"No, well... I understand you were sleeping to conserve your stamina, and I have absolutely no intention of criticizing you for that. But I'd really like it if the two of you wouldn't both sleep on the floor. If you're going to sleep, at least set up a proper bed in the corner or something... Sleeping right in the middle of the floor is honestly off-putting."
Because we'd eaten and immediately fallen asleep, the spot where we'd been sitting (near the center of the tent) had become our bed, and Chris apparently thought something had happened to Grandpa and me for a moment when she walked in (that suspicion was apparently cleared up instantly by my sleeping sounds and Grandpa's snoring).
We had at least spread our cloaks underneath us, but according to Chris, that "adventurer style" didn't qualify as a "proper bed."
"So why are you here, Chris? Did you get kicked out of the Royal Guard or something? Demoted?"
"I've told you countless times to act your age and show some composure... When things get dangerous, slip away casually! If it's too obvious, you'll be punished, so make sure it's absolutely casual!"
"No, that's not it! When Tenma and Merlin fight the Lich, that area will become an extremely fierce battlefield! However, since you two need to focus entirely on the Lich, the higher-ups believe that most of the zombie swarm the Lich is leading will simply continue advancing unopposed. To counter that, they've drawn from all units, including the Royal Guard—"
"—the elite—"
"—of the elite—"
"—to form a special task force, which has been deployed here to this camp!"
She was casually implying she'd been selected to be here... but standing behind the proud chosen one, clearly in a more authoritative position than Chris, was a towering figure.
"That's largely correct, but to be precise, Chris, I, and the rest of the selected squad are here to support the Ototori family. His Majesty and Lord Lyle determined that since the Ototori family doesn't even have retainers, let alone private soldiers, they would need allies—and we, who had the most familiarity with them, were chosen from among all units."
According to Jeanne, who outranks Chris, there had been some pushback about sending Royal Guards to support civilians, but in the end it was treated as a joint combat unit between the Ototori family and the Royal Guard, with the minor support tasks simply handed off to Chris—who happened to be closest to them—as part of the joint operation.
As it happened, Chris apparently understood that being close to me was one of the reasons she'd been selected, but she'd only just been told the purpose was to provide support, and she was a bit thrown by that.
"Hmm, well then, Chris—make two cups of tea... no, three cups, would you?"
"Jeanne, please take a seat."
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry to impose... Chris, hurry and serve them their tea. Speed is important, of course, but make sure it's tea worthy of the Royal Guard's name!"
I offered Jeanne a chair, and the three of us waited for Chris to make the tea. She was grumbling under her breath, but since the orders to the Royal Guard came from the royal family—this time from the King or Lady Maria—she couldn't defy Grandpa's instructions and had to comply.
As for the tea Chris made—
"It's astringent."
"It sure is."
"It's awful."
We criticized it harshly. Well, maybe it was tolerable for someone who liked astringent tea, but at the very least, it didn't suit our palates. When it came to this, Chris said—
"It can't be helped! I'm usually the one having tea made for me rather than making it myself!"
or something along those lines, but when Jeanne asked, "Surely they taught you the bare minimum back when you were a rookie?"—
"Well, um, how should I put this… I hate to say it myself, but I climbed the ranks pretty quickly, so…"
She said, but…
"So in other words, you were slacking off on the basic menial tasks because you were busy with that."
"Even if she climbed the ranks quickly, she should still have been the youngest grunt in the Imperial Guard, so I'd think they'd make her do her share regardless of how busy she was?"
"Probably she was too young and the others picked up the slack for her. And Chris herself got used to relying on that."
In the end, we three reached the conclusion that it was because Chris had been slacking off.
Chris didn't say anything in response to this verdict, but she wore a sour expression—so rather than having nothing to say, she probably just couldn't argue back.
"So, when the Lich appears, what's the plan for you and the others, Jeanne? Also, how many are in the elite unit?"
"First of all, a hundred soldiers were dispatched here. They can fight if the situation calls for it, but fundamentally, you should think of them as a liaison unit between us and the other forces."
Though individually their combat capabilities were high, as a fighting force their numbers were small. Rather than fighting with this unit alone, their priority was to serve as a liaison between the Ootori household and the other units.
Using elite troops that included Imperial Guards as liaison officers was excessively luxurious and normally unthinkable, but having Imperial Guards meant they wouldn't be influenced by the command structure of any unit not led by royalty. That allowed them to move freely to virtually any battlefield unconditionally. So they were ideally suited as a unit that could keep up with our movements against a Lich whose location was impossible to predict.
"Honestly, we would have wanted at least five hundred at minimum, but it simply wasn't feasible to pull that many elite troops. Instead, we prioritized selecting those who already had some familiarity with Lord Ootori through training and such. So the risk of friction or discord should be fairly low."
"Well, even if you had five hundred, you'd still be at a disadvantage against zombies moving in flocks of thousands or tens of thousands, so don't push yourselves too hard. Unlike Merlin and me, you can't take to the skies and fly away. Now then… Chris, make us some more tea."
"Oh! Mine too, please."
"Mine as well. Don't mess it up this time."
On the second go, Chris obediently started brewing the tea, but the taste was just as astringent as before. And for some reason, while she was making it, she kept shooting glares my way from time to time. Jeanne noticed and scolded her for it.
"Jeanne, I have a report!"
"Come in!"
While I was sipping my second cup of tea, a voice called out to Jeanne from outside the tent. Before she could respond, Jeanne glanced over at me and Grandpa, so I nodded, and she let the reporting knight into the tent.
"The first camp has been breached. The exact number is unknown, but the zombies that broke through are said to easily exceed ten thousand."
"What about our losses?"
"Among those who remained behind for the trap, only a handful managed to reach the second camp, so most are believed to have perished."
Those who had been assigned to stay behind for the trap were said to be the most skilled magic users among the knights — the very ones who were supposed to form the main force at the first camp.
"The number I heard was about a hundred. If most of them were lost, that means they were either caught in their own magic for some reason, or something unexpected happened... Is there no report on that?"
"That's all the information we've received so far."
The report Jeanne had heard before coming here as part of the elite force mentioned about a hundred, but she said she didn't know the exact number since the plan might have changed after leaving the Royal Guard. However, while it was possible the numbers had increased from the original plan, a significant decrease was unlikely — so the unit of a hundred magic users should be considered essentially wiped out.
"I have a report!"
Barely had the first report ended when the next one came in.
According to this report, they had been ambushed by a four-armed monster lurking among the zombie horde, as well as by new types of zombies that had not been previously identified.
It's one thing that new zombies are showing up at this point, but what's even more troublesome is...
that
these
zombies
can
use
magic.
"So they're calling it a lich... And apparently, more than one of them has appeared?"
"Most likely... though, it seems the new zombies do use magic. According to Otori-dono's report, they aren't the same kind of monsters we faced. In fact, if it came down to a one-on-one fight, the four-armed beast might actually be stronger."
According to the account of the knight who barely escaped the first campsite, the magic-using zombies used magic from a distance to interfere with the 'Fire Cyclone.' Exploiting the opening created there, the four-armed beasts charged in and wreaked havoc.
"What's the reason the magic-using zombies are considered weaker than the four-armed beasts?"
"After the four-armed beasts charged, the magic-using zombies also advanced and engaged the knights in a chaotic melee. However, unlike the four-armed beasts, the magic-using zombies were weaker in both strength and durability. Furthermore, they didn't use powerful magic, neither from range nor during the melee. Based on this, the higher-ups concluded that while it's unclear whether the magic they can use is simply low-powered or if they're holding back, they aren't much of a threat in close combat."
There was a possibility the zombies were just hiding their true power, but it couldn't be confirmed at present. Therefore, their threat level was considered lower compared to the four-armed beasts.
"So, while we naturally have to be wary of the zombies' magic, the greater threat is the subsequent charge of the four-armed beasts..."
"On the other hand, if you think about it differently, if magic starts flying, you know the four-armed beasts will follow. That makes it easier to predict, doesn't it? In my view, it's easier to handle than having a horde of zombies suddenly appear while you're fighting."
"No, that's something only someone like Merlin-sama... or Tenma-kun and Captain Din could say. Even if the power is low, if you can't deal with the magic somehow, you're forced into an unfavorable battle."
The first campsite had been breached, and zombie-lich-like creatures had appeared, but since the main target—the actual lich—hadn't shown up yet, Grandpa and I couldn't carelessly leave this place. So, even after receiving the report, the atmosphere remained fairly relaxed... at least, between Grandpa and me.
Jeanne-san and Chris-san looked calm on the surface, but if you looked closely, one was rocking her leg nervously, and the other was tapping the table or her knee repeatedly with their fingers. They were probably anxious inside. Perhaps they, like me, couldn't afford to leave this spot either, and that frustration was showing.
"Jeanne-san, wouldn't it be better to have the unit ready to move at a moment's notice? Grandpa and I can dash out anytime, but the knights' preparations... especially the horses, they can't just jump up and go, right?"
Horses are living creatures too; they need to eat and rest. And if they're going onto a battlefield, preparations must be made. However, considering the horses' burden, you couldn't just leave them saddled and bridled during their rest period.
"That's true... you're right. Chris, notify the entire unit to prepare for immediate deployment at any time. Also, make sure preparations are made regarding the horses' equipment so they can be readied instantly."
Since they couldn't be saddled in advance, it seemed the plan was to take whatever action could reduce preparation time even slightly.
When a unit was composed mainly of knights, they sometimes brought grooms along. However, this time, to keep the unit mobile and match Grandpa's and my movements, they had chosen not to bring the grooms who would travel on foot. Well, apparently, there also wasn't enough personnel to spare for that.
Still, even if they often brought grooms, the knights who rode the horses weren't helpless. As rookies, they were thoroughly drilled in horse equipment handling, and it was part of their regular training, so there was supposedly no need to worry. Of course, there were still differences in individual skill, but any knight who was glaringly incompetent was apparently weeded out during selection.
"Tenma-kun... why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, it's just that Chris-san earlier said she rose through the ranks quickly because she couldn't do the basics, so..."
"I didn't say I couldn't do them! I was properly taught about horses back when I was a rookie, and I still have training now, you know!"
She went on like that.
"As for that, I oversee her daily training, so I can guarantee it."
With Jeanne vouching for Chris's skills, Chris was puffing out her chest with pride for some reason...
"That aside... Chris. The two heads of the Ōtori family are in a position that is, in a sense,
allied with the Kingdom's military—
but what do you think of your own way of speaking?"
At Jeanne's remark, Chris blurted out, "Huh!? Now of all times!?" (I'd been thinking something similar myself), but...
Come to think of it, ever since we set up the table and started having these meeting-like discussions, this might have been the first time Chris and I actually talked properly.
Before that, Chris had probably been pouring tea or waiting in silence, and since she basically only conversed with Jeanne, no one had bothered to point it out.
Right after I'd had that very thought, Jeanne was already laying into her — saying that she didn't need to stand on ceremony when speaking with her, but that no matter how close they were, she should at least show a basic level of propriety given their current positions.
"Jeanne, I don't mind, so why don't you let it go."
"That's right. She's just being her usual self — I didn't think twice about it either.
Since we don't mind, as long as Jeanne holds her tongue, there shouldn't be any real problem."
I timed my words to come right as Jeanne paused, and although she still looked like she wanted to say more, she let Chris go with an air of "if you two say so."
Chris seemed like she wanted to thank me and my grandpa before sighing in relief, but...
If she did, Jeanne would probably start lecturing again, which would defeat the purpose, so she wisely kept her mouth shut for now.
Incidentally, as for Jeanne's and Chris's horses, she had asked a nearby knight to prepare them before she really got into scolding, so by now they should be done and waiting for further instructions.
"My apologies, but I need to go check on my subordinates.
Chris, let's go!"
"Yes, ma'am! Then if you'll excuse us."
Chris must have been shaken up from getting yelled at by Jeanne earlier, because her movements were unusually brisk.
"If she always acted like that, I think she'd get a bit more respect from Jeanne and Aura..."
"Well, she puts on that act for outsiders. Once she's home, she sheds it immediately, no doubt."
No matter what, there was no way to earn any more respect from Jeanne and Aura than they already had — Grandpa said this with a laugh.
"More importantly, zombies capable of using magic are going to be a real problem. We thought long-range attacks were the Royal Army's forte, but if even zombies can do it — even if the power is low — that just makes it easier for the zombies to close the distance."
"That's right. Until now, we could expect reasonable results even from things zombies were resistant to, like arrows, as long as we deployed them in sufficient numbers. But from now on, instead of arrows, they'll be leading with magic from the start. That means the burden on the knights and soldiers at the front lines will only increase."
Previously, in order to conserve Magic Power, the strategy had been to open with physical ranged attacks like arrows and thrown weapons. The enemy was zombies, so physical ranged attacks were of limited effectiveness — but even if they couldn't finish them off, they could still disrupt the zombies' advance. In that sense, they were useful for buying time, and as the zombies in front slowed down, the horde would naturally bunch up, which should have improved the efficiency of the magical attacks that followed. If they could no longer do that, not only would the burden increase, but if it turned into a magical exchange from the start, the damage sustained could be far worse right out of the gate.
"Grandpa, depending on the situation, we might need to consider not just waiting for the lich to appear, but actually heading out onto the battlefield ourselves to lure it out."
"Mmm. We should avoid launching attacks ourselves and wasting Magic Power, but if we just sit here and wait, the Royal Army's casualties will only mount. If all we're doing is flying around to keep watch, it shouldn't be too exhausting."
That would mean an increased burden on Jeanne and the others, but if they could hold in a position away from the zombie horde and move in once the fight with the lich began, it might be possible to keep the added strain to a minimum.
"Once Jeanne and the others get back, should we bring it up with them right away?"
Having gotten Grandpa's approval as well, we decided to consult with Jeanne and the others. The moment the two of them returned, we laid out our proposal.
Jeanne, in response, furrowed her brow and thought it over at considerable length, but in the end she agreed — on the condition that it be a unit that coordinated its movements with Grandpa and me. However, she asked for time to notify the nearby units that we would be making the first move, in order to minimize confusion within the Royal Army, so until the knights dispatched as messengers returned, we would continue to hold our position here as before.