Chapter 186 - Chapter Nine: Near the Regnentes Border ②
Since the first offensive, attacks have only occurred about once every three days, day or night. Even then, it was only about a dozen or so creatures.
The nights were basically quiet, with no word of any activity.
According to scout information, the Engrio army had broken through the border checkpoint of Regnentes, which had become unmanned, and was advancing toward the first major fortress. Paul-san's observation was that they were advancing very slowly, perhaps to let fear build up in the opponent and wait for them to defect.
At the current pace, they would reach the fortress in about a week, and there seemed to be no particular change.
"Where will Regnentes counterattack?"
While eating dinner back at the third-row hut, Beatrix asked Marcelo-san.
Today had been a wash.
We had to stay here until Engrio withdrew.
Every time Chururi and the others tilted their heads, we went to pick medicinal herbs, gathered acorns, or collected animals caught in traps to skin them and make smoked meat, so there was plenty to do, but I couldn't settle down.
"They've set up positions in the mountainous area west of the border checkpoint, so they likely intend to hold them there. If they're broken through there, it'll be a field battle in the basin. In that case, there's no chance of winning."
Marcelo-san said that in the previous war, as a result of the basin being invaded early in the opening stages, the entire basin was exposed to the fires of war, and terrible damage occurred. Those who didn't resist were spared, but many villagers who bravely resisted were killed and left out in the open. It was apparently a hell on earth, with crows pecking at corpses, wolves wandering around, and the stench of rot lingering.
In Sertoria, people are told not to resist once their village is surrounded. They are told to provide food and a place to rest for the enemy, create a good impression, and buy time for allies to arrive while surviving at the same time.
Now, since fortresses have been built near the villages, everyone can hole up there and wait for reinforcements, but at the time, there was apparently nothing.
"Was the basin occupied before?"
"It was occupied, and they also poured out of the basin. Afterward, with reinforcements from Medioland, they took back the basin. Since the north of the basin is the Western Plains, I heard that the unofficial Jaegers before their establishment and the Regnentes scout team jointly led the way, broke through the high-altitude mountainous border, and invaded."
While the main Regnentes army in the west drew the enemy's attention, several thousand people who invaded from the north apparently carried out a night raid on the enemy camp. The basin was safely liberated, and that served as a catalyst to not only push the Engrio army out of the border but also succeed in invading the plains of Engrio. Afterward, they suffered a great defeat and ended up facing each other at the border line in the forest.
"Is that basin wide?"
"It's not that wide, but there should be several villages. To the west of the basin is a pass, and Regnentes's second position is there. Due in part to the operational failure of the main Regnentes army, that was also broken through last time."
Paul-san, who was a scout at the time, apparently actually saw it. Many people were also killed in the villages inside the second position.
"Then, why don't the people in the basin just all flee to the second position?"
"It's not that simple. Free farmers aside, the majority of serfs are not allowed to leave the village where they live."
"Is that so?"
I was surprised. Apparently, they spend their whole lives knowing only that land.
"Hey. By any chance, are serfs not allowed to go deep into the forest either?"
"In other countries, the forest is the exclusive property of the lord. Aside from the immediate vicinity of the village, if a serf who is neither a hunter nor a woodcutter enters deep inside without permission, it would be a serious crime if they were found. But why do you ask that?"
"Eh... no, I just got curious for some reason."
"I see," Beatrix said, looking away.
"However, this is bad as it is."
"Yeah, it's no good."
Marcelo-san and Paul-san had solemn faces.
It felt like things were going smoothly, but what was bad?
"Is there a problem?"
When Beowulf asked, the reply was that Regnentes was in danger.
"We also bear the role of reducing the number of magic beasts heading toward Regnentes. However, if they don't come here, there's a possibility they've headed toward the Regnentes side."
He said the intervals were too long.
Certainly, in the beginning, it was incredible. We were able to repel them thanks to having plenty of holy water arrows and oil.
"We expected them to use this side as a feint while the main force headed toward Regnentes. However, we thought a certain number would come toward us. If they're not coming..."
Apparently, the first position might be being attacked by magic beasts right about now.
"Marcelo. Tomorrow, if there's no reaction from Chururi, I'm going to go a bit far and scout around the Regnentes position."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah. I'll only go to the Regnentes side, and I'll just watch from a distance. I'll be back by the time of the rotation."
Beatrix started to say something but stopped herself. After a slight pause, she only said, "Be careful."
The next day.
Just before the rotation, Paul-san and Bonnie returned.
Apparently, there were no particular problems.
There were so few problems that they had approached quite closely, but the area around the position was guarded by Regnentes soldiers and scouts, and there were no signs of battle having occurred.
"We went east along the single forest path, but Engrio's harbingers were marching normally!"
They went that far?
It's a wonder they weren't found.
"We used a scroll on the way. That combination of [Camouflage] and [Magic Reflection] is excellent."
Well, even Harrison-san, a super-high-level mage, couldn't see through it. It would be impossible for ordinary soldiers or scouts.
"Were there any ambushes along the highway?"
"No, there weren't any."
"Will they be able to win?"
"It's dangerous."
Marcelo-san and Paul-san crossed their arms.
"In that case, the only thing left is..."
"Yeah."
They were nodding to each other, but I didn't quite understand.
"What is it?"
When Beatrix asked, the answer was the basin.
"This time, it has a strong sense of being a practice run against Sertoria. There's no point in releasing a large number where Defense Commander Adolf is taking command and preparing to repel monsters. They have to be more restrained than the real thing. However, against Regnentes, it's the real thing. If magic beasts attack the basin behind them at the timing when Engrio reaches the position... if it's a number they can defend against, that's fine, but if not, they'll be overrun in one go."
"Can't something be done?"
"I've informed Defense Commander Adolf of what I saw today. Word will get through via the Royal Capital. However, there might be no moves to make. It might only go as far as the soldiers in the second position being on alert and advancing into the basin."
The troop strength of the positions seems to be about a thousand people, combining the first and second.
It's enough for monster extermination, but if the main Engrio force attacks, it won't go that easily.
"May I?"
Will raised her hand.
"Do Engrio and Regnentes seriously intend to fight? Could it be a setup?"
Will said that after fighting to some extent at the border position, Regnentes would sue for peace and pay reparations. The amount would apparently be the amount Engrio first demanded.
In other words, this war itself is a farce. The reason is the marching speed of Engrio. They're taking more than twice the number of days.
"My brother said so. That there's a way to avoid war like that. That way, they can save face before the nobility and the populace, and no objections will be raised."
"Does that mean the amount first demanded also includes the mobilization costs for this time?"
"I don't know. However, I've heard it's common to pay money to drive away enemy soldiers. That way, the side that made the demand also saves face."
"At the very least, it prevents damage from the war. If it's cheaper than the damage caused by war, it might be a good choice for a weak nation."
Marcelo-san agreed, but neither of them uncrossed their arms.
I see. Avoiding war by paying money, huh. It might be a good method. However, the bandits said Engrio just wants war no matter what...
Wait, hold on a second.
"Um, may I say something?"
"What is it? Did you think of something?"
The reason Engrio is invading Regnentes is that the path to Primordia was blocked.
"Is there a possibility that Engrio's goal isn't Regnentes, but Primordia?"
Everyone tilted their heads.
"The path to invade Primordia was destroyed by the Demon Lord, wasn't it?"
Beatrix said, but she herself was smirking.
Does that mean Beatrix and Bonnie are the Demon Lord?
No, no, that doesn't matter.
"Can't they invade by ship?"
"Engrio also has a powerful navy, but they can only carry two or three thousand at most by ship. If it's that many, couldn't even Primordia alone eliminate them?"
"No, I wonder. If it's a surprise attack. Primordia's standing army is probably around two thousand. If so, using the Regnentes invasion force as a distraction, three thousand could launch a sudden attack on the port where the Royal Capital is and occupy it. Scouts also can't follow ships once they've gone out to sea."
Paul-san tilted his head, but Marcelo-san was positive.
Since it's the season, food is all-you-can-plunder.
If they occupy the Royal Capital in one go and demand surrender, they might give in easily. In short, it's fine as long as the royalty isn't destroyed.
Afterward, following a continued exchange of opinions between Paul-san and Marcelo-san, it was decided to inform Adolf-san of both Will's plan and my plan.
However, this has made things complicated.
Having too many options is also a problem.
I can understand the King's worries.
"So, in the end, what should we do?"
Beatrix asked.
"It's the same as before. We just wait here and repel monsters if they come."
Wait? So in the end, whether we thought about it or not, it was the same?
"That's not it. It's important to consider all possibilities and envision the future. Of course, since we're not the Goddess, it's impossible to prepare for and respond to everything. But the speed of response when something happens changes between an expected event and an unexpected event."
"I see. Time is money, then."
Will summarized, and that conversation ended, but...
Will's and my predictions were to be betrayed in a bad way.
On the day we predicted the Engrio army would soon reach the vicinity of the position, when we took the carriage to the second row as usual, an emergency had occurred in the first row.
Apparently, a swarm of spiders had appeared.
The night watch remained to respond, and of course, the reserves from the second row had also gone to support.
Adolf-san told us to go immediately.
Apparently, this was the main event.
"Is there no one heading toward the second row?"
"I don't know. Since there's no point in making fences, the only way is to spray oil in the trenches, set them on fire, and attack with magic from inside."
Oil was being prepared outside the hut, so a wall of fire could be created at any time.
Adolf-san seemed to intend to hold them at the second row.
He told us to all withdraw if it was impossible.
The mountain huts in the first row were apparently completely surrounded.
The roofs were also occupied, and everyone was holed up in the huts, responding by attacking from the windows, according to the report.
This is serious. They might really be broken through.
"We're heading out in the Bowl. We'll attack with magic from above. Marcelo and Angelica, come with us. First, let's protect the mountain huts."
It was decided that the archer team would go ahead by [Teleport].
Mages would attack with magic from the sky. If it's no good, we withdraw.
It takes about half an hour one way, but it can't be helped. We'll have to have them hold out somehow.
"Hanna-san, Beowulf, Will, Bonnie, be careful."
"Yeah. We'll go ahead and wait for you."
Will was carrying the silver spear she borrowed from Katherine-sensei.
Will, being a pagan, can't use holy water arrowheads. Until now, she'd only used ordinary arrows, so the feedback had been somewhat lacking, apparently.
She was laughing lightheartedly, saying she'd finally be able to be active.
I sent the four of them off and got into the Bowl.
Mary was there too, so it was a five-person ride.
"We'll make it in time, right?"
Beatrix was clinging to Angelica-san's sleeve. Matilda was left behind. If she charged into the spiders, she'd almost certainly lose.
"It should be fine. The mountain huts are sturdy, so even spiders can't easily break them. They'd lose in an outdoor battle, but as long as they're hidden in a sturdy hut, they'll be safe for a while. There's also a basement. Since the magic circles are connected in the basement, escape is possible."
After having her head patted by Angelica-san and hearing Marcelo-san's words, she muttered, "I see."
I want them to escape without overdoing it.
If they die, it's all for nothing.
If they survive, they can definitely rebuild.
While I was only feeling anxious, the mountain hut came into view.
Whether the spiders had spat silk, it was covered in a white mist-like substance.
There were black things here and there; they must be spiders.
The mist had a bulge in the middle, and there was a circular bulge surrounding it. It seemed the fence and everything had been turned into a nest.
"Beatrix. When I give the signal, fire [Fire Ball] repeatedly. We'll burn them all at once. Angelica, use water magic to extinguish the fire if it spreads to the trees so it doesn't cause a forest fire."
As soon as we reached the sky above, Marcelo-san released a mid-level [Holy].
It hit, but apparently, one shot wasn't enough. However, its movements became sluggish.
A spider walking on top of the nest turned its rear toward us and shot out silk.
"What!"
If we get caught, we'll be pulled down along with the Bowl.
"[Ice Cube]!"
Angelica-san made a shield of ice and stopped it.
While dodging the ones being shot one after another with Paul-san's piloting and Angelica-san's ice shield, we moved at high speed just above the hut.
"Jeanne, Mary. I'll stop their movements, so please deliver the finishing blow."
"Understood."
Probably on the roof; after finishing off three that were on top of the mist while dodging the silk being shot, we ascended once, and Paul-san gave the signal.
"[Fire Ball]!"
She shot out a fireball that was twice the usual size due to amplification. When she made it split mid-air, the area around the central bulge burst into flames.
It seemed they would first restore the mountain hut. When she shot flames aimed at the gaps in the mist bulge, it didn't burn but was cut as if melting. As the mist cleared, the ground became visible.
Many spiders were walking around.
Beatrix seemed to be adjusting well; several fireballs drew circles that expanded, closed, and slowly rotated, burning away all the mist around the mountain hut.
"There are some climbing the trees!"
When Angelica-san blocked the silk with an ice shield, Marcelo-san chanted [Holy]. Mary froze the ones that fell with an amplified [Freeze].
Fortunately, it didn't turn into a forest fire.
When I looked at Beatrix, sweat was seeping from her forehead.
It seems she exerted quite a bit of effort to control it.
When I took out mead from my storage bag and handed it to her, she took a sip, let out a sigh of relief, and smiled brightly.
When Marcelo-san shot [Holy] at a spider clinging to the wall of the mountain hut, it fell to the ground and flipped over.
Arrows flew from the windows of the mountain hut, piercing the black-haired abdomen several times.
Cheers could be heard.
They seemed to be safe. Thank goodness.
Just like that, after Marcelo-san and the three of us defeated several, Beatrix fired off amplified [Fire Ball]s at random, turning them into balls of fire from the outside. It was one step away from arson, but since she was aiming well, it wasn't as if the mountain hut was burning.
Angelica-san was spraying water on the mountain hut with [Shower] magic so it wouldn't burn.
Spiders chased by the flames that fell to the ground were clinging to the mountain hut, but they gradually gained ground by taking arrows, being pierced by spears thrust from the windows, or having gunpowder exploded.
The ones that climbed onto the roof were defeated by Marcelo-san, me, and Mary.
By the time over thirty spider corpses were piled up, the mountain hut was finally liberated.
"This is no easy matter,"
Paul-san said after we liberated the mountain huts in the first row one by one.
Every mountain hut had become a spider's nest, but we managed somehow by attacking with fire from above.
Beatrix made a single amplified [Fire Ball] move slowly to burn the nests, so it took some time, but we went around defeating them without panicking, thinking it would be fine as long as the mountain hut was safe.
Among them, there were some playing a game of cat-and-mouse with spiders trying to make nests by using fire magic or torches from inside, but it became clear that they were no match in a ground battle.
If attacked by a swarm of spiders, any fortress would be easily neutralized without aerial support.
For some reason, the mountain hut at the western end was safe.
Paul-san said they probably couldn't get the numbers together.
"Robinson said it took several years to raise spiders, didn't he? The fact that they raised this many spiders means they've been preparing quite meticulously."
Does that mean it's not just gargoyles and orcs that they control with [Subordination] using forbidden magic?
And quite a large number of mages might be involved.
If Robinson-san were here, he'd be able to do counter-taming, but he couldn't counter if they appeared in large numbers in multiple locations. In the end, the one with the larger numbers wins.
The bad news didn't stop there.
Until now, there had only been injuries, but finally, deaths occurred.
Twenty-one people. That's twenty percent of the total.
Furthermore, there were no wounded, only the dead.
Everyone's torso was empty, perhaps because they had been bitten and their internal organs sucked out.
There were lookouts on the watchtowers and roofs, but most of those who stayed and fought on the spot were killed.
Those who fled inside the huts after alerting their allies survived.
In cases where hunters were lookouts, everyone was safe.
On the other hand, in the case of the guard, there were casualties.
Matilda was apparently adjusting gunpowder inside the hut when the attack happened.
If she had been standing lookout, she would have fought, so she might have died.
In this case, luck decided life or death.
In fact, seeing a member of the guard already dead before her eyes being eaten by a spider, she apparently tried to jump out of the hut to take revenge and was held back by everyone. She apparently struggled while crying, trying to break free from those restraining her, so they had a hard time.
Bravery is necessary, but sometimes the determination to withdraw is also necessary.
"As far as I know, the better the tactician, the more they say they are cowards. Of course, everyone is a brave person."
After the funeral for all the huts was over, Marcelo-san told us while we were eating a late dinner in a hut in the first row.
"Be like a hunter."
Apparently, the first King gave that instruction at the first review of the Kingdom Army.
Angelica-san told us.
Hide like a hunter, prepare traps, and run away quickly when it's dangerous.
Be sharp-eyed, cunning, and survive tenaciously.
Those who chase momentary emotions and honor are not members of the Sertoria Kingdom Army.
Matilda, who saw war dead for the first time since the war where her parents, who were members of the village guard, were killed—the event that led her to the orphanage—muttered a single word: "I understand well."