kscans

Chapter 246 - Episode 30: Part Two, The Battle Begins

The Magic Insects that had been mere dots were now the size of small flies. By the most conservative estimate, there were a thousand of them. Fewer than I thought, but each one was a match for a dragon. What’s more, unlike our forces, they were all combatants.

The swarm flew along the path we had predicted. We would have been in trouble if they hadn't come, yet I wished they wouldn’t. Reason and emotion warred within me. I realized I had balled my hands into fists.

I could see both armies in the north and east positions forming up their ranks. The swarm, this hill, and the two camps would form a diamond. A fresh wave of tension ran through the area. They would reach X point soon.

"It's starting, isn't it."

Maytyl came to my side, gripping her magic laser as she spoke. She and her subordinates, unlike the other knights, wore a second one at their waists.

"Yeah. It's starting."

"Get a grip, Ricardo. You're practically the supreme commander here."

"No, I really don't think I am."

I gestured to my unarmed self. For some reason, that simple act calmed me down. You see, unlike the Imperial Princess before me, who could spare a thought for another's mental state even in this situation, I am just an ordinary man.

"It's starting," I repeated. Countless crimson points of light lit up within the two camps on the grassy plains. And then.

From the left and right of my vision, arrows of light shot out in unison toward the swarm of Magic Insects. The terrifying swarm of giant creatures was caught in a crossfire. It writhed as if it were a single dragon.

Ruby colored light streaked across the sky. I watched, holding my breath. The next moment, black masses began to fall one after another from the swarm. The group of over a thousand giant insects visibly dwindled. Eventually, the first set of cartridges ran out, and the lasers ceased.

The Magic Insects, disoriented by the light and their numbers now halved, began to advance toward us. But the second volley started almost immediately. As lines of light raced across the sky, Magic Insects fell a moment later. The same scene repeated itself.

And then, the third volley. The Magic Insects, now reduced to about a hundred, were hounded by the streaks of light. Several lasers concentrated on a single insect. There were individuals flying unsteadily and without strength, and others that spun in circles with smoke rising from their heads, perhaps having been unlucky enough to take a hit to the eye.

Lasers rained down on these remaining soldiers without mercy. Less than an hour after the battle began, the sky was empty. Cries of victory rose from both military camps.

The non-combatants who had been hiding in the buildings had at some point moved closer to the fence, witnessing our side's overwhelming victory. As the swarm of Magic Insects was annihilated, cheers erupted and they clapped each other on the shoulders in celebration. The insects had not even managed to get close to the hill, let alone touch the vanguards of our armies.

"It went exactly as we predicted, didn't it. Frighteningly perfect," Maytyl said, lowering the cylinder she had been gripping.

"Yeah, but we can't let our guard down."

"I know. We've only defeated the first wave. Besides..."

We looked toward the workshop. Among the people celebrating the victory, Vinaldira and her team worked in silence. Dalgan and Plural were helping carry Magic Crystals into the building.

"The estimated number of Magic Insects this time is one thousand one hundred. According to the Director's observations, the magical reaction from the Blood Mountains has hardly changed."

Mia came out of the observatory and showed me her calculations.

◇◇

Buoooooon.

An unpleasant, vibrating sound drew closer to the hilltop.

"Third wave incoming."

"Hold them back, but conserve your shots."

Lasers were fired at the Magic Insects approaching the sky above the hill. A three-horned insect, a light appeared in the center of its abdomen. Losing its balance, the Magic Insect tumbled unsteadily. Another individual emitted a bright light from the center of its body, then plummeted in a straight, spiraling fall. It had likely taken a direct hit to the thoracic ganglion that controlled its wings.

"We've repelled them."

"Don't let your guard down. Everyone, remain vigilant."

"Check your remaining cartridge levels."

The orders from Tembelg and Maytyl rang out. When I went around to the storehouse, I found Dalgan and Plural slumped against a cart, sitting on the ground. The intermittent attacks from the Magic Insects were now in their third day. Fortunately, there had been very few casualties. What was being tested was our ability to keep this place supplied.

I checked the sundial and returned to the main headquarters.

Maytyl and Tembelg were in front of the observatory, discussing the next rotation. Both of their faces showed signs of extreme fatigue. The attacks came two to three times a day, with two thousand to five thousand insects each time.

The number of attacking Magic Insects was increasing, and our supply lines were threatened. The workers delivering supplies at night, when the insects were less active, were only accumulating more fatigue. Most serious of all was our remaining stock of Magic Crystals.

Communication with the Mana Charging Furnaces in various regions was lagging, as was the resupply of red Magic Crystals from the Empire. We were simply using too much.

The workshop here, which produced the cartridges, was operating day and night. But yesterday, a cartridge finally misfired. It meant a defective product had slipped through both the production and testing phases. It was the clearest proof that the workers had reached their limit.

And bearing a burden equal to, if not greater than, theirs was...

"Are you alright, Alfina? Drink this and rest a bit."

I handed Alfina a cup of milk with honey dissolved in it. It wasn't just about magic power. Alfina's control over the Purple Magic was the cornerstone of our battle lines. A slight mistake in her timing could lead to massive casualties.

Of course, Fulsy, Mia, and Noel were desperately supporting her, but they couldn't replace Alfina, the one actually controlling it all.

The regeneration of the protective corsets that had ceased to function after being bathed in magic was also not progressing. We only had a few spares left.

"I'm fine. I've gotten used to it."

Alfina nodded forcefully at me. I had no choice but to believe her.

◇◇

Late at night, Dagobard and Craig came from their respective camps to this rear base. We were holding a meeting to discuss future operational policy. Maytyl and Tembelg were, of course, also present.

"We're starting to see damage in the homeland as well."

The report from the Royal Capital cast a pall over the headquarters. Cases of Magic Insects that we failed to shoot down crossing the great river were starting to occur. Naturally, the homeland's mobile units were dealing with them based on a map of predicted attack locations. But they were beginning to fail to keep up.

"We've slaughtered nearly twenty thousand of them. Just how many are there?" Tembelg said with irritation. Incidentally, our two armies had suffered almost no losses. Despite an overwhelming kill ratio, the human side was being steadily cornered. Faced with immense military gains and a deteriorating strategic situation, anyone would be ready to snap, not just Tembelg.

"It wouldn't be surprising if the front line collapses soon. Perhaps even tomorrow," Dagobard said in a grave tone.

"With these intermittent attacks, we can't even properly recover the Magic Crystals from the insects we've defeated. Now what should we do."

Craig, too, gave a bitter smile, resting his chin on his fist. And then, the gazes of all three turned to me. No, you can't just assume I'll always have a plan. Well, this time I happen to have one, but still.

In the somber atmosphere of the supreme command conference, I watched a young girl who was silently running a pen over paper.

"It's finished, Senpai."

I accepted the fruits of our recent days of battle from Mia. It was a graph showing two waves, their combined values with respective weightings, and a threshold value.

The first wave was a tally of the Magic Insect attack times based on the sundial's clock. Living creatures have an internal clock that prompts them to act at set times. It's the same reason humans wake up in the morning even in total darkness. For insects, this also applies to their emergence from the pupa stage.

The problem was that the Magic Insects' internal clocks seemed to react not only to the sun but also to magic power. Looking at just one day, it would seem like they were attacking randomly. That's why this graph covers a three day span, not just one.

"Mia, please explain," I said, handing the graph back to its creator. The gazes of the three military commanders focused on Mia. The small girl, seemingly unfazed by the stares from the allied forces' top brass, began her explanation.

"Based on the actual attack times from the sundial and the long-term magical observations of the Blood Mountains by Lord Fabius and his team, I have derived the behavioral patterns of the Magic Insect swarms. What is shown here is the predicted attack schedule for the next three days. The margin of error is large, but it should be useful as a reference. The insects are unlikely to change their strategy."

As Mia finished, everyone stared intently at the graph.

"If this is true..." "..." "Hmm. How to use this..."

Great hesitation was visible on the faces of the three men as they scrutinized the graph. They probably wanted to believe it unconditionally. Even Tembelg, who was relatively critical of us, did not utter a word of doubt.

But it was far too dangerous. After all, we were dealing with living creatures. Mia said it as if it were a matter of course, but she meant it was correct in a mathematical sense. The decision of to what extent this should be reflected in their tactics rested with the commanders who held the lives of their soldiers in their hands.

"The forecast predicts only one attack for the day after tomorrow, in the evening. Let's confirm the reliability of this with tomorrow's attack patterns before deciding to adopt it. However, I propose we start planning now under the assumption that this is correct," Maytyl suggested a rational course of action. Life returned to everyone's faces.

"Let's change the ratio of troops on high alert and troops on rest."

"Good idea. We'll decide on a rotation between our armies for guard duty..."

"Then, we'll adjust the dispatch time for the quartermaster corps accordingly..."

Craig and Dagobard began to confer with Tembelg, their heads close together.

Moving away from the three men who were confirming their legion level coordination, the rest of us gathered at a different table.

"We'll need to adjust the supply system, including cartridges, to fit this schedule. That means the work will primarily be done at night," Maytyl said.

In exchange, we would have to let them sleep during the day. But how many people could sleep soundly during a Magic Insect attack?

"What about the enemy 'swarm's' reserve forces?" I asked Fulsy.

"They've decreased quite a bit. Less than half remain, I'd say. There are probably larvae too, so not all of them will be adults."

"Just a little more..."

I felt a slight sense of relief. But Fulsy's expression remained grim.

"However, look at this."

Her gnarled finger pointed to several marks on the map of the Blood Mountains. Comparing them to the other day, I could see this was an unprecedentedly large movement.