CH 189

Chapter 189 – Reconquista and Conquest

“Deputy Captain, what about the captain of the guard?”

“Put him in the guardroom. Lock it up.”

The deputy captain spat in a neighborhood sort of tone and climbed into the side deck of the hovercraft with fifteen of his men in full equipment.

The clean-up of the remaining enemies was instantaneous.

The guards of the Central Territories seemed to have built up considerable anger at the East and North Territories’ military assaults on the fortified city of Cassmeer, which had dried up before the invasion by cutting off imports by sea.

After being supplied with weapons and food, they killed the Imperial Army and all the East and North Territories’ troops with demon-like vigor and liberated Cassmeer in the Central Territories. They then advised the permanent council members to launch a counter-landing operation to the capital.

The deputy captain pulled out fifteen of his most elite men and asked me, Myrril, and the Battlecry to transport and supply supplies along the way and to escort McKin-dono, who was going as an envoy to urge them to surrender.

The request was made on his own initiative but later became an official request from the Central Territorial Guard through the Adventurers’ Guild of the Southern Territories.

“The documents and the reward will definitely be provided here. What do you say, Demon King?”

“…Oh, that’s fine.”

“It’s decided. Then, Council Member-dono, we are finished.”

Feudal Lord McKin went into the vehicle with the Battlecry. The soldiers are going to stay on the side deck for a while in a state of alert and deal with the remaining enemies.

“We are ready.”

“That’s not what I meant, Deputy Captain. The capital is surrounded by rebels, isn’t it? Isn’t it reckless to retake the capital with only 20 or so men, including your 15 men and ours?”

“Whether it is reckless or not, I don’t care. We are supposed to die to protect the central territory. We don’t draw our swords when we see the enemy. Besides.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re not going to convince me with that grin on your face, Jou-chan.”

Well, that’s right. Myrril-san, you look like you’re having a lot of fun. He definitely doesn’t think it’s reckless. At least, they don’t think they’re the ones being reckless.

It’s just a confirmation of their preparedness. Apparently, everything went well. That’s all well and good, but the problem is Lord McKin. He’s not from the Central Territories but from the Southern Territories. I think he’s a bit too far out on the front lines.

“McKin-dono. Are you sure you want to accept this envoy’s appointment?”

“Of course I am, Demon King. I have formal letters of request from all seven permanent council members, as well as a letter of attorney. I have also received word that the results will not be questioned. Besides, if we succeed in recapturing the capital city, we have a guarantee that an agreement will be concluded with the Southern Territories, the Noble Domain in the southern part of the Kingdom, and the Casemaian.”

“So there is profit and a pretext for involvement.”

“That’s right. I know it’s not a line from the guards, but it is my duty to risk my life for the development and prosperity of the Southern Territories. I’ve made sure the profits are worth the risk.”

“That’s fine. But do you know how many troops the enemy has?”

“According to the interrogation led by the deputy captain, there are at most two hundred cavalry and five hundred infantry. A hundred mages are included. As for Transportation, there are a hundred horse-drawn wagons and a hundred and forty unarmed foot soldiers. Probably for looting.”

Seven hundred soldiers alone. The number of people who have been in the area for a long time is not very large for the harsh winter season when movement is restricted, or it is not enough to conquer the capital of another country, but it is true that it is too large an enemy for 20 men and a single animal to face. And to add insult to injury, there are mages. Those guys are a little bit incompatible with firearms.

“Seven hundred… that might be a little short.”

“What is it, Jou-chan?”

“I’ll take the responsibility of killing up to 130 enemies. No, and six more to add to that.”

And now there are more? That’s for a UZI, a copy of the M1911, spare magazines for each, and a revolver for polar regions.

Myrril-san, you were just now reloading used magazines with ammunition.

“But that shouldn’t be a problem. A grenade launcher can blow up a hundred or so, and an onboard general-purpose machine gun can slaughter two hundred. Takifu would probably be able to reap a hundred or so with his “automatic rifle.” That makes five hundred and forty. That leaves only two hundred.”

“O-oh.”

Most of the people in this room had actually seen Myrril (and me, as a sideshow) go on a rampage. Therefore, Feudal Lord McKin, the guards, and even the council members who came to see us off, only laughed at Myrril’s comments, which were full of nonsense, and did not argue with her.

“I’ll leave it to you, Mir-dono!”

“Yes, I’ll take care of it. The morale and skill of your guards, the pride of the Central Territories, have been shown to the fullest extent. I am confident that you will be able to defeat a mere 200 or so of the imperial miscreants and rebels.”

“”””Yes.””””

“Shall we go, then, Takifu?”

“Ah, yes.”

I, a lazy demon king who is a driver, start the Griffon as I’m being swept along by Her Majesty the Demon Queen, who is laughing at me from the gun emplacement. The capital city of Hagwai, which bears the same name as the Republic, is about 320 kilometers, or 200 miles, westward from Cassmeer on a road that heads inland.

Even though it is a road, it is covered with knee-deep snow in winter, and its boundaries are vague except in the forests. At this time of year, with no means of Transportation other than horse-drawn sleighs, none of the rebel forces attempting to overrun the capital would have expected anyone to advance there. And moreover, they must have thought that the gunboats of the Imperial and Northern Territories would have burned Cassmeer to the ground and destroyed the city.

The fluffy snow is the same as a flat ground in a hovercraft. It’s so much easier than on the plains in the summer because you can go faster without worrying about obstacles.

“When we get to the outskirts of the city, we will increase our speed. Guards, please move into the vehicles.”

“No, I’ve got enough here…”

“No, that’s impossible. I can understand why you might want to ride out there at first, though.”

“This thing goes more than twice as far as a horse. If at any moment you get into a fight, you’ll get swung around and fall off. If that happens, there’s no time to go pick you up.

“I-I understand.”

The guards entered the vehicle after being admonished by the Battlecry team.

“All right, Takifu!”

I open the throttle as soon as the road is flat. I had refueled with about 700 liters of fuel after the clean-up, so there was no fuel problem for the time being. The Griffon roars to life and accelerates, reaching about 40 knots (74 km/h), its top speed in its current weight class on the unobstructed plain.

“T-this is fast…!?”

“If all goes well, we should be there in a little over two ticks (four hours).”

“””Eh.”””

The sun began to rise over the central territory as Cassmeer disappeared far behind us. Moff, the monster, comes up to the side of the driver’s seat and sucks away the source of my fatigue with a huff. He’s not only convenient, but he’s also kind. I ruffle his white fur.

“Thanks, Moff.”

“Woof.”

We pass through the forest, through the fields, and over the frozen river without difficulty. We were fortunate that there were not many ups and downs in the Republic other than the mountainous region bordering the Imperial Kingdom, so we did not have to slow down. We could see a few houses in the distance, but no one seemed to be out and about during the winter.

There was nothing to stop the hovercraft, which was speeding along with a tremendous noise and blast.

“…Nn?”

Once inside the vehicle, Myrril was resting in the passenger seat, but by the time the capital city of Hagwai was approaching, she was starting to get alarmed. She checked everywhere with her binoculars, then opened the roof again and returned to her gun position.

“Takifu.”

“Hmm, enemy shadow?”

“Don’t know. They stopped just over that hill.”

“What’s the matter, Jou-chan?”

The deputy captain, sensing something was wrong, came up to the driver’s seat.

“Smoke is rising. It’s not cooking smoke. Has the village been burned to the ground?”

“No way. Aside from the imperial kingdom, the people in the northern territories were the ones who would rule after the conquest of the land. I don’t think they’ll do anything to reduce their own food resources.”

“It’s a foolish act. I don’t understand it either.”

We stopped just before the ridge of the hill, shut off the engine, and Myrril and I got out of the vehicle. The deputy captain followed a little later.

“Is that Hagwai?”

“Yes, that’s the inside of that wall you see in the back.”

A vast plain with a basin-like shape stretches out below us. The plain was about 10 kilometers in diameter. The capital seems to be inside a rectangular wall several kilometers on the side, built near the center of the plain. However, my eyesight only gives me a vague, distant view of the city. There is a wide expanse of cityscape outside the city walls, and the distribution of buildings suggests that there is another populated area in the corner of the basin.

“The smoke is not on the walled side. There is a small, crowded settlement on a small hill in the left foreground. What’s there?”

No, I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything but smoke.

“At the southern end of the plain, it must be a magic cave.”

“Oh, no, those imperial idiots.”

I turned around, and before I knew it, Feudal Lord McKin was standing next to the deputy captain with a scowl on his face. There is a hint of impatience on his face as he looks down on the city.

“Magic cave? What is that?”

“It is a residential area exclusively for mages, or more precisely, a “special academic zone for mages,” but it is commonly called a “mage cave” and is feared by many. Not only civilians but even government officials are forbidden to enter unless they have a business to do so.”

“Why is this happening again?”

The deputy captain did not know much about it, so Lord McKin took over the role of explaining.

“The Republic has produced many powerful mages in the past. They are aware of the dangers, so they have kept them away from the public and from politics. The exception is the military, but the Republic has no standing army other than the guards held by the lords. Many of them are devoured in the absence of war. So, in order not to leave a potential threat unchecked, the council has brought together in one place a group of mages who are eccentric, arrogant, high-minded, and dangerous.”

“By force?”

“They won’t follow that. In name, they are allowed to conduct their research freely, and the results are bought up for a certain amount of money. But in reality, it’s just a sacrifice.”

“Hmm. It’s like feeding a magical beast and taming it. I hope they don’t make a bad move and get eaten alive.”

As usual, Mir-neesan, she is not trying to wrap up her comments in any kind of smarts. It may not sound like a bad policy, but the smoke from the house suggests that the reality is far from it.

“I heard that your family is from the kingdom, but you are well-versed in the affairs of the Republic.”

“Because I’m from the Kingdom. At first, there were so many things I didn’t know that I couldn’t talk about them. After thorough investigation and research, I finally became as good as the best of the best.”

I see; Lord McKin is a man of hard work. If you ask me, that’s how I feel.

“The magic cave. Is there any reason for the imperial government to target this place?”

“No. The Empire is more active in researching general-purpose magic technology, but it’s just for fun, like boiling water with magic power, peering into other people’s heads, or moving big dolls. It would be suicidal if you misunderstood that and got involved.”

That big doll was not easy, though. Is the magic technology of the imperial army so much as a plaything?

Frankly, I don’t want to get involved. I have no grudge or use for anyone other than the Imperial Army and the rebel army. Let’s quickly pass through and recapture the capital.

“Shall we go? As long as they don’t pose a threat to us, we should be fine.”

“Hopefully.”

Around the magic cave on the southern edge of the plain, a series of loud explosions erupted. Something that has been reduced to dust is scattered in the sky above. I don’t know what it is. I don’t want to know.

Myrril-san, please stop saying, “It’s like AIEIDE” (IED). The eyes of the fat lord and deputy captain narrowed for a moment. They must have a hunch.

“You see? It’s like a bunch of tamed, bloodless sub-dragons breaking the chains of an old dragon that was sleeping after being offered an offering. “Outdated fools, we’re here to help you!” And then…”