Chapter 2: Approach

[Forest Edge 2 to Command Center: Multiple enemies spotted.]

[Riverbed Entrance to Command Center: Enemies approaching. Number: over 300.]

[Riverbed 2 to Command Center: Enemy movement. Entering riverbed.]

[Riverbed Entrance to Command Center: Enemy detachment remaining in position.]

[Riverbed 1 to Command Center: Riverbed 1 in pursuit.]

[Command Center to Scout 2, Scout 3: Investigate enemy.]

The Kingdom received a report from a lookout and burst into a flurry of activity, but not panic. This was partly because everyone there fully expected another attack to be coming, and partly because their new spirit-speak system made early detection of the enemy and information sharing easy for them.

“The enemy combatants number between three hundred and three hundred fifty. There are also carts and people carrying supplies. A group of them have set up camp at the mouth of the riverbed, but...the majority are proceeding down the river.” Hopping Rabbit summarized the spirit-speak reports.

“Thank you,” Sashalia replied, returning her gaze to the map. “So they’ve entered the forest.”

She was seated in the command center, which was now taking on the purpose it had been built for. With her were Gaius, Darke, Dwaemon, and the remaining kobold warriors, all gathered for a war meeting.

“Will they come straight to the village?” Red Eye asked Sashalia, seated where he wouldn’t be in the way of the housewife alliance.

“No. They didn’t make camp at the forest’s edge, which means... it’s likely that they plan to spend a night in the forest, despite the risks. The sun would set before they reached the village, and humans don’t like to fight in the dark. Especially in the forest, they’d never want to attack at night.”

“So we’ll attack them while they’re asleep?”

“As much as I’d like to say yes, I imagine they’ll be expecting that and plan accordingly. It would be dangerous to pit our smaller numbers against their main force as well. And if we don’t draw them farther in, we can’t use our traps. We’ll have to hold off this time.”

Red Eye smiled at the words “this time.” The fledgling general was planning to win. Win and fight again.

“However, that doesn’t mean we have to let them get a good night’s sleep. Rain Grass?”

“Yes’m!” Rain Grass answered vigorously from beside Gaius.

“Take five soldiers from our attack forces and hit them a few times before dawn. But avoid close-range combat at all costs. They wouldn’t camp inside the Greatwood completely unprepared. They’ll have watchfires and hidden sentries. You shouldn’t get too close.”

“We can’t attack ’em even if they’re vulnerable?”

“Absolutely not. It’ll be enough to just fire arrows at them randomly. Then you can just hoot and holler at them; make them think you’re attacking. All we want to do is prevent them from getting a sound sleep.”

“Yeah, if it’s hollering you want, Rain Grass is your man.” A laugh went through the kobolds at Red Eye’s words.

“I’m gonna remember that after the battle, ya jerks!” Rain Grass threw his fists up, promising revenge. Gaius picked him up and set him on his knee, holding him down and petting him vigorously.

“Wehehehehahahaheeheehee!” The flax-colored soldier squirmed, hollering with laughter, which just set off the crowd watching once more.

“When the meeting is over, take your soldiers and get some rest, Rain Grass. You’ll want to withdraw quickly and rest briefly after your night attacks, too.”

“Weeheeheehahaha!”

“Unlike last time, we’re facing a large, well-supplied force. They’re marching slowly, alert for ambushes, and so the fighting will probably begin around noon tomorrow.”

Everyone nodded.

“Wehehahahahoohoohoo!”

“Sir Gaius, Rain Grass, please be quiet!”

“Sorry,” they said together.

“...Now, we’ll take the formation I went over two days ago.” Rabbit quickly began lining up stones on the map, Sashalia dictating their placement.

There were three major combat units with different roles: the riverbed unit, led by Gaius, tasked with holding off the enemies coming down the river; an offensive unit led by Darke made up of the most capable warriors among the men; and a kobold unit to intercept the enemy in the forest. Furthermore, the riverbed and kobold units were divided into smaller squads, each with a leader and spirit messenger.

“We’re getting detailed reports of the enemy’s movements, so we don’t need to worry about a surprise assault. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day, so I want everyone to get an early rest tonight. You may also drink, in moderation. Report back at dawn. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, ma’am!” replied the kobolds, heading home for the night.

“Want to come to my place before you turn in? I made some honey wine that’s just perfect right now; my wife’s filtered some.”

“Ooh, sounds good. Count me in.”

“Man, the stuff I made went bad.”

“You’re always trying to make more of it, so you put in too much water.”

It was a merry scene. They all understood the devastating difference in fighting power between them and their enemy, but there was no sense of grim determination or fear in the room. This was likely due in part to their life in the Greatwood, of which some amount of sacrifice was always a natural part. But they also had faith in Gaius and Sashalia, and the optimism their leaders displayed.

The general watched as her soldiers left, then turned back to the map, muttering “Okay,” to herself. The board already displayed the locations of her enemy in black stones and her allies in white, and the army of adventurers moving down the riverbed was being adjusted every time a report about their movements came in.

...They would have to mobilize the entire Kobold Kingdom. Their numbers would be a bit larger than last time, since this time they would be including boys and female hunters. But their defensive strategy required a good amount of personnel acting as scouts and spirit messengers, so their actual fighting kobolds numbered forty-five. With the addition of Gaius, Darke, and Dwaemon, the Kobold Kingdom’s full fighting strength was forty-eight people.

As for their enemy, more detailed reports had come in, estimating their numbers at three hundred thirty.

Forty-eight versus three hundred thirty.

The historical record had examples of armies facing such disadvantages and repelling their enemies. It had plenty. But though Gaius and Darke were skilled fighters, the forty-five kobold soldiers couldn’t be measured on the same scale as humans. And the battlefield was not a fortress or confined terrain that would make up for the difference in numbers. If this situation were an assignment at the Knight Academy, the instructor who proposed it would likely have his teaching qualifications questioned.

Sashalia let out a slow breath. And if I were a student, I’d be the first to complain to the instructor.

She’d conferred with Gaius, Darke, and everyone else, and come up with a plan. She was confident in it. She thought she was, at least.

No, I am.

Her spirit-speak information network was functioning better than she’d imagined it would. They were able to set many more traps than they’d initially planned to, and they’d had enough time to finish their secret weapon, too. She’d received a report from the hunters that they’d captured a crucial component to her plan as well. Even better, morale among the kobolds was high due to their friendships with and trust in Gaius and Sashalia.

And they’re going to die for my plan and my orders. She’d prepared herself for this to some extent, but it was hard to face now that it was right around the corner. She didn’t mind fighting herself, but this was different. She had never experienced sending her comrades to their deaths before, and it made her heart ache to do so. But everyone’s already resolved themselves to this. I’m the only one still having second thoughts this late in the game.

Gaius made a point to speak to her as the king sometimes, making it clear that she worked under his will as leader. She appreciated the thought. In a military organization, responsibility lay with the highest-ranking person, and that wasn’t Sashalia. Logically, she understood all this, of course. But still... She bit her lip, nails digging into her upper arms. No, that’s exactly why. I have to make the most effective use of them. The lives of the kobolds.

And in this situation, the only one who could do that was Sashalia. She would expend the lives of the kobolds because that was how she could repay their friendship and trust.

I will defeat the enemies of Sir Gaius and the kobolds. I can’t stand on two feet and wield a sword anymore, but I can support everyone from here. No, I can thrive here. I can stand beside him, here.

Just try it, enemies of mine. However many hundreds of you come, you will all fall. Right here, this command center, this board... This is my battlefield.

＊

The next day came and those resting to ready themselves for the battle awoke and set about making their final preparations.

Sashalia had already headed for the command center from Gaius’s residence, and Darke and Emon were heading to the square where everyone was to gather. The last one remaining, Gaius, was speaking to the children before he left.

“You won’t go away like Mom did, right, Uncle? Right? I don’t want you to go away... Tell me you won’t?” Fluff was mustering all the strength in his tiny body to cling to Gaius’s leg. Even if he didn’t fully understand the situation, he could pick up on the strange air all around him.

“Of course I won’t. I would never leave you.” Gaius spoke calmly, gently patting Fluff’s fuzzy head. “Blossom, take Fluff and go to Red Eye’s house. Listen to what the missus tells you and take shelter with everyone there.”

“I hate this. If I were a little bit older, I’d be able to fight with you, Uncle.” Amber Blossom ground her teeth in frustration.

Gaius put his other hand to Blossom’s cheek and stroked it gently. “It’s just too soon this time.”

And after soothing the children for a short time, he told Blossom, “Okay, I’m counting on you.”

Blossom nodded reluctantly, sniffling, and pulled a whining Fluff off of Gaius’s leg, teeth and claws and all, dragging him out of the house.

As he watched them leave through the entryway, Gaius could see non-combatants from all over the kingdom taking shelter in the same way as the sun rose. Similar scenes of parting were playing out everywhere, as fathers and sons went off to battle. Gaius watched them silently for a time.

This was something he’d seen countless times before. He was used to it. But that didn’t make it any easier. I pray their true partings take a much different form. He took up his sword to make that a reality, and to fulfill a promise to a friend.

＊

In the square, everyone was dressed in their battle attire, checking the status of their arms and armor. Gaius was likewise knelt down next to Claudette, checking the slack and knots on the ropes tied around his mud golem steed.

“What are ye doin’, old man?” Dwaemon asked from behind Gaius.

“I don’t know how many times I’ll be crossing blades today, and weapons become unusable for all sorts of reasons. I’m taking plenty of spares on Claudette. Plus... I don’t want to worry about magic and arrows.”

Emon took a closer look at the golem and noticed weapons tied to Claudette’s body, almost like vegetables being strung up to dry in the sun. There were axes, spears, war picks, and Gaius’s trusty faussar. “Aha, I get it, ye’re hangin’ all these weapons on ’er for armor.” The pieces of metal hanging down the steed’s sides did indeed look protective.

“Mm, there’s that too.”

“How’re ye gonna ride her this way, though?”

“I’m not. She’s just going to come with me. You could say she’s my porter-slash-shield.”

Emon gave a noncommittal humph before sulking and grumbling, “Aww, I wish I were in yer unit, too.”

“Why? You have a very important mission.”

Emon was stationed at the command center to defend it. This was partly because he didn’t have the forest maneuverability or offensive strength required for their strategy, but also because Gaius had pushed Sashalia to station him there.

“I know. Well, see yeh.” Of course, to Emon, it seemed he was being removed from the front lines because of his inexperience and not because he was more suited for a different position. Still, a younger Emon would have complained a lot more. The fact that he hadn’t meant that the dwarf was learning.

“Emon.”

“What?”

“I leave the defense to you. I know you’ll protect them, no matter what it takes.”

Tactics, suitability, the possibility of the enemy breaking through the defensive line... there were many ways Gaius could try to convince Emon, but he didn’t mention any of them. He didn’t need to. He knew that was all it would take.

“...S-Sure I will! ’Course I will! Just leave it to me!” The boy’s eyes sparkled as he clapped a fist to his chest. “I won’t let ’em lay a finger on Sashalia or any o’ the old biddies at the command center!”

“I know you won’t.” Gaius patted Emon on the shoulder after seeing that the young dwarf had accepted his orders. He then headed to the command center to meet with the spirit messenger who would be paired with him.

＊

“Caaaptain Daaarke, ma’aaam!”

“Hm?” Darke stopped when the unfamiliar voice called out to her. She turned around to see a blue-furred kobold stretching up to stand as tall as he possibly could.

“I too wish to join your attack squad, Captain Darke, ma’am! Please allow me to accompany your unit!”

“I believe Lady Denan decided the battle formations. I can’t say I approve of you abandoning your assigned unit.”

“I was not assigned to a position by Her Excellency!”

“That’s strange...” Darke cocked her head and thought for a moment, then turned back to the kobold and quickly hit upon the reason. The blue kobold was too young. “How old are you, pup?”

“I just reached adulthood a few days ago, ma’am!”

“Don’t lie. I saw you just recently swarming around Sir Gaius with the other pups.” He was probably the equivalent of a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old human. Darke didn’t know his exact age, but he was clearly still young enough to be called a boy. His body was well-developed enough that he was bigger than the average adult, however. Before living in this village, she probably wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.

“I believe! In our current predicament! Even one more soldier could make a difference!”

“Why are you so intense?”

“The general taught me to read! And allowed me to peruse some of her textbooks and war records! I would conjecture that it is due to their influence, ma’am!”

“You’re a real studious one, huh?”

“I have also been diligent in my training! I am confident I would not hold you back, so please, ma’am! I beg of youuu!”

True, she also remembered seeing this boy participating earnestly in Gaius’s martial arts classes. She was sure he would be more skilled than the average kobold fighter...but he was young. “There are plenty of things you can do without having to join my unit, are there not? You could help the ladies in the command center like Pinecone Fur, or the spirit-speak scouts—”

“I do not possess the skills of a shaman!” The boy clenched his teeth in frustration. “This is the only way! That I may be of use to His Majesty King Gaius! And Her Excellency General Sashalia, who put her life on the line to become our shield!”

“Was the policy not to put children on the front lines not in those textbooks you read?”

“It was! However, Sir Emon has yet to come of age and he is counted among the combatants!”

“Sure, but he’s lived about fifteen times as long as you have. He’s like an elder to you guys.”

“However, if his life span is taken into account, his relative age is about the same as mine!”

He had that retort ready... Darke clucked her tongue in annoyance. “Emon’s fighting to protect you guys...”

“Just as Sir Emon desires to protect us! I wish to be of use to His Majesty, Her Excellency, and you, Captain Darke!” Shouting in a voice now half-plea and half-howl, the blue-furred boy put a fist to his chest. He was likely mimicking an Igris-style salute that he’d seen Sashalia or someone else performing at some point.

“Terrible. You’re not supposed to put your hand on your heart, you’re supposed to be raising your sword up in front of your eyes.” But it was almost like Darke was seeing a certain black-haired girl in front of her. The things they bore were completely different, but the path they were on was similar. It made her feel rather nostalgic. “There are idiots who lie about their age all over the place, huh... Of course, it was the opposite way for me...”

Darke scratched the back of her head, a wry smile on her face. But she quickly stopped, a serious expression replacing the smile. “Your king is fighting to protect you! Knowing that, understanding that, do you still wish to fight, even if ignoring the king’s intentions could incur his displeasure?!”

“That’s correct, ma’am!”

“Very well! You may join my unit!”

“Thank you ma’am! I swear you won’t regret this!”

Darke reached inside her cape and pulled a dagger out of its sheath, throwing it suddenly at the blue kobold, who caught it without so much as a hint of surprise. “What’s your name, recruit?!”

“Blue Gale, ma’am!”

“All right, Blue Gale, come with me!” Darke spun around and resumed walking. Blue Gale hopped after her. “We’ll both accept our scolding from Sir Gaius later! So until then, you are not permitted to die, soldier!”

“Understood, ma’am!”

As Darke continued on, that voice at her back, there was a warm smile on her face unlike any expression she usually made.

＊

“You want me to wear this?” Gaius asked when one of the housewives in the command center handed him a rucksack made of bugbear skin.

All the wives gave a firm nod at his question. They seemed quite confident in their craftsmanship.

“Yes. It’s lined with armor that we seized from the adventurers in the last battle. That and the natural toughness of the bugbear skin should provide a decent amount of protection.”

Gaius peered into the rucksack and found breastplates sewn into it as per Sashalia’s explanation. To make it lighter, there was no armor on the side that would be against his back, and it had been made to be fairly spacious inside. “I get it. My spirit messenger will ride in here.” There were handholds inside for a kobold to hold himself up with, and cushioning in case of impacts to the bag; anything to increase its occupant’s chances of survival.

“Our strategy necessitates synchronization using spirit-speak. But no messenger could keep up with you in a melée, Sir Gaius. This will allow your spirit messenger to accompany you. Please...tolerate the extra weight.”

“It’s perfectly all right. I think this is a great idea. And hey, it’s great work.” Gaius laughed heartily and the housewives all puffed their chests out proudly. “So, who’s coming with me?”

“Th-Th-That would be m-m-me!” A young kobold emerged, raising a trembling hand.

“Ah, Brown Turtle. I’ll be counting on you.”

“Y-Y-Yes! H-H-Happy to help, G-G-Gai—I mean, Your Majefty!” On top of barely getting the words out, he slipped on the king’s title as well. It was clear to everyone there that he was out of his mind with nervousness.

“Hahaha. No need to be so stiff.”

“I-I-I’m quite a-a-all right!” He said, clearly not all right at all. Sashalia nibbled on the knuckle of her index finger, unsure of how to proceed, when...

“You are not all right,” came a hoarse voice, which everyone turned toward. An old kobold with drooping ears and fur that had lost its luster walked toward them, supported by a cane and tapping a fist against his stooped back. “Switch with me, Brown Turtle. I’ll ride with him.”

“E-Elder?!”

“Old man!”

“Hey, old-timer.”

“Grandpa?!”

Various shouts of surprise came from the crowd, the final one a shocked cry from his granddaughter, Hopping Rabbit.

“I-I-It’s not a problem. D-D-Don’t worry about m-m-me.”

“He’s right, Grandpa! You know you’re too old to do something like this!”

“Can it! Criminy... Listen here, Brown Turtle. Your job is not to get in that bag and let this big lug haul you around. It’s to keep your cool while you’re being tossed around on his back and concentrate enough to send and receive spirit-speak messages and convey them to him. The way you are now, can you do that?” His cloudy eyes glared at Brown Turtle from behind drooping fur.

“Uh, ugh, I... probably...”

“It’s too soon for you. But I can do it. After all, there’s no one in the village... no, in the kingdom, who excels at spirit magic more than me. I am naturally the most accustomed to spirit-speak. Isn’t that right?”

No one could dispute the elder’s words. Brown Turtle was surely feeling anxious about his assignment as well. With nothing more than a small whine, he went silent, flattening his ears.

“Fret not, young one. Giving an old man with not much time left one last chance to shine is just part of that... what was it, ‘elder care’? Whatever the little lady spoke of. I’ll take over this time, eh?” The elder winked at him and the young kobold slowly nodded, yielding his position to the old man. “...We’re all in agreement, then. I’ll ride in that thing. What say you, King?”

“The kingdom’s most skilled shaman will be accompanying me. Nothing could be more reassuring.”

The two of them stared at one another for a few seconds, then bared their teeth at each other in a grin.

“You’re all right with it as well, little lady?”

“Any sudden changes are inconvenient, but...this seems to be for the best. Come here, Brown Turtle. I’ll assign you a new post.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” Clearly relieved, Brown Turtle obediently made his way over to Sashalia.

The situation resolved, the housewives and other kobolds all set about returning to their various tasks. All that was left was for everyone to perform to their utmost at their own assignments.

...And just like that, the soldiers had their final rest, finished their preparations, and left the village to meet the adventurers in combat.

This was the Kobold Kingdom Army’s first sortie.

＊

Were they a regular army, the battalion would have had mages capable of deflecting arrows in its ranks, but unfortunately, no such magic-users were registered with the Ryburgh Adventurers’ Guild. Of course, people who could use real “magic” were extremely rare in the largely human southern territories, and were much more skilled than the “sorcerers” who manipulated the magical elements inside their own bodies to merely mimic the miraculous. The truly powerful mages were kept close by royals and nobles, and would likely never fall to the status of a lowly adventurer.

This was why Wyatt and his men were forced to rely on a much more practical method than divine miracles to deal with the kobolds’ arrows, which had caused so much confusion last time. Obviously they had neither the time nor the connections to hire a mage, but another reason they could not hire one was that many of the adventurers used bows or crossbows themselves. Arrow-deflection magic needed to cover large areas and last a long time, so it would neutralize the arrows being shot by their allies as well as any incoming missiles.

With their limited time, the countermeasure the Adventurers’ Guild had thought up and implemented was to carry large but thin wooden shields. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to describe them as nothing but boards with a handle attached to them; they were crude and offered little protection, but it was unlikely that the kobolds’ thin, short arrows would be able to penetrate them. In any case, Wyatt had had very few options when it came to things that could be prepared and outfitted to each and every adventurer in his army.

The solution was laughably simple but ended up being the correct one, as the adventurers found when they entered the forest and their new shields protected them from the terror of the arrows. What proved even more effective was that the equipment could be repurposed for use in their encampment the night before the battle. Those who had participated in the previous assault had been forced to flee not only the kobolds but the setting sun as well. This time, knowing the risks, the adventurers decided to make camp in the Greatwood for the night in order to have as much time as they could for fighting the next day. Of course, this forest was the kobolds’ territory, and the veil of darkness was no friend to humans. Spending a night there would be the same as lying down with their vulnerable flanks exposed and shouting, “Come and get us!”

That was where this equipment came in. The humans entered the forest with caution and deliberation, using their many shields to create a dense circle. To those with military knowledge, they resembled a “tortoise formation” used by ancient infantrymen, all of them protecting one another with their large shields. Thus protected, they could leave some soldiers lying in wait for an ambush while others could rest in shifts. That was how the adventurers made their camp for the night.

The adventurers’ instant shield walls, while almost resembling the kind of “fortress” a child might build, successfully defended them from the kobolds’ raids. In fact, if the kobolds had launched a full-on attack, they would have been met with a sound counterattack. The only thing the guild hadn’t been prepared for was the thoroughness with which the kobolds launched their harassment (and only harassment) all throughout the night. Every so often, they surprised the adventurers by shooting arrows into their shields, and prevented them from resting with hair-raising cries, eerie laughter, or panic-inducing yodeling. Even if the kobolds weren’t attacking outright, the adventurers could get no rest by the time dawn came.

Mentally and physically exhausted, the adventurers were now trudging wearily up the riverbed. They were drowsy and hadn’t recovered from any of yesterday’s fatigue. Exhaustion dominated their minds and bodies.

Still, most of the adventurers were cocky. They simply had an overwhelming advantage in terms of fighting strength. Everything that Guildmaster Wyatt had explained to them, that the previous attackers had told them, and that those captured and released by the kobolds reported backed up their confidence. The kobolds were poor fighters, and there weren’t many of them in the first place. The arrow attacks that had caused the humans so much confusion last time were nullified by the shields they’d brought with them. There were two skilled humans among the kobold fighters, but any intelligent human who realized how outnumbered they were would surely not engage them. If anything, the most dangerous things the attackers might encounter on their march would be the magical beasts that lived along the edges of the Greatwood. With their numbers, though, they could handle as many as a dozen of the sort of beasts found in the area.

Some of those who had joined the group had done so in the hopes of finding valuable goods and making off with them on their own. For most of the adventurers present, this mission was nothing more than a profitable job with all expenses paid by the guild. The only people who didn’t think that way were the six knights who were coming along, including Wyatt, and those adventurers who had participated in the last disastrous attempt and had still come along for a second try. Some of the newcomers even laughed at the “cowardice” of their leaders for demanding strict caution from them. Wyatt couldn’t condemn the new participants for their confidence, of course. He was hampered by his own gag order about the details of this mission, including the presence of the Black Rose of Igris. That gag order was the reason for the stark difference in attitude between those who knew what they would be facing and those who didn’t know what to expect from the mission.

So, most of the adventurers were under the assumption that the puny beast-men were simply incapable of putting up anything but the most laughable of resistances...until the kobolds cut into the rear of their company. How could they have known?