Pertempuran Pertama yang Membakar Hati - 09

Pertempuran Pertama yang Membakar Hati

"Aku rasa aku juga ikut jadi umpan."

Begitu kata-kata itu meluncur dari mulutku, Dee dan Espada langsung menoleh dengan mata membelalak. Di belakang mereka, Orto dan yang lainnya juga tampak terperangah. Till spontan berteriak dengan suara bergetar, "Tidak! Jangan sekali-kali! Aku tidak akan mengizinkannya!"

Suaranya cukup keras, tapi syukurlah para penjarah itu terlalu sibuk dengan hiruk-pikuk mereka sendiri sampai tidak menyadari keberadaan kami. Napas lega baru saja kuhirup, Till sudah mencengkeram tanganku erat-erat.

"Daripada Van-sama jadi umpan, biar aku saja yang langsung menerjang mereka! Jika kalian semua menyerang dengan aku sebagai umpan tambahan, kemenangan pasti milik kita…!"

Kamsin mengangguk pelan dengan wajah bulat penuh tekad. "Aku ikut. Kalau aku mengalihkan perhatian musuh bersama Till-sama……..!"

Entah kenapa, semakin banyak orang yang mengangkat tangan, siap mati. Aku menghela napas, menatap mereka satu per satu, lalu membuka mulut.

"Kalian perlu tahu, akulah pengambil keputusan dalam operasi ini. Aku akan memberi tahu situasinya pada kalian para petualang, tapi karena ini wilayah kekuasaanku, Tuan Orto dan yang lain yang hanya terikat kontrak tidak wajib ambil bagian dalam manuver berbahaya."

Aku menoleh ke Orto. Entah kenapa dia terlihat panik, bahunya sedikit bergetar. Tanpa menghiraukan, aku beralih ke Espada.

"Espada. Kau sudah pensiun dari tugas di Keluarga Marquis. Kau sudah mengabdi dengan setia begitu lama, tidak ada alasan bagimu untuk mati di sini."

Wajah Espada langsung muram. Apa ucapanku tadi terlalu dingin? Sambil merenung, aku menatap Dee dan kawan-kawan.

"Meski kalian hanya terikat sementara denganku, sumpah kalian tetaplah pada kesatria keluarga. Yang harus kalian layani adalah ayahku, bukan aku. Jadi kalian juga tak perlu mempertaruhkan nyawa di sini."

Begitu mendengar itu, Dee dan yang lain ikut memasang wajah masam. Yah, wajah mereka memang sudah masam dari tadi sih. Terakhir, aku menatap Till dan Kamsin.

"Till. Mungkin ini egois, tapi aku selalu menganggapmu seperti adikku sendiri. Makanya aku tidak ingin melihat adik kesayanganku mati di sini. Kamsin memang lebih tua, tapi bukankah aku juga sudah memperlakukannya seperti kakak? Kalau aku mati nanti, kalian harus menikmati hidup sebagai gantiku. Kalian bebas pergi."

Aku menatap mereka berdua saat mengucapkannya, dan tanpa terasa air mataku tumpah seperti bendungan jebol.

Sambil tersenyum getir, aku jelaskan rencanaku.

"Pertama, aku akan naik kereta dan menuju garis depan. Aku ingin kalian semua menyerang dari kiri dan kanan, tapi hanya dari jarak jauh, jangan gegabah. Dan jika musuh tidak hancur, mundurlah. Mayatku biarkan tergeletak di lumpur. Kalau identitas kalian tidak ketahuan, Keluarga Marquis tak punya alasan untuk menyusahkan kalian."

Aku tertawa kecil, tapi tak satu pun dari mereka ikut tertawa. Mungkin memang tidak ada yang mood.

Dengan perasaan itu, kuhunus pedang dan melangkahkan kaki menuju desa. Namun sebelum beranjak, kudengar helaan napas berat dari belakang.

"Baiklah.... Sial! Sekali ini saja! Kami juga akan berikan nyawa kami!"

Orto bersumpah seraya melangkah maju.

"Kenapa, Tuan Orto…"

Saat aku mencoba menolak dengan bingung, Orto tertawa dengan wajah canggung.

"Kalau kau terus merengek begitu, anggota party akan kehilangan kesabaran."

Dia menarik pedangnya. Seorang penyihir wanita dari party Orto maju dari kerumunan.

"Sejujurnya, dulu aku suka meremehkan bangsawan manja. Kupikir tidak ada bangsawan baik. Tapi setelah dua minggu di perjalanan bersamamu, aku berubah pikiran. Itu semua berkat Tuan Van."

"Nona Pluriel."

Saat kupanggil nama penyihir yang tersipu itu, dia terkekeh.

"Tak kusangka Tuan Van hafal satu per satu nama kami para petualang rendahan. Van-sama memang aneh. Tapi justru karena keanehan itulah, rasanya aku bisa percayakan hidupku padamu."

Pluriel bergumam sambil mengeluarkan belati berhiaskan sihir.

Aku tidak bisa bilang. Tidak mungkin aku bilang kalau aku hafal nama Pluriel cuma karena dia cantik. (Red: Lelaki tahu prioritas.)

Saat aku canggung, semua petualang mulai mengerumuniku. Dee dan yang lain pun melangkah maju, tak mau kalah.

"Kami adalah kesatria kehormatan yang mengabdi pada Keluarga Marquis. Sumpah kami mengharuskan kami melayani Van-sama, penerus keluarga. Kami percaya dengan melindungi Van-sama di sini, kami melindungi masa depan rumah kami."

Dee mengangkat pedangnya di depan wajah, melakukan ritual sumpah kesatria. Mmmm... dia pria baik, meski kadang susah ditebak.

Saat aku mengaguminya dengan cara yang kurang ajar, Espada bergerak berdiri di sampingku.

"Setelah pertempuran usai, aku ingin mengingatkan Van-sama tentang beban dan tanggung jawab sebagai pewaris potensial Keluarga Marquis. Tenang saja. Ceramah terkait hanya butuh setengah hari."

Setengah hari, Espada? Jangan jadi pengganggu licik begitu.

"Aku akan modifikasi rencananya. Pertama, kita bangun tembok pertahanan dan serang dari jarak jauh. Wakil Kapten Dee dan yang lain akan menyerang dari kiri setelah serangan pertama kita. Lalu tim Orto akan menyerang dari kanan. Yang spesialis pertahanan dan penyembuh siaga di belakang."

"Dimengerti!" "Siap!"

Semua bergerak serempak mengikuti instruksi Espada dengan suara rendah nan tenang. Lalu Espada cepat-cepat mengucap mantra dan mengaktifkan elemen bumi.

Tembok tanah muncul sekitar dua puluh meter di depan lokasi kami, dan Espada bersama petualang penyerang jarak jauh menuju ke sana.

Sementara aku terpaku melihat mereka yang bergerak dalam sekejap, Till dan Kamsin merapat padaku.

"....Bagus. Ini luar biasa, Van-sama."

"Saat Tuan Van dalam bahaya, aku akan jadi yang pertama mati sebagai perisainya."

Mereka berbisik dengan suara berlinang air mata, dan kutahan air mataku yang hampir tumpah. Mereka lebih seperti keluarga bagiku daripada keluarga kandungku sendiri.

Kuelus kepala mereka sambil berpikir begitu.

Aku ingin menikmati momen ini, tapi kami sedang di tengah pertempuran. Jika ada yang bisa kukontribusikan, harus segera kulakukan.

"Ayo, teman-teman. Bantu aku keluarkan obat-obatan dan alat penyembuh dari kereta. Jika kalian lihat ada yang dalam bahaya, kita bantu mereka."

Mereka tertawa mendengarnya. Lalu mereka berdua menyeka air mata dan menjawab, "Siap!"

(Red: Sisa bab ini diceritakan dari sudut pandang bandit.)

Para bandit yang telah menjarah desa mulai lengah. Mereka tahu kalau bangsawan penguasa wilayah baru saja diganti, membuat keamanan desa lemah dan mudah ditembus.

Meski desa ini pos penting, tempatnya terpencil dan penguasa atasnya kurang peduli. Saat mengorganisir pasukan kesatria baru untuk mengamankan wilayah seperti desa perbatasan, butuh waktu lama. Apalagi harus berunding dulu dengan pasukan kesatria tetangga, kalau tidak bisa timbul konflik tak diinginkan. Semua ini bikin penundaan panjang sampai para faksi bangsawan bernegosiasi dan sepakat. Faktor-faktor ini membuat sulitnya mendapatkan pasukan keamanan yang kompeten untuk desa.

Beban administratif besar: mengirim penguasa, memungut pajak, memonitor dan mencatat situasi pemukiman, serta mengamankan tiap permukiman di wilayah bangsawan. Karena itu, saat bangsawan mulai mengelola semua kota, mereka urus kota penting dulu. Lalu beralih ke kota dan desa menengah. Setelah lama baru desa kecil dan dusun di pelosok diperiksa.

Jadi kalau wilayah kecil di perbatasan terluar, ada kasus desa-desa terpencil begitu terputus sampai tak tahu perubahan penguasa. Butuh waktu besar mengelola informasi dan sumber daya manusia.

Memanfaatkan celah sistem administratif ini, kelompok bandit memutuskan menyerbu desa kecil di perbatasan. Pekerjaan gampang. Cuma panah-panah, ancam-ancam, bawa pulang harta, perbekalan, dan wanita serta anak-anak.

Jadi meski masih bertempur, para bandit mulai santai.

Dengan tembakan penekan mereka, penduduk desa tak mampu membalas.

"Pasti warga desa yang menolak buka gerbang di bawah ancaman kita akan menyerah setelah dihujani panah seperti hujan.""

"Udah lama ya nggak pegang wanita."

"Iya, sejak anak perempuan pedagang keliling itu."

"Cuma dua wanita di kereta itu. Cepet banget habisnya."

"Nggak usah khawatir, kali ini paling nggak ada sepuluh."

"Hahaha!"

Obrolan santai di mana-mana, suasananya kayak festival atau pesta.

"Lihat tuh pada minum dan nyanyi. Makanya aku susah berhenti jadi maling."

Sikap santai itu langsung hancur saat berikutnya kulihat ujung panah mencuat dari leher temanku yang barusan tertawa di sampingku.

Chapter 9: Baptism by Fire

"I think I'll go in as bait, too."

The moment I said it, Dee and Espada whipped around, eyes wide. Beyond them, Orto and the others looked just as shocked. Till's voice cracked as she yelled, "No! Absolutely not! I won't allow it!"

Her voice was pretty loud, but thank god the raiders were too caught up in their own chaos to notice us. I'd barely breathed a sigh of relief when Till grabbed my hand tight.

"Rather than you being a decoy, Van-sama, I'll charge the enemy myself! If you all attack with me as an extra decoy, victory will be ours…!"

Kamsin nodded slowly, his round face set with determination. "I'm in. If I distract them alongside Till-sama……..!"

For some reason, more and more people started raising their hands, ready to die. I sighed, looked at each of them, and spoke.

"Just so we're clear, I'm the one calling the shots here. I'm keeping you adventurers in the loop, but since this is my domain, Mister Orto and the others who are only here on contract don't have to risk their necks in dangerous maneuvers."

I glanced at Orto. For some reason he looked panicked, his shoulders trembling slightly. Ignoring that, I turned to Espada.

"Espada. You've already retired from serving the Marquis family. You've served us faithfully for so long—there's no reason for you to die here."

Espada's face fell. Was I being too cold? Mentally kicking myself, I looked at Dee and the others.

"Even though you're only temporarily assigned to me, your oath is still to the family's knights. You're supposed to serve my father, not me. So you don't need to risk your lives here either."

At that, Dee and the rest also got grim expressions. Well, their faces were pretty grim already. Finally, I turned to Till and Kamsin.

"Till. This might be selfish, but I've always thought of you like a little sister. That's why I don't want to see my precious sister die here. Kamsin's older than me, but haven't I treated him like a brother too? When I die, you guys live your lives to the fullest in my place. You're free to go."

I looked at them as I said it, and tears just poured out of my eyes like a broken dam.

Smiling bitterly, I laid out my plan.

"First, I'll get in the carriage and head for the front line. I want you all to attack from left and right, but only from a distance—don't do anything rash. And if the enemy doesn't break, retreat. Leave my corpse in the mud. If they don't figure out who you are, the Marquis family won't have any reason to come after you."

I chuckled, but nobody laughed with me. Guess nobody was in the mood.

With that, I drew my sword and pointed my toes toward the village. But before I could take off, I heard a heavy sigh behind me.

"Alright…. Damn it! Just this once! We'll give our lives too!"

Orto cursed as he stepped forward.

"Why, Mister Orto…"

As I tried to refuse him, confused, Orto laughed with an awkward look.

"If you keep whining like that, the party members are gonna lose their patience."

He drew his sword. A female sorceress from Orto's party stepped out of the crowd.

"Honestly, I used to make fun of spoiled nobles. Thought there weren't any good ones. But after two weeks on the road with you, I've changed my mind. It's all thanks to you, Van-sama."

"Ms. Pluriel."

When I called the blushing mage's name, she chuckled.

"I can't believe you remembered every single one of us lowly adventurers' names. Van-sama's a strange one. But it's because of that strangeness that I think I can trust you with my life."

Pluriel muttered and pulled out a magically inscribed dagger.

I couldn't say it. No way I could admit I only remembered Pluriel's name right away 'cause she's cute. (T.N.: Man's got his priorities straight.)

While I was feeling awkward, all the adventurers started crowding around me. Dee and the others stepped forward, not wanting to be outdone.

"We are honored knights serving the Marquis family. Our oath demands we serve Van-sama, the future of our house. We believe that by protecting him here, we protect our house's future."

As Dee said this, he held his sword before his face and performed the knight's oath ritual. Mmmm… he's a good man, if a bit hard to read sometimes.

While I was admiring him in my not-so-respectful way, Espada moved to stand beside me.

"Once the battle's over, I'd like to remind Van-sama of the weight and responsibility of being a potential heir to the Marquis family. Don't worry—the relevant lecture will only take half a day."

Half a day, Espada? Don't be such a sneaky jerk.

"I'll modify the plan. First, we build a defensive wall and attack from range. Vice-Captain Dee and the others will charge from the left after our first strike. Then Orto's team from the right. Defense and healing specialists, stand by just in case."

"Understood!" "Yes, sir!"

Everyone moved in unison as Espada gave instructions in a low, calm voice. Then he quickly chanted and activated his earth magic.

An earthen wall rose about twenty meters ahead, and Espada and the long-range attackers headed toward it.

While I stood stunned watching them spring into action, Till and Kamsin clung to me.

"….Good. This is great, Van-sama."

"When Master Van's in danger, I'll be the first to die as his shield."

They whispered tearfully, and I held back my own tears. They're more like family to me than my actual family ever was.

I patted their heads, thinking that.

I wanted to bask in the moment, but we were in the middle of a battle. If there was anything I could contribute, I had to do it.

"Come on, guys. Help me get medicines and healing supplies out of the carriage. If you see anyone in danger, let's jump in and help them."

They laughed at that. Then they wiped away their tears and replied, "Yes!"

(T.N.: The rest of this chapter's from the bandits' perspective.)

The bandits raiding the village were getting complacent. They knew the noble in charge had just been replaced, leaving the village's security especially weak and easy to crack.

Even though it was an important stronghold, it was out of the way, and upper management's grip on the region was loose at best. Organizing a new knightly order to secure a new area like a frontier village took forever. Plus, you had to settle things with neighboring knightly orders first—otherwise, unwanted conflicts could pop up. That caused huge delays while various noble factions negotiated and made agreements. All these factors combined made getting a competent security force for the village ridiculously hard.

It's a massive administrative burden to dispatch lords, collect taxes, monitor and record settlement conditions, and provide security for every settlement in a noble's domain. So when a noble starts administering all their cities, they hit the most important ones first. Then they move to medium-sized towns and villages. After a long time, small villages and remote hamlets finally get reviewed.

So if it's a small frontier territory on the edge of a noble's domain, there are cases where tiny villages become so disconnected they don't even know their ruling lord's changed. Managing information and human resources takes forever.

Taking advantage of this vulnerable gap in the system, this bandit group decided to raid a small frontier village. Couldn't be easier. Just shoot arrows, make threats, and haul back some stuff, supplies, and women and kids.

So even though they were still in combat, the bandits were letting their guard down.

With all the suppressing fire they were laying down, the villagers couldn't mount a counterattack.

"I bet those villagers who wouldn't open the gate under our threats'll give up once we rain arrows down on 'em."

"Been a while since I've had a woman."

"Yeah, nothing since that peddler's daughter."

"There were only two women in that carriage. Ended way too fast."

"Don't worry—there's gotta be at least ten this time."

"Hahaha!"

Easy chatter everywhere, atmosphere like a festival or party.

"Look at all this drinking and singing. This is why I can never quit being a thief."

My relaxed mood shattered the next moment when I saw an arrow tip sprout through the neck of my buddy who'd been laughing right next to me.

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