Chapter 582 - Fourth Story: Place of Connection ②
As expected, the Fenrir attacked at night. All the horses had already been moved out of the forest. In case of emergency, Sianya will lead them as the village defense and reinforcement unit. Originally, Yorg-sama was planned to lead them, but I insisted on being the commander. In other words, we are in a state of combat readiness.
Howls echo through the forest. Judging by the tone of the howls, there are probably three. The one we already exterminated was a male. It's likely the other half of the pair and another pair. No matter how you think about it, they came for revenge. If we defeat them thoroughly here, the area around this forest should be safe.
A half-moon is out in the night sky. Even though it's surrounded by forest, the trees around the mountain cabin have been cleared. I can't see into the forest, but I can see to some extent around the cabin. It would be even more so for the veteran hunters and Hermit-sama.
During the day, we all worked together to cut down trees and widen the area around the mountain cabin. The cut-down trees, after having their branches trimmed for abatis, were all piled up to make a barricade. Since I've fought them many times, I know the Fenrir's jumping distance. A Fenrir coming out of the forest shouldn't be able to reach the cabin in a single leap. There will definitely be a gap somewhere. We'll aim for that.
The howls, which had been getting closer little by little, stopped.
In other words, from here on, it will be combat. Although the opponent is basic-level, they use lightning magic and are very fast, so magic is hard to hit. In contrast, intermediate Magic Reflection will not activate here. Anti-demon equipment is also limited. We have to work hard.
One Fenrir slowly came out from the shade of the trees. This kind of appearance is the same everywhere.
Just like that, it's sniffing the thing wrapped in fur placed on top of the barricade. It's the fur of its companion.
At the same time, several arrows fly from the roof of the cabin.
"Gyauun!"
Three arrows stick in. Since they are silver-white, the damage should be large. it stopped moving. Lightning magic flew from the shade of the trees. Four shots in a row. It hits the roof and yellow light bursts. Screams go up, and the sound of something human-like falling "dosari dosari" can be heard from the side where the wolves are not.
Two Fenrir and three Gray Wolves jumped out of the forest all at once. They chose a melee.
I raise the output of the Fireflies rolled around the barricade to the maximum.
Two of them stopped in surprise, letting out cries. They are Gray Wolves. Arrows rain down from the trees around. We defeated the two that stopped. Lightning flies toward the area where the arrows came from. Screams go up twice, and human-like figures fall while making the tree branches bend. Two of them.
Arrows are also being fired from the windows of the cabin.
Two Fenrir and one Gray Wolf climbed over the barricade. Arrows are fired from the windows of the cabin. The three, as if dodging, jump down from the barricade and run fiercely toward the cabin.
With a "hyu" sound, the stone thrown by Hermit-sama flies. One Fenrir jumped back to avoid it. Aiming for that moment, magic was fired, and its feet froze and it fell. It's Mary's Glaciate. She could only produce power equivalent to Freeze, but it was sufficient as a footstool. A silver-white arrow flies, and Harris-sama fires Holy repeatedly to finish it off.
One Fenrir stops and opens its mouth wide. When it fires magic toward the window of the cabin, immediately after, a Gray Wolf jumps into the cabin through the window. Fireflies are also set in the walls of the cabin. The light itself is weak, and since they are left on, they can't blind, but they can dazzle. It shouldn't be able to see into the cabin.
"Gyauun!"
A scream goes up.
Despite that, the Fenrir also jumped in.
And, right in front of me, it was pierced through the body by an abatis with a silver-white arrowhead attached.
"Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!"
I fired repeatedly along with Harris-sama to finish it off, and the battle ended.
No enemy reinforcements are coming. We won.
"Y-Yes! We won! We won!"
Yorg-sama jumped out from behind a table set up like a shield. For a while, he was poking the corpses of the Fenrir and Gray Wolves, but when he confirmed they weren't moving, he went outside the cabin as he was and shouted that we won.
Harris-sama, who was next to Yorg-sama, stood up with a sigh.
"Is it over? Good work."
He called out to me and Hughes-sama, who were crouching by the wall with the window.
I take the hand Harris-sama offered and stand up. Hermit-sama is carefully examining the wolves.
"They are dead."
By the time the examination was over, the allies who had been hiding here and there gathered in front of the cabin and began to cheer.
Three fire arrows were shot up. To call the carriage unit. One for emergency, two for recovery request, three for victory. Since it's three, they can come slowly.
Phillips-sama and Mary came down from the roof of the cabin. The two were hiding behind the chimney.
Phillips-sama made many boards with barriers carved into them and hung them from trees, limiting the wolves' invasion route. It would have been difficult if we were surrounded from four sides. Since the power is intermediate-level, we could have caught them if we wanted to, but we deliberately made them things the other side would just avoid. Because it's faster to finish them off here all at once than to catch one or two and have the others escape. The arrangement decided by Hermit-sama and Phillips-sama after consultation was splendid, and they successfully guided them in one direction.
The placement was centered on hunters who are good with bows. Those who climbed the trees nailed boards to the branches so they could stay in the trees for a long time. They fire silver-white arrows and dodge the Fenrir's lightning with the tree trunks. To be sure, many steel arrows were hung to change the direction the lightning travels. Thanks to that, it seems no one took a direct hit. People near whom lightning was fired were made to scream and drop straw dolls mixed with soil to pretend they were killed. Since the dolls were wearing the sleeveless furs the hunters wore, they must have been realistic even in smell. Anyway, there's only one silver-white arrow per person. After firing, they just hide.
The two knights who participated as Yorg-sama's guards dismounted and were on the roof of the mountain cabin. They piled sandbags in the middle and stuck many arrows to avoid lightning. Phillips-sama and Mary were also there. Of course, dropping dolls to pretend to be killed is the same.
The last is the mountain cabin. We widened the windows so the wolves would jump in. The trap that caught the wolves was an abatis with silver-white arrows attached as spearheads. We made them jump in there. They were caught easily because we were dazzling them with Light.
Inside the cabin, Yorg-sama, Harris-sama, Hermit-sama, and I were in charge. Harris-sama was in charge of the finishing Holy, Hermit-sama was in charge of diversion and situational awareness with stone throws, I was in charge of Light for dazzling and Holy, and Yorg-sama was spectating... rather, watching over us as the commander.
I leave the cabin and join Phillips-sama and Mary. By the way, Mary, who is particular about clothing, is the only one who has summer Green Marble and Black-Purple. They aren't ones with the sleeves cut like Matilda's. The sleeves are shorter than the elbow, just enough to hide the upper arm, and only go to the waist. For the lower body, she's wearing something like men's trousers cut around the shin. On her feet are lace-up shoes, which are also dyed Green Marble and Black-Purple. Since it's night now, it's summer Black-Purple. To be sure, I had cast Repellent on everyone, so there's no worry about being bitten by mosquitoes.
While the Sertoria group was gathered, Yorg-sama ran over in great joy. It wasn't just Yorg-sama. Hunters and knights also gathered.
"My, as expected of someone who actually does monster extermination on the White Island. Normally, we would deploy a hundred-scale force of soldiers and, while suffering many casualties, finally be able to defeat four or five, yet with a number of less than twenty, and moreover, we are unscathed. Including the portion from the day, four... let's see, Fenrir, was it, and nine of these gray ones, no, was it eight? To defeat this many. Moreover, three Fenrir are unscathed. My, the fur will sell for a good price."
That's right. I didn't think there would be Fenrir. Even if small, Fenrir fur and fangs are expensive. Moreover, it's mainland prices. It'll be double to triple the White Island's. Even split among the people, there should have been a sufficient profit.
However, I said I would do it for free this time. I can't retract it now.
"Now then, Jeanne-sama, you said you would do it for free, but we can't let it be so. By all means, please take the fur of this one that isn't injured back with you."
"N-No, since I said it's for free this time, it's fine. Also, if there is a next time, then..."
There's likely never going to be a next time in my life, but I'm a priest. I can't accept it by going back on my word.
"No, no, if I let you go back empty-handed, I'll be scolded by my father. Think of it as helping someone."
"N-No, no. It's really fine..."
The one who stopped the argument from continuing was Mary.
"Yorg-sama."
"Ah, yes. What is it, Mary?"
"Jeanne is a priest, so since she said it's for free once, it's difficult for her to retract that."
"However, for us too, in front of the subjects..."
"In that case, I have a good idea."
Mary's proposal was that she wanted to trade herbs between Yorg-sama and the Class of 175, which I belong to. However, she won't open a shop. She'll load the goods onto ships in the port. The countries where the Class of 175 has free trade rights in this port are four: Engrio, the Duchy of Harmonia, Primordia, and now the Duchy of Germania, which gained the rights through this visit. If there is a port Yorg-sama trades with, they can just take it there and transship it. Of course, there's a fee for using the port, but that's split.
"How about it? If our shop handles it, the condition would be that the King of Sertoria gives permission, but could we not exchange both parties' herbs at equal value? On our side, we can arrange herbs that only grow in high mountains or cold regions, which are likely hard to get in Sertogne. Of course, it's limited to things that can be picked on the White Island."
Clever. The third shop trades with the Dryads of the Royal Capital area. In addition, since she trades herbs with all the countries of the White Island except Morandine, she has an overwhelming connection compared to other businesses. Moreover, the trade is not limited to the Class of 175. Since the acquisition and management of herbs is also a topic at the epidemic countermeasure meetings, mediation to other countries is also possible.
"That's wonderful. Then, our products would be things that are hard to get on the White Island."
Yorg-sama also understands. He's quick to catch on.
"Then, since it's a good opportunity, let's conclude a contract with the Class of 175. Please leave the procedures here to me."
It was decided to exchange letters as soon as each other's procedures were finished. Regarding the free passage rights and free commercial rights, he said they could be issued limited to within the territory. His father's permission as the lord is necessary, but if Yorg-sama puts in a word, it should be fine. He seems to be quite trusted regarding management.
Next, Yorg-sama also showed an intention to purchase magic water. However, he was told to consult with Primordia for this. Our shop handles about one wagon's worth of goods per time. Selling scrolls is one thing, but this is too much. It's better to leave it to Sianya.
After offering funeral services for the exterminated wolves and taking the fur and fangs, we dug a hole and buried them. By that time, the reinforcement unit led by Sianya appeared.
"Good work. It seems it ended safely."
"Yeah. We managed to exterminate them all somehow."
Immediately, I talk about trade together with Mary.
Primordia has had a relationship with Sertogne since long ago, and there is a temporary shop of the Class of 175 that Sianya manages. It was decided that they would do herb trade. Likely, the Class of 175 will also undertake brokerage for each country of the White Island. And, Yorg-sama will likely be the contact on the Sertogne side. In other words, the talk will surely go to the Sertogne Royal Family.
Regarding magic water, as with the Duchy of Harmonia, it was settled by supplying the portion made in the wetlands while coordinating with others, including in times of emergency such as an epidemic outbreak.
The cleanup was also finished. When we tried to return, the knights said, "Wait."
"As you know, we were on the mission of defending the nearest settlement, wary of the wolf pack attacking the settlement, along with Sianya-sama. Then, those who usually adore Yorg-sama rushed over with us, carrying axes and such. Before long, those people will come in wagons, so please wait a while."
Sianya came riding on horseback behind a knight. The speed is different from carriages or wagons. Since meeting them on the road in the forest would be awkward, we decided to wait quietly in front of the cabin.
While waiting for a while, the voices of people could be heard. It feels quite noisy.
"In the end, more than two hundred men gathered."
More than two hundred adult men isn't the scale of a single farming village.
"That is, it seems the message also ran to neighboring villages. This is also the prestige of Yorg-sama, and by extension, the Lord."
The captain is laughing proudly.
That Yorg-sama, perhaps loosened by being released from tension, is dozing while leaning against the wall of the cabin. He is surrounded by knights and hunters like guards.
"It is said that Sertoria's first King, Guillaume-sama, played with the children of serfs without discrimination, and sometimes helped those children with their farm work. And, he built a country without a class system called Sertoria. This land is the land where that spirit dwells. It seems Yorg-sama has heard stories of Guillaume-sama since he was young and made him his model."
According to the captain, this land that the first King's mother received has been treated as a special place for generations and was ruled separately from the main family line. Now Yorg-sama is ruling it as a proxy. And, in this land, there is apparently something called a selection system devised by the first King after his accession and implemented by his mother, who was the lord at the time. Regardless of status, children who seem to have good behavior and good athletic nerves, or children who seem smart, are selected and educated. Those children, although limited to one generation, were active as direct subordinates of the one ruling this land. It seems the knights guarding Yorg-sama are all composed of those who were actually selected. Of course, those who are excellent at clerical work are assisting Yorg-sama at the mansion.
"Judging from your name, Jeanne-sama likely also has a connection to this land. The fact that you did wolf extermination with Yorg-sama like this might also be an arrangement by Guillaume-sama."
The captain laughed happily while looking at the sleeping Yorg-sama and the surrounding guards.
After that, it became a banquet. Because the neighboring farmers brought several wine barrels on wagons. Apparently, the captain arranged them for a victory toast.
We toasted at Yorg-sama's signal and made a lot of noise in the forest. The way Yorg-sama, who is at the center of the noise, behaves somehow resembles Henry-sama, I think it's not just my imagination. Compared to Henry-sama, he's quite clumsy, though.