Chapter 754 - Third Story: Exploring the White Island's Largest Demon Realm
In the Medioland Demon Realm, I ended up working with Price-sama. The scope of this call-up was narrow, only Medioland and Sertoria. Even for Sertoria, it was only the Henry Party and the Class of 175. Even Roberts-sama wasn't there. It's probably because exploration is the main focus.
We received an audience with the King at the royal palace and participated in an encouraging banquet. The next day, we jumped via the magic circle in the basement and reached the basement of the fortress monitoring the Demon Realm.
What we do is the same as in Morandine. Flying around in the bowl. This time it'll be easy since we don't have to show ourselves. But it's vast. According to Eleanor-sama, it's four times the area of Morandine including the wasteland. Four times means it's about half the area of all of Sertoria. It's too vast. Fortunately, there are five bowl users on the Medioland side, including ultra-high-level and high-level. We'll divide it into six and explore, and since the Henry Party has already made a map to some extent... I'm glad they didn't get scolded... it'll be like adding the results of this exploration to that.
On the day we gathered at the Eastern Fortress, which serves as the base in the Demon Realm, it was just a strategy meeting. There, the search range for each bowl was decided. The Henry Party is a six-person formation with me added to the five regulars. We were assigned the exploration around the Demon Lord's cave. The range is also the widest. By the way, James-sama and Roberts-sama went north to take charge of the conquest of the Demon Realm in former Septanaquila. Price-sama will remain at the fortress base in this Demon Realm and command the entire exploration. However, he'll be the busiest since he'll rush to the scene in an emergency.
Fully prepared, we finally set out.
It's Eleanor-sama's main body. The shape became long vertically, just like a ship. The bottom is flat and the front and back are raised. It would be just right if it floated on water.
Eleanor-sama and Bonnie are at the front, Will and I are second, and Henry-sama and Wilson-san, who operates the lid for acceleration, are third. On the parts corresponding to the gunwales of the ship, two holes for attack are open on each side.
Before departure, I was shown the map Bonnie took out.
The Demon Realm is a peninsula with its western half protruding into the sea. The central part is mountainous, and there are long, thin lakes extending in eight directions from there. It's like a giant vertical trench. In one of those vertical trenches, there's a giant canyon extending toward the north, and the cave where the Demon Lord will be resurrected is apparently at its innermost part. The northern side is former Septanaquila territory. It's the place where monster hunting was done before, and now the main force of the Medioland army, including Roberts-sama, is doing monster hunting.
"We will scout centered on this large valley. Also, the presence or absence of back entrances."
As far as I can see the range Eleanor-sama is pointing to on the map, it's the entire central mountain area. The altitude is high, and there are many steep valleys, so it's clear just by comparing the map with the actual terrain that exploration won't be easy.
"I think it will take quite a bit of time and effort, but it's a time-limited achievement reward, so let's do our best."
The time limit is roughly three months. Depending on the results of this investigation, they'll apparently start building a fortress as a conquest base from summer. Depending on the conquest situation of the Demon Realm in the north, they'll prioritize the conquest here once the encirclement work in Morandine is over. After all, it's the main candidate for the next Demon Lord's resurrection. We have to prepare for the resurrection.
"As for the means, it's basically exploration from the air. And we'll mark the places we want to investigate in detail. First, that's as far as it goes."
We encouraged each other to do our best and set out while hiding our presence.
We ascended once. It became cold enough that I cast Warm.
The fortress far below became small. We ascended to a point clearly higher than the mountain in the center of the Demon Realm, and flew to a position where we could overlook the entire Demon Realm.
We reached the sky above the target mountain area in no time. We all explored using Sight.
It's a mountain peak in a cold region. The foot is covered with forest, but no trees grow on any of the mountain peaks. It's the same as Stephens-san's bald head. There's only short grass and stones peeking out from the ground.
I tried chanting Sense Living, but there was no monster-like reaction. Only small animals. Honestly, the fact that there are animals is a mystery.
"Let's actually go down."
Just in case, it might be hidden by Camouflage. It was decided to investigate every single peak and ridge.
To investigate the presence or absence of Camouflage, we have to explore the ground or the area near the ground of the peak. This ship-shaped bowl is just the right shape. We landed as it was and slid over the grass just like a ship. We have to avoid places where rocks are protruding, but since Henry-sama, Will, and Bonnie are checking by throwing stones, we can check a surprisingly wide range. In that way, we ended up stroking every single peak... I mean, sliding over the mountain surface to check for the presence or absence of Camouflage.
It took about ten days to hit every single peak. The conclusion was that they were just normal peaks with no Camouflage or anything. However, since Wyverns and Wyurms were flying around, it was thought that if humans were to build a base near the top, it wouldn't be easy.
"Let's raid the nests of the flying types. We should eradicate them."
Eleanor-sama spoke at the dinner and strategy meeting on the day the peak exploration was over. Eleanor-sama wants to build a base near the top of one of the mountains. If we just crush the flying types, the possibility of construction will expand greatly.
"Have the nests been identified?"
"We've identified them roughly."
We tracked them in preparation for Price-sama's question. Since we were hiding our presence, we were able to find them without any problems.
"Two each on the left and right of the canyon where the cave for the Demon Lord's resurrection is. One has been confirmed on the slope leading to the highest mountain to its south. Also, two on the western slope overlooking the lake and marsh area on the south side."
Bonnie spread out the map with her notes, and Eleanor-sama explained while pointing. In the Demon Realm, there's the highest mountain in the center, and another high mountain to its east. The cave for the Demon Lord's resurrection is in one of the canyons on the north side of the highest mountain. The highest mountain has steep canyons spreading toward the foot like wrinkles from the area where trees grow from the gentle peak, except for the east side. The eastern part has a high mountain across a basin that could be called a plateau, but it's not that steep. The plateau has gentle mountain feet spreading to the south and leading to the plains. There are two lakes that are long and thin from north to south, and the fortress serving as the base is on the shore of one of those lakes. In other words, the fortress can be seen from afar from the nests of Wyverns and the like.
"Can you do it with just yourselves? The other teams will investigate whether your actions will affect the entire Demon Realm."
"Leave it to us. We will return home temporarily for the May Festival. We want to carry it out once that's over."
"Then, please do so. Please make sure not to push yourselves."
"Understood."
Don't push yourselves, huh. Price-sama must know well that saying that to ageless old people is meaningless.
The May Festival ended, and we headed north again. This time Mary is participating.
For the sortie, two Medioland bowls were on standby at the fortress. It's to guard against retaliation from the Demon Race. If it's a low-ranking one, there's a possibility it'll come flying through the air. They'll probably take turns guarding the sky one by one. The remaining three bowls are on standby in the sky above the Demon Realm.
"If things go well, there's a possibility the Demon Race will come out. We'll somehow lure them out and subjugate them as soon as we find them."
She's saying something reckless already. Didn't Price-sama tell the Henry Party to do it alone because he foresaw this?
"Can you lure them out?"
"If they're really there, it should be fine."
It seems Eleanor-sama has a plan. We had a quick meeting and finally set out.
The location of the monster nests is known. We'll aim for the morning when the monsters are sleeping and launch a surprise attack.
As for the order, we'll crush the two on the south side first. Next, we'll crush the four guarding the Demon Lord's cave. We predicted that if there's a member of the Demon Race, after we crush the two in the south, they'll either come here for retaliation or come out to guard the north side.
We approached the nest hole open on the cliff while in the bowl, and cast Sense Living.
"They're here. Probably Wyverns. Five of them."
If they're Wyverns, they're D-rank. We entered inside with the bowl, preempted with a barrage of Overflow with reflectors while they were snoring and sleeping, and once they stopped moving, Will delivered the finishing blow with a silver arrow.
There's no particular movement on the monster side. With that momentum, we headed for another nest. The other one had four Wyurms. They're C-rank, so they're strong. Accordingly, we added a stronger attack.
It was the same up to entering the nest hole with the bowl, but we attacked one by one with an Eight-Shot Overflow with reflectors. Once we defeated two, the remaining two in the back noticed the abnormality and woke up.
The moment they raised their heads, they were pinned down by Wilson-san's Wind Barrier.
The Wyurms crashed against it while screaming, but they couldn't break through the air wall released by the strongest mage currently on the White Island. Seizing the gap when they temporarily retreated, he released it all at once, and while they were overturned by the sudden wind, we stopped their movement with a barrage of Eight-Shot. After that, the three vanguards delivered the finishing blows and completed the subjugation.
We returned to the base after finishing the two locations on the south side. We have to collect what can be collected. This time the proceeds are to be handed over to the church. Fangs, wings, and meat with scales. We sent what could be jumped via the simple Teleportation magic circle, but the heavy meat with scales was impossible. We froze it with Freeze so it wouldn't spoil, and the next day we carried it to the fortress in several trips with a medium-sized bowl. During that time, we didn't receive any attacks.
The third day was the nest holes on the north side. The nests have entrances facing north so that sunlight doesn't shine in. If we proceed from the north, we'll be spotted from the four holes. That's bad, so when we conquered one nest hole, we conquered them in order from the peak on the south side so that those in the other nest holes wouldn't notice.
The first one had four Wyurms and we subjugated them smoothly.
The second one also had Wyurms, five of them. Attacking while they were sleeping was effective, and we were able to subjugate them without difficulty.
Just as we finished butchering the defeated ones and jumping what could be jumped via the simple magic circle, Wilson-san raised his right hand. When I immediately cast Sense Living, there was a reaction. It's big. But not as much as B-rank. In terms of position, it's outside the nest hole, in the air. It must be a member of the Demon Race.
"They've come."
"Yes. They're outside. Since they're in the air, they must be waiting in ambush outside."
"Let's do it."
Eleanor-sama grinned.
The bowl began to advance.
It was when we came out of the hole. Lightning fell from above. The bowl, having lost its balance, tilted and descended unsteadily. The Demon Race member who was in the sky came down.
The horns are short. They have bat-like wings on their back. They hold a bow in their left hand and carry a quiver on their back. It's a low-ranking Demon Race member like the one I saw once. The Demon Race member followed the bowl as it fell unsteadily.
From behind and above the Demon Race member, Wilson-san's Tempest was released. We followed it as it was blown toward the ground. I thought it would crash just like that, but it somehow spread its wings and entered a glide. It's covered in wounds, but as expected of the Demon Race. It didn't die even from a direct hit of Tempest, and even went on the counterattack. Noticing our approach, it released lightning toward the bowl and ascended rapidly, perhaps trying to take the high ground.
Gowan!
This guy just hit his head against the bottom of the bowl.
Perhaps having lost consciousness, he fell just like that. After all, he ascended rapidly toward our bowl, which was trying to descend. He must have been completely caught off guard. And a considerable shock was transmitted from below. If it were a human, they might have broken their neck.
We followed him as he fell with his limbs dangling and motionless. Henry-sama, Will, and Bonnie released silver arrows. I released a barrage of Eight-Shot Holy Lance.
The Demon Race member, who vomited black blood after taking three arrows in his back and then took two of my Holy spells, fell just like that.
He crashed into a tree growing on the slope. Branches broke with a clatter. The Demon Race member, who had become a lump of meat, fell onto a rock and made a pitch-black stain. He doesn't move even a bit anymore. We descended and approached, and I released another Eight-Shot toward his heart. Bonnie jumped down and thrust a silver knife into his neck, then twisted it, completely delivering the finishing blow.
"It went well. Mary, good work. You've improved your skills."
Eleanor-sama, who finished examining the corpse, let her mouth soften. The plan hit the mark perfectly. The Demon Race member was attacking an illusion Mary made. It was a clever thing, with four humans riding in a small bowl, and it showed movements exactly like the real thing. Especially when lightning was released, to make sure it wasn't found out that it just passed through, she shook it violently and showed a strange movement as if an abnormality had clearly occurred in both the bowl and the humans, and descended. It's a technique unique to Mary, who is an ultra-high-level mage and has rich images.
Using that illusion as a decoy, we took the Demon Race member's rear. Since we were still hiding our presence. The Demon Race member must have died without knowing what happened.