kscans

Chapter 107 - Chapter 9. Part 1, Logistics

More than forty carriages were lined up before the gates of Bertold. In the center of the front row was the carriage of the Anti-Monster Knight Order, flanked on its left and right by the carriages of Bertold’s own knights. Behind them were the carriages of the merchants who had answered the Grand Duchess's call.

It was reassuring to see that most of them were carriages improved with bearings. Every single one was loaded to capacity with cargo.

Following the plan we had decided upon, we rushed to Bertold day and night. The Knight Order seemed displeased with an action that resembled turning their backs on the enemy and fleeing, but the Hero Prince's reputation and authority prevailed. As a result, we arrived in Bertold by the night of the following day.

Preparations were already underway, as we had sent word of the strategy ahead by fast horse, but there was still little time before the mobile body, the Slug, would arrive. We finished our preparations at the very last minute.

The trump card for this operation, the large quantity of Imperial timber that had been stored in the workshop, was loaded onto the Anti-Monster Knight Order’s carriages.

Right now, to ensure everything was perfect, Bowgan and the younger members of the workshop were distributing lubricant.

Still, it was impressive that so many merchants had remained. Apparently, they had been persuaded to stay with incentives like future commercial advantages and priority in receiving the next model of carriages. Perhaps this meant the results of their own carriage improvements had made a real difference.

"Are you the heir to the Vinder Company?"

"Yes, and you must be from the Giverny Company. Thank you for your cooperation."

A man who had walked over from the group of private carriages addressed me. Half of the carriages in the rear belonged to this man’s caravan. They seemed to be a Gold-ranked company specializing in transport.

"Kenwell and Dalgan are both valued clients. Besides, I wanted to confirm that the interesting thing you showed at the exhibition was actually being put to use. I was skeptical until I saw it for myself."

"Bertold is going to develop even more from now on."

He was a key person for strengthening the entire kingdom’s transport capacity and for Bertold's industrialization.

"Oh. You say that as if you're the one directing it all. But seeing the heir of a newly-risen Silver-ranked company giving orders to the renowned Anti-Monster Knight Order, I find myself wanting to believe it."

The man gave me a meaningful look.

"...Because the key to this monster extermination is logistics."

"I see. In that sense, this is a proper job for us too. Carrying requested cargo to a designated location. I also have expectations that in the future, we'll have more opportunities to transport goods other than food from Bertold."

So that's it, he's thinking about future business. It made sense. The volume of honey we would need to transport would likely become more than we could handle on our own eventually.

"In any case, it seems I'll have a good story to tell His Excellency, the Chancellor."

"...Huh?"

I tried to ask what the man meant by his murmur, but the big shot from the transport guild was already heading back toward his own carriage.

"There is no need to be alarmed. I shall remain in this city until the very end."

Atop the castle gate, Euphillia was calling out to the city’s residents. Of course, an evacuation plan was in place in case of failure, but for that to be carried out in an orderly fashion, trust in the person in command was paramount.

The residents listening to their ruler’s words showed little panic. This was likely also due to their faith in the Hero Prince and his Knight Order, who had repelled monsters on two separate occasions.

She's really something.

Come to think of it, the reason Bertold's industrialization was proceeding so smoothly was because of the Grand Duchess's past achievements. It was the same way my father's credibility had been crucial when we started the honey business.

"I've loaded up what you asked for. Is this stuff good enough?"

Dolph came running over to me. He emptied the contents of a bag into his palm. It was finely shaved wood shavings. Increasing the surface area would make it easier for the miasma stored in the wood to dissipate.

"Thank you."

"Also, I took samples from every piece of timber, just like you said. I just have to give them to the Sage, right?"

"That’s a great help. After this, please prioritize your own evacuation preparations."

"Hah, you think I can abandon my own castle and run off that easily?"

"No, no, that's why..."

"I get it. You're saying our skills are irreplaceable, right?"

Dolph flexed his bicep and laughed. I really hope he understands. Well, I suppose I should do my part to make the evacuation plan unnecessary.

◇◇

In the middle of the plain, the carriages of the Anti-Monster Knight Order were lined up. The massive logs peeking out from two of them looked as if they were for a campfire. Back in my world, we'd be getting the barbecue ready, too.

If only things were that carefree.

Around the carriages, the knights were engaged in civil engineering. They were pounding stakes into the ground and pulling them back out, a process that looked like torture.

In a triangular formation to the north and south of the carriages, they sprinkled the wood shavings Dolph had prepared into the holes.

"...We have a report from the scout teams attached to the two monsters. They have changed course and are heading this way."

"Thank you. Our radar should be able to pinpoint their exact location soon," I replied to Hyde, who had relayed the scouts' report.

"The monsters are already moving at a speed that carriages can no longer match. By the time they arrive, they might even outpace a horse. Will the preparations be ready in time?"

Hyde glanced around at the numerous jars that had been set out.

"I'd rather not do anything too strange and have them avoid us."

I didn't think a monster would say something like a girl on a diet, like "I'm not in the mood for anything oily," but I wanted to avoid any uncertainties. We would use minimal seasoning and let the natural flavor win them over.

I joined Mia and the others working inside the radar carriage.

"I've picked up the signal from the magic crystals the scouts are carrying."

"The monsters' trajectory is almost exactly as calculated," Mia said.

Her words brought me a small measure of relief.

But I couldn't let my guard down. After all, our opponents were living creatures. Moreover, they were coming across a rugged landscape, not a road. We had to ensure a head-on collision.

"Numerical correction, the northern monster is a little fast," Noel's voice called out. "I will adjust the calculations," Mia replied, her pen flying across the paper.

"Please move the woodpile a little more to the southwest."

At my words, Hyde sent a signal to the Knight Order’s carriages. The carriages moved about ten meters south.

"Here they come!"

A shout went up from the knights. Some looked north, others south. From the horizon, clouds of dust rose from both directions at almost the same time.

This is on a completely different level of intensity from what I saw three days ago.

Two spinning missiles bore down on us, as if to catch us in a pincer attack. I felt a surge of fear. But their appearance was just as we had predicted.

"Good, they're both spinning clockwise."

I suppressed my fear and confirmed their rotation. They're just mindless creatures moving blindly toward a target. No matter how terrifying they are, they're no different from a stationary target. An intelligent human like myself can't afford to be spooked.

Gogogogo.

The ground trembled. My own legs amplified the movement. Even with intelligence, humans are still animals, so our first response is always to fear.

"Adjustments are complete. Split into two groups and clear the path."

At Craig's command, the knights who had unloaded the timber split to the east and west. All that remained was the campfire-like structure of logs. Now, all I could do was pray that the fine-tuning with the wood shavings laid out in the holes in the meadow would work.

The forms of the monsters became clear. Seen from the front, the swirling red light was eerie. The last of the knights who had remained around the log pile placed jars in the vicinity and retreated.

"Ready your arrows."

Craig's commanding voice echoed across the plain. The knights nocked arrows wrapped in cloth.

I hurried to head for the radar carriage. Just then, a breeze brushed against my cheek.

"I wonder which way the wind is blowing. A southeasterly wind would be a good omen."