of emergency, but..." (Nelgal)
Nelgal was at a stone monument located inside thickly growing trees just behind the castle where the hidden passage, connecting inside the castle, lies.
Standing in front of the stone monument, Nelgal turns around and confirms his fellow party members.
Two guarding soldiers of Horant, Imeraria, Sabnak, Vaiya, Alyssa and Puuse are accompanying him.
"For people from another country to pass through here... and moreover for an elf to be able to come to our castle, that's a first." (Nelgal)
Imeraria nods towards Nelgal who talks in order to gloss over his tension.
"It's a honour. ... Nelgal-sama, let's hurry. We don't have overly much time." (Imeraria)
From far away, on the other side of the castle, the war cries of Horant's soldiers charging in can be heard.
Conversely, not a single voice can be heard from the soldiers of Orsongrande who should be invading from the east side.
"Alyssa-san, I left the means of invasion to you who went scouting, but is it really alright?" (Imeraria)
"It's fine, it's fine. I told them to do it in a simple manner." (Alyssa)
Imeraria was uneasy about Alyssa who urged on with "Rather than that, let's go quickly," but she switched her feelings with
"Then let's go." (Imeraria)
"Yes, I want to put an end to it before victims appear among the soldiers." (Nelgal)
Once he knocked down a small stone part which was lodged into the stone monument like a wedge, Nelgal pressed against the stone monument's main body with his shoulder putting quite a bit of strength into it.
Doing that, the stone monument slowly slides on top of its pedestal.
And a stairway became exposed.
"There are no special traps in this passage. It's a straight path. Please be careful since it has a width allowing at most two people passing through it side by side." (Nelgal)
The soldiers of Horant head in first and Nelgal follows them.
After Vaiya, Imeraria and Puuse went in, then Sabnak and after him Alyssa.
The inside is dark. The two in the lead and the two knights rely on the light of the magic tools made by Horant which they are holding.
The passage, which continues endlessly ahead without even any decorations on the stone floor, walls and ceiling, stirs up one's anxiety.
However, the ascending stairs, which are faintly visible on the other side of the lights, were able to bestow hope albeit just a bit.
"It's a bit dark..."
"Nelgal-sama." (Imeraria)
Imeraria called out to Nelgal who walked slowly.
"Let's run. Time is precious." (Imeraria)
"However, to make you run, Imeraria-sama..."
"It's unrelated what person I might be." (Imeraria)
Imeraria in her rider's suit grasps the lash which she brought along after being trouble with leaving it in her house-room.
. I don't want to become a fool who ignores our objective using the excuse of gender and social status at a time when we should run." (Imeraria)
"... Got it, you two, let's raise the pace. It's fine to not care about the rear since it's a straight path." (Nelgal)
"Ha!"
The soldiers of Horant begin to run and everyone follows.
"Ha! Ha! I will, definitely, surprise Hifumi, thu-!?" (Imeraria)
"If you talk while running, you will end up biting your tongue, you know?" (Alyssa)
Imeraria, who runs while being out of breath, apparently ended up biting her tongue with all her strength.
Alyssa calls out to Imeraria, who is breathing through her nose with a *fuufuu* while holding her mouth, with a calm face.
Even Imeraria is well aware that their basic stamina values are completely different, but she still gets very angry.
She wanted to make just one complaint, but as her tongue hurt more than she imagined, she couldn't use her voice.
"Pupupu..." (Sabnak)
Seeing Imeraria glaring at Alyssa with teary eyes, Sabnak spontaneously bursts into laughter.
Let's hit him with the lash once more once we get out of the passage
Summoned Slaughterer
呼び出された殺戮者
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/summoned-slaughterer/
Action Adventure Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Romance Shounen
Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Arrogant Characters Average-looking Protagonist Beastkin Beautiful Female Lead Betrayal Calm Protagonist Clever Protagonist Cunning Protagonist Dark Demi-Humans Demons Determined Protagonist Different Social Status Dwarfs Elemental Magic Elves Enemies Become Allies Enemies Become Lovers Evil Protagonist Fantasy Creatures Fantasy World Fearless Protagonist God-human Relationship Gods Kingdom Building Kingdoms Knights Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Beasts Magical Space Male Protagonist Marriage Monsters Nobles Obsessive Love Overpowered Protagonist Politics Power Struggle Protagonist Strong from the Start R-15 Royalty Ruthless Protagonist Samurai Schemes And Conspiracies S*aves Strong Love Interests Strong to Stronger Summoning Magic Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transported to Another World Underestimated Protagonist Unique Weapon User Unique Weapons Wars Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4399ci/
井戸正善／ido