◈ 359. [Side Story] Convocation Order (2)
“… … .”
Torkel, the leader of the Leper Slayer, was standing in front of the temple.
Wearing his helmet as usual and wrapping his whole body in bandages, he could only look at the temple from a distance, but could not go inside.
He couldn’t bear to take a step and flinched.
“What, Mr. Thorkel?”
Damian, who was cleaning around the temple with a broom, found such a Thorkel. Because they had been exploring dungeons together for the past few days, they had known each other.
“What are you doing? Do you have business at the temple?”
“… … .”
Thorkel, hesitant, answered honestly.
“My heart is frustrated, and I want to ask the goddess something. That’s why I came.”
“Then can I come in?”
“… … But I am a leper. A body abandoned by a goddess. I wonder if I can pray at the temple… … .”
“Oh really. Of course it does. Were you worried about that?”
Damian smiled brightly and gestured toward the inside of the temple.
“Come in! I will guide you.”
“… … no.”
Torkell shook his head and slowly put his hands together in front of his chest.
“If it is permitted to pray, I will do it here.”
“How about coming inside? There is also a statue of a goddess there.”
“The statue of the goddess can also be seen from here.”
Thorkell clasped his hands tightly and bowed his head. Damian stood by Thorkel’s side.
Then Marherita walked out of the entrance of the temple. She must have been cleaning in the morning, too, with a broom in her hand.
“Damian! Why is cleaning the front door taking so long!”
“Wow, the priest!”
“I’ve been playing around lately, but if I keep doing this, I’ll increase the area I clean in the morning… … oh.”
Only then did Marherita find Thorkell praying and shut up.
Damian laughed awkwardly, and Thorkell slowly lifted his head, loosening his praying hands.
Torquell and Marherita bowed awkwardly to each other. Marherita, embarrassed, asked Thorkel.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you here unscathed, Mr. Thorkell. What did you pray for today?”
“… … Actually, I couldn’t pray.”
“yes?”
“I don’t know what to pray for.”
Torkel continued with his characteristic stubby voice.
“Since I had this disease a long time ago. I have been secretly praying to Goddess every day. Please forgive me.”
“… … .”
“Please forgive your sins. please forgive me Please take this bottle and go.”
Thorkell looked down at his bandaged hands.
“But last time, the saintess told me. This disease is not like a punishment from heaven. It is not because of my sins.”
His hands were clenched tightly.
“Then now, what should I pray to the goddess? Whom should I ask for forgiveness? If not him, whom should I blame?”
“… … .”
“Rather, I used to feel comfortable. I just thought it was a disease that I got because I was wrong. It’s because I’m the one who deserves to be punished. Because it was enough to blame myself… … . But, for now.”
Thorkell shook his head.
“I don’t know anything. nothing… … .”
Silence passed.
Damian rolled his eyes wide and didn’t know what to do.
And the moment Marherita, who had been lost in thought for a moment, opened her mouth to say something to Thorkel,
All right! All right!
Ash’s carriage appeared on the other side of the boulevard.
Kik-!
Ash poked his face out of the wagon, which stopped roughly, and waved his hand.
“Thorkel! Damian! Just happened to be here You are the last!”
“majesty.”
“Prince, what are you doing?”
“It’s a call! We’re going to have a strategy meeting over lunch, so come to my mansion by noon! Oh, the saintess was there too. Please come with us too!”
Then Ash stuck out his tongue and gasped as he pressed himself against the carriage seat.
“Oh, I should have just ordered someone, I ran out of energy after calling them one by one in the morning… … Anyway, see you later!”
Ash waved and the carriage started again. all over again… … .
Watching the carriage pull away, Thorkell bowed his head to Damian and Marherita.
“… … Then, me too.”
“Mr. Thorkel!”
Marherita spoke to Thorkell as he walked away.
“I will think about it too. So, please come to the temple next time without getting hurt again.”
“… … .”
“Okay? I’ll wait. please.”
Torquell silently bowed his head once more, then walked across the city.
The two priests quietly watched the back.
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***
“Oh, this is kind of tiring.”
I untied the front of my clothes and fanned it with my hand.
I went around the city in the morning and summoned the heroes, and it’s hard… … . I was just going to let people do it. Why do I have to go out and buy it myself?
On my way back to the manor house, I saw the bustling downtown and suddenly said to the coachman.
“for a moment! Stop the carriage!”
The carriage stopped, and I got off right in front of the Wintersilver upper branch building.
People at the top were busily packing their bags.
Since I had issued an evacuation order, if possible, every civilian in the city was being evacuated to a nearby city.
I could see the neatly packaged luggage, probably because they were from the top.
Is it because you move often? My packing skills aren’t normal. Would you like to make some money by running a moving company?
“majesty!”
Then Serenade found me and ran to me.
Sweat was beading on her forehead, as if she had been working since morning, and her aqua-colored hair was tied back at the back of her neck. The exposed white nape of her neck glistened with sweat.
“I was thinking of meeting you in the afternoon. You came first.”
I thought I would be sad if I stopped by after passing by, so I only smiled shyly. haha.
“Are you leaving today?”
“yes. Most of the caravan has been evacuated, and today I and the last of the crew are going to the northern city.”
Afterwards, Serenade looked to the side and gestured.
“Ah, Elise! Come on! As I said before, stay by His Highness’ side.”
“… … .”
Elise appeared dragging the swordsman on the floor and reluctantly replied ‘yes’ as if she didn’t like the situation.
I laughed bitterly. Leaving the owner’s side would not be resentful, but the SSR level inspection is still indispensable. I’ll put it to good use in this battle.
Elise, with a swarthy face, stood behind me. Seeing us like that, Serenade nodded her head.
“We will leave Crossroads right now, but we will continue to send military supplies secured from nearby cities to Crossroads.”
“thank you. It’s just you, really.”
By the way, I requested reinforcements from nearby cities and countries… … No answer has been returned yet.
The only support coming from outside the city was mercenaries who came on their own volition, and military supplies brought in by the Winter Silver Merchant Merchants. Everyone is savage… … .
“And, this time, I also got a little bit of an amazing munitions.”
Serenade laughed.
“I will send you here as soon as possible. I hope I can be of help to Your Highness.”
“Oh, I’ll look forward to it.”
I don’t know what it is, but it must be a pretty good thing to say that the Winter Silver Merchant is amazing. I guess it’s like an SSR-class artifact.
Then, Serenade took a step closer to me and looked up at me with worried eyes.
“… … Your Highness, I wish you the best of luck. You shouldn’t get hurt.”
“thank you. You too, please be careful.”
I smiled bitterly as I saw this young lady who had to come down to Manita Town and evacuate to the next city because of me.
Serenade, who stared at me for a while, reached out and took my hand, then lightly kissed the back of my hand.
Her soft lips fell on the back of my hand, leaving a brief aftertaste.
I belatedly came to my senses after watching it blankly.
“uh… … What do you mean?”
Is there a meaning of wishing you luck or something like that, kissing the back of your hand?
“No, it makes no sense.”
After answering confidently, Serenade smiled with silvery eyes like the moon.
“I just wanted to do it.”
“… … .”
My face flushed first. Likewise, the red-eared serenade slowly bowed down.
“Then, Your Highness, by all means. I hope to see you again safely.”
“… … okay.”
I have no intention of getting game over in a place like this.
I also answered confidently.
“See you again, serenade. please.”
***
At noon. manor house.
Even though only the main heroes and the leaders of the reserve party were gathered, the drawing room was full.
‘I’ll have to build a large hall so that all the heroes can gather.’
Since there were a lot of people and it was also lunch, the meal was replaced with simple tea and sandwiches instead of dinner.
“Listen while eating. First of all, there is something to convey… … For this defensive battle, we will change the formation of some parties.”
Lucas and Evangeline, who were munching on sandwiches, looked at me in surprise.
I nodded. yes, it’s your story.
“The main party disbands.”
“ancient?!”
“to?!”
“Lucas, Evangeline, Damian, Junior. Each becomes a party leader and directs each party.”
Lucas is a prosecutor and knight party.
Evangeline is a shield tanker party.
Damian is a party of archers and snipers.
Junior is a wizard party.
Among the reserve party members, we have selected useful hero characters. It was decided to organize them into their respective parties.
“I’ll call them Lucas’ party, Evangeline’s party, Damian’s party, and Junior’s party.”
Evangeline shook her head in amazement.
“You have a really good naming sense, senior.”
“shut up. It’s a temporary party anyway, so let’s go intuitively.”
This battle will be a large-scale battle that has never been experienced before.
Enemies are goblins.
It is a mass offensive army driven by numbers. Instead, each individual object is not very strong.
Therefore, it is necessary for this side to spread its troops widely while maintaining its superiority in combat power.
The main party is certainly powerful, but too powerful to be united as one party.
For this battle, it was decided that it would be better to divide them into small pieces and operate them.
“As soon as today’s meeting is over, let’s keep in sync with the party members. It won’t be difficult since we’ve organized only friends with similar fighting styles.”
By the way, Elise was organized in Lucas’ party. I’m already looking forward to the synergy of the SSR grade knight & swordsman duo.
“I’ll call the list now. Each party sits at the same table and gets to know their faces.”
I called out the list of the newly formed party, and soon the heroes moved around and sat at their respective tables.
Glancing at each other, it’s like a college team meeting for the first time… …
I’m going to give you an A+ grade, so I hope you quickly get over the awkward time and get to know each other in your own way.
Lucas, who was greeting his party members, looked at me as if he had suddenly remembered.
“Then who is in charge of escorting the lord?”
“I don’t need my escort. If possible, I will not go to the front line.”
… … no, what is it Why is everyone staring at me? You look like you can’t believe anything.
I added it reluctantly, as everyone would not be suspicious.
“Don’t worry about my safety, I’ll always have at least one party with me anyway.”
Even so, the party members were still emitting worried eyes… … Eight! these guys! I ignored it and continued talking.
“same here. Two more members are also organized in the shadow unit. After all, it is a temporary organization limited to this defense.”
The Shadow Unit, which currently has only three members, was difficult to function as a complete party. So, I added one shield warrior and one archer.
For reference, the selection criterion was ‘how light their hostility toward elves was’.
What is the composition of the combination? It’s enough to assist while the 3 members of the Shadow Unit project firepower.
The Punishment Unit, the Dragon Blood Knights, the Leprosy Slayer Unit, and the Holy Grail Exploration Team, which promised to come as support, continue as they were originally organized.
This side is made up of one party, and there are problems with belonging to each one.
Then I turned to Marherita and said.
“Lady. You won’t go to battle this time. Please concentrate on treating the wounded in the temple.”
“All right.”
“Instead, we will build a teleport gate in the temple. It makes it possible to transport the injured easily.”
If hero-oriented battles were possible, Marherita would accompany her on the frontlines and serve as field medics.
This time, the damage to ordinary soldiers is expected to be significant. It was decided that it would be better to respond in a well-equipped temple.
Marherita nodded.
“The extension of the bed and the expansion of first aid kits are over. For this battle, all priests are prepared.”
“Thank you every time. Let’s struggle a little this time.”
In addition to this, we decided to announce various party reorganizations and post the reorganized party list outside.
“Well, I’ve said this and that, but in fact, this composition change may not mean anything.”
I grinned.
“I dug a super-sized trap that could eat them all.”
“… … ?!”
All the heroes looked surprised.
Lucas asked.
“A trap?”
