Ossan Saikyō Chapter 14 Part 20
After handing Count Meltone over to the Marquis’ soldiers, I headed over to the Marquis on horseback and told her the information I had just obtained.
“King Giselpha intends to unleash undead throughout the Royal Capital? Surely he cannot be that foolish...”
(E/N: Foolish × Reta*ded ✓)
Just as the Marquis had said, the King’s plan, as described by Count Meltone, was both woefully inadequate and utterly foolish.
If the Marquis’ army broke through the first wall and entered the city, they would release undead throughout the city at the right moment. Then, once the Marquis’s army had suffered losses, they would launch an attack from within the second wall.
Apparently, that was what he had been planning.
“We must immediately place a request with the Adventurer Guild.”
When General Durack, who had been listening beside her, said this, the Marquis called over one of her guards and gave him instructions.
“As we decided beforehand, hurry to the Adventurer Guild and place an emergency request. The undead will be appearing around the second wall.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Three guards rode off on horseback. I was concerned about what was happening at the Guild as well, but there was something else that took priority right now.
“Marquis-dono, I’ll go ahead.”
“You performed admirably just now as well. Lend us your strength a little longer.”
“Understood.”
I bowed to the Marquis, then ran straight down the main avenue toward the center of the Royal Capital and the second wall.
The second wall surrounded the central district where the nobles lived, including the Royal Castle. It was called a wall, but it was not nearly as high as the first wall.
Its primary purpose was to separate the central district from the rest of the city. There were still a large number of guards stationed atop it, but they posed no obstacle to me.
The problem was when King Giselpha’s side would summon the undead.
Apparently,《Summoning Monoliths》had already been placed outside the second wall. I had hoped that I could destroy them beforehand, but unfortunately, that was not possible.
The reason was that, in front of the distant wall, skeletons and Terror Knights in moving armor had already begun emerging from the ground with a bubbling sound.
Perhaps they had decided that summoning zombies as well would be pushing their luck.
I could see the Marquis’ adventurer force ahead. They had noticed the undead appearing and were beginning to ready their weapons.
“I’ll handle the front! You guys split to the left and right and take care of anything I miss!”
The young adventurer I had spoken with earlier turned around and answered.
“Got it! Everyone, follow Soushi’s instructions!”
Everyone shouted, “Yeah!” and split off to the left and right. I was a little concerned that they seemed to be naturally falling in line with my commands, but I decided to leave that aside for now.
I continued running. About 200 meters remained until the second wall. A horde of undead, numbering several thousand at least, came shambling down the street toward me.
Some were even trying to enter the nearby buildings. At this rate, they would start attacking civilians indiscriminately. I activated【Provoke】at full power, drawing the undead toward me.
The massive horde entered the range of【Shockwave】. Naturally, those that entered its range were immediately pulverized by it.
The undead walking in a tight formation along the street were, frankly, nothing more than targets. Like a bowling ball sweeping through a row of pins, I advanced while mowing down the undead.
“What is this?! I’ve never heard of this many undead appearing in a city!”
“Could the King really have done this!?”
I heard the voices of more adventurers behind me. Apparently, reinforcements from the Guild had arrived.
Though there were only about 30 of them. They split up into their respective parties and disappeared into the side streets. I was clearing out the undead on the main avenue, but apparently a great many had already spread throughout the city.
I had no choice but to leave those to the adventurers and ordinary soldiers. I continued pressing forward, and finally reached the gate of the second wall.
Looking closely, I saw dozens of《Summoning Monoliths》scattered across the road. However, they seemed to have already lost their power.
I looked up at the roughly 10-meter-high wall. A few ordinary soldiers remained, staring down at me with pale faces.
At first, a large number of them had been waiting with their bows drawn, but they disappeared one after another as I approached.
Not that arrows fired by ordinary soldiers would cause me even the slightest pain, akin to a mosquito bite. No matter how many there were, they would pose no problem.
The city gate was made of heavy metal, with a massive bar firmly securing it from behind. But when I pushed against it with some force, there was a loud cracking sound, and the door opened with ease.
“Hey, wait! He just opened that thing like it was nothing!”
“Wasn’t the bar secured properly!?”
“No, the fittings themselves broke! And isn’t that weapon he’s carrying dangerous too!?”
About 50 Special Forces soldiers stood beyond the gate with their weapons drawn. Just how many former adventurers have King Giselpha gathered?
“It’s probably just brute strength. If we overwhelm him with speed and numbers, we can take him!”
“Yeah. High rank or not, numbers win in the end.”
They were saying that, but someone like Crimson Anatolia or that young man, Lord Hershville, could probably defeat them without breaking a sweat.
I casually stepped forward, and the Special Forces surrounded me and attacked. Some sent flying slashes while others could use magic, but【Shockwave】sent them all flying together.
A few of them seemed to have landed in the gardens of noble estates, but I hoped they would forgive me for that much.
After wiping out the Special Forces, a small scream came from the ordinary soldiers watching from a distance. I felt like they were treating me as some kind of monster, but that was more convenient for me right now.
“If you value your lives, throw down your weapons and kneel! Neither Lord Ryūsha nor the Marquis wants needless bloodshed! I’m different, though!”
(E/N: "I'm different, though!" 🥶🥶🥶)
After saying something that sounded appropriate, the soldiers turned pale one after another, laid down their weapons, raised their hands, and dropped to their knees.
Then, someone suddenly began making a commotion farther inside.
It was a thin young man who looked like a noble. His nervous-looking face was twisted with anger as he shrieked.
“What are you doing, you fools!? Finish off that bandit already! Are you intending to disobey His Majesty’s orders!?”
He seemed to be the noble commanding these ordinary soldiers. When I walked toward him, the soldiers immediately opened a path. It made me feel like some kind of prophet.
“Y-You! Protect me! Why are you moving aside!? Eek!”
I walked over, grabbed the noble by the scruff of his neck, lifted him up, and carried him toward the gate.
The main force, including Marquis Raghantz and young Ryūsha, had already reached the vicinity of the gate. I handed the noble over to Arslin, and the Marquis, who had been watching, called out to him (the noble) from horseback.
“Why, if it isn't Viscount Gazet? It is quite an accomplishment to be entrusted with the defense of the inner gate, but perhaps you were the one who released the undead throughout the city?”
“I merely followed His Majesty’s orders! I have no reason to answer to the Raghantz vixen!”
“Oh, is that so? So King Giselpha himself ordered a plan that would involve the citizens as well. Then all the more reason that we must put a stop to such folly. That is the duty of a subject, after all.”
“You are merely trying to usurp the throne! You are nothing but a wanton woman who inherited her title by ingratiating herself with the late king! Your arrogance knows no bounds!”
“I believe I am somewhat better than a noble who cares nothing for his people and cannot even command his own soldiers, yet does nothing but talk.”
“Sh-Shut up! You may be feeling proud of yourself because you brought along this monster, but before His Majesty’s divine authority, you are less meaningful than dust! Perish, you foolish woman who does not know her place!”
Viscount Gazet continued foaming at the mouth and shouting abuse, but the Marquis ordered the soldiers to take him away. After watching him leave, the Marquis turned her eyes toward me.
“We are almost there. I imagine the Royal Guard is stationed inside the Royal Castle. Will they pose a problem?”
“Are the Royal Guards former adventurers?”
“That is what I hear. The more skilled among the dropouts were made into Royal Guards.”
“If I don’t need to hold back, that makes things easier.”
“Fufu. So that is all the significance they have for you?”
“Yes. In that case, I’ll head for the Castle.”
I bowed to the Marquis, who narrowed her eyes with amusement, and headed toward the Royal Castle.
I walked along the deserted streets, passing several noble estates along the way. Every estate was deathly quiet, as though everyone inside was holding their breath.
Most of the nobles living in the Royal Capital were supposedly supporters of the current King, but the people inside had probably already resigned themselves to what was happening. The moment the Marquis’ army reached this far, the outcome had already been decided.
The gate of the Royal Castle was firmly shut. All the soldiers outside the castle had already surrendered, so no one stopped me when I stood before the gate.
The enormous doors seemed to open outward. They were covered in heavy reliefs, and when I placed my hand against one of them,【Grip】activated.
I pulled on the door, and with a loud cracking sound, it opened without difficulty.
Almost simultaneously, arrows and magic came flying at me, but I entered the castle while taking them head-on with《Indomitable Bastion》.
It was a spacious entrance hall.
About 30 soldiers in black armor surrounded me in a semicircle. Their weapons were all different, giving them the unmistakable appearance of former adventurers. These must be the Royal Guards.
“That weapon and shield... Are you a high-ranked adventurer?”
“That shield is orichalcum, isn’t it? Then he must be A-Rank. Be careful.”
The Royal Guards did not immediately rush at me. Instead, they remained on guard and watched me carefully. Their training was clearly superior to that of the Special Forces outside.
“The outside is already completely surrounded. Your plan to use the undead has also been crushed. You have no way to win anymore. Why not surrender?”
I could have fired【Shockwave】without bothering with words, but since they were waiting to see what I would do, I decided to offer them a chance.
Unexpectedly, one of the soldiers who appeared to be their Captain answered.
“We have nowhere to live outside this country. If we are captured, the best we can expect is forced labor, and at worst, execution. We have done enough to deserve that, so I suppose it can’t be helped.”
“I see. Then it can’t be helped.”
“Yeah. It can’t be helped.”
At the same time as he said that, the captain rushed at me with his sword. The other soldiers moved as one.
I swept my mace sideways… And just like that, the battle was over.
“Damn. I shouldn’t have bothered talking.”
(E/N: They definitely got slimed!)
Adventurers who commit crimes are punished more severely than ordinary people. Once these dropouts tried to survive, they inevitably had no choice but to become bandits.
For people like them, perhaps King Giselpha, who gathered such dropouts and employed them as soldiers, had actually been something of a savior.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the unpleasant aftertaste, then passed through the entrance hall and entered the corridor.
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E/N:
Just cruising "through" stone walls, soldiers, adventurers, nobles and undead as if on a long drive with no traffic… Holy moly, it's either he's the luckiest son-of-a-gun alive or it's the God's will to plow forward smoothly (plot armor) 🤣!
Stay tuned!
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