Volume 6, Chapter 53 – The Battle of Crieri’s Retreat (1)

Translator Note

Not Fiene POV~

While Fiene and her companions were scrambling to deal with the Monster Stampede in the town of Airoll, Crieri—the center of the Madura Region in the southern White Moon Kingdom—was engulfed in flames.

“Hurry! Charlotte-sama! We’re escaping through the North Gate!”

“Yes!”

Hugues grabbed Charlotte’s hand and began sprinting toward the North Gate.

Hugues and Charlotte had come as reinforcements to drive back the Black Rainbow Empire, which had allied itself with the monsters, but even their valiant efforts had proven futile.

The town of Crieri was now being torn apart by the monsters and the soldiers of the Black Rainbow Empire.

“Damn it! Get out of the way!”

With every flash of Hugues’s Holy Sword, one head, then another, flew from the shoulders of Black Rainbow Empire soldiers, and the headless bodies collapsed where they stood.

“Charlotte-sama!”

“I know!”

The two of them rushed past the fallen Imperial soldiers.

Rеаⅾ оn ΚαtReаdiոɡСαfе

A few seconds later, the bodies of the soldiers who should have been headless slowly rose to their feet.

They picked up their own heads from the ground, set them back atop their necks, and began chasing after Hugues and the others as though nothing had happened.

“Charlotte-sama! Hugues-dono as well!”

The one who stopped the two as they ran through the flames was Mathias de Oraldeni, the Captain of the Fourth Knight Order. About ten knights stood around him.

“Mathias-sama!”

“Captain!”

The two shouted Mathias’s name simultaneously. Perhaps because they had found an acquaintance in such a desperate situation, a flicker of joy appeared on their faces.

“Captain, what is the situation?”

“The main force is nearly annihilated. All we can do now is ensure the residents we sent ahead reach the Royal Capital safely. Now, let’s break through!”

“Yes, sir!”

Hugues and Charlotte mounted one of the horses brought by Mathias and his men, and Hugues snapped the reins, sending it into a full gallop.

The group of about ten raced north, pushing through the burning town.

“Charlotte-sama, straight ahead!”

Rеаd οո KatRеаⅾiոɡСаfе

“O God! With Thy great works, grant us a wall to ward off the evil forces that seek to harm us! Defense Wall!”

Charlotte chanted from behind Hugues, activating a Defense Wall of Holy Magic.

A barrier manifested before the Imperial archers standing in their way.

Swish, swish, swish!

The archers unleashed their arrows, but every single one was blocked by the wall and fell to the ground.

Once they had closed the distance, the wall was deactivated, and the knights cut down the Imperial soldiers as they passed through.

Charlotte glanced back.

A soldier whose head had been crushed by a horse’s kick, another left gravely wounded by a deep slash, and another whose heart had been pierced clean through—all of them slowly rose to their feet and calmly notched their arrows as though nothing had happened.

“O God! With Thy great works, grant us a wall to ward off the evil forces that seek to harm us! Defense Wall!”

Charlotte created the barrier once more, blocking the incoming arrows.

“What on earth is happening to them?” Charlotte muttered from horseback.

“Are they truly not Undead?” Mathias asked, pulling his horse closer to Charlotte.

“Mathias-sama, you must have seen it yourself. Neither my Purification Magic nor the priests’ Purification Magic had any effect.”

Reαⅾ oո ΚatRеαԁіոɡCаfe

“However, the wounds inflicted by swords coated in Holy Water seemed to heal slowly,” Hugues interjected into the conversation between Charlotte and Mathias.

“Their wounds merely heal more slowly; they still can’t be defeated. I’m certain they’re being brought back by some other evil power.”

While exchanging these words, the group continued to cut down Imperial soldiers and monsters, passing through the gate and escaping the blazing town of Crieri.

◆ ◆ ◆

“Everyone. I, Charlotte du Gatilue, the Saint, am with you. Once we cross Gaeribi Pass, we will be safe.”

Having escaped the town and caught up with the refugees, Charlotte did everything she could to encourage the people, who had sunk into despair from exhaustion and the loss of their homes.

However, the pace of the refugees—which included women, children, and the elderly—was slow. Charlotte devoted herself to encouraging them, casting Healing Magic on the injured one after another.

“Oh, Saint-sama…”

“How blessed we are… How blessed we are…”

Some wept with emotion, while others offered prayers to God, but Charlotte told them her actions were only natural, encouraging them to hurry forward.

However, the pursuers of the Black Rainbow Empire were steadily closing in on Charlotte and her group.

“Captain, at this rate, they will catch up by tomorrow. To let the people escape, we need to hold them back somewhere.”

“But there is no chance of victory even if we fight. If we reduce our numbers here, even the Royal Capital will be in danger.”

Rеaⅾ οn КatRеaԁiոɡСαfе

After hearing the Scout’s report from the rear, Mathias and the others discussed their options, but no answer presented itself.

“I cannot abandon people who have no power to fight. In the first place, is it not the duty of us nobles and knights to offer our lives to protect the people in times like this?”

“But if our forces are wiped out here, we won’t be able to protect the refugees, and the people of the Royal Capital will suffer as well.”

When Charlotte spoke, another knight voiced his dissent. The argument remained at a stalemate for a while until Mathias finally spoke.

“Ultimately, we cannot leave the refugees behind. In the name of the proud Fourth Knight Order of the White Moon Kingdom, we have no choice but to halt their advance. I wish to leave the guidance of the refugees to Charlotte-sama.”

“Mathias-sama? I shall come too!”

“You cannot. We cannot afford to lose the Saint of our nation, Charlotte-sama, in a place like this. Furthermore, look. The people place their trust in Charlotte-sama, not in us knights. Please, lead them to the Royal Capital.”

Hearing this and seeing the anxious faces of the refugees watching from a distance, Charlotte bit her lip in frustration.

“As the Captain of the proud Fourth Knight Order of the White Moon Kingdom, I shall ensure my duty is fulfilled.”

As Mathias spoke, his close knights stood up, appearing to have steeled their resolve. It was at that exact moment.

“Enemy attack! A massive pack of Forest Wolves from the rear! The pursuers are here!”

A report of an enemy attack arrived from a knight who had been guarding the rear.