30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?!-Chapter 292: A Knight’s Courage Knows No Recklessness (3)

Clank!

Boom!

Rrrrrumble.

The wooden palisades of Mordred stood firm.

Though they had only "patched up the urgent sections," the truth was that the defenses of Mordred were taller and sturdier than most fortress walls. Surrounding them were countless traps—painstakingly crafted, leaving no gaps.

Artificial swamps and sinkholes, poison-laced pits, and mines lay scattered in abundance.

The palisades, seemingly wooden, were reinforced with layers of hardened mud and embedded with monster bones, increasing their durability to withstand even the weight of dozens of large beasts.

It was almost awe-inspiring that humans had created such a fortress. But in a way, it was only natural.

For decades—far beyond five mere years—this stronghold had withstood the relentless onslaught of monstrosities.

Having evolved solely for the purpose of killing them, it was inevitable that both the warriors and their fortress would continue to grow stronger.

The Fortress of Lamentation.

A fortress built with Mordred’s blood and history—one that had always instilled absolute faith in its defenders.

No matter the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ circumstances, they believed this fortress would never fall.

—

"If we last even an hour, it'll be a miracle."

—

And so, it was certain.

Tonight, this fortress would fall.

Because—

[Ruuuumble!]

—there was no way they could hold for even an hour against that army.

[Keeeeeck!!!]

Goblins.

[Grrrr...!]

Kobolds and gnolls.

[Haaaugh!!]

Hellhounds.

This was the first time anyone had seen so many monsters gathered in one place.

The sheer mass of writhing, wriggling creatures was sickening. Just looking at them drained one’s will to fight.

And yet, the most horrifying fact was that this... was only the beginning.

"There’s still plenty more behind them."

The true monsters—the mid-sized and large-class beasts—hadn’t even begun to move.

Strangely, they remained still, watching.

Which meant—

"Hah. The damned beasts dare to look down on Mordred?"

—They believed this was enough.

Or worse, they intended to watch the smaller ones be slaughtered before making their move.

It was said that the bigger the monster, the more intelligent—or the more arrogant—it became.

And these mid-to-large-class beasts proved the point perfectly, choosing to be spectators while the smaller ones were sent forward like disposable pawns.

The arrogance of these wretched creatures almost resembled that of pompous nobles.

Infuriating as it was, he had to admit—

Even with only the small ones, this battle was already hopeless.

Over 100,000 small-class monsters, packed so tightly they looked like a sea of flesh.

And beyond those 100,000?

Another 100,000 waited.

“......”

Some of the soldiers remained silent, but their lips and hands trembled.

For years—perhaps decades—they had forgotten what fear was.

But standing before an army of such incomprehensible scale, even maintaining composure was a struggle.

The sheer killing intent and malice exuding from hundreds of thousands of monsters was suffocating.

It was only natural for humans to feel fear.

And yet—

"Everyone, take aim!"

"Prepare your rifles! Burn through the barrels if you have to! Keep firing until the last shot!"

"The [Flame Cannons] as well! Don't think about conserving them! Fire until they’re destroyed—!!"

Even as they felt fear, they did not lose their fighting spirit.

They readied their weapons, aiming their barrels and cannons forward.

The moment was stretched, the tension so thick it could be cut with a blade—

And then.

[KAAAAAA—!]

[HAAAAAAAH—!!]

[—!!]

Whooooom!

The monsters screamed in unison.

“!?”

“Urk...!”

“H-hold the line...!”

The suffocating sensation that gripped their entire bodies—

Monster Fear.

It was a phenomenon unique to monsters, their natural ability to instill dread in lesser beings.

These soldiers had endured such fear before—up to about 10,000 monsters at once.

But this?

100,000 monsters roaring at the same time?

Even hearing it felt like a physical blow.

Even if 100,000 humans screamed together, the noise would be overwhelming.

But this?

This was a weapon.

Soldiers staggered, some clutching their chests, others collapsing to their knees.

Some even bled from their noses, their bodies unable to handle the pressure.

It was...

[SHUT UP—!!]

BOOOOOM!!

“......?”

For a moment, reality itself twisted.

No—

No, this wasn’t real.

Or rather, it shouldn’t have been possible.

A voice—a roar—so powerful it shattered the Monster Fear itself.

Something that should have been impossible for a human throat.

Rmmmmmm...

Even the monsters fell silent.

Some of them even twitched, as if experiencing their own primal terror.

And the one who had unleashed that monstrous roar...

Stepped forward.

"—Margrave Cain, pardon me for the intrusion, but may I declare war first?"

“...What’s with the sudden formal tone?”

"Take it while it lasts. You’re still the supreme commander, after all. Gotta treat you with the respect you deserve in wartime."

"......."

It was a perfectly normal response.

Which made it all the more surreal.

What the hell was this guy?

Cain had always found him an enigma, but this?

A human with the presence of 100,000 monsters?

"...Have people like him become common outside in the past five years?"

The absurdity of the thought made Cain momentarily lose focus.

But one thing was undeniable—

That ridiculous man was on their side.

"...Reassuring."

Despite the sheer overwhelming presence of the monster horde—

It almost felt like they had a warrior of equal weight on their side.

And so—

"Do as you please."

"I'll take that as permission."

Whoosh!

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The moment approval was given, the man raised his foot—

As if preparing to kick something.

At first, it seemed as if he were going to kick thin air—

Until the soldiers finally noticed.

A massive boulder sat right in front of him.

No one had even realized it was there.

Not because it was hidden.

But because his sheer presence had overshadowed it.

And then—

Whooosh—!

The boulder flew.

Soaring through the sky in a graceful arc.

“...?”

The soldiers, their mouths agape in sheer disbelief—

They weren’t alone.

[.........??]

Even the monsters stared in stunned silence.

As if time had slowed, they watched the boulder ascend, spin, and descend.

And then—

BOOOOOM!

The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves tearing through the ranks of monsters, turning them into paste.

"......."

"...Well? Not bad for a declaration of war, right?"

"......."

"Margrave Cain?"

"...Just drop the formalities."

"Eh?"

"Hearing you speak politely is making my skin crawl."

"?"

"......This is ridiculous."

What the hell was that?

...It was terrifying.

***

He kicked.

Boom!

He kicked again.

Boooom!

Like a footballer practicing mid-range shots, Ihan continued launching boulders.

Fortunately, there was no shortage of "balls"—or rather, boulders—to kick.

"This guy is more useful than most heavy machinery, huh?"

The moment he had mentioned needing boulders, an endless supply had started arriving.

"I, Felix, shall fulfill my duty!!"

At times like this, sheer determination like his proved useful.

Felix tirelessly carried over one-ton, even two- or three-ton boulders by himself, without pause.

Say what you will, but his persistence and diligence deserved recognition.

And so—

"I should repay his hard work properly."

Booooom!

Ihan sent another boulder soaring.

Like a catapult launching a projectile—!

The trick to this? Simple.

Rather than smashing the boulder, he simply transferred force into it with a solid kick.

Once he got the feel for it, it was easy.

The principle was similar to the Spear of the Single Sun technique.

Of course, unlike when using that technique, he couldn’t go all out.

If he were facing only a handful of enemies, it wouldn’t matter. But against this many, proper stamina management was essential.

So for now, the force behind his attacks was capped at just 10% of his usual strength.

But still—

"For these pathetic creatures, this much is more than enough."

KABOOM!

Every time a boulder landed, a powerful shockwave erupted, ripping through the monster horde.

Dozens of them were pulverized into chunks the instant they made contact, the scene so synchronized that it almost looked staged.

Like they were deliberately standing still, waiting to be slaughtered.

"There's a reason David beat Goliath."

To put it simply, Ihan wasn't just throwing stones—

He was slinging them like a massive slingshot.

The combination of the boulders’ mass, velocity, and the sheer power behind each strike turned them into something even deadlier than artillery.

A goblin blocking it?

Ridiculous.

Even a large-class monster taking a direct hit would have its head exploded on impact.

No goblin, no matter how it tried, could ever hope to block one.

But—

CRACK!

As expected, monsters might be arrogant, but they weren’t complete fools.

[UOOOOH━!]

A large-class monster—the Mountain King—finally emerged, stepping forward as it crushed the mangled remains of the goblins beneath its feet.

Had it been caught off guard, it might have been different.

But this one wasn't caught off guard.

And so, it shattered the incoming boulder with sheer brute strength.

The tyrant of the mountains—

[Mountain King Ogre.]

Proud, but not too proud.

Among the large-class monsters, it was the first to rise.

Like a king stepping forward to protect his incompetent subjects.

The goblins and gnolls around it immediately bowed in submission, like sycophantic courtiers groveling before their lord.

SPLAT!

And yet, the goblins who bowed before it were crushed underfoot like overripe fruit.

Brutality.

Raw strength.

One of the highest-ranked monsters, and one of the most feared among civilians.

Not because it was common, but because it was powerful enough to be widely known.

If you ever encountered one, you either ran for your life—

Or accepted that you wouldn’t survive.

And so, the Mountain King—

[UOOOH!!]

—let out a thunderous roar, raising both of its massive arms.

Now, it would personally—

CRACK!

[...Krrrk?]

A lone goblin blinked in confusion.

...Why was the Mountain King’s head missing?

The answer was simple.

"How did you even fire an arrow like that?"

"Well."

"......."

"Monsters aren't exactly the brightest. No one said I was only gonna throw boulders. Honestly, they're so predictable it makes my job easy."

"......."

"What?"

"...Nothing. Never mind."

Felix, for the first time, found himself questioning the very laws of common sense.

Because launching an arrow at 200 miles per hour (321.87 km/h) with bare hands...

That wasn’t an issue of intelligence.

That was just insane.