Chapter 454: Humans Are Here

The magical beast soldiers used by the Bolvat army. They were probably lions or tigers, or even wolves with collars. They were puppets made with magic.

It was no longer possible to imagine their original form after they had been transformed by magic.

Their fangs had changed from hunting prey to smashing rocks, and their claws were now used to gouge out the armor of soldiers. What was the difference between them and magical beasts?

Hayes, a young soldier, was thinking about such things, even though he was in the middle of war.

「Go that way, now! Hey, you there, quickly, into the wall! 」

In front of the rear gate of Garoua Maria. The voices of the veteran soldiers roared.

The walls and fences that had been set up had been weakened after the offensive strikes of the first day. Now, they were being torn down like pieces of paper by the magical beast soldiers.

It was a sight that was hard for Hayes to comprehend. The camp that seemed so reliable yesterday was now swallowed up in an instant. But that wasn’t all. The soldiers on the front line couldn’t escape and were bitten by the backs of the enemy soldiers, and in an instant they were reduced to rags.

Hayes was watching this from the castle gate. He felt frustrated for being appointed as a soldier defending the castle walls instead of a soldier on the front lines, but right now, he was grateful for his good fortune.

「…This isn’t good. It’s too much for us to take. 」

Hayes regained his senses as he heard the veteran soldier named Ziz sigh out loud. He spoke as if looking for a way to dispel his anxiety.

「What do you mean, Ziz? Don’t say that. We’ve only just begun, haven’t we? 」

Ziz readied his longbow, his specialty, and shot an arrow over the edge of the battlefield. Longbows were originally used to rain down arrows all at once without proper aim, but Ziz’s arrows were strangely good at hitting their targets. Perhaps, it was because of the mechanism that Ziz set up for himself.

The arrows were once again pouring into the mouth of the magical beast below. It was clear that the arrows had pierced its flesh, but the beast’s roaring didn’t stop.

Ziz’s face distorted, revealing a sour expression.

「Young soldier. Listen, in war, it’s not often about great battles you hear in heroic tales. As far as I know, most things are decided in the first or two hits. After that, it’s either an honorable loss or a shameful, sluggish loss. 」

And then, Hayes urged him to continue. The tension and urgency of the battlefield created a strange ease for the veteran soldiers.

Following the voice of the garrison commander to prepare to fire, Ziz and Hayes readied their bow. The fingers that pulled the strings were in excruciating pain.

「The garrison commander is doing his best, but it’s a losing battle in my humble opinion. It makes me want to leave with my tail between my legs. 」

「…Then, you should run away! Whether it’s Gharast or Elizard! 」

After firing an arrow far away, Hayes spoke as if spitting out his words. The anxiety that had been building up in his head was suddenly released as anger at Ziz’s words.

A feeling of annoyance covered Hayes’ skin. His blood was cold, and no matter how much he shouted, his body didn’t warm up. But his heart was pounding as if it was screaming.

Surely, all the defenders knew that fact.

The deadly charging of the magical beast soldiers below and the fierce attack of the enemy soldiers. And there weren’t enough soldiers to go against those numbers.

Ah, they would surely die here. This would surely be their coffin even if the army won miraculously. They had a feeling close to resignation.

The rear gate where the soldiers were staying was finally closed, and the great wall temporarily weakened the enemy’s momentum. But that was only temporary, and the enemy would soon be raising their hammers to attack the castle walls.

But could those walls endure that upcoming offensive? The answer was obvious.

A voice emerged from the hearts of the soldiers.

『…Garoua Maria’s defenders. I will give you a chance. I will not take your life if you put down your weapons and open the gate right now. 』

A woman’s voice, amplified by magic, filled the rear gate of Garoua Maria.

How unusual. The enemy commander seemed to be a woman. She must have been very bold judging from the way she was charging to the front line.

『However, if you continue to resist, I will show no mercy. I will cut off your ears, split your noses, crush your fingers, and kill you. Your intestines will become lunch for the cute magical beast soldiers that will slaughter you. 』

Hayes swallowed without realizing it. Almost all of the defenders could easily imagine the scene.

Because that was what happened to everyone who couldn’t escape. The sights and sounds of people being eaten alive by wild animals burned into the eyes and ears of the soldiers.

Hayes, no, many of the soldiers were equally shaken.

The heroes were now far away on the other side of battle. In the rear were only the defenders. There was not a single person who could encourage them.

And so, the soldiers were, fortunately and unfortunately, just ordinary humans. They were humans who succumbed to fear, turned their backs and fled. Those who risked their lives, and who forged ahead without regard for even death, were no longer just humans.

Hayes clenched his teeth in anger. But he could still hear the clicking of his teeth. Fear consumed his heart and wouldn’t let go. He realized that he wasn’t sane anymore.

Suddenly, Ziz slapped Hayes on the back. Then, he said.

「Are you scared, young soldier? I’m scared too. But I won’t run away, because I want to see my daughter. 」

Daughter? Ziz’s sudden words made Hayes forget his anger and anxiety for a moment. He looked back at the veteran soldier, wondering what he was talking about. Ziz laughed with his mouth wide open.

「What do you expect? I was popular when I was young too…but I couldn’t make it easy for those around me. Not for my spouse, not for my daughter. 」

He spent his life in the slums of Garoua Maria, and even though he worked as a mercenary, he was so busy making ends meet that he couldn’t even buy clothes for his daughter. He never even held her in his arms when she was a child, and before he knew it, she had grown up. He wasn’t a good father.

Ziz spoke calmly of a glimpse of his life, and at the same time, he heard the voice of the enemy commander. He didn’t know if the veteran’s words were true or false. But there was something about it that made sense.

…Even if I made mistakes, I have to live. That’s why I’ve lived as a soldier until this age.

At this point, Hayes understood. Why did Ziz, who wanted to live like that, join such a disadvantageous battle? Why did he continue to fight a battle that would take his life?

And then, he guessed. What would happen if the defenders dropped their weapons and surrendered? The soldiers might not be killed, as agreed. But what would happen to the citizens inside?

The Bolvat army was marching. It was impossible to imagine how much food the nearly 40,000 people, both humans and beasts, would need. And Hayes knew that it would be difficult for them to prepare that much food.

To cover the costs, they would surely plunder the city. Plundering was the best reward for an army.

Hayes had no time to think, and he readied his arrow.

It wasn’t out of sympathy or sentimentality for Ziz. It was based on Haye’s very personal feelings.

He only had one thought. It was rage bordering on a tantrum.

What a joke. Why was he scared? First of all, it was ridiculous.

Why should he be scared of these filthy robbers who barged into someone else’s home and said they would at least save his life? Why should he leave his weapons behind and open the gate for them?

A hero would surely snort in response. Hayes couldn’t imagine him losing like that. It would wound his back if he retreated now.

Hayes stretched the bowstring to its limits and fired the arrow. Rage was the only feeling moving the boy.

Seeing Hayes, Ziz also readied his bow. Naturally, the others followed suit. Everyone was looking for what they had to do.

…As if in response to the roar of the magical beast soldiers, arrows from longbows were fired all at once. At the back gate, another battle between demons and humans was about to begin.

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We have caught up with the lastest release of Cautious Hero, therefore we can’t release our update unless the author publishes the next chapter. And so, we are publishing A Wish today since we’ve “ran out” of Cautious Hero’s chapters. Once the next chapter is up, we’ll translate it immediately and post it on a sunday, so don’t worry.

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