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Operation: Liberate Southleaf Island – Part 04

How did it come to this? Everything had gone smoothly until the sun rose this morning. Philip clenched his shortened weapon and bit his lip.

The Knights Templar followed the Pope’s orders, implying that their actions were essentially divinely ordained. The resisting demi-humans were, therefore, undeniably evil.

“C-Captain…”

Fear gripped the knights. The confidence they oozed this morning was nowhere to be found.

“Lower your weapons, and we won’t kill you,” Jillarte said.

The outcome of the battle was already clear, and her words were a tempting offer to the knights.

“Impossible. Those wicked demi-humans will torment us to death,” Philip replied.

He didn’t take Jillarte’s words at face value. He had witnessed countless Beastmen desperately fight back even in the face of death.

And now the tables had turned. The Knights Templar often made promises to subdued demi-humans that they would be spared if they dropped their weapons, and not once had they honored their word.

“If I’m going to die a painful death…”

The answer was clear to Philip. He turned to his fellow knights, conveying his thoughts through the darkness on his face. The knights shared the same sentiment.

“Drop your weapons.”

“Yes, sir…”

Metals clanked as one by one, starting with Philip, the knights tossed their swords to the ground.

“As you can see, we’ve dropped our weapons.”

“Oh, good.”

However, Jillarte knew little about the conflict between the knights and demi-humans. She belonged to the Dragonfolk, a race oppressed within Einbiest, and had limited contact with foreign countries. The only foreign nation she knew was the Kingdom of Ponsonia, where she was an active adventurer.

“Jillarte, I still can’t accept this decision,” Gogo grumbled.

“We’ve already talked about this.”

“I know, but…”

The adventurers had disagreed with her idea of sparing the knights if they disarmed themselves.

Jillarte understood how they felt. If they wanted revenge, now was the perfect time to exact it. While Hikaru was infiltrating the ship earlier, Jillarte and the adventurers had a discussion. She explained that exacting vengeance would only bring momentary satisfaction, and wouldn’t lead to any meaningful outcome.

“Leave this to me,” Jillarte said firmly, and Gogo said no more. Taking his silence as consent, she turned to Philip. “We will restrain you, but that’s all. Einbiest will decide what to do with you.”

Jillarte approached the captain, oblivious to the devious plan brewing in his mind.

As a heavily armored knight wielding a longsword, he couldn’t possibly have any backup weapons… or so it seemed.

But hidden in his right gauntlet was a concealed blade. With a quick touch to his gauntlet, a spring-loaded blade shot out with a click.

“I got you!”

Philip stepped forward, poised to strike Jillarte, when a thud sounded at his feet.

The captain was all too familiar with what it was. His own right arm.

“…Huh?”

His arm was cleanly severed at the elbow, right at the joint of his armor. Blood spurted from the cut.

“Ah… Aaaahhh!”

Excruciating pain shot through him, almost robbing him of his consciousness.

“Who got who?”

A whisper came right next to Philip’s ear. He turned, only to catch a glimpse of a black shadow swiftly maneuvering through the knights.

“Ah…”

The stone that deflected his sword.

“Ah…”

The infiltration of their heavily-guarded ship, and the subsequent disappearance of the weapons they had confiscated.

“Ah…”

The severance of his right arm just as he was about to harm Jillarte.

All was the work of a single individual.

“A concealed blade.” Jillarte frowned as she stared at Philip’s severed arm lying on the ground.

The significance of the concealed weapon didn’t require much thought. If Jillarte were to be taken hostage here, many of the Beastmen would be immobilized. The tide would turn.

Clutching his bloody right arm, Philip retreated. “I-I know. How about this? I’ll endorse you to His Holiness. Th-Then you can secure a position in Bios! If things go well, you might even become a captain.”

“…”

“I-I’m a man of status back home. Well? Surely it’s far better than living in that dump you call a country.”

“…”

Jillarte fixed Philip with a cold stare. Her silence was unnerving, and the fear and the pain coursing through his right arm made him sweat buckets.

“Jillarte, bad news!” Gogo suddenly warned.

The adventurers stirred as they glanced behind the knights.

Philip looked behind him and saw it. A massive ship, larger than the Knights Templar’s vessel.

“That’s not the ferry?”

“We’re in trouble, Jillarte. The ferry is not scheduled to arrive until tomorrow. Besides, nobody knows what’s happening on the island, so there’s no way a ferry would come. There’s only one possibility.”

“The Knights Templar’s reinforcements!” Philip cried.

The knights cheered, while the adventurers grew pale.

“No… That’s not a Bios ship.” Jillarte alone thought different.

“Nonsense! You just said the ferry isn’t coming!”

“You’re saying that battered ship belongs to Bios? You all have ridiculously luxurious equipment.”

“Wh-What…”

Upon closer look, the masts bore countless patches, and the ship’s hull was dirty.

“Whose ship is it, then?”

“A pirate ship,” Jillarte muttered.

“What?!”

Pirates showing up at this point would be nothing short of chaotic. There was something off, however.

“It’s not pirates,” Gogo said. “If they were pirates, the fishing boats out at sea would be fleeing.”

“Hmm? That’s true.”

“Well, they’re not fleeing. If anything, they look delighted.”

The fishermen aboard the small boats were waving their hands and thrusting their fists toward the approaching ship.

“Jillarte!”

She thought she heard her name being called.

The voice grew clearer, and she could see a figure standing at the bow of the ship—mostly because of their massive figure.

“Are you all right, Jillarte?!” shouted Gerhardt Vatex Anchor, Leader of the Confederacy of Einbiest, his mane flowing in the sea breeze.

---

Gerhardt’s arrival came as a surprise to all, except Hikaru, who had called for him.

With the Leader bringing around 300 Beastmen, the Knights Templar found themselves unable to do anything. Philip and his knights, devoid of hope, slumped in defeat and were bound with ropes.

“W-W-Wow…. It’s him, the real deal…”

Gogo trembled at the sight of Gerhardt arriving at the pier, crossing several small boats. And he wasn’t the only one—many adventurers shared his awe. Gerhardt was admired and even deified by the Beastmen. For Gogo, who had planned to kidnap Jillarte for ransom, witnessing Gerhardt’s overwhelming presence and spirit struck him deeply to the core.

Seeing the reactions of the island’s adventurers, Jillarte’s party members—nine in total—stood tall with pride.

“Lord Gerhardt, what are you doing here?” Jillarte couldn’t hide her confusion.

“A long-distance communication came through the Adventurers’ Guild last night,” Gerhardt replied.

“A long-distance communication? Linga Quill Pen?”

“That’s right. The message stated that the Knights Templar had appeared, and that you were in danger.”

Linga Quill Pen, a magic item installed in every branch of the Adventurers’ Guild, allowed communication over long distances through written messages. However, the Adventurers’ Guild should have been under the control of the Knights Templar last night.

Jillarte almost let out a gasp. She thought of only one person who could have infiltrated the Adventurers’ Guild.

Hikaru. He must have used the Linga Quill Pen to send a transmission.

“But weren’t you supposed to be in Hopestadt? How did you get here so quickly? And where did you get this ship?”

“Ah, let’s not sweat the small stuff!” Gerhardt waved his arm dismissively.

Jillarte later learned that Gerhardt had been concerned about her and had crossed the border against his ministers’ advice, arriving in the town at the southern tip of Bios. While Jillarte was exploring the dungeon, Gerhardt was bored, so he went to eradicate some pirates in the vicinity.

Late last night, they received a message at the town’s Adventurers’ Guild and hastily set sail, commandeering a pirate ship.

Upon hearing the details, Jillarte felt a mix of exasperation and happiness from Gerhardt’s deep affection—reminiscent of a father who couldn’t let go of his child. Needless to say, leaving the capital unattended was absurd, so she gave him a firm reprimand later on.

Postponing an explanation of the situation, Gerhardt cast his gaze upon the captives. “So, are these guys the Knights Templar?”

“Einbiest’s Leader himself intruding into the Theocracy of Bios and laying a hand on the esteemed Knights Templar. How foolish!” Philip spat. He had received treatment for his injured arm from the other knights and regained his arrogance. “It seems you want Einbiest wiped off the map.”

“Are the Knights Templar all a bunch of idiots?”

“What?!”

“You think I’m scared of Bios?” Gerhardt’s words elicited a cheer from the Beastmen. “You’ll be used as hostages to exchange for the release of Beastmen unjustly arrested in Bios. Well? How does it feel to be treated as equal in value to the very demi-humans you despise?”

Philip gritted his teeth in frustration.

Gerhardt turned his back to the knight and faced Jillarte. “I never expected the Knights Templar to show up. You must’ve been in a tough spot, huh?”

“No, I had some help from—” Jillarte paused. She remembered that Hikaru’s group was not present. He disliked being in the spotlight, so he probably didn’t want his name mentioned. “I had a reliable team with me.”

The nine Beastmen she had brought with her stood even taller than before.