Connor's POV
Our preparations still took a few hours to complete, and in the meantime, I helped out as best I could. I cut down trees to make "boxes" for storing boulders, hunted animals that left their skins behind when they died (wolves and boars mainly), and talked to as many people as possible to help calm our nerves.
All preparations were complete around 8 or 9 PM, if the Ordeal sky follows the same path as the sky outside.
We soon divided into three groups, technically four, including those who headed toward the Baron's knights. As an archer accustomed to sneaking and stealth, one might imagine I was with one of the groups that would flank the goblin village, but no.
Max, Mav, Anna, and Cali were part of the main group, Mr. Andreas and Miss Yaou, who would attack from the village's front gate. Being a poacher, I don't particularly enjoy the feeling of being in such an open position, but for this plan to have any chance of working, I'll have to endure this situation.
As soon as we reached almost 100 meters from their village, we stopped. The helpers who were dragging the "box" along the log path we'd made quickly returned to the lake house, trying to make as little noise as possible. Meanwhile, we waited a bit until we heard confirmation that the others were in position.
It wasn't long before we all heard a bird chirp that certainly wasn't from the Ordeal.
*Kkrruureee krruureeiii*
We looked at each other and sprang into action. Cali, Mav, and Max formed up toward the box and with a single movement, opened it, letting the stones fall out. Together with Mr. Andreas' companions, they grabbed the largest they could, each half the size of a door, and threw them with all their might toward the village all at once.
*Vissshhhh... Bang, Bang, Bang!!!*
– Ggrrreiiiiii grreeiiiiiiieee!!!!
– Griiieese!!! Griii– Splash.
Even with the wall around it, you could already hear the screams of warning, astonishment, pain and the very characteristic sound of some of them being crushed by the stones.
Until a few months ago, I was nothing more than an apprentice hunter in a small village; I'd never heard the sound of someone being crushed. But it still didn't affect me as much as I thought it would. Maybe because they weren't human, or maybe because we were in the Ordeal, I have no idea.
What I did know was that I couldn't leave all the work to the more direct fighters. Soon, I was sending arrows over the walls, some charged with Aether to increase their destructive power, and even from here, I could see the results with the small flashes of light that came through the cracks in the walls.
But no surprise attack lasts forever; the goblins on the other side quickly realized where the stones were coming from and began either throwing them back or using their own archers to fire poisoned arrows. Not to mention the small pockets of fire that were coming.
– ********* [Aether Barrier]
Luckily, we have at least one mage to provide cover. Low-level or not, a mage is still a mage, and one who knows defensive spells is even more welcome.
"AAAAAHHHHHH, this can't end soon, I want to contribute to the fight too!" Anna said from the front.
"Hahahah... Haaa, haaa, protecting me from rocks... That's not enough of a contribution for you, aaahhhh."
I said breathlessly, "Charging the arrows with Aether is almost as exhausting as doing short bursts of strength while running. You get used to it and can manage it, but it's still tiring."
Anna looked at me with a look that was part apologetic, part accusatory.
"You know that's not what I meant... But you also understand why I wanted to help."
It didn't take a genius to do that. Whether she told me or not, I had already realized something strange was going on with Anna and her family. Even now, I don't know everything, but I know that gaining access to the next floor and defeating the goblins are important steps toward what her father wants to do.
And since this seems like it will harm that leech-like scoundrel Baron, it's even more reason to help.
– Hehehe... Yeah... I know, aaahhh, but still. Aren't you... a little indifferent, uff, too much for someone in a siege battle?...
I asked the younger girl, much less affected by the situation than I was. I don't know if this applies to all rich people or those from families that became wealthy, but isn't it strange that a 14-year-old girl to be (apparently) completely composed and calm during a battle in the middle of the night in a forest?
That this forest is within a possible magical realm doesn't even need to be added.
"I'm nervous, but I don't know because I just feel like things will go well, and that what we're doing here now won't be something that happens again for a long time, so I should make the most of it while I can."
She said with a sparkle in her eyes that I'd only seen before when she first saw the coins the monsters sometimes dropped, when she found the herb (or was it fruit?), or when she talked about how proud she was of her parents and family and what she intended to do when she inherited the business.
A sparkle of pure delight, anxiety, and a bit of unease.
I understand what she meant, and I'm not sure why, but I feel it too, the feeling that things will go well today despite my worries and that this, whatever 'this' is, won't happen again for a long time.
**************
Hangal's POV
'Why do I feel like things are about to go wrong?'
I thought, looking at the crude map that one of my subordinates had obtained from one of the last "challengers" of the Trial. An unlucky group, as they hadn't brought bandages or even those little berries that supposedly could speed up the healing of wounds.
'Uuuuhhhggg, this feeling won't go away.'
Every time I've had this feeling, something bad has happened. The only time I didn't feel it was during one of the parties I was throwing with some friends.
Totally intoxicated by alcohol and pleasure, my 6th sense, had still tried to warn me of something, but I couldn't distinguish it at the time, and I ended up paying a great price for it.
That same feeling was screaming at me now, but I didn't have much to do in my current situation. Since, at least nominally, I wasn't the leader of this expedition.
The commander sat not far away, looking at one of the scrolls he'd pulled out of nowhere. Completely oblivious to his surroundings.
'But only for those who don't pay attention,'
I thought, staring at the faint blur that seemed to envelop him. An Aether barrier that could stop the attack of another mage up to 2nd rank and mitigate it against various higher ranks. One of the few starting spells you use for the rest of your life, they said.
A commotion outside pulled me from my thoughts and made even the "commander" stop reading his scroll. He quickly got up and headed for the tent exit before I could do anything.
"That's rare. Usually he'd ask me or a subordinate to see what was going on. Only then would he go."
Which meant whatever was happening was important.
Sifting close behind, I came across my men with their swords drawn and pointing at the three people up ahead. A man younger than me with a staff, flanked by two other men, who, judging by their build, were probably knights, or had been.
The man stepped forward a little and spoke, his voice thick with Aether to increase the volume.
"I am Bandor, a former member of the Order of the Golden Moon. I wish to speak with whoever is in command."
Our commander regarded the man for another two seconds before giving a sneer.
"There's still someone left from the Golden Moon. I was sure they'd all been eliminated before... Hmm... Ah! I remember! I heard some managed to escape and have already joined a circus. Ha!" You can believe it, Hangal, a wizard who becomes a circus monkey, pufff...
He said it at a volume only I could hear. I almost laughed at the thought of such absurdity.
"Hmm... That might even be interesting."
He said with a predatory look at the other mage before giving his answer.