The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

30 - Beneath The Ashes - Part 2

"Captain, do we have any with the protection of faeries?"

I peer down at Lily who is watching me with fire in her eyes.

"Al! Tony! Whisker!" Instead of asking I call them. They may have enough for one or two spells but that is it.

The three of them approach as we step out of the room filled with explosives.

"Yes Captain?!"

Their eyes veer to Lily with awkward fascination. They can't help it.

"How much mana do you have left?"

Their interested glances turn grim at her question. They take a moment to confirm the obvious... but don't answer as promptly as I expected.

"Mmm for a few spells I think," Al, one of the two wind mages declare while looking to Tony. The buff and heavily armored Tony nods.

"Same for me."

Whiskers is crossing his arms with a difficult expression.

"It's probably because you don't share an element with Celeste-sama. Unlike you two I'm fully charged! Actually overcharged!"

Whiskers, I cannot tell if you are bragging or not. He has a self proclaimed cat personality... perhaps it's that, mixing with the excess mana, which is causing him to be in an elated mood. He's likely high on mana.

But how did this happen?

"Good, then we will be fine. We will meet them on the fields between the forest and the city to the south. We have at most an hour until they attack," she declares with a stunning confidence. I need to slow her down and confirm her strategy to prevent mistakes that will get everyone killed.

"What makes you think they will appear from the south? And with a force four times larger than ours, shouldn't we let them enter the city to split them up?" I try to point out the uncertain parts of her plan gently.

"If it was a regular attack we would take it in the city, but this is a sneak attack made with city combat in mind. A hundred men is not enough to capture a castle, they are here to capture the guard headquarters and murder everyone, betting that we let out guard down after winning or losing against the bandits."

Her lips turn into a mocking wry smile.
"The bastards are expecting to stroll into the city without a fight. They're dull from marching and with it being past noon they're waning. A charge right at their unprepared front while they're sluggish and mentally unprepared. As they are right now, they aren't ready to receive an attack, only to attack." Her smile turns to a cruel grin. Then faded.

"I count on you guys to put up a magical defense."

She then looked to me with eyes prepared to face death.

"Gather everyone that can still fight. If we don't fend off this enemy, then no wives, sons or daughters will survive the upcoming siege. The lives of their precious ones lies in their hands."

She said those words with the maturity of a general. She was giving them time to make the decision to do or die, though there was no return.

"As you wish, Celeste-sama."

I rounded up the men and broke the news to the young men. They went pallid and looked to me for their courage, and then to the Lady.

She told them to get a last meal and some water before the battle and rest up as much as possible. We were to gather at the southernmost buildings of the city and cover in the buildings until the enemy arrived.

In that one hour many men cried. Many went to say goodbye to their evacuating families as well... the small skirmish had turned to what would become a war... we had never faced anything other than undisciplined bandits, so I was worried about the result... but her plan seemed thought through...