In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 277

Chapter 277: The Kukkoro Male Knight and a Joint Battle Line 2

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The actions of the fierce warriors were extremely swift. About ten minutes after the vanguard made contact with the enemy, the main force also began taking fire. The elves’ fighting style was highly tricky. They slipped between tree trunks as if passing through them, launching sniper attacks with their Elven Bow, and sometimes traveling along tree branches to ambush from directly overhead. They were astonishingly troublesome opponents.

“Chesto—Elven Bow!!”

“Fire, fire, fire! Shooting is our specialty! Don’t let those elves outdo you!”

Intercepting them was a mixed unit of the pro-Liseben elder faction and our marines. Using Elven Bows and cavalry carbines, they laid down suppressive fire, attempting to halt the enemy’s advance.

In naval combat, the marines had disgraced themselves due to seasickness, but this was land. Here, they could fully demonstrate their combat strength. If anything, they seemed fired up to redeem their previous shame. With splendid rifle handling, they had already shot down several enemy elf soldiers. The cavalry carbines, somewhat shorter in barrel length than standard infantry rifles, handled well and allowed for a reasonable degree of fighting even in the forest.

“The outsiders are only firing those petty little pop-guns!”

However, the opponent was elite elf soldiers, renowned for their strength. They were not naïve enough to be wiped out by gunfire alone. While using their bows to harass us, they skillfully used the trees as shields and closed the distance.

“Cheeeestoooooo!!”

With roars like rabid hounds, a group of peerlessly beautiful girls charged forward. The cavalry carbines equipped by the marines were typical muzzle-loading rifles, making them weak in close combat. Bayonets had already been fixed, but allowing the enemy into melee range would be bad. I immediately issued an order.

“Shotgunners! Forward!”

At the command, soldiers carrying shotguns stepped forward, swapping positions with the riflemen. Shotguns. Yes, shotguns—the kind that fired scattershot. I had known rifles wouldn’t be able to show their strengths in a forest. Just in case something like this happened, I had rushed a large order to the newly established Gunsmith Guild in Carrera City beforehand.

That said, being hastily made, their performance left much to be desired. In reality, they were little more than large-caliber, short-barreled muskets. They could only load one round at a time, and loading was done from the muzzle. Even so, their power was genuine. Against elf soldiers who did not wear heavy armor, even a glancing hit could inflict considerable damage.

“Gwaaah!”

Struck directly by the scattershot, one elf soldier collapsed, blood spraying from her entire body. It was a gruesome sight that made one want to look away. However, elves were the sort whose morale did not falter from such carnage.

“A splendid way to fall!”

“We’ll follow too! Charge!”

…Not only did their morale not drop, it actually rose. I was already sick of these people. Even so, I glanced toward the marines. In visible panic, they were trying to form a spear wall using their bayonets. Certainly, a spear wall was a common tactic when the enemy closed in, but now was not the time.

“Riflemen, continue firing! Those who approach will be handled by the Osa, Bell, and Harifa units!”

The units I called out were led by the “New” elders. The enemy force appeared to consist largely of young elves, yet their level of training still far surpassed that of ordinary Liseben infantry. I had no desire to engage such opponents in melee. Elves should fight elves.

“Yeah! Leave it to us!”

The elf elders, who had been utterly irritating during meetings, transformed into utterly reliable allies once battle began. Drawing their wooden swords, they eagerly charged at the enemy.

“Let me see the valor of the elves!”

With a grin, I said that to them. In other words, “Show me something impressive.” The elves raised their swords and shouted “Ooooh!” in a war cry.

…This almost felt like I was being pampered like a princess.

“Albert-don.”

While I was thinking that, a crow birdman messenger flew down and landed beside me. In this operation, the birdfolk had cooperated fully. Though aerial reconnaissance had limited effectiveness in forest combat, even serving as messengers alone made them immensely useful. Being able to relay information far faster than mounted couriers was invaluable.

“The rebels… Pardon me, the ‘Legitimate’ faction have made contact with the enemy and are currently engaging.”

“Understood. Tell them reinforcements will be sent if things look dangerous.”

“Understood.”

The crow birdman nodded and flew off. I took out a map of Runga City and assessed the situation.

At present, the “Legitimate” unit was retreating toward the river port where the Michael Collins was moored, escorting non-combatants. We were intercepting the enemy in the village square to support that retreat, but…

“They’re showing up in the rear without hesitation, too. How troublesome.”

I muttered quietly so no one else could hear.

If this were the flat terrain around the royal capital, we could intercept any enemy detachment before it contacted the retreating unit. But in Liseben, where the entire land was covered in forest, we inevitably lagged in response. How troublesome indeed.

In terrain like this, even the birdfolk’s versatile aerial capabilities were hard to utilize. In fact, the settlements were probably deliberately concealed beneath forest cover to counter the birdfolk’s reconnaissance. Part of the reason the Elfenia Civil War had become such a hopeless situation might lie with the birdfolk as well.

“We still haven’t grasped the enemy’s total strength. It might be better to boldly pull back the front line.”

Sonia said this while peering at the map in my hands. As she noted, we still did not know the enemy’s total numbers. At the very least, it was certainly not just a few dozen.

“You’re right. It’s possible the enemy behind us is actually the main force. We should maintain a distance that allows us to provide immediate support if necessary.”

The distance from here to the river port was not great, but in the midst of battle, even that slight distance could become fatal. While dispersing the troops was unavoidable to protect the non-combatants, spreading too far apart was also dangerous.

“Still, simply retreating isn’t very interesting.”

Grinning, I tapped Lady Dalaiya on the shoulder.

“Let’s give them a good one. Lady Dalaiya, could you lead our elite best and fall back a bit?”

“Oh? It seems you’ve thought of something interesting. Very well, leave it to me.”

Lady Dalaiya agreed more readily than I expected. Her expression was bright, almost as if she had been freed from something.

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