Chapter 143 - Chapter 16: The Goblin Escape Operation (Part 2)
The destination is the ridge in front of the valley where the Orc pack has made its lair.
The valley where the Orcs hang out is on the north side of the mountain so that the sun doesn't shine in during the day. In other words, we'll be going to the side far from the fortress.
We'll land there and build a makeshift position.
The five magic soldiers are mid-level mages of wind and earth. Cutting down trees, digging trenches, and making earthworks should be easy for them. Plus, Eleanor-sama is here.
A smoke signal is rising at the foot of the ridge.
The Goblin scout team has been relaying the message with smoke signals from ridge to ridge, divided into three locations. The destination is the third location, which is the side opposite the ridge closest to the enemy.
The scout team should be raising the first smoke signal on the ridge before crossing the mountain from the valley where the pack is, so as not to be noticed by the Orc sentries.
"I can see the smoke signal."
"There are Orcs."
"Sentries, huh? For now, shall we finish them off?"
Once they raise the smoke signal, the scout team is supposed to flee. If anyone is wandering around, it's probably just Orcs who came to see what's going on.
I thought Wilson-san's invisible support team would finish off the sentries, but a voice was heard from the air where no one should be, saying, "Look at the state of the Orcs." It must be Wilson-san.
When Eleanor-sama brought the bowl closer, five Orcs were rolling around laughing. Beside them, next to the bonfire that raised the smoke signal, there was another bonfire with some kind of pot over it.
"What is that?"
Henry-sama is tilting his head, but it's only natural.
The Jaegers who know the circumstances are all giggling.
"Ah, Henry-sama. That is likely a trap set for the Orcs by the Goblins who went out on scout duty."
"A trap?"
"It's a poisonous mushroom hot pot."
"Poisonous mushrooms?"
When I explained it like this, Henry-sama also started laughing.
"The Goblins have done something quite clever. This has increased the success rate of the surprise attack."
Just in case, the Orcs were easily shot dead, but everyone was praising the Goblins one after another.
"A good start. Everyone. The real thing starts from here. Be on your guard."
"Yeah!"
Morale is high. We can't lose to the Goblin scout team.
The target ridge was found. Switching to low-altitude flight so as not to be found by the Orcs, we approach the middle of the ridge from the side of the ridge that would be a blind spot.
First, the magic soldiers descended by rope and began securing a place to lower the bowl by cutting down timber.
Once about ten trees were cut down, the bowl itself descended, and everyone jumped off at once and scrambled up the ridge.
The bowl was then dispelled, and the construction of the position, including Eleanor-sama, began.
Eleanor-sama is cutting down the growing trees one after another with wind magic.
The magic she's using is the basic spell [Wind Cutter], but its power is incredible. Every time she releases the magic, four or five trees are cut down together, leaving only stumps, along with small shrubs and thickets.
She's doing that alternately with both hands. In an instant, about twenty trees were cut down.
First, they seem to be making the central part of the position.
When the Jaeger magic soldiers drop the branches of the cut trees with wind magic, Henry-sama swings his silver sword and turns them into logs about one-third the length. Thick or crooked trees are left rolling as they are.
Relatively straight, thin trees were carried by Jaegers and gathered in one place. The cut-off branches were also carried by several people and piled up on the north side.
Next, they began digging up the stumps along with the soil and sending them flying through the air to the north of the position with the momentum of the digging.
The north side is where the ridge continues to the summit. Since it's the rear, it should be safe unless the enemy circles around, but they're probably piling up the stumps with roots attached to serve as a fence.
Once a flat area of about twenty paces square was made, they began digging a trench on the outside of it. The dug-up soil is piled up in front as it is to make an earthwork.
Eleanor-sama is digging up soil with her right hand and making earthworks with her left. The earthworks she made are hardened and won't collapse easily. They weren't as much as the blocks I saw at the mountain in Medioland, but they were hardened to the point that it was hard to believe it was dug-up soil.
The depth of the trench is about up to a human's waist, but since she makes the hardened earthwork right next to it, it ends up being about the height where a head would peek out.
In contrast, if we stand inside the earthwork, we'll be hidden up to our chests.
The Jaegers began sharpening the ends of the logs from earlier and burying two of them in front of the earthwork, then tying the shields they had carried on their backs to them. By lining those up with gaps in between, the temporary breastwork was complete.
They must have been training daily. Everyone seems to know what to do. Under the commands of Henry-sama and Captain Lewis, the work progressed rapidly.
"Several Orcs approaching! Finishing them off!"
The Orcs seem to have noticed around here. The invisible aerial support team led by Wilson-san, watching from above, announces the approach of the reconnaissance party in a loud voice.
It became a race against time.
"The central part is done. Clinic head and Priest Jeanne, please come here."
A Jaeger magic soldier calls out. He had been digging a hole in the center of the position.
When the head, the staff member, and I carried the bags containing the scrolls, a field hospital made by digging a hole and lining up logs for a ceiling was finished.
The hole has an entrance only on the north side. Although I say entrance, it's just a slope, so you have to crawl to get in and out.
The size is such that if ten people lay down, it would already be full.
Thirty people are defending. If ten people are incapacitated due to injury even after using scrolls, this battle is likely a loss.
The height is such that your head touches if you stand, so you'll be moving around crouching. Your back might hurt, but you can't be picky. It might even be better to move by crawling. It's better than having stray arrows fly in.
I spread out a sheet and take the scrolls out of the bag.
I'll be spending time here treating the wounded until the withdrawal.
Looking up, I can see the sun through the gaps in the logs. It's bright because of that, but the soldiers who are laid down will find it dazzling.
I suggested to the head that we cover the ceiling with a spare sheet.
I crawl out of the hole, spread the sheet, and place stones in various places.
If the enemy attacks using bowls, we'll likely be targeted for concentrated attack, but it should be fine this time.
"The enemy is coming! Hurry the work!"
Henry-sama raises his voice.
Once the core of the position is finished, the trees used for concealment are cleared away all at once. When that happens, the enemy will likely attack all at once. In the meantime, the trees on the three sides of the ridge must be cleared away to expose the approaching enemy and make sniping easier.
With a thudding sound, the trees on the slope of the ridge are cleared away by Eleanor-sama's wind magic.
The concealment is cleared away.
"Orcs approaching from the front! Numbering about two hundred. They've entered long-range bow distance."
Reconnaissance information came in from the aerial team.
Entering long-range bow distance means they've reached the ridge.
"Twenty people, prepare bows! Deploy to the front! Fire long-range arrows!"
Following Lewis-san's command, twenty people line up in two horizontal rows and notch their arrows.
The aim is far up in the sky.
The Orcs are not visible at all.
"Will they hit?"
When I asked Henry-sama, he replied that they probably wouldn't.
"It doesn't matter if they don't hit. Hitting them is the aerial team's role."
Apparently, the ones fired from the position are a decoy. They intend to create a situation where it's not strange for arrows to fly from above, and have the aerial team aim from directly overhead.
"Ready! Draw! Fire!"
Lewis-san, standing right in front of the archers, draws his sword and gives instructions in a loud voice. The angle of the arrows being shot up seems to be matched to Lewis-san's sword.
It's the latest type of bow that the vigilantes were using in the exercise last year. I heard it flies twice as far as before.
"Correction! Slightly to the right!"
A correction instruction for the direction of the arrows being fired came from the aerial team.
Did they drift off to the left?
"Second volley. Ready! Draw! Fire!"
They fire the second volley.
"Direction good! Continue!"
It seems to be fine this time.
The twenty people fire arrows one after another. When I counted the number of arrows fired by one archer, he had fired ten. Two hundred arrows must have flown. In the meantime, the aerial team will sneak up and snipe.
"How are they deciding the direction?"
It's impressive that they can aim so well even though the target is invisible.
"It's probably the tree in front of them. Didn't they say slightly to the right? If they aimed to pass right over the tree in front of them with the first volley, they probably aimed slightly to the right with the second volley."
Apparently, when the distance to the opponent becomes long, bows sometimes fire arrows to the other side of hills or thickets. Of course, a single-shot hit is impossible. They fire in numbers to suppress an area.
In the meantime, Eleanor-sama is cutting down trees more and more.
Finally, the three sides of the position became bare.
Then, she winds up the cut-down trees with [Tornado Wind] and throws them into the forest on the other side of the slope. It will be quite a struggle for the Orcs to climb over them.
While they are advancing through the forest, they can't be targeted with arrows. The moment they climb over the fallen trees, we'll launch a concentrated attack.
"Four Ogres finished!"
A voice falls from above.
"What about the remaining Ogres?"
"Probably seven or eight!"
When Lewis-san called out to the sky, an answer came back. That means one-third have been defeated.
When the Ogres are defeated, the enemy's magic attacks and magic defense weaken by that much.
Henry-sama grins.
He drew his sword, held it high, and took a step forward.
"I have seen the skill of the Nakanohara Jaeger archers. Splendid!"
When he shouted toward the sky, a cheer went up from the archers.
"How about it? Our country's archers are reliable, aren't they?"
He looks proud.
I finally understand.
For this person, everything those around him do becomes a source of pride.
According to the aerial team, the Orc pack seems to be splitting into three directions to attack.
Finally, it has become a full-scale offensive and defensive battle.
Henry-sama and Captain Lewis are at the front of the position, and the adjutant and a veteran squad leader are standing at the east and west to command.
The commanders all carry spears.
The placement of the archers is seven people each for the front and both sides.
The magic soldiers who deploy magic defense are scattered in three directions and are preparing.
The rear is lightly guarded, but they've piled up dug-up tree roots and branches in the thicket on the other side of the trench and tied them with rope. They won't be able to cross it easily.
Since they lined up shields near the entrance of the field hospital, I decided to watch the battle from there.
Since it's the center of the position, I can see the whole thing. I'll know immediately if any wounded appear.
"Jeanne. Is this where you were? Get in the hole."
Eleanor-sama came back. The hem of her clothes is covered in mud.
"Yes. But I'll stay here until casualties appear. Eleanor-sama, you should rest too."
"Oh my, how brave. Well then, shall I have you help me a little?"
When I wondered what she was going to do, she told me to pick up stones. Apparently, about the size of a fist is fine. I was given several bags, and the two of us picked up stones while wandering around the position.
"Um, what are you going to do with these?"
"Throw them at the Orcs. If magic defense is deployed, the power of magic is halved. Therefore, we'll use magic to fly stones from a distance and defeat the Orcs with that power."
Wind created by magic has its power killed by magic defense. However, the power of a stone that has once started flying cannot be killed. That's likely what it means.
I feel like Eleanor-sama's high-level magic could easily break through the Orcs' magic defense, but apparently, it's not that simple.
"Tell your companions. Tell them to use the lowest level magic possible. A mage is powerless once their magic power is exhausted. You use the power of magic control to release many basic and mid-level spells. You use ultra-high or high-level magic for the first strike and the finishing blow against big targets."
Of course, she added that this is when the opponent can be defeated with basic or mid-level spells.
Come to think of it, Angelica-san only used mid-level magic once it became a chaotic battle.
"The other day, James-dono of Medioland apparently used [Prominence] against a pack of Orc Revenants, but that is a failure. You must not imitate him."
At that time, after using [Prominence], he was firing [Blizzard] in succession to lower the temperature inside the cave. Thanks to that, he ended up unable to use the ultra-high-level ice magic he should have been able to use against the dragon.
James-sama was apparently called out later and earnestly admonished. He might have even been made to do some kind of skit.
"The basic rule for a mage is to fight inconspicuously. Tell your companions that well."
I feel like there's no way of fighting more flashy than a magic battle, but apparently, that's not the case. I'll make sure to tell Beatrix well.
The aerial team reported that the Orcs in front are approaching.
Henry-sama and Lewis-san are giving instructions to the Jaegers.
When the Jaegers stood in front of the front earthwork, they notched their arrows.
It seems the shooting battle is about to begin.
"Deploy magic defense."
The magic soldiers deploy magic defense in front of the position. With this, the power of magic for both friend and foe is reduced to less than half. A basic fire spell from an Ogre would probably fizzle out halfway.
The position is surrounded by a double earthwork inside the barricade made of trees thrown into the thicket, but the outer earthwork has a gap large enough for five or six people to enter in a horizontal row.
Since the invading Orcs will likely enter from there, they'll probably launch a concentrated attack. Since it's made using the slope of the ridge, the thicket beyond the earthwork is clearly visible.
"Now then, this should be enough. Watch closely. I'll show you an inconspicuous way of fighting using magic."
Eleanor-sama shouldered a bag filled with stones and crouched at Henry-sama's feet.