Today we set up various traps on the human army’s invasion route to ambush them.
The human army was planning to take advantage of their greater numbers to attack the Elven army from multiple directions. That’s why we are lying in wait on separate routes to defeat them one by one.
Because this is one of the many routes that are currently being watched, it seems likely that one of the units of the main force will pass by here.
While I think I would be able to gain a lot of experience points from this fight, I devoted myself to dividing the hunting ground together with Asue-chan.
The road that looked like a game trail was slightly lower than its surroundings, and as we moved forward we altered the terrain to make a little slope.
We set pitfall traps at the base of the trees, which grew thick on both sides.
Then we dug a trench to hide at the base of a certain tree that was a little farther from the road. To make it safer here, we installed a shield made out of wooden boards and placed fauner near the trench to make it inconspicuous. Blacksmith-san had worked hard to make enough repeating crossbows to equip the long distance attack troops, , who were stationed inside the trenches
We also placed , the light infantry, inside the trench as an insurance. So even if they jumped over the pitfalls and got close by slipping their way through the rain of arrows, it would be easy to buy ourselves some time... or make killing them easy.
However, they ought to have been dealt with by our kobolds that were hiding in the pitfalls before that.
Soon after we finished the general preparations, the scouts from my squad reported that it would take our enemy approximately 30 minutes to arrive here with their current marching speed. So, all we could do was hold our breath and wait.
Then, they came.
Note: everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
The Rusty Iron Knight, who was equipped in a rust-iron colored full-body armor, advanced while astride his war-horse. He paid close attention to his surroundings as he led an orderly army that did not break ranks while it marched behind him. Certainly, each of them seemed to have relatively high fighting abilities, I guess there were about 700 of them.
Amongst them were magic users―'magicians' is a general term to represent them, describing those whose job involves achieving miracles by using magic. There were Summoners, Arcana, Sorcerers and more―probably about 100 of them.
Considering the devestating power of magic, even with only 700 of them, they had an tremendous fighting potential.
But it didn't bother me, it made me feel they were a delicious opponent.
Note: yes, the direct tl is ‘delicious’.
Coordinating the troops through the cuffs, firstly we felled a tree and cut off the enemy’s path for retreat. Despite the loud noise of the falling tree, it didn’t crush a single person. However, it diverted the attention of our enemy and gave me the opportunity to shout out the next command.
With their retreat cut off, it was time for our first assault. We rolled over and pushed down multiple boulders, that had been carved out from the hill above our enemy, towards them. The recessed area that was their foothold caved in on both sides and became a disaster to those who didn't get away in time. They were either crushed or trampled to death by their comrades, who desperately tried to get away from the falling boulders.
Within them, there were those that took up their weapons, others used their magic to try and pulverize the boulders. Unfortunately for them, I had placed an enchantment on the rocks so that they wouldn’t break easily and maintained their momentum and rotational force when rolled down. Their resistance was in vain and they fell prey to the boulders.
Of the 700 enemies once standing, more than 200-300 were crushed to death or were left unable to fight. Many others had suffered injuries from the aftermath as well, it would be difficult to immediately re-organize themselves again.
Of course I had no intention of giving our enemy a break, so we barraged our enemy with our repeating crossbows, sending a rain of poisoned arrows at them.
We had sealed off their escape by gruesomely crushing their comrades with a surprise attack of falling boulders which was followed up by a rain of arrows that came flying in. It was a nasty method that was fearsomely powerful, especially since we used numerous repeating crossbows.
Moreover, because I smeared the arrowheads with a poison I made, even the slightest touch was deadly. Thus this attack instantly cut down the number of enemies.
In an attempt to fight back, some of them tried storming the trenches but ended up falling into the pitfalls that were skillfully hidden. They were met with a wretched end as they got beaten to death by the hidden kobolds.
Of course, this alone was not enough to kill them all. The commanding power of Rusty Iron Knight was not something to be taken lightly.
He raked together the few that survived and arranged a formation using the bodies of their dead comrades to shield themselves from the poisoned arrows. We tried to bring them down with the boulders, but those were destroyed by rapid blasts of magic that were shot from between the crevices in the shell-like formation. With the poisoned arrows being blocked by their shield of dead bodies, we could no longer decrease their numbers.
We plunged into a short stalemate.
Just as I was thinking that he did well with barely 100 left, I felt a surge of interest in the Rusty Iron Knight.
Because I wanted him as my pawn, I stopped their annihilation by magic attacks for now and had the heavy armed unit , led by Ogakichi-kun, charge at them from the top of the hill.
To prevent shooting our own by mistake, we had to stop firing the poisoned arrows. So I just watched over Ogakichi-kun and his men as he readied his ‘Tower Shield’ and they advanced forward.
Magic attacks spurted from the enemy line at Ogakichi-kun, but all of them were blocked by the magic item ‘Tower Shield’ and were dispersed to no purpose. Our enemy judged that it would be useless to aim for Ogakichi-kun and started targeting the others. However, most of them were protected by the Tower Shield.
As both armies closed in on each other, the enemies desperately jumped out from the enclosure in a sink-or-swim resort, but were not able to break through the defense of the heavy armor unit, and were instead cooperatively slaughtered by the members of the heavy armor unit, one by one.
Though Rusty Iron Knight struggled against Ogakichi-kun, there was no real contest as Ogakichi-kun had improved his skills in a fight against the Black Skeletons recently. The reason why he was ‘struggling’ against them, was because he was simply playing around since I ordered him to bring Rusty Iron Knight back alive.
Then after 30 minutes when Ogakichi-kun had enjoyed the fight to its fullest, Rusty Iron Knight was knocked out, captured and enslaved.
And so the meat was distributed and were munched on, *crunch crunch*.
【Ability 【Job-Sorcerer】 learned】
【Ability 【Job-Shielder】 learned】
【Ability 【Job-Sentinel】 learned】
【Ability 【Shield Bash】 learned】
【Ability 【Combat Technique Aptitude】 learned】
【Ability 【Sword Proficiency】 learned】
【Ability 【Guard Proficiency】 learned】
【Ability 【Job-Archer】 learned】
【Ability 【Job-Hunter】 learned】
【Ability 【Job-Item Creator】 learned】
【Ability 【Shield Wall】 learned】
【Ability 【Greater Tool Appraisal】 learned】
Our military achievements this time were quite outstanding.
After we collected the useful-looking equipment, we transported the spoils of war, useful-looking prisoners and food just like last time.
We drugged the captured women and put them in jail while the men will be put to work as slaves immediately.
After that, I reported to Father Elf-san.
If they could no longer restrain themselves and sought after the captured women, at that time I shall give them as a reward to individuals that had performed well.
I replied when I was asked what will become of them. Father Elf-san said ‘not to force them against their will’, but to have your way without drugging them, what are you talking about?
Since they are enemies, we should at least be allowed to drug them.
Now, shall I going to ask various questions of Rusty Iron Knight? Just as I was thinking of doing that, Dhammi-chan embarrassedly tugged on the hem of my bottom with flushed cheeks.
Huh? She wants a… child?
I got fired up in various ways.