Chapter 620 - Tenth Story: The Demon Realm in Northern Medioland ④
For the subjugation of the fourth one, the act of going to the base itself was different from before.
Wary of an ambush, instead of the Medioland scouts who usually go, the backup group decided to go. This is because if the Queen, sensing the activation of Teleport, suddenly activates a Charm, the scouts alone wouldn't be able to counter it. There are female soldiers in the Medioland scout corps, but they are not participating in this subjugation. The formation consists of the scout Bonnie, Eleanor-sama who can use all kinds of elemental magic, and me who uses Light.
"Well then, here we go. Move!"
The Simple Teleportation Magic Circle glows. It activated. At least, the magic circle itself hasn't been destroyed. Magic circles release mana. Setting aside strange things like slugs, ordinary insects and magical beasts are wary and don't approach, and the strength is higher than just the materials. It won't be damaged just by being gnawed on by ants.
When we arrive, there's a gnashing sound. There are ants right there. Perhaps several were teleported to the watchpost in exchange.
"As expected, they've tried to seize the base. A side hole has been dug separately from the entrance."
The entrance should have a monster-repelling barrier and silver gratings. They dug a hole bypassing that and broke through. Since we anticipated this, we jumped inside a triangular pyramid of Light.
Eleanor-sama immediately blew them towards the passage with Favorable Wind. We dismantled the triangular pyramid and temporarily blocked the base with a wall of Light. In the meantime, Eleanor-sama narrowed the entrance with Clump Sand.
As the second wave, Beatrix, Will, and Mary jumped in.
Mary froze multiple individuals simultaneously with Freeze, and when Beatrix fired Wind Cutters, they shattered into pieces.
After repeating that attack several times and advancing to the passage as if pushing out with the wall of Light, Eleanor-sama chanted Wind Barrier and made a deep plate.
"If it's coming, it'll be soon."
We waited for a while just like that, but the sensation of my back being scratched didn't attack. As expected, the ants reacted to high-level magic. This time we were hiding it with the wall of Light.
"It's just as I thought. Ants sense the activation of high-level magic."
That means. If we don't use high-level magic inside the nest, we might be able to launch a surprise attack.
Immediately, as the third and fourth waves, the men were called.
A deep plate-shaped bowl with holes and a lid was made, and we hid ourselves. For light, we used lanterns. Harold-sama was in charge of the lid.
It was fine even doing this much.
We all boarded just like that, canceled the wall of Light, and invaded the hollow.
When we entered the hollow, winged ants were buzzing around. Since we weren't using the wall of Light this time, they were normally bumping into the bowl. Since we were descending slowly, those that bumped into it just got caught. They crawled around and tried to stick their faces through the holes, but when they did, they'd enter the inside of the Magic Reflection. They pulled back as if repelled and just flew away somewhere.
"Did Magic Reflection have that kind of effect?"
Beatrix asked.
"Yes. It doesn't seem to be enough to cause damage, but it appears to cause pain and itching."
Eleanor-sama answered. Pain and itching means it must be reasonably painful.
"Then, can't we use it for rat extermination? Surrounding them so they can't escape. No, not just rats. I wonder if it can be used for other things. You know, like a barrier."
It might be possible for low-rank monsters, but rather than catching them with the mid-level Magic Reflection, wouldn't it be faster to just freeze them all together with the same mid-level Ice Cube?
"More importantly, weren't we seen?"
It was Harold-sama. As expected of a scout. His point of focus is different.
"That might be so. Let's increase the speed a bit before it's transmitted to the Queen."
When Eleanor-sama said that, the descent speed of the bowl increased.
We descended while pushing aside the winged ants hitting the bottom. One stuck its head into a hole at the bottom, but the vanguards and scouts stabbed and killed it with their swords. The carcass naturally fell, but since we were descending at almost the same speed, we'd probably succeed in the surprise attack by the time the Queen noticed.
"We'll break through shortly. I can see the Queen's form. However, she is armed."
Wilson-san, who has good night vision, spotted her sharply. But to think she's armed...
"She has several clumps of earth floating around her. It's probably Clump Sand. It's likely a countermeasure against the Ultimate Saucer. It can also block other magic."
The Queen is preparing a new way of fighting. As I thought, there must have been some kind of handover from the Queen we defeated earlier.
"Shortly, we'll break through the swarm of winged ants."
"Then let's take countermeasures. First, we need light. Beatrix, please fire eight Fire Balls in a ring towards the bottom. To the right of the bowl. After firing, move them left and right. Please don't move them under the bowl."
Eleanor-sama answered Wilson-san's warning. Her voice was calm.
At the same time Beatrix fired the Fire Balls, Eleanor-sama slid the bowl sideways. From where we had been, there were sounds like several clump-like things flying up from below. Surely, the Queen must have fired several rhombohedrons at the Fire Balls. One seemed to have been shot through, as I saw the fire burst.
Once we cleared the swarm of winged ants, the Queen was there.
Whether her abdomen was buried in the earth, I couldn't see the red, thick, long abdomen. She supported her body with her hind and middle legs, and was holding something in her front legs. It might be a countermeasure against blinding. Quite detailed.
As if protecting that body, several clumps of earth... probably rhombohedrons like two triangular pyramids joined at their bases, were floating. She'll block magic and deflect the saucer with those.
The bowl moved as if shifting to the left while descending. It's probably to keep the Queen from knowing our position, but since the swarm of winged ants was pushed aside, it might be obvious from below. As expected, several rhombohedrons flew and passed to the right of the bowl.
"She's not using Charm. She seems to understand."
Eleanor-sama, with her mouth tightened, was looking down at the Queen. It's becoming a struggle between the Queen and the former Queen.
"Wilson, please cancel those clumps of earth with Clump Sand. As much as possible is fine."
"Understood."
The attack began. To avoid having our position identified, she intends to fight with mid-level magic.
"Understood."
At the same time he replied, three or four rhombohedrons shattered as if exploding. The Queen immediately remade them. A battle of offense and defense—breaking and making—began.
"Harold. Please remove the lid. To the lower right of the bowl... the right side is fine. Please make a disk with Wind Barrier. Normal size is fine. Jeanne, use a wall with reduced output as a substitute for the lid. Someone, please take light with a lantern."
Successive instructions came from Eleanor-sama.
I thought Harold-sama was going to say something back, but he released the magic without saying a word.
Immediately, rhombohedrons fly. The plate is shaking and wobbling.
"Harold, please do your best."
"I-I know."
Harold-sama began to desperately control the plate so it wouldn't shake.
"Everyone, please prepare for a simultaneous attack."
She intends to decide it all at once. If it's like Eleanor-sama, then it's like her.
"Is everyone ready?"
The preparations are done. Everyone replies.
"Then, Mary."
"Yes! Glaciate!"
Mary turns the plate into a giant block of ice.
"Harold, please."
"Alright!"
When Harold-sama canceled the plate, the block of ice fell towards the Queen.
Immediately, several earth pillars thrust out from the side. Sand Pillar. The ice wasn't dropped from that high up. It crumbled several pillars, but eventually stopped.
"Prominence!"
The main event using the ice as a decoy. Wilson-san fires it. The priests fire Holy all at once. I also fired an eight-shot volley. At the same time, Mary cancels Glaciate. The block of ice becomes a mass of water and falls towards the Queen. Its speed controlled, the fireballs that began to shine white follow after it while crumbling the pillars.
Beatrix made a defensive wall with Wind Barrier, and Mary fired Glaciate repeatedly to turn it into a wall of ice. Beatrix lowered the defensive wall. Conversely, Eleanor-sama began a rapid ascent. Once again, we plunged into the swarm of winged ants. Since I'm illuminating at full power, the ants are fleeing more and more.
What did the Queen do with the masses of water and flame...
A sound close to an explosion was heard from below. Earth fell in heaps, but since I had slanted the roof of Light, we managed somehow.
"Kuh!"
Beatrix's face distorted. She must have received considerable pressure.
"Hang in there!"
Harold-sama grabbed both her arms. If she were pushed back, the defensive wall might attack from below.
"Water!"
"Glaciate!"
Wilson-san produced a large mass of water under the bowl, and Mary created a giant piece of ice based on that. A size like a carved-out iceberg fell all at once...
"Thank you, Harold-sama."
Beatrix, released from the pressure after canceling the defensive wall, thanked Harold-sama with a brilliant smile.
Wilson-san, then Beatrix and Mary, all fired Blizzard repeatedly to lower the temperature inside the hollow. Since there's no counterattack from the Queen, we must have defeated her. According to Wilson-san's observation, there's no movement at the bottom.
After returning to the Midway Base and watching the situation for a while, we remade the bowl. No Charm attacked us.
We attached the wall of Light to the bottom and descended into the hollow.
"The Queen's carcass isn't here."
Just as Beatrix said. The floor, exposed to water, flame, and ice, was scorched black. The humidity itself filled the entire hollow, but whether the flame won out, the soil on the floor was dry.
Even when we got off the bowl and illuminated the area, there was nothing. There were holes here and there, but the size was much thinner compared to the Queen's abdomen. They must be normal nest holes.
"Shall we try digging a bit?"
At Eleanor-sama's words, when Wilson-san dug where the Queen was thought to be, something like black charcoal came out. Digging further, there was a nasty smell. Digging even more, finally, the Queen's abdomen, looking half-cooked, came out.
"Let's just fire some magic for now."
In response to Beatrix's words, Eleanor-sama, Wilson-san, and Beatrix fired lightning magic, and the priests each fired Holy, completing the Queen's subjugation.
We contacted the third floor of the Demon Lord's cave using the magic circle for sending letters and installed the mesh containing Magic Stones.
With this, we've defeated four. There's only one Queen left for the holes connected to the third floor.
"Will the details of this battle also be transmitted to the next Queen?"
It was Harold-sama. The ants in the hollow are probably almost wiped out. If there are no survivors, information sharing to other nests shouldn't be possible. However, even until now, we've driven them to near total annihilation. At least, we haven't seen any living adults.
"Can't we consider the possibility that the Demon Race is monitoring?"
Harold-sama asked, but that's probably not it. Because the Deputy Demon Lord and Keira said so. The Demon Race can converse with magical beasts, but they can't converse with insects. Those who can are rather spirits... especially plant-based Dryads and Alraunes.
"I wonder what will happen next."
Eleanor-sama said that instead of an answer. It has been found that there are five holes connected to the third floor. In other words, we have to defeat one more.
"If I were the fifth Queen, I'd dig a hole sideways and run away. After all, we've dug vertical shafts so far, but we haven't dug side holes, right?"
It was Beatrix. That might be true. Even if the worker ants suffered damage close to total annihilation, as long as the Queen and some worker ants are there, they can regenerate the nest. The Queen will eventually lay eggs for male ants and soldier ants.
"If that really happens, will we just place the Magic Stones and be done?"
Price-sama asked. In a sense, that would be easier. If possible, I want the fifth one to run away.
"Wouldn't it be better to just dig a deep vertical shaft as it is and install the Magic Stones?"
Will said that escaping sideways would be faster than going vertically. Since they won't understand the aim of installing the Magic Stones, she suggested we should just appeal that humans won't dig side holes.
The four former heroes immediately nodded and showed agreement with Will's proposal. That would also make the effect of installing the Magic Stones higher. We already know there's a giant ant nest underground anyway. Digging to a certain extent should make it easier for them to be exposed to the released mana.
It was immediately put into practice, and the three who could use earth magic began digging a grand hole.
In the end, Beatrix's prediction came true, and there was no fifth Queen. We challenged it in a state of combat readiness, but the nest hole was perfectly normal, feeling the same as the other holes.
We dug about as much as the first and second times and reached the place thought to be the Queen's room, but it was an empty shell. There's no need to chase them even by digging side holes. I mean, it's dangerous because it might collapse. We installed the Magic Stones and called it finished.
The conquest of the fifth hole was finished for now, and the fourth day ended.
When I returned to the watchpost and observed the heroes' side, one whole ant hill was gone. It seems they are currently shaving the second one, and the top part has become flat. According to the scouts' information, they've apparently defeated one Queen. Since they are far apart, information sharing might be insufficient.
"I wonder if the Demon Race won't appear."
Since the terrain has clearly changed, they should know immediately if they were watching.
"Maybe there are an incredibly large number of nests. Maybe they don't care even if we defeat five or six Queens."
Beatrix, that's really not a joke.