With
Angelica and Brother Cornelius conserved the Magic Power needed to summon their riding beasts, instead leaping upward by using the other knights' riding beasts as stepping stones.
Wielding
"What the—!?"
"What's happening!?"
Confused shouts erupted from the enemy, who clearly had not expected a lone attacker to charge straight into them like this.
The magical sword Stenluke tore through the net of light, and Schneefel began to slip free from the mesh.
"It's falling!"
"Provide support!"
Having inflicted some damage, Angelica summoned her riding beast as she fell and veered sharply. Unlike before, she no longer dropped completely—summoning her riding beast had become effortless.
She repositioned herself above Dunkelfelger and once again let herself fall, slashing downward with Stenluke.
"Yah!"
Just as Dunkelfelger was still stunned by Angelica, Brother Cornelius immediately charged in, and behind him, the knight apprentices on riding beasts followed one after another.
The ambush was a success.
"Assess the enemy formation!"
"They're in disarray. Several soldiers who were guarding the base have mounted their riding beasts to provide backup."
"Judith, keep watching the enemy formation. Leonore, prepare your bow!"
"Yes!"
We were the ones who would fire arrows—both as the signal to retreat to Ehrenfest and to slow down and intimidate any pursuing enemies. Leonore transformed her Stab into a bow, nocked an arrow of Magic Power, and fixed her gaze on the battle in the sky.
"If I decide it's time to pull back, Leonore will fire an arrow."
"I'll do it."
I left Judith to monitor the enemy and looked up myself.
Dunkelfelger was at a disadvantage in mobility since they were carrying the magical creature, and because they had to protect it, fewer of their number could go on the offensive. Moreover, Ehrenfest had the blessing of Angriff, the God of War. No matter how you looked at it, Ehrenfest had the upper hand.
"...Ehrenfest is strong!?"
They must have assumed Ehrenfest was the weaker side and would be easy to handle. The Dunkelfelger knight apprentices who were fighting back against the ambush cried out in shock.
...Yes, yes. That's right.
Watching Ehrenfest attack vigorously while Dunkelfelger floundered in confusion under the ambush, I was satisfied that the plan was working.
But Ehrenfest's advantage was fleeting.
"Don't panic! Take defensive positions! Protect the treasure first!"
Along with what was probably the roar of the upperclassman who always took command, Dunkelfelger reorganized in the blink of an eye. Some raised shields to block attacks, others re-strung the nets for carrying Schneefel, and still others shifted to counterattack... Each of them seemed to know their role, and the confusion vanished almost instantly.
"Half of you, escort Schneefel to the base at top speed! The other half, counterattack while merging with the base!"
Crisp replies came back to the commander's orders, and Dunkelfelger moved in an orderly formation toward their camp.
...No wonder they win the Inter-Domain Tournament every year.
The ambush was about half successful, I supposed. We had thrown Dunkelfelger into disarray, broken their formation, and inflicted some damage. But the enemy, who excelled in coordinated combat, had reset their positions with a single roar from their commander.
I let out a sigh of admiration at Dunkelfelger's impressive coordination. At the same time, I could not hide my sigh of disappointment. Because alongside Dunkelfelger's coordination, the level of teamwork on display from Ehrenfest in my field of vision was shockingly poor.
...The gap is just too enormous.
Despite the blessing boosting each individual's abilities, Ehrenfest had no coordination to speak of whatsoever. Against Dunkelfelger, who had already begun forming an impenetrable defense, they were unable to land any meaningful damage.
All I could see was Angelica and Brother Cornelius struggling onward with body strengthening—beyond that, there was nothing noteworthy.
There were so many conditions that could have given us the advantage, but we lacked the coordination to make any of them count.
"My Lady
Judith, who had been monitoring the enemy base, raised her voice. We were barely dealing any damage even while they were still protecting the treasure, and once it was placed in their base and they were freed from that constraint, I could see nothing but our immediate defeat.
Leonore heard Judith's report, glanced at me, and loosed the arrow that served as our retreat signal. The arrow traced a parabolic arc above their heads, where it burst with a sharp crack!
"That's the retreat signal!"
Brother Cornelius's voice rang out, and the Ehrenfest knights began to pull back.
"Some of you, provide covering fire with arrows!"
A few knights drew their bows and sent arrows of Magic Power flying with a whoosh. After exchanging several volleys, the knights from both sides returned to their respective bases.
One person in a golden-yellow cloak, however, stubbornly tried to continue attacking alone, disrupting the retreat formation. I narrowed my eyes in irritation, and almost simultaneously, Brother Cornelius's angry shout echoed across the field.
"
Traugott returned with a sulky expression on his face.
Those who were injured or low on Magic Power drank recovery medicine and focused on regenerating. If it were possible, I would have liked to press our attack without giving them any breathing room to recover, but I could not imagine Ehrenfest having enough coordination for that.
"...They're weak," someone said.
"Huh?"
"I don't mean Dunkelfelger. I mean Ehrenfest. I have observed the Knight's Order in battle before, so I vaguely assumed that the knight apprentices in the Noble Academy would be capable of something similar."
Judging by how well the Knight's Order had coordinated when they defeated the Lord of Winter and during the Trombe subjugation, their teamwork should have been solid.
"I never imagined they would have this little coordination. Could it be because the Ditter has always only been about speed? But Dunkelfelger has proper teamwork. This must be terrible for the Knight Commanders who have to train new recruits."
"What would someone who's just being protected like Lady Rozemyne even know!?"
"There are times when an outside perspective sees things more clearly, Traugott. For example, how you are disrupting the entire coordination by being unable to retreat immediately even after the signal was given..."
My words made Traugott's expression sour.
"I can still fight."
"Of course you can. The battle is far from over. It would be a problem if you couldn't."
"Then let me fight."
There was something reckless and desperate in Traugott's manner—a refusal to accept the retreat—and I raised my eyebrows slightly. I did not know what was driving his desperation or what he was so frantic about, but his intensity was nothing more than flailing.
"Traugott, charging blindly at the enemy is not the only way to fight. You need to observe your surroundings carefully..."
"I know that!"
"...If you truly understand, then that's fine. From here on, the enemy will get serious. Ehrenfest will shift to a defensive posture now, so please demonstrate coordination worthy of withstanding their counterattack."
It seemed that just as our side had finished recovering, so had the enemy. The two bases faced each other in a tense standoff—Dunkelfelger assuming an offensive posture while Ehrenfest shifted to defense.
The air crackled with tension as both sides watched each other's every move. Dunkelfelger was on guard against another ambush like the one before, leaving no openings.
On our side, Traugott looked ready to charge out the moment battle resumed, and he was sure to become a hole in our formation.
"Traugott, you are not to leave the base."
"What!? Why!?"
"Maintaining the battle line and not rushing out alone toward the enemy territory—I already told you to fight while coordinating with the others. Are you unable to follow your lord's orders?"
I pressed the question, and Traugott gritted his back teeth before nodding.
...This is bad.
Even with the blessing of the God of War, our formation could crumble in an instant. It would be a struggle at best, or a one-sided beating at worst.
I wanted to give Ehrenfest at least some experience in defensive operations, but it looked like the second ambush operation would be needed soon.
"Judith, Leonore. Come here."
The two of us rode into my riding beast's cockpit, where I opened a pouch and retrieved a magic stone soaked in my Magic Power. It had originally been a crystal shape, but it had been cut with an alchemy knife down to the size of a hard candy—a pale yellow magic stone. I then dripped a few drops of the Chief Priest's specially made, supremely disgusting recovery medicine onto it.
"Judith, when I give the signal, throw this at Schneefel."
I handed the pale yellow magic stone to Judith, who had climbed hesitantly into the Lesserbus's passenger seat. Judith tilted her head in confusion.
"What is this?"
"The second part of our ambush. I'll give the signal when Ehrenfest's defense begins to crumble, so please be ready."
When the defense started to break, we would fly over our own base in the Lesserbus, where Judith would switch to my riding beast and throw the magic stone.
I opened and closed the Lesserbus's passenger door while explaining the procedure and asking whether she could switch riding beasts.
"Understood. ...But if we had just thrown this from the start, couldn't we have won easily?"
Judith tilted her head, and Leonore nodded in agreement. I shrugged lightly.
"We probably could have won. But winning against Dunkelfelger solely through repeated ambushes, with barely any effort, using our full-of-holes coordination—that would be the worst possible way for Ehrenfest to claim victory."
"...I don't really understand what you mean, My Lady. What do you mean by the worst way to win? Winning is a good thing, isn't it?"
Ideally, they should lose in a manner that reflected their true abilities. It was important for them to calmly analyze what went wrong. Discovering for themselves their lack of coordination and their lax defense would be far more beneficial for their future growth.
Honestly, if this Ditter had not been about
"You and Leonore both saw the initial ambush from the outside, didn't you? You'll also be watching the upcoming battle—where roles of attacker and defender are reversed—from inside the riding beast. Observe carefully how Dunkelfelger's approach to defense differs from Ehrenfest's, and think about it. If you want to become stronger, always be thinking about what you need to do to improve as you fight."
"We'll do our best."
The moment the two of them nodded, there was a sudden burst of sound as the riding beasts began to move. Matching Dunkelfelger's movements, the Ehrenfest knight apprentices set off as well.
From the standoff in the sky, one Dunkelfelger riding beast soared higher and higher, seeking any advantage it could seize. As if drawn along, several Ehrenfest riding beasts followed it upward.
"Oh no, you can't send that many against just one!"
Judith's panicked voice rang out. Dunkelfelger was diverting personnel to defend their base, so Ehrenfest—who were committing everyone to defense—had a slight numerical advantage. But the gap was not large enough to justify assigning several riders against a single opponent.
Predictably, the thinnest part of the defense, where numbers were lowest, came under heavy pressure, and the battle turned difficult almost immediately.
"The main thrust isn't over there! Fall back toward Cornelius!"
Leonore, who could do nothing but watch her comrades' battle from inside the riding beast, clutched her head in frustration at the gaps in their defense and coordination.
Ehrenfest, clearly lacking in defensive practice, was being pushed back relentlessly by Dunkelfelger, who excelled at coordinated offensives. It was only the blessing's effect that kept them hanging on.
They were fighting desperately, but coordination was simply not there. The only ones fighting with any real teamwork were Brother Cornelius and Angelica, who had been trained as escort knights, along with
With seven out of twenty-three fighters (excluding Judith, who was waiting for her turn inside the Lesserbus, and Leonore, who was guarding me) displaying any semblance of coordinated fighting, it was only natural that they were struggling against the elite force of Dunkelfelger.
"Oh no, Traugott, where are you going!?"
"...My Lady Rozemyne, isn't the overall defense shifting upward?"
"Yes, the enemy is certainly aiming for that. I expect Dunkelfelger's elites will charge in from the ground."
I pointed toward the enemy base. The knights mounted on riding beasts and guarding their camp—with the exception of a precious few protecting the treasure and Restlaute—were assuming offensive positions.
"Leonore, didn't they teach you about this kind of tactic in your lectures? I've read about it in books and seen it practiced during Gewinnen, but if they pull this off, we'll lose for certain."
"They did teach it. They taught it, but..."
Leonore looked as though the gap between classroom theory and actual practice had suddenly been driven home for her. It seemed that what she had learned in lectures had never connected to real combat.
Judith, who had not yet begun her specialized coursework, was less concerned with tactics and more pale with worry about the immediate situation.
"My Lady Rozemyne, what are you so calm about!? We're already being pushed back—if they attack again, we'll lose!"
"That's right. Then shall we head out soon? Judith, please get ready."
"Yes!"
The enemy riding beasts that had been watching the battle shift to the sky now charged toward us to press their advantage. The moment they reached roughly the midpoint between the two bases, I raced toward our own base's edge, riding across the ground just as they were.
The enemy noticed the Lesserbus bearing down on them and their expressions turned to shock.
"They've spotted us!"
"They're planning something—hurry back to the base!"
The enemy reinforcements who had been heading our way wheeled around in a clockwise arc and raced back with impressive speed to guard their base and treasure.
"Judith, try to land it right above Schneefel if you can. Hurry!"
"Got it!"
Before we left our base, I opened the Lesserbus's passenger door, and Judith shot out on her riding beast in pursuit of the enemy.
As soon as Judith mounted her riding beast, she used her Stab—transformed into a slingshot—to fling the magic stone with tremendous force.
The magic stone arrived before the riding beasts heading back to base. It traced a wide parabolic arc and, exactly as I had instructed, fell directly above Schneefel.
"Something's flying at us!"
"Block it!"
"Where!?"
It was a candy-sized magic stone traveling at high speed. The knights who had watched it being launched might have been able to react, but for those already at the base, they could not even tell what had been thrown.
Whether it had spotted the magic stone hurtling toward it or not, Schneefel opened its enormous mouth wide with a gulp. And into that gaping maw, the magic stone Judith had launched flew straight in.
"My Lady, it ate it!"
Thinking her throw had failed, Judith returned with a tearful expression. I smiled and patted her reassuringly.
"That's exactly what we wanted."
The instant I said those words, Schneefel began to swell to many times its original size. The small hippopotamus-like creature, which had been caught in the net of light, began tearing through the luminescent mesh with popping sounds as it grew rapidly before our eyes.
"GROOOOOOOOOOAN!"
By the end, it had become a hippopotamus the size of a two-story house. And as though its previous docility had been nothing but a lie, Schneefel began thrashing about in a frenzy.
"What's happening!? What's happening!? What's happening!?"
Judith's tearful shrieks and the horrified screams from the enemy base rose at the same instant.
"Schneefel has grown enormous!"
"What!?"
Startled by Schneefel's sudden enlargement and rampage, the Dunkelfelger knights halted their attack and raced back toward their base. If Schneefel was left to run rampant like this, their own Lord Candidate Restlaute would be in danger, and the knights defending their base would suffer heavy casualties.
"My Lady Rozemyne, what on earth was that?"
"Lyuel fruit that I soaked in my own Magic Power. It's excellent for Magic Power recovery."
The purple Lyuel fruit harvested during the Störlia nights had a magic-amplifying effect. When you held fruit soaked in your own Magic Power in your mouth like candy, it replenished your reserves. I had used quite a bit of Magic Power on body strengthening Magical Tools, and the Chief Priest had given it to me with the instruction to carry it in case my protective charm did not activate in an emergency.
"Why did you make it grow larger?"
"To deny Dunkelfelger any leeway to hold back. Though I must say—
A large, powerful enemy was bad for a treasure-stealing Ditter. It made it difficult to hold back.
Dunkelfelger began attacking the enlarged, rampaging Schneefel using the same speed-focused Ditter tactics they always employed.
I had enlarged it to make them think twice about holding back, but the effect exceeded my expectations. Dunkelfelger had no capacity to worry about us.
"Don't stand around dazed—recover immediately. Angelica and Cornelius, drink this medicine."
I issued orders to the Ehrenfest knight apprentices, who were staring blankly at the giant Schneefel as though unable to follow the sudden developments, and handed Brother Cornelius and Angelica the Chief Priest's improved medicine.
"Next I'm going to ask you to hit it with everything you have, so I need you fully recovered."
"Yes! ...Ugh, we have to drink this?"
"It's recovery medicine Ferdinand brewed. The effects are incredible."
Grimacing, Angelica and Brother Cornelius drank the Chief Priest's improved recovery medicine. They groaned "Ngggh!" and clamped their mouths shut, eyes squeezing tight.
They managed to swallow it. Brother Cornelius, eyes brimming with tears, turned on me.
"What is this stuff!?"
"It's recovery medicine that Ferdinand made a little more palatable out of kindness."
"It's not palatable at all!"
"If you drink something even more terrible, you'll come to understand Ferdinand's kindness. Would you like to experience that?"
I showed him the remainder of the awful medicine I had dripped onto the magic stone. Brother Cornelius quickly shook his head in refusal and turned his gaze toward the giant Schneefel.
"...It truly did recover us instantly, but what exactly do you intend for us to do?"
Brother Cornelius looked down at me with a wary expression. I let out a little "ufufu" laugh and gave my instructions.
"Transform your Stab into a sword and channel Magic Power into it until sparks are crackling off it. Then, when Dunkelfelger has weakened Schneefel, drive that Magic Power into it to deliver the finishing blow. Your father and your brother can both do it. Surely you can too, Cornelius?"
"I suppose I can, but..."
He said he had not done it very often. Unless he went all out, it would not produce enough of an attack, but if he used all his Magic Power on one strike, he would be useless until his reserves recovered.
"I'll give you some of Ferdinand's medicine, so don't worry about what comes after—just pour all your Magic Power into it. If we can't finish it here, Ehrenfest has no chance of winning."
"You felt those gaps in our coordination, didn't you?" I added. Brother Cornelius nodded with a bitter expression.
"I have high expectations for Cornelius's Magic Power—enough to stand alongside the Knight Commander himself. Apparently, the best way to deliver that attack is to fly high on your riding beast and release it while falling. Ferdinand and the Knight Commander both did it that way."
"...My Lady Rozemyne, where exactly did you see an attack like that?"
"During duties at the
It was not a lie—I had seen the Trombe subjugation during my blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice days and the attack during the prayer ceremony. It just was not the whole truth.
"Angelica, I need you to attack Schneefel head-on the same way Cornelius does—to absorb the shock of his attack and protect our base. Fire your Magic Power from the front."
"Understood."
Angelica, seemingly having recovered from the bitterness of the medicine, gripped Stenluke and nodded.
"My Lady, I want to go too!"
"No, Traugott."
"Why!? Is it because I'm weaker than the two of them!?"
Partly, yes, I thought to myself. Compared to Angelica and Cornelius, Traugott was several tiers below. But I did not feel this was the time to say that to someone so fixated on strength.
"No. A knight who cannot follow his lord's orders and cannot coordinate with those around him is dangerous—you never know what he might do. He cannot be trusted in critical situations. Traugott, you are to remain on standby."
"What!?"
Turning my back on Traugott, whose blue eyes had gone wide, I sent Angelica and Brother Cornelius off.
"You need to time your attacks together perfectly. Pay attention to each other's movements and strike in sync."
"Understood."
Cornelius flew upward on his riding beast toward the sky. Even from here, I could see Magic Power already flowing into the longsword he had shaped from his Stab.
"Master, if the Master's Master wants me to protect the base, then this position will do. No, the angle is wrong. ...There. That should work. Brace yourself and pour in the Magic Power. Everything you've got."
Angelica likewise shifted position with her back to us—as though shielding us with her body—following Stenluke's instructions, and raised the magical blade.
"The rest of you, prepare shields and brace for the impact!"
The Ehrenfest knight apprentices transformed their Stabs into shields.
I gripped the Lesserbus's handle and braced my feet, determined to withstand any shock that came.
Leonore, seated in the back, watched Brother Cornelius with a prayerful gaze.
Dunkelfelger was attacking Schneefel with their characteristic fluid coordination. Their battle prowess made it abundantly clear why they won speed-based Ditters every year. However, unlike usual, this Schneefel was the treasure of the Ditter, so they could not destroy it outright—they had to limit themselves to merely weakening it.
Cornelius reached a point far above Dunkelfelger's heads while they were busy coordinating their attacks while balancing the need for restraint. With the sharp crackle of sparks erupting from his Magic Power, Brother Cornelius leveled his longsword and dove straight down on his riding beast.
"Fall baaaaaack!"
The Dunkelfelger knights, distracted by the giant magical creature, froze in shock when they finally noticed Cornelius already descending upon them from above.
"Evacuate! Defensive positions! Protect Lord Restlaute!"
Realizing that a full-power attack was incoming, Dunkelfelger scrambled into defensive formation.
"We're going in too!"
Angelica raised her voice toward Dunkelfelger and swung Stenluke overhead. The sword, which had been steadily absorbing Magic Power, told her in the Chief Priest's voice: "Not yet, Master. Not yet."
"Haaaaaaah!"
"Now, Master!"
"Yaaaaaaah!"
Brother Cornelius brought down his longsword with a mighty slash, and a massive beam of light—the likes of which I had seen several times before—rained down upon Schneefel from directly above.
Angelica swung Stenluke in a wide arc, and a slash of light flew from the blade toward Schneefel.
Stenluke's timing was perfect. Brother Cornelius's attack struck with a thunderous roar and a tremendous shockwave that spread in all directions. And as though tearing through that shockwave, Angelica's slash reached Schneefel as well.
Dunkelfelger, who had braced in defensive positions, endured the impact with all their might, while several Ehrenfest knight apprentices were blown away and sent tumbling.
I too braced hard against the shockwave that hit us.
When the dust settled, Schneefel was gone.
"My Lady, I retrieved the magic stone!"
Angelica's bright, clear voice rang out, the gleaming magic stone clutched in her hand.
Ruffen, who had been watching from the sidelines, let out a triumphant cry.
"Magnificent! Victory for Ehrenfest!"
It was a Treasure-Stealing Ditter that had revealed many, many problems.
Teacher Ruffen was watching with tremendous excitement, while Teacher
Next up: a summons from the prince.