Chapter 428 - Episode 11: The Ice Fortress
I was the one who performed the funeral prayers for the two Demon Race. With Harrison-san, there was no reaction at all in the case of the Demon Race. When I prayed, for some reason they turned to dust and disappeared.
When we went to the remaining rooms, there were three magic circles. As a result of Eleanor-sama's analysis, it was confirmed that two of them were connected to the Northeastern Forest and the Behemoth's cave, respectively. The problem was the place where the remaining one magic circle was connected. It was estimated to be the mountainous area in northern Medioland. It's called the greatest Demon Realm on this island, and it's the mountainous area where the cave where the Demon Lord once resurrected is located.
This was within the expectations of Henry-sama and the others, who had already investigated the locations of the Demon Realms, and they invalidated the magic circle easily without particularly checking with Medioland.
"At the point this place was attacked, it must have been found out over there. Vocalization of the Demon Race aside, they must have taken some kind of measures."
The cave where the Demon Lord resurrects in Sertoria has had the surrounding forest completely conquered, and humans are holding even the back entrance. The monsters on each floor, excluding the bugs on the third floor, have significantly decreased in number, and now, except for the Demon Lord's Palace, they are not much of a threat. Of course, it would be a different story if the Demon Lord were resurrected.
In the two rooms where the Demon Race were, there were chairs with backboards and tables. There don't seem to be beds, but there was a place where furs were layered, so they probably sleep there. They seem to like human alcohol, as many barrels are piled up. Likely, the subordinate Revenants or the Demon Race who use Teleport bought them while disguised as humans. Other than that, there was only a box filled with gold coins and a wooden box with several Magic Stones thrown in. Of course, Eleanor-sama requisitioned them.
The monsters' hideout was blown up by Hughes-sama using gunpowder carried from the hut where we stayed, and completely buried. It seems they also finished transporting the requisitioned items safely.
"It seems the royal army has completely surrounded the fortress to the south. Let's join up with Wilson and the others."
At Eleanor-sama's instruction, when we fly in the bowl, there's a place in the forest that is pure white. It seems they fired Cocytus repeatedly and froze the area, and a huge fortress made of ice was visible in the middle. It's quite a feat, and even Eleanor-sama is impressed. It might be possible because it's the Revenant Wilson-san.
Since I've cast Sight, I can see Wilson-san, Beowulf, and Mary are there. Beatrix and the others must be out on a mission, as I couldn't see them.
When we landed and heard the story, they found out that the enemy was leading over three hundred wolf Revenants and approaching this way, so they apparently made a makeshift fortress out of ice. The opponent is in the mood to challenge them to a battle. Likely, word got out. Maybe the Demon Race who use Teleport flew over and gave direct instructions.
The ice fortress is surrounded by ice walls, but to see the approaching enemy well, they cut away the surrounding trees with Wind Cutter and apparently covered it with ice using a combination of Mary's Shower and Wilson-san's Cocytus. It seems they involved wolf Revenants and human Revenants here and there, and they are like statues made of ice. The clumps of soil here and there would be the remains of Revenants. Currently, the wolf Revenants are apparently lurking in the green forest beyond what has become a bit of an ice field. Since the ice field is made on the way to a ridge, the left and right are valleys, but there's a place that's a cliff, and they seem to have made the ice field in front of that cliff.
"Is that side settled?"
"Yes. This side seems tough."
"Yeah, it was more than I expected."
It's unbelievable that she's talking so casually with Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san.
"In the underground base, we defeated two monsters and one Revenant. Since they weren't wearing rings, they might not be priests of the Ruined Town."
"Those are likely 'separatists.' They had connections behind the scenes with executive-class members of the council, but they are a group that has officially cut ties with the Ruined Town and is moving independently. Well, I was much the same, so I can't really criticize them."
"Demon Lord worshippers?"
"No, they are not. You could call them fanatics. I think their purpose is the overthrow of the human world. I think they only temporarily joined hands with the Demon Race for that."
According to him, the ones called separatists are mostly young people who have just become Revenants. They think about things with the sense they had when they were alive, so they are impatient. People who have given up on the human world come to the Ruined Town and become Revenants. Those who feel life is difficult for some reason are also like that. Once they acquire a certain amount of power, next they try to take action. Whether that principle of action is to create a correct world or for revenge is unknown. Such extremist people are everywhere, and in the Ruined Town, they were called separatists and sent out of the town. In reality, weren't they being successfully incited to carry out illegal activities? That's Wilson-san's take.
While listening to the commentary, Beatrix's bowl returned. While hiding their presence in the bowl, they explored the forest beyond the ice field, and it seems Will and Bonnie were aiming for the Revenants—the ones that aren't wolves—with silver arrows.
"We found one, so we took care of it. Ah, Jeanne, was that side okay?"
I explain this and that. We defeated two Demon Race and one Revenant. In other words, the rest are seven or eight Revenants. It would be a matter of how many of them remain in the Ruins of the Insolent's Fortress. If we defeat the one controlling the wolf Revenants with Necromancy, they might start fighting among themselves.
"Hmm. So you completely stopped the opponent's movement just by illuminating them once. Isn't that amazing?"
"In that case, shouldn't we leave the wolf Revenants to Jeanne? Let's have her turn them all to soil at once."
"But in the forest, trees are growing, so it's not that easy."
"It's better if we all defeat them little by little. There are still many of them."
As a result, we suddenly decided to all do the wolf Revenant subjugation.
Wilson-san says that from the fortress ruins to the south to here, there is an incline due to the difference in elevation. He apparently collapsed several of those inclines and flooded them. He made it so they couldn't come up and identified the opponent's movement path.
"There's a ridge ahead. Normally they would climb that ridge. So, I collapsed the rugged areas around it beforehand."
In other words, the enemy will climb the ridge.
"But there's no way they'd fall for something so obvious. Since there's a cliff ahead, I assumed they'd climb that cliff and come here, so I made the fortress here."
Hmm. It's difficult. Is this what you call a battle of wits?
The enemy will assume there are traps on the ridge. In fact, several traps were set at the entrance. Didn't the opponent see that and chuckle? We should be waiting halfway up the ridge. If they climb the cliff that is the shortest distance and come out behind us, they can drive us into the place where the traps they set themselves are. Of course, if we were in the rear, they could just fight using the wolf Revenants. It's a forest. It would be overwhelmingly advantageous.
The opponent climbed the cliff just as Wilson-san intended. After climbing and proceeding a bit, they were faced with the ice-covered fortress. Even if they tried to go down the cliff, Mary's Shower and Wilson-san's Cocytus collaboration in the bowl while hiding their presence completely froze the cliff. The opponent was blocked by the ice fortress and the ice cliff, and was at a loss. Or so it should have been, but the wolf Revenants stepped on the ice and attacked. With the ice wall as the boundary, we also ended up fighting a defensive battle against a large number of them.
It seems they had kept a trump card hidden; Beatrix swung around a bowl filled with ice, Wilson-san and Mary froze them with Ice Cube, and Beowulf, Will, and Bonnie returned them to soil with silver bows and arrows. After once withstanding the charge, it fell into a stalemate. Beatrix and the others had been sniping the former human Revenants with silver bows and arrows while in the bowl hiding their presence.
"Jeanne, more importantly, make Holy Water."
It was Mary.
That would be effective too. After all, the opponent is a Revenant. No profit can be expected at all. In a forest where they can hide, unlike in a narrow cave or room, Light or Over Flow is not very effective.
As a conclusion, it was decided by Eleanor-sama to make Holy Water.
In the middle of the ice fortress, Eleanor-sama makes a large trapezoidal ice mountain with Glaciate. Next, she instructed Beatrix to melt it with Fire Storm as if hollowing it out, making a bit of a pond. Harrison-san and I change that water into Holy Water. Since the amount is large, it takes time. During that time, Hughes-sama, hiding his presence, went out to scout. The bowl unit flew around above while showing themselves to draw the opponent's attention as support. Lightning magic and fire magic were fired up to try to shoot them down, but they didn't reach because they rose rapidly.
After about two hours, the consecration of the Holy Water was finally finished.
As a result of Hughes-sama's scouting, there are five Revenant priests left. There are over two hundred and fifty wolf Revenants. They already knew that the underground base where the Demon Race were had been attacked by us. Now, they were arguing whether to go down the ridge to another place or to attack the fortress. They didn't know about Flight Magic, and they were apparently surprised by the forced reconnaissance from the air by the bowl unit.
"Let's launch an attack first. The opponent's fighting spirit seems high."
The instruction to start the battle came from Eleanor-sama.
We infiltrate the forest from above the cliff in the bowl where Eleanor-sama and Hughes-sama are paired. We aim for several wolf Revenants that were with the Revenant priest who was looking south on the cliff all at once. I illuminate the front in a semi-circle with the Light from the eight-fold volley strengthened by Harrison-san's triple burst.
"Guwaaaaa!"
He grovels while letting out a scream and blowing smoke from his whole body. The wolves barked with a gyain and slumped down while letting out smoke. I wait with the Light output narrowed.
"What's wrong! Did something happen?"
One priest called out from the depths of the forest.
Alright! Just as planned.
When Harrison-san fired a Purification, the one groveling turned to soil.
"What! Hey! There's a holy magic user here! Likely high-level or above!"
He shouted while hiding in the shadow of a tree. Simultaneously, about ten wolf Revenants rushed in while barking. Since they came from three directions, I illuminate them with Light in all directions. They stop moving, and then it's Harrison-san's Purification. Purification has a narrow area of effect. In a forest, even more so. If they come from all directions, they can't all be defeated at once. Over Flow would be fine, but since the strengthened Light can be used for half an hour once, it's efficient.
"R-Retreat! Retreat!"
They started retreating easily.
We advance while illuminating them just like that. The effect weakens due to the distance, but they seem to dislike it quite a bit. As if they all started running at once, rustling sounds started to be heard.
Among them, there are some with guts that are barking hard, but when Harrison-san easily returns them to soil, they completely collapsed.
"R-Run! They're coming from the cliff!"
"Wind Barrier! Deploy Wind Barrier!"
"Eii, that's why I said so! At this rate, a total attack! Send the wolves toward the fortress!"
Hearing those words, we go up into the sky. The Light is on break for now.
The swarm of Revenants reached the ice field. The humans are staggering, but the wolves are running just like that. Since we ended up driving them away from this side, there's no tactic or anything. They are scattered, perhaps wary of ice magic.
The second strike is a Maelstrom using Holy Water by Mary. Since she raised both hands alternately, it would be a double shot.
The two masses of Holy Water that gushed from the fortress combined and attacked the Revenants like a flood. With no satisfactory place to hide and on the ice field with poor footing, they probably had no way to escape. They were swallowed up in an instant and turned to soil as they were washed away.
It's a total annihilation. It could be called an instant. The opponent must have deployed magic defense. However, the pressure of the flood once it burst forth could not be stopped. Even if there were an ultra-high-level magic user, it would be the same. It's different from fire or lightning. At the point it gushed over the ice wall, the match was settled. She's usually gentle, but scary when angry. That's exactly Mary. You could say she's the same as Dune.
Just in case, we checked inside the forest, but not a single one remained.
When we returned to the fortress just like that, Wilson-san, who had evacuated to high in the sky, also returned.
"That was a masterpiece. Magnificent."
"Thank you very much. It is thanks to your guidance."
Mary, in response to Eleanor-sama's words, bent her knees and lifted her skirt slightly to give a refined thank you.