Chapter 627 - First Story: Exterminating Engrio's Ants ⑤
After the Cumulonimbus clouds vanished, four bowls charged and surrounded the cliff with Magic Reflection. From the side, they are releasing Over Flows with reflectors as much as they can. The holy light is repelled by the Magic Reflection, and the space shines white as if it were cut out in a square.
By the time the light subsided, the Camouflage had been dispelled.
In the middle of the piled-up reddish-black ant carcasses, only an individual whose abdomen was swollen many times larger than a worker ant's is gnashing its jaws. Surely, it's the Queen. Once again, an Over Flow with a reflector is released. This time it's a direct hit because it can be seen. On this side too, everyone released magic all at once. The mages with Wind Cutter, and the priests with Holy. I also fired an eight-shot volley.
The Queen, who took several direct hits of magic, is lying on her side, perhaps unable to support her body with her legs.
Silver arrows concentrate on the abdomen, and spears are thrust from the approaching bowls. Finally, King Seldic, standing on the edge of a bowl transformed into a plate, cut off her head. When he thrust the tip of his silver spear into the mouth of the tumbled Queen, he held it high.
"Everyone, look!"
Cheers arise. We finally defeated the Queen.
We struggled quite a bit even though she was on the ground. In the end, it was just like a siege. We could only take her down because we could attack from the sky using Flight Magic, but it would have been absolutely impossible with just the ground. No wonder they couldn't conquer it until now.
"The coordination with the main body went well, didn't it? Falstaff, thank you for the contact to King Seldic."
"No, no, it's because you two set the stage this far."
I see, Falstaff-san contacted him. But, if possible, tell us beforehand... wait, this development happened before. Could it be Director Paul's production?
According to Falstaff-san's story, the backup from allies was decided from the beginning.
"Didn't you say at the beginning that backup would come?"
Come to think of it, I feel like I was told.
"I thought they'd come eventually."
"That's right, that was the story."
"I was wondering when they'd come, though."
"I forgot."
Only the last one, Lyudmila, probably spoke her true feelings.
In any case, we successfully defeated the ant Queen.
"It went well. I thank you for your cooperation."
King Seldic brought his bowl closer. Other bowls are attacking the worker ants. Since the winged ants were also turned into wingless winged ants by being frozen, there's no aerial battle. The mopping-up operation should be easy too. Carla and Annabella are also releasing magic. Both of them must have hit the Queen too. Since it was basic, there probably wasn't much damage, but they were finally able to subjugate her. They might learn mid-level magic.
"The series of attacks stopping the opponent's movement with Cumulonimbus and dealing great damage with Holy was impressive."
"I'm honored to be praised."
"The timing of the backup was also exquisite. You must have surrounded them when the opponent got used to our monotonous attacks and started parrying them. At the point where there was tension in the early stages, they would have surely noticed."
"That's the feat of Falstaff, who gave us the contact."
"No, no, it's a story based on Eleanor-sama's instructions. As expected of Eleanor the Tactician, I'm impressed."
"No, no, I left the timing of the final backup request to you. In that difficult situation, you performed your duty well."
They are praising each other as fellow kind.
"Leave the rest to us and rest."
It seemed like it would be endless, but King Seldic interrupted, so I was finally able to take a break. Honestly, I became sleepy because I consumed a lot of mana.
"Are we doing the inner side tomorrow?"
That night, when we returned to the room after the dinner and operation meeting, Beatrix asked.
Since everyone slept a bit after returning, they are energetic. They might stay up until late at night.
"Tomorrow, the Sertoria group seems to be only scouting."
The duty of scouting the high-elevation region in the west came around. For the ants in the inner southern side, Engrio will reproduce the method of the outer side. This is so that if the backup group isn't there, Engrio can deal with it on its own when they resurrect in the future. Since there are Sense Living users in Engrio too, they'll start from the water attack while proceeding with the exploration carefully. It has been proven many times in actual combat that the range attack of Freeze is effective against winged ants. King Seldic judged that they could do it as long as they could prepare the bowls.
"What's in that high place?"
Beatrix immediately asks.
"I heard there might be a passage that ants pass through."
The two rows of hilly areas, inner and outer, in the north and south and the valleys between them are connected in the west. It's a scout based on everyone's suggestion that it's better to explore that connection part and confirm what's going on.
"Maybe there's something strong there."
For Beatrix, who wants to become ultra-high-level, it's probably better if there's something strong. If there's nothing, she'd want to fight the Queen.
"Is that the Demon Race?"
Oh, Lyudmila said it. Carla and Annabella turned pale.
The next morning, we departed on Wilson-san's bowl.
We fly straight west. On the way, we scouted the place where humanoid monsters are.
It's the central western part of the Demon Realm. It's beyond the marsh spreading west of the fortress. Eventually, we plan to conquer this place too.
Topographically, the river flowing from the high place in the west flows through the middle and inner side of the two hilly areas that correspond to the outer edge of the Demon Realm. The central part is as if it's protected by double walls and trenches. And the central part is lined with wasteland, marsh, and forest from east to west. By the hilly area where ants live, and the river and marsh, the activity range of monsters is limited, and humans and monsters have completely lived separately. I wonder if it was really made naturally.
When we entered the central part beyond the marsh, we entered the scouting mission while magnifying with Sight.
Trolls, Cyclopes, Orcs, Ogres, Fenrirs... they are all there. Perhaps because it's morning, they are all lying down and spending time quite leisurely. The forest area is slightly wider than the entire Flatlands. There are ponds here and there. Given the size, there must be several swarms. Even though there should be no war with humans, they are armed with helmets and chain mail. What they are hanging from their waists must be swords. They also have bows and arrows. Trolls and Cyclopes only have cloth wrapped around their waists, but there are things like clubs nearby. Given that their equipment is proper, I can only think they are not strays. I can only think the Demon Race is involved. The forest area has clearly recognizable undulations, but maybe there are caves and they are using them as their strongholds.
"I can see things like wooden fences and huts."
Bonnie found them immediately. They are probably installed in places where they can't be seen, hidden in the tree shade. When everyone searched, there were others like watchtowers. I wonder if it's a type of ivy? Because it's wound around, it's hard to distinguish even from above. You can tell if you magnify with Sight, but you might not be able to distinguish from a distance. Maybe the Orcs lying around the pond in the open area are doing that on purpose to deceive scouts?
"Bonnie, suppose this entire forest area is a fortress. How is the structure?"
"Um, I think the front is east. Maybe the place where the general is is the high-elevation region in the west."
"Why do you think so?"
According to Bonnie, the fences and watchtowers are only large enough to be hidden in the tree shade, but their arrangement is mostly on the eastern slope. There are also small cliffs, or rather, height differences here and there. It's an arrangement that skillfully uses the undulations, and those who advance from the east and try to bypass the fences are guided to narrow areas. Beyond the narrow areas, the places where trees don't grow are connected to depressions between the undulations, and they've become ponds or fields. It's perfect for driving in and surrounding the enemy. On the other hand, there's almost nothing on the western slope, not even a height difference. Not to mention the deployment of garrison soldiers, the attacking side also can't put in many people.
"You distinguished it well. Probably, the western end is the enemy's main citadel. I heard it's a place where almost no humans have entered until now, so please scout that place thoroughly too."
"Understood."
She says it lightheartedly, but this might finally be bad.
We proceeded west and reached the sky above the inner hilly area.
If the entire Demon Realm is a horseshoe shape with its mouth open to the east, the western part is, so to speak, the bottom. Observing that terrain, from the west there are hilly areas, valleys, and high-elevation hilly areas.
As for the outer river, it was easily distinguishable that there was a place where the valley between the hilly areas was dammed up from east to west and became a lake, and that would be the beginning of the river. Because there were several flows to the west.
The one that was hard to distinguish was the inner river. Probably the high-elevation hilly area itself is the water source, meaning there is no inner river at the bottom part of the horseshoe shape. However, there was a region with several ponds. I couldn't tell at a glance, but as we looked closely with everyone while magnifying with Sight, a flow hidden by overhanging tree branches was found. The ponds are connected by such narrow small streams flowing through the forest. Among such small streams, some of the flows heading west gathered into the outer lake, and other flows split into north and south and became the source of the inner river. In other words, the north and south are divided by ponds and small streams.
"But the ants here build bridges, right? Don't they cross things like that?"
"That's right. If ants can't cross north and south, there might be some other cause."
"A monster that ants fear?"
"I wonder."
I wonder if there's a monster that those ants, who can't communicate with the Demon Race, would fear.
As we proceeded further with the scouting, we saw one bee flying.
"I thought the bees were gone..."
Carla muttered.
"The ones we defeated last time were on the outer side, right? This is the inner side, so the story might be different. Also, a lot of time has passed since then. There's a possibility they've resurrected."
This is the tricky part about insects or monsters. If there are original insects or beasts, they resurrect. Of course, unlike magical beasts that leave their families once they grow and increase the number of individuals, bees increase the swarm with one Queen, so I think it takes a lot of time.
"Shall we mark that bee?"
We observe for a while, but there's no particular change. Whether it's seeking prey, it's just flying aimlessly through the tree canopy.
"It's a hassle."
As soon as Eleanor-sama said that, she released a Wind Cutter.
Ehhhhh! The swarm will come to retaliate!
"Jeanne, please make a wall of Light. Wilson, once the ceiling is done, please descend."
Apparently, she intends to pinpoint the nest and annihilate it. I don't think that's what 'marking' meant.
While repelling the bees, as we traced back the direction they were flying from, there was a hole in the cliff.
"This looks like there's something."
The hole is so natural that I can't believe it was made. The outline is too beautiful. It's a horizontally wide rectangle. The bees fly from there.
On the way here, I saw several white fluffy things near the ground, so there should be spiders too. The back... that is, the east, has a long, thin lake that is also a water source, and the forest continues slightly, and from there several ridges emerge to the east as if rising. The cliff is at a part of the north-facing slope that was cut away between the ridges. It's a perfect place to monitor those who have taken to the ridges or those who pass through the valleys. If it were humans, they'd also make a hole on the south-facing slope to make it a watchpost, but they are monsters. The north side must be good. Even so, it's quite strictly guarded.
"Probably, the main event is in the middle of these peaks."
Eleanor-sama said while watching the bees, which swarmed and were repelled by Harrison-san's Over Flow with a reflector, falling one after another.
The bees are perhaps in the middle of rebuilding, as their numbers aren't large. Since there are only dozens of them, she judged they wouldn't be a threat, and it became a defensive battle by Harris-sama alone.
"I wonder if they'll come out if we crush the bees?"
The mage who wants to become ultra-high-level hopes for a strong Demon Race member.
"Shall we try crushing one?"
"Let's try!"
It was decided easily, and I ended up participating too.
The method is simple. After driving away the bees by raising the output of the wall, we evacuate to the sky. We pull up to the nest hole in a bowl with holes and a lid, and explore with Sense Living. Once we confirm an existence that seems to be the Queen, we thrust the tip of the staff into the hole, cast Magic Reflection on the tip of the staff, and with an eight-shot volley of Over Flow with a reflector, then an Over Flow with a reflector and a Holy Lance from each of the priests, it was mostly settled.
Saying that it's fine as long as we defeat the Queen, we look for the next bee nest. It was when we entered the exploration of the north-facing slope of the adjacent peak.
"It's coming!"
At Eleanor-sama's words, when we all crouched at once, lightning hit the ceiling with a roar, and it tilted greatly towards the back.
As long as the lid doesn't come off, we won't fall outside. However, because it tilted too much, everyone tumbled to the back. While we were clumped together at the back as if folded on top of each other, whether we lost balance, we just fell down unsteadily.
"Everyone, grab on."
Wilson-san shouted, but where was he telling us to grab on?
I had no choice but to grab my staff with my right hand and something that was close at hand with my left hand. Looking, it was Lyudmila's arm, which she had reached out to me.
The bowl hit the tree canopy, and while breaking branches with a snapping sound, it continued to descend, landed from the back, and just like that, the front also fell, and finally, it fell completely to the ground.
"You fell on purpose, didn't you?"
Beatrix is poking in.
"It would be good if something appeared because of this."
Really, what part of this is a scouting mission?