Chapter 57 - The Old Soldier's Desire
The sheer intensity of the situation made me abandon any thoughts I had before coming here, like “it might all end in vain.” Old Man knew something. No, it was more accurate to say he had resolved himself. After seeing that red fur... Old Man began to radiate a killing intent so fierce it could rival even the god of war itself.
Two hours after raising the warning line.
The path through the Shallow Forest was well-trodden, a clear sign that the villagers often ventured into these woods. Given the high level of threat, we had declined the offer of a local hunter as a guide and instead received a simple map of the Shallow Forest. The so-called forest path—almost resembling a game trail—marked on the map was so well-worn that even I could follow it without issue. We advanced without getting lost, reaching the vicinity of the hunting grounds.
Just as we were about to arrive at the problematic hunting grounds, Old Man and his companions came to a halt. My scouting magitech tool hadn’t yet picked up any strong signals. A strange sensation enveloped me. It felt as though I was being watched, scrutinized carefully by something.
“Get down! Enemy attack!!”
Old Man’s voice struck my ears just as a powerful impact hit my head. A loud bang echoed, and stars flashed before my eyes. It was the kind of shock you feel when you hit your head hard against something. Amidst the distorted vision and nausea, voices rang out around me.
“Commander’s been sniped! He’s been hit by what seems to be a throwing stone. Damn it!! They set a trap for us! Young Master! Young Master! Are you alright? Damn it!! Again!!”
Old Man’s suppressed voice reached my ears, but I couldn’t respond. The blow to my head left my vision warped. I couldn’t hold myself up and dropped to my knees, crouching on the spot. I couldn’t even speak. The shock turned everything white before my eyes, and my consciousness began to blur.
“Commander injured! Consciousness fading! He can’t handle unit command. Under emergency protocols, command is transferred to me, the adjutant. From now on, I will take command of the guerrilla unit. Young Master, fall back for now. Leave this to us old soldiers. Request reinforcements from the main force commander. If we can’t hold them off, the reserves (main force) will annihilate them. That’s what we’ve trained for. Sergeant major! Get the young master out of here! Drag him away if you have to. Don’t let ‘our beacon of hope’ fall! Guerrilla unit, fall back! Don’t waste your lives! This is the young master’s will. I’ll hold the rear. Sergeant major, take the young master and the unit and retreat! You’re outmatched here! Listen up, all you seasoned warriors, follow me! Charge!!”
Was it the ringing in my ears, or was it the war cry...? I thought I heard the seasoned veterans’ battle cries, full of high morale and fighting spirit. I couldn’t respond to Old Man’s words, and I couldn’t even stand, my body devoid of strength. The sergeant major grabbed my arm and started running. Meanwhile, I felt several hands grabbing and lifting me.
Gradually, my consciousness began to clear. I was being carried back along the path.
“O-Old Man... No, this can’t be...! I never... wanted this. A battle to the death is an unforgivable act. I won’t allow it. I won’t allow it!!”
“Commander. The adjutant’s words are true. Please send a request for reinforcements to the main elite force. Time is of the essence.”
“S-sergeant...”
“The adjutant... He said you, as the commander, are outmatched. I agree. Therefore, the only thing we can do now is request reinforcements from those the adjutant has acknowledged.”
“He-hey... Even so...”
“It’s not up for debate. This is the adjutant’s order.”
“.........Understood. There’s a spot a little ahead where we installed an amplifier. Drop me off there.”
“As you command.”
The mana amplification device running through the magic communication line is an essential magitech tool for sending magical communications over long distances. The nodes are equipped with connection terminals. By directly connecting a communication magitech tool, we can establish contact. During this march, following Old Man’s advice, we had laid down the magic communication line even through the forest.
A single roll of magic communication line wasn’t enough, so we had connected them with amplifiers in between. I returned to the nearest amplifier from the site of the ambush and ordered the soldiers to release me. The dizziness had subsided. I located the installed amplifier and tried to put on the head-mounted communication device (headset) from my backpack.
I had to... remove my helmet (Metia) first.
Frustrated, I loosened the chin strap and took off the heavy infantry helmet. Warm liquid immediately trickled down my cheek.
When I wiped it, my hand and gauntlet were stained with a dark red... Looking at the helmet, I saw a large dent and crack on the side where my head had been hit.
“Medic!! The commander is injured, seriously wounded. Attend to him at once!”
Amidst the sergeant major’s shouts, I ignored his words and attached the headset to my aching head, connecting it to the terminal. Without relying on runes, I activated the communication magitech tool myself. Then, I began the call, almost shouting.
”This is the guerrilla unit commander to the main force commander, requesting reinforcements. We’ve been ambushed by the apes at the border between the Shallow Forest and the Middle Forest. I repeat, we’ve been ambushed. The commander has sustained a head injury. The adjutant is currently handling the situation. I repeat, the adjutant is handling the situation. Brother!! Please, save Old Man!!”
――――
That was all I could manage. The heavy bleeding from my head left me anemic, and after being injected with sedatives and blood-restoring agents by the medic, I promptly passed out. My vision turned black and dark... All strength drained from my body... I couldn’t tell if I was sitting or lying down...
In the pitch-black space, I stood alone.
The eerily silent place felt somehow nostalgic. It was as if I was merging with my surroundings, becoming one with them. No matter where I looked, I saw nothing, and no sound reached my ears. The only thing I was aware of was that I was alone in this space.
Suddenly, I faintly heard the sound of many people cheering.
My faint sense of self turned its attention in that direction. Though everything had seemed pitch black, I noticed that the direction of the voices was strangely bright. The cheers turned into song, a bold and heroic epic being sung. The overlapping voices of many, many people. They were trembling with joy and celebration.
As if drawn in, my body slid toward that direction. I wanted to join in that jubilation. Suddenly, a voice spoke. It was a warm yet stern voice, one I knew well.
“Young Master, it’s still too early for you. You must not... go there.”
“Old Man... What, are you being stingy? They’re having so much fun, and I can’t join?”
“It’s too soon for you, Young Master. That... that banquet is for those who have fulfilled their desire. You will join them someday, but not now. The light of the future must not fall. But look, Young Master. See how content they all are.”
Indeed, as Old Man said, many familiar faces were among them. Several from the guard unit were there... They held liquor and meat in their hands, singing joyfully. One of them lifted the head of a red-furred ape, raising a victory cry. So... they succeeded in defeating it...
“We won, didn’t we?”
“We did. We finally defeated ‘Austra.’ At last, we’ve fulfilled our long-cherished wish. Young Master, I made a promise. I swore I wouldn’t die until I killed that beast. Now, I’ve finally kept that promise. Here, I’ve fulfilled my desire. Look, even those young men and women over there are overjoyed.”
“Yeah. I can feel everyone’s joy. Huh? Those people... they look like you, Old Man.”
“Indeed they do. They are my son and daughter. In this place where time holds no meaning, I’ve finally been reunited with them. They became eternal when we pushed ‘Austra’ back into the Middle Forest. I’m glad you could meet them, Young Master.”
The young warrior man and woman bowed politely, their faces filled with smiles and satisfaction. The banquet showed no signs of cooling down. It only grew more lively. And I...
was not invited into that circle...
――― Not yet.
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