Chapter 23: Defense

The bandits faced off against us across the simple barricade built around the members of the Librau Merchant Guild and the guards.

With light, noise, battle cries, and my declaration, we intimidated the enemy and clearly showed our intent to fight back.

Next, one of the guild’s men successfully struck one of the bandits—who had been reeling from the blinding flash—with a thrown stone.

“Yes!”

Ah, that was what I had wanted to do.
My own arm strength hadn’t been enough to make the stone reach them at all.

“Guh…!”

Even so, being hit wasn’t a fatal blow.

Judging by numbers alone, we were clearly at a disadvantage.

The enemy appeared well armed.

Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any archers.
All of them appeared to be carrying only close-range weapons.

While I rang the pot to intimidate them and used the noise to convey the urgency to the villagers, I judged that, for the sake of buying time, I should keep misleading the enemy with words alone.

It was something I’d been doing since the start.

To make it look as though we were fully prepared.

To show them that we intended not just to repel them, but to kill them.

I grabbed a piece of timber prepared for the barricade to use as a makeshift spear, quickly wrapped cloth around it to turn it into a “flag,” climbed onto the piled materials, and raised it high as I shouted orders.

“Front line!
Kill those magical beasts for sure, three of you to one!
Your blades are coated with poison…!”

Of course, it was all made up.
A complete bluff.

And I made sure the bandits could hear it.

“Be careful not to cut yourselves while swinging the poisoned blades!
Kill them one by one without fail!”

“…Understood!”

“Roger that, boss!”

Boss, huh.

Well, if calling me that helped intimidate the enemy, I’d take it.

“Anyone coming through the pitfall zone can be ignored!
Focus only on the werewolves that break formation and rush forward!”

Naturally, we hadn’t set up any pitfalls.

If they’d been closely observing our movements beforehand, they might have realized it was a bluff.

But the bandits had been thrown off by everything I’d been saying and had stopped advancing.

Pitfalls.
Poisoned blades.
Knight order reinforcements.

I kept drilling these nonexistent pieces of information into their heads at just the right moments.

By declaring that we would kill them one by one, I made them hesitate to charge, while giving my allies a clear focus for their attacks.

Standing slightly elevated, waving the flag and shouting commands, my presence made them hesitate.

The barrage of information and the blinding, mysterious light had clearly shaken them.

Their confusion and uncertainty were obvious.
It was fair to say we’d completely spoiled their opening move.

Everything was a bluff.
All of it.

But the fact that our stones had actually reached them and landed hits—even if not fatal ones—was huge.

We had shown them that we had the will to fight.

We had to make them believe this attack wouldn’t be easily resolved.

To hint at the arrival of the knight order and make them feel a time limit closing in.

I could see the bandits exchanging glances, hesitating, unsure of what to do.

Then one man, who appeared to be their leader, stepped forward.

He was carefully watching his footing—probably wary because of my “pitfall” claim.

He didn’t believe everything I said, but he clearly didn’t think it was all nonsense either.

“This is a misunderstanding!
We’re not magical beasts!
We’re not werewolves either!
Listen to me!”

…And then.

The bandit actually tried to open a dialogue.

At the edge of my vision, I saw the guild members glance at one another.

Annabel was standing close beside me.

“We won’t listen!
Werewolves are magical beasts that speak human language to lower people’s guard!
Prepare stones!
If he comes any closer, be ready to pelt him all at once!”

I shouted over the man’s words, ordering my allies to ready their stones.

It was still too early to actually throw them.

But just taking the throwing stance prevented the bandit from approaching freely.

…I understand.

If the other side truly wanted dialogue, how wonderful that would be.

That’s exactly why they thought we’d fall for it if they said that.

It was a despicable act that preyed on fear—on our desire for things to be resolved peacefully.

Someone seeking dialogue wouldn’t approach with weapons raised and a grin on their face.

“That’s why I’m telling you we’re not magical beasts!”

The man shouted in anger, yet still didn’t advance.

Our throwing stance was clearly working.

“Hey, just hear us out.
We’re in trouble too, you know.
Life’s all about negotiation—give and take, right?”

With a suspicious smile, the man watched us carefully.

It was obvious he was trying to get closer.

The bandits behind him seemed to be leaving everything to him.

Our fighting strength consisted mainly of the three guards.

The guild’s men might be more agile than me, but they weren’t trained fighters.

They held their stones, understanding that it served as intimidation.

The problem was that we didn’t have that many stones prepared.

This kind of defensive standoff wouldn’t last long.

If the messenger sent to the village encountered no ambush, the villagers might be able to escape.

To make that happen, we had to buy time.

Ideally, the village’s self-defense group would join us.
If we had the numbers, we might survive somehow.

In the end, our only real hope was Sir Richard’s return.

But how could we let him know what was happening while he was deep in the mountains?

“Never lower your weapons!
If he makes a big move, begin throwing stones without mercy!
If they try to get closer, drive them into the pitfalls and stab them with poisoned blades!”

“Yes!”

The guards responded loudly to my very deliberate commands.

Their understanding and enthusiasm were a lifesaver.

“…Hey!
I said talk it out already!”

The man shouted, his voice trembling with rage.

Honestly, I was terrified too, but I was so wound up that I barely registered what I was doing anymore.

Maybe it was because I’d already experienced “death” in that vivid prophetic dream.

My tension was clearly abnormal.

But if they realized that I—the one issuing commands—was afraid, we’d be done for.

Maintaining the bluff that we were fully prepared and ready to intercept them was everything.

Since I’d started this bluff, I had no choice but to carry through as the “commander.”

Annabel understood that and stayed close to support me.

We ignored the enemy’s words and refused dialogue.

We simply maintained a threatening stance and preserved the stalemate.

“…Hey, I’m coming closer!
I’m human, not a magical beast!
I’m on your side!
Got it!?
Don’t attack me!”

I didn’t respond to his words.

I didn’t even say “stop.”
That would be dialogue.

The bandits’ goal was to pretend to talk, get closer, and strike suddenly to cause chaos.

That would be the signal for the rear ranks to charge.

At first they might hesitate, but in reality there were no pitfalls, no poisoned blades, and no knight order reinforcements.

If they charged, we were finished.

But even bluffing to buy time had its limits.

We didn’t know when Sir Richard would return.

Was there anything else I could do with the cards I had…?

“Members of the Librau Merchant Guild, and guards.
Will you trust me…?”

“…?”

I spoke in a voice only my allies could hear.

I didn’t lower my gaze, continuing to glare at the bandits.

There was only one thing I could do.

“…I’m better at healing magic than most people.
I haven’t had a chance to show you before, but the golden light earlier was my healing magic.”

In theory, it should be possible.

If it was a matter of magical output, then with my talent and mana…

“I can cast healing magic on people who are some distance away.”

So—

“…Even if you suffer fatal wounds, I will ‘immediately’ heal you!
Just like how I healed Sir Richard’s arm that was never supposed to recover!”

In other words—

“Will you stake your lives… and fight?”

I was asking them to fight as if ready to die.

I was telling them I’d heal them immediately, so they should charge even at the cost of mortal wounds.

“…!”

I couldn’t look directly at them, but I could feel their faces turn pale.

Still, in this situation, we had no choice but to make the three guards our spearhead.

Even knowing we were outnumbered.

Our only path forward was my healing magic… or so I believed.

────

Just like before, I cast healing magic toward the three guards on the front line.

They were some distance away.

A torrent of light erupted, putting the bandits on edge and making them recoil.

Those receiving the healing magic felt a faint warmth.

If my magic reached the front line, they should have felt it.

“…How is it?”

“… …”

The three guards looked at one another.

It might have been just psychological comfort, but my magic had clearly reached them.

“…Understood!”

“We’ll put our lives in your hands, boss!”

The guards steeled themselves and accepted my plan.

With that, the three frontliners resolved to charge, and our counterattack was ready.

All that remained was the timing of the order.

The bandits’ formation had their rear ranks scattered.

Perhaps wary of pitfalls, they’d stopped at a set distance.

Only one man had stepped forward, attempting something like negotiations—the apparent leader.

He was slowly closing the distance.

We couldn’t move first.

“You get it now, right?
We’re not magical beasts, we’re human.
So lower those dangerous things.”

The bandit slowly, slowly advanced.

Those behind him crept forward as well.

Sweating coldly, my allies endured their fear and waited for my signal.

When the distance closed to its absolute limit, I raised my voice again.

“Behold!
Proof that they are magical beasts!”

“Hey, come on—”

I could tell my words were irritating the man.

If possible, it was better to irritate him even more and dull his judgment.

“Is there any human that ugly!?
That twisted, hideous face is proof he’s a magical beast!
Look at that disgusting face!
Smell that stench of body odor drifting over here!
Someone that ugly and smelly can’t possibly be human!!”

“Wha—!?”

“And look at the ones behind him!
They’re all hideous too!
Creatures that ugly have no right to call themselves human!!”

My words stunned everyone—enemy and ally alike.

In an instant, the bandits’ forced composure shattered, their rage boiling over.

“You bastard!!
Don’t screw with me!!”

The lead man raised his massive weapon and charged.
His target was me.

“…Begin throwing stones!”

“Uoooo!”

The guild’s men hurled stones at the charging bandit.

At the same time, the others behind him began to move.

“Front line, advance!
Focus only on that one!”

“Yes!”

I focused my mind and continued casting healing magic on them.

This was a life-or-death, reckless gamble of nonstop healing.

But there was no other move left.

“Take this!”

“Gah!”

The bandit leader rampaged, batting away the three guards.

There was clearly a difference in skill.

That was likely why the others had left everything to him.

“Gyah!”

One of the guards was slashed, blood spraying into the air.

The bandit leader grinned.

“Don’t falter!”

I shouted to keep his fighting spirit alive and unleashed my healing magic at full power.

The injured guard’s body was enveloped in golden light…

“U—ooooo!!”

“What!?”

The bandit leader stared in shock as the man he’d just dealt a fatal blow to immediately recovered and moved again.

“Uoooo!”

The other two guards, now convinced that my words hadn’t been lies, surged forward with renewed momentum.

“What—!
Damn it—!”

No matter how skilled he was, facing three opponents alone was too much.

Especially when they healed instantly after taking fatal blows.

It was an abnormal situation.

That abnormality threw the bandit leader into confusion.

“Uoooo!!”

Watching bodies that healed instantly despite repeated attacks, the bandit leader lost all means of responding… and fell.

“Gah… ha…”

“What…!?”

The bandits, who had been waiting for a chance to charge while wary of pitfalls, were left speechless at the sight of their leader being defeated so easily.