In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 309

Chapter 309: The Kukkoro Male Knight and Adding Insult to Injury

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The ant soldiers in formation were impervious to bullets. Their defensive power was unbelievable for what looked like a bunch of exhibitionists running around with their breasts exposed. I was taken aback, but this wasn’t the first time I had faced enemies that bullets couldn’t defeat. Even knights from Galea or the Holy Empire clad in magic armor, Enchanted Armor, were not easily brought down by rifle rounds. Naturally, I already knew how to deal with it.

“Send a message to the Michael Collins! Keep up the supporting bombardment until the very last moment!”

I shouted that to the engineer carrying the telegraph. If guns couldn’t kill them, then artillery would. It was simple logic. The power of the 57 mm gun wasn’t enough to blow apart the enemy formation itself, but that could be compensated for with the rapid-fire capability unique to such guns. The distance between us had dropped below three hundred meters. If the shells went off target, there was a risk they might land in our own position, but there was no need to worry. At the very least, our front line was well protected by trenches, so a bit of shelling wouldn’t shake it.

“Good, keep it up.”

Following my orders, the main gun of the Michael Collins roared steadily. Under the intense bombardment, the ant soldiers began to fall one after another. A single 57 mm shell had very little power, but when fired in succession, it was more than effective. And while the phalanx formation was extremely strong, its weakness lay in its slow movement due to its dense formation. At this rate, we could thin their numbers considerably before they reached our lines.

Just as I quietly let out a sigh of relief, Lady Dalaiya suddenly shouted, “No! Stop!” Following her gaze, I saw a unit of birdfolk diving toward the ant formation, slipping through the gaps in our bombardment.

“Mm…!”

Even under the sudden ambush, the ant soldiers showed no panic or confusion. With the round shields held in their upper left arms, they easily blocked the birdfolk’s talons, then thrust their spears with their right arms. Struck by the counterattack, quite a few birdfolk soldiers were slammed into the ground.

Then, as if seeking revenge, the riflemen poured bullets onto them. But the ants’ bodies were protected by the round shields held in their lower left arms. The lead bullets were deflected by the black, gleaming armor and shattered without causing any damage. It was like having ice water poured over my briefly heated emotions.

“Order the birdfolk strictly not to engage the ants!”

At Lady Dalaiya’s sharp command, a birdfolk messenger immediately flew off toward their comrades waiting in the sky. Watching that, I let out a small groan.

“So that’s why they carry two shields… to deal with threats from above and attacks from the front at the same time.”

“Yes. Bow attacks and diving strikes by birdfolk were frequently used by the old Elfenian army. Naturally, the ants have prepared countermeasures…”

Sighing, Lady Dalaiya muttered with a deeply regretful expression.

“It has been a while since we last had a proper battle with them. Many of the younger birdfolk likely did not know the established tactics for fighting those creatures… I should have warned them in advance…”

They were truly a troublesome enemy. Why was it that only dangerous people lived in Liseben? Just as that thought crossed my mind, a sharp, jarring sound, clearly different from the usual cannon fire, struck my ears. I hurriedly grabbed my telescope and looked toward the Michael Collins.

“Mi—”

An involuntary sound like a dying cicada escaped my throat. The 57 mm rapid-fire gun, the main weapon of the Michael Collins, had split open from its base, resembling a poorly made artificial flower. Had a shell gotten stuck in the barrel, causing it to fail under gas pressure? Or had the shell itself detonated inside the barrel? Either way, it was that kind of malfunction. In any case, no matter how you looked at it, it was a fatal failure. Repairs were absolutely impossible. It was damage at the level where it had to be abandoned.

“The main gun has exploded! Two artillerymen who were operating it are seriously injured!”

The communications soldier, whose main job was actually engineering, reported in a voice like a scream. It felt as if my heart were being tightly gripped by an icy hand, but I quietly took a deep breath so that my agitation wouldn’t show. Then I spoke as calmly as I could.

“Sonia, send any available medics to the Michael Collins. That ship doesn’t have a doctor.”

After seeing my adjutant nod and begin issuing orders to her subordinates, I downed the now-cold herbal tea on the table in one gulp.

“…Accidents are inevitable with new weapons. It can’t be helped. Weapons can be rebuilt, but people cannot. I’m worried about the artillerymen.”

I wanted to sigh, but I held it in since my subordinates were watching. The only cannon we had at our disposal, aside from special ones like signal guns, was that single 57 mm rapid-fire gun. Now that it was destroyed, we would have to deal with the ants using infantry alone. Why hadn’t I brought mountain guns or mortars on this expedition? With a proper artillery unit, that outdated formation could have been blown to pieces in no time…

More than anything, relying entirely on an unproven prototype for artillery firepower was unthinkable. And this was the result of pushing that prototype too hard. We had lost our main source of firepower at a critical moment and even injured our valuable artillerymen.

I messed up.

That thought spun around in my head. This was originally a diplomatic expedition, we couldn’t bring that many heavy weapons anyway. The cowardly part of my mind tried to make excuses, but in the military, results were everything. There was no point in making excuses afterward.

“… ”

I pressed my lips into a straight line and glared at the ant soldiers, who continued their march as if nothing had happened. Now that we had lost our artillery, we would have to deal with them using infantry alone.

The army ant insect-men might even be stronger than elves in head-on melee combat. After all, they had four arms. They could probably perform the work of one and a half soldiers each. And on top of that, the ants were quite large in build. As big as dragonewts, or even bigger. If they were insects, I wished they would at least stay small.

Would our soldiers be alright clashing head-on with such biological weapons? There was no doubt it wouldn’t end without cost. Our total forces were larger, but since we were forced into a two-front battle, we couldn’t commit all our strength to this front alone. We would have to deal with them using limited numbers…

“Castellan.”

The commander of the marines looked at me, seeking instructions. …What should I do? The enemy was already close. The riflemen and elf archers were firing continuously, but against the solid phalanx formation, it had little effect. If only we had barbed wire, we could have restricted their movement much more. But unfortunately, we didn’t have even a single bundle. Not only that, we hadn’t even set up fences or stakes. There hadn’t been enough time to prepare the defenses…

At this rate, the enemy would pour into the trenches. Fighting elves in close quarters would be one thing, but I had no desire to engage army ants in confined combat. Even if they were wandering types, ants were still ants. Fighting in tight spaces was probably their specialty.

What should I do… What should I do…

“… ”

At that moment, the face of my mother from my previous life flashed through my mind. It was a memory from when I was still a brat. When I had been crying after a trivial fight, my mother had said this to me:

『I’ll teach you a special charm passed down in our family. When you’re in pain, when you’re sad, when you’re scared… if you say this charm, you’ll find courage and be able to face forward. Got it? Stand tall and say it like this—』

“Chest Sekigahara!!”

At my sudden shout, Sonia, Lady Dalaiya, and the other soldiers and officers all flinched. But I didn’t care. Just as my mother had said, courage and fighting spirit welled up inside me like towering summer clouds.

Right. Compared to the struggles of my ancestors who fell at the Battle of Sekigahara, this situation wasn’t even a real crisis. And more than anything, even in this reincarnated life, I was still a Marine, a jarhead, and the son of Desiree Blondin. If I disgraced myself, I would be dragging the names of my great predecessors and my beloved mother through the mud. That was absolutely unacceptable. I slapped my own cheek with all my strength to fire myself up again.

“You there.”

Calling over a nearby crow-type birdfolk, I took out a sheet of paper and wrote only, 『Activate Red Plan.』 After signing my name, I folded the paper and thrust it into the crow girl’s hands.

“Deliver this to Gilberto in the city of Carrera.”

“Understood.”

Without even watching the crow birdfolk take off, I moved on to the next task. The enemy was close. There was almost no time left. I had to decide immediately.

“Sonia!”

“Yes, sir!”

My adjutant responded with a spirited voice. There was not a trace of fear or confusion in her tone, and a smile naturally spread across my face.

“I’ll personally command the northern front. I’ll leave the south to you. Now that those ants… those so-called Adan remnants have gone on the offensive, the Vanka faction will surely make some kind of move as well…”

“Understood.”

At times like this, Sonia responded instantly and perfectly. Listening to her crisp reply, I began walking toward the exit of the command dugout.

“Lady Dalaiya, I want you to assist me. Understood?”

“Mm, mm, understood. …By the way, I’d like to ask something. Could it be that you were an elf in your previous life?”

“…Cut the jokes.”

What a rude thing to say, this old loli hag.

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