The Struggle of a Weak Aristocrat in a Different World Our Domain is Surrounded by Large Aristocrats, and It’s a Big Problem! - CH 105

I descended to the foot of the mountain and climbed a large tree.

I run my fingers over the rough bark, clinging to the trunk as if I were hugging it, and put one foot on a branch to hold myself in place. Then, I pull myself up with my foot on the branch and put my foot on a new one. When I reached the top of the tree, I parted the branches and peeked out from the leaves.

I saw the budding mountains in front of me. I sat up a little and looked down to see a group of sharp steel figures. The group split into two, forming a tight formation in an empty field, facing each other with about 200 meters between them.

Both sides were lined up neatly, and even from a distance I could see that there were a few fewer lines in the front than in the back.

Sure enough, there were more of them on the other side.

As it should be, out of the total of one hundred and twenty men here, sixty-five had been sent to the front. The rest had been sent up the mountain in the night for the surprise attack, leaving only one person to signal the attack.

A smoke plume rose from the exact center of the two groups as I looked down for a moment. That was the signal to start the mock battle that the teacher had told us about.

As soon as the smoke rose, the group of armored men on the allied side let out an earth-shaking scream, raised their swords, and started running at once.

Seeing the brave and daring charge, the opponent calmly shot arrows from both wings. The wooden arrows rained down in a barrage, hitting the students and causing them to fall to the ground. I couldn’t hear them from here, but they must have made a heavy, dull thud.

Even though it was a wooden arrow, the impact was powerful enough to knock them down. Even as they fell, the students looked back and immediately got up, shouting as they ran.

I followed the gaze of the students and saw Alice, a blonde girl wearing golden armor and standing tall. Yesterday, Alice’s words had made me feel uneasy, but apparently, morale was really being raised.

I had decided that the signal for a surprise attack would be to raise a flag high up in the main camp of our allies, but at this rate, it might not be long before the flag was raised.

The momentum of our allies was unstoppable, and they were dodging arrows and closing in on the enemy with only a few dozen meters to go. The enemy archers dropped to the rear and were replaced by knights with swords.

Finally, the armors mingled and made a high pitched sound. Sword fights rang out, and a jumbled melee began, creating a sea of steel.

The dust rose and formed a cloud of dust, as the battle grew more and more fierce, and gradually the students of the allied side were slowly advancing, like a wave crashing over the sea.

What? It looks like we’re going to win…….

The battle lines raged on and finally the group of students disappeared. With the mock battle out of sight, I climbed down the tree to return to the main camp.

As I climbed up the mountain path and was almost to the main camp, I looked back and saw that the dust had risen thinly to the foot of the other mountain.

Wow. They’re making us retreat. I must have been too hard on Alice but if I let her retreat too far and she gets caged, my plan will be for naught.

I looked up at the main camp, wondering if I should go tell them about it. Then I saw the flag flickering, and I felt a twinge of sweat.

Why are they already sending the signal for the surprise attack?

My mind went crazy with the sudden trouble, but I rushed up to the main camp to stop the signal. When I returned to the main camp, I found Mist holding up a large flag on the tent where we had held our meeting yesterday.

“Mist! What are you doing?”

I shouted loudly.

“Chris, you’ve come at the right time.”

When Mist saw me, she said bluntly.

“Why did you give the signal for the surprise attack?”

“It was because I saw the dust.”

“If you could see the dust, stop being so redundant! Didn’t it go all the way to the bottom of the mountain?”

“Yes. But the dust was so thick all over.”

“What?”

“Normally, if they’re retreating, the dust at the bottom of the mountain they’re running into should be thin but it is still thick.”

“That’s……”

I was about to say something, but stopped mid-sentence. Surely, the thick dust at the bottom of the mountain means that there are a lot of people there. I could understand if they were all there, but Mist said that it was thick all over. This means that our allies have not yet reached the bottom.

Then there is one possible reason.

“You mean they’ve already sent reinforcements?”

“Yes. That’s what I mean.”

Mist nodded in satisfaction.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a thing. In addition, to be able to see the thickness of the dust from this distance, she must have used magic again.

As I was cowering in fear of Mist, she let out a short “ah” as if she remembered something, and came down from the top of the tent.

“We don’t have time for this Chris.”

“Huh? Oh, you said I came at the right time earlier, right?”

“Yeah. I’m actually not very good with my hands.”

“Huh…….”

“I’m not sure I can get away on my own.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Mist seemed to be less relaxed than usual, which made me nervous.

“I thought I’d get out of here……but I guess I was too late.”

Mist then pointed to the forest behind the tent.

Following her gaze, I saw a group of people in black robes, their faces covered with rags, in between the trees.