Chapter 130 : The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (14)
Chapter 130: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (14)
Furthermore, that wasn't all.
“Gyagyagyagyak! Gyak!”
“Kigigigigyak!”
The goblins were reacting in an orderly fashion with movements far more systematic than previous goblins.
They even wore plausible iron armor and carried weapons.
It was in some ways a natural course for Shatien and the elf knights to be surprised upon discovering this bizarre horde of goblins.
“What on earth is that??”
“It's a bastard I've never seen before?!”
“Forget it. Who cares!! Kyooooot. Take my sword! You hideous monster.”
Of course, our brave elf knights charged toward them after just a moment as if nothing had happened.
“Good grief....”
Shatien let out a sigh seeing that sight. The state of the enemy was unusual, yet they blindly charged before even grasping the situation.
“Since it turned out like this, we go together. Stay sharp, or your masters might fall into danger!”
“Understood!”
“Give the command!”
Fortunately, the darkness of the surroundings had vanished thanks to the holy fire lit by the monastic knights.
It was a good situation to run wild on horseback.
“Good! Let’s go! For glory! Crush them as they are.”
“For an honorable death!”
“Hyaaaaaah!”
Shatien led the squires and followed right behind the elf knights, pushing into the goblin horde.
-Crunch.
-Crackle!
-Craaack!
No matter how much the goblins wore metal armor and held weapons, it actually didn't mean much.
It might've been threatening in a fight between infantrymen, but this was a fight between cavalry and infantry.
At the level of goblins whose height was barely more than half that of a human, there was no way to block the charge of heavy cavalry pushing in.
The goblin horde was literally being crushed before the charge of dozens of heavy cavalrymen charging in formation.
Furthermore, the one standing at the very front was Shatien.
“Kyagyagyagyagya!”
-Bang!
“Gyagyak!”
-Crackle!
“Kigigik!”
-Slice.
Goblins fell in heaps every time he swung his sword like an angry wave. In an instant, a hole was punched through the front line.
It was a fairly optimistic situation.
However, the problem soon occurred as expected.
-Bang!
“Ughhhh!”
“Ah? Sir?!”
The massive goblin he'd been watching so closely swung its club powerfully and finally sent one of the elf knights flying.
“What the???”
“C-Crazy.... Is that really a goblin?”
The squires who witnessed it were terrified.
That bizarre giant goblin was fighting alone against the elf knights who'd rushed in quickly.
He even felt a sense of leisure from its expression.
“This is bad! How far has the main body come?”
“They should arrive soon.”
“Go back again and hurry to bring Mage Agpiel!”
“B-But....”
The squire who received the order glanced at the elf knights fighting in front. It was difficult to ignore and leave when his master was in danger.
Shatien shouted abruptly.
“Time is of the essence! If you want to save your master, you must go faster. What are you doing! And I’ll step in to help personally, so don't worry.”
“U-Understood.”
Only then did the squire turn around hurriedly and whip the horse.
Moving so fast, he disappeared into the darkness in an instant.
Shatien scanned the battle situation again with a sigh.
-Clang!
-Clang!
-Whoosh.
“Sir! Watch out!”
“I’ll take this side!”
Fortunately, the elf knights were headstrong but not stupid.
As soon as they realized they couldn't win fighting alone, they began to divide the roles they had to perform.
Two parried the goblins swarming from all directions, another drew the attention of the giant goblin, and the last one held a spear ready, aiming to wound the giant goblin somehow.
Of course, Shatien wondered why they didn't just turn around and retreat instead of fighting so foolishly.
“Spear!”
“Y-Yes! It's here, Sir.”
But what could be done.
They insisted on fighting like that. If so, it was necessary to match their habits.
“Huuup.”
Shatien gripped the spear handed over by the squire and drew up the mystery of his bloodline.
-Wooooong.
The pulsating mystery calculated the optimal path.
Along with it, thick veins bulged on Shatien's forearm as he gripped the spear shaft.
-Squeeeze.
And when the power contained in the spear shaft reached its peak.
“Hup-!”
-Pwooooosh!
The spear split through space with a sonic boom and flew toward the giant goblin. A spear throw like lightning that a normal person wouldn't dare parry!
But the giant goblin was different.
-Clack! Crack!
As if prepared, it suddenly twisted its body and struck the flying spear with its giant club.
“?!?!”
“?????”
Everyone's mouth fell open.
To think it had the leeway to pay attention to another place while fighting the elf knights. It was truly a sight to see.
“Isn't that thing a real monster?”
“It is a monster. Isn't it a monster literally.”
“A-Ah... that is true, but.”
“Stop the nonsense and keep giving me spears! Isn't your master in danger!”
Shatien growled at the dazed squires. How could they be shocked and shaken when the situation was urgent.
Only then did the squires regain their senses and quickly hand over a spear.
'You managed to defend against one, but it’ll be different if I keep attacking.'
It was impossible to keep dealing with both sides while paying attention indefinitely.
Besides, weren't there monastic knights at the back? Through the flickering light of the holy fire, he saw the monastic knights pushing back the goblins.
If he used just a little more time, the enemy would collapse from being attacked from both front and back.
“Hyah!”
Thinking so, Shatien threw spears repeatedly.
Once, twice.
And three times.
-Whish!
“------------!!”
It seemed to block a few times, but it was eventually pierced. The giant goblin, unable to react in time while distracted by the elf knights rushing in, had its abdomen pierced by the spear Shatien threw.
“Grrr! Grrrrrr!”
But the recovery power of this giant goblin seemed extraordinary. Even though a spear was stuck in its abdomen, it only screamed in pain and didn't fall.
Rather, this attack seemed to draw out its rage.
-Snap!
The giant goblin broke the spear shaft stuck in its body and struck the rushing elf knight with its club.
-Bang!
“G-Gasp! Master!”
“That damn monster.”
The squires shouted in distress, but there was nothing they could do.
“■■■■■-!!”
“Gwaaaaaaa-!”
It shouted something in an unknown language and then suddenly gave a loud roar, causing the surrounding goblins to fall into a frenzy all at once.
-Kigigigik.
-Gyack! Kyagagagagak!
The goblins, their eyes turning bloodshot and even foaming at the mouth, began to rush toward Shatien.
“???”
“What the?”
“It's their trick! Calm down and form the line!”
He tried to soothe the wavering squires while standing at the very front and swinging his sword, but the momentum of the pushing goblins was formidable. Shatien could finally realize why the monastic knights had been pushed back and had to hold out at the village hall.
With this kind of crazed attack, there was no other choice.
'Damn it?'
Shatien was quite flustered because the pattern was different from a battle between humans.
Killing the swarming goblins all day seemed meaningless, and it felt like he absolutely had to deal with that giant goblin...
'There are too many. It's impossible to approach.'
The number of swarming goblins was enough to take his breath away. Even from places where the light of the holy fire didn't reach, they kept crawling out with their red eyes sparkling.
And at that moment.
-Flash!
A strong mystery vibrated along with a bright blue light from behind.
-Kigigigigigigik!
-Kyah-ah-ak! Gyack!! Kyagagagagak!
-Sizzle!
The rushing goblins began to burn while struggling in pain as soon as they touched that light.
“Mage Agpiel-!”
“Yes, I’ve arrived! This hot-blooded young knight! An unprepared charge is just reckless bravado.”
Yes.
Mage Agpiel, the Sage of the Forest, had finally appeared.
* * *
“How is it? Isn't this a truly timely appearance? Ah! Of course, since I gave this kind of help, I’ll be spared from having to call you father, right? Hmm, is that not it? Must I help a few more times? I suppose that might be so.”
“…….”
Was he still worrying about that promise? Shatien was momentarily speechless at the mage's words.
“Phew... Mage Agpiel. Stop that and help us quickly. The elf knights will all die at this rate.”
“Death on the battlefield is a blessing for elf knights. Rather, a very happy....”
“Mage. Agpiel!”
“Ah, fine. Jeez.... You shouldn't be so rough.”
Mage Agpiel clicked his tongue and swung his staff into the air once more.
-Whish.
-Flash!
Then, the blue light surging in all directions gathered in one place and stretched out in a straight line toward where the elf knights were.
-Kyagyagyagyagyagyagak!
-Sizzle.
The goblins touched by that light burned and screamed in pain. The goblins hurriedly began to flee in all directions to avoid that blue light.
“It's a spell called the 'Eye of Purification' that purifies wicked things. There used to be some monsters it didn't work on, but fortunately, it works very well on goblins.”
Mage Agpiel spoke boastfully.
Considering the pulsating mystery, he had every right to be, but it wasn't Shatien's concern.
“What are you doing! Run quickly! You must save your master!”
“Y-Yes! Understood.”
“Centuria! Form the line as you are and push forward. We will wipe out all the remaining goblins!”
“Understood.”
Shatien hurriedly gave commands and headed toward the front once more.
This time, he was gripping a sword instead of a spear. He intended to step in personally and fight that giant goblin.
“Oh! My. A hobgoblin.”
At that time, Mage Agpiel finally discovered the giant goblin and let out an exclamation.
“Is it something impressive?”
“You could call it a mutant of the goblin world. Goblins that keep receiving and consuming the essence of darkness transform like that... It has an intense regeneration ability like a troll and has the nickname 'Knight Killer.' It even knows how to command goblins, so it's not easy to deal with. There was a reason this village fell.”
Shatien momentarily let out a smirk at Mage Agpiel's very detailed explanation.
“Heh... Knight Killer you say?”
Coincidentally, didn't the nicknames overlap? Shatien himself had the nickname 'Knight Killer' as well.
It's quite a funny thing.
He wondered if fate was this ironic.
“Fine, let's have a match. You filthy monster! Let's see who is stronger!!”
Shouting like that, Shatien drew one more sword from his back.
-Shring.
A famous sword inherited from his master.
It was shining chillingly as it received the moonlight in the darkness.
Today, it would be decided who the true Knight Killer was.
“Chah-hat!”
“Gwaaaaaaaa-!”