The Two Leaders

“Usually, monsters with innate spells won’t have more than ten of them, but if they can practice and learn magic they’ll have access to many more, which makes them troublesome. If they know magic for crossing obstacles…”

“It’s okay if it’s Enfi or the goblins, but magic-users are cheating bastards.”

Enri said so unhappily, which drew grim smiles from the villagers.

“…But don’t tell Gown-sama I said that, okay?”

That follow-up turned those smiles into laughs.

That should break the tension, Enri thought. Although it would be bad if they were too relaxed, being too tense would also keep them from fighting effectively. Now, the mood seemed about right.

Jugem looked thankfully at Enri. It seemed like he understood why she’d said what she’d said.

“Don’t worry. Just stay behind and shoot. We’ll handle the front.”

The goblins had trained the defense force for precisely this role, which suited them best.

A small village would be hard-pressed to gather armor and weapons, and there simply weren’t enough to arm the defense force. And in the end, they were still villagers. They might have strong arms from working the fields, but that didn’t translate into sword skills. Anyone who could train himself into a warrior that could defeat monsters in their free time between chores would be nothing short of a genius.

With those points in mind, the goblins realized that they couldn’t turn the defense force into frontliners. Instead, they decided to teach them archery to become the rear guard.

Although their technique had improved and they could hit their targets, their bows didn’t have much penetrative power, making it difficult to strike a telling blow on thick-skinned monsters. However, if they were lucky and fired in unison, there was a chance they might hit a vulnerable spot.

“Alright, just like we trained, aim at the other side of the door, and fire in ranks! Agu, your task is to keep the main door from being broken down and stabbing them with spears. Treat Brita-san’s commands as though they came from Ane-san and listen to her.”

“Ohhh! Leave it to me!”

“That’s the spirit. Now, listen up. I forbid you to run. Fight until you die.”

“Of course! I’ll definitely repay the kindness you showed by saving me! In fact, why not put me at the frontline with the ogres?”

“You stupid kid! If I let you do that, you’d just end up killing yourself. You can say that once you get stronger!”

After being scolded by Jugem, Agu’s face was filled with regret and some of the defence force members went to comfort him.

Enri sighed in relief as she saw this. For one, the villagers didn’t see him as the one who had brought the monsters in. For another, it was proof that Agu was accepted by the villagers.

They were the last outsiders to arrive in the village. Although they weren’t shunned or treated badly, there was still a distance between them. However, from the look of things, that gap would vanish if they won today. It was ironic that the battlefield was the best place to build the bonds of camaraderie.

And it was because he felt that gap that Agu fought so fiercely. His objective was to contribute to the village and raise the standing of himself and his people. In human society, they would show respect to people who shed blood for them. Agu and his people had the welfare of his people in mind, so his passion was only natural.

“Enfi, I have something to ask of you.”

Enri stood beside Enfi, and whispered into his ear.

“Oh, no, further a little — ah. Mm. Got it. Then — Agu, I have something to entrust to you. Take these alchemical items and use them well.”

Enfi opened his satchel. Inside were many bottles and papers.

“Use these and throw them at the enemy. You’ll miss if you’re too far away, so try to use them at medium range. You ready?”

“Leave it to me! Watch me accomplish my mission perfectly!”

Agu accepted the satchel, and as they were waiting, one of the goblins shouted down to them.

“They’re on the move! They’re heading this way!”

If one were to listen, they could hear the sounds of the monsters rending the night.

“Defense force to your positions! Ane-san, watch out! Ani-san too!”

“Yes yes, I got it! Don’t any of you die, please!”

“Of course!”

“Now then, Enri, shall we?”

Nfirea ran up to Enri as her escort. Their job was to patrol the houses to see if anyone hadn’t noticed the emergency.

As they watched Enri leave, the goblins stood to battle stations.

“Self-defense force, to your places ― and done. The enemy is entering the target area.”

There was no direct line of fire to the monsters on the other side of the wall. Shooting an unseen target would require firing in an arc, but that wasn’t something any amateur could do, and training to be able to do that would take too long. As a result, the goblins had decided to try something else.

They trained the defence force to land arrows on the other side of the wall. That meant learning how much force to use, and practicing the right angle to shoot at in order to accurately hit a specific area.