Chapter 164 - Chapter Twelve: Priest Harrison
When we went to the Western Plains via Teleport, Wilson-san greeted us in a room of the Royal Army garrison building. He was wearing fur and looked like a hunter. Beside him was a woman, possibly a companion, also covered in fur from the head down, kneeling in wait. Perhaps she was the Secretary-sama?
"I'm glad you could come. Unfortunately, there's no banquet this time, but please overlook that."
The winter offensive had apparently already begun. This time, they launched the first wave of attacks before the snow fell to create forward positions. It seems they'll launch the second wave after the new year.
"Everyone seems busy."
I heard that Victor-sama is at the front, and the King and Queen are busy hosting guests with Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, and other dignitaries ahead of the New Year holidays.
"But you really volunteered for the advance party. You could have come with the main force, you know."
"It's all about experience, experience. It's my first time in the Western Plains, too."
Even if she says it's her first time, it's the middle of the night. Although the moon is out, it's pitch black all around and nothing can be seen; I wonder if it counts as having come, in Beatrix's mind.
"Did you develop those clothes recently?"
He was chuckling. He seemed to like them.
"Yes. We made them from boar fur. They're for the winter mountains."
"They seem to have heads attached, but aren't they heavy?"
"This is just a decoration. It's not real."
I spun around to show him. We attached a decoration shaped like a boar's head to the boar fur and used it as a hood. If you pull it over your head, your face is visible from the boar's throat. It has arms and legs so you can wear it completely. The lining is wool, so it's not cold even outside. If you go on all fours, you can even pretend to be a boar. The boar fur from the many boars Angelica-san had defeated was being stored at the Mountain Bounty Pavilion.
"It even has a tail."
"It's real. Isn't it cute?"
The tail was adjusted in length according to the height of the wearer. That's because it doesn't drag and looks better.
For our participation in this operation, the Class of 175 worked together to make them. We even had Flora and Fiona help. Fortunately, we were able to make enough for six people from two boars. There were enough tails for six.
There was an opinion to do it with foxes, but fox fur is expensive. Since it was a waste, we settled for cheap boar.
"Do you have one more of those furs?"
The woman at Wilson-san's feet asked.
"I'm sorry. We only made enough for six people."
"That's a shame. I certainly would have liked to participate wearing that fur."
When she stood up, it was Eleanor-sama.
Um, weren't you hosting guests in the capital?
"The one in the capital is a double."
Apparently, there's magic to change one's appearance. But wouldn't she be found out by her habits or gestures?
"It's fine. The double is someone who knows me very well. Besides, the King and Queen are the center of the conversation, and the former Queen hardly speaks."
"What about the dinner party..."
"Since we're in the middle of an operation against the Demon Lord's army, it's a simple affair. Besides, we of the previous generation have hardly attended since the current generation took over. You weren't there for the decoration ceremony either, were you?"
That's true. The first time I met her wasn't at a dinner party, but in front of a bonfire in the garden.
"Is Henry-sama here too?"
"Henry is at the Royal Palace. There's no one who can be his double."
When Beatrix asked, she laughed, saying he looked quite frustrated.
Is this really okay?
"Then, the bowl is also the high-speed version, right?"
"That's right. That's why I'm here."
The meeting point with the scouts is apparently somewhat far from the target fortress. From there, we'll attack all at once. It's obvious that it's harder to be tracked that way.
"And Jeanne. Let me return this to you."
It was the Black Stone. It was fitted into a ring and had a wide, woven thin silver chain attached like a neck guard. Gold was pasted on the flat side. It seemed it was to be worn on the arm.
"This stone has the effect of amplifying basic magic. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much meaning for mid-level magic or higher. That's because the amount of amplification is only about that much. But since it allows you to produce the same power as mid-level magic with basic magic, it might be just right for you now."
Basic magic and mid-level magic are on different levels of power, but mid-level and high-level magic are so different that the orders of magnitude are different.
"For example, if basic magic is one, mid-level magic is ten, and high-level magic is a hundred. If you add nine to one, it becomes ten, but if you add nine to ten, it's still far from a hundred. Please think of it as that kind of thing."
"Is there no danger in using it?"
"It should be fine. But when using it normally, just in case, keep the side with the gold pasted on it against your skin. That way, the stone's effect won't trigger. If you flip it over and put the stone side against your skin, you too can use mid-level magic."
Apparently, it's a legendary ancient technology. That old man... I mean, King Griffith really gave me something amazing. I'll have to go visit his grave next time.
"Does that mean it would be effective even if we used it?"
Beatrix stuck her nose in. If anyone can use it, land reclamation will become easy.
"Yes. Of course. Lyudmila's Hurl Stone and Water will also increase in effect, so picking stones in the fields and watering them will go much faster."
"Really?"
She was squealing with joy.
"I heard you received the stone from an ancient king named Griffith. I heard it from Jennifer. You received something good."
I had assumed she heard it from the Headmistress, but that wasn't the case.
"Y-Yes. It seems she had some business in the capital and brought it from Catherine."
Come to think of it, Jennifer-sensei said she had a promise to spend the New Year in the capital and was mostly away. During my time at the orphanage, I didn't mind much because there were food and sweets brought by Adolf-san. She must be at her family home or the church, but I'll make sure to thank her next time I see her.
Marcelo-san moved from the capital via Teleport. It was because he had finished drawing the magic circle in the capital.
"Well then, the advance party is departing."
Eleanor-sama, who had gone somewhere saying she had business, returned, and it was finally time to depart.
Those departing from the Kingdom Army garrison were the Marcelo Company, Eleanor-sama, and Wilson-san. Since there were two super-high-level mages, high-speed travel became possible.
The bowl made of black smoke was made large enough for about ten people to ride. Boards were laid on the floor, and many stakes were driven in. We're supposed to hold on, I guess. I have a bad feeling about this.
At this size, it seems Camouflage can be used, so once everyone climbed in, Wilson-san applied Camouflage. Tonight is close to a full moon. We must make sure there are no witnesses.
"You adjusted it, right?"
"I haven't done it with ten people. Squat down so you don't fall."
Um. Being small means the thickness can be increased by that much. That means the speed can also be increased...
Just as I thought we had risen slowly, the time came.
"Now then, I am activating the top-secret mission. Boars, are you ready?"
Since everyone was on all fours, from the side it must look like boars are being transported. The boars, their eyes sparkling with expectation, replied energetically. Here, Beatrix and I are in the minority.
"Here we go. Brace yourselves! Hold on tight to the stakes!"
With Wilson-san's command, we accelerated forward all at once.
I put my weight on the foot I had placed against the back stake and desperately gripped the front stake. Everyone around me was squealing with joy, but I was screaming. I could feel the tears coming. I'm glad I relieved myself beforehand. As I held on with both feet against the stakes and gripped with my hands so as not to slide backward, by the time tears were streaming down my cheeks, we finally transitioned to stable flight.
Good grief. Wilson-san handed me a canteen with wine, so we all took turns drinking.
Flora had temporarily returned to the main body.
"If we did it with a smaller one, would it be even faster?"
Lyudmila, looking satisfied after getting a sufficient sense of acceleration, asked. I wanted to say how she could be so calm, but only two out of the ten people were crying.
"If we increase the speed too much, the vibration becomes intense. I don't know the reason, but the ride isn't good and it's dangerous, so it's impossible."
Apparently, it's already been tested. It seems they're flying conservatively even so, but even then, they apparently fly the distance of fifteen post stations in one hour. In one hour, they'd fly from one end of Nakanohara to the other.
"How long will it take to arrive?"
Beatrix, who had regained her composure after drinking the fine wine, finally spoke.
"We'll take one break in the mountains of Regnentes. From there, we'll go to the meeting point, but I expect it to take about four hours in total. We should be able to arrive by dawn."
Primordia is a country neighboring Regnentes. It doesn't share a border with Sertoria. We're illegally entering two countries, but Eleanor-sama doesn't seem to mind.
"If we're found midway, the operation itself will be canceled. Refrain from acting on your own. When you need to relieve yourself, let us know. Depending on the situation, you may have to do it right there, so be prepared for that."
That's truly embarrassing. To relieve myself, I'd have to take off the boar, but underneath is my undergarment. The hem is short. I shouldn't have taken off my work clothes just because it was a bit hot. During the break, we'll all have to go at once. Beatrix, if you drink that much, it'll be hard later.
Since I was told to hold on, I was on all fours facing away from the acceleration and gripping the stakes when a heavy weight pressed on my feet, and we apparently stopped. We descended slowly. Before I knew it, we had crossed the border and arrived at the break point in Regnentes.
The area was covered in snow. In the moonlight, the snow looked like it was glowing faintly white. As we descended into the forest, a snow-covered mountain hut came into view. A bonfire was burning in front of the hut. If it hadn't been lit, the operation would have been canceled.
When I was shown the map, we seemed to be in southern Regnentes. Regnentes shares its eastern border with the Western Plains, but its southern part extends narrowly to the south of the Western Plains and touches the forest area of southern Nakanohara at its eastern end. The south is the border area with Engrio, but it's a low mountain range, and during the war, Engrio's army apparently attacked by crossing the mountain pass there.
Where we are now is a mountain hut north of such a pass, and it seems to be an observation post established after discussions between both countries to infiltrate scouts into Engrio. In other words, the area around this mountain hut is under Sertoria's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Of course, there are similar mountain huts in southern Sertoria, and by establishing mountain huts in Regnentes, it seems the scouts exchange information with each other. Usually, hunters who use such mountain huts as a base go in and out, but their true identity is that of scouts. It seems scouts directly under the Kingdom Army, like Morgan-san, or Jaeger units are dispatched.
"We've arrived. It seems the welcoming party has come too."
Looking out, three people came out of the mountain hut. They must be the scouts who had infiltrated. They were all wearing fur and looked like bandits.
"Eleanor-sama, Wilson-dono, it's good that you're safe."
"Thank you for coming to meet us. Have you been noticed?"
"There are no problems so far. Please come inside and rest. By the way, what are these boars?"
"They're the monster exterminators I mentioned. Quite elaborate, aren't they?"
To the person meeting us whose eyes were wide with surprise, I said "Good evening" and followed Eleanor-sama with a composed look. The impact was outstanding.
As we entered the mountain hut, there was a bear.
"Wh-What are you guys doing in those outfits?"
The bear spoke human words as it turned around.
"That's our line, Harrison."
A human face was peeking out from a hole at the neck. It was carefully painted the same color as the bear's fur. He probably intended to surprise us by raising both hands, but he seemed surprised by our appearance first.
"What are you doing at your age? Your pranks have gone too far."
She's forgotten that she herself wanted to wear a boar. No, seeing her clenched fists trembling, she might just be frustrated that she's the only one who can't wear one.
"We're the Marcelo Company. Nice to meet you."
When Beatrix took off her head and greeted him, he came over saying, "Not bad."
"It's well made. Oh, it even has a tail."
He broke into a smile and observed us. It seems he thought of us as kindred spirits.
"Bishop Harrison. It's been a long time."
"Oh! Marcelo. I was looking forward to meeting you. Is Angelica-dono well?"
When he took off the bear's head, a bald head emerged. He seemed to be an acquaintance of Marcelo-san.
"Harrison-san is a priest who can use super-high-level magic and is a monster exterminator. He's your great senior."
He was apparently a colleague from when Marcelo-san was a priest. They apparently did ghost extermination together. Now he's a stray and takes on monster extermination. Of course, he doesn't do rat extermination. It seems he mainly does evil spirit extermination. The money he earns is apparently used for poor people under the name of alms.
"Oh, Fiona. It's alright. This person only exterminates ill-natured, so-called evil spirits, so he's harmless to a good spirit like you."
Hearing that he was a ghost-exterminating priest, Fiona was frightened.
"Sir. Are you called Fiona? I look forward to working with you."
His bearded face, painted dark brown, gave a smirk. He probably intended it as a friendly gesture, but it was actually scary. After all, it was an outfit unbecoming of a priest. He looked to be in his late thirties, but with his eyes and premature baldness, he had quite a presence.
"You're doing monster extermination? What? A stray priest? Not bad. Then we are kindred spirits!"
He was slapping my back with his huge hands. I accidentally choked and coughed.
"Harrison. Thank you for coming all this way. It helps to have you here."
They immediately toasted with beer.
"I'll go anywhere as long as I get paid. But with Eleanor-sama herself coming, has your blood started boiling again?"
"What are you saying? Such an interest... no, such a national crisis. How can the Royal Family not come out?"
"Is Henry-sama staying behind? He must be quite frustrated."
"He usually does as he pleases. It's good medicine for him."
"Wahahaha! This is good!"
I wonder who they're talking about. If the King were here, it might be better to cover his ears.
"Harrison. Let me introduce you. These boars are from the Nakanohara Orphanage."
"Hoho, as expected of Catherine-sama's students. To aspire to monster extermination, they have a promising future."
Although our outfits were both 'something,' we exchanged initial greetings.
"Harrison is, as Marcelo mentioned earlier, a monster exterminator and a priest unaffiliated with the church who uses super-high-level magic. He's from Regnentes, but he wanted to apprentice under Catherine and was once affiliated with the Nakanohara Church. Now he's a stray and travels between various countries, mainly doing evil spirit extermination."
That's amazing. Just the guts to try to apprentice under the Headmistress is amazing.
"Don't say that. I persisted for five years, but I was brilliantly refused. Instead, in the back garden of the church, I was taught how to release magic from my mouth and staff techniques."
After being taught, he was told to gain practical experience and became a stray. Isn't that already the same as being a disciple...
"What, you can release magic from your mouth? I've been taught as well, but I haven't been taught how to release magic from my mouth yet. Right now, I'm doing my best just to release it from my feet."
Paul-san bit. It seems he still can't release magic from his mouth. I think it's better to be more human like that.
"I can. I'd like to show you, but since it's directly from Catherine-sama, it's not so easy..."
He was shaking his head with a smirk.
"Priest. Come, come, have a drink."
He was being given drinks to try and get the secret out of him, but he was dodging it evasively. In the meantime, the topic changed.
"By the way, what is the movement of the Demon Lord's army?"
"We're in the middle of a winter offensive, but it won't be a breakthrough by spring. Probably, we'll launch a summer offensive to keep them from increasing, then go through another winter offensive, and the spring of the year after next..."
"Hmm. Then I shall continue my training for a while longer. Please tell Roberts-sama that I will come running whenever there is news."
"I look forward to it. By the way, Roberts has improved his skills again."
"It must be because he took a good wife. If it's a silver spear, it's not that heavy. If it's a skilled woman, she's faster than a man because she excels in flexibility. She's perfect as a practice partner."
"Truly."
This person intends to go defeat the Demon Lord. Including Gladys-sama, that makes four. He seems like a sufficient mood maker, but he might be recommended by Eleanor-sama.