When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 18

Episode 18

With a deafening roar, the tunnel collapsed along with the hill in front of them. Jez, still in the stance of striking with both fists, muttered as he gathered his composure, “My fists can shatter mountains.”

“Stop saying stupid things and let’s evacuate quickly!!!” Teo, who had been leading Jez’s horse, rushed over. Jez, jumping onto the horse and grabbing the reins, immediately began the retreat.

The surrounding monsters were in utter chaos. The collapsing tunnel, the swirling dust, explosions from scattered magic arrows, and the rescue of buried comrades. A few monsters attempted to prevent Jez and the others from escaping, but they were all shot down by Teo and his companions.

Observing this from afar, the main Al-Faz’s unit led by Jamil began dispersing additional magic arrows as a parting shot, while also initiating a retreat to cover Jez’s escape. Eventually, as Jez and Jamil’s groups distanced themselves from the enemy camp and passed beyond the encampment, they scattered a final barrage of attacks. From there, Jez’s group and Jamil’s group each retreated in opposite directions.

The enemy forces, with their command structure in disarray, failed to mount a proper pursuit against either party, resulting in both escaping.

Watching this entire sequence from a distance, the Orc King, unable to contain his fury, roared in anger, slammed his greatsword into the ground, causing the earth to explode.

Thus, the surprise attack on the enemy camp by the Al-Faz’s unit, coupled with the destruction of the tunnel entrance, concluded for the time being. Historians later recorded, “Without the surprise assault by the Al-Faz’s unit, the defense of Graysian would not have been possible.” As for the perplexing description of “a civil official breaking a mountain with fists,” future generations would debate its authenticity, questioning the historical value of such accounts.

As a further aside, upon hearing of Jez’s heroics, Princess René gleefully exclaimed, “Hey, show me that Mountain Breaker thing!” and dragged Jez into assisting with the construction of a new road project in the southern mountainous region, where manpower was lacking and the road remained unfinished.

“Mountain Breaker” is merely a metaphorical name, you know?”

“Huh? But you’re the one who actually broke a mountain with your fists, right? Just get on with it.”

—

Several hours after Jez and Jamil’s successful assault on the enemy camp and the destruction of the tunnel entrance, having eluded enemy pursuit, they each converged at a prearranged rendezvous point.

“Oh, here they come.”

“Jez! Glad to see Teo and the others are safe!”

Having reunited after several hours, the main Al-Faz’s unit and Jez’s separate squad exchanged high-fives, confirming each other’s safety and congratulating one another on their success.

“I guess we bought ourselves a few days, huh?”

“Yeah, with this, the princess should make it in time. …But seriously, I was startled when I saw the hill explode from afar.”

Having achieved their primary objective, Jamil breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn’t help but mention the peculiar sight they witnessed from a distance. The others in the Al-Faz’s unit who had accompanied him shared similar sentiments.

Upon hearing this, Teo, with a bewildered expression, remarked, “What was that about? Punching with both hands and causing an explosion with a single blow… Hmm? But if it’s with both hands, wouldn’t it be two blows?”

“Huh?”

After reporting this with a half-smile, Jamil, upon hearing Teo’s words, initially looked puzzled, then said, “…Normally, I’d ask for a serious answer, but it’s Jez, so…”

“Yeah, what’s up with that? Jez, care to explain?”

“Hmm? Oh, that? That’s Mountain Breaker.”

“That’s not what we meant.”

Exhausted by Jez’s usual response, Jamil and the others from the Al-Faz’s unit couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Although Jez’s explanation was far from satisfactory, Jamil shifted gears, thinking it was too early to relax.

“Jez, how do you see the Orc King? Can we take him?”

“Hmm… It was impossible in that situation. There were too many around him. Besides, I genuinely believe that individual is strong. I’d say he’s one of the stronger ones among the Kings. How about the Al-Faz’s unit?”

“Even with all of us together, it’d be tough. If it were just one-on-one, given enough time, it might be possible, but there are too many around the King.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We’d need to clear out the small fry around him first before ganging up on him.”

They aligned their understanding regarding the Orc King and decided to put its handling on hold while confirming their future plans. And once the unit caught its breath, Jamil spoke up:

“Everyone, you did an excellent job in the previous battle!!! Despite minimal casualties on our side, we achieved our strategic objectives. Moreover, we managed to significantly reduce the enemy’s numbers. Your achievements and valor will be duly conveyed to the princess by me. Now, I know you’re tired, but we need to move on from here. Let’s rest properly after we’ve completely shaken off the enemy.”

Under Jamil’s command, the Al-Faz’s unit resumed their operations.

—

Around the same time, at the headquarters of the 8th Graysian Legion. A report arrived at the desk of Finn Morgan, the legion’s commander.

“Report!!! A plume of dust has been sighted approximately 10 kilometers southeast of Graysian, with part of a hill collapsing!!! Just before that, there were reports of explosions and tremors!!!”

Upon hearing the report, Finn pondered for a moment before responding, “This doesn’t seem like a natural phenomenon, does it?”

“No, sir. According to the lookout reports, it appears to be a phenomenon artificially triggered. Furthermore, there were signs of what seemed like monster activity on the other side of the hill.”

Considering the report, Finn speculated whether the vanguard unit of the 7th Legion, which had disappeared, had initiated something.

“Inform the entire army. Be prepared to go outside the city at any time. Depending on the situation, we may need to welcome allied forces from outside.”

Thus, the defense and attack of Graysian transitioned to its third act, following the invasion of the monster army and the surprise attack by Jez and his companions.