Chapter 98

The assassins slipped past the knights' guard.

There are... more of them than before. Is it because there's no place to hide, or are they prepared to die? They seem to be advancing straight ahead.

Honestly, the knights on guard should do their job properly! Why are they letting so many slip through? Not just a few, but if this continues, we might be surrounded from all sides.

"---Huff!"

"Ugh!"

I cut down the black-clad man who rushed forward first. Unfortunately, this isn't a situation where I can hold back.

At the same time, a slight doubt arises about how easily my first strike went through.

These guys are clearly weaker than the last group, aren't they?

Indeed, there are more of them, but their skill level seems much lower compared to the last time. Of course, not everyone is a pushover, but in the first attack, I struggled a lot against just one of them.

Perhaps this attack is more about numbers, or maybe they couldn't ensure quality, so they just increased the quantity. If that's the case, it's a fortunate miscalculation, but is it really?

"Prince Glen, Princess Salakia! Crouch down!"

"For, for sure!"

For now, I shout to get their attention.

Evacuation is difficult, and there's no place to hide.

So, the best we can do is have them crouch to reduce the area exposed to attacks.

In this situation, with no cover, even a single projectile can be fatal. Last time, it was a close-quarters battle in the city, which was tough but also easier in a way because we only had to worry about the immediate surroundings.

This time, the area is open but the visibility is poor, making it a challenging situation for the defenders.

If they only had daggers, it wouldn't be a problem, but if they have bows, it's going to be tough. We can't afford to let our guard down, so we can't leave the prince and princess.

Alyssia and Hembritz, who likely came to the same conclusion, are also surrounding the royals.

Still, it's impossible to cover every angle, and when assassins get close, we need to keep some distance to protect our charges.

From the attackers' perspective, this isn't a bad situation.

It's incredibly troublesome.

"---Whoa!"

I reflexively knock down something that whizzed by.

Damn, I knew it, but I really hate archers! Fortunately, their aim isn't great, but having a ranged attack is still very dangerous. The difficulty of defense just skyrocketed.

"---! There are archers! Watch out for the arrows!"

Gataga, who also noticed, shouted.

Even knowing this, it's extremely difficult to block all the arrows. We need to deal with the archers as soon as possible to prevent the prince and princess from being hit.

"Hinnis can use both swords and bows...! That bastard...!"

It seems the former deputy commander of the Church Knights is also skilled with bows.

In that case, it's likely he's leading the archers. Last time, he fled from the confrontation with Gataga, probably thinking he was at a disadvantage in close combat.

"---Gataga-san!"

"Ah!?"

But as it is, we're in a losing battle.

With the assassins surging like a flood and arrows flying, we'll reach our limit soon. Our guards are all skilled, but even they have limits in terms of stamina, morale, and field of vision.

"Deal with the archers! We'll handle this!"

What should we do?

Someone needs to charge in and take out the archers.

"---But!"

"Go! This is a losing battle otherwise!"

"---Damn it!!"

An arrow pierces the back of a black-clad man, and he falls.

They're shooting indiscriminately, relying on sheer numbers. Damn them.

Of course, we have no room to spare either.

We're barely holding off the assassins who are overwhelming us with numbers. However, we need to take out or move the archers before they can adjust their aim, or the prince and princess will be hit.

"---Got it! I'll leave it to you!!"

Gataga, perhaps realizing that hesitation is futile, shouts louder and charges forward.

This is good.

There's likely a personal grudge with Hinnis. Even if we ignore his personal feelings, someone needs to break through to change the situation.

Now, it's up to Gataga's skills, but we have to trust his title as the commander of the Church Knights. We can't afford to spare more hands; otherwise, the prince and princess will die.

Now, it's just the three of us—me, Alyssia, and Hembritz—protecting the royals. We're skilled, but the numbers are concerning. We just have to hold on!

...Wait, where's Rose? Where did she go?

She was nearby when Prince Glen and Princess Salakia were looking at the farm, but she's somehow out of our protection range.

She's a serious person, so I don't think she'd abandon her guard duty in a crisis...

"Oh!"

There she is.

It seems she's a bit ahead of us, engaging the assassins as a forward guard.

Hmm, there are limits to surrounding the royals. We need space to fight, so we can't be packed like sardines.

So, her judgment isn't entirely wrong.

As long as she can handle the assassins effectively.

"Sei!"

"Ugh...!"

Another one. I cut down an assassin who slipped through the front, where Rose was supposed to be guarding.

She's been a disciple at my dojo for a short time. I know her skills well.

Her fighting style focuses on defense and counterattacks, making her strong in defensive battles. She can handle one-on-one and one-against-many situations. Her sword skills are far superior to these guys.

She even took down skilled assassins during the last attack.

She's not the type to let such easy opponents slip through.

"Damn it!"

Another one. I deflect a thrown dagger and counter with a diagonal slash. The black-clad man sinks into a pool of blood without even a groan.

To begin with, it's strange that so many assassins have broken through the knights' defenses.

The attackers from the last time were understandable. They were skilled swordsmen and attacked from the roofs, taking advantage of the thin guard. It made sense that we had to face them directly.

But this group is different. They're much less skilled than the last ones.

They're just more in number. The royal protection team is four—now three—but the outer perimeter should be guarded by the Reberio Knights and the Church Knights.

The Reberio Knights wouldn't be this negligent.

It's unacceptable for knights to fail to protect against intruders. If there were such incompetent knights, Alyssia and Hembritz would have noticed and possibly expelled them.

"Damn... there are so many...!"

Next to me, Alyssia, who repelled an approaching assassin with a single thrust, mutters.

There's no time to take them alive. If we try, the next one will be on us. We need to deal with them quickly and efficiently.

"What are the guards doing?"

Hembritz also shouts in anger.

It's understandable. A few intruders might slip through, but this many can only mean the guards are negligent.

"..."

The most plausible explanation is the Church Knights.

They're letting the assassins through, intentionally creating a path. The sheer number of attackers far exceeds expectations.

The incident with Bishop Revious the other day.

And the conversation with Lucy comes to mind.

Sphendoyardania, where the Papal and Royal factions are in conflict. Naturally, this affects the Church Knights.

If this series of events is part of the Papal faction's plan.

A former deputy commander of the Church Knights is leading the rebellion. It's not surprising that there are agents within the Church Knights trying to eliminate Prince Glen.

And if Rose is one of them...

—It all fits. It fits too well.

"---Whoa!"

With a metallic sound, I deflect a flying object that glints in the sunlight.

It's a dagger. They must have realized they're at a disadvantage in close combat and switched to throwing weapons. If I had hesitated for another second, that dagger would have hit the prince or princess.

Thanks to Gataga, the arrows have stopped, but this situation won't resolve itself.

The attackers' numbers aren't infinite. Eventually, this assault will subside. However, it's uncertain if the three of us can hold out until then.

I think we can win, but I'm not sure if we can safely return Prince Glen and Princess Salakia to the palace.

"---Alyssia!"

"What is it!?"

While deflecting incoming daggers, I shout.

It's a risky move, but being surrounded here is worse.

Moreover, while we can't trust the Church Knights, we can trust the Reberio Knights. If we lose faith in them, this mission is already a failure.

"Take the prince and princess to the Reberio Knights! I'll hold the line here!"

"---! But---!"

"Just do it! We'll be surrounded otherwise! We need to break through somewhere!"

With assassins attacking from all sides and daggers flying, there's no future in staying here.

It's better to move while gathering the Reberio Knights and have them secure the area to escort the royals back to the palace.

"Prince Glen! Princess Salakia! Follow Alyssia and Hembritz! Don't forget to crouch!"

"---Understood...!"

It's a risky plan, but the princes nod.

I can't afford hesitation here. I hope they can make the right decision.

"Damn... Hembritz, let's go!"

"Right!"

Alyssia and Hembritz start moving cautiously at my command.

There's no time for a carriage. It's not fast enough, and they can easily be caught up to on foot.

So, they'll have to run while gathering the Reberio Knights. It's a lot to ask of the prince and princess, but they need to endure for their survival.

"Move out!"

"Ugh...!"

With no one to protect, I can finally move freely. Without the burden of protecting others, there's no reason to struggle against these opponents.

I can't afford to spare the lives of these criminals, so I'll cut them down without hesitation.

"Huff!"

Still, I can't let the assassins pass behind me, so I end up in a berserker-like state, slashing at anyone in my way.

It feels like I'm the one doing something wrong, but the attackers are clearly the villains.

After a while of swinging my sword relentlessly,

the peaceful agricultural area has turned into a chaotic and dangerous zone, splattered with blood and flesh.

"---Phew..."

I exhale as the flow of people finally subsides.

I hope the princes have escaped safely. I can only trust Alyssia and Hembritz's skills.

I have no idea how many I've cut down. All I know is that I faced an incredible number of assassins.

I'm amazed that this sword's edge hasn't dulled. If it were a regular longsword, it might have been dangerous.

"---Finally, we can talk."

And in front of me stands a single heavy knight in full plate armor.

"---"

She didn't move.

After the princes escaped, she seemed to be handling things well, but if you know her usual movements, you can sense the discrepancy.

The doubt is now certain.

But to understand her true intentions, we need more information.

"---Will you explain, Rose?"

The woman in front of me still had her usual smile.