◈ 369. [STAGE 15] Sunflower
Field north of the outpost. bait bag.
“It’s impossible anymore, senior!”
Evangeline, who was at the forefront of the group holding a shield and crushing the goblins, shouted urgently.
“They’re coming in earnest! If we don’t back down soon, we’ll be surrounded too!”
“… … !”
I gritted my teeth and looked around.
For the rescue party, we had to attract the Goblin Legion’s attention as much as possible, and as a result, our decoy force had to dig far deeper in front of them than we had initially envisioned.
Goblins were already swarming around.
The heroes in charge of the vanguard had been facing swords with them for a long time.
“Lord!”
After tearing apart the goblins with a flashing sword, Lucas shouted.
“We must retreat!”
“… … .”
I know.
I know, but the reason I couldn’t easily order a retreat was simple.
center of the outpost. burlap bag.
The heroes who climbed there to escape fell all at once with the collapse of the battery… … because I saw it a little while ago.
An accident had occurred, and in order for them to survive, this side had to buy a little more time.
But that was also the limit. The goblin legion, which had set out to attack us, was secretly encircling us.
At this rate, we too will be surrounded and eaten.
After glaring at the goblins swarming like bees from all directions, I turned to Damian.
“Damian, can you see the situation inside the outpost?”
“I don’t know exactly because the field of view doesn’t come out inside the turret… … .”
It was quite overdone, but Damian had a lot of dark circles under his round brown eyes.
However, Damian did not show any sign of pain and spoke resolutely.
“… … still fighting I can see the goblins pouring their attacks towards the collapsed battery.”
“Lord!”
Lucas shouted once more.
“At this rate, even the rescue team will be wiped out! You must retreat immediately!”
“… … .”
I commanded, closing and opening my eyes.
“After pouring in the last fire support, all disengagement! Junior party, prepare for magic bombing!”
“yes!”
“and… … grandee! One big one, please!”
“Oh come on!”
It was already a situation where mana had been squeezed to the limit, but Junior’s wizard party cast a joint magic without saying anything.
At the same time, Dusk Bringer inhaled.
Flash-!
Kwakwagwagwang!
The junior party’s magic bombardment and Dusk Bringer’s dragon breath were rammed into the base.
I could see the goblins who were attacking the battery being cut into hundreds.
One can only hope that this attack will be of some help to the rescue team.
“So far!”
I turned my horse’s head back.
“Retreat! Go back to the gate-!”
“Retreat!”
“Retreat-!”
The Evangeline Party, Lucas Party, the Dragon Blood Knights, and the Punishment Unit were in charge of the four defenses of the decoy unit.
We started running back the way we came, beating the goblins that rushed to us.
I glanced back towards the outpost for the last time.
Live.
Miracles are good too. Good luck too. Coincidence overlapped with ridiculous coincidence, so it’s okay to throw probabilities in the trash.
Isn’t reality sometimes more dramatic than drama?
live on
Repeatedly, I spurred on my words.
The surroundings were already swarming with goblins, so the process of our decoy unit’s retreat was not going to be smooth either.
While commanding the heroes, I kept repeating it in my mind until the very end.
I beg you, my people.
live… … .
***
advance base. collapsed canopy.
“Will you marry me?”
Right after God Hand proposed to Lily.
Flash-!
Kwakwagwagwang!
Magic bombardment and dragon breath flew around the battery.
The goblins who were closing the siege were directly hit, and a terrible explosion and frenzy swept the area.
——————
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The two hugged each other to protect them, and when the explosion subsided, they raised their heads and looked around.
In the aftermath of the explosion, flames were everywhere, and since both magic explosion and dragon breath were attacks accompanied by magic, the unique magic light remained.
Because of the soaring flames and the sparkling magic light, the goblins lost their senses for a moment and were thrown into confusion.
To get out, now is the only time.
“song!”
Lily said, and God Hand lightly picked her up. And she ran into the flames.
Lily absorbed the flames, and God Hand was able to safely run through the burning outpost.
But- where?
I was running, but there was nowhere to run. Even if you leave the base, you will be chased and killed, and where to hide inside the base… … .
“Go underground! There is a place to hide there!”
At Lily’s words, God Hand turned to the underground without the slightest hesitation.
Underground, it was a stone-based crypt-like warehouse right below the ground base.
Fortunately, there were no goblins guarding this place. It was because everyone was in a military situation.
Entering the basement, Lily quickly operated the device hidden in the stone wall. Then the secret stone door opened, revealing a narrow space.
“Go in, God Hand.”
“here is… … ?”
“It is an emergency facility built by the head of the association when repairing the outpost. So that even the commander can evacuate in case of an emergency… … .”
When Ash went on a maintenance inspection of the outpost, Lily was by his side. So he was aware of the existence of this room.
And it was only after entering that narrow space that God Hand knew.
The fact that this space is for one person.
It was full when he entered. It was a space that the two of them could not enter. The embarrassed God Hand turned around.
“Lily, this is… … .”
God Hand stopped talking.
Lily was outside smiling. Her one hand was still resting on the gate’s opener.
“Narrow? I can not help it. It is an evacuation facility exclusively for the commander, built using the remaining space in the first place.”
“… … .”
“I am hiding for a few days. Then, His Highness will come to the rescue.”
God Hand knew that if he moved even slightly, Lily would close the switch.
God Hand cautiously beckoned inside.
“Lily-sama is coming too. They’ve been cuddling with me here for days.”
“If we both disappear, the goblins will search for us. At least one person needs to attract attention so they will be less suspicious.”
Lily’s hand gripped the switchgear. Just turn the device, and the stone gate will close again.
“Thank you for proposing, God Hand. I was genuinely happy. but… … I can’t either.”
Lily laughed bitterly.
“The elf said that he loved only one person in his entire life. He’s too short of me for that love. In your long life, I was a fleeting soot. That’s enough.”
“… … Lily.”
“Just remember me sometimes. She said there was a woman she met on that front. She often fights, loves a little… … There was a woman who thought about getting married for a while. Please remember with a smile.”
“… … .”
God Hand, who had been silent, held out his hand.
“Okay, Lily. instead… … Finally, can you let me hold your hand?”
Hesitantly, Lily held out her hand that was not holding the switch.
God Hand gently held that hand, put the tip of his nose to the back of that hand, and sniffed it.
“Lily. You know what?”
“Which one?”
“You are a much greater person than you think.”
Right after that, God Hand yanked Lily’s hand inward.
Since she couldn’t control her lower body, Lily was sucked in as God Hand led her, and the two of them changed their positions.
“God Hand! Do this… … .”
As Lily tried to get out in anger, she realized that one of her hands was tied to the inside of the shelter.
Before he knew it, God Hand had transformed his prosthetic arm and bound Lily’s hand with handcuffs inside the facility.
With one prosthetic arm gone, God Hand smiled softly. Trying to break her handcuffs, Lily shook her head.
“Don’t do this, God Hand. please! Don’t make me more miserable… … !”
“My name is not God Hand. It’s just a code name given to me by the task force.”
For the first time since the elven kingdom was destroyed.
God Hand revealed his real name.
“My real name is Carlisle. It means ‘light chaser’ in Elvish.”
“Carlyle… … .”
Lily muttered, God Hand—no, Carlisle smiled softly and leaned toward Lily.
“One more time, call me by name.”
“Carlyle.”
“one more time.”
“Carlyle… … .”
The two kissed each other.
The kiss, which felt like an eternity or a fleeting moment, was over. God Hand slowly parted his lips and gently stroked Lily’s red hair.
“In my life, which was full of lies, my heart for you was the only truth.”
“Carlyle, no. no… … .”
“You are not the soot that has passed through my life. You are the sun that shines in my life.”
Carlyle smiled thinly.
“And an elf looks only at his sun all his life.”
like a sunflower
“Have a wonderful life, Lily. Don’t give up and keep trying. Meet many people, love them, and make them laugh. And sometimes think of me.”
“… … .”
“Do not worry. No matter how you live, you will shine more than anyone else in the world.”
The shouts of the goblins in the distance drew closer.
The brief reprieve was coming to an end. Carlisle stepped back and put his hand on the switchgear. Lily, holding back tears, said.
“Tell me you will be back.”
“yes?”
“This is not the end for us, that we will come back alive… … tell me please… … .”
Looking at the sobbing Lily, Carlisle nodded happily.
“I’ll be back. I will definitely come back.”
“How long will you be back… … ?”
Carlyle thought for a moment, then
“Before winter is over, by all means.”
Said so.
Carlyle operated the switch, and the stone door closed.
Until the door was completely closed, Carlyle was laughing.
thud-
The door closes.
“liar.”
Pressing her forehead against the closed door, Lily sobbed.
“liar… … .”
***
“You fight well.”
Next to the collapsed battery.
Callie-Alexandre said while receiving the report of the battle.
The Goblin Legion suffered an additional 1,500 losses. In contrast, there were no additional deaths on the human side.
But Carly-Alexandre was well aware.
The fact that it was the best of the human side that took part in this battle, and that many of them suffered injuries that would be difficult to recover during the remainder of the battle.
It wasn’t such a bad result for consuming 1,500 lives with bullets.
“But I’m a little disappointed… … Who is the rat hiding here?”
“Kirik, yes! We are narrowing the search now! You’ll find out soon-“
Amir, the goblin who was reporting, was speechless.
Taat-!
It was because an elf who ran through a collapsed building jumped down on Kali-Alexander.
“found!”
《That elf!》
《Kill-!》
The goblins’ spears and knives, which reacted immediately, aimed at him, but Carlyle didn’t care.
His eyes were fixed on the enemy commander from the beginning.
Charleureuk!
The prosthetic arm left in Carlisle’s hand turned into a long barbed wire. He let out a loud roar and slammed the bars with all his might.
And the tip of the iron spear pierced the body of the Goblin God King.
The Goblin God King fell off his horse while spraying blood. Standing in front of him, Carlyle smiled relievedly.
The two arms where the prosthetic arm had disappeared were empty.
It didn’t matter.
Because he wasn’t God Hand anymore.
He was just an ordinary elf Carlyle who loved an ordinary human woman.
Carlyle raised his head and looked up at the sky. The afternoon sun was warmly beating down on his head.
Bathed in the sun, Carlyle slowly closed his eyes.
Goblins’ swords rained down on him from all directions.
***
It started snowing.
Snow fell evenly on the collapsed stone walls, on the battery on fire, and on the innocent deaths.
It was the last snow of this winter.
