"Whaaaaaat?!" (Emile + Bell)
When they are told that they won't be taken away, Emile and Bell let out cries of shock.
No, of course!
Unlike Francette, no matter how hard Emile tried, his skill was somewhere between that of an average soldier and an experienced soldier. He's not skilled enough to survive on the battlefield. As for Bell, she's not even good enough to be a disposable shield that could only be used once.
Ah, no, no matter how strong someone was, there's no such thing as someone who could be guaranteed to survive on the battlefield.
Stray arrows, being surrounded and beaten up by the enemy, and so on—who knows what might happen. Even Francette was fatally wounded in the battle against the Alligot Empire four and a half years ago...
Well, I didn't intend to fight like that this time.
But, if I didn't calm him down somehow, he'd probably force himself to come along...
Okay!
"What's the point in wasting your most reliable trump card on a cluttered battlefield?
You will protect everyone here, and at the same time, in the worst-case scenario, that is, during the 'Royal Capital Absolute Defense Battle,' you will be on standby here to protect me and fight alongside me." (Kaoru)
"Yes!!" (Bell + Emile)
Bell and Emile replied enthusiastically.
...Easy.
...And then, the day before the Brancott Kingdom's army was expected to cross the border, we could see the Balmore Kingdom's army in the distance, deployed in a wasteland about a day's travel time from the border at the invading army's (with baggage train) speed, and we advanced further ahead. ...We did so secretly, without showing our faces to the Royal Army.
Of course, we didn't bring the children with us, and the King was enthusiastically ensconced in the royal palace and didn't come out to the front lines.
It seemed that Roland was waiting a little at the rear with the main force.
Of course, it would likely be a veteran general who would actually be calling the shots, but he would likely be the supreme commander of the mikoshi (portable shrine).
So, here it was, me and…
"I wonder why you're here, Francette... Aren't you Roland's bodyguard?" (Kaoru)
"Eh? At that time, I was given the title of 'Einherjar, Guardian Knight of the Goddess'?" (Francette)
"Ugh!" (Kaoru)
…I certainly remembered saying something like that in the heat of the moment…
"But, as a nobleman of the kingdom, as a knight, and as Roland's guardian, you have my responsibilities and duties..." (Kaoru)
"I'm a liaison officer." (Francette)
"Eh?" (Kaoru)
"Liaison officer." (Francette)
"Eeeh?" (Kaoru)
"Liaison officer." (Francette)
"Whaaaaaat?!" (Kaoru)
……Crap!
Well, whatever.
Unlike Emile and the others, Francette was a respectable adult not from the perspective of the "Kaoru" of this world, but from the perspective of "The Japanese, Nagase Kaoru." She was in her late twenties and her age was much older than me...
So, let them take responsibility for her own decisions and choices. ... It's her own responsibility. She's not someone I should do all sorts of things to protect. On the contrary, I was the one who should be protected.
Thus, the Brancott Kingdom Army's central assault squadron had a total of two soldiers.
"What about us?" (The horses)
Oh sorry. Two people and two horses. Including Ed and Francette's horse.
Well then, let's give it a try!
"For now, shall we have a tea?" (Kaoru)
"Yes!" (Francette)
I came early just to be safe, but the enemy was expected to arrive here tomorrow morning or early afternoon. I took out a tent, a bed, a chair, a table, and tea utensils from my item box, and waited leisurely.
And then, the next day, just before noon.
In the distance, the Brancott Kingdom's army could be seen.
Of course, both the other side and the Balmore Kingdom Army outposts would have sent out small units to scout for the enemy, so they would know each other's positions. So, we quickly took down and put away our tents, and there were only two horses and two young girls standing there, so they would probably just ignore us. There was no point in coming all this way and worrying about one or two guards.
So, we watched as the two teams gradually closed in on each other, trying to gauge our timing.
When the distance between the Balmore Kingdom Army, which was stationary and waiting for the enemy, and the approaching Brancott Kingdom Army was about 700 to 800 meters, and there was still plenty of time for the archery battle to begin, Ed and his friend rode on from the flank and rushed into the middle of both armies. And then...
Bang!!
"Something like nitroglycerin" caused a huge explosion in the sky.
Yes, it's the familiar thing. The gourd-shaped glass container that exploded as soon as it appeared and contained two chemicals that came into contact with each other.
And then, almost simultaneously, the entire Brancott Kingdom army came to a perfect halt, so perfectly that you could almost hear the sound of it clicking.
It was where the "Megaphone-shaped potion container" came in.
"To you rebels who side with the usurper and seek to invade the land to which the goddess Celestine has entrusted her friends, go to hell!" (Kaoru, via megaphone)
Bang!
Boom!
Bang!
Glass spheres filled with something like nitroglycerin rained down from the sky and exploded one after another on the ground.
The impact occurred slightly in front of the Brancott Kingdom's forces, causing no damage whatsoever.
...The physical damage.
"What?! The Angel-sama said she abandoned the Kingdom of Balmore! She said that the Kingdom of Balmore was a country that had lost the Goddess's favor!"
"They said that he Angel-sama was supporting Ghislan-sama to become king! They said that this is a holy war, and that we are a divine army that has obtained the divine will!
So why is the Angel-sama on their side and we're rebels and enemies of the gods?! That's not what they said!!"
"We've been deceived! We've been deceived by that usurper, the enemy of God! I don't want to go to hell! I don't want my family to be killed by divine punishment!"
"No! I didn't become a soldier to be killed as an enemy of God in such an unjust battle and be cast into hell! I just wanted to fight for my family, for my country, and for justice, and to protect everyone's happiness!"
In the midst of chaos, some people were crying and grabbing at their commanders, some were trying to turn back to their own country, and some were slamming their weapons on the ground... It seemed that the war with the Kingdom of Balmore was no longer on the cards.
...There was absolutely no damage to bodies, weapons, or supplies.
However, the Brancott Kingdom's army was annihilated. Before the battle, mentally.
"Make way" (Kaoru, via megaphone)
Zzz zaz zaz! (Megaphone self-feedback sfx)
When I gave the command using the "Megaphone-shaped potion container," the sea of people parted, and a straight path opened up.
...Moses!
Anyway, with the soldiers kneeling, Ed and Francette walked along the open road, smiling broadly. ...Of course, we rode on our beloved horses.
But I wondered if Francette was really that happy that I was behaving like a goddess...
Well, anyway, let's just go ahead and do it.
The soldiers would probably turn around and head back.
It's a good thing there was no fighting and no unnecessary casualties on either side, the soldiers were just following orders and this time it seemed not of their own volition.
If they knew all the circumstances but were fixated on the idea of killing the enemy and stealing their wealth for the sake of their country, completely ignoring the enemy and refusing to listen to persuasion, then nothing could be done unless we used force to make them realize the reality.
However, if they knew about me and believed that "If I explain carefully and persuade them, they will understand," then persuasion would be enough.
"Destination: Brancott Kingdom's royal capital, Aras. Let's go!" (Kaoru)
"Ohhh!" (Francette)
"Buhihihii~!" (Ed + 1 horse)
When I glanced back, the soldiers of the Balmore Kingdom Army's outpost, who hadn't had a chance to appear at all, were just standing there.
…Yeah, it was a good thing that there was a little distance so I couldn't see their expression very well.
No, sorry!
Author's Note
June 2nd marks two years since the publication of the book "Potion."
We've come this far thanks to our readers.
Thank you for your continued support. (^^)/