But even Iris, who was supposed to be their ace in the hole, went missing during an open-field battle. As I went through the report, my doubts only grew stronger. I had initially suspected that a wielder of a Saintly Sword, stronger than Iris, might have captured and possibly killed her. However, according to the reports of those who continued to fight on the ground, Iris didn't lose to a single powerful entity. Surrounded by enemy soldiers who fought relentlessly regardless of their comrades' deaths, Iris seemed to have been isolated on the battlefield.
"Hmm..." I crossed my arms and looked up at the ceiling. It's believable that strong individuals, alone or in groups, defeated Iris. But I never expected Iris to lose due to sheer numbers, especially to those who seemed to have no fear of death. But from my perspective, such a group seems impossible. A hero like Shion, and after knowing the wielders of the Saintly Swords, including Instructor Cattleya, I can understand the strength of an individual who's worth a thousand. However, I find it hard to believe that there exists an army of a thousand soldiers who all fight with such relentless abandon.
In my opinion, humans are creatures that become brave in advantageous situations and cowardly in disadvantageous ones. Normally, if they didn't behave this way, they would die. But the idea of a group surrounding an entity like Iris, relentlessly attacking despite their comrades dying, is difficult for me to grasp. If, hypothetically, Iris went missing because of such a group, then I doubt there's much I can do. Facing a highly spirited and aberrant army is beyond my capabilities. Even if my opponents were Saintly Sword wielders, the most I could do would be to convey the characteristics of the Saintly Swords to Instructor Cattleya through Holly.
"...That concludes the report, Instructor Cattleya."
"It seems the situation is pretty dire. I apologize for putting all this pressure only on you guys. The royal capital didn't inform me that the situation was this bad, but that's no excuse."
"It's not your fault, Instructor Cattleya. But the morale within this fortress is very low. Could you possibly speak to the soldiers yourself to boost their spirits?"
"That's probably the best I can do right now."
"Most of the soldiers here are your students, Instructor. They'll surely regain their morale with your words."
"I hope so."
As Instructor Cattleya left the conference room, I watched her leave in silence. However, for some reason, a few commanders remained in the room, and they began glaring at me.
"You're Crow, the one appointed as the commander?"
"Uh, yeah, technically."
When I replied, the mood of those present visibly soured.
"You're not a Saintly Sword wielder, are you?"
"Nope."
"Did you graduate from the officer academy with top grades?"
"No, probably closer to the bottom. I graduated as an exception without any evaluations."
Suddenly, one of the commanders grabbed me by the collar.
"Why is someone like you the supreme commander, overlooking Instructor Cattleya?! Does the royal capital even understand the situation?!"
What an annoying bunch. Their attitude reminds me of the seniors and classmates who bullied me when I was at the military academy. Just when I thought I had graduated and been freed from those hard times, I still have to deal with people like this in my job.
"We'll make it clear! We won't take orders from you!"
"That's right! We'll act under the impression that Instructor Cattleya is the supreme commander!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself just because you've been given command!"
Such noisy fellows. From the start, I had nothing to ask of them. There's nothing I could rely on from those who couldn't do anything when Iris went missing. Since I'm useless too, I don't have any use for equally useless people.
"Sir Commander, you should just stay quietly in the rear!"
With that, the commanders left the room, leaving me behind.
What a warm welcome.
It reminds me of when I went to search for the hero, Shion. No one helped me, and even after finding him, no one trusted me. Well, the situation now is a lot better than that time.
"I'm back~. Hmm? Where's Cattleya?"
Safran returned to the conference room.
Why is she wearing a maid's outfit on the battlefield? I mean, I'm in casual clothes too, but still...
"It's to raise the soldiers' morale," she explained.
"Ahaha! It's futile! I also checked the structure of the fortress and observed the soldiers. They all look like corpses. There's a mountain of injured, and the ones with minor injuries are just shivering in fear. It's my first time seeing an army with such low morale."
"It shows how terrifying the enemy is. Otherwise, we could have suppressed a simple rebellion."
"By the way, Crow, just to confirm, I can kill people this time, right?"
"Making you kill isn't my intention, but ordering you not to kill on a battlefield is like telling you to die, right?"
"True. But especially this time, I can't let you be reckless."
When I said that, Safran narrowed her eyes. Just being stared at made me shiver. With that look, I'm reminded that she's an assassin. Safran silently approached me, and as I sat in my chair, she leaned in close.
"What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm so weak that I'll fall behind on the battlefield? Or are you worried that I'll go on a killing spree? Either way, it's infuriating. It makes me angry. Makes me want to kill."
Why aren't Holly or Instructor Cattleya here at times like this?
Well, I guess I'll be in situations like this many times from now on.
"The Saintly Sword you have isn't suitable for group battles."
"It has a short reach. No projectiles."
"Your biggest weapon is your ability to be there without being noticed. If you kill someone, those around the victim will notice. Am I wrong?"
"You're not."
"I don't want others to know that I have an invisible person among my allies. Your power is best when it's unrecognized. Move in a way that you're not exposed and don't reveal your cards to anyone, Safran. Just like an assassin."
"... Ahaha! You scoundrel!"
Safran poked me in the forehead.
"So basically, you want people to know that I'm one of your allies? Because you have so many enemies around?"
"Who knows? You know I'm a very good guy, right? I've never made enemies."
"Ahaha! You're the first person I've met, other than a scammer, who would say something like that."
Safran twirled around playfully. Because she was right in front of me, her skirt hit me hard. "Well, it's fine. As long as you guarantee my meals, I'll listen to you. Just try your best to stay alive for a long time. If you die easily, I'll lose my employer."
As usual, after saying something ominous, Safran left the conference room.
"...Finally back, huh?"
"Sorry for the wait."
In the private room assigned to me within the fortress, Holly entered by passing through the wall.
In the end, Holly, who had gone out to search for Iris, didn't return until late at night. Instructor Cattleya seemed busy talking to the soldiers, and Safran appeared to be meticulously understanding the structure of the fortress. I had nothing to do, so I was extremely bored.
"You sure took your time."
After all, I could only fret over Iris while lying on the bed of the private room given to me. Although there were hardly any private rooms in this military fortress, it was a privilege as the supreme commander. Thanks to that, I could talk to Holly without any reservations. By the way, while Instructor Cattleya seemed okay with sleeping among the soldiers, Safran was in another private room with someone else.
"What is it? Were you so lonely without me for just half a day? You're so needy. You can't do anything without me, can you?"
"You were like that too until recently, weren't you?"
"Oh my! Are you saying you're lonely without me? I won't deny it though."
"That's not what I meant. I was referring to the 'can't do anything' part."
"Huh? In what way? How can this exceptionally beautiful and outstanding 'Explosive Angel' Holly-chan be considered useless?"