In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 310

Chapter 310: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Interception Operation

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Accompanied by Lady Dalaiya and Karina, I visited the northern riverbank position. The ant unit had already drawn very close, and the intense rhythm of their war drums stirred up a sense of urgency whether we liked it or not.

They were already within the range of elven bows, and not only the riflemen but also the elf soldiers had joined the shooting, but the ant soldiers continued to display their usual defensive strength, and it didn’t seem to have much effect. They were like a moving fortress. The only saving grace was their slow advance.

Ah, I really wanted to slam a cannon right into the middle of that dense formation. I didn’t need anything extravagant like heavy artillery. The 86 mm mountain guns used by the Liseben army would be more than enough. …But unfortunately, I no longer had a single cannon at my disposal. We were also out of rockets. Sigh, I knew there was no point wishing for what I didn’t have, but still…

“If we circle behind them and fire arrows into them, we could take ’em down nicely. They’re just as annoyin’ as ever.”

A familiar elder who came to greet us said that with a shrug. Indeed, even under a barrage of arrows and bullets dense enough to be called a curtain of fire, the ants showed no fear and didn’t even slow their advance.

Before long, the distance between us closed further, and the middle and rear ranks of the ant unit began throwing spears. They seemed to be using spear throwers, tools used to extend throwing range, but even so, the distance and speed were tremendous. If they switched to baseball, they would definitely become stars in the major leagues. That said, our troops were entrenched in trenches. The thrown spears merely stuck into the ground, embankments, or overhead covers, causing little damage.

“What a futile exchange of fire…”

Watching the back-and-forth of projectiles, I muttered. Since we had no clear prospects for resupply, I wanted to conserve ammunition. There was always the chance a third dangerous barbarian group might show up. I wanted to believe it wouldn’t happen, but they say bad things come in threes. It wouldn’t hurt to stay cautious.

“Elves, cease fire! Riflemen, keep firing only enough to suppress them!”

We couldn’t rely on artillery, and infantry fire alone had little effect. It was a tough situation. If we kept fighting like this, the ants would eventually pour into the trenches. That would be bad.

“Lady Dalaiya, I’m thinking of intercepting those ants outside the trenches. What do you think?”

“Indeed, that is correct. Fighting in confined spaces is exactly what they excel at. They have four arms, and on top of that, they possess stingers on their abdomens. They also use powerful biting attacks. They are unmanageable. If you fight them in a place with no escape, you will be overwhelmed in no time.”

“So their number of attacks is effectively triple their actual number…”

Stingers, biting attacks… They sounded like creatures straight out of nightmares. It was far too terrifying. Insect-men were already quite diverse compared to beastfolk or birdfolk, but the army ant type seemed especially powerful among them.

“In any case, keep moving to disrupt them, then strike them down in a brief opening… that is the standard tactic.”

“I see. Understood.”

Well, in any case, what needed to be done remained the same. Nodding, I glared at the approaching ant pervert army. They were already close enough to see clearly. I could even make out the terrifying designs of their helmets.

“Marines, remain in the trenches! Once they enter range, throw grenades relentlessly and tear apart their front line!”

“And after we throw all the grenades?”

The marine captain asked. Each Liseben infantryman carried three grenades. At that number, they might run out in less than a minute.

“Make sure they don’t enter the trenches. Stab them repeatedly with bayonets. I’ve borrowed flamethrower troops from Lady Orphan, so coordinate with them.”

“Fl-flamethrower troops… understood.”

The captain’s face turned pale. The tragedy that occurred in the battle outside Runga City was still fresh in memory. I didn’t want to use flamethrowers against people either, but desperate times called for desperate measures. We would use every method available.

“I’ll go out of the trenches and take care of those newly appeared pests myself. Elves, follow me.”

“Alright, leave it to us! Of course, we’ll follow you even to hell!”

“It’s been a while since we’ve hunted ants! My blood’s boilin’!”

“Let’s compete over how many heads we take!”

“That sounds like a fine contest! Let me join in too!”

Even in a situation like this, the elves were as usual. It was truly reassuring. …I felt like some of them were saying rather dangerous things, but it must be my imagination. It had to be. Well, putting that aside, in situations like this, elves were incredibly reliable. Equipment and training were important, but the most important thing was morale. Soldiers whose fighting spirit didn’t falter were strong. In that regard, the elves were the strongest.

The knight corps were also reliable, but they were currently engaged with the Vanka faction on the southern front. That front couldn’t be neglected either, so there was no way to pull them away. For now, we would have to deal with this using only the elf soldiers and the marines.

“… ”

I looked around. The narrow trenches were packed tightly with soldiers like sardines, but even so, this was only about twenty to thirty percent of our total force. The rest were either on the southern front or just behind us, expanding the trenches and defensive positions. It was frustrating that we couldn’t fully utilize our numerical advantage because the battlefield was so narrow. Well, no matter how large the Elfen River was, this was still just a riverbank. There was nothing we could do about that.

Since we had people to protect, we couldn’t retreat into the forest either. …Not that we wanted to, since forests made it even harder to use large numbers, especially against enemies like the ants.

“They’re coming… hold them until the last moment.”

Beating their war drums, the ant soldiers advanced. They were already within striking distance. At this range, I could clearly observe their equipment. The armor worn by the ant soldiers had a unique black sheen, as if lacquered. Their helmets were especially distinctive, covering the upper half of their faces with fearsome designs. From the nose down, they were exposed. It almost looked like the kind of masks comic book heroes wore.

“Grenades, throw!”

If we waited too long, there was a higher risk that their thrown spears would land inside the trenches. I shouted the order to throw grenades. Soldiers of dragonfolk and beastfolk wearing steel helmets hurled cast-iron spheres with all their strength. The grenades traced arcs through the air and rained down accurately onto the ant army. Even the incredibly tough Spartan-style heavy infantry were helpless against explosions. The continuous blasts sent several ant soldiers flying. With cheers, the marines kept throwing grenades. Explosion after explosion after explosion. The deafening roar, enough to rupture eardrums, made my adrenaline surge.

“Castellan! All grenades have been thrown!”

“Good!”

At the captain’s report, I drew my saber. Perhaps I had built up too much frustration, because my mindset had completely reverted to my previous life. Words I normally wouldn’t say slipped out naturally.

“Alright, you bastards, it’s payback time! Let’s tear those damn bugs apart!”

At my command, the elves let out a war cry and leapt out of the trenches.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー