From Trust to Betrayal (3)
What I heard faintly was the cry of a monster. It was a voice that came from inside, not outside the city.
“What… What is this noise?”
As I shook my head at Cha Hee-ra’s question, I heard another cry resonating from somewhere. It was a long, thin, high-tone cry, too distinct to be considered a human’s.
“Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”
‘Did the monsters in the basement jump out?’
It was not impossible, yet it sounded a bit pathetic to say so. Whatever the reason, it would be right to identify the sound. As I opened my mouth to speak, Cha Hee-ra cut me off.
“Honey. Could you be quiet for a minute?”
“Huh?”
“Just pipe down.”
At this, she closed her eyes, trying to detect the sound. Though I couldn’t understand her behavior, I could understand why she had told me to be silent.
The floor had started to shake, and it felt scary to look down. Though it was subtle, the vibrations were similar to that of an earthquake. In an instant, I sensed the incoming danger.
‘What… is it?’
“Should we get ready?”
“What?”
“I think it really is coming.”
“What?”
“I’m not kidding. I guess I was wrong. It’s coming now, so get ready as soon as possible. It seems that it is still a little far away… However, it will probably come soon.”
“Why is all of this suddenly happening…”
The situation felt so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh. I hadn’t expected it to happen this soon. Though Kim Hyunsung had busied himself, he didn’t move with a sense of urgency.
‘Did it happen earlier than the first round? Did Kim Hyunsung know that the monsters would be coming in today? At this timing?’
As if I had conjured him, I could see Kim Hyunsung running towards us, a clear, disconcerted expression crossing his face.
‘He didn’t know.’
I could confirm this with the genuinely disbelieving expression he had on. Something must be wrong.
“Kiyoung-ssi”
“Yes, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“Quickly prepare for battle… The monster wave seems to have started.”
“Ah… Yes, alright.”
Though I had wondered about the possibility of twisting the future, I didn’t think it would change so much. At least we had done our best to prepare our troop formation.
However, as I continued to think hard, I was able to get a glimpse of the fuse of this sudden bomb. No, I didn’t even have to think harder. The answer was decided on the circumstance.
‘The sound of that cry just now…’
I didn’t know how it rang out of the city, but I was sure that the protagonist of this situation right now came from that cry.
“I think the scale is… a little bigger than I thought.”
“I see. I’ll get ready for battle right now. What about Hyunsung-ssi?”
“I will inform the Yeongju Tower directly. Kiyoung-ssi can continue to monitor the situation at the Central Command Department and operate a conservative reserve force. All Blue members will move at once.”
“Ah… Yes. Then I will load all the arrows and cast magic, then lie in wait.”
“Yes. And the sound we just heard…”
“We’re working on it. If something strange happens, I’ll report it immediately.”
“And… Kiyoung-ssi?”
“Yes?”
“I trust you.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
At that, I felt better. I knew Kim Hyunsung’s words were not just mere pleasantries, especially during an event he considered important. This would be an excellent opportunity to accumulate a good amount of experience.
Due to the circumstances, I was entrusted to command, but it also would have been hard for Kim Hyunsung to trust me, someone, who had no experience.
Of course, I felt grateful for his continuous, silent support. Although I had blanked out for a while, I knew I should not idle like this.
As soon as I started running to let the rest know that the situation had erupted, the soldiers quickly began to spread in all directions.
A loud bell started rattling, and the surroundings become noisy in an instant.
“Ready for battle.”
“Ready for battle!”
“Get ready for battle! Ready for battle!”
At this point, I opened my mouth once more.
“All forces hold the position, and the magic corps shall wait after casting!”
“It’s a monster. All troops prepare for battle! Hold the position! Magic corps on standby!”
It was certainly comfortable to have a messenger who would scream out for me.
It seemed that Castle Rock wasn’t completely a mess, as it entered a war state in no time.
Since the monsters were not visible, our fighters cast their spells and loading arrows without knowing why, but the anxiety was evident on their faces. Of course, in my case, I was still in a situation where I couldn’t think of where the sound would have come from.
However, the cry was a hint in itself. It sounded like a puppy crying out for its mother.
It was momentary, but the egg of the monster that would come out for sale at the auction house popped into my mind.
‘It must be that, right?’
I hadn’t checked it properly, but if the egg was sold or kept by a guild with a different purpose, I couldn’t help but keep in mind the possibility that the egg had hatched.
‘I should have checked a little more carefully.’
In the first place, I should have been more suspicious when a monster’s egg appeared in the central auction house. The puzzle seemed to fit perfectly when considering that.
If the wave would start faster than expected, it was correct to assume that the cause would be that cry. I needed to find this out for myself first.
“Hee-ra.”
“What?”
“The sound we just heard came from within the city.”
“Do I have to check it?”
“Yes. You don’t have to go there yourself. No, you better protect this place. The Mercenary Queen’s name helps increase morale.”
“Of course.”
“What about the western area?”
“When the wave starts, we’ll start the operation right away, so you don’t have to worry, honey. There’s no problem here, so it’s good to think carefully about what you’d like to give me as a reward for this job. Because if it’s money, I have too much already. Don’t think about giving me gold coins.”
“Hmm…”
“Are you thinking about solving it with money this time, too?”
“About half…”
“I knew it. This is our maiden battle… I mean. How about doing a short speech or something?”
“…”
Everything felt so sudden that I felt unsettled. I already knew the importance of the commander’s role. It was not a human-to-human war, but it was also important to promote morale as this could be classified as a large-scale battle.
However, this was not a good time to make any risky decisions.
It wasn’t long after the formation was over, and everyone else had gotten busy.
However, it was evident that everything had been firmly established.
Little Rock, which I worried would escape through a chaotic gap, was also looking down from the First City Wall’s top.
The Merchant Union that delivered supplies was moving consumables such as arrows and potions to each location, and some of the imperial people, who were weak at heart, busied themselves with their prayers. Perhaps…
‘They must’ve realized it.’
The vibrations on the ground had slowly begun to get worse. The earth itself had started to shake, its magnitude slowly increasing.
From far away came the echoes of monsters crying.
‘Hmm…’
If someone were to ask if I was scared, I would say that, indeed, I was. Everything felt so unrealistic. I wondered if I would be able to do my job, and my anxiety spiked from there.
‘Fuck… It’s scary…’
Of course, I had my own source of strength – the lovely leader Kim Hyunsung, the meat shield Park Deokgu, the adorably obsessed Jung Hayan, and the high-quality priest Sun Hee-young.
Little Kim Ye-ri and Hwang Jeong-yeon were a little too considerate to be in my line, but they were still colleagues who could save my life if ever I’d be in danger.
The most reliable one right now was Cha Hee-ra, who was here beside me.
It was undeniable that I was safe, watching the situation safely from the rear.
Besides these, there were thousands and tens of thousands of soldiers who could throw their lives for me.
“Ah… you bastard, there is no need to be anxious.”
“Huh?”
“Voice magic, please.”
“You want to say something?”
“Of course, Hee-ra.”
I began to speak as the screaming grew. The voice I spit out wrapped around the entire castle wall and the castle through amplification magic, and for a while, my voice was louder than the cry of the monsters.
Perhaps it was my voice, not their shouts, that they heard was trembling.
“Our hometown is not here.”
“…”
“Strictly speaking, we are people who have nothing to do with this place. Most people have been brought here without knowing why, and some have come to Castle Rock to survive. Some came to find work.”
“…”
“There are probably many people who have their own share of bad memories. The environment here is not friendly to us. Some of you may have lost your friend, and some may have lost your lover. There may be some who spend their nights with alcohol because each day is so difficult, while others are worried and wondering about whether to take their own lives.”
“Honey?”
“But everyone… Take a moment to look back and see the output behind you. You are the one who made the current Castle Rock. It is the free and imperial people who changed Castle Rock, which previously functioned as a military facility. Since everyone thought it was dangerous and was busy migrating and evading, Castle Rock is now a tourist attraction and hunting center for many tourists and free people. It’s the result of your lost friends, lovers, and family.”
“…”
“All of you have accomplished and built this up. This high wall we are stepping on, the arrows we hold in our hands, everything you are in. It is you, not anyone, who have built these. It is a precious place made with your blood and sweat. This is our shelter and home. It is a home with our loved ones and friends.”
“You’re good at talking, honey.”
“I will ask you guys. Isn’t Castle Rock really our hometown? Do you really think it has nothing to do with us?”
“…”
“Castle Rock will be safe. If you lift your weapons with the will to defend, our homeland, where we work for ourselves, will be safe! Everyone, we are not forced to lift our swords because of our contract with the Holy Empire. We lift our swords to protect our hometown ourselves. Let’s protect the base of life together! Everyone!”
Though my speech was sudden, it didn’t sound bad at all. The human mind would easily be impressed by this kind of speech when faced with extreme conditions.
Some may be swearing at what bullshit I had just spouted was, but some who were touched may shout to forget their fears.
“L-Let’s protect our hometown!”
‘As I had expected.’
“Let’s protect our hometown! Let’s protect our living base!”
‘Good. Very good.’
“Let’s protect our hometown!!!”
Shouts of defiance began to spread throughout the entire area. It felt ridiculous to hear it resound from the First City wall all the way here, but it appeared that even Little Rock had garnered courage from my words.
‘You’ll have to protect it harder, you bastards.’
“Gwooooooooaaa!”
Soon, monsters began to file out of the forest. Although the soldiers flinched, they soon recovered and readied their stances.
“Today, Castle Rock will be safe, everyone!”
“Let’s protect Castle Rock!”
“All forces on standby!”
“Launch!”
Magic and arrows covered the sky.