It seems that the Crusaders have completely withdrawn their troops, and the large group of white soldiers that had surged to the opposite bank of the Rhone River is now unrecognizable.
There are likely only a small number of troops hiding around the opposite bank to monitor us.
I think the main force has probably returned to Wat Village, which is next to Arz Village, by now.
“Somehow, we managed to hold on for today.”
I murmured deeply and closed my eyes on the bed.
The truth is, I didn’t want to rest in the Guild’s room, but I reluctantly stepped back because Mo-ssan told me that resting is part of the job.
My magic bullets and machine guns, which are the greatest firepower to stop the infantry’s charge, cannot leave the gate; from now on, one of us—either me or Mo-ssan—will always be on guard.
If this were simply a human, it would be quite a tough security system, but my body is far tougher than that of a human, and skeleton Mo-ssan is close to being a half-magic creature so he doesn’t need much rest either; we can both move energetically for a week.
However, most races, including humans, cannot afford such luxuries; if they don’t take proper breaks, fatigue will accumulate, leading to a significant decline in combat effectiveness.
That said, we are adventurers here; as long as we properly take turns resting, there shouldn’t be any problem. In fact, they’re quite happy to be able to sleep in the Guild’s beds instead of camping out as is typical for quests.
Of course, since there aren’t enough beds for everyone, over half of them will have to sleep on the floor.
“But if the number of dead increases, we can’t say that anymore…”
The number of dead from today’s battle is two; it seems they were struck by a thrown spear when the enemy approached the barrier.
Looking at the results alone, the casualty rate is surprisingly low considering we stopped an enemy force many times our size with just over a hundred men. Strategically, it can be considered a resounding success.
However, even so, it is not something that can be easily brushed off.
It’s common sense that it’s the adventurers’ own responsibility if they die, but there’s a difference between dying by one’s own judgment and dying under my command.
One misjudgment on my part can take someone’s life; I realized once again how terrifying that is when I heard the report of the dead.
“—I can think and worry about this later; I’ve already made up my mind. No matter what sacrifices it takes, I will buy time for evacuation.”
Now is not the time for unnecessary thoughts, worries, or shock.
What I need to think about is solely the tactical actions—how will the enemy move, how will they attack, and how will we respond?
There is a mountain of things to consider, especially since the data obtained from today’s battle is invaluable. After all, this was a large-scale battle where we faced the Crusaders for the first time head-on, revealing the previously unknown enemy’s strength and fighting style.
“As a result, it was excellent; I can say we achieved a great victory. We suffered two deaths on our side, while it’s not surprising if their casualties exceed a thousand.”
Thanks to the healing magic, the injured may be able to return to the front lines by tomorrow, but the number of confirmed dead is quite significant.
It is undoubtedly true that today we managed to significantly reduce the Crusaders’ manpower.
However, that alone does not seem enough to expect the collapse of their army; it’s evident from observing the situation on the opposite bank that we did not inflict a blow severe enough to reach the one-third threshold considered a total annihilation.
Nonetheless, everything went smoothly, including traps to collapse the bridge; it’s undeniable that things went exceedingly well, perhaps too well.
This battle is not the end; in the long run, it is certain that we will have to retreat from here unless the enemy is incredibly scared and withdraws entirely.
If the enemy’s commander has even a little pride, he must be furious about today’s battle results, as they could not conquer this small village with such a great number of soldiers mobilized.
If that is the case, the next time they come to attack, they may disregard casualties and deploy troops recklessly.
It is simple but certain; if they employ such tactics, it is almost certain that Alsace will fall.
“The time limit on crossfire is a major drawback, but there’s nothing that can be done about it now. The key is how to prevent the time lost… In the end, we have no choice but to rely on our strength.”
The solution lies in everyone exerting themselves as they did today; there’s no way to prepare a reversal strategy that can eliminate the enemy on a scale of a thousand.
Actually, it can already be deemed fortunate that the crossfire went this well.
If the Crusader soldiers had been tougher than expected and charged without caring about the machine gun barrage, the operation would have collapsed.
Even though there is barbed wire and a barrier, being crushed by overwhelming numerical superiority is somewhat inevitable; it is precisely because we could stop the infantry charge with crossfire that I believed there was enough possibility to hold the enemy at Arz Village for a week.
And today, the power of the machine guns has been proven. The remaining issues can be covered by our effort and determination, and at least we have a somewhat even battlefield to work with.
“And, indeed, I never thought Lily could stop the Pegasus Knights by herself… This was the best luck we had.”
I knew Lily was strong, but I didn’t think she could hold back all the Pegasus Knights alone.
Therefore, the role of intercepting the Pegasus Knights that fly towards the defensive line beyond Lily falls to the archers we positioned from the Guild, including Simon.
In fact, this is where I predicted the most deaths would occur today.
Attacking from the air and capable of using both magic and martial arts, facing these elite soldiers head-on would surely result in injuries.
However, when the dust settled, there were zero deaths among those in the Guild; the Pegasus Knights never made it over here at all, as Lily single-handedly held back the entire unit.
While Lily fought, the ground troops retreated, and correspondingly, the Pegasus Knights also withdrew.
What actually happened is hard to believe; I didn’t think true-form Lily could be this strong. In fact, I realize that this is the first time I’ve seen girl Lily in action.
It’s something akin to a battle style that makes one think she might be a dragon rather than a fairy. Honestly, perhaps it would have been better if Lily had been the leader given her strength…
“But even Lily has her limits; when the Pegasus Knights come again, they will definitely reach the Guild this time.”
After the enemy withdrew and the combat ceased, Lily returned to me with words of apology.
“I’m sorry, Chrono. I couldn’t wipe out the Pegasus Knights by myself.
It turns out I can only take down a few with this body that has time limits.
Today, I extended the combat time using my blessing, but that isn’t something I can do many times; I don’t think I can stop them completely next time.”
With just that said, Lily returned to her usual childlike form, possibly having pushed her body too hard, and collapsed onto my chest.
I quickly transported her to the Guild and laid her in bed; she is probably still sleeping, trying to recover her strength.
“Sigh, just don’t overdo it too much, Lily.”
I tried to appear calm, but the truth is, I was genuinely worried about letting Lily fight the Pegasus Knights by herself.
Actually, did Lily intend to wipe out the whole unit by herself? I clearly said that all I needed was to hold them back as much as possible…
“This isn’t good; being too favorable to someone close to me is not right… But still, I’m worried.”
Anyway, even if the Pegasus Knights show up, knowing that Lily is here, she can definitely hold them off for at least 30 minutes.
Today, she defeated seven foes and inflicted both heavy and light injuries on dozens of troops. If we fight again, it should be of a similar level, and if the enemy is wounded, even greater results can be expected.
In any case, thanks to Lily, we can significantly reduce the strength of the Pegasus Knights. While we will likely suffer some losses as well, it is not impossible to push them to the point of obliteration.
“If we can hold back the Pegasus Knights, then the issue is how much the ground can withstand.”
With no reversal strategies or reinforcements to expect, we have no choice but to deal with the current strength.
In fact, through the shooting from the gate and the supporting fire from the Guild, we managed to take down quite a few infantry as they crossed the Rhone River.
While we don’t have enough numbers to rain arrows, it seems that the lightning attack magic aimed at electrocuting the enemy was effective.
Even if they didn’t get hit directly, it was visible from the gate that soldiers who got electrocuted through the water were drowning, and it would have been even more visible from the Guild’s rooftop.
“It seems Simon also did a good job.”
Simon, the sniper I personally expected, eliminated a considerable number of the mage unit deployed on the opposite bank.
Based on my minimal advice, her development of the sniper rifle, as well as her shooting ability, is remarkably precise and deadly, making her quite an incredible girl.
The duo of Simon and Sue achieved results exceeding my expectations.
I saw the two practicing sniper shooting happily during the preparation period, suggesting they make a good team; having designated Sue as an observer was indeed the right decision.
Now that I think of it, when I charged and battled on the riverbank, it was thanks to those two that I saw enemy heads exploding from behind or front foes suddenly spouting blood from their necks and dying.
While I can understand Simon’s sniping, there is something terrifying about Sue’s way of silently killing by erasing her presence; as Vulcan put it, that is said to be the power of blessing… With a rank of 4, I realize just how incredible that is.
“The adventurers are much stronger than I expected; the fact that we were able to hold this position today was thanks to everyone fighting with all their might.”
There are no words of gratitude, but still, considering how much blood their lives might flow in the future, I cannot help but feel a deep sense of dark anxiety rising within me.
Next to die might be me or someone close to me.
Losing everyone from Irz Village already feels like a distant past, yet the anger, sadness, and indescribable sense of loss from that time continue to smolder deep in my heart.
I never want to feel that way again; no, perhaps I truly want to forget everything and run away.
“…No, I can’t think like that; I am already shouldering the lives of others besides my own.”
That’s right; there is nowhere left to escape; the battle has already begun.
I corrected the estimated casualties for Chrono. Thank you to everyone who pointed it out in the comments.