Volume 16 by Reki Kawahara

Author:Reki Kawahara
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Tens of minutes passed.

At the Human Empire Defense Army’s headquarters, the guards divided into two were exchanging handshakes and hugs, vowing they would meet again.

Accepting Integrity Knight Alice’s proclamation, Knight Commander Bercouli added another compromise.

That was to have Alice, the decoy «radiant medium» for luring away the enemy army, accompanied by half of the troops. Of course, Alice vehemently opposed it and requested for independent action, but the knight commander would hear none of it.

—There’re still many in the enemy army. You won’t be luring many of them away on your own. We’ll only succeed in breaking them up if there’re enough of us running with you.

She could say nothing to refute that. It certainly would be too arrogant to assert that she could lure the entire enemy army away based solely on that vague information mentioned by the ogre chief.

Besides, Alice planned to have Kirito ride with her on Amayori’s back. She was not fully confident she could continue protecting him while serving as a decoy alone. An accompanying force would be heartening in that aspect at least.

Bercouli had another surprise for everyone after deciding to split up the Defense Army.

He, the supreme commander and knight commander, would personally join the decoy unit.

With regards to that, Fanatio, who was assigned to command the unit staying back, raised vehement opposition along with Deusolbert.

“You’ve done enough, haven’t you? Lemme fight a little.”

Fanatio refuted with the corners of her eyes raised when Bercouli said that in an admonishing tone.

“Who are you to speak when you can’t even fold your own change of clothes without me by your side?!!”

That incited much jeering from the knights and guards. Bercouli showed a cynical smile, drew closer to Fanatio’s ears, and whispered something—with the deputy commander averting her face downwards and backing off, surprisingly enough.

As for Deusolbert, he reluctantly relinquished as well after having the evident fact that he had ran out of arrows from the battle earlier pointed out. Supply units were currently heading towards the nearest town to restock, but that would easily take more than an hour or two.

Worry and concern were on full display on the soldiers’ faces, regardless of whether they were from the departing or remaining unit. It was honestly unclear which was in more danger. Only the gods—no, only the god of darkness and the supreme commander of the enemy army, Vector, knew how many would pursue the decoy unit and how many would continue the assault in the gorge.

Those included in the decoy unit finished their preparations before long: the four high ranking knights, Bercouli, Alice, Renri, Scheta, and their flying dragons, a company of guards numbering a thousand, a company of ascetics numbering two hundred, and a supply company comprising of fifty. Eldrie insisted on being added to the decoy unit himself, but he reluctantly backed off after a fierce remonstration from Alice. The apprentice knights, Linel and Fizel, threw a tantrum as well, but even they could only give in after the knight commander told them that he would be “counting on them for the rest”.

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