Chapter 549 - Chapter 6: Amphisbaena (2)
As soon as the acceleration ended, we entered deceleration. Since Bonnie and I were in the front row, I was prepared to be crushed by the full weight of the people behind us if we decelerated suddenly, but she adjusted it well. Seeing as the lid of the bowl disappeared at the same time we stopped, it seems she really did use it all up.
"Ah—, I'm so tired—"
Beatrix, who was in the pilot's seat separated from us in the first row by a wall of air, was wiping the sweat from her face with her sleeve without even using a hand towel. She's completely turned into an old man.
"Honestly! You're a girl, so use a hand towel at least. Here."
I took one out from the storage bag placed between my legs and gave it to her.
"Thanks. But, I might not be able to worry about my appearance. Look down."
Now that the storage bag was gone, I could see my feet. When I lowered my face and peered down, there was something that looked like a fortress far below. Since I had Sight active, I could see the battle when I magnified it. Two-headed snakes were swarming and wriggling inside and outside the ice embankments.
"Wh-what? That number... how many are there?"
So many had been lurking... There must be more than ten or twenty.
Lightning was flying so much that it made me think, Is this what it's like inside a Cumulonimbus cloud? The fortress seemed to have its hands full just blocking the massive amount of lightning being fired, covering the front and top with walls of Dark and Wind Barrier. They likely wanted to counterattack, but to do so, they would have to open gaps in the Dark and Wind Barrier defenses. It was obvious that the two-headed snakes' magic would concentrate there.
"Ah! The ally bowls are attacking!"
From a lower altitude than us, slightly to the south where there was nothing, several white linear beams of light were being fired. However, the two-headed snakes were spouting water like fountains, so it probably wasn't very effective. Arrows would surely be deflected too. That said, if they lowered their altitude, they would be directly targeted. It's frustrating, but they have no choice but to do it. Including cover fire for the fortress, they had to do it even if it seemed futile.
"Are there any parents? Please look for the parents."
At Eleanor-sama's request, everyone searched, but no large ones were visible. I wondered if they were lurking in the water.
"If they aren't here, we'll search. Beatrix, one more time, please."
"Eh? We're not fighting?"
Why prioritize the parents? Unless we gave the pack of two-headed snakes a blow with Megiddo Fire or something, the fortress would only be on the defensive.
"Have you forgotten the barrier? If that barrier is meant to keep monsters of a certain size from going outside, they shouldn't be able to leave. However, in reality, the pack of Amphisbaena is attacking the fortress in large numbers. They must be being controlled by someone. If not a demon, then surely a parent."
Now that she mentioned it, that's true. Come to think of it, even bugs hadn't come out of the wetlands until now, yet here a massive number of two-headed snakes had left the wetlands to attack the fortress. It didn't matter if there were demons or not.
The Wetlands Priestess had said that if she controlled the members of the Knight Order, the caster's orders would take priority. Also, we had actually conducted a barrier experiment with a fox before; a barrier that doesn't allow monsters to enter is just an extremely unpleasant place for a monster, and one that couldn't endure its hunger broke through. The barrier the Lich in the depths of the mine in the Northeastern Forest had set against ghosts was the same. Which means, in other words, if we defeat the one controlling the small two-headed snakes, the young snakes will return to the wetlands. Even if we defeat the parent snakes, we must exterminate the young ones, but first, we have to save the fortress. If it becomes a war of attrition, the monsters will have the advantage. And there are so many of them. If they dug holes and attacked from below, it would be the end.
If the role of the barrier is to keep monsters from leaving the wetlands, the parent snakes are in the wetlands. And presumably, in a place not too far from the fortress. I should be able to detect them if I use Sense Living. I had us descend to a certain extent to make individual identification easier.
"Sense Living!"
The reaction... there were so many swarming that I couldn't tell which was which. However, I felt like the sizes were different. Large reactions came from places where they were clumped together, but the sizes of the heads extending from the clumps were different. I don't think they're around here...
"I can't say for sure because there are too many, but I feel like they aren't near the fortress."
"How about changing locations? Since it's the boss, wouldn't it be in a safe place away from the front lines?"
Beatrix agreed with me, but Magdalena-sama and Gwyn-sama told us to wait. Both were light infantry. They possessed scouting skills and judgment. Moreover, they had experience commanding unit battles.
"Looking from above, there's a place where the Amphisbaena are more clumped together than elsewhere. How about aiming there?"
It was Gwyn-sama.
Looking down, there was indeed one place where the density was high. It was a place that could be called the outer edge of the young snake pack, a place that had become like a marsh.
If we dealt a painful blow there, the burden on the fortress would certainly be lightened. Now, the two-headed snakes on the front line were beginning to dig holes. The situation was urgent. It would be faster to defeat the parent snake.
"Is it possible the parent is beneath that snake clump?"
I was struck by Magdalena-sama's words.
It was highly likely. I had been preoccupied with the Sense Living reactions.
"Let's crush that snake clump with Megiddo Fire."
Henry-sama suddenly instructed an attack with our trump card. He must have agreed with Gwyn-sama and Magdalena-sama's thinking.
"Understood."
Wilson-san and Harris-sama answered in unison, and the corners of Gwyn-sama's mouth turned up. Magdalena-sama just nodded slightly and returned her gaze to the ground.
The plan was decided. Beatrix fired one fire orb as an emergency signal, and the ally bowl units gathered. We would consolidate everyone's power.
"Two are missing—"
That was the result of Bonnie's count. Two had fallen behind... no, they must have been taken out already. They must have made a reckless attack trying to save the fortress. If they fell into the middle of the two-headed snake pack, their bodies might not be found, but a lock of hair should remain. It's a glorious death in battle. I'll make sure to hold a proper funeral for them later.
At the same time Wilson-san began the incantation, he deactivated Magic Reflection. Harris-sama and I prepared to fire Holy.
"Enemy attack from below, it's lightning!"
Magdalena-sama's voice rang out.
Their reaction is fast. Perhaps our altitude was slightly insufficient because we were in a hurry.
The lightning that had been fired at the fortress all shot up toward us. With this many, we couldn't dodge them all.
However, the lightning all flew off in completely different directions. In preparation for an eventual counterattack, Beatrix had deployed a Wind Barrier beneath the bowl. The reason the lightning was bouncing off sideways was surely because she had slanted it. If she had stretched it perpendicular to the direction they were flying from, we might have been pushed up by the pressure. After all, the Prominence fire orb was being formed. If the pushed-up Wind Barrier collided and the bowl we were standing on wobbled, we might lose control and self-destruct.
We were saved by Beatrix's quick thinking, but now we were unable to fire, just like the fortress. There was a wall of air beneath the bowl.
The bowl we were riding once ascended. It was sudden, so I almost fell. When I looked at Wilson-san, Henry-sama, who was down on one knee, was supporting him. He must have predicted Eleanor-sama's actions. As expected of a couple who have been together for many years.
"Prominence!"
It was finally fired. And diagonally upward.
Wh-why?
While I was thinking that, the dragon's head that had ascended drew a large arc, did a somersault, and began to descend. It was like an acrobatic feat.
"It's Holy!"
Wilson-san shouted in a loud voice.
The dragon's head stopped its descent and was diagonally above us. It wasn't hot because there was quite a distance, but what incredible magic control to keep an ultra-high-level spell hovering once it was fired.
"Hah, Holy Lance! One more time, Holy Lance!"
I mustn't let Wilson-san's hard work go to waste. I fired two consecutive eight-shot volleys. It's become ultra-high-level. I did it thinking I could, and I managed not to faint.
Receiving countless ally Holy Lances, the dragon's head became completely like another sun. The heat reached us. Honestly, it was hot. I reflexively shielded my face with my hands.
The two-headed snakes that had been firing lightning also seemed to sense that something extraordinary was happening. They fired water all at once.
The glowing dragon's head began to move. Once it moved away, it dived steeply and then began to fly almost horizontally. it accelerated rapidly. Perhaps because it was close to the ground, a path of fire was created in the wetlands after it flew.
The two-headed snakes fired water at the dragon's head all at once. They intended to create a wall of water.
Suddenly, a massive amount of water erupted from the snake clump, becoming a quadruple small tsunami heading for the dragon's head. Maelstrom. Just as Gwyn-sama and Magdalena-sama had read, the parents were indeed in the snake clump. Since there were two two-headed snakes, it was a four-shot volley. Can it break through?
Just then, a Prominence was fired from the fortress and hit the snake clump directly. It must have been an ultra-high-level mage at the fortress. They skillfully struck the gap while the two-headed snakes were distracted by defense. The hit landed, and perhaps the two-headed snakes' concentration broke, as the quadruple tsunami became just clumps of water and lost height. The dragon's head flew over them while generating a massive amount of steam.
Furthermore, a black wall was completed in front of the snake clump... as if to blindfold the dragon's head. Magic can pass through from the back side. Can it do it!
As planned, it passed through the black wall, and a flash of light burst forth upon impact. A heavy sound like an explosion echoed. Various things were hitting and sticking to the Wind Barrier Beatrix had deployed. Since I could tell what they originally were, I honestly didn't want to look.
Silence returned, so the Wind Barrier was deactivated. In the wake of the snake clump, an elliptical hole was open and emitting smoke. The surrounding water had evaporated, and not even steam was rising.
A roar-like cheer could be heard from the fortress.
"The Amphisbaena children have begun to flee. Attack and exterminate them individually. Jeanne, use Sense Living to detect them."
Eleanor-sama made the bowl dive steeply. The ally bowls followed. Triggered by Harrison-san and Harris-sama's Holy Lances being fired, the pursuit with magic and bows began along with the fortress guards.
After continuing the attack for about half an hour, we returned to the fortress. Those who had been firing Holy were reaching their mana limits. Arrows were also exhausted. No parent snakes or demons could be detected by Sense Living. There were no walls of darkness either.
Perhaps because they had lost their parent snakes and many of their companions, the surviving young snakes fled in total disarray. They seemed to be trying to get as far from the fortress as possible. Of course, the fled young snakes would become parent snakes. We had to exterminate them soon, but we had to save some strength. Rest is necessary to keep winning.
Upon our return, we were welcomed with cheers.
When Eowyn-sama declared victory, the excitement grew even more. Three members of the Wetlands Knight Order who were there even ascended. They changed from ghost forms into orbs of light. Sianya hurried to guide them to a place with few people, so I joined in the chanting of prayers for them.
"That makes five people now."
"Yes. That's five out of the fifty who came with us. I wonder if more will ascend if we have a banquet after returning home?"
"Shall we do it grandly?"
Sianya chuckled.
It's the opposite of normal that they decrease the more we win, but it's a happy thing.
"Jeanne, welcome back—"
The Wetlands Priestess came over.
"Good work. Your final use of Dark was magnificent."
"Right? Right? Look, there's that fat person who stayed behind, right? That person said Megiddo Fire would be the deciding factor. And then the ultra-high-level holy mage went off on the bowl, right? So he said we just had to endure until they returned. He said it was my duty to make sure the snakes couldn't block the Megiddo Fire at the final moment."
Ho ho. A magnificent strategy.
"Hey, was that pre-arranged?"
Both of them shook their heads. I heard from Eleanor-sama that that noble had trapped James-sama. I think he was a descendant of a hero.
The next morning, we went to investigate the ruins of the fortress where the demons had been. Just in case, I activated Sense Living above the pond, but no parents were detected. That's a relief.
We proceeded with the investigation, and as a result of removing rubble and digging around, a stone box came out. The ones until now had been rectangular, but this one was square.
When we opened the lid, a magic circle appeared as expected. Beatrix copied it down to take back to the fortress. The one in charge of analysis was Harrison-san, who specialized in holy-type barriers. The talk about the code had already been conveyed. Leaving it to him, we continued the young snake extermination.
After working hard to defeat three of them, it was evening. When we returned, the analysis was finished.
"It was just as you all predicted. This is a barrier to trap monsters in the wetlands. Of course, it was made by humans."
Well, that's within expectations.
"Was it a code?"
That was Beatrix's interest.
"It certainly was. I heard from Eleanor-sama. You did well to notice. Without that information, I would have made an incorrect analysis."
"Really! Great!"
She was overjoyed. This alone was a more than sufficient contribution.
According to Harrison-san, the magic circle he found was designed to activate two types of effects simultaneously with one magic circle. Those effects were: one to trap monsters, and another to further reinforce that effect. As a result of being reinforced, the effective range of the barrier expanded. Normally, it would stay within the range of the lines connecting the altars that form the basis of the barrier, but it seems it covered almost the entire wetlands... accurately, except for a part on the upstream side.
"I think it would have been easier to install it outside the wetlands. However, should I call it a man-made disaster? For example, someone who doesn't know the reason might change the position of the altar, or it might be used by an enemy nation. Therefore, I humbly surmise that it was intentionally installed inside the wetlands, and by expanding the range, they ensured the monsters of the wetlands wouldn't leave, and also made it so others couldn't easily enter the wetlands."
I see. You never know what humans might do. They looked ahead.
"Is that easy to do?"
"No, no, even this humble monk was only able to analyze it because of Beatrix's realization. It is not something simple. However, thanks to this, I will be able to do it in the future if it's the same method."
The two of them were smirking. They'll surely conduct experiments when they return to the village.
After that, until the one week agreed upon in the initial contract passed, we put our efforts into exterminating the fled young snakes and making frozen frogs for decoys. Unfortunately, it's vast; we can't possibly search the entire wetlands. The reinforcement group returned after one week, and the rest will apparently be handled by Northern Gram and Finis.
During our stay, the results of the literature search were also gathered, and the overall picture of the wetlands was mostly revealed.
Most of the teleportation magic circles connecting the wetlands to other places were effectively non-functional, with rocks placed on them or being buried. However, of the five exits on the inside, three were functional, merely surrounded by groves of trees. The entrance, as expected, was the bug-infested demon realm in Engrio where we had done the spider extermination, and it was presumed that the demons had been sending bugs through. The purpose was to secure food for the two-headed snakes. Since the wetlands lack undulations, they get good sunlight. It would be one thing if they lurked in the water, but for monsters that don't, both their size and breeding numbers would be insufficient. If they tried to increase the two-headed snakes, they would run out of food. The two demons we defeated must have been tasked with transporting food.
Then, who gave them that task? Presumably, it was the Ice Vice-Demon Lord. Inferring from the talk of the demon we defeated in the Western Plains, there's a high possibility the Demon Lord isn't instructing the rearing of monsters. We won't know until we explore the Ice Island, but presumably, the two-headed snakes were brought to these wetlands from the Ice Island by the Vice-Demon Lord. And someone who noticed that set up a barrier so they wouldn't leave the wetlands. The two-headed snakes became unable to escape, but the rearing was continued.
And the identity of the person who set up the barrier was also found. There was a record in the ancient documents kept at the Old Gram Capital Great Church.
"To think my ancestor was doing such a thing... I apologize for my half-baked knowledge regarding the legends. If it were the main family, they would have known, but since I am from a branch family... please forgive me."
The noble, who at first glance looked like nothing more than an unremarkable fat old man but was in fact an extremely excellent tactician with the blood of a hero, was bowing his head. If he's from a branch family, it can't be helped. Moreover, the person who made the barrier themselves had only recorded it as a familiar of a giant snake. It seems they didn't know about the Amphisbaena. Presumably, they set about the containment after defeating the Vice-Demon Lord. Unfortunately, just as demons are rampant, humans have yet to invent a barrier that can restrain demons. It seems they at least tried to contain dangerous monsters. The demons took advantage of that, and it became a rearing ground. It's a demon realm that no one touches. They surely didn't notice that far. However, fortunately, the two-headed snakes are huge. They were likely too big to be transported elsewhere.
By the way, the main family, which was the direct line, apparently died when the fortress was destroyed by the ultra-high-level magic James-sama fired in the previous war. Surely the books and such that recorded the legends kept by the main family were also lost.
Class of 175 Management Scale (excluding cash, jewels, etc., and personal assets)
・Stores: Main Store (Nakanohara, Kingdom of Sertoria), Second Store (Village near the Sertoria border in eastern Regnentes), Third Store (Sertoria Royal Capital), Fourth Store (Flatlands), Temporary Store (Primordia)
・Right of Free Passage and Free Commercial Rights: Medioland, Regnentes, Finis, Northern Gram, Primordia, Engrio
・Special Passage Permit: Primordia
・Farmland: Eight fields (including buildings with farm functions)
・Livestock: Goats, sheep, pigs, a few
・Contracted Animals: Eight swarms of honeybees
Chapter 22 End
This marks the end of Chapter 22.
Thank you very much for reading this far.
This chapter consisted of two parts: the battle against ghosts and the battle against demons and monsters.
The stage for both episodes was the wetlands. Regarding this terrain or type of land called wetlands, I honestly didn't understand it well, so I researched it while writing this chapter. As diligent readers already know, it apparently includes a very wide variety of terrains. From lakes and marshes to rivers and tidal flats. Please keep it a secret that I didn't know this until I looked it up.
Regardless of East or West, or ancient or modern times, there are many stories set in wetlands, and the same seems to be true in life history and war history. However, personally, I have an image of wetlands as the dwelling place of something suspicious. Am I too influenced by creative works? What exactly lives in the wetlands? This chapter was written while thinking about such things. Please refrain from pointing out that the result of my thinking—ghosts and snake monsters—is quite cliché.
Regarding this chapter, I have received new bookmarks and likes. I would like to express my gratitude again, including to those who have maintained them. Also, regarding the posting of this chapter, there were instances of forgetting to post or getting the reservation time wrong. To those who are reading through (there are some, right? I believe there are), I apologize for letting you down. I offer my sincere apologies.
Now, for the next chapter, I will post as usual. One interlude on Friday, and I will begin posting Chapter 23 from Monday after the holiday. If you read it and like it, please bookmark, rate, like, and leave your impressions.