Fortunately, the Gluttony Oct did not attack on the 25th of the Month of Ice Crystals the following day. Perhaps it was taking a break after devouring five villages.
In any case, I took advantage of this precious day to prepare for the upcoming Fifth Trial.
“Yeah, the sword definitely feels more fitting.”
In the armory within the guided fortress, I acquired two great swords.
One was a sturdy, long two-handed sword. Although it was not a magical weapon, the double-edged sword was forged robustly and had the durability to continue cutting through countless enemies. Given the scale of the Gluttony Oct’s horde, I would undoubtedly be caught up in an endless melee. A durable weapon was necessary to continue fighting.
The other sword was called a flamberge, characterized by its wave-shaped blade. This uniquely wavy shape inflicted wounds that were difficult to stop the bleeding, thus enhancing its lethality. However, this flamberge I held contained real magic, as evidenced by the dim red light emitted from its blade.
True to its red appearance, it harbored the fire element. When swung, the blade would spew flames and turn the struck enemy into a burning mass. However, it did not have the function to form and shoot fireballs, so its magical addition could be deemed average.
Nevertheless, it was an effective weapon against the Gluttony Oct, which had a weakness to fire, and was more than sufficient performance for someone like me, who could fire ‘Grenade Shelling’ on my own.
In my right hand, I held the Zweihander, and in my left, the flaming flamberge. I planned to use these two as my main weapons this time.
“Sorry, but I’ll be taking a few more swords.”
Having received the endorsement of Baron Herman, the base commander, I continued to rummage through the armory without any hesitation. The suspicious gaze of the knight guiding me, which seemed to say, “What is this guy doing…,” pierced me, but I didn’t mind. After all, these were the Crusaders’ weapons. I might as well use them as much as I could.
Of course, all the other swords I planned to use would be for the magic sword.
I took about ten of the same type of Zweihander for backup in case of emergencies.
Next, I took a sword for the ‘Rending Blade,’ which would be used up in a single shot. A regular longsword was more than adequate for that. I planned to take around two hundred of them.
Now, my ‘Shadow Space’ was already filled with swords before arriving here. As for where I would store an additional two hundred, of course, it would be in another space magic.
In other words, I acquired bags with the coveted space magic.
One bag was the type worn with a belt around my waist, and I received one pouch to hang from each side of my hips. In total, I exclusively obtained three storage magical tools. If I’m not careful, these three might end up being more valuable than the borrowed swords. While they appeared quite ordinary, each had considerable capacity. I could distribute my two hundred swords among them and still have a bit of room left. In the empty spaces, if I placed various potions, my combat preparations would be nearly complete.
After carefully selecting my weapons and items and finishing my equipment preparations, I returned to the room prepared within the fortress just as the bell tolled noon.
“I’m back, Yuri, Ursula.”
“Welcome back.”
Both greeted me in unison.
This room was exclusive to officers, but it lacked enough space to be considered luxurious. Having a single room was already a special treatment.
Under normal circumstances, I would have been sleeping in a large shared room on the first floor or basement like the villagers, but Baron Herman had thoughtfully prepared this room for me. I felt a bit guilty toward everyone, but I didn’t plan to stay long anyway, and more than anything, having a private room to talk with Sariel was very welcome.
The room was built facing the inside of the fortress, so there were no windows. It came off a bit suffocating like a basement. However, a slightly expensive lamp, enhanced by magic to increase light, glowed, making it not too dim.
In the bright room, Sariel and Ursula were sitting on the bed, looking relaxed.
Now that I had entered a room without the eyes of others, there was no need to hide my face, so I removed the helm I was wearing.
“I’ll help, Lady Chloe.”
“Sorry about that.”
Ursula jumped off the bed and took the helmet with a slight struggle, although it was expected, armor is not as easily donned and doffed as clothes. Especially with such heavy armor, it could take as much effort as a princess’s dress.
“I’ve acquired equipment. There are also supplies for both of you, so check them now.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Thank you, Lady Chloe.”
Having quickly changed, I sat on a wooden chair set with a modestly made desk similar to the one in the church, facing the two of them.
“First, for Yuri.”
I took out a space magic pouch. Inside, I had packed the basic items of an adventurer, including various potions. Naturally, it wouldn’t be filled just with that.
“In here, I’ve packed spare swords and an Ignited Dagger. Well, it might be unnecessary since you have the Wind Rapier, but throw it if you need it.”
I had already heard from Ryan about how Sariel fought.
The emerald-decorated holy silver rapier captured from the mushroom-headed Mushlam proved to be unexpectedly high-performing. Even without the power of magic, Sariel could repeatedly execute attack magic due to the embedded wind magic formula. I had thought it was merely for weight reduction.
“If there’s anything else you want, let me know. We still have time to search.”
“No, this is enough.”
Sariel answered with her usual expressionless face. I couldn’t tell if she truly thought it was sufficient or if she felt like, “Are you serious, Brother? This lineup is unacceptable,” but was too considerate to say so.
Since I still couldn’t read Sariel’s expression, I could only take her words at face value.
“This is for Ursula.”
This was also a space magic pouch of the same type as Sariel’s. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary brown leather design, but even Ursula knew it was a valuable magical tool.
Perhaps for that reason, she took it with a bit of trepidation, cradling it with both hands. It felt reminiscent of receiving a diploma.
“You don’t need a weapon, so I’ve added a lot of magical power recovery potions. It’s better to drink them before you feel the exhaustion clearly.”
Looking serious, Ursula nodded.
When we fought at the 203rd supply base, we had lacked means to recover magical power, which put us in a pinch. Fighting low-level monsters wouldn’t cost much magic on Anastasia’s power usage, so combined with Drain, the consumption was nearly negligible, but taking down large foes standing ten meters tall required significant techniques. Even for a Drain user, magic was not unlimited.
Conversely, if Ursula could secure her magical power, it meant she could move safely. If she focused on being firmly in the rear, she should be fine.
“Additionally, there’s money in the pouch.”
“…Money? Why?”
“After this fight is over, that’s all I can leave for you, Ursula.”
Her pouch contained all the reward money I received from Baron Herman.
Given the danger level of the monsters we would face, even taking the quest through the Adventurer Guild would undoubtedly require a considerable sum. For a single girl to live a normal life, the amount would likely last her a significant part of her life, though not quite a whole lifetime.
“I truly wished you could continue to live peacefully with Reki in that village. However, given the current circumstances, I don’t know what will happen to you afterward.”
If we successfully defeated Gluttony Oct, the Crusaders would rebuild the village. Since this Alsace would become the border with Spada, a certain number of villagers would be needed along the way leading here.
Yet, when starting anew from scratch, I worried whether Ursula, being alone and powerless, could return to a peaceful life again… No, it was likely that there wouldn’t be any leeway to take care of her. If anything, the villagers of the 202nd Development Village might be scattered to other places temporarily.
The village that could have become Ursula’s hometown might truly disappear in the real sense.
“That’s why—”
“I don’t want it.”
Ursula pushed the pouch back at me firmly.
“I don’t want anything like this!”
Her small hand trembling while holding the pouch.
“I don’t need money! If I can be with Lady Chloe, that’s all I need!!”
Ursula cried out with tears glistening in her blue eyes.
“…No, Ursula, that’s not possible.”
I wanted to say that I would always be with her, that I would protect her.
I truly thought that in my heart.
But that was impossible.
“Why not? I would even die for you, Lady Chloe—”
“Stop it, Ursula. Never say you’d be okay with dying.”
I nearly raised my voice in anger, which surely stemmed from my deep fear of anyone’s “death.”
Having lost Reki, after the battle, I wouldn’t be around, and only Ursula would be left alone; considering her feelings, it might be understandable for her to feel reckless and say she’d be fine with dying. Yet, that was merely a transient feeling at the moment.
“I want Ursula to have a peaceful life, free of battles, from now on. That’s my wish.”
On the night of the Valentine’s Festival, I had said something similar to Reki. I couldn’t involve her in my battle.
That feeling has only strengthened now that I have lost Reki.
“If you’re with me, you will certainly get caught up in fierce battles again. No, I will undoubtedly face foes far more dangerous than the Gluttony Oct.”
“…Will you be fighting against the Crusaders again?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Ursula already knew I was a demon race opposing the Crusaders by now. She could surely imagine the war that would break out again more clearly than Reki could.
“I can fight too.”
“You’ll end up killing many people.”
“For Lady Chloe, I could kill as many Sinclair people as needed. As ‘White Night Demon Princess,’ I can do that. I will definitely be of help.”
That is a fact. Ursula already has combat capabilities comparable to a high-ranking mage capable of easily taking down mere infantry. She may still be inferior to Lily and Fiona, but she certainly wouldn’t drag the team down.
If she keeps accumulating practical experience, she’ll likely reach their level sooner rather than later. A sufficiently reliable ally.
“I’m not afraid of fighting. I’m not afraid of killing. If it means I can continue being by Lady Chloe’s side, I’ll gladly fight.”
While tears glistened at the corners of her eyes, Ursula looked at me with an unusual light in her gaze. Despite being a child, a strong determination could be observed.
It would be impossible to change her mind any further with words here.
After all, feelings can’t be easily swayed just through talk. While understanding is possible, true agreement won’t likely be reached.
I don’t want Ursula to die. I want her to live in peace. But unless she herself desires that, in the end, it would be my selfishness, a unilateral insistence.
“…I’m sorry, but I still can’t take Ursula with me. I want this life-risking battle to be the only one.”
“But I—”
“Enough, Ursula. Sorry, but right now, I can only think about the fight ahead.”
“I should have focused on that, but I ended up talking about unnecessary things. Let’s talk again after the battle is over. For now, let’s think about survival first.”
“…Yes, Chloe-sama.”
I think it’s unfair, but I have a fear that further provoking Ursula might lead to her doing something reckless like Reki did.
While people’s feelings are important, life is even more so. Gluttony Oct is not an easy opponent that can be taken down with hesitation.
“It should be time for lunch soon. Shall we head to the cafeteria?”
Despite the discomfort, I forcefully change the topic.
The meal, despite being a bit more luxurious menu than usual, did not have much flavor in the slightly awkward atmosphere.
“—Please, take a seat over there, Lady Chloe.”
“Excuse me.”
After finishing the awkward lunch with Ursula, I was called by Cliff as usual and came back to the command room.
The purpose, of course, was to participate in the military council. Although it was a verbal agreement, Baron Herman had prepared a seat for me and was waiting diligently. I still wore my helmet to hide my face, but no one raised any objections. The groundwork had been laid perfectly.
“It seems everyone is gathered. Now, let’s begin the military council. First, we will hear the report from the reconnaissance unit—”
Baron Herman glanced at me briefly but seemed to be proceeding with the meeting as the chairman without paying much mind to me.
“—The white mist currently covers the 205th Development Village, and there are no signs of movement. We have confirmed countless monster reactions within the mist, but deeming it dangerous to provoke, we have limited ourselves to visual monitoring.”
“Indeed, that’s good. Thank you for your efforts.”
It seems Gluttony Oct is steadily closing in. The fact that it has reached the village right before us almost guarantees that it will arrive here tomorrow. In the worst-case scenario, there’s also the possibility of it attacking overnight.
However, it seems they are aware of this without needing me to voice it. Without any interruption, proposals for strengthening tonight’s night watch are quickly put forward and adopted.
I will stay awake tonight even if I get into bed.
“Next, let’s discuss the defense plan—”
The discussions continued actively but without significant disagreements, proceeding solemnly. The contents of the conversation were merely confirmations; it seemed that all the officers had already solidified the same opinion.
Everyone gathered here is under Baron Herman, so their goal of “returning to their territory” is the same, which likely prevents any odd disputes.
We must safely finish this battle and return alive. On this point alone, I completely agree with them.
“First, we will mobilize all wind mages to deploy a wind barrier covering the entire Alsace Fortress.”
The one explaining without any hesitance was a green-robed officer, the head of the mage corps. He was about the same age as Herman but was a thin man.
I believe the wind barrier he mentioned is an absolute necessity for our defense.
When defending against those monsters, dealing with their flight capabilities is crucial. Because of the lack of this, the 203rd Supply Base was thrown into chaos by them infiltrating immediately on the first move. With poor visibility due to the mist, the enemy descended continuously from above. In that situation, there was no way we could defend effectively.
That mist not only obstructs our visibility, but it also provides the necessary auxiliary magic for Gluttony Oct to fly. In other words, they can only fly within that mist.
The fact that Ursula was easily able to dissipate it proves that it is a magical mist created by Gluttony Oct’s unique magic. Conversely, if it were natural mist, it would not change even under drain.
Moreover, this magical mist is likely boosting buoyancy and lift with a wind attribute. The mechanism that allows octopuses, which do not look suited for flight, to soar in the sky is because of this.
Indeed, they were flying smoothly through the mist, but in areas without mist, they had to crawl along the ground. The ones that suddenly dropped in front of me had to fly up to the misty heights before they could only free-fall from areas without mist.
“Is it possible?”
“We are currently proceeding with the engraving of magic circles in various locations of the fortress. Once this is complete, the barrier covering the entire fortress can be activated with just our personnel.”
That’s good. If they had said, “No, that’s impossible,” I would have had to take the risk of borrowing Ursula’s power.
“However, once the barrier is activated, all wind mages must concentrate on maintaining it, so they will not be able to participate in the attack.”
“Indeed, it can’t be helped. The wind mage unit will focus on maintaining the barrier, while we will leave the offense to the other units. Also, a knight squad should be assigned to protect the spellcasters…”
“Thank you.”
The barrier is the key to our defense. If they are actually exposed to danger, the unit will be ordered to hold fast. I must keep their placements firmly in mind.
“The key to the offense will be the fire mages, but not all mages can handle fire attributes. Deciding whether to assign other mages to attack or defense will have to wait until we engage in battle.”
“Hmm… In this regard, I would like to ask for the opinion of Lady Chloe, who has combat experience. Would that be acceptable?”
Wait, are they asking me here?
Moreover, Cliff is beside me, so they should be asking him first.
By the way, Cliff has been promoted to company commander of the heavy cavalry unit due to his performance in the last battle. He now qualifies as one of the officers eligible to join this military council.
“Among the enemies, there is a large entity about 10 meters long. Its acidic breath is extremely powerful. I would like the mage unit to defend against this breath. Conversely, mages without means to defend should focus on attacking.”
“I see, it does seem the large ones should be prioritized for elimination.”
“There are sky cannons on the castle wall. Aim for the big ones with those.”
Sky cannons that shoot arrows at small fry are completely useless. If we can take down the giant octopus with that and lighten the load on the mages, it would be the best.
“And, well… small ones are likely to swarm and try to climb the castle walls. I want the fire mages to use ‘Flame Release’ to incinerate them and prevent them from getting close.”
The presence of the fire mages is crucial for wiping out a massive number of octopuses.
Sporadically firing fireballs will have limited effects. We need to pour flames over the greatest number of enemies and maintain the assault for a longer duration.
It would be best to align the units on top of the castle wall at almost equal intervals and focus the magic they use on ‘Flame Release.’ In other words, I want to prevent the small fry from closing in with a crossfire from flamethrowers.
“I understand. I will take it into consideration.”
The head of the mage corps replied with no visible change in expression to my opinion. Well, I have no idea what he really thinks inside… but when faced with that massive horde, he would likely reach a similar conclusion as mine.
“Now, on to the operation of the infantry units—”
What soldiers who can’t use magic can do is limited.
They can shoot arrows, swing spears, or possibly use long-handled torches as options.
The infantry will be the last line of defense to stop the octopuses trying to board the walls. We cannot detonate attack magic at close range.
“We are converting arrows to fire arrows wherever possible and preparing torches. Additionally, we plan to gather anything that can be burned and use it to attack by dropping it from the castle walls.”
Are they thinking “We’ll use everything we can, since we’ll be returning to our territory soon”? If they are resolved to face this battle with all their might, I have no complaints.
“—Now then, I’ve heard most of what I needed, but is there anyone else with an opinion?”
About two hours have passed since the military council began. Reports and operational plans are mostly finished. A moment of silence follows. No one raises a hand.
However, the military council cannot conclude like this.
“Lastly, I would like to ask… do you have any countermeasures for the giant Gluttony Oct, which you mentioned seeing, Lady Chloe?”
Yes, what has been discussed so far are strategies only for facing the oncoming horde of enemies.
The true Gluttony Oct, which serves as the trial monster. Not a single idea on how to defeat it has been proposed yet.
“…I fear, Your Excellency.”
The one who raised his hand was the green-robed head of the mage corps.
“With that giant monster flying in the sky, the infantry units will be powerless. No matter how many fire arrows are shot, they will not have much effect. Worst case, it could even be at such an altitude that the arrows cannot reach it.”
“Indeed, the decisive factor will naturally rely on magic.”
“Yes. However, with our magical force, we would likely only be able to handle the enemy horde. We won’t have enough leeway to focus on a giant monster.”
It’s obvious, but the number of mages is significantly less than that of infantry. The ratio might vary slightly among different armies, but usually it’s less than half of the infantry, roughly around thirty percent.
The force stationed at this Alsace Fortress has already seen most of its personnel withdrawn, so not many remain. It’s just an addition to Baron Herman’s troops.
It cannot be said that the mage corps is robust.
“Furthermore, even if our force was fully committed, when it comes to such a giant body… we cannot use great magic capable of bringing down such a massive monster. Unless it is a mere facade that is all show, we cannot hope for a proper resolution.”
I keenly feel the significant lack of firepower.
If either Lily or Fiona were here, even one of them would have provided numerous tactical options. However, unfortunately, among Baron Herman’s subordinates, there are no magic users of their caliber.
Moreover, if they had that level of individual power, they would not have offered their cooperation to me. With this many people and the addition of even one powerful magic user like Lily or Fiona, it wouldn’t be that difficult for them to kill me.
“So, what should we do?”
“Given our current forces, it seems we will have no choice but to endure.”
Gluttony Oct generates a powerful whirlwind like a typhoon, swallowing up everything in the village, including homes.
As long as we can endure that tremendous suction power, we won’t be devoured… I hope.
“Will this fortress be able to withstand it?”
“It is indeed a hastily built Alsace Fortress, but its construction itself is robust. I believe there is a sufficient chance it can endure.”
“However, if that giant monster descends… what then? Can this castle withstand even if a mountain were to fall?”
The corps commander and the other officers respond with silence.
Limited forces. No matter how much we ponder and deliberate, we cannot devise a method to overcome an overwhelming enemy.
“—I will defeat it.”
My voice echoed loudly in the silent room.
A small buzz arose, but no one confronted me with questions. After a brief pause, it felt like someone had to ask, and eventually Baron Herman, as the chairman, posed the question.
“Lady Chloe, do you have a method to defeat it?”
Honestly, I’m not confident. However, I am certain that if we do not defeat that thing, survival is impossible. A siege is out of the question. It will definitely flatten this fortress to nothing.
“I can defeat it. However, I will need cooperation.”
“If there are no other plans, I will cooperate with anything.”
“Anything,” he said. In that case, please don’t turn down this request, Baron Herman.
“The pegasus that the Seventh Apostle Sariel rode is still in this fortress, isn’t it? I want you to lend it to me—”