Decisive Battle Against the Woruvens (Part 2)

...

Back in Ringo’s safe house, everyone had gone flat on their beds except Ringo and Ruru, who were observing their surrounding area. Ringo has incredible eyes, which allows her to perceive any moving object in a long range. Ruru, on the other hand, was simply watching around her while caressing her head in a strange way.

“Uwah... I doubt my garden would be the same look as before with Roro rampaging like that...”

“Miss Ringo... I’m starting to feel dizzy,” said Ruru.

“My, are you sleepy? Please hang on for a bit longer, okay?” Ringo replied.

“Uuu...”

Ruru was experiencing a headache that slowly expanded into tremendous pain as if her brain was being devoured. But Ringo did not notice it. She thought she was just sleepy.

But Ruru wasn’t acting all childish. She tried to ward off the aching pain by shoving her focus elsewhere.

“Good thing I contacted Roro. If it wasn’t him, I doubt anyone could beat these monsters. These monsters are growing stronger, aren’t they? Yesterday they were easily killed, but looking now... Even Rodan had some difficulties...”

“Miss Ringo... will Roro be alright?” Ruru asked as she tried to forget the pain engulfing her.

“Huh? Oh, of course he’s going to be alright. He’s the strongest man I’ve ever met in my life. Don’t worry, he’ll come back soon!” Ringo smiled.

“H-Huh...” Ruru responded while sitting in the corner of the wall, trying to press the pain in her head. The pain felt like spikes piercing her head from the inside. Soon, the pain that boiled inside of her expanded to most of her body parts.

“My, you’re really sleepy aren’t you?” said Ringo noticing her.

“I guess she’s still young after all. I feel bad for making her doing this, but Roro told me that she’s our last resort... if he could say that, it can only mean that Ruru was actually quite powerful.

Once he said that as well... it made me curious. Was Ruru really his apprentice?

Gah... I felt bad for forcing her this way.

Maybe it’s okay for her to rest a bit.”

Ringo herself still didn’t notice what Ruru was experiencing now because she managed to hide her emotions.

“Ruru... you can go back to my room. Rest easy, I’m sure everything will be okay,” Ringo stated smilingly.

“Thank you. I... I will go now,” Ruru slowly walked back into the safe house and went downstairs to Ringo’s room.

“Now, then...

Roro, you’ve been working us out to our last drop of sweat just to make those traps. I’m surprised it could actually fend them off, but still...

Can we really survive this night?”

Ringo herself was greatly concerned. Can she and the rest witness the sunrise next morning?

Being bombarded by that question and the anxiety that crawled over her body caused her to stress out. But for a moment, she glanced over the plateau and saw metal shines in the distance.

“Those are...?”

...

..

.

More of the monsters approached the garden. They approached in herds like before, pouring down from the high grounds down to the apple garden. Though the land was dark, their shining chaotic red eyes were enough to reveal their presence.

“Let’s deal with them again, Roro. After that, we’ll investigate Ringo’s garden,” Nono stated as he stood back up. His left arm was fully bandaged now, but even so, he could still swing weapons freely. He picked another stiletto from beneath his robe and readied himself.

But surprisingly, Rodan refused.

“No, we don’t have to fight them again. I’ve had enough for tonight,” he said boldly.

Nono was shocked to hear him saying something like that despite him readying his sword. Meanwhile, the buffed woruvens approached relentlessly. They looked as if they’re hungering for human meat.

“W-What are you talking about, Roro? We’re going to be overrun if we don’t stop them now! The garden will completely be in shambles if we don’t stop them here!” Nono ranted.

“...Sheesh, Nono. That’s one of many things that made you easily defeated,” said Roro frowningly as he calmly turned around at him. He crossed his arms while exposing his back vulnerable to those ferocious woruvens.

“H-Huh...? What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t get it yet? Geez, how dense can you be, Nono? I haven’t finished talking before, Nono.

I said that we don’t have to fight them...

...because they have come to fight for us.”

Suddenly, the wolves that nearly crushed Rodan from behind got impaled by lances coming from above. In almost a split second, two fully-armored knights appeared behind Rodan, protecting him from getting damaged.

When the woruvens charged again with their numerous numbers, a platoon of knights ambushed them. When more monsters approached, more knights appeared on scene. Arrows were shot, swords were swung, and lances were thrust. All of them were crushing the incoming attacks with their fancy arsenal.

“Asturian Knights at your disposal, Lord Rodan Rouge!” one of them stated.

“Much obliged, mate,” said Rodan while turning at them. “I thought you guys left me to rot here.”

“Asturian... Knights...?” Nono muttered in confusion.

“Quite a hell you’ve been through, Sir Rodan Rouge... I can’t believe you’ve made it through the main course of the party without inviting us in.”

A man’s voice was heard. Shortly, from above, a fully armored knight with wings flown down and landed just before Rodan. He wore a crown-like armored helmet and equipped a massive lance in his hand.

“That voice...” Nono recognized.

“I was expecting you guys to arrive soon. I now question your liability as a baron, Sir John Falconet,” Rodan stated his name.

The knight opened his helmet and revealed his face a bit. “We’re punctual, Sir Rodan. We arrived in the exact time you wanted us to come.”

“Well, that’s quite true, ha-ha. Well, then, I’m counting on you.”

“Sure do. My four hundred best men shall make short work of these beasts. I’ve divided them into two groups. One group personally led by me will defend this sector and the other one on that part of this garden.

Just exactly as what you’ve instructed us, Sir Rodan...”

Shortly, one of the knights alerted of an incoming wave of monsters. This time, they were strangely lining up in a row. Sir John Falconet, the knight leader commanded his boys to step aside.

“Move aside! Prepare the Scorpion and shoot on my command!”

Within seconds, his men already stepped away from the line of firing. From the darkness, emerged a ballista pulled by some knights. It was equipped with a large bolt ready to be launched. It was precisely aimed at the line of monsters and angled correctly for maximum effect.

“Shoot now!”

The ballista launched its missile. In its trajectory, most of the wolf monsters got pierced and killed in the process.

“Whew, as expected of a fine baron,” said Rodan complimenting.

Meanwhile, Nono just realized. “So THAT’S what he’s discussing about yesterday!”

...

..

.

In the past time, Rodan and Nono had visited the city. The former led the latter to one of their most unwanted place to visit of all times: a noble’s mansion.

Nono was anxious on what Rodan was up to in that time, but when Rodan showed the guild badge to the gatekeeper, he realized he wasn’t messing around. And what’s more surprising was that the gatekeepers let him enter the mansion. The two were told to wait in the front yard while the noble was being summoned.

“...Hey, Roro... what are we up to in here...? I thought we’re going to do something super-duper important regarding the monsters out there...”

“Patience, Nono. I personally don’t really want to meet this guy. He’s too straightforward. But by meeting this guy will be one of the most effective ways.”

Not long afterwards they were summoned into the mansion. In the royal looking structure, Rodan was greeted by the maids who worked there. He and Nono were escorted to the meeting room where the noble was waiting.

In the meeting room, they met the ruler of the city: Baron John Falconet.

At first, Nono was anxious of what’s going to happen, since he knew Rodan disliked nobles, especially not so long ago Rodan indirectly killed one. But what’s surprising was that the baron was greeting him as if he and Rodan were old friends.

“Good to see you, Sir Rodan Rouge. How long has it been?” The baron greeted politely.

“S-Sir Falconet, good to see you too! It sure has been awhile,” Rodan responded while quickly adapting to the noble’s way of speaking.

After a short moment of introduction that felt like a reunion, the baron eventually asked of his business of visiting him.

“So, what brings you here?” he asked, but this time in a far heavier voice. He was emanating seriousness from that point on.

“I need your assistance, Sir Falconet.”

“It sounded strange when you call me by my surname, Sir Rodan. Please call me by my first name. I prefer that way.”

“Oh, okay, then,” said Rodan casually. He already destroyed his polite attitude. Eventually, he told the baron of the situation he’s facing.

The baron slammed the table with both of his palms in shock.

“What did you say? Wild Woruvens are massing up outside the city? I am not informed of this, Sir Rodan! This city is in danger!”

“Sheesh, calm down, tough guy,” Rodan retorted offhandedly. “It’s not like this city is the one being targeted.”

The baron immediately sat back and retained his composure.

“A-Ahem... pardon me, sir. Can you tell me the exact details?”

Once again, Rodan explained most of the situation in the apple garden.

“I see...” said the baron understanding. Meanwhile, Nono was zoning out for a bit amidst of their conversation.

“It sure sounds dangerous to anyone living outside the city walls. Small fry monsters got stronger? That’s just straight up insane.

Oh wait, hang on for a moment.”

The noble then picked up a bunch of envelopes and shoved it onto the table. “In these past few weeks, adventurers were sending me hundreds of messages. I haven’t read them yet since I was too busy at that time...

Could it be...?” said the baron while opening some envelopes. He handed over some envelopes for Rodan and Nono to read as well. Shockingly, the content of the messages overall told that low level adventurers were failing their job since the weakest monster around was growing stronger day after day.

The first messages from the adventurers came about two weeks ago. The baron felt guilty for not reading them sooner.

“That’s why, little man. Better read some aspiration papers next time, even if you had at least ten seconds of free time, just take a look at them,” said Rodan lecturing the baron.

“I wasn’t aware... Sir Rodan! If you are kindly telling me this information, then I will gladly help you out.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

A few hours later, the baron had contacted his military experts and officers to the meeting room to discuss the matter. Rodan had to retell everything from scratch. But this time, he was supported with a large map that showed the region around Astur.

“Here are the places where the woruvens are piling up, gentlemen,” said Rodan while marking the map.

“They oddly come from two directions. One from the north, while the other from the east. I’ve told you before, but these monsters were not regular monsters that weak adventurers could kill. They had evolved. I’ve gone through one day trying to withstand their rampage, and it’s true.

Not only that. I witnessed how they could mass up in just a short amount of time. It’s like they re-spawned almost instantly. Because of that, I was forced to activate a barrier enough to hold them from attacking this garden, albeit temporary.

It’s a mystery that we all must solve, or else these lands would become barren as time progresses. One man army shall never be enough to handle hundreds of thousands of monsters if they kept on spawning. That’s why I need you gentlemen to kindly assist me in these trying times.

It’s not for me alone, but for the sake of everyone in this city and around it. We don’t want our children and grandchildren suffer because of our recklessness of ignoring this danger.”

Everyone whispered to each other. Some had already shown the face of concern, some shown distress and fear, while the rest were all blazing their anger for the visible threat that they ignored.

“We will gladly assist, Sir Rodan.”

A man from the military stated: “I shall lead the army myself. This is a matter of everyone’s lives. This is when the knights are needed! To protect everyone!”

“Our stupidity caused some lives to die, but we shall make sure their death was not in vain. We will avenge their deaths and slay those wretched monsters.”

“Very well, then!” Rodan stated highly. “I will tell you gentlemen the exact time when the battle shall begin. If I tell you that tonight’s the time, can you make quick preparations to fortify our position?”

Three people from the military stood up and saluted Rodan.

“We will assure that we shall arrive punctually. I swear that in the name of Asturian Knights!”

Rodan “Well, then... this will surely work. Then I ask you to come right in the middle of the night. Bring everything you got to destroy those monsters.

Don’t be late.”

Meanwhile, Nono who was beside Roro wasn’t actually paying attention. “Eh, what?”

He only saw Rodan gave a pouch of coins to the baron a few minutes later.

...

..

.

“I get it now! That’s what they’re discussing! When we were at the city, Roro was discussing something with Baron John Falconet in some sort of a mansion. He showed a map and marked some points on it and told something to the noble. I thought Roro was trying to ask for supplies since he handed over some coins to him.

But who could’ve thought he was actually asking an army to reinforce the apple garden?”