Chapter 541 - Chapter 5: The Wetlands of Northern Gram ②
Since it would be troublesome if bees or the like came flying, we fly at a considerably high altitude.
Since we're flying at normal speed, it takes less than an hour for a one-way trip of one post station.
Below us, a quadrangular delta—or rather, a four-sided delta—is spreading out. It seems the main stream of the river is divided into two and meanders through the middle, and the fort is on a wide sandbank sandwiched between those two river branches. As I can tell now, there are several lumps of something on the sandbank, like hills or rocks surrounded by groves, about the same size as the fort, so from a distance, it didn't look like a fort.
When I explore the ground surface with Sight, I can see many tributaries flowing. There are also marshes here and there, and the surrounding area has become wetlands. There are also dry fields. It's past the middle of June. Tall weeds are growing abundantly and swaying in the sea breeze. There are also groves. Looking at the grove Bonnie is pointing at, there are indeed insects of some kind. However, although there are groves here and there, there are no deep forests where monsters would manifest. Because it lacks undulations, there are no high mountains. There are undulations about the size of low hills, so perhaps there are holes open here and there.
"It is said that many insects manifest here, but what do you think, Magdalena-sama?"
Previously, after the epidemic prevention meeting ended, we held a girls' party. At that time, a discussion arose that perhaps the Demon Race is breeding monsters in various parts of the White Island and making them members of the Demon Lord's army when the Demon Lord is resurrected. The proposal came from me, actually. After all, Orcs, Ogres, Cyclopes, and Trolls were being increased using sorcery. They might be increasing insects too. Especially the third layer of the cave where the Demon Lord is resurrected has many insects. Currently, the Kingdom Army is continuing the eradication work. They make holes in places like the floor and walls to make nests and increase, so the hardship is constant.
Where do those insects come from?
There are several caves where the Demon Lord is resurrected. Even if the Demon Lord is defeated, monsters remain. It can be said that they increase on their own because they can't be completely defeated, but there's also the possibility that they are releasing those bred in other places. Places where insects manifest in large numbers were also in Engrio, and this wetland is the same. And if there's the Demon Race, I can't help but be suspicious.
"The sun hits too much for monsters to manifest in large numbers. Of course, there's a possibility that there are caves here and there, but in such watery land, deep holes would collapse. Even if they existed, wouldn't they be flooded?"
"Am I overthinking it?"
"No. Indeed, it would be difficult to breed them here. Perhaps they are releasing those that manifested or were bred in other places... for example, the forest in Engrio where Jeanne did the spider subjugation... here. And there's the Demon Race. I think Jeanne's speculation is not far off, you know?"
As I thought. Magdalena-sama is thinking the same thing. If so, there might be powerful monsters too; I'd better be careful.
We arrived above the fort.
Even though it's called a fort, it's two stories high. It's not that tall.
Since the goal this time is to make the Demon Race angry, there shouldn't be a battle.
The fort is in the middle of the sandbank covered with weeds, in a slightly elevated place. On the sandbank, there are several things that I can't tell if they are ponds or marshes. The sandbank alone is probably the size of one village. There are places slightly higher like the fort here and there, but they are things like rocks rolling around, mounds with grass growing on them, or groves—or rather, clumps of trees growing together. When viewed from a distance, it's hard to distinguish them from the fort. I can only think that they were intentionally made so that humans wouldn't realize the existence of the fort.
There are many water birds in the river. However, there are none in the ponds or marshes. Something might be there.
The bowl carrying Eowyn-sama, who is leading the way, is waving a small flag with the mark—the crest of the Northern Gram Royal Family—to the left and right. It's the signal for attack preparation.
"Please hold on. There's no guarantee we can rescue you if you fall."
It's Eleanor-sama.
The ground is far below. It's unthinkable to survive if I fall. Everyone moved to the front of the bowl all at once and grabbed the edge. Beatrix made something like a partition board with Wind Barrier. Eleanor-sama probably changed the shape of the bowl slightly. A creaking sound was made, and the partition board was tightened to the bowl. Everyone on board is in front of the partition board. With this, we won't fall easily.
"The signal."
Eleanor-sama's instruction came. Will waves a small red flag to the left and right. The surrounding bowls are also waving small flags of various colors. Attack preparations are complete.
The Northern Gram flag swayed up and down. It's the signal to start the attack.
"Attacking."
Bonnie, who was looking through a long, thin tube, was saying 'front' or 'right,' but she raises her right hand, saying, "Here."
Seeing that, Will dropped a barrel filled with earth from the bowl.
The barrel falls without a sound.
What Bonnie was looking through was a tool to measure angles, and a semi-circular plate is attached to the tube. Lines indicating angles are drawn on the plate, radiating from the center of the semi-circle. A thread with a stone hanging from it is attached to the center, and if you let the stone hang, you can tell what's directly below. If you align the angle with that thread, you can tell what's directly below. Apparently, Eleanor-sama made it for the Paratroop Jaegers. Usually, it's used at a much lower altitude, but this time it's quite high, so she's looking through it with Sight cast.
The wind is blowing from the sea to the land... in other words, from east to west. If there's no height, it's not a problem, but if there's height, it's carried by the wind. If the position of the bowl is slightly to the east, it will probably hit roughly near the target. Bonnie is part of the Henry Party. She must be practicing daily.
The fort has a moat around the high ground. The high ground is an irregular gray circle, perhaps because stones are laid out. Is the dark-colored border a stone wall? Because of the distance, I can't tell well, but it's probably about the size of the Nakanohara Great Cathedral including the courtyard. There's a square building of the same color, perhaps made of stone. When viewed from the watchtower, it wasn't that tall a building, but there might be a basement for that portion.
When we all crouched down and watched the falling barrel through the transparent bottom of the bowl, it hit the fort brilliantly after counting to about ten. As expected, no sound reached us. But I could confirm that it was smashed to pieces. If I fall, that's what happens.
When Will lights the fuse, it burns with a sizzle.
Eleanor-sama tilts the bowl. The rear part went down. Next, when she lowers the rear edge, the barrels with the sizzling fuses attached go rolling and falling. There must be about twenty. The surrounding bowls are the same. However, the others are small bowls, so the humans on board must be dropping them by hand.
"Ah! Someone came out!"
Bonnie, who was watching with us, shouted. As expected of a scout. She's sharp-eyed.
A pitch-black figure is near the barrel Will dropped. It must have come to see the situation because a loud sound was made when the barrel fell.
The Demon Race member investigated the barrel and then looked north.
To the north is the fort we departed from. It's raising a grand smoke signal. (T/N: '狼煙' can mean beacon or signal fire).
Just then. When light flashed, the fort was enveloped in black smoke. Continuous roars were heard from below. The gunpowder packed in the dropped barrels exploded one after another in the air.
It's not just gunpowder packed in the barrels. Iron and silver fragments are also embedded. If the large amount of fragments scattered at the same time as the gunpowder explosion hits the Demon Race, good; even if they don't hit, they will surely give great terror. Some exploded near the ground, grandly kicking up earth and sand.
"Ehh! What's that? The barrels we dropped are doing something amazing!"
The Wetlands Priestess is startled. It must be her first time seeing a gunpowder explosion. Perhaps because she was nervous about the opponent being the Demon Race, she hadn't spoken much until now, but she seemed startled by the sheer power. She's a person from a thousand years ago. It's no wonder. After all, even Wilson-san didn't know.
"It's gunpowder. Recently, there's that kind of thing."
"Gunpowder? What's that? Does it burn?"
"How should I put it, it's a powder medicine that can do that kind of thing."
To be honest, I can't explain it. It's easier to say it's a type of magic. Later, I'll have Will explain it.
At the bottom of the bowl, there are clicking sounds. Fragments that flew up must be hitting it. It's fine because we're in the bowl, but if we weren't, and depending on where they hit, it wouldn't have ended with just an injury. Even with this much distance, it's like this. I wonder what happened to the Demon Race member who was caught off guard at close range.
When I watched below with bated breath, the smoke was carried by the wind and flew away, and the fort became visible.
A pitch-black figure is lying down. A black stain is spreading around. It must be the blood of the Demon Race. Are they dead... even if they are alive, there's probably no hope of survival. They've bled too much. It's not something I can just watch silently.
"I-I will deliver the finishing blow."
The Holy Magic Magic Reflection lets Holy from the same Holy Magic pass through from the back.
When I put my hand out from the edge of the bowl, I was stopped by Harrison-san.
"Let this humble monk do it. Jeanne-dono, after I fire Holy, please prepare only a wall of Light, just in case. Make it triple-layered."
I see, there's another Demon Race member. If my location is exposed by firing Holy, I might be counterattacked.
"Please."
As soon as I answered, Harrison-san fired several Holy Lances. Since he's watching with Sight magnified, he'll hit even with the distance.
Four extremely thick lances of light were fired, and they all hit the body of the Demon Race member.
Gakun! For a moment, the bowl shook. It accelerated rapidly forward. I ended up falling on my backside.
Dogaan!
A massive bolt of lightning was shot up at the place where we were just now.
When I hurriedly looked below, the Demon Race member who should have been defeated stood up and was pointing their right hand this way.
If we hadn't moved, it would have been a direct hit. Since Magic Reflection would have repelled it, there might not have been damage, but one of our means would have been exposed. Harrison-san said to prepare a wall of Light. If I had fired it, the existence of Light magic would also have been exposed.
"As I thought, it was Camouflage."
It's Eleanor-sama.
Camouflage...
Since when? From the corpse of the Demon Race?
"The Demon Race member who first appeared might have been an illusion made with Camouflage. We're withdrawing."
Eleanor-sama said so and headed toward the fort we came from.
"How was it?"
On the way back, Eleanor-sama asked the ghosts. Except for Fiona, it's their first time in a battle against the Demon Race.
"They're tough. As Eleanor-dono saw through, the Demon Race member who showed themselves was an illusion made with Camouflage."
"Umu. That was not the reaction of the main body."
The Lord and Queen seemed to have seen through it.
"Yeah. Probably, the main body hasn't left that fort."
It's the Wetlands Priestess. Did she find the location?
"Hmm, rather than finding it, I couldn't feel the reaction of a living thing from that Demon Race member. If Jeanne had used Sense Living, I think she would have understood well. And the lightning magic... probably Thunder Bolt. That was fired from a different place."
"A different place?"
"Yes. That fort is real, but they're not there. It's a decoy."
In other words, if we had suddenly attacked the fort, would we have received a counterattack?
"Well, so that wouldn't happen, you used gunpowder without using magic, right? That exploding medicine."
Certainly, just dropping barrels filled with gunpowder wouldn't be exposed.
In other words, is it that? If I hadn't tried to fire Holy, it wouldn't have been exposed?
"That's right. But that's why I'm like this now."
Wait, what does that mean? I don't understand the meaning.
"Hoho. For someone young, she has promise."
"That's right. She's reliable."
"Really! Thank you!"
The Priestess is being praised by the border Lord and Queen.
"Ufufu, it's worth being friends with Jeanne. She's nineteen, right? I'll do my best too."
The eternal seventeen-year-old, seeing the eternal nineteen-year-old innocently rejoicing, is burning with motivation.
Wait, someone, please tell me the meaning.
Lightning was fired only once, and there were no further counterattacks.
We head for the fort that is grandly raising a smoke signal. The smoke signal is, in effect, a declaration of war against the Demon Race. It's a manifestation of the intent to attack from here. As for why we do such a thing, it's apparently because there's nothing in the surrounding area. A normal fort has settlements in the surrounding area. Because a fort is where people from the settlements flee in an emergency. This fort was built only for the surveillance of the delta's Demon Realm. No one lives in the surroundings.
In short, whether it's an offensive or an interception, large magic can be used.
The return trip became a discussion of how to fight. After all, the opponent hides their form with illusions. However, we have ghosts here, and they are good at the ability to sense living things. Though, the magic detection ability of the Demon Race is far superior to humans, so it will be a mutual search. And if it becomes a war of attrition, we will be at a disadvantage. We consulted, centered around Eleanor-sama, on how to fight.
After dropping the gunpowder barrels, the unit was supposed to withdraw immediately. Our bowl, which also carried the mission of post-event confirmation, was slightly delayed, but everyone had returned safely.
"Jeanne-sama, when I saw the lightning magic shot up, I was worried to the point of my heart failing. I am glad you are safe."
While saying so, he took my hand and pressed the Bishop's ring against it. Having no choice but to say thank you, he let go of my hand.
"Everyone. I am glad for your safe return."
Gwyn-sama, who was called after me despite being royalty from another country who came to support, or rather, who was lumped together with 'everyone,' is smirking while patting my shoulder. The Sertorian royalty didn't mind and were saying thanks for the welcome.
"Amazing, isn't it? Jeanne. In this country, your safety is the top priority."
The Wetlands Queen, who is merged with me, whispered in my ear.
Honestly, I think I should do something about this.