I Secretly Healed the Illness of the Twin Princesses While Wearing a Mask, and Now the Entire Kingdom Is in an Uproar ~Please Stop Trying to Expose the Street Healer~ - Chapter 45

A few days after leaving the border town.

Ridiel and I arrived at Hange Fortress, where the Empire was gathering its forces.

“…It’s huge.”

“This fortress protected the Empire from monsters until Kaime Fortress was built. It’s one of the biggest in the Empire.”

“Whoa.”

Hange Fortress was so big, they could almost call it a small town. Thick and tall walls surrounded it, and its streets were narrow and confusing.

Even if monsters broke through the walls, the defenders would have a huge advantage.

On top of the walls, there were lots of varistors and catapults ready to fight off monsters coming from the north.

Since it was an emergency, many merchants were moving around along with the soldiers.

“But people seem kind of gloomy.”

“The Kaime Fortress was said to be unbeatable, as it was completely destroyed. It’s no wonder they’re worried.”

Just then, a voice called out.

“No need to be so gloomy, young lady.”

“Oh, you’re!!”

“…Ridiel-san. Do you know this golden-armored guy?”

A handsome man in shiny golden armor was talking to us.

He was blindingly shiny.

“Are you Heinbok-san, knight commander of the third unit of the Hero Division, the ‘Unyielding Hero’!?”

“Oh, you know about me?”

“Of course!! The story of you holding off a hundred monsters by yourself is famous!!”

“Hahaha, don’t exaggerate. I couldn’t have done it alone. It was thanks to my teammates’ dedication.”

Heinbok… Hein, bok… I can’t help thinking that’s a name that sounds unlucky.

…Or maybe it’s just me. Yeah, probably just me.

“You look like a hero candidate.”

“Y-Yes!! I’m Ridiel Leendiel, a second-year student at Hero Academy and second in the hero candidate ranking!!”

“You’re full of energy. You remind me of my fiancée.”

“Oh! I heard you’re engaged to the ‘Musical Hero’! Two heroes getting married is rare!? Congratulations!!”

“Thank you. Well, after this battle, we’ll have a wedding in the countryside and retire. Neither of us will be heroes after that.”

Wow, that’s the perfect setup for a death flag.

“You’re still a student, so your main job will probably be support from the back. Don’t push yourself too hard. Just watch us senior heroes fight and remember what you see.”

“Yes!!”

“…By the way, who is that with you?”

“Oh, umm, him…”

Heinbok’s gaze suddenly turned to me.

Well, he’d notice me tagging along when I don’t look like a hero candidate.

Ridiel hesitated and was unsure what to say.

“Uh, he’s a volunteer? I guess…?”

“…Listen, if he’s important to you, get him away from the battlefield immediately—”

“N-No!! He’s just a friend!! A friend who wanted to help after hearing about this emergency!!”

“R-really?”

A friend… Hehe.

After Garu and Eris, I guess that makes three friends. Hearing it like that makes me weirdly happy.

“This is Asuku, Ridiel-san’s friend. He’s strong, so he can help carry stuff or do whatever’s needed.”

“I-I see. Well, we could use all the help we can get right now. By the way, it’s almost time for the division commander to announce the plan to recapture Kaime Fortress.”

“R-Really!?”

“Yeah, you two came at just the right time.”

“Yes!!”

So we moved to the main square at the center of Hange Fortress.

While looking around, there were also groups that looked like mercenaries and a few people wearing Hero Academy uniforms like Ridiel, besides the knights and the soldiers.

This really felt like the Empire was throwing everything into this battle.

“The knight commander of the Hero Division, Karma Sedog.”

A nervous-looking middle-aged man on the stage said that.

Karma Sedog… Kar, ma, Se, dog… sounds like a punching bag name.

Just like Heinbok, his name gave me a strange sense of dread.

“Kaime Fortress has fallen to a monster attack, and the Empire is in danger of losing much of its territory. We cannot fail in the Kaime Fortress recapture operation.”

His voice was loud and clear.

Ridiel stood at attention while listening carefully to the commander’s punching bag.

Then he announced the plan.

“A thousand-person advance force made up of commoners will go out first to scout enemy positions and take down as many monsters as possible. Once reinforcements arrive from the Imperial Capital and the Xylica Kingdom, we will put all our forces into recapturing Kaime Fort.”

“Eh, um, what!!”

Just then, Ridiel raised her hand.

“…Are you a student of the Hero Academy? That holy weapon, you must be a hero candidate. Do you have a question?”

“W‑Will the heroes not be sent out?”

“Hm. Kaime Fortress fell even though it had one hundred heroes and five thousand of their students stationed there. That means there could be an unbelievable number of monsters, or monsters so strong they are beyond imagination. That is why we must scout first.”

“B‑But doesn’t that mean the advance force could be completely wiped out…”

“What are you talking about?”

The commander said it as if it were obvious.

“We are sending them out knowing they may all die. That is why the advance force is made of fifth‑class citizens, people we can afford to lose. Don’t worry. One hero will go with them to make sure we get the information back.”

“T‑That’s not the point!! A-are you saying you’ll just let a thousand people die!?”

“…Hmm.”

The commander put a hand on his chin and tilted his head while looking troubled.

Then he gave a bitter smile.

“You still don’t understand what a battlefield is. To win a war, sacrifices must be made where they are needed.”

“I‑I know I’m still inexperienced!! But even if they are fifth‑class citizens, letting a thousand people die is wrong!!”

“…I see. You are a kind person. But let me be clear. Reality is not kind enough to protect a country with ideals alone.”

“Um.”

“If sacrificing only a thousand lives can protect the many people living in the Empire, then it is my duty to give that order. I don’t ask you to agree. Just accept it.”

I understood his logic.

His plan was honestly reasonable. Throwing away a small number to protect the Empire made sense.

Ridiel couldn’t accept it because she still clung to ideals and didn’t yet see reality.

“…I can’t accept it.”

“Then will you join the advance force yourself? One hero candidate joining won’t change the result—”

“I understand.”

“Huh?”

Oh?

“I’ll join the advance force too. No, better yet, just give me the command. I will lead the advance force and retake Kaime Fortress myself!”

“““Eeh!?”””

The commander’s eyes went wide in shock.

No, it wasn’t just him. Even the heroes there were stunned by Ridiel’s unexpected decision.

Wow, things just got intense, all of a sudden.

“W‑W‑W‑What do I do!? Why did I say something like that out loud!?”

“Honestly, it was cool how you stood up to that commander.”

“That’s not what I meant!? And what’s that punching bag!?”

Ridiel rolled her eyes back, and foam came from her mouth while yelling as if her soul might leave her body.

Hilarious.

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Afterword

One-Point Story

Author: “There’s something special you can only get from a pretty girl making a pathetic face.”

A: “Is there really something to gain from that?”

Author: “Yeah.”

If you thought, “The heroes’ names are way too ominous,” “I get why the punching-bag dog says what he says,” “Ridiel is awesome,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, ★ ratings, or reviews.