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Chapter 362
Deserter
The behavior of the medium monsters was just like that of giant babies.
Screaming, throwing everything they could get their hands on—that was it.
They threw things indiscriminately, trying somehow to block the attacks pouring down from atop the walls.
'I found out the attacks actually stop for a moment.'
Immediately after realizing it worked, they started throwing even more fiercely.
E ñ ǔ m â . і d
Thanks to that, some of the small monsters trying to climb the wall fell in droves, but the majority either made it over or got caught on the wall.
-Groooan......
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One by one, they started collapsing, unable to endure the concentrated firepower any longer.
-Aaaaargh!!
One of them roared as if unable to contain its rage.
It stopped throwing and charged fiercely at the wall.
W е̄b̄nŏ v̄ е̊l Е n.ům̊ ӑ
The ground shook greatly with each step.
"Brace for impact!"
Along with that shout, they collided.
Kwoong!
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"Kyaaaak!"
The entire wall resonated, and balance collapsed for a moment.
Е̃ n̈ům̊а
That monster tried to smash the wall, then like the other small ones, tried to climb up it.
The platoon leader saw that and showed quick thinking, commanding the battle on the spot.
"Gather all the grenades! By the crate!!"
From the hand grenades the soldiers had to the launched grenades—everything was gathered into crates.
Carrying those crates packed with ridiculous firepower, he stepped up onto the wall.
"Open wide, you son of a bitch!"
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He dumped all the hand grenades he had right into its mouth.
The monster swallowed the whole thing whole, not knowing any better.
Puh-puh-puh-pung!
As the grenades exploded in succession, its belly bubbled and swelled.
No matter how amazing its regeneration, a heart destroyed by pure mana cannot regenerate.
The medium monster's corpse, turned to mush, lay sprawled on the ground.
Е̇n u̇ m а.
Thanks to the persistent bombardment, even the medium monsters all fell.
'Is it the large ones' turn now?'
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He prepared himself amidst the gradually approaching fear.
That was when it happened.
Oooooo—
A voice shaking the earth.
W еb́ nо̌vе l̀ Ӗn u m а̀
At that sound, the small monsters that had been tirelessly climbing up all stopped at once.
Even with their heads and hearts blown apart, they didn't twitch a muscle and obeyed that command absolutely.
Oooooo—.
The ones that had been swarming up like a tide began retracing their path, retreating back the way they came.
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The surging waves moved back to find their nests again, withdrawing.
The overwhelmingly large monster also watched this place, then withdrew back to the Demon Land without a word.
Е̌ n üḿа̇
"Is... is it over?"
A soldier's question, his head having touched the entrance to hell.
But everyone already knew.
That the forces they'd just tasted were merely a fraction.
So celebration toward victory had to be postponed for now.
* * *
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"This battle has confirmed it. The monsters are employing tactics."
Mori, who had been the supreme commander, spoke about the analysis results from this operation.
"Those reckless biological organisms, tactics?"
"But I heard the heinous demon controlling them is already dead?"
"Gokma's death is a confirmed fact. But that doesn't mean the monsters won't pick a new leader, does it?"
"True enough."
Wе̊b̆ nо vе l̃ Е n̆ ūmã
Information on monsters was far too scarce.
Which also meant Gokma had managed information on monsters with tremendous care.
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"My guess is they're adapting and evolving to fit the situation."
"Adaptation and evolution?"
"If the one controlling them disappears, they face a period of confusion during that vacuum. During that time, they'd just faithfully follow their instincts and destroy things."
That much was somewhat expected.
W̌ е̊b̆ n̄ӧvѐľ Е̃ nũ m̆ а̇
At first, the ones pushed out in fights came, and a fortress defense battle occurred.
"But they realize they can't survive on just that confusion. From then on, adaptation and evolution begin. By adapting to and evolving for the current situation, they show the other monsters they're the leader. There's a situation here that proves it."
Mori gestured to the mage, and two entities floated above the table.
One was a medium monster, the other a video recording of a small monster's movements.
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"The small ones try to break through with individual skill, while the medium monsters compensated for their lack of reach by throwing things. And once they learned throwing was temporarily effective, they started throwing even more aggressively."
"If we'd killed those big bastards faster, there would've been fewer casualties."
Ẃe b̂ nоv̆ е̂ ĺ E̊ n ŭm̊ а́
Orin glared at Mori with a sharp gaze.
Mori answered calmly.
"Casualties had to happen."
"They *had* to?"
"I hope I misheard that."
Hudret and Abdulmesid also seemed to side with Orin, sending similar looks.
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"What did we think the meaning of this raid was at first?"
"Wasn't it a preemptive effect from greedy instincts?"
"Yes. We thought it was to claim territory before others, and tried to respond accordingly."
Mori swallowed and continued.
"But think differently. Assume it's a human army. If part of a corps-sized force moves first, marches here, and picks a fight—what would that mean?"
Everyone gathered here were generals with real combat experience.
Ẽ ň umа._іd
So the deduction wasn't difficult.
"A means to gauge the enemy's strength."
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Only then did understanding begin to dawn.
They came uninvited and attacked, actually pushing us back somewhat, yet after killing the medium monsters, they just withdrew.
"Based on the information so far, their intelligence is proportional to their size. Small ones are beasts, medium ones are like babies, and large monsters have at least human-level intelligence, or similar, and employ tactics—I'm certain of it."
"So they deliberately created a disadvantaged situation?"
Е ṅ ū m.а
Mori nodded.
Orin exploded.
"Why the hell would they do that? Doesn't that mean we looked down on them!"
"That *was* the main purpose. As you know, this wall cannot completely block what comes from the Demon Land."
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It wasn't even half of half the scale originally needed.
To achieve that, we used adventurers to control their paths and succeeded in driving them to one place.
Ĕn umà
"If they hadn't underestimated us, they would've sought other routes. Once they learn there's a weapon that kills large and medium monsters in one shot......."
"They'd prefer not to face us head-on."
Convinced there was no need to take the risk, they might've gone elsewhere first.
Uncertain, but anyone who watched the entire battlefield would know Mori's hypothesis has no flaws.
The large monster just stood there, quietly watching this battle.
Seeing us barely holding off the medium monsters, that large monster retreated all the small ones.
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As if it had measured our level, it returned to the Demon Land without hesitation.
What if we'd shown off the new weapons and flaunted our firepower?
"Then...... everything would've been for nothing."
Orin couldn't believe he was convincing himself.
This brat, who could've screwed up swept up in bloodlust, had commanded with all this in mind.
"Therefore, we discerned the purpose of this battle first, made them achieve their objective, and created an opening to show our counterattack."
Wе̄b̆ńȯ v́е̌l̊ Е̌ n̆u m̀ ӑ
"Truly amazing! As expected of our supreme commander!"
Hudret sent praise to Mori with respect.
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"How about showing some mature, elder-like behavior now?"
Hudret glanced at Orin.
"What do you mean?"
"If you'd rashly stepped forward, the operation would've definitely been ruined, right? An adult should know what to do?"
Wе b̀n̊ о̀v̂ е l _Ěn ü m ă
"Hmph....... I apologize for being too hasty, alright."
The proud Dwarf King meekly backed down.
"Even if I say it was intentional, the fact that casualties occurred and morale was damaged is undeniable."
"Don't worry about that part, we'll handle it."
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"We have Dwarven inventions, so we just need to make them believe they'll be effective in the real battle."
New weapons targeting medium and large monsters.
Е̌ n̂ ǔ ma .і̀ d́
They say they have them, but it didn't feel hopeful.
The forces the enemy sent were a mere 1/10.
Soon they'd face forces over 9 times that.
Can new weapons alone stop them all?
Then, just how many would survive?
"Thinking headache-inducing thoughts doesn't suit us."
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Orin stood up, lifting his hammer.
"We'll go reinforce the fortress. Now that we know what those monster bastards might do, we need to prepare."
They were the kind who suited moving their bodies better than having their heads wrapped and crushed by fear.
"Should I mention the enemy's scale?"
Olivia asked how to handle information that would affect morale.
"We must not."
W е̂b́nо̇ v̂ èl̀ Е̂ ṅü mӑ_
"They'd definitely be scared before even starting, no need to make a fuss."
Keeping the enemy scale secret was the leadership's unanimous opinion.
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"That's better, right? Regent Ferda?"
He asks Ferda, who had maintained silence the whole time.
Regent.
A title that now feels unfamiliar.
E̊ ňũm̈ а̂
But they still think he's Valdrova's fiancé.
"Yes, let's do that."
The sense of responsibility in Ferda's heart was already shaking, but there was no reason to show it.
He agreed with their opinion.
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* * *
The air raid defense was successful, but traces of blood lingered everywhere.
Wе̂ bńо̊v е̊l Е ň û m̄а̌
War is the act of killing someone.
It made him realize that 'someone' included himself.
Mori's best choice to lure the enemies was ultimately tied to allied morale.
Three days left.
For those three days, the army standing on this defense line had to be maintained somehow.
Hudret soothed the soldiers' morale with alcohol, meat, and women.
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Olivia boosted their morale as a Saintess.
The fact that Alte revived a Saint was crafted into the conviction that this war would be won.
Vague anxiety was erased by religion like that.
Abdulmesid offered prayers toward the sanctuary, stimulating the warriors' sense of duty to make them forget their immediate anxiety.
Ferda could do nothing.
A man whose only assets were mana and magic.
W̄ е_bn̂_оv̊е̃ l̆ Еn̄uṁ a
But even those were precarious now.
Making a face that looked as unbothered as possible was the best he could do.
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In other words, he was useless.
Fortunately, most hadn't noticed that fact.
Quite a few thought his inaction was to hide his strength.
That was when it happened.
Е n̆ú m̆ а̇.і̀d̂
-Hey, can't you stay still!?
-Let go! You son of a bitch!!
Shouts piercing through the wall.
Sounded like a scuffle—armor clashing, bodies tangling.
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-Ugh!
Sound of armor being pushed back.
Ѐn̈ u̇ m̄а̇
Ferda rose from his seat and moved there.
Just as expected from the sounds, the platoon leader standing guard lay face down on the ground.
He was clutching his neck.
Blood seeped out between his fingers.
"What happened?"
"A deserter....... Pretended to go to the bathroom, turned around, and tried to run."
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He knew this would happen.
Even controlling information and emphasizing faith, there are always humans eaten by fear.
That's why right after the air raid defense, responsible knights and platoon leaders started standing guard.
"Martin, that bastard even brought a dagger and stabbed the neck."
"Is the wound deep?"
"Fortunately missed the blood vessels. Don't worry. I'll track him."
Е n̆ u ḿа̂
"No."
Ferda sat him down and stood up instead.
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"I'll go."
Ferda's body instantly melted into shadow.
With no form, there was nothing to block him, so he tracked the deserter quickly.
He was crossing the deep forest, and Ferda caught his ankle.
Е n u ṁ а . ǐ d́_
"Ugh!?"
The deserter toppled over on the spot.
Thought he'd tripped on a branch, tried to get up and go again, but realizing he was completely bound, he drew his dagger.
Before he could even swing it, the dagger flew away by force.
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"Y-you are......?"
The deserter trembled at the figure reflected in the moonlight.
W e bńо̆ v́ е̌ l En̆ ŭ m̂ ǎ
Only two eyes shone in the dark night—just seeing that form was enough to plunge him into terror.
Ferda looked down at the deserter.
He seemed to be a conscript mixed into the Alte Church's knight order.
"Big balls. Not just deserting, but trying to stab the platoon leader who tried to stop you."
Ferda spoke low to him.
"Desertion and attempted murder of a comrade—you've heard endless times it's summary judgment without military court, so you know well, right?"
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Ferda raised his hand.
He trembled and spoke.
"C-can't you just pretend you didn't see me?"
He asks.
"Please. Great Regent-nim! I can't die in a place like this!"
He pulled something from his bosom.
Ěn̆ ū m̂ а
Thought it was another weapon, tried to discard that too.
But unlike expectations, what he took out was a crumpled piece of paper.
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"I have a family! A wife and three children I must feed! If I die...... if I die here, the kids have nowhere to go......!"
He held the paper up with both hands and slammed his forehead to the floor.
"Please! Aren't I just a single grain of sand in a vast desert? Whether my one life is there or not makes no difference at all! Please have mercy on a life lower than an ant...... ugh, hic......."
He sobbed and begged Ferda.
Wе́ bnо̂ṽе̌ l̄ _E ñ û m̈ а̄
But Ferda didn't look at that paper.
Instead, he brushed it away like it was trivial, with shadow.
"So what?"
Ferda's voice was dry.
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The cold eyes looking down at the deserter hardened even more firmly.
"Just because you call your life lower than an ant, I should let you run? If I let you escape, do you think others are fools who'll just watch? Your actions become permission for others too."
Е́ň üm̌a.ї d̂
He crushes emotion with an utterly rational voice.
"You tried to kill a platoon leader and run. That's an unforgivable act."
Ferda said that, and shadow wrapped around the deserter's neck.
"The mercy I can give is this much."
Crunch!
The neck bones shattered at once, and the deserter sobbed no more.
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The cleanest way to die that Ferda knew.
For him who committed two grave crimes, it was mercy without a doubt.
Ferda's shadow dragged the deserter's corpse.
Deserters would be hung as examples.
But after a few steps, he stopped abruptly.
Something still lingered here, catching his mind.
W̊е̃ b.ǹ о̂ v̄ѐl̄ Ӗn̈ ù m ӑ
What was that thing he took from his bosom?
He extended shadow toward where he'd brushed away the paper and retrieved it.
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What he tried to show was a trivial drawing.
A trivial house and trivial humans.
But the smile blooming on the face wasn't trivial.
It was undoubtedly a drawing a young child made with precious paper and charcoal, pouring their heart into it.
Wẽbǹ ӧ.v е l̄ Е̊ ǹü ṁ ӓ
Someone's father, someone's lover, died like that.
Ferda began to feel a strange sensation.
No doubt.
This was guilt.
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He killed many people when he was insane,
And even after returning, he kept killing people,
Ẅe b́n̄o̊ v̇ е̂ l Ѐ nu m а̇
Yet now, with a just cause, his heart was shaking over this one dead human.
