Isekai Losers!

Ch 23: Battle of Lyugo, Part 1

"And then He, who knew all that was and will be, said this earth hath not all your soul needs. Your body is sated passingly, this earth hath not all your soul needs. He said offer me this life and I promise you every life..."

The priest chanted passionately as he paced back and forth in front of the numerous forces stationed on the field before Lyugo. 

The wind was picking up and the mildly cloudy sky had already turned a deep gray, roaring violently.

Atop the modest wall of Lyugo, no more than 3 meters tall, stood a line of mages and archers. Among them was Gabriel, kneeling. Behind him stood Lan, her hands placed on the boy's upper back.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It can be very dangerous for the recipient..." Lan muttered.

"It will be fine. I trust you." Gabriel said calmly, a content smile on his face.

A distance away, Ivan and Lynn sat on the wall, separated from everyone.

Ivan looked down at the field, his left leg hugged against his chest.

"Nervous?" Lynn asked.

"A little, yeah."

"I am too, I suppose..." the girl admitted.

"Very out of character for you." 

"Maybe so."

"But it's understandable." Ivan continued "You know, we don't really need to do any of this."

"Excuse me?" Lynn looked at the boy.

"I mean, we've been sent to this world with superhuman abilities; people expect us to help them but... why do we do it? Simply because we are expected to help? When you look at it, we're just regular adventurers, we can slay a couple of monsters, find people's lost pets but when such a... war, happens, we don't need to put our lives on the---"

"We do it because it's the right thing to do. Not because of recognition, fame or money. We do it because we can, someone made it so that we can help people, so we do it." said Lynn. "Now, if you wanna turn tail and run..."

"Of course not." Ivan smiled. "I just wanted to see what you fight for, is all. I'd never run, either. I care about these people and I'd stick around even if I wasn't a legendary sky hero person. But I also enjoy the fame, money and recognition part."

"You're hopeless..." Lynn sighed, looking at the ground beneath.

Ivan chuckled.

"Hey..." Lynn looked up. "Ira was looking for you earlier."

"Ira? Kyla's Ira?" 

"That one. Not entirely sure what she wanted. A maiden wishing to send her knight off into battle, perhaps?" Lynn said, a hint of sarcasm in her monotone voice.

"Oh, no... Ira and I aren't like that... I don't think. We've never been that close I think."

"Well, whatever she wanted to say, I told her it would have to wait after the battle."

"Aww, bummer..." pouted the boy.

Lynn stood up. "Something is coming."

Ivan looked around. "Where? Where?"

"The direction where the goblins are coming from, dumbo."

Ivan turned to the direction. 

After a couple of seconds of tense silence, a lone shadow began emerging from the forest.

"A goblin king...? No, too large..." Lynn muttered,

Finally passing the tree line, the large being was revealed in what little sunlight broke through the wall of clouds.

It was a tall green woman, wearing nothing but a two-piece made from some sort of brown fur, exposing muscular arms, feet and a six-pack that seemed nothing less than sculpted. She held a two-handed battle axe large enough to cut down a tree with one swing. Her face was attractive, even for human standards, though that characteristic manic rage in her eyes remained just like during their first encounter.

"It.... impossible..." the doctor who stood next to Lan and Gabriel muttered in bewilderment.

"Who is that...?" Lan whispered.

"Humans of Lyugo! My name is Henrietta! I am the queen of goblins!" she declared, her deep and authoritative voice echoing across the field.

"I come here with an army of thousands of blood-thirsty soldiers; armed and trained to an extent you cannot fathom!" she continued. "They await my command, and they will level this town without a doubt... however! I come here with an offer, also! I merely ask of you to hand over the skyborn. If you do, I will not only spare this town, but personally guarantee this town's safety from further goblin assaults!"

When did this bitch get this eloquent??

"If you refuse my offer now, history shall remember you as the very first town that has fallen to the goblin empire, needlessly slaughtered due to their own stubborness! Now choose!"

"..."

Silence.

Nobody would dare break it. Everyone had a difficult, frightened, upset expression. Nobody would refuse, or accept.

"So this is her play... her offer may sound reasonable to more than a few of the people here." Lynn commented silently. "She'll turn us against each other..."

"Wha? Then we should--"

"No." Lynn interrupted Ivan. "If we speak up we'll just add fuel to the fire."

"Heh... So all we have to do is hand over the skyborn and we'll be free from the goblins...?" One of the guards at the very front chuckled.

The goblin queen smiled.

"Indeed. It is that eas---"

"Screw you! As if we'll believe such a blatant lie!"

The queen grimaced.

"Yeah! Who would trust a filthy goblin like you!?" Another guard added.

"We'll rather die than submit to your demands!!" one of the armed civilians screamed.

More and more men joined the brave few, refusing the queen's offer and throwing it in her face outright.

"Perhaps you underestimated the integrity of these people." Ivan smiled.

"...I am still certain a couple of them would hand us over if it were up to them..." Lynn muttered, looking away.

***

"Tsk."

The queen clicked her tongue before walking back into the woods, followed off by the sneers, cheers and comments of the Lyugo army.