Chapter 586 - Chapter 6: The Demon Realm in the Eastern Part of Engrio's Royal Capital ③
The next morning, we held a strategy meeting while eating breakfast.
First, there was an explanation of the transmission items from Eleanor-sama and the Bishop of the Engrio monster extermination unit.
First is from Eleanor-sama. According to the report from Northern Gram, there is no sign that a new magic circle has been installed at this point. The magic circle discovered yesterday was the one paired with the one found in the Northern Gram wetlands. Those two points were reported.
And, from the information gathered by the monster extermination unit, in the places where magic circles are expected to be, there are examples of bees and spiders, or ants, being found.
Yesterday, because we withdrew early, we had time. Even so, it's wonderful information-gathering power.
"Basically, it's the same as yesterday. I don't think the same trick will work, but we must proceed with the removal of the magic circles."
Including the ones that are unusable, there are four more. Of course, that's if they haven't installed new ones. And, maybe there's a magic circle connected to the third floor of the Demon Lord's cave.
"Then, let's just crush all the bees and spiders. Since ants have nothing to do with us if we're riding the bowl, how about basically leaving them alone?"
At the proposal from the monster extermination unit, Eleanor-sama agreed and the policy was decided.
The strategy meeting also ended, and by the time the sun was high, Falstaff-san and the others who had gone to the Royal Capital returned. From early morning, Carla and Annabella had gone to receive the oracle.
"How was it?"
If you see the two's smiling faces, you can tell the result at a glance. But, I have to ask.
"Um, I got Wind Cutter. And Annabella, right!"
Everyone looked at Annabella all at once. Suddenly being the center of attention, she is fidgeting with a red face.
"How was it?"
"Um. I learned three: Defend, Awake, and Warm."
That's amazing. She might become an intermediate mage next.
Wait? Wait a minute. The fact that she learned Awake means.
"Hey, could it be you're waking Carla up every morning?"
I learned Awake because I was waking Beatrix up every morning.
"Eh? Yeah. That's right."
As I thought. Which means.
"Could it be that Carla has a bad sleeping posture? Is Annabella fixing the sheets?"
It's already October. It's cold in the morning. If the sheets come off, she might catch a cold.
"Is that so?"
"U-Um. Because I'm early in the morning."
"T-Thanks."
There are various ways to learn magic, aren't there?
First is the spider from the place we went yesterday. There are still many left. Burning them was forbidden. I was wondering what they would do, when Eleanor-sama and Beatrix slammed the high-level lightning magic Thunder Bolt one after another on top of the spider webs.
Since they used Sense Living, it's easy to tell where the spiders are. They identified the locations and blasted them from directly above, and when the reaction of Sense Living disappeared, it was done. When they did that for the number of spider webs, it was finished easily.
"It feels quite different from our time..."
Carla and Annabella are stunned. At that time, Henry-sama or Eleanor-sama did something and drove the spiders out to where we were waiting in ambush.
"It means this is what happens when former heroes get serious."
At the end of their gaze, Eleanor-sama is sprinkling water with the Shower magic to extinguish the fire that started due to the lightning. A monster flying in the sky is a truly dangerous thing, isn't it?
The second place became the northern side. There are five places in total, but only one is a wetland. The monsters handled there should be different. It'll be snakes and frogs. If there is a second Demon Race, there's a possibility it's that one, so it was judged. So, we decided to proceed with the search in the forest first.
When we went, there were bees. As before, after reducing the numbers with stone throws and arrows soaked in holy water, my Holy, and Eleanor-sama and Beatrix's Wind Cutter, we covered them with the wall of Light and rushed toward the nest all at once.
The nest was made by digging a hole in a cliff. It was effective to suppress them with multiple Favorable Winds, as the Wetlands Priestess taught us. Eleanor-sama fired two shots with both hands, and Beatrix added one shot to stop their movement, and magic was fired into there one after another. They have already activated wind magic. Since power would be reduced by the wind system, Carla fired Energy Bolt and Annabella fired Holy.
After the two had fired five shots each, I canceled the wall of Light, deployed Magic Reflection behind the staff, and finished it off by firing three shots of concentrated Over-Flow.
As expected, there were also spiders. We draw them onto the map just like the southern side and identify the location of the magic circle. As expected, it was a grove of trees. The difference is that the type of weeds growing is different. I knew immediately when I enlarged it. It's a type of ivy. It's growing from the grove. Moreover, it's covering the shrubs growing at the base of the grove. In other words, there is a space under the ivy. Ivy is evergreen. It'll be a camouflage to hide the magic circle even in winter.
When the bowl descended and Beatrix fired Wind Cutter, there was a sound like timber collapsing. It would be the support poles they were having the ivy crawl on. It's quite elaborate. Previously, in the mountains of the West Belly, I saw an extremely sophisticated camouflage applied to the entrance of a cave. Speaking of the Demon Race, there's an image of caves, but they might unexpectedly have a talent for craftsmanship.
When we blew away the support poles tangled with ivy with Favorable Wind, the magic circle came out. Teleport. We immediately take turns copying it to analyze it. During that time, we protected ourselves with the flipped bowl and the wall of Light, but there was no particular attack.
With this, we've crushed three places. There are two left. The west is apparently a somewhat high-altitude wasteland. It seems several small streams are flowing, so the water flowing from the surrounding mountains likely gathers and is poured into the wetlands. The east is a wetland, and the magic circle would be on something like a sandbank. Surely, the Demon Race will come out at either one. What will we do?
"What will you do? King Seldic said not to use fire magic."
We finished the second day's investigation and withdrew. After returning to the inn, washing off our sweat, and having a strategy meeting while having dinner, Falstaff-san asked. Here, I finally understood the reason why Falstaff-san came. Because he is a person who can say "Wait" to the two delinquent old people. In other words, he's a monitor.
"Is there any information about the one in the east that is thought to have been removed? There might be a hint for the conquest in that area."
When Eleanor-sama asked, everyone shook their heads. In other words, humans haven't interfered. And there's no disaster. It means the magic circle was removed for some other reason.
Removal by the Demon Race themselves, huh? Moreover, it's a wetland. The ones transferred would be frogs, snakes, and things like centipedes and millipedes.
Wait? Maybe I found out the reason why the wetland one was crushed.
"Um, excuse me, is it okay?"
"What is it, Jeanne? Did you think of something?"
Before answering Eleanor-sama, there's something I must confirm.
"I ask the Engrio people, have slugs been confirmed in the wetlands?"
At the sudden question, the members of the monster extermination unit have puzzled faces.
"E-Eh. Quite a number of individuals have been confirmed. However, slugs are just there, they aren't a threat and have no utility value. Besides, those can't be exterminated, so they are left alone."
Hehehe, it seems the secret of Eleanor's armor hasn't been leaked.
No, that's not it.
"Actually, slugs have a habit of gathering at magic circles."
After all, they even approach magic circles for repelling monsters. They are absorbing the minute amount of mana emitted from the magic circle.
"Then, the slugs are blocking the Teleportation Circle?"
"Yes. I think so. As you know, neither weapons nor magic work on those guys."
In other words, Subordination doesn't work either. However, since they are just slimy, if you spread a net and catch them, you can transport them. Eleanor-sama, who keeps slugs, knows this well. However, if there are many slugs in the wetlands, they will surely gather immediately no matter how many times you drive them away. The Demon Race must have given up.
"I see..."
The members of the monster extermination unit sighed, and Falstaff-san laughed loudly.
"I-It's quite conceivable."
Eleanor-sama is also laughing. If it's as I guessed, we might be able to get a large number of slugs. No, just trying to catch those and take them home would be suspicious enough.
The policy was decided. Tomorrow morning, after confirming the slugs, we'll go to the western wasteland. We'll have a decisive battle with another Demon Race there.
The next day, we set out early in the morning and once traversed over the demon realm.
As expected, there was a place where slugs were gathered, so there's no mistake in my guess.
Ignoring Eleanor-sama, who was looking at them longingly, we passed by and entered the fort for monitoring. The fort commander, who received word from the monster extermination unit, came out to meet us with his whole family, but we stopped at just a break until the sun rose to a high position, and as if turning back, we arrived at the area where the western magic circle would be.
Speaking of wastelands, it would be large and small rocks sticking out of the ground. While looking for a rocky area that looked like that, we found a place surrounded by rocks in a circle, not so far from the edge of the wetland. A small stream is flowing nearby. If frogs are jumped here, they can go straight to the wetland.
In the upper air, two of the monster extermination unit's bowls are visible in the sun at a very high position.
"Now, let's go."
Eleanor-sama's instruction came, and the operation began. The bowl dives toward the target all at once.
"Cocytus!"
It's a preemptive attack by Eleanor-sama. To the speed of the diving bowl, the acceleration of firing the giant ice pillar is added. If it hits directly, it'll be able to destroy the magic circle itself.
At the same time as the firing, the descent ended, and the bowl began a rapid ascent. A load that felt like I would collapse was applied, and I unintentionally became bow-legged.
While I was gripping the edge of the bowl, a heavy sound echoed from below.
"It hit."
When I twisted my neck and looked down, I could see the area around the target point was covered in ice. Since the ice pillar is stuck in the place thought to be the target point, the magic circle must have been crushed. We succeeded in a surprise attack. Or so I thought...
"It was Camouflage. Look closely."
When I enlarge it with Sight, part of the ice pillar is buried in the rock. It's not stuck in. The proof is that although the surrounding area is covered in ice, the rock isn't frozen at all.
"They are quite tough. We humans don't seem likely to see through that Camouflage. We don't know where the magic circle is at all."
The ones who can detect it are dwarves, elves, or beastmen. However, we can't involve them. Since the search range is wide, we can't just fire magic at random. Besides, because it's hidden, we don't even know if it actually hit.
However, the fact that they are protecting the magic circle this much means they likely don't know that the Northern Gram magic circle was broken. Still, pretending to be deceived is also important. We contacted the monster extermination unit to the effect that we would return as we were, and it was decided to return to the inn after taking altitude.
"Hey, can't we use those slugs?"
It's Beatrix. I don't think it's good to do blatant collection in a potentially hostile country.
"If we catch those and release them here, won't they go toward the magic circle?"
I see. That's true too.
Eleanor-sama also clapped her hands.
We hurriedly return to the fort. The fort was built by the river. There should be riverboats. Since it was our second appearance, the commander was flustered, but when we told him our business, he cooperated. We don't need a very large ship. Just to put slugs on. He provided five small boats.
We gathered leftovers from the fort and surrounding villages and put them on the boats. We just hang them with the medium-sized bowl and leave them in the wetlands. We prepared several of those. According to Eleanor-sama, slugs are also slow to eat. We decided to leave them as they were and wait at the fort.
When the sun went down and it became dark, we began action.
To prepare for an emergency attack by the Demon Race, we had the monster extermination unit wait at the fort. We also had Carla and Annabella get off.
We fly out of the fort, hook a rope to the boat where the slugs have boarded and are scavenging the leftovers, and hang it from the medium-sized bowl. We soared into the upper air and advanced, hiding our presence halfway. We flew just like that to the place where the magic circle was expected to be, and based on the map drawn by Bonnie and Beatrix, we lowered the boats in pre-determined places. Beatrix drove them away with fire magic while lowering slugs in three places per boat. Since it would be a pity if they dried up, we sprinkled water with Shower. We did that five times and placed slugs in a total of fifteen places and returned to the fort.
"I hope it goes well."
Falstaff-san, who came out to meet us, thanked us.
"I hope so too. Let's go see first thing tomorrow morning. Depending on the case, it'll be a whole day of observation."
"Understood."
After that, we took turns keeping watch for an attack by the Demon Race until dawn.