Scout 3

Parav decided to start by earning the trust of the thirty-seven evacuees at the Eastern Branch. This wasn’t a particularly difficult task.

“Greetings. My name is Sven Parav. I am a former Paladin of the Church of Reatlas. Though I have since left the order, I now serve as a member of the Anabada Clan.”

Despite being an ex-member, his background as a Paladin of the Church of Reatlas still carried weight.

And on top of that, a member of the Anabada Clan, the most famous clan in recent times.

“…Anabada? Isn’t that Baron Jandel’s clan?!”

“Forget all that. A paladin! By the Goddess… we’re saved!”

“But how do we know he’s telling the truth—”

“Quiet. See that woman beside him? I don’t know her name, but I saw her myself at the victory ceremony. She was definitely with Baron Jandel!”

“W-We’re saved…”

It didn’t take long.

The suspicion vanished from their eyes and relief took its place.

But when people lower their guard, they naturally start talking more.

“Sir Paladin? What’s happening outside?”

“Did you see a boy about this tall on your way here?”

“What’s going to happen to us?”

“Did the royal family send you to rescue us?”

Dozens of questions poured out from the evacuees. The atmosphere instantly became chaotic and overwhelming, but Sven Parav tried to answer as many as he could with as much grace as possible.

“The war is still ongoing outside. The royal army has entered District 7, so we’ll have to see how things develop.”

“Sorry. I haven’t seen a boy like that.”

“For now, it would be best to stay here and wait.”

“…Unfortunately, we weren’t sent by the royal family to save you. We only came here to find somewhere safe, just like you.”

His excessive honesty dimmed the hope in their eyes.

But he preferred it that way.

Nothing was more cruel than giving false hope.

“You weren’t sent by the royal family…?”

“Damn it!”

“Come to think of it, that makes sense. How would they even know we’re here?”

“Even if they did, they wouldn’t come. Didn’t you see the fireballs falling where we were? The royal family doesn’t care if we live or die!”

Where hope faded, anger took its place.

Not everyone, though.

“Honestly, I feel better knowing they’re not connected to the royal family.”

“If they’re Baron Jandel’s companions, we can trust them.”

“Yes! With a Paladin and a mage here, we feel much safer. We were so anxious on our own…!”

Compared to the furious evacuees, these people were almost too optimistic.

Sven had his doubts about why these ‘anxious’ people hadn’t even bothered to lock the front gate, but…

“Ha, haha.”

He laughed awkwardly and kept his thoughts to himself. That wasn’t important right now.

“First, I’d like to assess the situation here. Are there any explorers among you?”

By revealing his identity, Sven naturally took command and moved to assess their combat strength. However, the results were disappointing.

At his question, the evacuees avoided his gaze and looked away. Strangely, their eyes all drifted in the same direction, as if seeking the one person who held the answer.

Sven followed their line of sight.

A middle-aged man avoided his gaze and coughed.

“…I, I just entered the Labyrinth a few times in my youth! I retired a long time ago.”

“I see.”

A retired explorer. One who seemed hesitant to speak, afraid he might be forced into something dangerous.

“Mister! What do you mean ‘a few times’? You told us you used to be amazing!”

“You brat! How can I compare myself to the companions of Baron Jandel?”

“May I ask what your rank was just before retirement?”

“It was… Rank 7.”

“I understand.”

Sven nodded.

Then he assigned the retired Rank 7 explorer in charge of managing the evacuees. It was more rational than using him for combat.

“I’d like to build some fortifications just in case. Can I get some help?”

“Anything you need, Sir Paladin!”

“Then please gather anything we can use to block the door. Chairs, desks, cabinets…”

Afterwards, Sven locked the main gate and completed the minimum preparations by setting up a barricade.

“Mr. Parav, it’s good that we’ve built a defensive line, but won’t our retreat be cut off if something happens?”

“Can’t we escape through the windows then?”

“But the windows are all on the second floor. We might manage it, but the others would struggle. There are elderly people and children here.”

Parav trailed off. She hadn’t said anything he could argue against, but even if he agreed, there was nothing he could do.

Even so, one thought refused to leave him alone. In that situation, the area around the temple would be crawling with enemies anyway. Is it even possible to escape with thirty-seven refugees who have zero combat power?

Here he was, a former paladin taking shelter in a temple that housed the Goddess Reatlas’s statue, yet if he ever had to choose between two impossible options, the answer was simple: he wouldn’t be able to save everyone.

It’s impossible.

I’m not a monster like Bjorn Jandel.

I can’t do it.

Right, so…

“There’s no need to think about fleeing yet. The chances of enemies coming all the way here are low… and if we just hold this spot, the problem is solved.”

“Yes… that’s true. If we can just hold this place, there’s no reason to run.”

Marone didn’t seem to have a better answer either. Instead of arguing, she started crafting magic circles in front of the gate to help with the defence.

Sigh.

After watching her, Sven turned and began to walk aimlessly.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to look around and get a feel for the building’s layout.”

“Ah, I see…”

He used that as an excuse, but he didn’t actually need to learn the layout. Most temples were built according to a set standard.

The prayer hall on the ground floor and the location of the stairs to the first floor were all familiar to him. Even the living quarters for administrative priests on the second floor were similar to those in other small-scale branches.

Step, step.

After making a full circle around the building, he returned to the first-floor prayer hall and sat on the floor, now cleared of chairs for the barricade. For some reason, he just wanted to rest.

However, it seemed that the others had misunderstood his intentions. The evacuees, who usually talked to him wherever he went, avoided his eyes and gave him space this time.

Just as he felt it was strange, he opened his eyes and saw the statue of Reatlas directly in front of him.

…Did they think I was praying?

That was quite funny. He had lived as a Paladin for a long time, but in reality, he was far from devout.

“The Goddess of Stars…”

He gazed at the statue of Reatlas, the goddess said to govern adventure and relationships, and silently asked a question.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

No answer.

Only silence.

The silence the evacuees created so as not to disturb his “prayer.”

Through half-closed eyes, he saw everyone facing his direction with their eyes shut, some repeatedly tracing the goddess’s symbol in the air with their hands.

He closed his eyes.

Like wishing on a shooting star, he muttered:

‘Please… just let us live. Okay?’

He was no different from the others.

***

A total of fifteen clans, including Anabada Clan, were stationed in the barbarian sanctuary. Aside from the rank seven explorers assigned to special roles, every clan also had members ranked six or higher. Altogether, their number came to 207.

There had originally been more, but most of the lower-ranked explorers died en route. So the ones present were all that remained, or so I had heard.

Whatever the case, once Aynar and the 800 elite barbarian warriors I had carefully chosen joined us, our forces swelled to over a thousand.

..It can’t be helped.

Increasing the numbers would only increase the death toll.

That was why our group was made up solely of elites, those determined to follow me into the great battle and defend the sanctuary.

“Preparations are complete.”

“Yeah? Good work.”

After hearing Versyl’s report that everything was ready, I stood before the fortress gate, now cleared of debris.

And

‘…I’m getting a little tired of this, but it’s not something I can skip.’

Looking at the thousand soldiers awaiting my words, I began my address.

“We are now heading to Sector 7.”

I didn’t shout at the top of my lungs, but with everyone listening intently, there was no problem getting the message across.

I continued calmly.

“Some of us will die fighting the enemy. Some of us will survive.”

It wasn’t exactly the kind of rousing speech a commander would give before a war. It was too realistic. Too heavy. I knew that better than anyone, but I couldn’t help it.

“Because of this, someone will lose a husband, and someone will lose a father.”

Since when did it start?

I no longer wanted to deceive people with sweet lies or fill them with false hope.

“That’s why you need to know.”

“If you kill the enemy, ask yourself what you’re killing them for.”

“And if you’re killed… ask yourself what you risked your life for.”

For some reason, excitement surged within me as I began to shout.

“I’m going to District 7 to protect the people precious to me! Why are you going?”

Everyone would have their own answer.

“Because we can’t send the chief alone.”

Some followed out of respect.

“I’m going to become a great warrior!”

Some chased glory.

“Ha! You said this was a chance to earn merit, didn’t you?!”

Some were driven by raw desire.

“Those bastards need to disappear so our families can finally sleep in peace!”

And some, like me, simply wanted to protect the ones they loved.

That was war.

“Even if what we want is different, our goal is the same. That’s why we can walk the same path and fight back to back.”

I made them a promise.

“I’ll walk at the very front.”

“And at the very least, I’ll remember what each of you fought and died for.”

So

‘Follow me. Entrust your wishes to me.’

No more words were necessary.

This was a merciless world where you couldn’t survive without fighting.

“BETHELRAAAA—!!!”

I took the first step.

***

Finally, we entered District 7.

We were in the middle of a war, yet the streets we ran through were all familiar to us.

Weapons in hand.

“BETHELRAAAAAA—!!!”

“Protect me!”

“Nia Raphdonia…!”

Each of us shouted our own battle cry.

“Waaaaaah!!”

As we ran through the deserted streets, we saw a group of people in the distance. Likely Noark soldiers.

About ten of them. Probably a surveillance unit assigned to watch the sanctuary.

“E–Emergency! Emergency! About a thousand troops have left the sanctuary! Bjorn Jandel is leading them!”

After hurriedly sending some kind of message, they didn’t even try to stop us and simply ran off.

Not that running would save them.

There’s a saying: If you spot a bear far away in the wild, it’s already too late.

「Erwin Fornacci di Tersia has cast [Rupture].」
「James Carla has cast [Piercing Light].」

The ranged attackers on my shoulders used their elevated position to fire down at the fleeing soldiers.

I will call this Barbarian Bunker Mode.

We even had Rottmiller stationed at the bunker as one of our ranged attackers.

Thwack!

Oh. A headshot with a crossbow from this distance? And it didn’t even look like a skill.

“…Looks like your aim’s improved.”

“The bow was the easiest weapon to learn within the city.”

Makes sense. You need a partner to practice swordplay.

“But… is it really okay for me to be here?”

Rotmiller still didn’t seem to believe that he was part of the Barbarian Bunker Mode. Or rather, he was worried.

“I will try my best, but I might just be a hindrance.”

“It’s fine. I decided it.”

I was the one who put him here.

I didn’t really have a choice.

He begged to come, saying he’d at least pull his weight. I couldn’t stop him.

So, since I was worried, I put him in my bunker unit.

In a way, it’s the most dangerous front line…

But it’s also where my eyes can always reach.

If something happens, I can handle it.

And besides, Rotmiller wasn’t dead weight. He was actually helping.

“Over there! My ‘sixth sense’ says that direction’s dangerous!”

I’d almost forgotten.

After consuming the Mimic Essence, Rotmiller’s sixth-sense stat was pretty high.

Thanks to Rotmiller, my first scout, and his navigation ability, I didn’t have to think much about choosing the route.

“Then we head that way.”

“…Huh? Didn’t I just say that way’s dangerous?”

“Yeah… that’s exactly why we’re going.”

“…?”

“We came out here to fight”

If it’s dangerous, that’s where the enemies are.

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