Chapter 40， Puppet Pals and Diamond Dust Dazzle

Naturally, we attacked ferociously to prevent him from completing the chant, but two puppets stood in our way.

"Not a chance! Slash Impact!"

The knight-type elf puppet, Nazha, slammed its sword into the ground, sending a cascade of debris to block our path.

"Better luck next time! You thought it would be that easy? Air Pressure Burst—Twelve Shot!"

Incredibly, the martial artist-type elf puppet, Ghana, launched a long-range attack by striking the air with its fists, intercepting us from a distance.

"Diamond Dust! Here it comes!"

The puppeteer's Diamond Dust spell pushed us back as the icy winds surged around us.

"Chain! Here it is!"

The puppeteer's voice rose again, unleashing a flurry of diamond dust. No, it wasn't just a two-fold attack; it was a staggering six consecutive blasts.

"Chain! Chain! Chain! Chain! Here it comes!"

Wait, what?! That was clearly not a spell being chanted! The utter brevity of this so-called incantation was absurd! Is this what it means to be an S-rank adventurer?

With an unbelievable stream of ice magic, we were struck by a rapid drop in body temperature, frostbite, and cuts from the frigid air.

"What the?! What's going on here?! Enough! We're retreating!"

Suddenly, the puppeteer turned away, stopping the barrage of spells and preparing for withdrawal. It seemed something unexpected had happened, but it was also our opportunity.

To counteract the plummeting temperature in the air, our mages unleashed fire magic.

"Stand Flare!"

"Burst Flare!"

"Explosion!"

Aya surrounded the puppeteers with six columns of fire, and the mages of the 7th and 9th squads slammed explosive flames into the center.

"Not on my watch. Magic Shell!"

The previously silent elven mage puppet, Viz, activated a defense spell I'd never heard of, casting a dome-like barrier to shield against the flames. However, unlike the similar but weaker Magic Shield, this barrier lacked significant defense power and shattered easily under the onslaught.

However, that was enough to showcase their defensive power, and in that brief moment, the elf dolls and their puppeteer sprang into action. Nazha and Ghana charged forward, taking down our comrades one after another. We were rendered nearly defenseless, unable to move as the effects of the diamond dust unleashed by the puppeteer immobilized us, making it easy for them to defeat us. It seemed we had not lost our lives, but the damage was more severe than anticipated, and getting back on our feet would not be easy.

Ghana appeared before me, demonstrating a series of impressive techniques: a right-handed explosive fist punch, a left-handed precision strike, and a spinning kick with his right foot. I barely managed to fend them off using the Sword Princess style step and Unicorn techniques. Ghana only engaged for a moment before moving on to the next target without finishing me off.

Now, it was just me, Ava, Trinity, Yuri, and three others from the 7th and 9th squads standing in this dire situation. "I no longer have time to deal with you. It's farewell for now. Besides, I imagine you have little time to spare, considering your precious Ruby Knights are in such a battered state," the puppeteer declared. With so few of us left standing, the path to retreat was becoming clearer. True enough, as the puppeteer indicated, the elite Ruby Knights stationed behind us were now nearly crippled due to Eldam's relentless assault.

At that moment, Viz, the puppeteer's ally, unleashed another spell.

**"Thunderstorm"**

A storm of lightning magic rains down all around us.

"Whoa!? Damn, it's just one thing after another today, isn't it?!"

I desperately dodge the bolts, and by the time the storm subsides, the puppeteers have vanished without a trace.

"Are you telling me they can escape after being cornered like that…?"

"I really wish they wouldn't do this!" Trinity and Yuri slump down, overwhelmed, but we can't afford to linger. Even if the puppeteers have retreated, countless elf girl puppets still surround us. To make matters worse, our teammates who took direct hits from the lightning are barely hanging on.

"Wait, something feels off," Ava says, noticing the elf girl puppets' unusual behavior as they huddle together in alertness. Suddenly, the elf girls begin to withdraw as well.

It seems like an unexpected situation is unfolding here. As if to confirm that, intense sounds of battle erupt from the left flank of the battlefield.

"Retreat! Retreat! Monsters have appeared! We need to fall back to regroup!"

I see. So, a third faction has emerged here. It's likely that monsters have appeared on the side of the Lonely Principality as well, prompting the puppeteers to hastily pull back their elf girl puppets.

"We've taken quite a bit of damage ourselves, so we should consider a temporary retreat," Ava said.

"You're right. If the commander is incapacitated, continuing the operation will be difficult," someone agreed.

With Ava's opinion in mind, the members who were still standing managed to recover the fallen and we retreated to the main base of the Zhipan Imperial Army.

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Back at the main base, we finished treating the injured and waited. Sporadic skirmishes continued on the battlefield, with us holding off the monster invasion.

Amid this, I was called to the operations center alongside Zeke, who had just recovered from his injuries. As the captain of the 8th Temporary Unit, Zeke's presence was understandable, but I wondered why I had been summoned.

In the operations center, the leaders of the various knight orders, the captains of the temporary units, and the general in charge of the current operation were gathered.

While elves are typically known for their beauty, the faces of the knight commanders here were far from handsome, to say the least. The general, in particular, had a fierce countenance, with long ears that only confirmed his elven heritage.

"First, we need to deal with the orc horde before the Lonely Duchy Army," he said.

"But what if they take advantage of that opening?"

"I've heard that the Lonely Duchy Army is also suffering from orc attacks. Shouldn't we cooperate with them to eliminate the orcs?"

"Cooperate with King Clem? That's absurd! He's a traitor who seduced and deceived our people!"

"Indeed, cooperation with the Lonely Principality Army is out of the question. Do you wish to send more girls into battle?"

"But why would the orcs, our so-called guardians..."

"The notion of the orcs as guardians is merely a legend. Orcs are undoubtedly the enemies of humanity."

Before me, the leaders of the knightly orders were embroiled in a heated debate. It seemed that the monsters appearing before us were a horde of orcs. There were quickly over 300 of them—orc soldiers, archers, and mages, even orc generals and an orc king among them. In terms of numbers, both the Jipan Empire Army and the Lonely Principality Army were outnumbered, but the strength of each individual orc far surpassed that of the soldiers in both forces. This had led to a stalemate on the battlefield.

Amidst the discussion, something peculiar was said. Orcs as guardians? What nonsense—those monsters are nothing but lustful brutes.

"Clearly, we must strike the Lonely Principality Army. We cannot allow them to advance and kidnap Princess Josephine."

As the meeting became increasingly chaotic, the general's words brought a moment of calm.

"That said, we cannot ignore the orc horde either. Our own army has female knights and soldiers who have been taken. Above all, we cannot allow the girls in the Lonely Principality's army to fall to the orc's fangs!"

At first, the general spoke calmly, but by the end, he was seething with anger. Once Princess Josephine caught sight of Clem, the loli king, it became clear that we had already lost this war. There was no way we could let her reach the capital now. On top of that, we had to deal with the orcs wreaking havoc on the battlefield. Orcs are already insatiable creatures driven by lust; they would eagerly target female knights like something out of a dating sim. Furthermore, the elf girls that the loli king keeps close would be prime prey for them. In fact, some of the abducted female knights may already be victims of their torment.

Rumor has it that the general's daughter has fallen for the loli king and has gone to the Lonely Duchy. Because of this, the general harbors a deep hatred for Clem. And it's not just him; similar sentiments are echoed among the nobility and knightly orders of the empire. In the previous two wars, even when the Jipan Empire emerged victorious, they had to plead for Clem's mercy, negotiating ceasefires to prevent any more harm to their daughters.

Initially, Clem accepted defeat with surprising restraint, but over time, his desire for Princess Josephine grew, and he easily broke the ceasefire agreement.

"Just kill him already, you perverted king!"

"What's the plan?" Zeke asked. "The Red Gem Knights, the cornerstone of our operation, are barely functional after the assault by those giant dolls. We're at half strength against the Lonely Duchy's army, and even worse if we're to face the orcs."

He was right. Not only had the Red Gem Knights suffered, but the entire Zifan Empire's military was diminished. It seemed the elf girl who controlled those dolls had proven to be much stronger than expected.

"First, we'll reorganize our forces. We'll commit the majority against the Lonely Duchy's army while sending an elite unit to swiftly deal with the orcs," I explained.

I see. The plan was to quickly dispatch the orcs first. The elf puppet from the Lonely Duchy had halted their movements, so we should seize the opportunity to surround their forces. If all went well, we might apprehend their puppet master before she could intervene.

"For that, Suzanne, I'd like to request the assistance of your silver Drake," I continued.

Ah, so that's why I was called to this strategy meeting. A dragon appearing abruptly on the battlefield would certainly create an impact. I thought, maybe I should have brought Snow with me from the start; she could have contributed to the plan in many ways.

"That's fine with me, but you do realize my Drake is quite large and becomes an easy target, right?"

"That's fine. We have the advantage of flying, after all. We'll eliminate the orc horde solely with aerial attacks. I've assigned a few restructured mages to ride the drakes and conduct magic attacks from above."

I was a bit worried about the orc archers and mages, but with Snow's agility, they shouldn't pose a significant threat. The plan is to disrupt the orc swarm from above with magic while our elite unit charges in. If possible, we'll rescue the kidnapped female knights and soldiers.

"Understood. So, I'll be in charge of the unit attacking the orcs from the sky."

"Indeed, Suzanne, I appoint you as the captain of the Aerial Emerald Knights, First Temporary Unit."

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With me and three mages aboard, Snow circled high above the orc horde. Although I'd been designated as captain of the Aerial Emerald Knights, my main role felt more like that of a driver. Meanwhile, Ava and Trinity had been assigned to a larger force of the Lonely Duchy Army.

"We're almost done positioning the elite unit," one of the mages reported.

"Right. The encirclement of the orc horde is taking shape."

"Surprisingly, the orcs seem well coordinated. From what I can see through my binoculars, it doesn't appear that the female knights are being assaulted."

The mages in the Aerial Emerald Knights had come from the adventurers of the Black Steel, Seventh to Ninth Temporary Units.

Aya Namirei of the 7th Temporary Unit, Shirfiel of the 8th Temporary Unit, and Amanomi Nozomi of the 9th Temporary Unit—all from another world—were circling above a horde of orcs. They were on a reconnaissance mission, waiting for the elite ground forces to complete their encirclement.

As they scanned the orc horde, they saw it organized against a cliff that resembled a cut-off hill. At the center stood an Orc General, noticeably better equipped than the others, and looming nearby was an enormous Orc King, nearly three meters tall, exuding a commanding presence. Surprisingly, captured female knights, bound and gathered together, were nearby. Among them were not only women knights, but also armed elf girls, likely from the Lonely Duchy's army.