Chapter 83 – In the Face of Failure

In the Face of Failure

Everyone has had that kind of fantasy at least once.
The strange delusion of how to escape when surrounded by unidentified men threatening you.
For example, you knock the weapon out of the hand of the enemy in front, neutralize the two guys behind with a kick, and with Cecilia’s help, you buy some time from the approaching armored knights before Valkvogel takes care of them.

That kind of simulation.
I guess most guys have done something similar at least once.

Especially when passing through a dark and scary alleyway, it would naturally come to mind.

After fending off some thug that jumps out of an alley, you’d hand them over to the police with pride, and then, when a reporter who heard the news comes looking, you’d wave them off with a cool voice saying, ‘An interview? That’s inconvenient.’…

Well, anyway.

But why do we indulge in such fantasies?

Obviously, because we’re scared.
A sudden appearance of a thug in an unprepared situation is terrifying.
Especially in the dark, the fear is doubled.

That’s why we imagine in advance what actions to take in such situations. It increases the chances of surviving the threat.

But reality is cruel.

Who moves while imagining their next move in the middle of a fight? That’s something you’d only see in comics.
In that time, it would be more effective to prepare some kind of self-defense item.

Yeah, with just one useful self-defense item, such fantasies are unnecessary.
The presence or absence of a weapon is really important.
That’s just how the world works.

But what if the thug that jumps out of the alley is actually a group of more than a dozen?

In that case…

“Surrender now…!!!”

Ah, now’s not the time to be thinking about that.

I’m in a standoff with the Imperial Army, with just a few trees between us.
The bitter smell of the earth torments my nose. The tree I’m leaning on seems to be rotting, amplifying the stench. Add to that the smell coming from my thoroughly soaked shoes, I’m stuck in the worst possible situation with nothing to do.

I can see about ten knights at a glance.
There are ten just in front, and they’re not all elite… but they’re definitely well-trained soldiers.
There are probably twice as many in the blind spots. If we assume the main force comes, at the very least there are a hundred men. If the Country of Magic or the Holy Imperial Court sent troops, their numbers would be even greater.

“So, how… can we possibly run away?”

“I’m not sure. There are too many.”

Cecilia is obviously considering running away.
She doesn’t think we can break through their numbers.

“…If I buy us some time.”

“Without you, we can’t enter the Dragon Kingdom.”

“Still…, there must be a way.”

Valkvogel… well, in the current situation, it could buy us enough time. Even weakened, it’s still a dragon, and without specialized equipment, it won’t be easy to kill.
Of course, dealing with what comes after would be difficult.

Well, even if the main force arrives, we’ll quickly fall. It’s a meaningless sacrifice.

“Quiet, you’re distracting me from thinking.”

Now, there’s no time left to ponder.
Dragging this out won’t bring any reinforcements for us. We’re only increasing the chances of being surrounded and captured by the growing number of enemies.

If we’re going to do something, we have to do it now, right here.

“…Sigh, I’ll draw their attention first. Create an opening, even if it’s just to tie them up for a moment. If we can get some distance, we can somehow make a run for it.”

Of course, I’m not talking about engaging in combat.

The plan is simple.
I draw their attention.
Valkvogel will strike when the time is right.
Cecilia will tie them up, and we all escape.

Then, we’ll disable the fast-moving vanguard chasing us with the holy sword, rendering them unable to act.
By the time the main force catches up, we’ll have already fled, and if the pursuers are anxious, we can hide in Mt. Muak.
We’ll arrive at the Dragon Kingdom, open the letter, and go home.

It’s a perfect plan.

Of course, I’m not considering a surprise attack from the side.
They wouldn’t kill Cecilia because she’s a saint; at most, they’d incapacitate her. If it’s a melee and they fail to consider such things… No, that’s impossible. Would there be elite soldiers who can’t recognize a VIP?
Valkvogel is sturdy, so it should be fine even if ambushed.
And I’m the type with strong bad luck, so I’m reassured.

But there’s still something that worries me.
Will my body hold up?
I have to draw their attention once, and then swing the holy sword once more, but will my body develop any abnormalities?

I don’t think a single swing of the holy sword will cause much damage, but life is unpredictable. Since my body is already in a precarious state, it might actually be restored with one blow.

Still, I can’t just not do it.

I wondered why things were going so smoothly… and now it’s come back to this.

Indeed, when things are going well, one must always prepare for the worst.
Otherwise… this is what happens.

I reach for the small stones on the ground. Two in one hand, wedged between fingers that are easy to throw with. They have enough force to concentrate their attention. And just in case, I tuck the holy sword inside my coat.

Preparations are complete.
The rest is up to fate.

Now, let’s begin.

* * *

It was when the knights were approaching the target.

“…Surrender! I surrender!”

With that shout, a figure emerged from between the trees.
Not exactly riddled with wounds, but wearing a mask that made it difficult to identify who it was. Judging by the body’s contours, it was only possible to deduce that the gender was male. It might not even be the target.

And the knight was on high alert.

“Take off the mask! Put your hands behind your head!!”

First, they needed to confirm the identity.
For safety, the position of the hands was specified.

Without any fuss, the target threw off the mask and placed his hands on the back of his head. The face that was revealed was full of scars. Just as the rumors described, a vicious appearance covered in wounds, the target was certain.

“Everyone else, reveal yourselves in the same manner!!!”

The knight barked out the command, spitting as he shouted.
The target’s head turned towards the trees.

The exact number of his companions was unknown.
One thing for sure was a monstrous dragon. Rumors had it that either a mage from the Tower of Magic or a saintess was accompanying him. Considering that, maybe there were about three of them.

They couldn’t relax until all the remaining people showed themselves.

However, the companions who didn’t reveal themselves,
And the target slowly approaching.

“Sto-, stop! Surrender with your companions, approaching alone will be considered a threat!!”

Something was off.

Could it be an ambush?
Against this number of people?

There were ten knights deployed.
Two behind the target, two on each side, and including himself, four in front.
Moreover, if reinforcements arrived, their numbers could triple.
On the other hand, the enemy, at most, numbered three.
Even a child could tell who had the advantage.

But they couldn’t be complacent.
They had a dragon on their side, after all.

However, this side had dragon hunters. Madmen specialized in hunting dragons, with them, a dragon wouldn’t be a problem.
The unfortunate thing was, they weren’t here.

The dragon hunters were stationed in the eastern part of The Great Forest, but their current location was in the north. Even if they ran as fast as they could, it would take more than two days to arrive.

Taking on a dragon without dragon hunters was akin to suicide.

If a battle were to break out… they’d have to fight prepared for annihilation. Even thinking optimistically, half would die, and the rest would be gravely injured.

And the target was still approaching.

“Stop! If you don’t stop now……!”

His men had already entered combat readiness. They drew their swords and took a low stance. A stance for quick drawing, ready to strike the moment the enemy came close.

And the knight steeled his resolve as well.

There’s no avoiding this.
Damn it all.

“…Prepare to attack.”

The next step was about to begin, and then they would strike.

-Rustle.

That’s when he thought it.

A girl appeared from between the distant trees.

………Wings?

It took a moment to realize that the girl was the dragon.

The horns did not appear to have been cut off.
What remained of its form were wings like a ragged cloth and a tail that seemed as if it would crumble. To call it a dragon was almost a disgrace; it looked too pitiful. It felt like something a child might imagine a dragon to be.

“That friend of mine is quite shy. A dragon that’s shy… quite the curiosity.”

The target said that.
He had already stopped walking and was looking back.

And so, with heavy steps, the girl reached the side of the target. Then she began to look up at the knights.

“Alright, now you can arrest me.”

The target had a look of relief on his face.
Something seemed off… but still… since she came out willingly…?

It felt uneasy, but it didn’t seem like they were plotting anything strange. So, for the moment, it seemed right to proceed with the arrest.

Approaching without letting down their guard.
Wondering if handcuffs would even work on a dragon, they slowly closed the distance.

And they approached within close range.

“…Bingo.”

At that moment, the target grabbed the girl’s hand.

And with a spin, he flung her.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say he threw her.
He hurled the dragon towards himself and his comrades.

What mass…!

That was the impression from the first collision.

Despite having their swords drawn, the knights did not care as the girl, with her overwhelming mass, closed in on them.

And then consciousness faded to black.

When consciousness returned, it was after his comrades had already been knocked out. The girl—having taken the dragon’s power head-on, it seemed all the comrades in front were unconscious. Judging by the deep claw marks on the armor, they might have been hit by a claw attack.
The knight positioned on the side had his helmet dented as if struck by a rock.
Combat was impossible. They had suffered near-annihilation damage.

1 second, maybe 2 seconds at most, that’s how long it seemed they hadn’t been unconscious…

Perhaps the only positive was that there didn’t seem to be any fatalities.

No, now wasn’t the time to think about that.
He was the only one who had regained consciousness.
He had to pursue them.

She tried to push off the ground, to gather strength in her lower body…

Strength,

Strength…?

No strength came. It was as if the muscles were overly stretched, unable to muster any power in the lower body.

And at the same time, consciousness began to blur again.

But she felt reassured.

The last time she had looked around, she hadn’t seen Dalk and Reven.
Those two, who had been positioned behind the target.
Dalk and Reven were fast on their feet, so they would somehow be pursuing the target. Moreover, with their excellent skills, they would surely be able to follow… With those two, there was peace of mind.

And so, slowly, consciousness faded.

And the last thing the knight saw before losing consciousness was a flickering flash of light somewhere, and then everything went dark.

* * *

The operation was a success.

The two bastards chasing us were faster than I thought, and I almost missed them… but luckily, I managed to take down both of them just in time.

The areas over-healed by holy magic can’t move. But if you intentionally inflict a wound, you can move while it’s healing… That was really close. If I had been just a bit slower, a knife would have been plunged into Cecilia’s back.

The beginning went smoothly. I threw Valkvogel to incapacitate the guys in front, and Cecilia used her magic to bind the feet of those on the sides and took them out with magic-infused stones. We ignored the ones in the rear, thinking they’d be weak, but they turned out to be the most skilled elites.

It was really a close call.
If I hadn’t used the holy sword, we would have definitely been done for.

Well, the result is a successful escape anyway.

There shouldn’t be anyone following us right now.
Since I even threw the holy sword, we should have about an hour before any pursuers catch up. In that time, we need to escape as far as possible.

There doesn’t seem to be any side effects from the holy sword for now, so I should run.

“…Cough.”

Just as I tried to accelerate, a cough escaped me. Instinctively, I covered my mouth with my hand, as if it were familiar. Spitting blood would be messy, and it would be a disadvantage if we were being chased… That’s why I covered it instinctively.

No way, it can’t be.

I turned my trembling hand and looked at the damp palm.

Sticky and wet, an important fluid.

It’s saliva.
It must have come out with the cough.

“….”

It’s not hemoptysis.
I haven’t vomited blood.

It’s just saliva that came out.

That means there’s no health issue.

But Cecilia doesn’t seem to think so.

“Flan…? Are you sure you’re okay?”

She asked with that voice and checked my pulse. We need to keep running, but she stopped to examine me. Valkvogel also stood still, stealing glances at me while pretending not to care.

Why worry so much when I didn’t even spit blood?

…Do I look that weak?

I’m healthy.
Probably.

“There’s no need to worry, let’s just go. I’m at my healthiest right now, so there’s no problem.”

I brushed off Cecilia’s arm and took the lead. I felt some gazes, but it couldn’t be helped. Reaching the Dragon Kingdom is the ultimate goal, so health has to be put aside for now.

If there’s time to care for my body, I need to move.
We still have a long way to go to reach the Dragon Kingdom.

That must be the right choice.

Yes, surely it is.