[ Targa]
"Stradale-dono..."
I called out the name of the leader of the Marquis' knights, the one I had come to rely on the most. Amidst the rain of debris, I couldn't help but think... perhaps there's a glimmer of hope.
Just as I thought this, I heard the sound of hooves approaching.
"Targa-dono! Are you unharmed!?"
It was Stradale, calling out loudly as he appeared. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't unscathed; his helmet was off, and blood trickled from his forehead. But his limbs were all intact, and his eyes showed vitality.
"I'm... fine," I answered as I pushed myself upright. My right arm was numb and couldn’t move, so I used my left hand to push against the ground and barely managed to stand. Stradale observed my condition silently, then glanced in the direction of the earth dragon.
"...At this point, we fight to the death, or we gamble on the faintest chance of retreat. Which would you prefer?"
At his words, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Ha, hahaha... What a choice. If I must choose, I would rather fight to protect the kingdom like a true knight, risking my life. Perhaps, I may even slay this earth dragon and make a name for myself as a dragon slayer."
I scolded myself for speaking such nonsense, especially when my right arm couldn’t even raise. Stradale quietly smiled and nodded his head.
"...How curious. I too, had a former subordinate who accomplished dragon slaying... and I was thinking of challenging him. Care to assist me?"
"Oh, of course."
I replied with a smile, then turned toward the earth dragon to begin my incantation. There was no time to worry about dodging cannonballs now. The only thing I could do was unleash all the magic I had and draw the dragon’s attention toward me.
Let’s die with dignity.
I thought to myself as I glanced at Stradale, who had already drawn his sword. Just then, two tall knights ran past us at a speed that felt like the wind.
"Wh...?"
I could only make an exasperated sound. An absurd thought crossed my mind—this was the first time I had seen knights taller than me.
I had forgotten my incantation entirely and stared dumbfounded at the knights' backs. The two knights rushed toward the earth dragon, which was exposing its upper body from the stone wall. The knights moved at an incredible speed, leaping at the last moment before crashing into the wall. Inhumanly, they scaled the wall with ease and swung their swords.
The dragon’s deafening scream and a splash of crimson that stained the air followed immediately.
The knight on the right swiftly severed the dragon’s front leg with a single blow. The knight on the left sliced through the dragon’s lower and upper jaws.
The power behind their strikes was beyond human capability.
Even Stradale, watching in disbelief, widened his eyes at the sight unfolding before him.
But it didn’t stop there. A sound that shook the air, like cutting through the wind, followed immediately, and the earth dragon’s body convulsed.
"What...?"
Stradale’s voice was filled with confusion, but I couldn’t answer, for I didn’t know what was happening either.
As I struggled to make sense of the situation, I saw the earth dragon recoil and fall backward. I squinted desperately, trying to understand, and noticed something black on the stone wall—something that wasn’t there before. Perhaps it was a hole?
"...No way... something pierced the stone wall and went through the dragon?"
It seemed unbelievable, but everything started to add up. I vaguely remembered hearing about arrows capable of piercing dragon scales.
Just then, I heard the voice of a young child.
"Are you okay!?"
The voice rang out from a distance, but it was strangely clear. I turned around to see a group of several dozen cavalry and several strange-shaped carriages approaching.
In the driver’s seat of the lead carriage sat a knight in splendid armor, along with two children. When I saw the silver-haired child sitting in the middle, it suddenly hit me—this was the young boy of the Marquis of Fertio.
The prodigy who had been granted a noble title despite being under ten, and who was said to have achieved miraculous feats and military victories...
"You're safe! I'm glad we made it in time! Please, get into our carriage!"
The young boy, who had stopped the carriage nearby, smiled with relief as he looked at us. Though his smile didn’t quite match the battlefield, I somehow felt no discomfort in it.
"...Thank you. You must be Van Ney Fertio, the Baron. Am I correct?"
"Yes, that's me. I'm Van. Well, introductions can wait! For now, please get in the carriage, there’s a possibility of artillery fire, so hurry up!"
"I... I apologize."
I realized we had wasted too much time. I bowed and quickly climbed into the carriage. The carriage was large, but what surprised me more was its strange design. A massive siege bow seemed to be mounted on the top, but surely, that couldn’t be what pierced the earth dragon, could it?
I entered the carriage, still filled with questions. The first thing I noticed inside was a woman with a strong, military aura. The next thing that caught my eye was an out-of-place maid and a beautiful girl who looked like a doll.
It had been such an unexpected series of events that I was too stunned to respond properly.
"Excuse me. I am Targa Brescia, the commander of the border knights assigned to defend Cenetta. I am grateful for your assistance."
I introduced myself briefly, and the blonde woman shrugged casually while still sitting with her legs crossed.
"There's no need to worry, as long as we hold this ground, there is no risk of the kingdom’s downfall. I am Panamera Carrera Cayenne. I came to assist in the defense as an ally of Baron Van."
"Panamera... the one...?"
Upon hearing Panamera’s name, I involuntarily furrowed my brow. She was an incredibly capable person, a brilliant figure who had risen to the rank of a baron despite her bloodline. However, I had also heard rumors that she showed no mercy to her enemies.
"...What do you mean by 'the one'?" Panamera asked with a smirk. "I’d love to hear your explanation."
"Ah, no, no hidden meaning... My apologies. I’ll sit quietly for now."
I awkwardly explained myself and sat down in the empty seat. The inside of the carriage was even larger than I expected. Despite the four of us, there was still plenty of space.
I’m aware that I’m bigger than most people, but even so, it felt spacious. Stradale, who was also somewhat large, would have no trouble fitting in here.
As I thought this, I looked toward the door, only to find Stradale had disappeared. Instead, the silver-haired boy from before appeared.
"I’ve been told to switch places with Stradale."
Van said with an awkward smile as he entered the carriage. Without skipping a beat, he sat between Panamera and the girl.
No comments:
Post a Comment