[Sudut Pandang Lain] Pertempuran Sengit - 22

[Sudut Pandang Lain] Pertempuran Sengit

Buatku, ini cuma misi basmi perampok biasa.

Dulu pernah ada masa di mana jumlah ksatria sedikit, dan pernah juga kena serangan mendadak saat pawai. Para perampok biasanya bertarung dengan informasi dari klien mereka, dan mereka semua punya satu tujuan: menghancurkan para ksatria.

Tapi aku selalu berhasil kalahkan mereka.

Semua itu karena aku memilih formasi dan gaya bertarung terbaik, yang dijalankan oleh prajurit berkemampuan tinggi.

Yah, maksudku, aku bangga bilang bahwa komandoku luar biasa, jenius, dan terbaik di dunia. Mungkin itu juga berpengaruh.

Tapi sekarang, aku lebih milih ikut perintah Tuan Van.

Luar biasa rasanya bisa merasa nyaman dengan itu. Bahkan saat Komandan Ksatria Stradale memberi komando, diam-diam aku mikir aku bisa lebih baik darinya.

"Nggak, kayaknya wajar aja."

Tuan Van udah berkali-kali di luar dugaanku, dan aku sangat mengantisipasi kejutan berikutnya.

Sadar akan hal itu, senyum muncul dengan sendirinya di wajahku.

"Hahahahaha! Menarik! Kita lihat nanti! Pasti pemandangan yang luar biasa!"

Aku naik tangga sambil tertawa, lalu lihat wajah ketakutan penduduk desa yang lagi nyiapin ballista. Aku tepuk punggung mereka sambil jalan ke ujung tembok dan amati jalan.

Karena letak desa yang terpencil, pemandangan jalan dari tembok nggak terhalang. Penduduk yang lihat bandit dari jauh pasti punya kemampuan pengintaian bagus.

Sebentar kemudian, para penjarah mulai terlihat dari pandanganku di atas tembok.

Mereka lari ke desa tanpa aturan, baju robek-robek berkibar kena angin. Mereka teriak perang sambil mengacung-acung pedang, kayaknya buat ngasih intimidasi.

"….mm, Dee. Apa kau mau mundur?"

Suara Tuan Van dari belakang.

"Apa maksudmu?!"

Sambil ketawa denger suara tenang Tuan Van, aku lapor situasi dengan terus terang.

"Jumlah mereka sekitar lima puluh sampai seratus bandit! Jarak beberapa ratus meter! Anehnya, mereka lari kencang ke sini! Pas sampe, mereka bakal kelelahan dan nggak bisa bertarung!"

Tuan Van jeda sebentar, lalu jawab cepat.

"Hmm. Mungkin mereka lagi dikejar sesuatu?"

Aku mikir sejenak.

"Oh, iya. Itu masuk akal, kelakuan mereka nggak normal. Mungkin ada rombongan ksatria patroli yang nemu mereka."

Sambil mikir gitu, aku amati mereka. Penduduk di sampingku teriak, "Ah!"

"Ada apa?"

Pas kutanya, penduduk itu nunjuk ke arah belakang bandit. Karena debu, dia nggak bisa lihat jelas, tapi dia tahu kira-kira apa itu.

"Ekor! Ada ekor!"

"...ekor?"

Informasinya agak samar. Aku harus lihat sendiri kalau udah lebih jelas.

Beberapa detik lagi kita bakal lihat belakang rombongan bandit.

Pandangan masih terhalang debu. Tapi mulai denger penduduk teriak kayak liat sesuatu yang menakutkan.

Ada apa dengan desa ini? Apa mereka semua punya penglihatan tajam?

"Itu armored dragon!"

"Dan bukan cuma satu dua!"

Aku merengut denger informasi itu.

Parah. Musuh terburuk desa muncul.

Aku buru-buru noleh dan teriak biar Tuan Van denger dari bawah.

"Tuan Van! Kayaknya kawanan armored lizard yang ngusir bandit! Senjata biasa nggak mempan!"

Tuan Van langsung tegang.

Di desa ini, satu-satunya penyihir yang bisa bertarung cuma Espada dan Pluriel. Para petualang lagi keluar cari bahan, jadi Pluriel nggak bisa dipanggil.

Meski tanpa penyihir, kelompok ksatria bersenjata berat bisa kalahkan armored dragon dengan serangan ke titik lemah.

Tapi aku tahu penduduk desa nggak mampu lakuin serangan terkoordinasi kayak gitu. Mereka bakal lari kalau dragon liat mereka aja.

Aku juga punya batas. Paling cuma bisa lawan dua sendirian, meskipun pake armor terberat. Anak buahku... yah, otak mereka pas-pasan. Nggak bisa diandalkan buat nahan dragon.

Artinya, cuma aku yang bisa bertahan dari serbuan, cakaran, dan serangan ekor mereka.

"Semuanya! Ganti amunisi! Pasang panah besi!"

Tuan Van kasih instruksi.

Dengan secercah harapan, dia coba ningkatin daya hancur ballista.

Lebih baik daripada nggak sama sekali. Tapi percuma.

"Nggak, aku udah mutusin buat ikut instruksi Tuan Van. Nggak boleh mikir apakah tindakan ini berarti. Prajurit harus nurut perintah!"

Aku ke ballista kosong, ganti amunisi bareng penduduk.

Karena kira musuhnya manusia, panahnya dari kayu buatan Tuan Van. Itu lebih dari cukup buat manusia. Tapi armored dragon bisa tahan.

Aku cabut panah kayu, ambil panah besi di samping. Lebih berat, tapi masih sekitar seberat pedang pendek. Jauh lebih kuat, tapi masih kalah sama tebasan pedangku.

Kalau ada tiga atau lima pendekar kuat lagi, kita bisa repot serangan ini. Kalau ada enam termasuk aku, sambil dapet dukungan, kita bisa lawan sepuluh atau dua puluh...

Aku gigit bibir, pasang panah besi di ballista.

Tarik tuas, mulai narik tali. Ballistanya kokoh banget, hampir nggak bersuara. Buatan bagus.

Masih nggak percaya bocah delapan tahun bisa bikin begini.

Kagum, aku arahkan ballista ke jalan.

Para penjarah udah sampe parit.

"Tolong, tolong kami...!"

"Jumlah penjarah lebih sedikit dari dugaanku. Cuma sekitar empat puluh."

Sekarang debu udah berkurang, aku bisa lihat jelas sosok gede di belakang mereka.

Semua gede. Dari kepala sampe ekor, panjangnya lebih delapan meter. Kalau nggak ada parit, mereka bisa capai puncak tembok cuma dengan berdiri.

Jumlahnya sekitar tiga puluh sampe empat puluh. Kawanan besar yang nggak normal.

Cuma kota ukuran sedang ke atas yang bisa bertahan dari kekuatan sebesar ini.

"Armored dragon sekitar empat puluh! Kecepatan mereka lambat karena tiap ada daging manusia jatuh, mereka ngurangin kecepatan!"

"Kasihan, para penjarah itu cuma dianggap potongan daging di matamu!"

Aku kaget denger komentar Tuan Van yang nggak nyambung.

"Hahaha! Maaf! Itu cuma salah ucap!"

Sambil ketawa dan minta maaf, penduduk di deketku liat dengan ekspresi nggak percaya.

Aku juga tahu ini bukan waktu buat ketawa.

Tapi pas situasi sulit, kadang harus bercanda dan rileks. Terlalu tegang bakal ngehambat kemampuan.

"Hei, inget, tahan tembakan sampe semua penjarah jatuh ke parit! Pas mereka di dalem, tembak sepuasnya! Jangan sampe satu pun kadal jelek itu lewati parit!"

"Siap!"

"Mengerti!"

Penduduk desa gemetar tapi tetep nurut perintah Tuan Van.

"Jangan khawatir."

"Tembakan tepat ke mulut atau mata bisa lumpuhkan mereka. Kita harus beli waktu sampe Pluriel balik. Dia akan bawa Irv dan Lowe dan serang."

Dengan dukungan Espada, kita bisa ciptakan lingkungan buat lawan mereka satu per satu.

Akan kuakhiri perang ini tanpa satu pun rakyat Tuan Van mati.

"Ayo! Semuanya! Makan malam nanti sate kadal!"

Aku tersenyum dan beri semangat ke penduduk.

[Another Perspective] A Fierce Battle - 22

To me, this is just another raider slaying mission.

There were times when there were few knights, and times when I was taken by surprise while on the march. Raiders fought with intelligence from threatening clients, all with one intent—to crush the knights.

But I've defeated all of them.

I believe it was all because I chose the best formation and fighting style, executed by highly skilled soldiers.

Well, I mean, I'm proud to say my command is excellent, genius, and the best in the world. That might also have played a part.

But right now, I'd like to follow Master Van's commands.

It's amazing I feel so okay with it. Even when Knight Commander Stradale commands, I privately think I could do better.

"No, I guess it's only natural."

Master Van has defied my predictions so many times before, and I was highly anticipating how he'd defy them next.

Realizing this, a smile naturally appeared on my face.

"Hahahahaha! Interesting! We'll see what happens! It'll be a sight to behold!"

I climbed the stairs laughing, then saw the frightened faces of villagers setting up ballistas. I patted their backs as I moved to the wall's edge and observed the road.

Because of the village's remoteness, the road view from the wall is unobstructed. That villager must've noticed the bandit group from far away—excellent scout material.

Soon, the raiders finally came into view from my vantage point.

Those barbarians ran towards the village without even pretense of organization, torn clothes flapping. They let out war cries, waving swords in what I assumed was their best intimidation attempt.

"….mm, Dee. Do you want to retreat?"

Van-sama's voice came from behind.

"What are you saying?!"

Laughing at Master Van's calm voice, I reported the situation with soldierly candor.

"They number around fifty to a hundred brigands! A few hundred meters away! Suspiciously, they're heading this way at full speed! By the time they arrive, they'll be completely fatigued and unable to fight!"

Master Van paused for a second or two and quickly replied.

"Hmm. Could it be the bandits are being chased by something?"

I pondered that.

"I see. That would explain their abnormal behavior. Perhaps a group of patrolling knights found them."

Thinking that, as I stared, the villager next to me shouted, "Ah!"

"What's wrong?"

When I asked, the villager pointed behind the bandits. He couldn't see clearly because of the dust, but he could roughly tell what it was.

"A tail! I see a tail!"

"…a tail?"

The information's a bit vague. I'll have to observe once we get a better view.

We'll be able to see the bandits' rear in a few seconds.

View still obscured by dust. But I began hearing villagers cry out as if finding something terrifying.

What's up with this village? Do they all have good eyesight?

"That's an armored dragon!"

"And not just one or two!"

I scowled at the information.

It sucks. One of the village's worst potential enemies just appeared.

I hurriedly turned and shouted so Van-sama could hear from the ground.

"Master Van! Apparently, it's a swarm of armored lizards that drove the bandits away! Normal weapons won't work on armored dragons!"

When I said that, Master Van's face tightened.

In this village, the only magicians who can fight are Espada and Pluriel. The adventurers went out to procure materials, so Pluriel couldn't be called.

Even without magicians, a group of knights equipped with heavy armor can defeat an armored dragon by suppressing movement and attacking weak points.

But I know villagers are incapable of such coordinated attacks—they'd rout if the lizards so much as looked at them.

I also have limits. I can only take on two alone, even in heaviest equipment. My subordinates? Let's just say they've got the brainpower of one man between them. Can't rely on them to stall dragons.

In other words, only I can hold out against rushing, clawing, and tail attacks.

"Everyone! Change ammunition! Insert the iron arrows!"

Van-sama instructed.

Clinging to the slightest possibility of victory, he tried to increase ballista attack power.

Better than nothing. But it'd be in vain.

"No, I've decided to follow Van-sama's instructions. Shouldn't think about whether an action has meaning. A soldier just does exactly what he's told!"

I went to a vacant ballista and swapped ammunition with the villagers.

Since we assumed human enemies, the arrows were wooden spears made by Van-sama. More than enough for humans, but armored dragons could shrug them off.

I removed one such arrow and picked up the iron arrow beside me. Heavier, but still only around dagger weight. Much more powerful, but still not reaching my sword strike's power.

If there were at least three more powerful swordsmen, or even five, we could've easily repelled this. If there were six including me, fighting with support, we could even repel ten or twenty….

Biting my lips, I placed the iron arrow into the ballista.

I pulled the lever attached to the bow and began winding the string. The ballista itself is incredibly sturdy, makes very little sound. Well-built.

Still can't believe an eight-year-old made this.

Impressed, I aimed the loaded ballista toward the road.

The raiders had already reached the moat.

"Help us, please help us…!"

"The number of raiders is less than I expected. Only around forty."

Now that bandits weren't kicking up so much dust, I could clearly see the huge, looming dragon figures behind them.

All of them large. Head to tail, they'd exceed eight meters. Without the moat, they could reach the wall's top just by standing upright.

Around thirty to forty of them. An abnormally large herd.

Only medium-sized cities or larger could protect themselves against such force.

"Around forty armored dragons! Their speed's slow because every time human meat falls behind, they slow their pace!"

"Poor things, those raiders reduced to mere pieces of meat in your eyes!"

I was blown away by Master Van's out-of-place statement.

"Hahaha! Sorry! Slip of the tongue!"

As I laughed and apologized, nearby villagers looked at me in disbelief.

I know this isn't laughing time.

But when you're in a tight spot, you have to joke and laugh, relax. Being too tense prevents full potential.

"Hey, remember to hold fire until all raiders fall into the moat! Once they're in, fire at will! Don't let a single ugly lizard past the moat!"

"Yes!"

"I understand!"

Villagers trembled but followed Master Van's orders.

"Don't worry."

"A clean hit to the mouth or eye will incapacitate them. We need to buy time until Pluriel returns. She'll take Irv and Lowe and charge."

With Espada's support, we can create an environment to fight them one by one.

I'll end this war without any of Master Van's subjects dying.

"Let's go! All of you! Tonight's dinner is skewered lizard!"

I smiled and inspired the villagers.

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