Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 132

Chapter 132: In Most Cases, Goblins Are Unfortunate
  “It’s about time. They won’t be able to intercept us in that chaotic battle. Let’s crush the city first and demoralize them. Release the Griffons!!”
  
  “Understood, War Chief.”
  “As you command…”
  
  Following the orders of the giant beastman Lionel, who was commanding from the rear, two of his kin, whose physiques were also large enough to be mistaken for large-type Aberrations in their combat forms, dispersed and unleashed several dozen Griffons – a superior version of the smaller “Eagle-Headed Lion” Aberration with wings.
  
  Since the Griffons possessed the ability to fly, which was extremely rare among medium and large-type Aberrations, they had been held back to avoid being shot down by the giant knights’ magic. Now, the flock of Griffons flapped their large wings and, using the updraft created by their own magic, took off one after another.
  
  Two goblins, one on each foreleg, clung to the Griffons. They looked down with melancholic expressions at the scene of the bull-headed giants roaring fiercely and clashing with the human giant knights.
  
  “If we fall from this height, we’ll definitely die.”
  “Haha! Even if we succeed, we’ll land right in the middle of the enemy.”
  
  In an unknown era, the treatment of goblins, small Aberrations with a little intelligence created by the false god’s work, is that of expendable pawns. There is the sad reality that they are sent to their deaths in most battles.
  
  However, from the perspective of those being attacked, “flying troops” are nothing more than an extremely dangerous existence. To counter the beastmen’s siege force, composed of smaller Aberrations and on the scale of a division, the Zigrand forces who had been firing from the castle’s corridors shifted their focus.
  
  “Prioritize targeting the Griffons!!”
  “All squads, begin preparing for Resonance Magic!”
  
  “This is the critical moment! Don’t let a single one reach the city!!”
  “We can’t let them through here! Shoot them down, along with their annoying cargo!”
  
  Even though they were outnumbered, the unit commanders judged that if they allowed the Griffons to fly freely and approach key points, it would lead to disaster. Responding to their shouts, the soldiers under their command fired a barrage of bullets into the sky…
  
  However, the bullets lost accuracy and power due to gravity and air resistance. They were unable to inflict fatal wounds, being blocked by the thick feathers of the Griffons, which were maintaining an altitude of around 320 meters, and the chainmail worn under the leather armor of the goblins clinging to them.
  
  Because of this, a moment of carelessness arose. Large fireballs designed for medium-sized Aberrations, which had been fired later, caught several Griffons and mercilessly shot them down.
  
  “”Gwooooh!?””
  “”Damn itttttt——!!””
  
  It’s not hard to imagine the fate of these pitiful creatures who cursed the “Creator in the Heavens” who only gave their race an unreasonable destiny with all their might. However, the faces of the magic soldiers who had skillfully taken down their targets were tense, their eyes fixed on the flock of winged Aberrations flying over the walls.
  
  “S-Second volley, immediately!”
  “Keep the firing angle above horizontal! Don’t needlessly increase the damage to the city!!”
  
  Ignoring the soldiers who were still desperately trying to shoot them down, the Griffons roared as they scattered individually, evading the shooters’ aim with erratic maneuvers. They initiated a dive towards the castle’s storage area, which had become a collection point for supplies, from multiple directions.
  
  Reaching a height of about 3 meters above the ground in no time, the well-trained goblins, accustomed to airborne operations, jumped off. As their feet touched the ground, they curled their bodies, rolling to absorb the impact of the fall in the order of their shins, buttocks, back, and shoulders.
  
  They completed a full rotation and landed in a kneeling position. Their wide eyes darted left and right, prioritizing regrouping with nearby comrades while drawing their swords. They engaged the defense force inside the walls, which had been weakened due to the focus on defending the outer perimeter.
  
  “Guh, these guys are aiming for the logistics… Ugh!?”
  “Die, ape-man!!”
  
  A seasoned goblin sliced the throat of a young light infantryman who had been light on his feet, bathing him in crimson blood. Inspired by this, several other goblins, fueled by the momentum, pushed back their opponents with a series of sword strikes.
  
  Similar scenes unfolded throughout the area. Eventually, the tide began to turn in favor of the humans, partly because the Griffons were quickly recalled to avoid losses and the element of surprise had diminished. However, taking advantage of the chaos, the main force of goblins, who had slipped through the security net, split up and crept towards the storehouses. They broke the locks with small sledgehammers and forced their way inside.
  
  A veteran goblin, who had taken command of one of the squads in the flow of the battle, didn’t rely solely on his sense of smell. After confirming that wheat had spilled out when he stabbed a knife into one of the tightly packed hemp sacks, he vigorously poured highly flammable turpentine, distilled and refined from pine resin, from a large leather water bottle.
  
  Perhaps because he was a bit rough, some of the flammable liquid splashed onto his forearms. His comrades lit a fire with flint and steel instead, and the crimson flames quickly spread.
  
  “Alright, we’ve fulfilled our minimum duty!”
  “Let’s get out of here quickly.”
  
  “We need to hide somewhere until things cool down…”
  
  Heaving heavy sighs, they calmly and carefully secured their escape route after completing their task. They evacuated to the city, where the people who had failed to escape were hiding indoors.
  
  Eventually, pillars of fire and black smoke rose from multiple locations. The defenders, who had been rejoicing after repelling the goblins in front of them, were doused with cold water. They were forced to engage in immediate firefighting efforts, both physically and mentally exhausted.