<Author’s Notes>

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The Magnar soldiers were moving the boulders that had blocked the Eastern Gate from the inside.

Standing near the Eastern Gate, I watched them work.

The rocks had been placed there in case we needed to break out, so it seemed they could be moved relatively quickly.

————I’ll charge out from that gate.

The enemy was still continuing their long-range bombardment.

But thanks to that, their forces weren’t stationed immediately outside the gate.

When I glanced back inside, I caught sight of the Sacraments emerging from their boxes.

Magnar’s knights were entrusted with dealing with those.

The Sacraments hurled over the walls.

As for those near the Second Guardian Wall, they hesitated to step forward.

The first ones to move were instead the Magnar soldiers.

Not long ago, the plan I had come up with was relayed to Magnar’s White Wolf King———

“So, we’ll charge out and have the Hero from Another World destroy those large Sacraments and their trebuchets?”

Hearing my idea, the White Wolf King said with a daring smirk.

“……Very well. In that case, we shall join you. Our Magnar’s cavalry, famed for our might, will not reach their full potential if we’re confined to a siege.”

The force leading the charge would primarily consist of Magnar’s cavalry.

The White Rabbit Knights and their leader, Sicily, were also part of the group.

And leading this force would be the White Wolf King himself.

Diaris Artlight would remain behind in the castle.

Of course, some had raised objections to the White Wolf King personally taking the field.

“I’m a king who was already thought dead. Until I arrived, Diaris was capably commanding the Magnar forces, wasn’t she? Then there’s no problem. Before long, my late brother’s child will be born, carrying forward the future of Magnar. In other words, Magnar would live on even without me!”

With a hearty laugh, he declared.

The overall command of this battle was in the hands of Jonato’s Queen.

Among the others with tactical expertise were Jonato’s Saintess, Wright from the Mira army, and the Hausen elder.

“Then what does it matter if I should fall?”

That was the White Wolf King’s reasoning.

He had more to add, though.

“And besides, we’ll be plunging into that massive enemy formation. Those charging with me must be filled with unimaginable unease. That is precisely why having their King stand beside them might transform that fear into something else entirely.”

The White Wolf King concluded,

“In short, my presence might be able to boost everyone’s morale.”

In response, Sicily, with a cheerful smile on her face, commented,

“Our King seems a bit more liberated compared to before, doesn’t he?”

This “raid force,” as the operation was called, was mainly composed of Magnar’s White Rabbit Knights and cavalry.

Added to this were the Drunken Sword Party and its former members.

Both Lili and Rinji, leaders of those respective groups, were participating as well.

Rinji’s trusted right-hand man, Oru, joined too, though he got a bitter expression on his face.

[Man…… charging into that massive horde huh…… Ahhh…… This is starting to feel unreal, Rinji-saaaaan……]

[S- Sorry…… Because of my idea……]

When I apologized, Oru smiled wryly and waved his hands in front of him.

[Ah, no, no, don’t take it so seriously. I volunteered for this myself after all.]

———-Boom!

A rock slammed into a building, partially destroying it.

Rinji urged his horse forward.

[The gate’s about to open.]

The remaining boulders were being cleared.

Rinji turned to me as he spoke.

[From the Southern Gate, the Mira forces will send out part of their strength as a decoy. If even some of the Sacraments on the far right shift their attention that way, it’ll be easier to clear a “path” for you, Tomohiro.]

As the rocks blocking the gate were removed, the White Wolf King moved to the front.

This spot, close to the First Guardian Wall, was less exposed to the trebuchet attacks.

The cavalry, to avoid the projectiles, spread out along the wall, forming ranks.

The King from the North rode his horse back and forth in front of the soldiers lined up on both sides.

[Does anyone here fear this battle!?]

With a silence born of resolve, the Magnar warriors answered their King.

[We’ve fought for our homeland Magnar! And though this land is not Magnar———–]

His voice was deep and resonant, filled with an undeniable dignity.

The White Wolf King pointed to the ground beneath him.

[Today, this is our homeland!]

The White Wolf King’s voice rose further, brimming with energy and fervor.

[This is Jonato! Of course, our homeland is not this Jonato! But this land——– yes, this entire continent———- is also our homeland! Now, we fight for our homeland! Including the last Grand Invasion, many from various nations were manipulated at the whim of Alion’s Goddess! Myself included! Yes, it is a shameful truth! My vision was clouded! I admit that! But———- why were we fighting in the first place?!]

The White Wolf King’s voice became an almost deafening roar, carrying an intensity that shook the air around him.

[That’s right! It was to protect the homeland that nurtured us! To protect our country! Our family! The ones we love!]

The White Wolf King struck his left chest with his fist.

[The feelings that reside here remain unchanged! At least for me, they do! I have always thought of our homeland as I fought! Yes, we were deceived, but our resolve remains the same! It has always been the same! To defend our homeland! That has always been the case! The ones who fell at the Night Wall thought so too! As did those who perished in the Grand Invasion! As did the White Wolf Knights! And as did my late brother, Sigurd! Yes! It has always been the same!]

Raising his hand high, the White Wolf King shouted even louder.

[Today, we fight for all the people living on this land! We stake our lives for the future of our homeland! I will give my life in this battle! I will not hesitate to die alongside you here today! No——— what is even there to hesitate about?! Our fathers! Our mothers! And their fathers and mothers! All the fathers and mothers who have returned to this land until now———- they have passed down something precious to us! And that precious thing is us! Then let us become the foundation! Even if we fall here, what will be built upon our deaths will be the future! I believe this battle will undoubtedly become the cornerstone of that future! Understand this! For us, this is———- this place right here! This land of Azziz! This is the front line and the final line of defense to save our world! I say it again! This is our homeland! This is the great homeland we must protect!]

Deep in my chest, I felt something stir———– a sensation like a faint electric current coursing along the surface of my skin.

My heart was steeling itself, ignited by his rousing words.

(So this is…… a king……)

He instills courage, igniting the spirits of everyone around him.

Truly———- this too is a form of heroism.

Rinji, with a look of admiration, commented,

[Some might think, “What can words possibly change?”…… But when you’re heading into a death trap, you sometimes need that kind of speech to get through. Look at how the atmosphere of this raid force has changed. That’s what makes a king…… that’s what being a king means.]

The “heat” of his speech seemed to reach even those positioned too far away to clearly hear his words.

I can feel it.

The energy of his conviction spread like wildfire.

The final obstacle was removed, and with a shout from the gatekeeper, the gates began to creak open.

I exhaled deeply, steadying my breath.

The moment was drawing near.

As I stroked my horse’s neck, I whispered,

[Sorry…… you might feel afraid but———– I’ll do my best to protect you.]

The horse snorted in response, as if to reassure me.

From atop the walls, a soldier called out “The area outside the gates is clear!”

The enemy forces, focused on their ranged attacks, were holding their position, leaving nothing to block our cavalry just outside the gates.

We could charge through as planned.

The White Wolf King halted at the forefront of the gate and unsheathed his sword.

Lifting its blade high toward the heavens, he roared,

[For our homeland!]

The soldiers raised their weapons high and echoed the White Wolf King’s words, their voices transforming into a resounding war cry.

The gate———- fully opened.

A signal horn blared sharply through the air.

The White Wolf King turned his horse around and swung his sword downward toward the gates.

[CHAAAAAAAARGE————!]

With his sword pointed forward, the White Wolf King urged his horse into motion, kicking its sides.

It was as if the horses were surging from a racetrack starting line.

In a synchronized wave, the cavalry burst forward, galloping through the gates.

I also followed suit, flanked closely by Rinji and Oru, almost matching my pace.

As we passed through the gates, it felt as though the very world shifted, the air becoming heavier with anticipation.

From here on———— it would be the battlefield.

The pounding of hooves against the ground reverberated like thunder, an overwhelming percussion of countless strikes against the earth.

The vibrations and the deafening sounds seemed to sync with the rhythm of my heartbeat.

Overhead———– rocks from enemy catapults, Sacraments, and explosive-laden crates hurtled through the sky.

As the cavalry advanced, the roar of explosions and distant cries of battle behind them began to fade.

Dust and sand whipped across my face, stinging my skin.

Then, a voice shouted from just ahead and slightly to the right.

[They’re coming!]

The enemy seemed to have taken notice of our charge.

The Sacraments began to move, responding to the sight of the “enemy forces” surging out of the gate.

A command rang out.

[“Sacred Eye’s Blade”, forward!]

In this raid operation, I was referred to by that moniker.

The enemy was unaware of the Hero from Another World’s presence and was not to learn of it until the last moment.

Thus, to avoid revealing his identity, I had been assigned this alias.

Without turning his head, Rinji spoke.

[……Looks like your turn is coming up.]

Atop his horse, Rinji unsheathed his sword.

[We’ll stay close to protect you as much as possible. Our job…… is to make sure you can do what you’re meant to do.]

[Thank you.]

Incidentally, Lili and the Drunken Sword Party were stationed at the rear of the army.

[It’s just…… are you sure it’s okay to rely on your power right from the start? Won’t you run low on that MP?]

[Thanks to the golden-eyed apes we defeated before and the other Golden-eyed monsters we encountered on the way, my level has increased.]

The golden-eyed apes, in particular, had granted me a significant amount of EXP.

At the border, I had deliberately taken on as many of them as possible to gain further levels.

In the first place, my skills originally didn’t consume much MP.

It’s even less now compared to that time in the Anti-Demon White Castle.

Besides———

(The Sacraments are technically golden-eyed creatures too…… It would be great if I can level up by defeating them but……)

Still, I cautioned myself against wishful thinking.

My past failures stemmed from underestimating the worst-case scenario.

Overconfidence had been my undoing.

[Got it. Then we’ll leave the initial strike to you. When we pull back, we’ll take over handling the enemy.]

[Thank you.]

Rinji smirked slightly.

[Hm?]

[Nothing, just relieved to see you calmer than I expected.]

Hearing his words, I could only sheepishly smile.

[T- To be honest, I’m barely holding it together. But…… right now, everyone has placed their hope in me———– no, at the strength of the “Hero” with a skill. If I panic here, I’d be letting down everyone who’s bravely come to fight…… including you, Rinji, Oru, and the Drunken Sword Party.]

The vanguard slowed their pace and spread out to create a path for me.

Nearby, a female knight of the White Rabbit Knights, seemingly having heard our conversation, turned back to call out to us.

[Well said.]

Then she faced forward again and declared:

[In that case, it’s worth risking our lives for this.]

The female knight gestured with her hand, signaling me to proceed.

I nodded in gratitude and urged my horse forward.

……There, they came into view.

Ahead lay a line of half-horse Sacraments closing in.

Before long———– we would be clashing against them.

As my horse galloped past everyone……

[ < Laevateinn > ]

I was cloaked in black flames.

The knights of Magnar murmured in awe.

It seemed that some of them were seeing my skills for the first time.

These black flames could be “adjusted” at will.

I could decide what they burned and what they didn’t.

As long as I could control it, these flames would never harm my allies.

That being said, I couldn’t extend that control to anything outside my consciousness.

Before long, the White Wolf King and Sicily came into view at the front line.

The two of them slipped past the edge of my vision———-

And suddenly, my field of view opened up completely.

I’d made it through.

I’m now at the frontlines.

Now, only Rinji and Oru were running close by, flanking me on either side.

They didn’t need to support me even here though.

And yet———- Their presence here was something I was truly grateful from the bottom of my heart.

Which was exactly why I would fulfill my role.

I created a vortex of black flames————- and hurled it forward.

The swirling flames crashed into the vanguard of the enemy forces.

In an instant, they spread to either side, consuming everything in their path.

As the white Sacraments burned black by the flames reflected in my eyes, I spoke.

[Everyone, please don’t advance beyond me for now!]

Oru slowed his pace and repeated the command to the group behind us.

Behind me stands my allies———- my comrades.

There was nothing more reassuring than that.

If only……

If only I’d realized this sooner……

[———————–]

Burn it.

Burn it all.

Annihilate them.

The enemies.

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