Chapter 634 - First Story: Exterminating Engrio's Ants ⑫
Because the commander who fell from the sky stopped moving, the monsters screamed and fled.
I thought about taking her head, but we decided to descend and capture her.
When illuminated by the Fire Ball Lyudmila produced, she was rolling her eyes. She had a huge lump on her head. Although Lyudmila, who struck her, is small and thus not very strong, it was a silver staff. It seems to have dealt a fair amount of damage. First, Wilson-san cast Sleep at full power.
As for the tools for capture, Will had an enhanced version of the rope for restraining the Demon Race that she had learned from Bishop Harrison.
"Is silver thread woven into it?"
"Yes. Eleanor-sama devised it. Since we don't know up to what level it can firmly restrain, we'll be using it experimentally."
It was a single roll, but it was quite long. She ended up wrapped up like a bagworm. Moreover, we even put Magic-Sealing Rings on her, also calling it an experiment. Since they were for all types, if they work, she won't even be able to use Forbidden Magic.
"After that, a blindfold and a gag. For the gag, Jeanne's rope should be fine."
Mine is only purified with holy water, so it should be manageable up to C-rank. This Demon Race member is likely B or higher, so it might be bitten through.
"She can't use magic anyway. It shouldn't matter if it's bitten through."
Will said so and made a knot, then pushed it into her mouth. She wrapped her up until only her eyes remained. From the look of it, you couldn't tell what she was. We brought her back to the fortress and hung her from a beam in the warehouse over a mid-level barrier I drew. Will took charge of the guard, centered around her silver spear, sword, and throwing knives.
We contacted Eleanor-sama to say we had captured the Demon Race woman, but she instructed us to wait as we were.
"I wonder what's happening over there?"
Even though they were attacked by ants, it's taking too long. Could it be that the Orcs were also more numerous over there?
We decided to go see how things were for a bit, and Wilson-san and I went to check things out in the ultra-high-speed bowl. Officially, it was reconnaissance. The monsters fled when the Demon Race woman was captured. However, they might come back to take her. Wilson-san explained it that way to the commander to bluff. I just stayed silent. Of course, Harris-sama, Will, and Lyudmila must have noticed, but they said nothing.
Going at ultra-high speed, it was over in an instant. Since we were hiding our presence, even our allies shouldn't be able to see us.
Since we decelerated, I looked down and saw them burning bonfires grandly. When I zoomed in with Sight, soldiers were lined up on the outer wall. That said, it didn't seem like a battle was occurring.
"What's going on?"
Since it was dark, I didn't know for sure.
"They're surrounded by ants."
"By ants?"
They were apparently surrounded by countless ants.
"Do you remember that the fortress was along the river?"
"Yes."
There were several riverboats, and we borrowed them when we used the slugs.
"They've dug a water moat to connect with that river and surround the fortress, and furthermore, outside of that is likely Glaciate. They've made an ice wall. However, it seems to have been breached. By creating a wall of air with Wind Barrier inside the moat, they're preventing the ants' intrusion."
I wondered if bridges had been built over the rush-job water moat and ice wall.
"The ice wall is like that. The moat is filled with ant corpses in places."
Pushing with numbers... Is that what it is...
Even if they try to repel them, since they're taking turns spreading Wind Barriers, the use of magic is restricted. Of course, they must have attacked quite a bit. Since Eleanor-sama and others are there, there are multiple ultra-high-level mages.
"This is just a guess, but they didn't all surround them at once. Several swarms must have attacked intermittently. At first, they must have repelled them with magic. Because there were too many, they must have been cornered to the point where they had to worry about mana depletion."
Since the opponents are small, even if a large technique is fired, the damage to the whole is limited. More than that, mana depletion is scarier. They can manage if they take breaks. They must have been enduring like that.
"Ants don't easily back down once they start an attack. Especially since it's night now. Things might change when the sun rises."
"But didn't the ants start the attack during the day?"
"Yeah, but now we've captured the Queen. Since she's unconscious now, the restraint by magic might also be weak. Besides, what if we kill her? During the night is one thing, but they might withdraw when the sun rises."
Well, that's true, but wouldn't it be bad to just defeat her without even interrogating her after we went through the trouble of catching her?
They'll resurrect anyway even if killed. For the opponent, it might be faster to be killed since it's less of a hassle.
"Eleanor-sama probably thought so too and ordered us to wait. They seem to have managed to prevent the ant attack somehow. There's no point in attacking anyway. They'll likely wait until the sun rises. By then, they'll have decided what to do with the Demon Race member we captured."
Since there was no progress, we decided waiting for contact was fine, and we returned after doing a simple reconnaissance by flying around the vicinity.
"How was the result of the reconnaissance? Bishop Jeanne."
For some reason, King Seldic was there.
"We didn't see any monsters nearby. I think they fled back to the forest."
"I see. It's the achievement of you all who captured the Demon Race member."
"Is things okay over there?"
When I asked, he said he came here because it was a stalemate. He left Falstaff-san and all the ultra-high-level mages there, and only brought the bowl user and two scouts.
"Did you interrogate the Demon Race member?"
Everyone had been hesitant, thinking that such things weren't for subordinates to do.
"Then shall we interrogate her? Commander, please be present. Ah, can I also ask Bishop Harris and Bishop Jeanne?"
"Me too?"
Until now, I had been told that I didn't need to be present for the interrogation of important prisoners.
"Yeah, in the sense of also being guards, it's better to have you all who can use high-level holy magic. However, I'll be the one doing the interrogation and negotiation, so don't say anything unnecessary."
When I looked at Harris-sama, he nodded. Well, it can't be helped.
"You've restrained her quite strictly."
King Seldic laughed as he saw the Demon Race member who was practically a bagworm.
"Since she is of the Demon Race, after all."
"I see."
Of course, we've cast Magic Reflection on her. We've put Magic-Sealing Rings on her, but just to be safe.
The crucial Demon Race member was sleeping. Wilson-san deactivated Sleep, and I removed the gag, but she was sleeping with her mouth open.
"Wake her up."
"Yes!"
At King Seldic's words, the commander tried to hit her with the butt of his spear.
"Um, please don't be too violent."
As a priest, I can't overlook the abuse of prisoners.
"Then what shall we do?"
"Let's see..."
I thought it would be fine since she's a strong Demon Race member, but when I cast Wake Up, she woke up with a scream.
"That hurts! What do you think you're doing!"
Since she's wrapped up, she's only rolling her eyes and moving her mouth.
"I see."
At King Seldic's words, everyone looked down and their shoulders were shaking.
I never thought it would hurt that much. I'm sorry.
"It's our victory, then."
"Shut up, don't go confirming it every single time."
"Since we've won, I'll have you accept our conditions."
"Just kill me already."
She was sulking with a huff.
"I won't kill you. You'll resurrect anyway, won't you?"
"That can't be helped since I was born that way. It's your fault for not being able to resurrect."
Which one do you think is normal? I can't empathize at all.
"We won the match against you."
"Hmph."
"Since we won, I'll have you accept our say."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I've already told you. Allow human hunters to enter this region."
King Seldic is...
"Are you serious?"
She became serious.
"Naturally."
"What if I refuse?"
"It's simple. After I kill you, I'll gather an army and eradicate the monsters here."
"Tch. A threat?"
"It's not a threat. There's no other way to hunt safely."
The Demon Race woman let out a long sigh. After all, we won.
"Fine. It can't be helped since I lost. I'm telling you, if humans make a move first, you'll punish them, right?"
"Yeah, I promise. Let's form a contract."
"If you violate it, it's a breakdown!"
"I know."
"Even if the Demon Lord is resurrected!"
"Yeah, until he's subjugated."
"Keep talking. Next time it'll be your turn to die."
Good grief. He really formed a contract.
"And one more point."
"What, is there more?"
After saying that the specifics would be summarized later, King Seldic said as if he had just remembered.
"That western hill range of this Demon Realm. Let us investigate it."
"That's my home. Are you going to search a woman's house? You're a nasty guy."
"I didn't know you had a home there. Then, I'll have only women do the investigation."
"Fine. Do as you like. However, I won't answer no matter what I'm asked, and if you try to take my things home, I'll kill you."
"I'll make sure to tell them."
King Seldic, nodding with satisfaction, looked at my face.
"Bishop Jeanne, I'll have you join the investigation."
Does King Seldic think there's a ruin of a secret book in the western hills? In other words, he has the same idea as us.
"There might be the ruin in question. If there is, our nation will also enter the investigation."
"Please speak about that through the Church."
As I thought, it's that. This person is incredible. He's serious in various ways.
"What's a ruin?"
The Demon Race woman asked. She doesn't seem to know.
"It's a ruin left by our human ancestors for those of later generations."
"Heh, there's such a thing."
"Don't you know? It might be a place that you Demon Race or especially weak monsters like ants can't approach."
The Demon Race woman looked diagonally upward. She might have some memory of it.
"Do you know?"
When King Seldic asked, she laughed, "Hehehe."
"Assuming I know, do I have any reason to tell you?"
"Hehehe, none. Then, we'll search on our own. Don't interfere."
"Yes, yes. As I just said, as long as you don't pilfer my things. And since it's my home, I'll have you let me be present."
"As a member of the Demon Race, you might not be able to enter the ruin."
"That might be so, but at least the entrance should be fine, right?"
"Do you have some idea?"
"Hehehe, well, I wonder."
She definitely knows something.
The interrogation ended, and the Demon Race member was untied. Because she's going to withdraw the ants.
"While I was sleeping, what happened to the Orcs?"
When I looked at King Seldic, he gave me a look. This is something only I among those here can talk about.
"They fled. We didn't particularly chase them either. We just let them flee without any pursuit."
"You left them alive, then."
"Yes. At least after that."
"I see. Thank you."
She was smiling brightly. She cares about her subordinates.
"But since it was in the middle of battle, we haven't offered prayers. If it's okay, I think I'll bury them and offer prayers tomorrow morning."
"It's fine, monsters are left in the open when they die."
"But as a human priest, I can't overlook it. The Ghouls would also have a hard time."
When I mentioned the Ghouls, the Demon Race woman laughed and patted my shoulder.
After resting until dawn, the Demon Race woman said she would withdraw the ants and went to the base in the bowl with King Seldic, and I was also made to ride along.
The soldiers who saw King Seldic and the Demon Race woman descend to the fortress were in an uproar, but when Henry-sama, who grasped the situation, praised King Seldic along with Eleanor-sama and at the same time celebrated the end of the battle, they cheered with joy. Humans officially reconciled with the Demon Race. Even though there was a victory or defeat in the process, it's an unprecedented thing.
"If the Demon Lord is resurrected, we will break off and fight as those belonging to each other's camps. However, that is the same even between humans. For now, I want to celebrate that conflict has vanished in this land."
As King Seldic said that while watching the ants returning to the forest in a long line with the morning sun at their backs, wine barrels were prepared.
"There's only a little wine, so I'll present it all to you. We'll drink beer."
"Is that okay?"
Even if he said there's only a little, there are ten barrels. She immediately opened one barrel and started drinking.
"Do you like alcohol?"
"Well, yeah."
"How do you usually get it?"
"I make it. I can't make the kind humans do, though. Otherwise, I just get it appropriately."
She's probably stealing it. Well, it's a difference in ethics.
When the sun got high, the monsters' corpses were gathered in one place by the soldiers, a hole was dug by the mages and they were buried, and prayers were offered by the priests. We made it like a mound with stones on top, just like a grave. The Demon Race woman watched silently, but after it was over, she patted my shoulder and thanked me for my hard work.
After that, the support group and main people gathered at the base and discussed briefly about future matters, centered around King Seldic.
As for the exploration of the western hills, it was discussed that the investigation would be conducted after inquiring with the Medioland Royal Capital Cathedral and receiving approval. It was confirmed that the contract with the Demon Race was something King Seldic achieved alone. It was decided that those from other countries did not interfere. It's probably because it's troublesome for the Church. Arguments might arise throughout the island eventually, but King Seldic was originally a pagan. He'll be fine no matter what is said.
The support group received a special reward of one hundred gold coins per person! However, since the Henry Party and Harris-sama didn't accept as usual, only Bishop Harrison, Beatrix, Lyudmila, and I received it. The portions for those who didn't accept were confiscated.
The soldiers who participated in the operation were also targets for rewards. Especially the base commander was selected as the commander of the newly formed Monster Extermination Unit and was to be stationed in the royal capital as King Seldic's staff. He doesn't have a territory, but in addition to the original base soldiers, the newly formed unit was incorporated and his subordinates increased considerably. The awarding of medals and prize money at the royal palace was promised. A mansion in the royal capital was also to be given.
The commander of the crossing point was promoted to base commander, and he was also promised medals and prize money. Since he was present during the interrogation, he was given the role of discussing cooperation with the Demon Race woman. It would be a later matter, but the cooperation of Count Vectis was secured, and Sir Archer was to serve as a regular inspector, bringing along the Alraune translator and the Bishop guard.
Making the Ogres, who seemed likely to cause trouble, hornless was privately conveyed from Eleanor-sama to King Seldic, and then conveyed to the Demon Race woman. When the Demon Race woman tried snapping off the horn of one Ogre as a test, she was surprised to see the Ogre become like a different person. At my suggestion, they were taught how to make fruit wine and were to take care of the Demon Race woman's personal needs. She seemed to like it and said she'd make the other Ogres hornless too. It's apparently not a problem even if they're in the swarm since they're useful when starting a fire.
"Coexistence and co-prosperity with monsters was unexpectedly easy, wasn't it?"
When we were seen off by King Seldic and returned, Beatrix's words left a quite deep impression.