Isekai Majutsushi Volume 1 Chapter 4 Part 2
Two weeks had already passed since we arrived at the fortress.
The demon empire continued to make a various attacks, but the defenses of the fortress, which had received support supplies, were not fazed by such attacks.
This is the reason why there has been no enemy strong enough for the heroes to go out to battle, but for the past two weeks, we heroes have not been idle.
Alec has been working out with the soldiers, and Sagami has borrowed some of the soldiers from Margarete to train them as secret agents. Fairis was being worshipped like a goddess by the soldiers as she healed the wounded soldiers. She was too embarrassed to deny it, though.
As for me, when I wasn't training with Elle, I was repairing the broken walls. Originally, I was just going to rebuild the missing north watchtower, but thanks to that, I was popular among the operatives. I'm not the most popular hero among the other soldiers, though.
Elle's training is going well for the most part. In the beginning, she was trapped in the common sense of this world, but once I took out of the memory of her original magic, her understanding of the magics quickly increased. She has already learned enough knowledge to be able to activate tactical-grade magic, so all she need to do now is train to increase her magic power and improve the accuracy of her magic manipulation.
And since that night, Elle has been showing more skinship towards me. However, it wasn't excessive like the other night, and she only hugged me. I don't know how she'll react if I reject her too much, so I allow her to hug me.
Winter is approaching, and it's getting so cold outside that I need to put on a jacket. I can see why we can't fight in the winter, since it's so cold now. If I can endure the cold, I will be able to return to the castle where Tia and Sophie are waiting.
However, I know well from my life that everything does not work out that way. In a case like this, something will happen. And I was right.
「It's emergency! There's been a movement in the Demon Empire!」
We were just having breakfast when the message came through.
An urgent meeting was being held, and naturally I was invited to attend. The room was as tense as it had been that night, and soldiers were hurriedly preparing maps.
「I've just received a call from the northern watchtower. They said that the army of the demon empire has finally advanced. Judging from the size of their army, they're probably planning to settle the matter with a mass battle before the winter sets in.」
「Is the enemy's strength the same as it was in the last attack?」
「No, just from what I've been able to ascertain, there's no doubt that they have more forces than the last time.」
「I don't think so. The last time they attacked, they must have inflicted a lot of damage on us. How can there be that many soldiers ......?」
「I heard that the number of soldiers hasn't changed much, but the number of demons they are following seems to have increased far more than the last attack. They must be seriously planning to bring this place down.」
As I listened to the meeting, I was thinking about how I could make the other heroes stand out. Of course, the purpose of this was to create a scapegoat so that I would not be the center of attention.
The work of the heroes so far was a bit weak, so I needed to make them act more like heroes in a story that would captivate people's hearts. However, it is difficult for these guys to hunt a large number of demons with their abilities. Even fighting with the two black wolves they were struggling. What should I do?
「Excuse me for interrupting the meeting!」
During the meeting, a messenger opened the door and came in. When the messenger approached Margarete and gave her an earful, her face, which had been stern until now, suddenly turned pale. Did she receive some very bad news?
「O-oh, my goodness...」
Apparently the information was quite shocking, and she staggered over to a chair and plopped down on the table, holding her head.
「They had dragons, of all things.」
Were the dragons so powerful that she had forgotten how to speak politely? Looking at the people around her, they all turned pale and speechless at her words, so I guess I was right.
「But we have heroes, don't we?」
One of the commanders is trying to inspire everyone. The expressions of the other improved somewhat at his words, but only Margarete remained pale, as if to deny his words.
「If it's just a dragon, we'll be fine. ...... but they had a "Red Scale". ......」
「That can't be! How did they get that monster to obey them!?」
The people other than the heroes were too flustered by her words, so I asked what kind of monster it was.
The "Red Scale", as the name implies, are a dragon with bright red scales. They live in the mountains of the northern part of the Demon Empire, and sometimes they come down to the foot of the mountains to attack prey in the area. It is said that one normal dragon is strong enough to bring down a large city, but its "Red Scale" are strong enough to feed on other dragons.
This is the first time I've seen a dragon that is so powerful that it can feed on other dragons.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was at its worst due to the desperate information that had been brought to them. Well, that's what usually happens.
But for me, this is a unique opportunity. If I can defeat that "Red Scale" here, I can raise the fame of the heroes at once. I think Alec would be a good choice to become a hero here. He'll probably be the most popular, so he'll be a good cover.
Also, Fairis is already popular, so it's okay, but me and Sagami should have a certain role. I'll take out a bunch of other demons, too.
I took the three of them out of the meeting room, saying that I wanted to talk to the heroes alone for a moment.
「Yard-dono, what is it you want to talk about?」
「Ahh, we're going to use our power to defeat the dragon called "Red Scale".」
「But according to Margarete, the dragon is a very powerful demon. ......」
The three of them look at me with puzzled expressions, and I activate my <Thought-Guiding>. The fact that the magic works on them without even any kind of resistance makes me sad, but I don't care about that right now. If you don't defeat that dragon, I'll be in trouble.
「From my point of view, the only one who can defeat that dragon is you, Alec-dono.」
「Me? But I don't think I can defeat that dragon on my own.」
「Yes, you can. You may not realize it, but there is a hidden power in your sword. If you unleash it, you will be able to unleash more power than the phenomenon that wiped out the mountain the other day. I am telling you this because I am aware of that power.」
「Is that true!? It is true that this sword given to me by the Great Spirit still contains a number of powers that I am unaware of, but I never thought that my sword really had such power. ......」
All right, he believe it. That's good. I knew he'd be easy to trust others.
By the way, Alec is also saying that there is an unknown power in the sword, and it's true. It's a self-destruct magic for the final battle, considering the composition of the magic. It is a magic that uses the sword and the user's magic power to cause the magic to run wild.
Even in his original world, he was treated as a disposable pawn. Alec is a poor man.
「Don't worry about the other demons, just head straight for the dragon. Perhaps the moment you attack it, it will unleash its hidden power. The other demons will be dealt with by myself and Sagami-dono. Is that okay with you, Sagami-dono?」
「Sure, You can leave them to me.」
「Um, what should I do, ......?」
「I need you in the rear to inspire and heal the soldiers. They will probably be too frightened to fight until the "Red Scale" are defeated, but at least give them enough courage not to run away in the face of the enemy. This is something that only Fairis-dono, who is popular among the soldiers, can do.」
「Very well. I'm not as good as those of you who are taking on dangerous roles, but I will do my best.」
My talk has motivated the heroes. The preparations were now complete. If I don't make a mistake in the timing of activating the magic formula, Alec will become a hero.
※
「I want you all to listen up! We will defeat the "Red Scale"! Until then, please don't be intimidated and fight to the best of your ability!」
Currently, almost everyone in the fortress has gathered before going into battle. Margarete has already finished explaining the strategy, and now Alec is giving a speech on behalf of the heroes.
It seems that everyone knows that the "Red Scale" are coming out, and there is already enough unrest among the soldiers that some are trying to run away. I pretended to be listening to his speech while I drew a magic circle on the ground with a staff I picked up.
The Fourth Type of Tactical Class Magic that I'll invoked is the <Mass Inspiration>. This is a magic that designates a target within range, in this case a soldier of the kingdom, to alleviate the fear of the target, put them in a state of excitement, and make them resistant to mental attacks. The expression of the upset soldiers tightened as the magic was activated.
「All right, everyone is ready! Let's fight with all our might!」
With Alec's words, the soldiers went to their respective posts. I was about to join the other heroes when I felt a tug on my arm. I looked over and saw Elle with a worried expression.
「Master, are you sure we'll be okay?」
「Yeah, Alec is motivated, and as long as nothing serious happens, we should be fine.」
「But if something should happen, ......」
「Don't worry, I'm just being quiet because I don't want to show off. Even if Alec is defeated, I'm the only one who can handle the battlefield. I promise I'll be back no matter what. Or do you think I'm so weak that you have to worry about me?」
「N-no! Master is very strong!」
「Then don't worry. There is nothing to worry about.」
I patted her on the head and left her side. When I looked back, I saw her smiling reassuringly, so I raised my hand lightly and then headed down to the heroes. I'll pat myself on the back and say that was a little cool.
※
Since there were many demons used for sieges among the enemies, the three heroes including myself and the troops trained by Sagami were waiting on the high ground away from the fortress.
We could already hear the sounds of battle elsewhere. It was only a matter of time before war broke out here.
Then, from the right of our army, an enemy force launched a surprise attack. They seemed to be a demon unit centered around a fast-footed black wolf. The troops on the right side collapsed in the blink of an eye due to the suprise attack.
After a delay, the nearby soldiers went to reinforce them and managed to hold the line.
Our troops were originally supposed to be assigned to the right side, but in the morning, Margarete suddenly changed the assignment. She probably thought that there was someone on the kingdom side who was leaking information, but it seems that her prediction came true.
Hearing the roar of the demons and the shouting of the enemy soldiers, Alec and the rest of the troops stopped trying to head in that direction.
If he were to head out there, the mission would be ruined. My goal is to defeat the enemy's main force and the "Red Scale".
But the difference in strength is hopeless. I can see that the morale of my allies has plummeted to the bottom. The only thing I can do is to kill the "Red Scale" instantly with a flashier-than-planned magic and crush the enemy's morale.
A little while after the battle on the right began, the enemy's main force came into view from the front.
There were many demons and magicians with them, and above them flew a crimson lizard-like creature. At a quick glance, the creature was about fifty meters tall. That must be the "Red Scale".
The sight of the dragon depressed the morale of the soldiers, who had thought they were at rock bottom, and they began to panic when they saw the enemy's main force approaching. I'm scared of that thing, too. If it falls, I'll be crushed. I don't blame the soldiers for being scared.
Attack magics and demons were unleashed on the frightened Kingdom soldier. The magic jammers that I had put up beforehand made the magics disappear before they reached us, but the demons kept coming at us.
The most terrifying of them all is the "Red Scale". I'm sure the kingdom's soldiers have the guts not to run away when they see it coming towards them. If I couldn't use my magic, I'm pretty sure I'd run away at once.
Alec also has his sword at the ready, but the tip of his sword is slightly shaky. Don't lose your confidence at the last minute. If you get stopped at this point, my plan will be ruined. I have to do something.
I thought I'd confuse them a bit, so I applied <Madness> to the "Red Scale", and to my surprise, it worked beautifully. Suddenly, the dragon went on a rampage, overriding the control of the magicians and attacking the surrounding soldiers and demons.
Alec exhaled loudly and nodded toward me, as if he saw an opportunity in this terrible situation. His expression showed that he was full of confidence. He seemed to have regained his confidence.
「This is our chance! Both of you, let's go!」
「Roger that!」
Alec starts running with a shout, and Sagami follows him. I'm in the rear guard, working with Sagami to accurately eliminate the enemies that jump out in front of Alec as he attempts a frontal breakthrough.
「Yard-dono, this magic is amazing! It can even easily pierce the fur of a black wolf that was completely unstoppable!」
Sagami used to be unable to stand up to the black wolf, but thanks to the <Acceleration> I put on his gun, he's fighting like a different person.
I start to secretly draw a magic circle. While playing with the composition of the magic formula so that it would be triggered by the marker that I secretly put on Alec's sword, I killed the attacking demons as if it was a coincidence.
In the meantime, Alec had reached the bottom of the "Red Scale". He stopped and confronted the "Red Scale". But the "Red Scale" is not looking at him, or perhaps it doesn't even notice him.
「Oh my Sword! Lend me the power to defeat this demon!」
The truth is, if he knew the truth, it would certainly become a black history for him. From the point of view of "Red Scale", it doesn't even care that someone like him is cutting into it, so it doesn't even look at him.
But that was the death of it. As soon as Alec's sword was about to hit it, I activated the magic circle I had drawn on his sword.
A huge ray of light was shot out from the tip of the sword, enough to envelop the entire "Red Scale". After the ray of light disappeared, all that was left was the remnants of the "Red Scale", almost all of which had been gutted in an instant.
This was the power of the Type 4 Strategic Class Magic, the <Aurora>. This magic releases a special high-intensity laser that nullifies the opponent's magical resistance and magical barriers. No matter if it is resistant to heat or light, it will turn everything it hits into plasma, making physical defense impossible. Incidentally, its effective range is roughly 20 million kilometers.
Seeing the wreckage of the dragon, which had died in an instant and lost the magic power needed to fly, slammed into the ground, the soldiers of both armies froze in surprise, wondering what had happened. The only sound was the moaning of the enemy soldiers near the "Red Scale", who were staggering around, their skin and eyes burned by the diffused light and heat of the lasers, as the wreckage of what had been enemy soldiers caught in the lasers and vaporized in an instant rolled about.
「The "Red Scale" have been defeated! Soldiers of the Kingdom, follow us!」
Alec raised his sword and shouted in a loud voice that echoed across the battlefield. At the same time, I telephatically to the fortress that the "Red Scale" had been defeated by Alec.
Immediately, the kingdom's army cheered and increased the momentum of their attack. The soldiers of the demon empire, whose trump card was killed in an instant, were so confused that they could no longer hold their shape as an army, and were defeated by the kingdom soldiers one after another.
The rest of the time, it was like hunting for the remnants. I secretly went after the demons that the soldiers couldn't handle, and the enemy soldiers who hadn't run away and fought until the end were hunted down by the two heroes and the soldiers.
The end was surprisingly quick, but while we lost less than a hundred people, the other side lost half of their total. Since the original difference in strength was more than ten times, this victory was like a miracle for the kingdom.
※
When we returned to the fortress, we were greeted by loud cheers. The guys who looked like they were dying a few moments ago were now laughing.
Alec was surrounded by many people, admiring him and asking him questions. They were all asking about the light at that time, but it would be impossible to explain a magic that even he didn't understand the principle of. Even now, he's only saying that it's thanks to the power of the Great Spirit.
A good number of people had gathered around me and Sagami, but as I don't like to be surrounded by people, I decided to take refuge near Elle. Some people still seemed to think that Elle was one of their enemy, and quite a few people stopped coming near me.
Elle was so happy that I had returned safely that she was serving me with smile..
「Master, is it okay if you don't go over there? I'm sure you'll be welcomed like the other heroes.」
「I don't like noisy things」
「...... May I join you here?」
「What are you talking about? You're my disciple, aren't you? There's no way I'd complain about you being around me.」
「!! Right!」
She replies, not even trying to hide her joy at my words. I had just run out of sake, so I asked her to get me some more.
「I didn't know the guest of honor would be at this corner. Yard-sama, everyone wants to hear about your saga, too.」
Margarete came over to me, probably wondering why I was at the corner. The princess didn't even bother to call me.
「The star of the day was probably Alec-dono. Compared to him, my performance is nothing to speak of.」
「Oh my, don't be so modest. I've heard that you defeated many demons. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to share the joy of victory with everyone?」
「After all, this battle is only a temporary fix. When the winter is over and the cold weather eases, the Demon Empire will attack with an even larger army. Let's not rejoice until the war with the Demon Empire is over.」
「...... You are a tactless person. Even so, if you have won a great victory against a large army, you should be able to say something of joy. That's what the soldiers want.」
「I don't like to stand out, so I'll leave that task to you.」
「Hmph, I still don't like you.」
「I see, that's too bad.」
Without waiting for my reply, she started to go back, but after a short walk, she stopped and looked back at me.
「Right, right, I know it's sudden, but the heroes will have to return to the royal castle first. The departure is tomorrow, so please make your preparations tonight. Also, you may take the girl with you, but that's as far as I can allow you. Please take care of the troubles that will arise from her living in the kingdom by yourself.」
「I didn't expect Margarete-dono to be worried about me. I guess you didn't hate me as much as I thought.」
「Oh, it's just that your insolence is too much to bear! Don't get me wrong!」
It was unusual for her to be less spineless than usual, so I teased her a bit, but I think I offended her. She scowled grumpily and went back.
It would be nice to be able to return tomorrow, but hadn't the original plan been to keep defending it until winter? No matter how many enemy hordes we drove back, wouldn't it be normal to leave until safety was assured?
Could it be that something is going on at the castle?
I thought about it, and reminded myself that I was overthinking it. I'm sure I'm just relaxed by our victory. Now that I know this place is, I can always come back here if I need to.
I thought it was more important to try not to let the festivities drag on into tomorrow, so I headed back to my room with Elle.
Previous Chapter --- TOC --- Next Chapter
Join Our Discord Server
👍
ReplyDelete