Chapter 263 - Sixth Story: Engrio-Regnentes Border
In mid-May, the Engrio army led by King Seldic departed from the Royal Capital, headed north along the highway, and in June, set up camp before the forest in the border region.
Since the end of last year, all scouts sent toward Regnentes had failed to return. They would go as far as the vicinity of the border checkpoint, but no information would come back from there. He could not advance his army into the forest region without knowing the current state of the crucial cursed highway or the enemy situation at the first fort.
At the Engrio army headquarters, which had encamped before the forest highway leading to Regnentes, they discussed countermeasures.
They were likely being hunted by scouts.
Even if it took some time, they should continue to send out scouts.
Having made that judgment, the Engrio headquarters remained stationary.
During that time, Seldic released his prized Aerial Scouts and listened to the information they brought back in private.
In Engrio, units using [Flight Magic]—an applied use of Wind Barrier—were called Aerial Soldiers. They were divided into two types of missions: ten pairs of Aerial Scouts who conducted reconnaissance, and twenty groups of five Aerial Knights who launched surprise attacks from the sky.
King Seldic intended to divide and use these units on two fronts for the northern invasion. Half would go to the Regnentes conquest, and the other half would be near the Sertoria border.
"In other words, you are saying the highway leading to Regnentes is blocked by black trees?"
"Yes. That is correct. Beyond the checkpoint, it was blocked by moats, fences, and large stones, but from around that cursed highway, black trees were stretching toward Regnentes like giant snakes crawling on the ground."
Naturally, they hadn't approached to confirm. They had only viewed it from afar from high above, with the sun at their backs so as not to be discovered from the ground. Even so, they could at least tell whether trees were actually growing or not. In the first place, normal trees and black trees were different not only in color but in everything from the shape of their trunks to their branches. They were easy to distinguish.
Black trees were trees that grew in a region called the Black Forest in northeastern Sertoria, which was known as a Demon Realm. Their leaves, branches, and trunks were as black as if smeared with soot, and their trunks and branches were twisted; they could only be described as tree monsters.
Seldic had heard stories, but he had never seen them.
In Sertoria, the King's brother Roberts had been hunting monsters around that Black Forest for some time, and recently they had conducted large-scale training for the heroes participating in the various nations' Demon Lord subjugation forces, but they had yet to conquer it, let alone reach the opposite bank of the river.
"What about the fort?"
"It was destroyed, and there were no longer any garrison troops. It has been completely swallowed by the black trees."
"And beyond that?"
"There was a highway. However, the exit of the forest is blocked by green trees."
The black trees blocking the highway apparently spanned a distance that would take about half a day for a person to walk through the forest. Even if they were just normal trees, it would take more than two weeks to clear them so an army could pass, even if every available mage was deployed.
The Aerial Scouts he had released were completely terrified. They likely thought that anyone who laid a hand on those black trees would be possessed by the Demon Lord's curse. It was one thing for the ten thousand reinforcements from the continent, who were said to have destroyed the Demon Lord, but it would be bad if that fear spread to his own ten thousand troops.
"Good work. You may go and rest. Do not speak to anyone of what you have seen. As a precaution, have an unaffiliated priest who is with the army perform a prayer for you. You may use my name, but absolutely do not speak of what you saw."
"H-Ha! Understood. I am grateful for your consideration."
The scout happily ran off, inviting his colleague who was waiting outside. They would surely have the priest perform an exorcism.
Did they grow on their own? Is the reason the scouts haven't returned because they were killed by the monster trees?
Seldic tilted his head.
He had his attendant call Servetus to hear his opinion.
"I have never heard of such a thing as a tree monster. I have heard that even the trees inside the cave where the Demon Lord resided were not black. I do not know how many trees they planted, but perhaps they simply painted them?"
"Are you saying it is a bluff?"
"Indeed, most likely."
"Then, you and your men should go and confirm it."
"As you wish."
With fifty cavalry, two hundred infantry, and a unit of forced reconnaissance scale as an escort, the carriage carrying the men in black was to depart for the forest highway. It would likely take a week for a round trip. Many scouts were placed in the surrounding area, and even two pairs of Aerial Scouts were deployed above.
Just as Servetus was about to board the carriage with five of his followers, one of his subordinates called out to him.
"Your Eminence. When is our turn?"
Servetus's subordinates had lost their timing for the raid.
Originally, they had planned to have monsters attack the first fort and the basin once the Engrio army reached the first fort of Regnentes, but the fort was said to have already been swallowed by the Black Forest.
"Wait a while. This reconnaissance is not just to go and see. We must demonstrate that it is possible to clear the highway to Regnentes by removing the black trees with our magic. Once it is known to be a bluff, His Majesty will move. At that time, the army will be busy with the tree removal work. Regnentes will likely launch a surprise attack at that timing. That is when your turn will come."
After giving the instructions, Servetus boarded the carriage.
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A small magic circle glowed. A letter had been transmitted from the scouts sent to the front lines.
Harold confirmed the contents and turned to the others in the room.
"They're here. It seems six men in black are coming to scout in a carriage. The escort is fifty cavalry, two hundred infantry, and two bowls."
"It must be the magical beasts. They're finally coming. We have to evacuate soon."
"I'll bet a glass of beer on forced reconnaissance."
"Umu. I shall as well."
"Then, I shall too."
In response to Beatrix's panicked tone, Eleanor, Henry, and Harold spoke as if teasing her.
"Please take this seriously! People's lives in the village are at stake!"
"My judgment carries the prestige of His Majesty the King and the lives of the people of both Sertoria and Regnentes."
"I as well."
"In my case, the victory of Regnentes and the lives of its people are at stake."
"Oh, honestly!"
Beatrix pouted at the three old people who were grinning. The match was simply too poor. There was no way she could match three former heroes who had defeated the Demon Lord and were masters of tactics.
"It's alright. The magical beasts aren't coming yet. First, they'll just confirm whether the black trees can be cut down."
Eleanor put her arm around Beatrix's shoulder to calm her down.
"Umu. On this side of the checkpoint, an army cannot pass without civil engineering work. However, soldiers are defenseless during civil engineering work. That is where we will strike. They intend to have magical beasts attack us then. That is the plan they have drawn up."
When Harold spoke, the master of the mansion nodded deeply, saying, "I see."
The place where Beatrix was was the mansion of the Lord of the basin.
Harold, the Regnentes Military Minister, had established a forward command post there. His force consisted of five hundred men, half of the Regnentes scout corps. That said, since most of them were lurking at the Engrio border, the force on hand was only a hundred. However, they were all cavalry.
Beatrix, who had been in the village where she was the landlord, received a transmission from the Lord telling her to come immediately.
It had already been a month since King Seldic of Engrio had departed from the Royal Capital with twenty thousand troops toward Regnentes. Beatrix, who had dropped off Jeanne and Lyudmila in Sertoria, had been helping the villagers with their farm work using magic, following the plan handed to her by Lyudmila.
That Beatrix had jumped to the Lord's mansion via the teleportation of a simple magic circle brought to the village at the same time as the Engrio army's departure. When she was guided to the Lord's office, for some reason, Harold, the Military Minister, was sitting in front. The Lord, the owner of the room, was standing by. Furthermore, Henry, the former King of Sertoria, Eleanor, the former Queen, and Wilhelmina—also known as Will—who was a member of the Class of 175, were also there.
"Why are you all here?"
"Reinforcements," Henry replied, puffing out his chest to the wide-eyed Beatrix.
"What do you mean, reinforcements? You only sent commanders. One person is enough to handle the horses. If you pull on too many reins and get thrown off the horses together, don't come crying to me."
Henry ignored Harold's foul-mouthed grumbling. Will also acted nonchalant, saying, "Hey, Beatrix."
"Is it Henry-sama and the others who need me?"
When Beatrix asked, they all shook their heads.
"It was I who called you, Landlord-dono."
Harold personally served her wine and gestured for her to sit on the sofa. Henry and the others remained standing, but Beatrix sat in the center of the sofa without hesitation.
Harold nodded with satisfaction.
"Harold-sama? What do you need?"
"Umu. I heard you were staying in the village. There is something I wish to confirm."
"What is it?"
"I want you to take those people in at your village."
In the direction Harold gestured with his chin, the three of them were nodding in agreement.
"Take them in? They're always coming and going as they please, pretending to be peddlers and saying they're incognito."
Harold could only give a wry smile at this. Normally, it wasn't something a person in charge of a nation's military power should overlook.
"Well, that is true, but this time it is official. We intend to spread information toward Engrio that the former heroes Henry and Eleanor have secretly arrived with a volunteer army as reinforcements to the village where you are the landlord."
"In other words, you want my village to be a decoy."
"You're quick on the uptake. To put it bluntly, that is the case."
Hmm, Beatrix thought.
The Lord tried to speak, but Harold stopped him.
After thinking for a while, Beatrix said she had conditions.
"What are they?"
"That dried meat processing plant is safe, right?"
"That is the intention. We will definitely protect it."
"Then, before you spread the rumor about that volunteer army, have the villagers evacuate to the processing plant. Naturally, with plenty of food included."
"I understand. Is that all?"
"No. If the village's property—whether buildings or crops—suffers damage in this war, I want the nation to compensate for the losses."
"I don't mind. I shall issue a certificate."
Harold immediately prepared a parchment document and signed it.
After that exchange, information about the movements of the men in black came in shortly after.
"So, what are we going to do?"
"Leave them be," Harold replied simply when Beatrix asked.
If it was just reconnaissance, that might be fine.
"Can I have the villagers evacuate?"
"Not yet. The transportation of food isn't finished. My subordinates dispatched to the processing plant are in the middle of it right now. Please wait until that is done. It would cause unnecessary confusion."
"The village is still safe, right?"
"I believe so."
Beatrix said, "I had one more condition."
"What is it?"
"We'll cooperate as much as we can, so make sure you win. I won't forgive you if you lose."
Looking directly into her eyes, Harold straightened his posture and replied with a single word: "Understood."
Having heard what she wanted to hear, Beatrix stood up, saying she would head back. She was the only one in the village who could use the magic required for farm work. She had to finish the necessary tasks and prepare for the evacuation.
"Landlord-dono," Harold called out.
"Landlord-dono. I believe the success of your village will be a major turning point for our country. My Lord's thoughts are the same. Therefore, I have no intention of letting your village become a battlefield."
Beatrix looked puzzled for a moment, but then showed a smile and said, "Thank you." She greeted Henry and the others, as well as the Lord, and then jumped back via the teleportation circle.
"She is quite something. She doesn't give a single thought to her own safety. Yet, she intends to win. The daughter of a serf from a village wiped out by famine is now the guardian deity protecting her village."
Harold, who saw her off, was impressed.
"She has grown into an excellent mage. As expected of Catherine and Jennifer's pupil."
"Catherine's pupil, eh?"
He sighed at Eleanor's words.
"Yes. She is like a younger sister-disciple to our children. This Will is the same."
"That is true."
When he looked at Will, she gave a slight nod.
"My friend Henry. Eleanor. My Lord, both the previous and the current, are brilliant men. There is no doubt about that. However, I sometimes find myself intensely envious of your country."
"My friend Harold. Our country was built by the first King. It was not built by us. We each simply fulfill our duties."
"That is true. First, let us win this war."
"Indeed, we must protect the dreams and hopes of those young people."
Harold had the Lord bring glasses for Henry and the others, and poured the wine.
"To our eternal friendship."
"To the peace and tranquility of the island."
"To those who follow after us."
Henry, Harold, and Eleanor raised their glasses in that order.
"What is this? You two, don't be shy, join the toast."
At Harold's words, Will and the Lord hurriedly raised their glasses.
"Cheers!"
The five of them spoke in unison and then drained their glasses in one breath.