Evade The Hero and Flee!

Chapter 297

Side Story – Memories of a Princess (48)

“Wow, I really didn’t expect this… They actually came.” 

“He’s at a similar level to Ast.”

“Um… Lady Renia? I was using tactics while that guy just charged straight in?”

These were the words spit out by me, Renia, and Ast when we heard there was a sudden attack ahead.  

“I almost took unexpected damage. Getting hit by Ast’s triple charge attack ended up helping me…”

“That’s why experience is important.”

If I hadn’t experienced Ast’s 3 consecutive charge attacks, I might have taken damage.

If General Laiasha ends up dying, it would throw our plans into disarray.

“The panicked soldiers launched a strong counterattack, but General Laiasha didn’t take any losses.”

“With his survival instincts, he’s like a cockroach. The enemy’s highest level soldiers are protecting General Laiasha. If that wasn’t the case, he would have died long ago.”

“That’s true.”  

General Laiasha’s army is strong.

The knight legion and magicians trained by the former General Laiasha were the strongest in the Merdeah Kingdom’s army, and the elites trained by them were at a level not inferior even to the Empire’s soldiers.

However,

“It’s just the conscripted soldiers I feel sorry for.”

“It can’t be helped.”

Their numbers aren’t large. 

Elite individuals armed with excellent equipment were at a level that even the state could not easily produce.  

Even for one of the best families in the Merdeah Kingdom, the Marquis Laiasha, it meant they could not easily produce such elites.

Therefore, most of the soldiers were forcibly conscripted.  

Soldiers supported by the state and commoners conscripted by the Marquis Laiasha.

They were just given weapons and used to fill the numbers.

“Well, it doesn’t concern us.”

“That’s right.”

“I guess so…”

I nod at Ast’s words.  

Renia had a look on her face that showed she didn’t quite agree, but what we’re doing here is not child’s play.  

It’s a war where people are dying.

Isn’t it better for the enemy to die rather than our own allies?

“General Laiasha is essential to our plans. We can’t inflict too much damage.” 

“Yes. Realizing they were accumulating damages, the enemies retreated since their heads aren’t just for decoration.”

“If they had heads on their shoulders, they wouldn’t have attacked in the first place right?”

“They probably thought it was just a surprise attack. The courage to say you can do it when everyone else says you can’t! Isn’t that why we chose General Laiasha?”

While she phrased it elegantly, she was essentially saying they raised a fool who says he can do it when everyone says he can’t.

“Right. That’s why we want General Laiasha.”  

But she makes a good point so let’s acknowledge it.

We need a fool. A fool for victory.

“He dared to charge straight into battle even as the enemies cowered in fear. As expected of a general’s traits.”

“Exactly. He needs to hurry up and become a general to give hope to the army.”

“Is that Merdeah’s army or our army?”

“Don’t ask obvious questions,Renia.”

“Yes, Your Highness….”

Renia let out a sigh, looking like she had a lot she wanted to say but was holding back.

“Because from here on is an important period.”

They were hit with an unexpected attack and ended up just counterattacking recklessly.  

As a result, General Laiasha now had a blemish of defeat attached.

No matter how much they were prepared, it was still a surprise attack in its own way.  

I didn’t expect they would continue attacking without pulling back until they had worn down their troops to such an extent.

An unforeseen situation.

For the sake of his promotion as well, we need to start making our move.

“Ast, what’s the status of our intel on the enemy’s other troops?”

“We only know approximate locations. Because the enemy is being extremely cautious, there has been no incoming intel from our insider sources.”

“Is that so? Should we just tell the magicians to bombard wherever they are gathered roughly?”

“Wouldn’t that give the enemy a chance to figure out our magic and cause headaches later on?”

“Nothing lasts forever anyway. Rather than magic that will eventually be figured out given enough time, we might as well just use it right away.”

“You make a good point.”

Ast nods at my words and tells the magicians to prepare to bombard the enemy forces.

“Right. If everyone else has one loss other than General Laiasha, his defeat will look less significant.” 

“Understood.”

Just as all of our army’s magicians were preparing to engage the enemy for the sake of our hero General Laiasha.

Boom boom!  

“Your Highness, may I enter?”

“What’s going on?”

It was a more hurried voice than normal. 

The soldiers in front of the door also seemed to be quite flustered.

“Some people have come to our army.”

Other than Pesra Castle, no matter how far in the rear we may be, there are people coming to an army engaged in war?

“Who is it?”

“It’s the Religion Order! Priests from the Religion of Peace have come!”

#64 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Villain

“The Religion of Peace?” 

Upon hearing the name of the Religion, the Princess wrinkled her brow.

“Don’t tell me they came to spout nonsense about stopping the war.”

“Wouldn’t they?”

Throughout history, there has never been a war that stopped because the Religion of Peace told it to.  

No matter how much the God of Peace loves peace and is the embodiment of peace itself, this place is a world moved by the hands of people existing on this continent.

Unless it was an activity to balance the world, Gods could only move pieces on the level of Heroes or Saints.  

Even if every concept in the world has a God, and there are as many heroes in existence as there are Gods, it wouldn’t be to the extent of stopping a war breaking out across the entire continent.

In the first place, Heroes not being allowed to participate in wars was a condition agreed upon by all nations.

For large nations with vast territories, there was a burdensome possibility of a hero suddenly being born in a small nation and turning the tide of battle, while small nations were already burdened by the possibility of large nations with higher chances of heroes being born raising those heroes to invade them.

Well, aside from that, there was also the risk of wars escalating into monster battles if Heroes who transcended human limits participated, though that’s a separate issue.

“That’s right. So what’s the problem? Something the Religion would come for….”

“Hmm…”

The Princess and Lady Renia’s gaze suddenly focused on me.  

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, if there is a problem, the probability that it’s your problem is highest.”

Renia seemed a bit flustered, but the Princess told me the fault lies with me as if it were a matter of course.

“Why on earth are you saying I did something…?” 

“You didn’t?”

“Of course not…!”

Suddenly various thoughts started popping up in my head.  

Could the rumor I spread about people summoning devils in the upper ranks of the army to deceive the enemy have reached the Religion?

No. In the first place, devils and archdevils fall under the domain of summoning magic, and the Religions recognize it to an extent where it doesn’t threaten the world.  

They try to block the acts carried out to summon devils though.

Could they have possibly come to investigate those acts?

There’s a chance someone who doesn’t know could have reported that I barely lit fires at night so silhouettes were barely visible, made human shaped meat, and fed it to Bakela and other soldiers.

Or there’s the traces left behind in places by devil worshippers from my past life.

Ah, damn! Were all of those cleaned up properly? I left them alone because I was too lazy….

“Sir Ast?”  

“Yes, yes?”

I flinched in surprise at the feeling of someone shaking me.

“Just what on earth did you do…?”

Lady Renia, who was shaking my arm, looked at me with uneasy eyes.

“Uh, uh… I just did my best for our army!”  

“That best is the problem.”

Sigh…

The Princess and Lady Renia let out sighs together.  

“No matter that we’re at war, it doesn’t mean the Religion can’t make a move.”

The Religion’s combat strength is strong.  

Weren’t Fanatics the most powerful basic unit in Starcr*ft?

Guys obsessed with religion, believing it’s the word of God, are fearsome for charging ahead ignoring mines or Siege Tanks firing at them.  

And that’s not all. Behind them are healing specialists… No, Priests.  

If they aren’t killed decisively, these fanatics from this world can revive in an instant to charge again.  

On top of that,

“You know how much of a negative impact it has on ally morale to make an enemy of Gods, right?”

“I know.”

This is a world where Gods openly exist.  

Even with just a single book as proof of God’s existence in my past life, wars still broke out, so in this world where Gods are loudly proclaiming ‘I’m right here!’, the existence of Gods is both an object of respect and fear for ordinary people.

“Ah… Real temples are so useless.”

Except me.  

“That’s right. Always useless.”  

And the Princess.

“Sir Ast? Princess? That’s blasphemy! There are priests from the Religion nearby!”  

Only Lady Renia, who didn’t act like a high ranked noble and was more like an average commoner, made a fuss.

“We should let them in first right?”

“Yes. Leaving priests from the Religion to the soldiers wouldn’t be good.”  

Especially the Religion of Peace preaching peace.

Having the Religion of Peace preaching peace right in front of soldiers that could head into battle anytime could have very bad influence.

“Tell them to come in.”

“Understood.”  

The soldier replies to the Princess’ order.

In that case…  

“I’ll be right ba…”

“And where are you trying to go?”

“Uh… Um… To the bathroom for a bit…”

I awkwardly avert my gaze but the Princess says in a cold voice.

“Don’t spout nonsense and stay right here.”  

There’s still a few iffy things I should tidy up…. I should get them cleaned up….

“Just stay here. If anything happens….”

“Will you massacre and purge them?”

“Sir Ast! What on earth are you saying?!”  

“Um….”  

“What is Her Highness thinking about again!”

“Lady Renia, if you’re so loud, you’ll never get married in your life.”

“Sir Ast please just shut your mouth!”

“Yes ma’am.”  

I shut my mouth at Lady Renia’s words filled with killing intent. I really felt like I might get slashed for real if I make a mistake.

“Princess, the Religion cannot be touched.”

“Hmm… I understand. If Renia is saying that then I should consider it.”  

“Not consider, give a definitive answer!”

That was just an act to mess with Lady Renia.  

No matter if she’s the Princess, there’s no way she’d lay hands on the priests protected by the gaze of Gods right?

Uh… Feels like she actually might though?

I suddenly have the thought that if it’s the Princess, she really might just go and do it.  

“Your Highness, the Saint from the Religion of Peace has arrived.”

“Have them come in.”

Just as I started feeling the same unease as Lady Renia, the Religion of Peace showed up.   

No, before that…  

“Saint?”  

Didn’t they say it was priests earlier?

Looks like some unexpected event suddenly occurred, but the situation had already progressed too far for me to reverse it.  

The door to the makeshift hut, well-made for one that was put together on the fly, opened, and for the first time since joining this evil organization I met a Saint from the Religion.

“Greetings, Princess. I am Saint Marinna from the Religion of Peace.”  

Marinna the Saint, with her long blue hair and red iris that left an impression, gave a polite bow to the Princess.

Usually when one thinks Saint you get the image of gold and nobility, but how do I describe this Saint? She gives off the impression that she’s quite lively? Almost thought she wasn’t a Saint without the priestly vestments.  

“As Princess of the Empire, I welcome the Religion of Peace.”

The Princess showed perfect etiquette I hadn’t seen before when welcoming the Saint of the Religion of Peace.  

The Saint who looked to be in her early 20s and the Princess who looked early teens smiled and shook each other’s hands.  

“So for what reason has the Religion of Peace come all the way out to this warzone? Surely not to tell us to stop the war.”  

“While I want to say that, God of Peace has said humans’ wars are a fate he cannot interfere with. Still, as someone speaking for the will of God, please allow me to speak. Will you stop the war?”

“I refuse.”  

“Understood.”

She gave up quickly as if she didn’t expect anything.  

Meaning the purpose they came here for is something else.

“The reason I have come is….”  

And she said that reason straight out without dancing around it.

“We received a report that there is an evil entity here.”  

And with those words,  

“Uh….”  

“Hmm….”

The Princess and Lady Renia’s gazes stabbed into me.