Chapter 8: How to Fight a Running Zombie
Speaking of Natasha, I haven't had contact with that black-haired saint for a while now. I wonder if she's still alive…
"…"
I guess this wasn't the time to think about some random things. We still have problems to solve, like the situation of our allies in the besieged town of Huirot, and the influx of refugees arriving from the west of Chersea.
"…"
In their desire to escape the undead, the people from various cities to the west of Holy Palatial Gardens evacuated and went to our territories. Of course, it brought unintended chaos to us, since their arrival might cause security issues.
However, Maddie accepted them, using the few available resources in her land and part of Eris' money to accommodate the refugees.
"Lily, please try to sell this furniture so that we could buy additional food for the people." I would often hear her say.
"But this is the 15th furniture we sold today!" Lily would protest from time to time, but Maddie would always have her way. In a while, the opulent furnishings of the Saint's Chambers palace slowly vanished, while the refugees kept on arriving.
Sometimes, I would see Maddie healing some children or old people with her magic. I'd get her to stop, for the more she used her spells, the greater the chance she could not maintain the barrier.
"Just allow the other nuns and templars to heal the injured." I would tell her, "You've been sacrificing a lot, without regard for your own."
"Haa…if only I could do even more…" she would then mutter.
"Well, we could take care of ourselves, Maddie. It's just that, if we lost you, we'll be without direction, right Kuro?"
"Yes, Lily's right. Don't do everything; some of those will eventually fall into place."
It's a good thing that Maddie would listen to us now. Before she would be stubborn and would argue. But now, at least, she could see the wisdom behind our pleas for her to stop. I mean, it's not that we don't care for the people, but Maddie was needed for something more important, and losing her abilities could spell disaster for all humanity than now.
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A week after our negotiation and releasing the Emperor from captivity, the first of the soldiers coming in to reinforce our battered coalition army arrived at the Holy Palatial Gardens. They were a contingent of Gryphon Knights led by the chancellor of the King of Calabria, Sir Dane Bellingstein.
Next that came were a group of student-swordsmen from the school Lily founded in Hagena Village, headed by their master, Anton Trevor. I think they were skilled in Lily's sword-art, the Mahan Swordsmanship Style.
"…"
Another army of men also turned up in the Holy Palatial Gardens, this one was commanded by, uh…
"So! I see my son-in-law once again!" the Duke of Rubinforth greeted me with a strong slap at my back, "I heard your heroics in the three Imperial defeats in Devyere, Bere River, and Dawson Valley!"
"Haha…welcome Your Excellency…"
"Enough of that!" he gave me another slap, "Call me Daddy!"
A mixed feeling of disgust and awkwardness quickly took over me. Uh…did this guy have a father-fetish?
Anyway, soon after their arrivals, the other groups of men and nobles showed for duty. The legions that the Emperor promised to send also came along with their auxiliaries. While we expected that many may answer the call to arms, we didn't expect that they were this many…
"Uh…Lily…don't you think this is way too many?" I whispered to her while we survey the number of men.
"Well, I think a lot of them were seeking adventure, other than to sit idly waiting for the undead to come to them."
This was nice in its own way. The magicians we so direly needed before increased a hundredfold, and the warriors were also plenty. So, immediately, we got down on teaching them how to fight the undead.
Soon enough, on April 22nd, our huge host of armed men was now moving towards the frontlines. By then, Maddie's barrier was getting progressively weaker, and we encamped outside the Savoian capital of Jeveneria just in case it totally fell apart.
"…"
The border between 'night' and 'day' in this part of Chersea sure was strange. I mean, as I looked into the sky, the boundaries of dark and light were clearly defined. Think of standing under the day, and the moment you stepped one foot forward, you're already at night.
That's how strange it was.
Since the Cherseans did not know 'night', they were unnerved by the sight of it. Plus, the appearance of the rotting bodies of the dead was unsightly. From time to time, some hordes would come and attack the holy barrier Maddie put up, and the zombies would suddenly light aflame upon contact.
So that's how it weakens, huh?
The horrible sight, terrifying sounds and burning smell of those undead sure unnerved the soldiers who had no prior experience with them, and even scared those who fought it before.
Good thing Lily drilled our men to calm their nerves when confronting those zombies. She was relentless in training them; those who showed cowardice would be left near the barrier so they would be accustomed to the undead. Once they were fine, they would be distributed to the other groups so they could share their experiences.
By the time we were about to launch our offensive, the men were more than excited to test their mettle against the undead.
Eris' fortune also helped us in that one week that we stayed in Jeveneria. We used those for keeping our logistics up and running—mostly about food and equipment. I also requested that the men who would be in the frontlines be re-equipped with the rectangular shield, similar to the ones being used by the legionnaires.
The Braunhauer finances answered for all of those expenses…and still have some money left.
As for the morale problem, Maddie was taking care of it. Her mere appearance on the battlefield was enough to raise the spirits of the men who knew they were fighting for their beloved saint. Not only that, but Maddie also took care of the coordination between our sector and of Nerfes, because once she lifts the barrier, Nerfes would be virtually defenseless lest they prepare their own positions.
Besides that, the sight of the ladies of the Paladin Corps was another assurance for the men that everything's going to be alright.
The only thing that's left is for me to deliver.
----------
On the War Council we held on April 28, we already arranged our responsibilities according to the plan I presented before on fighting the undead hordes.
Lily, since she was core to this plan, was put in reserve, together with the students of the Mahan School of Swordsmanship. They would be the ones to lead the melee counterattack on the undead, so we gave them the best armors available, and the late time to join us on the battlefield.
The Duchess of Henristone was put in-charge of the magicians, positioned just behind the shield-wall line so they could bombard the undead with their 'Incinerate' spell. They were reorganized into three groups; the first and second lines of magicians would alternately attack (so that they wouldn't tire themselves quickly), and the third line would put up the magical barrier while we advance slowly.
The Prince of Stadtsberg was the one who requested to command the warriors who would form the shield-wall. They were also to deploy our traps (the earth spikes and slashing wind spells) to the front, using their limited magic skills. Hopefully, the undead would have difficulty in breaking that defense once we removed the magic barriers to attack.
Oh, and the overall command of the operation was put on my shoulders since they told me I was the one who knew how to defeat those zombies.
However, not everything went smoothly for our newly formed army…
Though the finances, men, and matters about morale were fixed by the contributions of Eris, Lily, and Maddie, there was that issue of pride among the members of the nobility that eventually came to fight with us.
"Sir Hermon, why are your men still out in training when it was already the time for sleep?" the Duchess of Henristone witnessed a unit of soldiers under the Count of Hermon of the Kingdom of Galad, still out in their tents training.
"My apologies, Milady!" the Count of Hermon replied, "It's just that I have to drill my men well so that we don't embarrass ourselves in the upcoming battle."
"Hmm…how admirable, Your Grace." the Duchess told him, "But Sir Kuro never wanted the men to be extremely tired."
"That's the point of this training, Your Excellency!" the Count countered, "I'm not really confident about that meddling commoner's abilities to command."
"What do you mean? Surely you have heard how he defeated the disciplined Imperial legionnaires, not only once but thrice!"
"Aren't there were nobles with him helping him to command?" the Count defended his point, "It was the story among the other nobilities. Surely he can't command a competent army enough to defeat the legionnaires without the skills of a noble helping him! Isn't it that the Iron Princess was with him at the Battle of Dawson Valley?"
"While it's true that I'm not there to witness it, but I assure you that Sir Kuro is a strange and intelligent commoner!" an indignant Duchess of Henristone reiterated, "Don't be so blind to the fact that there may be others of humble birth that can fight properly, Your Grace."
"M-My apologies, Milady!" the Count of Hermon was quick to take back what he said, "However, I don't think all the nobles share your sentiments. We're only here to support our beloved Saint, that's all."
"Alright then, Sir Hermon. I won't speak with you about this matter anymore." the Duchess decided not to follow-up on the topic, "However, we won't tolerate any talk of dissent about the command of this army. If you so wish not to be under the command of someone of lowly birth, you are free to leave anytime. However, should we win, then you also won't share the glory that comes with it."
"…" The Count of Hermon was silent. Between following a commoner to battle and seeking battlefield glory from their beloved Saint, he knew where he would stand.
----------
The Duchess of Henristone told me about the sentiments of the other nobles. While I expected this turn of events, it's not like I could do something about it. The senior commanders of the Coalition: the Duchess of Henristone herself, Lily, the Prince of Stadtsberg, the Counts of Brooke and Tillie, and the Duke of Greene, wanted me to stay in command, even though I offered to defer to someone of noble birth.
"Well, if they knew how to fight those undead bastards, I'd defer." the Prince of Stadtsberg declared.
"These nobles are all talk anyway." the Count of Brooke said, "What if we tell them you came from the same world as the hero, Cassandra David?"
"I don't wish for that to happen, Your Grace." I told him, "If they learned I'm someone from another world, their expectations would rise to impossible levels, and I'm afraid I could not deliver."
"Well, true…" the Count of Tillie added, "It's pretty hard to have someone's expectations on you."
"In any case…" Maddie unsheathed her sword, "I'd like to challenge those preposterous nobles a lesson."
"Stop it Maddie—I mean, Your Holiness!" Lily was quick to stop her, "We don't need divisions in our army right now. If they wanted to leave, just let them. Don't provoke the others to do the same."
Well, I guess that put Maddie back to her senses. At least she listens now.
"So, anyway, what should we do about these nobles?" the Duchess of Henristone returned to the point of the matter.
"Like what I said…" Lily suggested, "Let them be for a while. Sir Kuro would show to them his qualifications as their commander real soon."
"And I would like to help him a little, Princess Lilyhaven." Maddie had a nasty smirk on her face, "Let us see what would happen once I did what I had in mind…"
----------
Well, again, I already expected such reactions from the other members of the nobility when I was chosen to lead the army instead of someone from their own ranks. The nobles, even back on Earth, most were a pretty handful. With their whims, they caused a lot of destruction and death, and a severe crisis like this one wouldn't keep their jealousies and rivalries at bay.
"…"
Not wishing to embarrass Maddie and the others who believed in me, as well as to increase our chances of victory, I talked to Sir Dane Bellingstein.
"Oh? Mister Kuro!" the Chancellor greeted me, "It's been a while since we last saw each other! I didn't know you already become a paladin of Her Holiness!"
"It's a bit in a hurry, Your Excellency." I answered, "All because of the necessity brought about by the situation."
"Yes, I heard about the battles you took part in." he nodded, "I'd say you did pretty well back there! I'm impressed, now I have something to say to my grandchildren that I fought with the legendary Fist of the North Lands."
"Haha! Thanks for the compliment, Your Excellency!"
"Anyway, is there anything you need, Sir Kuro?"
"Oh, about that…you brought your Gryphon Knights corps with you, right?"
"Why yes! You know the men, they were confined to garrison duties in Sekhtem. When I told them you wanted help, they were more than eager to come."
"Thank you for that, Sire." I told him, "Now, if I may request one thing…"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can you not fight in the frontlines?"
"Huh?" the Chancellor was shocked by my request. Knights were usually the first ones to attack, and the last ones to retreat…if they would ever be required to retreat, "Surely, you jest, Sir Kuro! You know the sentiments of my men!"
"I sure do, Your Excellency!" I explained, "However, you won't be fighting on the frontlines, Sire, at least, here on the ground."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll have your corps be the first ones to attack, not on the ground, but you'll bombard the undead from the air."
"Oooh…tell me more about it." the Chancellor was intrigued by my idea.
Now that I got him hooked, I explained to him the concept of 'tactical aerial bombing', a tactic used by the modern air forces of Earth.
----------
On May 4th, the day we would begin the offensive, a fully armored, battle-equipped Maddie showed up at my tent to check on things.
"You sure got everything covered, Kuro," she commented while inspecting.
"Yep. And hopefully, I'll deliver the victory for this one."
"I know you would."
"Well, it's only one victory if it's the case." I explained to her, "We don't know the extent of Seirna's damage to Chersea with her undead, so it's still a long battle ahead of us."
"It'll be fine!"
"Hopefully…"
"Hoh? Is my paladin doubting himself once again?"
"Hm? Not really. I'm just nervous, that's all."
Maddie smiled at me, "Don't you always conquer, Sir Kuro? And now I got something for you to help you to your victory."
"What's that?"
She then gestured to her escort paladin, the vice-captain Dame Atkins to present to me a package she brought along. It was kind of heavy, and the clinking sound while I moved made me suspect that inside was something made of metal. I opened the box, and…
"Whoa!" I exclaimed, "This is one set of badass armor, huh?"
"Well, it's a paladin's armor set, made of mithril! Not only do I hope it fits, hopefully, but it would also further carry you to victory, Sir Kuro. You're now an official member of the Paladin Corps."
"Wow…thanks!"
"You didn't let me have that sword of yours fixed." Maddie explained, "So, I decided to have an armor set made for you."
"It's fine, Maddie…" Nostalgia made me touch the memento Luisa left, "It'll be a memory of the cost of my failure…"
"It's okay, Sir Kuro! Don't be downcast, you still have the battle to lead!" she patted my shoulders to cheer me up.
"Ah, it's all in a day's work, Your Holiness! Thank you!" I immediately put it on to show her. Good thing it fits perfectly, and I could move around just the same as when I'm not wearing any armor.
"Yes, and don't worry, starting now, I'm always with you!" Maddie suddenly began blushing.
"Aren't you? I mean you're here with me right now."
"No, silly!" she laughed, "That armor set was made from my armor set, the ones I wore back when I was a general in Lily's army. Don't you like the idea? You'll fight while I protect you using that armor."
"Oh…haha…that…s-sure is nice, Maddie. Thank you."
Well, I guess I'll just focus on the battle ahead, instead of dwelling on my cute, but possessive girl…
----------
And so, equipped with the armor that Maddie gave me (well, I only wore the cuirass, since I'm not used to wearing a full armor set when fighting), we opened the Battle for Huirot.
"It's been a while since we could go to our homes in peace and with security." Maddie gave her address to the men to raise their morale before going to battle. To make the impression that she fully supported me as the overall commander for this operation, she stood beside me while speaking, "Now, this will be the day we will take back what is ours!"
I could feel the tense air coming from the men. It's as if the more they hear Maddie talk, the greater were their desires to come at the enemy and take their share of the kill.
"I bless you with all the gods for this noble undertaking." Maddie gave her final benedictions, "In my most holy name, go forward warriors of Chersea!"
For us to proceed smoothly if ever we encountered the Saint of the Flame, the Human Saint came with us. I commanded her personal Paladin Corps guards, and the entire army, as we ventured deep into the dark territory.
"For Chersea and the Saint!"
"Rrrraaaaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhh!!!"
The simultaneous war cries of the multitudes of men were enough to give me goosebumps. However, it was the sight of the Gryphon Knights flying in a 'V' formation like bombers in the sky that ultimately got me going.
Maddie then chanted the spell that lifted the barrier. However, there was no running, for it was forbidden.
"…"
There was a strange silence since the barrier dissipated. The only sound that I hear was the cries of the gryphons as they ventured into the darkness.
And then the skies lit up.
The Gryphon Knights had the orders to start their bombing run once they saw the undead hordes. It's a good thing that Seirna gave her zombies glowing eyes, so we could make those creatures out in the dark. Cherseans were not accustomed to the dark, and it was pretty helpful on where they should direct their attacks.
"!!!"
The first explosions due to incinerate spells being rained down by the Gryphon Knights illuminated the dark side of the battlefield. At once, I ordered the commencement of the attack.
"Begin your spells! Hit them far from the back." Well, I purposefully had the magicians hit the zombies walking behind the first waves. This was because it would be difficult for the warriors at the front to fight a burning zombie—it might injure them, too.
Like a series of fireworks, the flame wall we planned was lit up and separated the first wave of the undead from the rest of the horde.
"Brace for attack!"
The undead first wave ran towards the shield-wall, attracted by the sounds of our stomping feet, designed to do exactly just that.
"Deploy the traps!"
The warriors began chanting their spells. The first spells to go were the 'Slashing Wind' spells that cut-off the lower limbs of the zombies. Those who got past the wind spells were skewered by the 'Earth Spike' spells, activated a little later by the second line of warriors. There were still a few of the zombies who continued running to the shield-wall, and it was dealt with accordingly.
"YYYYEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!!" the soldiers cheered, but we all knew we've only just begun.
"Everyone!" I waved my hand; I was standing in front of them for everyone to see, "Forward!"
Despite the thunderous command, the army began advancing slowly and at steady paces. Not only we deliberately did that to attract the undead to our positions, but it was also done so as not to break the formation while the magicians and the Knights Corps in the sky were bombarding the grounds.
Think of it as a 'creeping bombardment'.
"Maddie…" I turned to her, for she stood beside me. She only nodded.
Soon, the weapons of the warriors were emanating with white light, Maddie's symbol as saint.
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***Huirot***
Prince Simon stayed on the lookout towards the outside walls of the town. On his hand was a replica of an hourglass, which he would check from time to time.
"Sire…our food supplies would soon be depleted." a soldier reported to him, "Would the coalition come?"
"Yes…" Simon answered, quite exhausted. He perfectly understood the sentiments of the remaining men under him. So far, he had lost not only the Duke of Savoy but a good number of soldiers in defending the town proper…now limited to the keep at the northeast section of the town.
He was now forced to arm the civilian population to counter the undead threat, while the rest of the surviving women and children were confined to the dungeons of the keep. The Imperial soldiers who survived the initial undead attack were also taken in, now defending the town side by side with the men from Nerfes and Savoy.
But not everything is bleak…
It's actually a good thing that someone eventually arrived in Huirot that knew how to counter the undead. Sir Simon immediately put him as his second-in-command, when his tactics in countering the undead proved to be effective.
"Sir Lange, do you think we could still hold out until the coalition army arrives?" Sir Simon asked this fellow, who stood beside him.
The silent, brooding man named Sir Lange replied, "Well, as long as we keep our food consumption low, I think we could last for a while."
"But Sire, I guess we'll be dead before the coalition comes." the soldier resigned to his fate, "We couldn't even put up lights to let them know we're still alive."
"Well, you know the undead will be attracted to sounds and lights." Sir Simon could only say.
Sir Lange was quick to back him up, "So much as we wanted to break out and fight, all that we could do is to hope until the end."
The Prince, Sir Lange, and the soldier just remained at the walls, trying to look for any changes from the east, where their only hope for rescue lay. The yellow-green glow from the eyes of the undead could be seen scattered around the fields of Huirot, but it didn't bother them anymore…they were already used to the horrific sights and sounds.
For quite long they stayed. However, nothing happened.
That is until…
"Sire! Something's in the sky."
"Yes, I think I'm seeing moving yellow lights!" Simon excitedly said, "Is that gryphon?"
"I think it is Your Highness!" Sir Lange excitedly announced, "And it was not alone!"
"Quick, rouse the defenders! Our rescue has come—"
"!!!"
The first explosions from the bombardment of the Gryphon Knights rocked the walls of the Huirot keep to its core. However, instead of cowering from fear, Prince Simon even welcomed the sight of the incinerate spells being rained down on them.
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***The Gryphon Knights***
"Sir! We're seeing signs of life on that tower over there!" a knight reported to his commander, Sir Dane. Since they were flying, they were instructed by Kuro to move ahead and scout for their forces. They also had instructions to fire at will when they so decide.
"Hold your fire on the town itself." Sir Dane told his men, "Burn the surrounding forest instead, to destroy the undead hiding inside."
"Yes, sir!" His knights quickly followed and lit up the trees around Huirot, bombarding it relentlessly with incinerate spells. Soon the entire fields outside the town were illuminated, and they could very well see the scattered undead.
"Don't let up on your fire!" Sir Dane gave his orders, "The army is about to arrive!"
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**Kuro**
We already went past the deserted town of Gebrei, so I had the army form a long column with some of the shield-wall facing either their left or right, to prevent the undead from flanking us. It was a long, arduous march to Huirot, but so far we have been successful in keeping everyone alive.
"Kuro, the town of Huirot is ahead!" Griffyth reported to me.
"Yes. Tell the magicians to stop their fire, or we'll hit our allies."
By this time, we're still several distances away from Huirot, and no matter how much we wanted to rush and relieve the garrison, the safety of our men comes in first, for the lesser of the soldiers killed, the greater our chance of driving back the undead hordes.
"Kuro, I think now's the time that I use my 'Bloodbath' skill," Lily told me.
I nodded, "Yes, the men on the shield-wall are getting tired. They need a break from marching soon. Tell the others to get ready to attack."
Lily then went on her way. Maddie, who was walking beside me, then said, "If you're planning to fight with them, then you better stay. You're the commander of this army and the last thing that we need to have you injured while fighting."
"Don't worry about it, Maddie." I reassured her, "I'll be behind Lily and her group, directing the fight from there. The area around Huirot is small compared to the wide fields of Jeveneria and Gebrei, so the shield-walls will be severely limited in their capacity in close combat…not to mention, the men are getting tired."
"Alright. I'll stay here with the soldiers to heal them. I think I still got a few manas left before I get extremely exhausted."
"Okay, but be careful and rest when time permits it."
And with that, I prepared myself to fight together with Lily and her Mahan Swordsmanship Style companions.
----------
"Alright, Lily!" I reminded her of our plans while I reload my matchlock gun. Griffyth, as well as the other mercenaries, were with me, "10 paces apart from each other! Let's roll over the undead filth and clean them up!"
"Yes!"
"1, 2, attack!"
The shield-wall was opened, and the magic barrier that protected our formation was temporarily lifted as we began our attack on the undead outside the fields of Huirot. The battle was pretty easy, since the forests around the town were already burning because of the Gryphon Knights' aerial bombardment.
It was a one-sided massacre in favor of us. Lily led our offensive, and very few among the zombies ever reached the students of the Mahan Swordsmanship school, who marched behind her, and seldom do the undead could get past them to be 'killed' by us, who were the last in the formation.
So that is the full power of Bloodbath…
Lily attacked as freely as she could, like a berserker on a mad fighting revelry. She swung her war hammer with deadly precision, crushing the heads of the undead even before it could bite her. She also used her armored limbs to bash the teeth of her 'victims' so that they could do nothing but wait to be killed.
The undead were trying to swarm us, but their numbers were constantly being shredded by the bombardment of the Gryphon Knights as well.
"We're almost at the town gates!" Griffyth cried out, "Push those fuckers back!
Learning that we're almost near our goal gave us another morale boost, and our attacks intensified. Without the leadership of Seirna, this undead became fodder for our swords, maces, guns, and war hammers.
A few minutes later, Lily finally broke through Huirot's eastern gate and we cleared the town of the remaining undead.
----------
Once the smokes of battle cleared, Sir Simon was the first one out to greet us. He was followed by the remnants of his command, as well as a group of Savoian, Imperial and civilian men-at-arms.
"Kuro! You didn't know how happy I was to see you guys!" he exclaimed to me as he gave me the warmest welcome I had seen for a while.
"Yeah, we hurried as much as we could, but we got delayed by the events at Gebrei."
"Yes, I know about that. Some Imperial legionnaires survived Gebrei and the recent undead attacks who were now fighting with me." Sir Simon explained, "And, luckily, we were joined by someone who knew how to fight the undead."
"Oh?"
A man with a serious expression on his face came forward and bowed before us.
"This is Sir Lange, he's one of the squires trapped in Gebrei that could escape here during the rising of the undead." Sir Simon introduced him, "His knowledge is the sole reason for our survival."
"Thank you for your help, Sir Lange."
The man answered me with a bow.
"Anyway…" Sir Simon was about to ask, "About the war with the Imperials…"
"Don't worry about that, Your Highness." I told him, "Maddie and the emperor finally agreed to a truce. There were now legionnaires fighting on our army as we speak."
"Hoh…Maddie's really great."
"SIMON!"
"!!!"
It was Lily and Maddie, running towards their friend. I stepped aside to let them be, and they both threw themselves at him.
"You don't know how much we're worried about you!" Lily had tears in her eyes.
"Don't worry, I'm okay now, thanks to you!"
"You better treat me to a cake later, Simon!" Maddie jested.
"Oh! I could treat you all to the mountains of cakes!"
The atmosphere was pleasant, even though there was blood and carnage everywhere. Sir Simon narrated their story of survival, as well as introduce to Maddie and Lily, those who contributed to it. Well, it's a good thing that these friends could unite once again.
But, as for me, I still must avenge Luisa…