274 - Sand Giant
――Maxim, fighting against the Banseime elite forces, watched the scene before him while clad in [Sand Armor].
"Ce-les... take thiiiiiis!!"
Facing a massive purple something, Maxim tightened his grip on his spear. The purple caterpillar, which grew larger by engulfing and crushing everything around it regardless of friend or foe, barely retained the remnants of a human head, which only added to its eeriness.
Maxim ordered his allies to fall back.
"I'll handle this one! Allies, get back!"
Even in this situation, enemy soldiers charged at Maxim. Bloodshot eyes. And despite the fact that they were beyond saving, the soldiers fought with joy.
Maxim swung his spear, cutting down the surrounding enemy soldiers, and raised his left hand.
"...Even without relying on drugs, people can become strong."
Polishing one's technique, wielding a weapon, manifesting a skill, learning magic――Maxim felt there were countless ways to become strong. That was a fact.
However, it was Maxim's personal belief that power that cannot be controlled is meaningless and is not true strength.
"I'll show you. Exactly why I became so well-known in Banseime."
"Agahgyaaaaaaa!!"
Facing Bread, who could no longer even speak human language, Maxim began to grow larger by absorbing soil and sand from the surrounding dust and ground.
The skill Maxim had manifested was [Sand Arm]――a rear-guard type magic that he had independently improved. At the second stage, it became [Sand Armor]――clothing himself in armor of sand, and at the third stage, it became [Sand Giant]――creating a giant of sand.
The figure of a warrior clad in armor――with just a single step, such a sand giant crushed and blew away the enemy soldiers.
"In a sense, this is the final stage that many skills reach. There was really no need to rely on such drugs."
The sand giant held a massive spear. The purple monster spat a green liquid from its mouth to attack. When the liquid hit the ground, it produced a pungent odor and smoke.
It would surely be dangerous if it hit bare flesh, but Maxim was currently inside the sand. He was positioned at the giant's neck to see the outside scenery, and he was able to guard easily.
"Here's your payback!"
As he swung the spear horizontally, the purple monster rolled away, taking Banseime soldiers with it. When the monster's body was wounded, green liquid sprayed out, dissolving the Banseime soldiers.
"Hmm, so if I attack directly, body fluids spray out, huh. What a nuisance of a monster."
Maxim made the sand giant raise its spear.
"Normally, it might be better to blow it away with magic... but sorry, I'll be making use of you. If you're going to resent someone, resent Celes for turning you into such a monster."
The raised spear took on a drill-like shape and began to rotate. As he thrust it into the monster, Maxim deployed a sand shield in front of him to protect himself and his allies.
The thrust spear rotated, scattering the monster's fluids to the surroundings.
"Gyabugaaaa!!"
The purple monster stopped moving, showering the surrounding Banseime soldiers in green liquid. Around them, besides Maxim, giants in the forms of fire, ice, and lions were spreading destruction and slaughter across the battlefield――.
Watching the scene where giants dominated the battlefield, I rested my chain sword on my shoulder.
I had been carried up by Mei, observing the scene from the sky. While looking around.
"Monica――there's a group hiding. Send a unit there."
'Found them. They aren't the type to just charge in. However, having come this far, we should have played our trump card from the start.'
Monica's opinion was correct. However, there is no way there wouldn't be a backlash for a human to do this much.
The rapid consumption of magical power, and the precious skill holders――moreover, those who had reached the third stage would have to retreat to the rear immediately.
For us, who have few people capable of being commanders, that is a very big problem.
"That's why I'm doing this... well, I just hope the Four-Nation Alliance and Cartaphus realize that Banseime is in danger with this."
As Monica immediately put the instructions into action, I let out a sigh in the sky. Mei looked down at the situation below.
"It's convenient, isn't it? Still, Liel received a lot of things from Fredricks, didn't he?"
"A lot? The skill and this?"
As I lightly lifted the silver chain sword, Mei shook her head.
"No. That too, but a lot of other things. Even now, you're using a skill to see the whole picture from above and give orders. A strong person, you see. Because there are so many people who insist on being at the front."
Hearing Mei's words, I understood what she meant. Mei probably wanted to say that I had inherited the teachings of the Fifth Head.
"I see... I wonder if I've gotten a little closer to everyone."
――Beim.
After enduring the relentless attacks of Beim for days, and as fatigue began to show in the opponent, the Banseime generals were holding a meeting in a tent.
"Now then, shall we hear the results?"
One of the generals stood up.
"We launched a night attack using plundered ships, but as expected, they had adventurers stationed at the port as well. Not only in naval combat, but it seems there are adventurers who can operate underwater, so the operation was a failure. However, with this, they can no longer devote all their strength solely to the wall. Apparently, they moved a considerable amount of force to the port."
The commander-in-chief touched his chin.
"...I don't understand. Banseime has virtually no naval power. The difference in strength should have been clear after the failure. Why did Beim devote so much force to the port?"
One of the lord-nobles participating answered the commander-in-chief's question.
"That is Beim for you. The power of the merchants is strong, and the decision-making power lies with them. Perhaps they thought their own ships would be attacked? I visited Beim many years ago, and even then, I was surprised by everything. After all, there is no king. They say policies are decided by a gathering of merchants."
Everyone present was reminded that while they had knowledge regarding Beim, they had not understood it accurately. Then, the commander-in-chief muttered.
"I see, so that's why they've been making nothing but bad moves up until now. A military force that relies on adventurers and has no experience in a war of this scale. They've underestimated us."
The lord-nobles looked at the commander-in-chief.
"Commander-in-chief, perhaps it is time we also showed our true strength?"
"I have a grasp of their power. I simply wish to flow in quickly."
"We want to end the war before the busy season arrives, after all."
The military force of the lord-nobles, as well as the main Banseime army, consisted mostly of commoners. Using commoners as soldiers meant that there were that many fewer people――especially working men――in their territories.
From their perspective, they wanted to end the war early for the sake of future territorial management.
The commander-in-chief was a court noble of Central. His position was different, and he did not hold and govern a territory like the lord-nobles did.
"Hmm, it is true that any more would be difficult, huh. If it becomes fully cold, the damage will be greater even if we fight. If large amounts of firewood are needed... it would be better to hurry."
The lord-nobles seemed a bit irritated by the commander-in-chief's attitude. After all, maintaining military force was not the commander-in-chief's job.
To the lord-nobles, the commander-in-chief seemed to understand nothing. However, from the commander-in-chief's perspective, it was better for the lord-nobles' military power to decrease. After all, the commander-in-chief was a court noble of Central.
He did not think highly of the lord-nobles having too much power.
(If I let them attack, these fellows will rush in first for the sake of plundering and wear themselves down on their own, huh. In that case――)
"Very well. Then, I shall prepare the large-scale magic on this end. As for the charge――"
Before the commander-in-chief could finish, the lord-nobles volunteered.
"In that case, leave it to me!"
"Your forces are unreliable! I am the most suitable!"
"Don't be in such a rush. I hear the wealth of Beim is immense."
The generals looked with cold eyes at the lord-nobles, who immediately thought of plundering. The commander-in-chief said to the lord-nobles.
"I shall handle the representative merchants of Beim. There are negotiations to be had, after all. Other than that, you may do as you please. Oh, and if possible, please do not destroy buildings suitable for lodging. I would hate to live in a tent even after entering Beim."
Inside the tent. The Banseime side was smiling with expressions of composure.
However, this was based on a calculation for victory. Many of the adventurers in Beim specialize in combat within labyrinths. That gave the adventurers the power to overturn a slight difference in scale.
However, they had specialized in combat in limited, narrow spaces.
But the knights who take to the battlefield are different. When it comes to those with true skill――.
――Before dawn.
Tanya, wearing her guild uniform, was moving busily around the East Branch guild.
She had to look after the adventurers taking turns to rest, but there was also the arrangement of meals and the placement of people. Instructions from headquarters, and the preparation of meals for the refugees gathered in front of the guild.
The guild staff were also working frantically.
There were few injured adventurers, but still, the brightness was disappearing from everyone's faces day by day. The adventurers, who at first had laughed at the cowards of Banseime, were beginning to lose heart in the face of an endless battle.
"It's time for the shift change. Are the meals ready?"
When she spoke to a staff member, the staff member was carrying a large amount of luggage.
"T-they are ready, but, well... the smell leaked outside the guild, and the refugees are demanding that we give some to them as well... we can't prepare that many meals in the temporary kitchen, so I'm telling them to wait."
The refugees overflowing into Beim. They were beginning to clash with the residents who originally lived in Beim, and the atmosphere inside Beim was bad.
Then, a staff member ran up to Tanya.
"Tanya! The executive is calling. They say they want you to come immediately."
Tanya told the staff member she had been talking to to prioritize the adventurers, and then headed to the executive's room――.
――In the executive's room, an executive with dark circles under his eyes reported the current situation to Tanya.
"It has been decided to reject South Banseime's demands."
"Now? Several days have already passed since you returned from negotiations. What has the council been discussing?"
Tanya's words contained anger, but the executive did not reprimand her.
"...Currently, because Banseime failed in its attack from the port, the majority of the council believes that this will become a long-term war. If that happens, Banseime will have to withdraw within a month."
Maintaining a large army requires a considerable amount of supplies. At the same time, the Banseime soldiers are commoners, and they have their own work to return to. The merchants of Beim judged that the lords would withdraw. And that if this situation continued, they could successfully defend Beim.
"Some of the adventurers are feeling a sense of crisis because Banseime isn't collapsing at all. Morale is dropping day by day, and at this rate, Beim will be the first to――"
Tanya's plea, but she couldn't let him hear it to the end. While they were talking, the room shook. It was a small tremor, but Tanya felt a sense of crisis at this, which was different from an earthquake.
"――Something is wrong. I'll go take a look."
"What is it? It's certainly surprising that it shook, but――"
Tanya told the executive she would check the outside, jumped out the window, and leaped onto the tallest nearby building.
Looking toward the wall from there, black smoke was rising. As the outside gradually brightened, she could see what had happened――.
――The Banseime army was slamming several large-scale spells into the walls of Beim.
They were firing spell after spell, overwhelming the adventurers' shields with sheer numbers. Due to this sudden offensive, the adventurers of Beim were unable to deploy their shields in time.
Several spells collided with the wall, but they only scraped the surface.
Seeing this, the commander-in-chief muttered.
"Quite sturdy. Well, that's fine too."
Immediately after, the commander-in-chief gave orders to the surroundings. The surrounding units, hearing those orders, aimed their magic not at the wall, but at the adventurers defending on top of the wall.
Lightning, fire, ice, water, rock――as numerous spells rained down on the top of the wall, adventurers who could not deploy magic shields were blown away.
A few adventurers remained, but that was not a problem.
"Now, this is another way to use flashy magic."
The Banseime magic users――that is, the nobles, used magic to prepare stairs on the walls of Beim, where resistance had become impossible. To send a large army over the high wall, wide stairs were prepared. The earth surged up, creating large stairs, and the army that had been prepared in advance rushed up them.
On top of the wall, the adventurers fought against the Banseime knights and soldiers, but they were surrounded and defeated by the power of numbers.
The commander-in-chief watched the scene.
"...Hmm, quite anticlimactic."
He muttered this while watching the great gates of Beim open――.