“So the wall’s been breached, then?”
Even after listening to the report his subordinate had brought to him in a panic, Otto’s only reaction was a muted whisper. Baron Socom’s army headquarters were in the main Socom Co. building, located in the heart of the city. If the defensive walls surrounding the circumference of the city had been breached, the city proper was right at hand. If they were unable to contain the enemy forces advancing through the city, then there was a chance their headquarters, lying directly on that same line, could be attacked. And yet, the situation was just what they’d anticipated.
“That massive mech from the other day... Apparently it’s called a Tyrant Rhino, but sure enough, it wasn’t the only one. What can be done against five of them?” Otto mused.
While the ranks of Baron Socom’s army had been filled by asking the hunters to serve as reinforcements, unfortunately, there was a large gap in terms of the capabilities of their Mechsteels. While the Raging Bears that comprised their main force were respectable machines despite being easy to acquire, they were known for only offering middle-of-the-road performance.
“The bandits are sending their Tyrant Rhinos ahead while the remainder of their forces continue their by-the-book siege. I don’t like their tactics—it leaves us no choice but to divide our forces in two.”
Otto was confronted with the question of whether dividing their forces would be enough. Tyrant Rhinos were tremendously powerful. As sudden as the attack the other day had been, they’d surrounded the Tyrant Rhino with six Mechsteels of their own and had still been overwhelmed. It wasn’t hard to imagine how much more extensive the damage would’ve been had Watt not been there. There was little choice but to allocate sufficient forces to eliminate the Mechsteels that had invaded the city.
“My lord, it’s not safe here. Please, you must evacuate.”
It was then that Otto’s subordinate offered the suggestion. It made sense. If they were unable to stop the Tyrant Rhinos, then their current location would soon turn into a battlefield.
“And just where would I run off to? The Forest of No Return?”
“Indeed,” the subordinate replied. “Dangerous as it is, I believe it somewhat preferable over remaining here.”
“Even if I were to flee, unless the Tyrant Rhinos are defeated, they’ll only chase me down to the ends of the earth. There’s no real point in only putting it off.”
Even supposing Otto were able to make his escape, there was no guarantee that the city he left behind would be unharmed. Far from it—after witnessing the lack of hesitation to destroy the city the bandits had displayed during the previous attack, it was clear. They had practically no choice but to beat the bandits back. Whether that could be accomplished easily or not was another matter entirely.
It was right then that, alongside the patter of lively footsteps, his beloved daughter came bounding in with Anna in tow. Otto had expected they’d come. And yet, after seeing them before him as they were now, he couldn’t help but feel a weight in the depths of his heart.
“Pops! We’re under attack! They’re here!”
“You two shouldn’t... No, you came at a good time. Listen well: The two of you are to go ahead to the Forest of No Return. As soon as the situation here’s settled down, we’ll be right behi—”
“Nope, I don’t think so!” Meddié said.
Unable to process what he’d been told for a moment, Otto could only blink. Meddié might have been a tomboy, but even she had to grasp the situation at hand. His expression grew stern before he realized it, but Meddié only stared straight back at him.
“We’re joining in too.”
“And what on earth...do you plan to do?”
Even without Otto’s favorable perception of Meddié as her father, she was far from unskilled as a Steelrider. And yet, in the end, she was just a lone fighter—it would be impossible for her to turn the tides of the battle all on her own. The girls knew that full well themselves, and it was with that same understanding that they’d set out with such resolve.
“Just look at how quickly they got through the wall—it has to be those massive Mechsteels we’re dealing with,” Meddié said. “I don’t know if the hunters could win, even if they all attacked at once.”
“And that’s exactly why I’ll draw them after me.”
Anna’s jade-colored eyes were brimming with strength. The uncertain girl from only a few days ago was gone. Just what had happened to her in such a short span of time? It was shocking on its own, but even then, Otto couldn’t go about approving such a bold request so easily.
“Don’t be foolish, Miss Anna,” he replied. “I thought I already explained as such: At this point, it’s not just you they’re after, it’s—”
“Are you sure you’re not the one forgetting, Sir Otto? All said, their ultimate aim is to capture me...given my royal status. It’s the attack on the city that’s the real afterthought here.”
Anna’s words rang painfully clear. It was indeed the truth. The fact that the city was being attacked was nothing more than an expression of the bandits’ prideful lust to punish the hicks who’d gotten in their way while they were carrying out their mission. Speaking in terms of simple value, as a royal, Anna far outweighed any such desires.
“And that’s exactly why there’s no way those bandits will ignore me when I call out to them,” she said. “I’ll draw the enemy toward me and split them up.”
“Even if you were to draw them after you as you’d planned, what would you do then?” Otto demanded. “I hardly need to remind you—it’s Mechsteels you’re up against. Don’t be so optimistic as to think you can flee on foot just because you’re here in the city.”
“And that’s why we’re going to run away in my Agile Gazelle!” Meddié chimed in. “I’m the fastest in the city!”
It was true that Agile Gazelle derived its greatest strength from its movement capabilities. It seemed their plan was to dangle a royal before the bandits as bait in a life-and-death game of tag.
I see now. It seemed the girls had already polished the details of their plan before they’d arrived. Otto’s emotions had begun to grow heated. Forcing the feelings down within himself, he coolly evaluated their strategy. The plan’s logic was sound—and there was gain to be had in drawing them after her. And yet...
“I can’t approve of this. It’s too reckless,” Otto said. “There’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to outrun them, and heavens forbid you were to be captured—the situation would only worsen.”
After all, that would mean the sort of person who had no qualms attacking a whole city for the throne would be one step closer to attaining their goal. It wasn’t just a matter of one city—it would inevitably cast a towering shadow of worry across the future of the nation.
Even as the humblest among all his peers, as a noble of the kingdom, Otto could not bring himself to accept such a terrible state of affairs. He was filled with dignity in his role as the city’s lord, and Anna stared straight back at him.
“Baron Otto Socom,” Anna began. “Allow me express my deepest reverence for your efforts in proudly building and ruling this fair city. However, speaking as only a humble royal, I cannot allow myself to tremble and yield to these violent outlaws.”
After saying her part, Anna’s expression softened. “And that’s why I’ll fight. And I’m certain if it were my father...he’d do exactly the same.”
Even though they were in such a crisis, Otto had to catch himself from bursting out laughing. Anna was supposed to have grown up without any contact from Watt, so it was humorous to see her saying things that made her sound like the spitting image of her father. But laughing here would’ve called his reputation into question. It took Otto a considerable deal of effort to open his mouth while stiffening the muscles in his face.
“I see your resolve clear as day,” he said. “But I can’t give your plan my approval as it stands.”
“What?! Don’t be such a hardhead, pops!” Meddié objected.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Otto replied. “What I’m saying is that there’s no need to go alone. I’ll assign some of my skilled subordinates to act as your bodyguards.”
Casting Meddié a faint smile to put her mind at ease, Otto turned back toward Anna once more. “Miss Anna, allow me to apologize for my discourteous behavior until now. I fully accept your determination and resolution to fight alongside us. As the current head of the Socom barony, I shall respect your wishes.” He paused. “Still, it is most regrettable that you yourself aren’t competing in Legalisbelm.”
“I, umm... Thank you ever so much!”
“However,” Otto went on, “no matter what happens, should the odds turn against you in the slightest, you are to flee into the forest. We’ve a far better sense of the land than they do—I’ve no doubts Meddié could escape them. We’ve no need to worry about anything after that. We’ll just have Watt clean up the mess.”
As stern and unbending as he seemed, the lord of the land had a mischievous streak in him. Anna and Meddié joined hands.
“All right, I’ll give it my all too!” Meddié declared. “Nothing to worry about—those slowpokes can’t even hope to keep up with me! I’ll be back, pops!”
“I’ll be praying for your success.”
“Thank you!”
Watching the girls dash off, Otto sighed, mumbling to a certain someone who wasn’t present in the room.
“Having a tomboy for a daughter will put you to the test, Watt. You’d best prepare yourself now. Still, relying on those girls like that... I’ve hardly any right to call myself a lord or a father. We’ll reorganize our forces—it’s time to divide the enemy that’s entered the city and strike them down!”