Chapter 166 - Chapter 14: Reconnaissance Mission
I woke up at noon, had a meal, and then went back to lounging around.
An 'eat-and-sleep' lifestyle isn't exactly healthy, but this too is part of the mission; it can't be helped.
I decided to fulfill my duty to the fullest. Since the only light came from candles, it was dim. As I lay down and closed my eyes, I drifted off to sleep before I knew it.
The three members of the Jaeger unit seemed to be heading out occasionally. Every time they returned, they reported to Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san.
In front of the fireplace, the exorcist disguised as a bear and the ghost disguised as a boar were deep in a culinary discussion while boiling and roasting bear meat.
Paul-san was talking about something with Marcelo-san while looking at a map.
It seemed the main force of the Jaegers for the fortress assault would arrive after the reconnaissance of the fortress was complete. Until then, they wouldn't even draw the magic circles.
"It is about time. I will explain tonight's operation."
Eleanor-sama, who had been sitting still, stood up.
We all gathered at the table at once.
"This is the blueprint of the fortress that the scouts obtained."
She spread out a single diagram.
How on earth did they get this? Isn't this a military secret?
"The reconnaissance objectives are to confirm the infiltration and extraction routes for the main force, the enemy's alert status, and the presence of Teleportation via magic detection. I want you to verify these."
I see. This is crucial to the success or failure of the operation.
"Is infiltration into the fortress interior not required?"
That was Marcelo-san. As expected of a Teleport user.
"Just like a pitfall trap, if we apply [Magic Reflection] to those under [Camouflage], they shouldn't be caught by the enemy's magic detection. Unlike [Magic Barrier], [Magic Reflection] allows the person it's cast upon to still attack with Holy magic. If we use Teleport, infiltration and extraction would be easy, but..."
"It's dangerous. Are you sure?"
"I believe it will be fine."
She was smiling.
"In the unlikely event that you are detected by the enemy, retreat immediately and the operation will be aborted. Please proceed with caution with that in mind."
"Thank you for your permission."
Now that the internal infiltration was decided, Fiona raised her hand.
"Um, if you are going near the fortress in the bowls, shall I participate as well? I can pass through walls, and I'm fine as long as it isn't Holy magic. If there are ghosts in the fortress, I might be able to hear what they have to say."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. You have all been taking such good care of me, so please give me a chance to be of use. If it's me, even if I'm discovered, my true identity won't be known."
"I understand. I shall permit it. However, there is a condition. Do not be reckless, and make sure to return. I will not allow a selfish ascension. (T/N: 'Ascension' refers to a ghost passing on to the afterlife.)"
"Yes. Thank you very much. Jeanne, I'm counting on you."
"Eh? Ah, right. I have to go too, don't I?"
"Let's go together!"
The bear slapped my shoulder repeatedly.
Hey, that actually hurts a bit.
"How many bowls are going out?"
When Beatrix asked, the answer came back as three.
"Beatrix, Bonnie, and Flora will go with the Jaeger unit. This group will scout a different location, not the fortress. You will hear what you are to do during the journey. I will inform the others once the operation is over. Do not speak of this to anyone else."
Dividing into three groups... and the Jaegers are going somewhere else?
"How will the other groups be structured?"
When Priest Harrison asked, Wilson-san provided the explanation.
"If Fiona is participating with Jeanne, they will be in Eleanor-sama's group. You'll be going with me as well. I would like Priest Harrison to accompany us too. The other group will be in Paul-dono's bowl. That will be Marcelo-dono, Lyudmila, and those three. We will approach from the east, and I want Paul-dono to circle around and approach from the south. Each group does not need to maintain contact. Do not remain in the airspace above the operation area for more than half an hour. If it's no good tonight, we will continue tomorrow and the day after, so do not push yourselves."
If it's an hour's journey one way, staying in the air for more than an hour would cause the effects of [Camouflage] and [Magic Reflection] to wear off midway. It should be fine even if they wear off during the return trip.
Just in case, Wilson-san took out scrolls of [Camouflage] and [Magic Reflection] and handed one of each to me and Beatrix.
The scrolls we're using this time are basically provided by the state. Unlike the usual cheap ones, these are properly waterproofed, so they should be fine even if it snows.
"Then, we depart. If you get lost on the way back, you must return on your own. Memorize the terrain around here well so you don't lose your way."
Normally, that would be impossible, but veterans have been assigned to each group. I decided to leave it to them.
Before departure, we cast [Camouflage] and [Magic Reflection] on each group. This is to deceive the enemy's eyes and repel magic detection. Since the Jaegers found it, we have to make effective use of it.
A Revenant with powerful magic defense like Robinson-san might be one thing, but since Fiona is a ghost, the Holy magic of [Magic Reflection] might be harmful. It was decided that she would take off her ring and enter the crystal.
The boar had already been taken off. Since she doesn't feel the cold, she would be fine even in light clothing, but it would look too out of place, so she's wearing a white coat.
"Hmm? Did she vanish? Her level is high."
The Jaegers were impressed.
Beside them, Priest Harrison was smirking. He could probably see her.
"I shall give this to you. Please accept it."
Eleanor-sama took off one of her gold rings and handed it to Fiona.
"Um, this is..."
"The stone has a powerful magic defense effect. Even with Holy magic, if the caster is intermediate level or below, it can mostly be blocked, so it can prevent surprise attacks. However, if the opponent is advanced level or higher, you will receive some form of damage, so if you encounter a high-ranking priest, use your wall-passing ability to withdraw immediately."
"Th-thank you very much."
This is a godsend.
It means she won't take damage from my [Light] or [Clean Up].
When I tried shining my [Light] as a test, she said it wasn't blinding as long as she didn't look directly at the light.
Even so, a gold ring as a magic tool is rare. Usually, they are silver or white gold.
Knowing Eleanor-sama, she might have specially refitted a gold ring just because she heard Fiona was participating.
"Be careful," Eleanor-sama said as she pulled Fiona close; Fiona's face turned red as her head was patted.
"Thank you very much."
She could barely manage to say her thanks repeatedly.
The journey was over in the blink of an eye. After all, it was ultra-high speed. It started with acceleration and ended with deceleration.
Perhaps because Eleanor-sama had held her hand over the forehead of the crouching Priest Harrison, he managed to avoid any 'accidents.' Humans can do it if they try.
"The fortress you see ahead is our objective. Fiona, are you ready?"
"Yes."
Fiona's expression, which had been flushed just a moment ago, changed.
When she enters her full-fledged ghost mode with a blank expression, she looks quite cold, precisely because she's a beauty.
"The main gate is in front. The road stretching to the main gate is the highway. That fortress is built straddling both sides of the mountain pass on the highway connecting Engrio and Primordia. There is a residential area for the commanding general on the northern slope, but we don't know exactly where they are. I will bring the bowl close to the castle walls, so please search inside the buildings. Inside are Gargoyles and likely Revenant casters. If there are human soldiers, return immediately."
"Understood."
As the bowl approached the castle wall, Fiona said, "I'm off," and floated upwards along the wall. Seeing her vanish midway, it seemed she had passed through the wall.
"She hath quite the courage, doth she not?"
"She was a ghost in a fortress for many years, after all. Unless there's a high-ranking priest like Harrison, she won't be easily defeated."
"Thou hast found a good ally. If only all were such good spirits, this humble priest's work would surely vanish."
"She's not my ally. She's Jeanne's friend."
"A friend, you say... I see, then even this humble priest is no match for her."
I don't really get it. If she's an ally, he's a match, but if she's a friend, he's not? The things veteran priests say are often just too difficult. If I ask, I'll probably just be told the usual 'you'll understand eventually.'
It might be better to stop thinking deeply about it.
Fiona returned in about half an hour.
"Fiona, good work."
"Thank you."
She flew toward me, so I gave her a hug.
When she turned and nodded toward Eleanor-sama, Wilson-san made the bowl ascend rapidly.
Then, with Eleanor-sama's support, we transitioned to ultra-high speed.
"Gueee!"
The bear, caught off guard, lost his balance and fell on top of me.
I thought all my internal organs were going to come out.
Then came the sudden deceleration, so as a bit of revenge, I lunged at him, and it seems my knee went right into his solar plexus.
"Geho..."
A burp with an intense smell came out, hitting me right in the face.
This bear has eaten way too much garlic...
"What are the boar and the bear playing at?"
At times like this, I really envy Revenants and ghosts.
Even Eleanor-sama is pressing a handkerchief to her nose...
It seems Fiona was able to encounter a ghost inside the fortress. Moreover, it was the commanding general from when the fortress was fallen, and he seems to deeply regret that it was overrun by monsters.
"According to him, there are no human soldiers. Guarding the fortress are fifty Gargoyles and three hundred Revenants who were former castle soldiers. There are five casters: three in the north and two in the south. The southern casters are said to be on the top floor. The northern casters were quite deep inside, past the spiral staircase leading to the basement. All three are said to be Revenants. The layout is Gargoyles on the ground level and Revenants in the basement. The Revenants' equipment consists of chainmail and steel helmets. Their weapons are swords since they are in the basement, but the armory also had axes, spears, and bows. I was guided through the northern fortress, so I saw everything with my own eyes. There are no users of Holy magic. There is a [Teleportation Circle] in the basement for sending letters, but he doesn't know where it connects to."
It seems the ghost she befriended will provide guidance for the assault.
"Perfect. Such reconnaissance information is not easily obtained."
Eleanor-sama's eyes widened.
"Fiona, you're amazing. How about it, won't you work under me?"
Wilson-san! This isn't the Jaeger unit; headhunting is strictly forbidden!
Even so, there are even armed Revenants.
I think they'll be quite tough, but Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san remain composed. They must have expected this.
About two hours later, Paul-san's group returned.
Since they approached by circling to the south, they had infiltrated the fortress on the south side of the pass.
As a result, what they found was that there were only Gargoyles on the south side, and the casters were apparently inside the southern fortress buildings as sentries. They are likely Revenants, preparing for an enemy assault. According to the magic detection results, there is no [Teleportation Circle].
Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san discussed, and the formulation of the operation and the start of action from midnight the following day were decided.
Marcelo-san immediately began creating the magic circle. This was to summon the later-arriving Robinson-san and the others, as well as the Jaeger unit.
"Um, the other group..."
Beatrix's group hasn't returned yet.
"The other group probably won't be back until morning. Jeanne and the others should go rest."
"Until morning?"
What on earth are they doing? Even when I asked Eleanor-sama, she just went 'Fufu' and laughed.
It seems Paul-san doesn't know either.
"Don't worry. She's the strategist known as 'Eleanor of Tactics,' the finest on this island. Things won't turn out badly."
Priest Harrison told me secretly.
Eleanor of Tactics... Come to think of it, Eleanor-sama was the one explaining the operation during the goblin incident too.
"Um, by the way, what is Henry-sama's epithet?"
"Henry-sama? Henry-sama is just Henry-sama. What would it be? 'Henry of the Spear'...? No, I've never heard one."
I see. That might be impressive in its own way.
Just as Eleanor-sama said, Beatrix, Bonnie, and Flora returned near dawn. All three were exhausted.
"I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep."
"Good night~"
The two of them crawled into their beds, and Flora turned into a tight flower bud.
What in the world were they doing?
In the evening, Angelica-san, Robinson-san, and the goblin scout team packed in barrels arrived.
At midnight, the Paratroop Jaegers arrived one after another. Since they couldn't all fit in the underground hideout, the soldiers who came in groups of five headed up to the surface in order.
"Yo, Jeanne, it's been a while."
The three who formed the quartet came over.
They even complimented my boar kigurumi.
"It's been a long time. You were selected, then?"
"Well, yeah. All three of us can use intermediate magic, after all. It seems bows and arrows are forbidden for this mission. Among those selected, it seems they focused on magic soldiers."
"Bows and arrows are forbidden?"
Apparently, it's to avoid leaving traces at the fortress.
"Instead, we have these."
He tapped the sword he was carrying. It's likely a silver sword.
Close combat against armed Revenants, huh? I wonder if they'll be okay.
"When it comes to Revenants, it's all about Jeanne. After all, you defeated a dragon and even made an ally of a ghost. We're counting on you, Spirit Medium Priest Knight-dono."
When did that spread to Higashinohara?!
"Yo, Jeanne. Have you been well? Today you're imitating a boar, huh. Make sure to teach me how to make that later."
The adjutant from Nakanohara came. I'm sure he's the one spreading it around.
After that, for some reason, every soldier who came kept visiting me.
Eventually, the Nakanohara adjutant started acting as a guide.
"You're Jeanne the Spirit Medium Priest Knight, right? I came from Western Plains. Nice to meet you."
"I'm from the Central Army Magic Corps."
"I'm from the Uminohara Jaeger unit."
It was non-stop. What on earth is going on?
In the end, everyone came to greet me.
Everyone liked the boar outfit. As expected of bandits... I mean, Jaegers. At least that part was good.
"Thou art doing quite well, Spirit Medium Priest Knight-dono."
Oh no, even the foreigner Priest Harrison has started calling me that.
"I'm sure everyone is just teasing. Besides, I'm just an ordinary priest."
If I don't stop it with Priest Harrison, it'll be a disaster if it spreads to Regnentes. I'll eventually get scolded by the Church.
"Jeanne. Come outside for a moment."
While I was desperately explaining, Wilson-san called for me.
"What is it?"
When I went up, the Paratroop Jaegers were lined up.
"These men say they want to be illuminated by your light magic. Please, shine your [Light] on them."
Huh? What are you talking about?
"Jeanne. Sorry. A rumor has spread among the Jaegers that those bathed in your [Light] will survive. Just think of it as a good luck charm and do it."
It's the Nakanohara adjutant...
There's no doubt he's the culprit...
In the end, I chanted it with all my might toward everyone.
After all, it's before a night battle. It would be bad if their vision got messed up, so I told everyone to look down, had Paul-san fly the [Firefly] high, and illuminated them from above.
Everyone is delighted.
I don't understand the meaning of this at all.
"Jeanne the Spirit Medium Priest Knight-dono. This lonely spot of mine, I too wish to make it a bit more lively. I humbly ask for your favor."
Priest Harrison thrust his bald head forward.
As if shining [Light] on it will make hair grow!