"Consider it bad luck. ...CHARGE!"
"""WAAAAAAAH!!!!!!"""
The moment we started running, the enemy army moved as if snapped by a spring.
Because of the distance, I couldn't perfectly hear the shouts of the officers giving orders, but fortunately, ostriches have incredible eyesight. I could see exactly who was giving what orders and how the troops moved in response as if I were holding the blueprints in my hand.
If I were just a smart ostrich, I wouldn't have understood a thing. There are no humans on the Plateau, let alone organized armies using weapons. But thanks to the memories of my previous life, making simple deductions was easy.
My instincts—the internal radar for danger—weren't reacting yet. There was likely no one over there capable of truly hurting us, but it's always better not to get hit. I decided to dodge what I could.
(The enemy is split into three: center, left, and right. The front center is heavy shield infantry with plate armor. The left and right vanguards are light but equipped with long pikes.)
I couldn't see exactly what was behind the center line because the shields blocked my view, but I could identify the units in the rear of the flanks: standard infantry and archers. They were receiving orders from their captains and were just about to loose arrows toward us.
(Because of the distance and their own front line, they aren't firing direct shots; it's a high-arc volley. I should speed up.)
"Pick up the pace!"
"""Okay!"""
The moment the bowstrings were released, I shifted gears to the limit of what the kids behind me could keep up with. They were likely timing their shots based on our initial speed. There would be some scatter, but we ran to vastly overshoot the point they predicted we'd hit.
In a normal battle between humans, this was a solid strategy. Thin out the chargers with arrows, stop those who reach the line with heavy shields, and then annihilate the stalled enemy with pikes from the sides. Their discipline looked high; they were well-trained.
(In that case, the best move is to smash through the front!)
People panic most when their plan is broken by something "impossible." I would take the heavy infantry—the guys supposed to be an immovable wall—and blow them away at an impossible speed. We'd drive into the interior, take the commander's head, and then just run around stomping things until they broke and fled.
(Luckily, those iron-clad humans... at that weight, they're as light as pebbles compared to what we kick around on the Plateau!)
Just as I locked onto my first target to kick, the shield wall that had been tightly closed suddenly opened in sections. Through the gaps, I saw the tips of over a hundred staff-like objects.
(Wait, oh no!)
By the time I realized, it was too late. Yellow projectiles shot simultaneously from the tips of the staves. I could turn, but given the speed of the magic, even if I changed course now, the kids behind me would definitely be hit. I could dodge it alone, but a group-wide evasion was impossible.
(I was too trapped by the "common sense" of my old world! If magic exists, of course there are specialized magic units!)
Since it couldn't be avoided, it was only "right" that I, the toughest one, took the hit. As we ran and the magic streaked toward us, I spread my wings. Based on the color and the crackling nature of the projectiles, it was lightning magic. I, who had survived the "Biku-Biku" (Thunder Dragon), had to take it.
I couldn't intercept all of it, but I spread my wings wide to absorb as much as possible and braced for the impact...
Except.
(...Eh? Did that hit me?)
Nothing happened. Nothing at all. I saw the magic strike my body with my own eyes, but there was no impact, no pain, no damage whatsoever. Uh... wait? Is my lightning resistance so high that this... didn't even register as damage?
Phew. I worried for nothing. But the moment I tried to catch my breath, I felt a strange sensation. The pressure coming from behind me was suddenly enormous. I looked back, and I immediately regretted it. My kids' eyes were all glowing bright red.
There is nothing that makes my kids angrier than "Mama getting attacked."
And just now, even if it had "no effect," I had spread my wings and taken the hit to shield them. To the flock, it looked like their leader had been attacked and had potentially been wounded to save them. They didn't care that I was perfectly fine.
On top of that, I had spent their lives on the Plateau drilling into them: "When you see a troublesome enemy using long-range attacks, kill them first, okay?" Most of them usually forget my lessons, but if even one remembered, the rest would follow the charge.
Oh... oh dear. Nagan Kingdom... please try your best to stay alive. ❤️
"""GYABIBIBIBIBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"""
My kids let out a bizarre war cry and lunged at the targets. Usually, they can only go as fast as I allow, but they were now moving significantly faster than me. Swallowed by rage, they had zero "mercy."
The shield-bearers standing in front to protect the mages were "erased" in an instant. Iron shields were shattered and cleaved by ostrich leg strength; the soldiers behind them, despite their thick armor, were literally sent flying. Actually, that would have been the lucky outcome. Some ostriches, enraged that their path was blocked, kicked soldiers clean in half—armor and all—or crushed their heads into pulp.
Before they could even scream, the shield wall was trampled, opening a path. A path straight to the ones the ostriches were angriest at.
The magic soldiers let out cries—either spells or screams—and fired more lightning. But even if their resistance wasn't as high as mine, ostriches weren't weak enough to be damaged by mere "human" magic. They advanced without slowing down and trampled them. Thoroughly.
The fact that "Mama was attacked" was now compounded by "They are attacking us too." Their rage, already past the limit, swelled further. In less than ten seconds, the entire magic unit was transformed into bits of meat and puddles of blood. The Magic Corps was annihilated.
(...…Wow.)
To make matters worse, the ostriches' rage showed no signs of subsiding. Perhaps some regular soldiers had tried to help the mages; the ostriches decided that anyone who interfered was a target to be eliminated. With unbridled fury, they began dismantling the rest of the army.
Their eyes remained stained with rage.
(What do I do about this?)
I don't know if it's lucky or not, but because they were so angry, they weren't seeing the soldiers as "food" or "prey to be hunted," but strictly as "enemies to be purged." Mama was attacked, and the flock was attacked. Therefore, everyone must die. That was the logic.
Fortunately, it seemed the soldiers' weapons were doing absolutely nothing. Even the younger ostriches didn't have a scratch. If the humans had been able to maintain their training, things might have been different, but they had entered a state of total panic after seeing the massacre of the Magic Corps. Organized resistance was over.
(Once they're like this, my kids won't stop until they're satisfied...)
Seriously, what do I do? I know my shielding behavior was the trigger, even if I took no damage. But I had no other choice; I'd rather take the hit than let one of them get hurt. Still... looking at this, I can't help but feel a bit of pity for the Nagan Kingdom...
"Okay, change of plans."
Since the enemy command was collapsing, there was no need for a surgical strike on the General. It would be better to capture the commander alive and make Nagan pay reparations. A high-ranking officer would be a valuable prisoner and a great gift for Matilde and the Kingdom of Heed.
"Alright, let's go secure that important-looking gu—... oh."
The moment I decided on a plan and started to move, I saw it.
A group of enraged ostriches had already charged the command post. The distinguished-looking middle-aged man with the impressive beard—the one I had pegged as the General—was currently being stepped on by one of my kids. With a very audible squish.
"Ah... dammit. Too late."
U-Um...
Everyone, please don't make ostriches angry! It's a promise between you and Reis-chan!!!
"I-It's incredible...."
Endless cheers rose from the soldiers atop the walls. As a commander, Matilde knew she should keep them in check since the battle wasn't technically over... but there was no way Nagan could recover. Facing an overwhelming gap of 5,000 troops, everyone had prepared to die. Now, they were watching these "girls" annihilate the enemy. No one could suppress the emotions surging in their chests.
(I suppose I can let it slide for today.)
With those thoughts, she looked through her "Far-Sight" magic tool again.
At first, the ostriches had moved as a group under Reis's command. But the moment Reis was struck by lightning magic, the atmosphere of the battlefield shifted. The "army" that had been obedient transformed into a pack of "raging monsters." To them, attacking Reis was equivalent to stepping on a dragon's tail.
"...Special. Strategic. Asset," Matilde whispered.
A force that could change a battlefield alone. A being that might win even against ten thousand soldiers. These were the "Monsters" of the world. Those who could wipe out an army single-handedly, split mountains with a sword, or vanish a troop with a wave of a hand. These ostriches, as a flock, belonged in that category.
"Hm? Come to think of it...."
Yesterday's events flashed through her mind. Her duel with Reis...
(!!!)
Wait. If she had messed up back then, would they have turned into that? Matilde began to shake. If she had actually wounded Reis, the town would have been erased.
Through the Far-Sight tool, she saw Reis scratching her cheek with a wing and smiling wryly while her followers rampaged. It meant that even Reis couldn't stop them once they went berserk. Matilde turned pale, realizing she had been tap-dancing on the edge of the town's destruction.
(Thank the gods I chose the path of friendship....)
First, once the battle is over, the whole town must welcome them as heroes. Then, a total stance of friendship. She'd have to convince every citizen: "Do not harm them, seriously." And then, prepare a feast for the victory...
Matilde began planning for the aftermath, watching her soldiers and the adventurers celebrate. It was the burden of leadership; even after a win, the mountain of paperwork and post-war processing made it hard to truly celebrate.
(Wait, I need to check on the merchant.)
She turned toward Alan, her trusted "Official Merchant," and noticed something was wrong. His face was so pale he looked like he was about to die, despite the enemy being routed. He was past blue—he was white, and he was shaking violently.
(...Ah, perhaps it's his first time seeing a battlefield. My mistake.)
He had insisted on being on the wall to do what he could for the town, but he was a merchant, not a soldier. Seeing the blood and the death must have been too much. Her soldiers were hardened enough to have a picnic amidst the corpses, but Alan was just a civilian.
"Master Alan! My apologies, I forgot myself! This must be too much for you... Someone! Take him to the rear and get him something warm."
"Sir! Right away... Alan-san, you okay? Lean on me."
"T-Thank you. My apologies...."
Initially, Matilde had been wary of his somewhat "shady" face, but he had proven incredibly capable and reliable. He was just a man "cursed with a villainous face." Unfortunately, since he was down, she'd have to find another contractor for the feast.
"Well then... a victory banquet after a hangover means more drinking. I won't get any work done tomorrow, but... who cares! It's a festival! Let's clean this up and drink like fish!"
The 1st Meeting of the Ostrich Victims Association [Review Session]
"With General Delotado!"
"And Bobre!"
"""The Ostrich Victims Association!!!"""
"Indeed. As the former leaders of Nagan, we shall discuss the points of failure in this battle."
"As you can see from the halos over our heads, we are quite dead. Please rest assured on that point~."
"Though for us Nagans, it's not a laughing matter!"
"Exactly!"
"""Hehehehehehehe!"""
"Let's look back at the battle."
Plaque Defense War
Ostriches charge.
Nagan acts according to doctrine; Magic Corps attacks.
Enraged Ostriches eat everyone.
"That's basically it in three lines~."
"It's... it's horrible."
"I feel we did our best with the pre-war prep and the strategy, though?"
"We used standard anti-cavalry tactics and coordinated with magic. We could have stood our ground against the Empire's best knights, but..."
"We were no match for the Ostriches~."
"True..."
"Anyway, General Delotado, how do you think we could have won?"
"Based on info I got after dying... first, we needed magic soldiers on the level of the 'Biku-Biku.' If we had that, we might have won. Though at that level, you're talking about 'Special Strategic Asset' level monsters."
"So it was impossible for us while we were alive!"
"Basically. All you can do is laugh."
"""Hehehehehehehe!!! ...Sigh."""
"Conclusion for the first meeting, General!"
"Indeed! The conclusion reached by the Ostrich Victims Association is...!"
『Don't pick a fight with an Ostrich.』
"That's it. Really. Nagan should be fine now that the Strategist knows... but I wonder about other countries. I have a feeling the membership of this 'Victims Association' is going to grow fast."
"Agreed. Until the next victim arrives!"
"""Bye-bye~!!!"""