Elize was a standout wherever she went.
A young woman in maid's attire, carrying a large coffin on her back.
Moreover, she drew countless swords from that coffin to slaughter her enemies, and her distinctive metallic blue eyes shot piercing glares.
But in this battle, Elize didn't take the front lines, instead, she concealed her presence. She stayed strictly in a support role for her allies, remaining in the rear.
As the battle became longer and more grueling, and when the strength of her comrades waned, she knew her role was to protect Ash to the very end.
- No matter what happens, ensure His Highness the Prince is safe.
Just as Serenade, Elize's master, had earnestly instructed.
Elize didn't forget her inherent purpose and, therefore, could exert herself in this situation.
Whoosh! Thunk!
South of Crossroad. The plains in front of the city walls.
The gray magical fortress summoned by Ash.
Standing at its edge, Elize gracefully swung the two long swords in her hands.
The goblins impaled by the trajectory of her blades spewed blood like fountains before collapsing to the ground.
After displaying her smooth sword dance, Elize glanced around.
Boom... Boom...
It felt like the end of the world.
The walls of Crossroad were crumbling and burning, and through the gaps, goblins poured endlessly into the city.
Still, thousands of goblins remained on these plains, surrounding the gray magical fortress.
The fortress erected by Ash's magic was sturdy, but those atop it were growing weary.
Both heroes and soldiers were exhausted from the day-long intense battle.
Their bodies were covered in the blood of monsters and minor injuries, and their weapons and supplies were rapidly depleting.
Kuilan, Verdandi, Dusk Bringar, even Lucas, all looked exhausted and pale, gasping for breath.
"Kyaha... Hahah..."
Even the summoned Troll King, who fought alone outside the fortress, had fallen.
Initially not having the abnormal healing specs like her original body, she was eventually subdued and fell to the ground, pierced by hundreds of swords and spears.
Creak!
Screech!
Regardless of the humans' situation, the goblins kept swarming in relentlessly.
A faint despair flickered across everyone's faces.
Out of the 50,000 goblins that marched from the Black Lake, a staggering 40,000 had been killed. They kept killing, over and over.
But the remaining 10,000 were enough to ravage Crossroad.
"It's my fault."
Ash murmured. Elize glanced at the prince.
"My small mistakes, rolling like a tiny snowball... led to this outcome."
"..."
"I could have annihilated them more efficiently, with less damage... but because of my mistakes..."
Ash was in bad shape. He still couldn't properly hold himself up and continued to cough up blood.
It was clearly an overexertion. He had used up his physical and mental strength in battling the enemy leader, and then forced himself to summon the fortress twice.
Yet even in such a state, Ash struggled to stand. Elize quietly admonished him.
"Your Highness. Please rest a bit more. It's not yet time for you to step forward."
"If I don't step in, more people will die."
Ash, with haggard eyes, looked at the burning city.
"People are dying because of me..."
That's when Elize saw it.
The burden that Ash carried on his shoulders.
He was blaming himself for the deaths of those lost in the battle.
Carrying the weight of hundreds, thousands of lives on his shoulders, staggering but enduring.
"..."
Elize had no intention of lightening his load.
It wasn't her role.
"If there are people who died because of His Highness."
Just maybe.
She was merely being honest.
"There are also people who survived thanks to Your Highness."
"..."
"Just as Your Highness can't forget those who died, those who survived can't forget what you've given them."
Elize's dry voice resonated clearly around.
Kuilan wiped the sweat off his chin and stood up on his knees.
Verdandi took out a bag of nuts from her bosom and passed it to her comrades, and Dusk Bringar took the bag and ate its contents in one gulp.
Lucas, standing up straight and taking a deep breath, raised his sword again.
All of them owed their lives to Ash.
Therefore, if it would help support Ash, they would stand up again and again.
And... it wasn't just them who owed their lives to Ash.
Tatatatata...
From a distance, the sound of an unidentified machine started to ring.
The sound came from the north. One by one, the heroes lifted their eyes towards the sound.
From the northern sky, where the sunset was beginning, the sound was getting closer.
Elize, knowing the identity of the sound, let a faint smile cross her lips.
"The seeds Your Highness has sown have not been in vain."
And then,
Tatatatata...!
Crossing the red sky, surpassing the walls of Crossroad, it appeared.
It was a massive airship.
At first glance, it was an anachronism... a dull, heavy mass of metal with no hint of aesthetic design.
Blue flames shot out from the crude thruster, looking like a furnace stuck onto it.
Two propellers attached to the head and tail of the airship whirred menacingly.
Thwack-!
Over the plains, the numerous magical cannon ports attached to the bottom of the airship aimed around. And then,
Tududududu-!
A terrifying sound of gunfire erupted.
The barrage instantly shredded the goblins in the area. The goblins surrounding the gray magical fortress were swept away in a flash.
The people standing on the gray fortress gaped at the overwhelming firepower.
"The vanguard assault ship that was used by the allied races during the 100-year-old tribal war, and was thought to have sunk in the eastern sea after being completely destroyed."
Even Ash was so startled that he lost his words, only Elize calmly explained.
"Purchased by our Silver Winter Merchant Guild in the black market, secretly repaired over the last six months. Our young lady's dowry... no, a secret military supply."
The emblem of the Silver Winter Merchant Guild was freshly stamped on the bottom of the airship.
Looking up at it, Elize nodded.
"It's the flagship 'Geronimo'."
Creeeak-!
The hatch on the side of the airship opened.
And through the gap, a woman with aqua-colored hair fluttering in the storm appeared.
"Your Highness-!"
The owner of the Silver Winter Merchant Guild.
Serenade Silver Winter waved her hand cheerfully.
"That 'somewhat extraordinary military supply' I mentioned! How is it, pretty good, right?"
It was more than just a bit extraordinary. Ash also laughed softly, incredulous.
According to the imperial law, all airships must belong to the royal family. Those who violate this can be sentenced to death.
Serenade had blatantly ignored the imperial law to come back to the battlefield in an airship, just to save Ash.
Tududududu-!
The airship continued to fly low, firing barrages incessantly.
But no matter how powerful the airship's firepower was, it was just one, and not enough to turn the tide of the battle.
Instead, the loud noise attracted more goblins, fiercely swarming towards them.
But Serenade, smiling brightly, pointed towards the distance.
"It's not just me! Look!"
Serenade's finger pointed to the west.
Ash's eyes widened as he turned in that direction.
Takatak, takatak, takatak...
On the western hills above Crossroad.
Against the backdrop of the sunset, people on horseback were steadily arriving.
Among them, the knights at the forefront wore armor as red as blood.
"500 members of the Bringar Duchy, Dragonblood Knights!"
The knight leading the way shouted out with a resounding voice.
"We have arrived in response to the great Dragon Lady's call! From this moment, we will support the monster front!"
Beside them stepped forward a nobleman in flamboyant attire, sporting an elegantly groomed beard.
"I am Valenio, head of the Southern City-State Alliance! Upon receiving Crossroad's request for support, I've gathered volunteer troops from nearby city-states!"
Stroking his beard, Valenio smirked.
"My father's father's father owed a debt to Crossroad. Finally, I can start to repay it... City-State Alliance, 400 volunteer troops! Joining the fight!"
Next, a man with sun-kissed skin and a turban, riding a camel, stepped forward.
"Descendant of the fallen Western Kingdom, the nomadic tribe 'Mirage'. 200 warriors."
The man's deep eyes, glaring at the goblins, were filled with bitter hatred.
"We've read your call for support, young lord of Crossroad. We can't miss out on killing those Greenskins. Count us in."
One after another, the leaders of various forces stepped forward and exclaimed.
"From the Barony of Vientina! 50 private soldiers! Joining the fight!"
"From the County of Malia too! 80 private soldiers! We'll join!"
"From the eastern end! The port city of Sandend! 100 marines!"
"From the Merchant Guild as well! Here to repay the devotion of the monster front!"
"We must repay the kindness Crossroad has shown us!"
"We can't let the goblins overrun Crossroad!"
And then,
Takatak. Takatak.
A woman with light green hair, riding a giant deer, appeared.
"I received your letter, Prince Ash."
The woman, wearing a white branch crown, had long ears, and under her eyes were four teardrop-shaped, diamond-like marks.
"I came to have a heart-to-heart talk with you, but I didn't expect such a spectacle. Had you requested reinforcements from the beginning, I would have brought more troops..."
The elf woman stretched out her arm.
"Queen Skuld of the Elves, from the Elf Autonomous Region, 50 Fairy Scouts! Joining the battle!"
And lastly,
Warriors with muscular builds and pale complexions, dressed in white fur, appeared riding wolves.
A girl with ivory hair at the forefront showed a grin.
"Are we the only ones from the north? ...Yun Ariane, the Second Princess of the Ariane Kingdom! Ariane Kingdom warriors, 100 men! Joining the fight!"
Yun, the Ariane princess who almost married Ash, squinted her bright yellow eyes and waved her hand.
"I came to see you since I was nearby, my former betrothed."
People were lined up against the sunset.
At the sudden appearance of the reinforcements, people raised their arms and cheered, while the goblins were confused and didn't know what to do.
"..."
Ash looked in disbelief at the scene on the western hill.
When he sent the call for support, he thought no one would respond.
Yet from all over the world, people had gathered to help them... so many of them.
"Crossroad's relief troops, a total of 1,800 men!"
"Joining the battle!"
"Let's go!"
"Kill the goblins-!"
"Support the monster front-!"
Soldiers on horses, camels, deer, and wolves shouted various cries as they rushed down from the western hill.
And the support troops didn't end there.
Takatak! Takatak! Takatak!
From the south,
Along the path the goblins had taken, troops riding skeletal warhorses appeared.
At first, the soldiers tensed up, thinking they were enemy forces, but they were not. It was people riding the skeletal horses.
"Sorry for being late, Your Highness! My monster legion couldn't use the gate, so we had to come all by land...!"
It was Jackal, who had led the monsters he had tamed, including the skeletal warhorses.
And those who came with Jackal, riding the skeletal warhorses, were adventurers from the Lake Kingdom Base Camp.
"Sorry, Ash. We purposely followed them by land to hit the rear of the advancing enemy, but the troops they left behind slowed us down as we had to deal with them."
Nameless clicked her tongue and adjusted her sword, while Kellibey hefted her hammer in her hand.
"But thanks to that, we were able to rescue someone."
"..."
Sitting behind Kellibey, wrapped in a blanket, was Lilly.
She had been isolated at the forward base and was rescued by the people from the Base Camp.
Lilly bowed her head to Ash. Ash pressed his lips together and nodded back in response.
Kellibey thrust her hammer forward and shouted.
"Alright! Let's get energized and clean up those goblins-!"
"Here we go! Let's go-!"
"Save Crossroad-!"
Dududududu-!
From the south and the west, those who had gathered to protect Crossroad, regardless of their race or affiliation, rushed forward.
And they plunged into the green wave of monsters.
--TL Notes--
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