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Kaoru’s Chapter 30: Interception

 

「「Huh……」」 (Kaoru + Roland)

Both Roland and Kaoru gave out a surprised voice.

Roland, surprised because Kaoru brought the 7 children.

Kaoru, surprised because Roland is wearing equipment to go with the soldier as well.

「Why did Kaoru brought children even though we are going to war zone? The youngest child, however you look at her, she is only about 7-8 years old!」(Roland)

「Why is the royal family coming along?」(Kaoru)

Both side accuse each other as out of your mind.

After a while they couldn’t change each other’s opinion,  they decided to leave it as it was.

This party have total of 20 people: 7 children of 「Goddess’ eyes」, King’s brother Roland, Female knight Francette, 8 royal guards and 2 carriage.

Kaoru had said to the children that 「you may be killed」, but there weren’t such risk after all. Since there’s a last resort when they found themselves in a big problem.

When Kaoru asked cheat ability from Celes and she didn’t put conditions on her cheat abilities.

(I thought that it would be nice to finish this war without using it, but I had taken all the safety measures in case of emergency.

However, it can’t be said so to this「unexpected event」

It’s hard to deal with the Royal family who accompanied her as well as other Royal guards. It will be bad if I use 「that」when there are royalty and nobility nearby that can see it. Because human desires have no limit.

However, there shouldn’t be any problem with these people, I think. These Royal guards and children had sworn absolute loyalty and I don’t need to worry about leaking the secret. And this Royal family member is a partner in crime in the first place, for him to know one more secret won’t be a problem.) (Kaoru)

 

All of the royal guards, Roland, Francette were riding on horses, Kaoru and the children were riding on the carriage.

Of course, not a luxurious horse-drawn carriage but a type called 「caravan」that is commonly mentioned.

One of two carriage was loaded with food, water , horseshoe fodder, supplies etc.

The carriage that Kaoru riding is also loaded with water, food and everyone kept telling Kaoru in case of emergency, only Kaoru must escape while others are left to retain the enemy. Because other keep insisting, Kaoru say yes to pass it, while she doesn’t intend to do so.

Initially, she was going to walk by herself, but right now Kaoru frowns upon the party suddenly becoming a large group.

***

 

The day after leaving the capital, Kaoru’s party only passed through on city with big scale. From now on, there are only small village level in this direction. There is no point in making a big town in the direction of the Sacred country which is a small country without a remarkable product.

Kaoru will begin to act soon.

 

Kaoru’s party instructed the villagers in the small village that they were passing through to temporarily evacuate with the minimum amount of personal belongings and all the food.

Since the villagers can return soon, they don’t have any extra things, and Kaoru has the Royal King’s brother Roland guarantee to reimburse the villagers the best they can later. And the most important thing, we need to ask information on wells, water fields in the village and take notes. Kaoru counts with the expected date of arrival of the enemy army and the speed of rough advancing, tell villagers firmly what evacuation has to be done and heading for the next village.

There’s no citizen who doesn’t know the name of the King’s Brother Roland and now he accompanies with the infamous name「Angel like Kaoru」, no one opposed. And after Kaoru giving potion to those who couldn’t move because they were injured or sick, the speed of the evacuation of the villagers doubled.

 

***Six days after leaving the Kingdom***

 

Kaoru’s party arrived at a village located about two days to the enemy troops and ordered evacuation just like before. The only difference is that this time is an immediate evacuation with no time delay.

4 of the 8 royal guards and one caravan are left to help and surveillance the evacuation of the villagers.

The rest of the party are departing on foot. (T.N: they have caravan but it can’t be use on sneaky mission)

Since there isn’t much time left after this, Kaoru left the villagers evacuation to the 4 royal guards.

And then Kaoru asked Francette to go scouting. Meanwhile, Kaoru prepared everything to intercept the enemy.

During the next day’s progression, Francette came back as a scout while dressing like a village girl. Because she was the fastest and strongest among the royal guards while looking like a 15 years old girl, she can easily go and check the position of the enemy.

「The enemies are about 2 hours travel distance from us, but base on the traveling speed of the enemy army, it will be around 6 hours or so …」(Francette)

Yes, it took 2 hours for Francette to come back and she moved at four times faster than the enemy’s advancement speed.

「This village isn’t a good place to fight with the enemies …

There’s also a possibility that the enemy’s traveling speed is faster than we expected. So we will go to mountain place that Francette went through a while ago and intercept them there」(Kaoru)

Nodded to Kaoru’s words, everyone went to the mountain.

From the highway, above the cliffs there’s a poor mountain range.

From that place, the 14 people including Kaoru are watching the highway that entered the mountainous part where there were no trails from the highway that can climb to the top of this cliff. Children… as part of living expenses earnings were strong and they followed without difficulty. At least, there was no one who went behind Kaoru. Kaoru was able to safely arrive by drinking recovery potion many times, but her stomach had become stiff.

「It’s almost time …」(Kaoru)

While muttering so, Kaoru moved her gaze to behind her . There were suspicious items arranged there.

A lot of glass spheres as large as a fist. There are two kinds, red and white.

Also, there are a few bottles put on wood branches about 1 meter long attached with something like a net made of vine. This was made by the Royal guards with Kaoru’s instruction 「which make the glass sphere flying farther than just throw 」 (T.N: Catapult)

「Here they came」(Francette)

As expected of Francette, not only the physical fitness but also eyes are good. That potion, how far was it effective.

「There’s no turning back already. Please don’t get nervous, just be careful not to get found out by soldiers from the bottom」(Kaoru)

13 people nodding silently with Kaoru’s words.

The enemy army gradually approaches, the army’s front passes by just under Kaoru.

Kaoru intended to attack the enemy army. But it wasn’t to the first unit.
The Arigo imperial army soldiers passing by one after another.

「Ah……」(Roland)

Roland talks in a small voice.

「What’s wrong?」(Kaoru)

Kaoru asks back.

「No, I think that these are a group of commanders, but they looks like a Priest or a Monk there」(Roland)

When Kaoru looks at the direction that Roland points to, there are someone that look like priests but when looking at their clothes, they are mostly likely bishop classes, there are some monk who have weapons and shields wearing simple clothes

「Not only let the Empire army passing though and hiding the information but also direct participation …

This is probably a call on the people of the Sacred country with the name of the Holy Pope and the great temple’s influence.

Are they planning to secure Kaoru in the confusion when the Imperial soldier attacking the Capital?」(Roland)

In Roland ‘s words, the children were expressing their anger.

A considerable amount of time has elapsed since the army’s front passing through. The army’s supply corps will be on sight soon. On the cliff, everyone was ready in place waiting for Kaoru’s signal.

And then Kaoru gave instructions.

「Launch the white balls at the head and tail of the heavy troops!」(Kaoru)

Everyone launched white glass bulbs at the heavy troops both ends using the tools they prepared. A big explosion occurs the landing of white glass bulbs. The heavy troop falling into a havoc. The front soldiers also look for the enemy figure with a fuss, but they wouldn’t be able to find Kaoru’s party immediately that were on a cliff.

「Red balls, continuous barrage!」(Kaoru)

Next, the red sphere that was launched, spread fire as it lands.

Not only launched by the tool but also the hand throwing are used together and the red glass bulbs thrown one after the other, the wagons are wrapped in flames one after another. As long as the soldiers on foot, it’s difficult for a horse carriage to break through out of the way and they also couldn’t move when they were blocked by holes and flames due to the explosion.

The projected white ball was packed with 「Something like Nitro Glycerin」which reduced the detonation sensitivity for safety. Red balls are used for grease incendiary bullets,

The napalm which was the main combustion material was filled with a jelly-like product by adding a thickener called a napalm agent. It was designed to ignite spontaneously when exposed to air. The fire will not disappear even when water is applied. (T.N: Anyone know chemical please help me correct any mistake about this info, it was only MTL-ed)

After attacking the middle corps for a while, Kaoru gave out another instruction.

「Start launching white balls and red balls to the Battle troops at back, too!」(Kaoru)

The Imperial Army finally noticed that it was an attack from the cliff, but everyone falls to the back immediately after receiving glass bulb barrage attack, they retaliate using bows and arrows and there’s no trail to climb this part of the cliff. It was one-side attack from Kaoru’s party.

At the beginning we were only attacking the supply corps but gradually the center of attack began to shift to the back of the main troops, enemy soldiers are in a panic.

The soldiers who receive attacks started moving forward at full speed while yelling at the front soldiers to quickly move so they can get out of the attack area. Front soldiers also notice the backward situation and start running at full power as well. But It isn’t that fast because of their heavy equipment, the whole army desperately tried to get out of this dangerous mountain as soon as possible.

After a while they finally passed through the mountain and moved to the safe area, the Imperial Army finally noticed while watching the surroundings.

… supply corps hasn’t arrived.

The soldiers turned back to see the situation, there were the remnants of a burned-out horse-drawn carriage and a blown-out cart and the survivors who were stunned.

The majority of food, water, manger, arrow, spare armor, camping equipment, and various other necessary items were lost.

At that time, Kaoru’s party already moved ahead avoiding the Imperial Army using the poor mountain path. They came back the village. They are faster than the movement speed of a heavily equipped soldier although there are a lot of girls in this party. Besides they will need to gather the remaining supplies, having countermeasures meeting, etc.,

So the Imperial Army shouldn’t move anytime soon today. We have all day long to prepare. Kaoru judged so.

Prepare yourself, I will give you all an invitation to hell.

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