True God In Another World (Tensura x Tbate)

Chapter 114 - First Battle

Arthur Leywin POV

I opened my eyes to be greeted by the glow of the morning sun. Even its soft rays, hidden behind a layer of clouds, somehow seemed to bore holes into my retinas. The aching in my skull pulsed rhythmically—a constant reminder of the glasses, if not bottles, of alcohol I had consumed during the remainder of the night.

Squinting, I attempted to get up but immediately retreated back underneath my woolen cloak I'd used as a blanket, letting out a sickly moan through my dry mouth, sticky with thick saliva.

Suddenly my cloak—the only thing protecting me from the outside world—was ripped away from me.

"Morning, General," Vanesy's familiar voice chimed from above. The bright timbre of my former professor's voice was normally easy on the ears, but through the power of alcohol, her voice came off sharp and grating.

"As your superior, I order you to unhand my blanket and let me sleep," I mumbled impatiently.

"No can do. You were the one that decided to push the meeting off with Captain Auddyr until the morning," she said, pulling my unwilling body up. "Splash some cold water on your face and meet us at the tent."

"Here. Read this before you meet with me and Captain Auddyr." Vanesy handed me a small stack of papers clipped together before leaving.

Grumbling under my breath, I got up, taking in my surroundings for the first time today. I'd somehow managed to get to the top of the cliff overlooking the camp.

'You didn't manage to do anything last night,' Sylvie's voice sounded in my head like a kick to the brain.

'Easy, Sylvie. My head is killing me,' I complained as I spotted my bond in her dragon form approaching from the forest behind me. 'What happened, anyway?'

"I dragged your drunk corpse of a body up here to let you sleep without making a fool of yourself before even announcing to everyone your position," she chided in a mellow voice I hadn't heard in a few days.

"How was the watch last night? Nothing unusual?" I asked, attempting to change the subject.

Glowing brightly before shrinking into a pearly white fox, she hopped on my shoulder. "It was quiet. There was a thick layer of fog throughout the western shore so I couldn't find any enemy ships. I would've gone further but I was afraid that they might find me."

"You did good," I said. "Now, where's a place I can wash my face?"

"There should be washing stations in the encampment but there's a nearby stream just a little into the forest that I think you'd prefer," she answered, a wisp of fog forming in front of her snout as she spoke.

"Stream it is."

The crisp air helped my recovering state but it was the first splash of cold water on my face that really cleared my head.

Three days had passed since I spoke with Rimuru. And two days since I became a spear. Because of Rimuru's agreement with my parents, they also joined the war, while Rimuru remained the only one in the family who had not yet joined the war, along with Ellie of course.

Of course, although I had many objections to our parents joining the war, I knew there was no way I could convince them, especially with Rimuru's approval.

According to Rimuru, he had assigned them some guards, just as he had done with Tess, Lily, and the others. Rimuru told me that James and Elisa were among his companions, tasked with protecting our friends.