novelraw Chapter 165 : Chapter 165
Chapter 165 : Chapter 165
Chapter 165
With the dark green legion surging towards them, and the Knight Order and Special Mission Unit holding their ground firmly against it.
Corpses piled up from ceaselessly fired arrows, and a sea of dark green blood flowed along the forest floor.
Ian's gaze, looking at the battlefield which a bard would have praised as the ascent of Moner who had been hiding its teeth and claws, was nothing but dissatisfied.
Because nothing on this battlefield was ‘King of Strategy’-like.
* * *
The ‘King of Strategy’s’ choice was guerrilla warfare.
A strategy that constantly eats away at the Legion and forces the opponent's choices.
When an enemy commander of Legion Commander rank appears, retreat immediately, and attack elsewhere to weaken the Legion’s only advantage: its military force.
And when the Legion is sufficiently weakened, lock up the fortress and propose to the Legion.
‘Would you perhaps consider targeting the Kingdom instead of us?’
The Legion, sick and tired of Moner in the forest, would head to the Kingdom instead of attacking the fortress, probably nesting somewhere in the south.
It was the best move to shift the Tyrant and the Legion Commanders elsewhere while reminding the entire Kingdom of Moner’s importance.
I even thought of a way to lure the Legion to the south.
‘If only it weren't for the Community, I would have acted according to plan.’
However, after participating in the Community, I had no choice but to change my mind.
‘Players, huh…….’
The existence of players and the Community.
The problem isn't the players' martial prowess or power, but the incongruity felt from their ‘existence’ itself.
‘Am I really a player?’
No, not them.
The incongruity I feel is the problem.
* * *
The start of the doubt was Rihaltan.
The Demonkin's ‘Nightmare’ that reproduced my greatest fear. It failed to reproduce the face of the ‘King of Strategy’.
At that time, I thought it was due to the effects of 『Steel Heart』 and 『Immovable Mind』, but suspicion sprouted after facing the mirror in the Community.
I can understand why Rihaltan couldn't penetrate my mental barrier, or why the mirror didn't work because of the system patch, but…….
‘Why can’t I remember?’
When I heard that the mirror in the purely white mental world showed one’s appearance on Earth, I couldn't recall the appearance of the ‘King of Strategy’.
I realized it when I entered the waiting room of the Community.
My studio apartment exists within my ‘memory’, but there is no memory of ‘me’ within it.
I have no memory of lying on the bed placed in one corner, no memory of pondering what to eat after opening the refrigerator, no memory of washing dishes at the sink.
The only thing I can recall is the memory of playing games sitting at the desk.
That memory was the very evidence making me certain that ‘I am the King of Strategy,’ but the ‘players’ I met directly shook that judgment.
‘When Tyrant talked about the World Tree, Petite Princess had an expression like it was truly the first time hearing it.’
The information Tyrant shared was ‘【The World Tree is an enemy of humanity】’.
Even if sharing such obvious information was because he didn't want to give me information, Petite Princess acted as if she was really hearing it for the first time.
‘Even granting that finding the World Tree itself in the game is difficult so it could be possible, it’s not surprising information.’
After all, isn’t there
That Elves betrayed humanity is the same as the World Tree betraying humanity, so it's naturally predictable information.
No matter how much I think about it, it is impossible by my standards for a player not to know about the ‘Whispering Forest’.
‘Whispering Forest’ is an ending obviously made to trick players once intentionally.
A race of unmatched beauty, granting dozens of buffs and automatically raising the morale of the army just by being present, plus rejecting Elves who all handle bows and spirits due to racial traits?
‘That can’t be.’
So, not knowing such obvious information is ‘something that cannot be’ by my standards.
Conversely, the players in the Community didn't find Petite Princess's surprise strange.
Rather, it seemed like they were more surprised that I wasn't surprised.
‘How can that be?’
The most plausible explanation in the current situation is that the ‘version I played’ and the ‘version other players played’ are different.
Not pre-empting Rylae who leads the Golden Goblin Merchant Guild.
Not supporting Trimia.
Not preemptively blocking Queen’s Mercy, which the Empire is secretly spreading.
Ignoring the corruption and depravity of the clerics.
Above all, the fact that no one was interested in Ian and Moner, the protagonists of the game.
If the versions played are different, it’s entirely possible.
At that point, the question ‘Is it even the same game?’ arises, but if it’s a God-tier game that does real-time patches even after possessing an innocent player into the game, that level of update might be entirely possible.
But.
‘Ultimately, no matter how I think about it, I am different from other players.’
It's not just once or twice that I've felt a sense of incongruity as the ‘King of Strategy’.
As an extreme example, not being able to remember even my own ‘name’, which isn't King of Strategy, even after thinking for a long time, is strange no matter how you look at it.
Even so, the reason I didn't care is that the one living here is ‘Ian de Moner’.
There is no need to agonize like a chunibyo asking ‘Who am I’, nor a need to find myself.
Because I am ‘Ian de Moner’.
The important thing is the other side.
That the strategy guides remembered by the King of Strategy and the information held by the players are different.
This is not a meaningless problem like finding oneself, but a practical and direct threat.
If other players don't know the information I have, it conversely means there might be information other players have that I don't know.
In summary, a solo-play exclusive console game I was leisurely playing with thoughts of seeing a happy ending suddenly turned into an online game overnight, and in the meantime, intruding players have information I don't know.
‘Does this make sense?’
To make matters worse, I started later than other players.
And unlike other players, with the worst character that not a single person has cleared.
No, really.
Does this make sense?
Is this balance right?
‘Phew…….’
So, there is no time.
Time to slowly expand influence, train soldiers, and build up internal stability while dealing petty damage to Orcs.
Just thinking that while I'm playing house against Orcs here, other players have snatched up S-class heroes makes me feel breathless.
‘So, it can’t be helped.’
Although it’s not ‘King of Strategy’-like, in an ‘Ian’-like way.
It’s time to end the war.
* * *
Hoodwock’s gaze, which had been ceaselessly firing arrows towards the Orcs threatening the front barrier, turned to Jeremy.
‘…A wizard?’
Though his knowledge is limited, he had heard stories about wizards.
A moving glass cannon.
Since so few people had actually seen a wizard in battle, it was nothing more than rumors passed from mouth to mouth, but at least that’s what he thought a wizard was.
A glass cannon that can annihilate thousands of enemies with a single firepower, but simultaneously cannot block a single arrow.
Their stamina is so poor that there are rumors greedy politicians don't deploy wizards on the battlefield because they collapse from exhaustion if they walk more than three steps a day, and a profession that barely fulfills its role only when guarded by dozens of knights and soldiers.
Although succeeding in activating magic is said to be close to a miracle, it's an ambiguous force where battle ends before they can even show the prepared miracle more often than not.
“…is what I knew.”
Then what is that wizard.
“Wahahaha! I absolutely won't die!”
Running away from Orcs while shouting he won't die, standing even further ahead than the knights.
Whenever he waves his hand, water and lightning fall, and fire and wind soar.
Though the magic isn't flashy enough to be called a ‘miracle’, nor massive enough to change the tide of battle, it was decisively overwhelming.
‘They said wizards can only use magic once a day…….’
It was a preconceived notion formed because Battle Mages mainly used large-scale magic, but Hoodwock, unaware of this, could only be astonished by Jeremy’s tireless prowess.
Is that all?
“Ugyagyak! Mr. Doll! Pay a bit more attention!”
The summon named ‘Doll’ controlled by the wizard is ridiculously strong.
Every time he swings his sword, an Orc's head rolls on the ground.
That level of prowess was something Vergil, Ian, or the Knights of the Special Mission Unit could also show.
‘Since that side isn't human.’
Aren't Ian, Vergil, and the Knights all humans made of flesh and blood in the end?
Although their willpower is strong enough to make one wonder if they are human, they are bound to get tired every time they swing a sword, and will eventually collapse.
Unlike that doll controlled by the wizard.
“Team Leader! Order to advance!”
So.
Thanks to the struggle of the wizard and doll, each worth a hundred men, the Special Mission Unit, which had always adhered only to defensive formations in every battle, is experiencing a new experience called advancing during battle.
Even the Knight Order and the barrier, which should maintain an ironclad shield wall, thrust spears and step forward whenever there is an opportunity.
Literally advancing against an endless enemy doesn't fit the style of the Young Lord who puts safety first, but.
‘When the person himself is leading the Special Mission Unit from the very front.’
We have no choice but to follow.
Therefore, Hoodwock shouted.
“All Special Mission Unit, advance! 2nd Unit, prepare for the next plan!”
Because today too, eventually, Moner will win.
* * *
“Raise shields!”
Attacks pour onto the shields held by dozens of knights.
Usually, they would have withstood this attack and waited for the Rangers' support, but today is different.
【A knight's basic lies in handling all weapons.】
-Following their Lord's words, all knights of the Special Mission Unit are equipped with various weapons.
Crossbows for long range, sword and shield for interpersonal combat, and spears in shield walls like this.
“Thrust, spears!”
As the knights simultaneously thrust the spears in their left hands, the front line of Orcs collapsed.
Their Lord said this moment is the most important.
Before the front line enemies fall and the rear line Orcs take their place.
“Push back and advance one step!”
Dozens of knights simultaneously push back the enemies with shields and take a step forward.
Though they could ravage the Orcs at hundreds of times this speed if they drew their swords right now, the role given to them is a wall.
And a moving wall that pressures the opponent at that.
It was quite regretful not being able to show their martial prowess with swords, but Vergil and the Knights couldn't hide their excitement at this moment.
As a mere dozens of knights are advancing against the dark green army rushing like a great sea, what more heroic feat could there be?
Therefore, the Knight Order silently moves according to orders.
“Thrust, spears!”
* * *
‘Good.’
Ian smiled slightly after confirming the Special Mission Unit following behind.
‘This should be enough provocation…….’
From the Legion's perspective, we are like mosquitoes in a bedroom.
A mosquito buzzing and taunting globally just before sleep.
They want to catch it, but moving the army would obviously make it flee, so they watch for now.
They have no choice but to think, ‘It will just run away moderately after messing around on the outskirts like before’.
Since a loss of two or three hundred can be overlooked, when the response from the center is delayed, we dig into the Legion first.
Making it so itchy and stinging that they simply can’t ignore it.
If moving the entire Legion means obvious escape, and just watching makes it itchy and annoying, what will Tyrant do?
- Strong enemy, approaching, prepare.
The answer is ‘dispatch the one remaining Legion Commander’.
Because he would think a Legion Commander could easily catch a mosquito.
Then what do we do.
“Jeremy!”
“Yes, Young Lord! Shall we run away right now?”
To Jeremy who asked back after casting Haste, I smiled and said.
“I choose you!”
“…Pardon?”
Precisely, not you.
The doll next to you.