Chapter 207 - Post-Battle Treatment
=== CHAPTER 207 ===
Eleven dead. Wounded... probably three seriously injured who won't be able to return to active duty... including those with light injuries, it exceeded twenty. Roughly thirty-some casualties out of fifty. Both the dead and the wounded were hit by fire. I purified the bodies of the dead with water along with the Headmistress, but they were so badly burned that their faces were indistinguishable.
They couldn't respond to the surprise attack from the air by ten Wyverns. It was a new moon. It's no wonder.
"We have to do something about this."
Since we were to remain until dawn, we were resting inside the simple barrier, and the squad leader was sighing.
The simple barrier is protected by a transparent, pale yellow light, like an overturned bowl over a dug hole.
The inside of the hole is a two-layer structure reinforced with wood so it won't collapse, and it was wide enough for all fifty people to enter.
"We were monitoring the sky with the bowl, but if ten appear at once, we can't retreat in time. We only stood our ground and fought for a short while this time."
It seems the Anti-Air Ballista was also burned after only taking down one.
"We have to think of some countermeasures. You all. Do you have any good ideas?"
The Headmistress asked for everyone's thoughts in turn. First was Beatrix.
"How about using [Holy] scrolls instead of Anti-Air Ballistas? If we prepare a lot of them. Then we could fight while holed up in the simple barrier."
That's a pretty good idea. If it's Marcelo-san's mid-level [Holy], the effect will be high too.
"How about just staying in the simple barrier from the start at night? Stay quiet while it's dark. Then protect the position from dawn."
Mary's argument is passive, but since there's absolute defensive power, no damage will occur.
The problem with their two ideas would be the budget. Holy magic types are expensive.
When I asked the price of the simple barrier, the Headmistress said fifty gold coins. Five times that of a [Teleport] magic circle. This time, she apparently brought one she had made at Eleanor-sama's request for training purposes.
"The church sets the price, so it can't be lowered. It helps the orphanage, but I wonder about the Jaeger unit's budget?"
"I'd like to make it a last resort if possible. Just gathering Silver Arrows is quite a task."
"I see," Mary shrugged.
"This time, Eleanor pulled in people and budget from all over under the guise of training for the Demon Lord subjugation unit. It's more like this offensive is happening to coincide with the training, rather than the monster extermination in the Northeastern Forest happening and the training being tacked on."
Apparently, Jaegers don't usually go into the forest to camp. At most, it's just single sorties.
"This operation is quite large-scale, aiming to suppress this side of the river all at once. Ultimately, the plan is to expand the temporary central position where the training unit was stationed into a full-scale position."
"The Higashinohara Jaegers are advancing."
"It will probably turn out that way. However, it won't be something like the current animal trails with a bit of growth, but the construction of a highway is planned. They should also build a highway going south to connect with the fortress of the Eastern Plains Corps."
This is something I can't ignore. Even just this side of the river is quite vast. If it can be suppressed, large-scale land clearing might begin.
"If you're going as far as highway construction, how long will it take?"
"I don't know. If possible, I'd even like to build a wall along the river to solidify the defenses. Naturally, it will take time. However, if we defeat the Demon Lord, powerful monsters might disappear from this side of the river. If that happens, it might be surprisingly fast."
I heard something good. However, it might be a bit busy. Beatrix also nodded with a "Hoon" and glanced over here. Beatrix also has the village in Regnentes. She's not thinking about profit and is broke right now, but let's have her work hard at monster extermination.
"Bonnie. What do you think?"
She was tilting her head with a "Woon," but then she pointed at me.
"Wouldn't it be fine to just illuminate the sky with a [Light] magic circle?"
It's a perfectly natural thought.
The Headmistress also looked at me.
"The thing is, if you make it into a magic circle or scroll, the light spreads to the surroundings and doesn't reach as far as you'd think."
I didn't think it would be influenced this much by the caster's operation. If you stick it to the ceiling, it's just right for room lighting, but it won't reach the Wyverns overhead at that level.
"Even if we use mirrors?"
Lyudmila said.
"Mirrors? What would you do with mirrors?"
Apparently, Paul-san said that long ago on the continent, there was someone who used many mirrors to reflect sunlight and attack enemy ships.
Come to think of it, I've heard something like that from Adolf-san.
"I remembered. It's the Jeanne Attack!"
Beatrix, enough already. That talk is gone.
"My [Light] isn't hot, so it won't work."
"Not that, can't you illuminate far away?"
I see. It doesn't work because the light spreads. If we collect it, it might be fine. But can it be reflected with mirrors?
"That sounds interesting. Even if mirrors are impossible, [Magic Reflection] will be fine. I'll ask Marcelo to experiment with it tomorrow. Lyudmila, help him out."
"Yeah."
She's pleased that her idea reached the Headmistress.
She answered with a smile.
[Magic Reflection] is a mid-level magic. I'm sure we can find someone who can use it. Since it's holy magic, it passes through from the back but bounces off from the front. Like Paul-san's bowl, if we shape it well, we might be able to collect the light.
"If it works well, I wonder if we can put it on the Anti-Air Ballistas and rotate it to illuminate the surroundings. Then we could fight even while holed up in the simple barrier."
Beatrix proposed a revised plan. If we put it on with [Holy], we can attack just like that.
"But what about the money?"
The essential barrier is high-level holy magic. The Jaeger unit can't make it themselves.
"Let's make Roberts pay. They're self-managed, so they must have made quite a bit this time too."
According to the Headmistress, the Eastern Plains Corps always transports and sells powerful monsters from the Northeastern Forest via [Teleport] after defeating them. Accordingly, they use expensive equipment. Lately, they've even been hiring mercenaries who can draw magic circles and stray priests who can consecrate holy water.
Aside from the excellence of the soldiers, it seems they are called the strongest in Sertoria because of that combined total power.
"In a sense, it's become a source of income for them that the Demon Lord is there and powerful monsters are spawning. They're like a military-scale monster extermination shop. You all might be hired by them once you gain more power."
So there was such a way...
Somehow, their scale is different from ours.
While the squad leader was laughing, we in the Class of 175 looked at each other and were stunned.
No, there was one person who was different.
"I've decided. Once I learn the [Shower] magic, I'm going for [Glacio]. And then, I'll become a high-level mage and fight alongside Gladys-sama."
It's Mary. She boldly declared her defection.
"You, what do you plan to do about our marble dyeing?"
"Only during operations. I'll have them hire me for a period reward. Usually, I'll be a herbalist in Nakanohara."
"Wasn't peace number one?"
"Peace is number one. But number two is Gladys-sama, I guess."
"Yes, yes," Beatrix also seemed to have given up.
"Mary. If you want Roberts to hire you, being a one-spell high-level mage isn't enough. You have to follow Angelica's example and become a three-spell user."
"Eh! Is it that strict?"
"You won't be able to keep up otherwise. But it's good to have high goals. Good luck."
She fell silent. Well, she brought it on herself.
"So, what about Jeanne?"
It was finally thrown to me. To be honest, I don't have any particularly good ideas, but...
"I think if we could assign Goblin scout units or spirits like Flora, we could ambush monsters that are approaching stealthily..."
Flora was nodding.
"That's something to discuss with Robinson. Flora, you're fine with being the same as Jeanne, right?"
She nodded with a "Un" and clung to me.
"How about Fiona? Do you have any ideas?"
As expected of Catherine of the Precept-Breaking. She's even asking a ghost.
But if we gathered ghosts and formed a unit, we might end up with the strongest army in Sertoria, no, the world.
"How about dogs?"
"Dogs?"
"Yes. Guard dogs. Previously, partly because the fortress I was at was relatively close to this forest, we encouraged the residents to keep dogs too. Since the opponents fly or breathe fire, I wonder about them fighting together, but I think they'll find monsters faster than humans."
Come to think of it, there were guard dogs at the Nakanohara fortress. It seems they were kept tied up during sorties, but if a position is established, there shouldn't be a problem.
"Hmm. Sense them early with dogs, illuminate them with the light installed on the Anti-Air Ballistas protected by the simple barrier, and fight with [Holy]. We have several dogs at the fortress, so we'll bring them, and after that, it's just a matter of reaching a financial agreement."
As a squad leader, that must be the problem.
"I drew something like this, what do you think?"
Beatrix showed a drawing she had made with Mary.
A simple barrier is stretched over a circular hill with the top cut off horizontally, and two Anti-Air Ballistas are installed inside.
Below that, there's an underground area with a place for soldiers to stay and even a doghouse.
The surroundings of the hill have a somewhat flat part, surrounded by a trench, an earthen wall, and a fence.
It's fundamentally different from the square position we're in now. It might be quite hard to make.
"You dig a vertical hole, build a log cabin on top of it, and cover it with the soil you dug. If you build a cabin where we are now and cover it with soil, a two-story underground base is complete."
"I see. Instead of digging a hole from the top of the hill, you build a cabin over a hole and bury it. Then you can use the soil you dug, and it's not that difficult. It can also prevent fire. In addition to the number of people to build the log cabin, it might be possible if we have mid-level wind and earth mages."
Since it's a position made by clearing trees from the forest, there is wood. For now, they are lying on their sides around the position with roots and branches still attached like barricades, but we can just change them into lumber.
"It's settled then. I'll talk to Eleanor about it first thing tomorrow. There's a spare simple barrier at the Nakanohara Jaeger fortress, so I'll have it delivered. I'll also try talking to Roberts."
The Headmistress made her mace ring with a "Sharan." It's kind of scary.
"Is that alright? Then, please."
It seems the restoration of the fortress has been settled.
Fortunately, dawn broke without incident, and we were able to join up with the members of the Marcelo Company who had been fighting alongside the Eastern Plains Corps. As usual, Angelica-san was like she was commuting and didn't participate in the night battle.
While eating breakfast, as a result of the Headmistress telling Eleanor-sama everyone's conclusion, the proposal was generally accepted, and it was decided that the Marcelo Company would develop a lighting fixture combining a [Light] magic circle with [Magic Reflection].
As the sun rose higher, we offered funeral prayers for the dead and the monsters we had defeated.
Last night, it seems the Eastern Plains Corps also received a night raid and suffered corresponding damage.
"What kind of things are you doing over there?"
When Beatrix asked Marcelo-san, he said it was an offensive.
"The hero candidates of the current generation were all gathered."
I heard that seven people, including Roberts-sama, were all present.
When I checked with Eleanor-sama and heard the names of the others, I knew everyone except for one.
Hughes-sama as a scout. Roberts-sama and Gladys-sama in the vanguard. James-sama and Evans-sama as mages. Harrison-san and a bishop named Phillips as priests.
"Oh? Phillips knew about you all. Didn't he guide you through the Great Cathedral at the Royal Capital Great Church?"
"Eh? Is Bishop Phillips that Bishop Phillips? He was a very gentle person, quite different from the violent Headmistress or Harrison-san..."
I accidentally let it slip and was smacked on the head by the Headmistress.
"It's extremely rude to call a priest violent."
Harris-sama was laughing loudly.
"Bishop Phillips is a colleague of mine, and I know him well, but anyway, his support magic is incredible. He can use [Sense Living], [Hand Over], [Resurrection], and even [Teleport]. In a sense, he's an oddball, but since his [Heal] is also ultra-high-level, if he teams up with Bishop Harrison, they'd be one of the strongest priest duos."
I see. The bear and the bear-tamer. I'm sure it will go well.
He can also use ultra-high-level magic that combines with the magic circles the Headmistress uses. In other words, he can also use the simple barrier. It's perfect for resting.
"He doesn't stand out because he's completely hopeless with attack types like [Holy] or [Purification], but he's a very excellent priest."
The foul-mouthed Harris-sama was full of praise. He had a kind personality, so he must be beloved by everyone.
It seems Marcelo-san was asked if Fiona was doing well and to give her his regards.
Fiona, who had turned red, said in a small voice, "Please give him my regards."r>
After all, the Demon Lord is in Sertoria. Since powerful monsters only spawn in Sertoria, besides the hero candidates, selected powerhouses from within Sertoria and other countries who are challenging the containment or the rearguard seem to be gathered in the Eastern Plains Corps. The knights attending Gladys-sama will also participate in the rearguard under instructions from the King of Medioland.
"For next week's training, let's come here again to test the new-style position. Since we're at it, let's have them do the civil engineering work too."
Beatrix and Mary looked at each other with grimaces, but let's have them fulfill their responsibilities.