Chapter 3 – Sentence. Kivenji Forest, Cover The Retreat (3)

　[Goddesses] are weapons.

　Living weapons.

　Their function is to oppose the Demon King Phenomenon by calling forth ‘Something’ — or what is known as summoning. 

　According to the Church Scholars, [Goddesses] are a kind of [Gate]. 

　The nature depends on the individual [Goddess].

　There are some [Goddesses] that summon humans, while other [Goddesses] can summon natural phenomena like fire or wind. There is word of a [Goddess] who can call forth scenes of the future. 

　Handling a [Goddess] doesn’t require an instruction manual or rulebook. 

　What the [Goddesses] can call and the functions they are capable of can be understood by the Holy Knight who has formed the contract. 

　Such is the accord created.

　At this time, I immediately knew.

“Teolita?”

　The golden-haired girl who sipped my blood is a [Goddess] by that name.

“Yes, my Knight.”

　Teorita brushed her hair, scattering sparks.

“Zyro.”

　She also seemed to know my name.

　‘I’ve done something I can’t take back’, I thought.

“What blessing might be desired?”

　Behind the fiery eyes of Teorita, I see the brilliance of steel.

　Steel.

　Countless steel blades that seem endless — excellent swords. Magic swords. Treasured swords. Holy swords. Beyond the void, waiting to be called.

“Proceed. Pray.”

　The Sword [Goddess], Teolita.

　It’s enough even if that’s the only thing I got. To clearly understand what she calls.

“Fence.”

　I said tersely.

　Tactics to adopt — the things we both could do. 

　You can’t just say it like we were simply transmitting our intentions, to try and describe it, it was something more like sharing an image with Teolita. 

　I had also known this feeling.

　Because this was possible, the [Goddess] had become humanity’s trump card.

　Summoning powerful entities alone would not be enough. They can be trump cards because they can share their senses and be operated by individuals well-versed in military affairs. 

　That was something I didn’t like.

“This is bad, Zyro.”

　Dotta held his thunderstick and shouted while shooting trash shots. 

　The Fuath had already chased us to right before our eyes. Their entirely black, wavy frog bodies flood in like a muddy wave.

“What to do! We might die!”

“We’re not going to die.”

　Saying that as a matter of fact, I pointed to the Fuath rushing in. 

“Teolita! Give us a show, Push them back from here!”

“Pushing them back. You’ve chosen a good phrase.”

　Teolita smiled happily and moved one hand as though caressing the void.

“Deserving of my Knight. I shall blissfully bless you.”

　In that moment, countless swords fell from the sky.

　Hundreds.

　Shining silver blades like rain pierce the Fuath bodies. A choir of awfully discordant screams stab our ears, like the grinding from wringing out a barely wet cloth. 

　The pouring swords strike the ground and form a boundary separating us from the Fuath. 

　As I had requested.

　A defensive fence was constructed. The number of Fuath had also been reduced to less than half.

“Amazing.”

　Dotta frowned as he pinched his nose.

　The ground was flooded with the muddy body fluids of the Fuath, and a disgusting odour floated over the ground. 

“[Goddesses] can do something like this?”

“No time to fool around. Dotta, shoot!”

　I hurried to the perimeter of the sword fence.

“Don’t get close. Finish them.”

　I pulled out one of the standing blades. Grip with my right hand and swing — the technique for throwing spears and swords had been hammered into me at my previous job. 

　A battle tactic that uses the Sacred Seal to imbue objects with blessings.

　To mention my range, there’s no way I can miss from distances around twenty to thirty steps. 

　Twist my waist, coordinate lower and upper body, throw.

　The thrown sword flashes into the middle of the Fuath and detonates. The resulting shockwave wraps up a few more, sending them flying, completely weakening the momentum of those guys.

　Overflowing with flesh and blood, mixed with crushed soil, it now looks like a swamp.

“The smell is amazing. For a different reason than before, I feel like vomiting.”

　With a pale face, Dotta also took cover behind the sword fence and started shooting with the thunderstick. 

　He’s a shit shooter, but he picked the best place, using the sword fence as a shield. The guys that try to jump over are cut down by my sword. 

　With this, some other guys will start escaping.

　It appears like these guys could see there was a big change in our battle strength. 

“Dotta, you’re really shit at shooting. You’re not hitting a thing.”

“I’m not good at hurting people…”

“Liar. You’re also a burglar. You’ve killed people when you did that.”

“I’m not good at it, but those were times I worked hard… I want you to praise me…”

　The issue isn’t whether he’s working hard, but I stop myself from talking about matters related to Dotta’s morals because it would have been useless. 

　The Fuath start to run away.

　We can no longer stop their movements. Having tided over this attack, it should be okay for us to just watch them from here. Dotta sits his arse on the ground and breaths wildly. He’s a coward to the core. 

“–Were you satisfied, my Knight?”

The [Goddess] Teolita stood proudly with her chest puffed in front me. 

　Looking at her again, she’s small. She’s just below my chest level. 

“Were you not gratified by my blessing? This awesome power that wreaked havoc on the Fae, and safeguarded you… I permit you to admire and worship me as much as you like. “

　It’s an insanely haughty way of speaking, though it just looks like a kid putting on airs. 

　Her fiery-coloured eyes shine. 

　As though expecting something, she sticks her head forward.

“Zyro. I have already granted you my permission.”

　I knew very well what she was trying to suggest. The image is conveyed.

“Pat my head and sing praises of how great I am.”

　In short, what she wants from me is something like. 

　Patting her head and saying, ‘Well done’.

(But if I were to do that–)

　I hesitate.

　I don’t want to unnecessarily land myself into more irreversible situations. 

　It was precisely this part of [Goddesses] that I didn’t like. 

　I had always thought this was in bad taste. 

　Still, this is certainly something they need — admiration from someone. That is the nature of [Goddesses] and genuinely, something necessary for them to exist–

<Ah. Zyro and Dotta, are you still alive?>

　As I was about to reach out my hand, I again heard an unpleasant voice in my ear. 

　Our ‘Commander’. Venetim.

<Continuing from the previous topic, what will the two of you be doing?>

　Hearing words that were extremely unfitting for a Commander, my head hurt. The way he spoke made it sound too much like this was somebody else’s business. 

　Dotta also groaned at this.

“We’re currently escaping. We didn’t know the Holy Knights were going to engage in a fight on their own.”

<You’re absolutely right. But, if the majority of the Holy Knights die, the both of you will also die. Because it would be due to the failure of the operation, I think you would be subjected to rather cruel suffering…>

“Urgh.”

　Dotta held his head and looked at me.

“What to do, Zyro?”

“Venetim, can’t you negotiate? It’s the only thing you’re good for.”

<Understood. I shall try, please give me some time.>

“Liar.”

　I instantly saw through Venetim’s lying. 

　A man who lies like breathing.

　I know Venetim’s plan.

　I also know the situation he’s in.

　Venetim’s title is “Commander”, therefore he’s commanding from somewhere outside the forest. Even so, he’s under supervision of a United Kingdom Warden.

　In other words, that man Venetim is the only one who can adapt to changing battle situations and direct this Penitent Hero Corps full of atrocious villains–

　Or so that’s what he had the Kingdom prison officials believing, and that guy keeps succeeding with this act. 

　‘I’m otherwise completely unreliable and usually useless, but for some reason I’m skilled at getting along with criminals.’ 

　As expected of a scammer, he’s good at giving off that impression. 

　Once, he had deceived the Royal Family, sold the royal castle to a circus and was seized.

　In fact, he is unreliable, but we don’t really get along.

　During both downtime and emergencies, he’s useful for nothing except his mouth. 

　His, “Understood. I shall try”, was nothing more than a show. 

　It was just him trying to say something appropriate. 

　Since the Holy Knights, for some unknown reason, have set out to counter attack, this guy seems to think we’re about to die. 

<Please leave it in my hands, Zyro. At the very least, I’m still your Commander. These are the times when I need to show you something good.>

“I don’t think this can be heard by the Warden anyway, so there’s no point in acting. 

<Then, I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.>

“Just because we need to keep regular contact doesn’t mean you need to call me for this nonsense — ah, no, wait.”

　In the moment, I came up with an idea that might be possible for Venetim to make himself somewhat useful. 

“How are the Holy Knights? How far have they counterattacked?”

<Err…>

　A rather long silence.

　Probably currently checking with the Warden. 

　’If it’s going to take this much time, then you should first get the answer, and then call me back’, I wanted to say. 

<From where you are, a little further east, along the Purcell River… err… sounds like they’re forming up at the second river crossing. It’s a little bit far huh.>

“It’s not far at all.”

　I was stunned. This guy didn’t even have a good grasp of our current location. 

　However, he was at least able to do something. It was fortunate that it wasn’t that far. 

　At this point, what choice do I have?

　Because it seems impossible, give up and die here.

　Being a Hero, the option of this bet is available to me. I will likely be resurrected in a terrible way, and everything will be left up to luck. 

(–There’s no way.)

　However, perhaps I have a bad habit, or maybe there’s a part of me that’s hopeless. 

“…Dotta. I’ve thought of a strategy to prevent us from cruelly dying.”

“Eh.”

　Dotta looked very anxious.

“What kind of strategy is that?”

“Cooperate with the Holy Knights to defeat the Demon King. That’s the standard way. There’s no other way than this.”

“Oh dear!”

　Teorita was the first to react.

　She clapped her hands in delight. 

“I expect no less from my Knight! If you weren’t like this — how fortunate this is. You are truly befitting as a follower of mine.”

“I disagree.”

　The unmotivated Dotta raised his hand.

“It might be worse than dying from the Sacred Seal’s Curse, no joke. Zyro, you’ll also hate dying for those Holy Knights who started the fight by themselves, right? –After all, well, you–”

“That’s why.”

　I understood what Dotta was trying to say.

　I used to be a Holy Knight. I was banished from there and became like this. 

　It is true that I have a grudge against the Holy Knights — or rather, feelings of rage.

　Among them are bastards I want to kill. Those who banished me. Those who set me up. I plan to kill them all without leaving a single one alive

　Some of them might be part of the Holy Knights currently in the forest. 

　However,

“I do hate those guys. But, well, I will be even more annoyed if people mock us for abandoning them because of such a reason.”

“I think you’re too self-conscious, just let them talk bad about us.”

“I won’t be able to stand it.”

　I can’t stand being thought of as a small-minded person by assholes worse than me.

　In the end, it’s likely because of this bad habit. I have at least that much self-awareness.

　In short, I hate being looked down on — that’s why I’m being punished like this. 

“Let’s go.”

　I kicked Dotta and pulled out one of the swords that was stabbed into the ground. 

　A keen blade.

　It shines silver without a single blemish. Suiting a sword summoned by a [Goddess].

“If the Holy Knights are destroyed, we’re done for. Don’t run away.”

“If there’s a place to escape, I’m going to.”