I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 113

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Wh-what?! Trie! You just…!”

“Good job, Trie.”

Ignoring the dumbfounded Ainz and Erica, I patted Trie’s shoulder.

For a moment, even I had been stunned, unable to react quickly enough to eliminate the threat.

If Trie hadn’t acted, the beastman would have drawn his dagger and attacked us.

The thought sent shivers down my spine.

“Surround them!”

“Capture them alive!”

Bwoooon…!

The blaring horn and the sound of approaching footsteps from all directions filled the air.

We were surrounded by at least a hundred beastman soldiers…

If all five of us used our magic to the fullest, we could probably take down seventy of them.

That would force the enemy to retreat, but it was a last resort.

First, we had to try fighting without using magic.

“Trie, I need you to lead the charge. We’ll break through the enemy lines towards the fortress.”

“They’re too densely packed there. Wouldn’t it be better to break through from the rear?”

Trie was right.

The enemy lines were thinner at the back.

It would be faster and safer to break through from there.

But I had a reason for heading straight for the fortress.

“No, we’re going forward. Trust me.”

“Alright. Make sure you keep up.”

Trie turned and started running without a hint of doubt in her eyes.

She trusted me as much as I trusted her.

“Everyone, run! I’ll cover the rear, so don’t worry.”

“Schlus! Are we really doing this? We’re not even officially at war! Shouldn’t we declare war or something before killing them? This is a war crime…”

Slap!

I couldn’t help myself.

Erica clutched her cheek, her face flushed red, and glared at me.

I didn’t want to hit her, but with five lives at stake, I didn’t have the time to patiently explain.

“Follow Trie. That’s an order.”

“I don’t think I need to be slapped, Schlus!”

“…”

[T/N: bout fuckin time if he wasn’t gonna do it I was]

Erica and Ainz finally started running.

Iris was running too, but her strides were so short that she was incredibly slow.

“Ugh!”

I had no choice but to pick her up and run.

Thankfully, my strength had increased significantly.

Carrying Iris wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.

“They’re running away! Stop them!”

The enemy lines shifted as the soldiers charged towards us.

To make matters worse, Trie, who had been cutting down enemies as she ran, came to a halt.

A line of beastman spearmen stood in front of us.

I set Iris down and stood beside Trie.

“Trie, can we break through?”

“As long as I have a reliable comrade watching my back.”

“Let’s do it.”

I was terrified, but Trie didn’t seem nervous at all.

In fact, she looked almost excited.

She had dedicated her life to swordsmanship, so it was understandable that she relished this opportunity to test her skills in a real battle.

But honestly, she was starting to scare me.

“Remember how to fight spearmen?”

“I’ve never learned how to fight a formation of spearmen. I’ve only fought individual spearmen.”

“It’s similar. You just need to be more aware of your flanks.”

“…”

It was a simple explanation, but I hated how easily she understood.

I had learned how to fight spearmen the hard way, getting beaten up by Trie with a staff.

The problem was, there were multiple spears this time.

I gritted my teeth and drew my greatsword from its sheath.

It was best to keep Vafe hidden for now.

“This might actually be easier! If you get overwhelmed, just follow me!”

I couldn’t just let Trie handle everything.

I found myself charging towards the spearmen, right beside Trie.

I glanced back and saw Ainz and Erica close behind.

If we could break through this line, we’d be fine.

“Haaaaaaa!!!”

Trie let out a powerful war cry.

It was probably to pump herself up, but it seemed to have intimidated the enemy as well.

The spearmen, their spears pointed at us, looked bewildered.

Spearmen, afraid of two swordsmen?

It made no sense.

Normally.

“Hah!”

I charged forward, swinging my sword.

The spear thrust aimed at my forehead was deflected by my blade, flying harmlessly to the side.

I was about to press forward when another spear thrust towards my chest.

“Ugh!”

A flash of silver, and the spear shaft was severed.

Trie’s sword had intercepted the attack.

There were no more spears aimed at us.

We had already reached the halfway point of the spearmen’s range.

The battle was already won.

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

“Run away!”

“Knights! There are two knights! Run… Ugh!”

The rest was easy.

We just had to swing our swords at the helpless spearmen.

My arms moved instinctively, as if on autopilot, a testament to all the training I had done with Trie.

By the time we had cut down five spearmen, the others had dropped their spears and were running away.

“We broke through… or did we?”

“Not quite.”

We didn’t have time to celebrate.

A fresh wave of enemy infantry stood in our way.

Damn it.

They had probably called for reinforcements from the camp.

This was bad.

There was a limit to how many enemies we could fight hand-to-hand.

Even if we could break through, Erica, Ainz, and Iris were a liability.

It was highly likely that they would be captured by the enemy while we were busy fighting our way through.

“Tsk…”

We had to use magic.

I had hoped to avoid such a flashy entrance, but…

Erica and Ainz were in no condition to use magic and Iris wouldn’t use magic that could kill.

It seemed like I would have to use my ability and cast an area-of-effect spell from the get-go.

I was about to channel my mana into ‘Selection and Concentration’ when—

“C-cavalry charge!”

“Enemy knights are approaching!”

The enemy lines erupted into chaos.

Trie and I turned to see a dozen heavily armored knights charging towards us from the fortress gate.

They charged fearlessly into the enemy ranks, which numbered at least two hundred.

“St-stop them!”

“Gah!”

The knights crashed into the enemy lines, their horses trampling the infantry.

They were unstoppable.

The knight at the front sliced through the spear thrusts aimed at him and continued to advance, cutting down enemy after enemy.

A poleaxe swung from behind him finally managed to snag his armor and pull him off his horse, but that didn’t mean he was out of the fight.

He immediately drew his longsword and continued to fight, slaying the enemies that surrounded him.

Two knights reached us and surrounded Erica, Ainz, and Iris, forming a protective circle.

Trie and I, along with two reliable knights.

The strongest defense in the south was right here.

“We’re retreating.”

A gruff voice came from beneath a black helmet.

We slowly retreated from the enemy lines, escorting the three mages.

The other knights had completely collapsed one side of the enemy formation, preventing them from regrouping and giving us time to regroup.

“Get on.”

“You, over there.”

“…?”

I didn’t have time to be confused.

The knights started lifting us onto their horses.

“Grab my hand.”

A low voice spoke.

It was the knight who had led the charge.

I immediately recognized his voice, even through his helmet and armor.

I wordlessly grabbed his hand and mounted his horse.

“Retreat!”

There was no reason to fight anymore.

The knight in black armor gave the order, and we started to ride towards the fortress, the knights escorting us taking the lead.

The knights who had been holding the line against the enemy soon followed.

The dozen knights moved as one.

“Damn it! Catch those bastards!”

The enemy tried to pursue us, but soon gave up as the distance widened.

They were busy collecting the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Looking back, I saw at least thirty corpses scattered on the ground.

“Open the main gate!”

The wooden gate of the fortress creaked open.

The knights quickly rode inside, and the gate slammed shut behind them less than ten seconds later.

I dismounted, grabbing the hand of the knight in front of me.

“W-we’re alive…”

“Is it safe here?”

Erica and Ainz had finally calmed down.

They could relax.

This fortress was impenetrable.

The enemy would need to bring every siege weapon they had to even stand a chance of taking it.

“Yes, it’s safe. You can relax now, Iris.”

“Y-yes? I’m fine… Gah?!”

I stealthily snuck my arm around Iris’s back and poked her shoulder.

She jumped in surprise.

It seemed like she had been incredibly tense despite her calm exterior.

Embarrassed at being caught, Iris glared at me.

Good.

She had regained her composure.

“It’s the Saintess…”

“The Saintess…!”

The soldiers parted, creating a path for us, their eyes fixed on Iris.

This was one of the reasons I had brought Iris.

Her healing magic was valuable, but she also boosted morale.

The Saintess was with us.

That simple thought was enough to give the soldiers courage.

“Mr. Schlus Hainkel and his companions. Please, come inside.”

“…”

The soldiers swarmed towards the tent.

I scanned the faces of the soldiers guarding the fortress.

They looked exhausted.

They had probably been under siege for days.

Iris, Trie, Ainz, and Erica followed me into the tent, their expressions curious.

The interior of the tent was spacious.

A desk and several rolled-up maps suggested that it was used as a meeting room.

Thirteen knights lined up in two rows and knelt on one knee.

Erica looked bewildered, momentarily mistaking it as a gesture directed at her.

“Mr. Schlus Hainkel. Are you injured?”

“No. Please, rise.”

I shook hands with each knight as they stood, removing their helmets.

The knight in black armor, revealed to be a middle-aged man with a stubbly beard from days of not shaving, was Taylor, the Vice-Commander.

“W-wait! What’s going on? Why are they calling you ‘Mr. Hainkel’?”

“This is the Holy Knights Order. We fight under the command of Mr. Schlus Hainkel.”

Erica and Ainz gaped in astonishment.

It was a good thing I hadn’t told them about the Holy Knights rescuing us near the fortress.

They probably would have blabbed everything back in the Papal State.

“So… you’re their lord?”

“Not exactly a lord… more like an investor. An investor who owns almost all of the shares…”

“So basically, you’re the owner!”

Right. Owner.

That was a better word.

“Thank you so much for rescuing us… Are you the Commander?”

“Hahaha, no, I’m the Vice-Commander. This is the Commander.”

“…?”

Taylor laughed heartily and gestured to another knight.

All the knights had removed their helmets, except for one.

He stood there, fully armored, silent and unmoving.

The knights quickly lowered the tent flap, completely obscuring the entrance.

He sighed and removed his helmet with a groan.

“Pelaine Armstrong. Commander of the Holy Knights Order. I formally greet Mr. Schlus Hainkel.”

“Wha…?!”

Even Iris and Trie gasped in astonishment.

The person staring back at me, sweat dripping from their short hair, was a woman with piercing gray eyes.

But that wasn’t the only reason Iris was shocked.

From beneath her short hair, two large animal ears emerged, covered in white fur.

Everyone was speechless, struggling to process the fact that the woman who had been mercilessly slaying beastmen moments ago was, in fact, a beastman herself.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

As the atmosphere grew tense, I stepped forward and shook Pelaine’s hand.

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