[Part 2/4]
...Well, it can't be helped.
"...I will take care of it."
"Tomobe...?"
I take a step forward from the wordless guardians, kneel down, and offer myself. Hina is surprised, not knowing how to react, and I receive curious and contemptuous glances from those around me. But I ignore them all and make another request.
"Hmm. I believe that you..."
"Even though I'm new here, but I want to prove myself."
I bowed deeply and stepped forward, hoping to be noticed...
So, that's the situation...
"Is this everyone?"
Thinking about the conversation from earlier, I came back to reality and looked at the people standing in a line, quietly speaking to myself.
For the Nanzan Road clearance, we had 70 soldiers and 30 laborers ready for road maintenance. Additionally, each family sent 18 warriors, 20 servant attendants, and 6 members of the Hidden Group for escort duties.
A temporary envoy, known as "Centurion" or "Hyakuchou," was dispatched as the commander and overall leader of the maintenance team. An exorcist was dispatched as the commander and supervisor of the escort team.
And I was chosen to be in charge of the escort team.
(Are there any friendly looks coming my way?)
Looking at the people gathered under orders, I noticed their expressions. If they were regular exorcists or family members, that would make sense. However, the ones in front of me are just servants. I heard they got their positions through connections, trying to look better than they are. If I were in the same situation, I might act the same way.
(Especially those from the Hidden Group; they seem to doubt me a lot. It's hard to handle.)
All six members of the Hidden Group aren't even from the Onitsuki family. Even the warrior... they have some doubts too. Hold on. Weren't there three people with distinct feature are those three before?
"...Maybe I should act like I didn't notice anything?"
"Yes? What's up?"
"It's about this situation."
Mikage (The squad leader), standing next to me, raised an eyebrow, and I responded appropriately. Then, I looked at the group of servants. This was also what I expected. Most of them stayed quiet, while a few observant individuals subtly watched with small changes in their expressions. The emotions in the gathering were varied. Should I think of it as a test?
"Household Member Coordinator-dono. Is that okay?"
The leader of the expedition spoke to me. I turned around and replied.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"It's about confirming the basic plan. We prioritize maintaining the mountain path and avoid direct involvement in fighting, except for self-defense. Is that okay with you?"
"Of course, that's the agreement."
Exterminating Youkai was not the army's specialty. The equipment of the dispatched personnel was designed for civil engineering work. Clearing plants, moving rocks, leveling the ground, and making repairs. And we would continue to protect it until the work was finished...
"...Are you really okay with this?"
The expedition leader asked for reassurance, showing concern. I understood the reasons.
The imperial court has given strict orders. Plans cannot be changed. However, only one exorcist has been sent, and I'm treated as a servant instead of a member of the household. It's normal to worry. From their point of view, there are almost thirty exorcists, so they may think that more should be assigned to this side.
"...Besides the Tengu, I've heard that the youkai in this area are mostly small, maybe some medium-sized youkai. If that's the case, even I can handle them."
"I... understand..."
In response to my explanation that seems like an excuse, there is a hesitant and unsatisfied reply. It's natural, of course. It's not comforting to be told everything will be fine just like that.
"I can't rely on words alone. However, this mission has already been decided. We can't turn back. Please understand."
"...That's true. Alright then, I'll do my best."
The expedition leader nodded, trying to convince himself of the self-recommended and nonchalant remarks. Deep down, he seemed to have resolved that he couldn't escape from his current duty, no matter what.
(That means it's a big responsibility, huh. Well, I do have some chances of winning, at least.)
Gently, I put my hand on it over my clothes. There was a slight movement under my clothing. Alright, I went to great lengths to get it back.
'(⁎˃ᆺ˂) Going out with Papa at night!'
...Seriously. I'm really begging you, okay?
"Get out of the way!!!"
'Gyahh...!!?'
Yelling with a strange cry, a man rushed forward. And with the heavy swing of the sword, the monster in front of him was torn apart. Blood splattered, and flesh scattered.
"Phew. Don't judge a book by its cover, huh?"
Warriors, wearing black and white armor, which is special to samurai, are fighting in a fierce and different kind of battle. Their armor is practical and not fancy, with plates stained with blood protecting them from the poisonous air. Ukon Mō, lifting the visor of his helmet, confidently speaks. With practiced moves, he cleans the blood from his sword.
"Really? Are they really fighting the enemy face-to-face with swords?"
"They're crazy. So this is how warriors fight..."
As people watch the warrior at the front, fighting in battles that are more intense than small fights, the soldiers in the back, carrying tools like sickles and construction equipment, are speechless.
Most of the warriors, who are mostly common people, have their own ways to kill youkai. The soldiers, who are regular people in the main forces, mainly use weapons to avoid direct fighting and kill monsters. But the warriors don't use such indirect and scared methods.
In the border region, there is a shortage of soldiers and it is difficult to make or transport chemicals like gunpowder. This makes it challenging for both the quantity of troops and the power of their weapons. However, because the area is undeveloped, there are valuable resources like spiritual iron and spiritual silk. This means that the warriors who specialize in close combat are important for developing the frontier.
To protect themselves from harmful miasma and make their bodies stronger, these warriors wear armor and helmets made from spiritual iron and spiritual silk. They have been training since they were young and are skilled with weapons. They hunt down youkai, overcoming their fear and facing death if necessary. They are proud of this kind of warfare that requires them to risk their lives to fight monsters.
In particular, the style of fighting called Shigan-ryu, mainly used by the Ikaku clan. They focus on practical combat, aiming for quick attacks and a decisive strike. Youkai, supernatural beings with strong abilities, are common in the southern region. Therefore, even though this swordsmanship is specialized in killing and it puts the person using it at risk, surprisingly, this bold strategy is quite successful, with Ukon already defeating six small youkai in the current mission.
"How many bodies did Mataro-don kill?"
"I have taken down four young youkai and one small youkai. What about Kazushika-don?"
"I have defeated only three so far. Ukon-don truly lives up to his reputation, showing impressive sword skills."
The two warriors from the south praised their friend (Ukon) sincerely. Even though it was hilarious when he tripped and fell, Ukon was undoubtedly the most skilled among the three longtime friends. In their homeland, he had even defeated a medium youkai difficulty all by himself.
"This skill level is quite impressive. ...And he has surprised me. I thought he would be pushed to his limits."
He was stopped from committing seppuku to wash away his shame. Facing the humiliation of being publicly shamed, he considered that in this situation, he might even become useless, losing the chance for further battles. He suspected that he wasn't being sent away upon the other party's request. Ukon had prepared himself for the possibility of being exposed, so he was genuinely surprised when he got the opportunity to showcase his martial skills on the front lines.
"The camp formation is not bad. He has skillfully gathered a diverse group too. ...Definitely not an inexperienced person."
The group of warriors is fully equipped and positioned at the front to protect and attack. The servants make groups of five on each side of the group to defend the army on foot. There is also a hidden group consisting of three squads. One squad leads the way, while the other two squads are on the left and right for surveillance. Their main focus is on scouting and alerting, without directly fighting. Since they are not well-coordinated, each person has a specific and immediate task assigned to them.
"Simple means simple."
"But it's better to keep things simple instead of trying to be smart."
"Well, aren't you confident? Huh... a signal!"
The sound of a warning whistle can be heard from the bushes in front. It's a signal from the Hidden Group positioned in the trees. The warriors prepare themselves upon hearing the signal, which is communicated through repeated musical tones. They decide to face death. Because...
'Boooooo!!'
"They're here! There's a strong youkai in the center!"
A scary creature came out of the bushes. It looked like a boar and was as big as a cart. But what made it even scarier were its three glowing red eyes and four sharp tusks sticking out of its mouth. It was a horrifying sight, coming out of the darkness like that.
"Aaaaa!"
"Ah! Run away!"
The soldiers and laborers who were fixing something nearby screamed and ran away. It was only natural. For those who rarely see even young youkai, the appearance of that monster was beyond reason, and it was terrifying.
"Let's go!"
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