Chapter 346 – 346. Everyone’s Preparations for Second War (5)

– One –

About an hour ago.

– I found an unidentified house 1km ahead.

“It’s an unidentified house? How big is it?”

A lieutenant who appears to be a communications officer and a sergeant leading the reconnaissance team communicate using short-range communication magic tools.

As it was delivered for military use and modified to amplify its output, it was very suitable for use in the field.

However, because the number of times of use was limited due to power problems, and also because the unit cost of delivery was quite expensive, I do not use it unless it is extremely important.

The sergeant of the reconnaissance team seemed to have decided that the important thing was to report what he had witnessed right now.

– It is the size of a small hut suitable for hunters or mountain keepers.

“Suspicious… That place…”

Swoop.

The lieutenant looks down at the map.

It was a copy of a map drawn up by a scouting party exploring the surrounding terrain.

Examining it carefully, he estimates the sergeant’s current location on the map.

“I’ll report to the superiors. Wait there for the next instructions.”

– Chung!

Piririk.

The communication connection is terminated.

Skip.
Square, square square.
Ji-ik, Ji-jik.

The lieutenant quickly writes a report.

It was made using secret words and abbreviations used in the Imperial Army, so it was very concise.

“You.”

“Yes!”

The lieutenant called the second lieutenant by his side.

The ensign immediately approaches him.

“Deliver to Command as payment.”

“Insect!”

Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck.

Since it was the first trace of a resident he had found since entering the northern unexplored lands, he naturally saw it as an issue to report to his superiors.

He thought it might be a trace of the rebels, so he never treated it carelessly.

Because the importance of the matter was high and others judged the same, it quickly passed through numerous reporting systems.

That,

Seruk.
Flutter.

It was quickly delivered to the superintendent.

I was resting in my private barracks for a short break, but I didn’t put off checking the report that came up as a payment.

“Hmm…”

The warden frowns as he sees it.

At that time,

Flutter.
Jerk, jerk, jerk.

“What is it, are you looking at it so seriously?”

Regal visited the warden’s barracks after a long time.

His face was very haggard, as if he had been suffering from constant anxiety.

“Ah, Your Highness. Are you here?”

Squeak.
Dump.

Before the warden could even tell her to sit down, Regal sat down in an empty chair.

He cupped his forehead with one hand, his brow furrowed as if he were suffering from a constant headache.

“It’s because the military camp is a little cluttered. Is there something going on?”

“Yes. It’s nothing different. A report came up from the scouting unit that they found a hut that seemed to be used by locals. It was the first trace of locals I saw outside of the refugees in the frontier village, so I was thinking about what to do with it. “

Regal’s expression changes strangely.

‘These are the test subjects… !’

I turn my gaze and check the documents quietly.

However, Regal did not have the ability to read the correspondence written in the secret language and abbreviation used in the Imperial Army.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard of refugees from pioneering villages.”

“Ah, yes. Some of the survivors who survived the massacre by the rebels in the frontier village have been living here in the northern unexplored land. I came all the way here to tell you.”

“… I saw him with the saintess…”

“It is.”

Upon hearing the warden’s words, Regal’s expression changed even more strangely.

“Where is he now? I’d like to interview him myself.”

“Ah… He was seriously injured, so he temporarily left right after receiving the priest’s treatment. He returned to his place to bring other survivors back to our camp.”

“Ummm… I guess we’ll have to wait until he comes back to have an interview?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is.”

“Okay.”

Regal nodded.

He seemed to be feeling a little uneasy, and unlike his answer, there was a slight displeasure on his expression.

But he could not openly express his displeasure and rebuke his warden.

It is because he has been very negligent in his duties, and his prestige as the commander-in-chief has been greatly damaged.

“Did you leave the word that you would return?”

“Keeping in mind the possibility that he may have lied, he said that he would recover after verifying the facts about the report. If so, I expect it to come well enough.”

“Um… That’s fortunate…”

When the ghost turmoil did not stop, he made the excuse that he was not feeling well, and went out in his barracks, surrounded by guards.

It’s because Pinot’s eyes are virtually blind, and when the imperial army alone can’t control the turmoil, he is gripped by the fear that he might be killed by an unknown monster.

“Your Highness. How is your health? It seems like you’ve been bedridden for too long to be considered a minor annoyance. Perhaps you’ve contracted an endemic disease of unknown origin, the warden has been very concerned about you.”

“It’s not completely better yet, but it’s better enough to be able to move.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to rest a little longer?”

“Your Majesty has personally appointed you to the position of Commander-in-Chief, so how can you continue to be negligent under the pretext of personal comfort?”

“Still, please don’t overdo it.”

“Okay.”

The reason he finally came out of the barracks was because he was convinced that the monster causing the ghost commotion would no longer cause human casualties.

It could be different monsters, he judged.

He was sleepy

“But I can’t lie down forever. I just lie down too much, and I’m starting to worry about the eyes of the soldiers.”

There was no pretense in his words.

It was because whenever he went in and out of the barracks, he witnessed the color of desire from the soldiers heading towards him.

It was quite blatantly colored with jealousy, anger, and even destruction.

Of course, even if he had been more withdrawn as it was, there would not have been a rebellion or a cataclysm.

However, after returning to the system, it was obvious that his reputation would have seriously deteriorated.

“Don’t worry about it. How can a nobleman and a soldier be physically equal? ​​Just standing in the vanguard without any damage so far is a great enough feat. The warden will take good care of the lower ones so that there will be no back talk in case. “

“It’s true that I behaved in the wrong way, so don’t criticize the soldiers too much. But…”

Swoop.

As Regal trails off his horse, the warden straightens his posture.

Seeing his serious expression, the warden intuited that he was going to get to the point.

“Isn’t it too suspicious to see a hut suddenly appearing in this barren, unexplored land? It’s also in the middle of a field, so the fact that there’s only one of them, and there’s no private house nearby, makes me feel an excessive sense of incongruity.”

“The warden judged that, so he was thinking about how to deal with it.”

“Anyway, I think it’s a trap for the rebels.”

“…!”

Perhaps he hadn’t thought of that, the warden looked at Regal with a surprised face.

Regal’s complexion still hardened with a serious expression, he met the director’s eyes.

“Isn’t it? Even if we do find some rebel-related clues there, it could be that the rebels have camouflaged it to lead us into a trap. If there are none, we’re lucky, but there’s no guarantee there aren’t dangerous traps out there. Isn’t it?”

“… Then, is Your Highness saying that we should strike at least from a distance before our scouting party enters there?”

Regal looks directly into the warden’s eyes and nods.

In the warden’s eyes, Regal was merely prudent, but he never seemed overly frightened.

If it was prudence born from rational judgment, it seemed safe to follow his opinion.

“That’s right. It would be good for allied mages to launch a long-range attack on the hut through a joint chant, confirm that there is no ambush, trap, or any other threat before entering.”

“Hmm…”

The warden is worried

Since there is mana consumed by magicians performing joint chanting, the cost of it cannot be seen as free.

However, there was enough time to resume the march, so if you take a break in the meantime, the cost spent will be recovered quickly.

Therefore, in the current situation, the cost paid was only an expense that converged to zero.

“I will do as you say.”

“How long do you think it will take to be ready to strike?”

“Thirty minutes is enough.”

“Then let’s wait for the results together.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

About 30 minutes later, a huge arrow of light imbued with physical force flew up from the Imperial military camp.

It was headed north.

– 2 –

There is a word called mustil (何必).

It is a word usually used when one is resentful of an incident that occurred due to coincidence and its result, why it had to be so (何).

Of course.

It was a perfect fit for the moment.

Woo woo woo woo!

All in all, that day, the Imperial Army discovered the cabin Benison had entered.

All in all, that day, Regal broke his confinement and came out.

All in all, Regal persuaded the warden and decided to strike from a distance first.

All of a sudden, because the imperial army was stationed out of Margarita’s detection range, there was a time difference of an hour before Margarita heard the conversation between Regal and the warden.

All in all, Margarita discovered it only after the magic projectiles fired by the Imperial Army’s magicians broke the speed of sound.

Of course, it was too late to discover that the projectile was approaching, as Benison was concentrating all his attention on the natural camouflage after laying down the trick.

Of course, coincidence, carelessness, and irresistible circumstances overlapped.

But I can’t just die in a daze like this.

“Kkei-i-i-i-i-i-i!”

Benison bites it.

Aaaaagh!
Deed Dede Deuk!

Bend his thighs, putting power on his toes.

The floor explodes.

Paha!

It kicks off the ground and jumps, raising dust.

Crackle!
Pop!

As the wooden walls of the cabin burst open,

Weeeee!

Shortly after Benison’s model was launched from there,

Chunwaaaaagh!
Quung.

A huge arrow of light from the sky pierced the hut.

“Quaaaaa…!”

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tat!

The moment Benison ran desperately, raising dust,

Aaaaa!
Fuhuaaaaa!

As the arrow of light bursts out, it causes a huge explosion.

Rocks, pebbles, and sharp pieces of wood fly in concentric circles from the center of the explosion.

Sand and dust fly up.

“Hee-ik…!”

Benison’s face turns pale.

The speed of the flying debris from the explosion is much faster than the speed he runs.

Aaaaa!
Peeping!
Pipipipit!

As the grains of sand brushed past, they tore Benison’s ear lobe.

A few are embedded in the back, thighs, and calves.

Blood spurts out.

“Turn it off…!”

His concentration at its peak makes his senses extremely sensitive.

He didn’t turn his head, but he sensed every situation in all directions in detail.

At that time,

‘Hey there!’

A huge rock is caught by Benison’s senses.

It wasn’t too far.

Papapat!

I hurriedly turn toward it,

Shasha shak!

Squeeze your body into the gap between the base of the rock on the far side of the explosion and the floor.

It was like being sucked in.

Soon after he hid there,

Kwajik!
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Follow me!
Blasphemy!

Numerous fragments hit the rock.

Pebbles and trees burst out.

Rumble!
Rumble!

“Hee, heehee…!”

Bennison trembles in fright as he constantly feels a strong vibration through the ground he is facing.

The moment he digs deeper into the ground with his body curled up tightly,

Swoop.
Wheeeee

“Uh, uh…?”

An ominous wind begins to blow.

I feel the wind swirling and gathering, as if air is being sucked in from all sides towards the center of the explosion.

No.

– Benison! You shouldn’t be there! Run away! Fast now!

“Hey!”

Shashak!
Ta-ta-ta-ta-tat!

It wasn’t that the wind was gathering.

The sudden explosion temporarily displaced air in all directions, creating a temporary vacuum formed around the wick.

To restore it to its original state, the air around it gathers again.

Neither Margarita nor Benison senses that the place where he hides is never safe.

– Faster! More! If you stay there, you’ll be sucked into the bombshell!

Margarita felt the wind itself, and it was clear how destructive it was.

Her voice rang in Benison’s ears, full of fear.

“Quaaaaang!”

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tat!
Whoaaaaagh!

Chasing the head wind, Benison runs north.

Lean forward as if touching the floor, reducing air resistance as much as possible.

Still not getting the speed right.

I even feel like my body is floating.

Bennison realizes that her own daring is not enough to escape the effects of this aftermath immediately.

“Heeik…!”

I hurriedly look around.

The senses are sharpened even more.

‘Crypt!’

A hole presumably dug by a wild beast or monster catches Benison’s eyes.

Shasha shak!

Benison heads for it and immediately throws her body.

Fly away with her hands outstretched,

Papa papa papa papa!
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak!

“Quaaaaah!”

Digging into the ground with her bare hands.

She swung her hand until she couldn’t see it.

Kwajik, Kwaaek!

“Keuk!”

Digging down the hard ground with bare hands, his fingernails were crushed and blood gushed out.

The flesh is torn and the bones are exposed.

But it doesn’t stop.

Pip Pip!
Chew!
Rumble.

Because the lower half of the body had not completely entered the crypt, it was constantly getting stab wounds from stones and wooden fragments being sucked in.

Why is Benison desperate?

‘Lord, die! Die! Go Estrus! I die because of me!’

Doo-kung, doo-kung, doo-kung, doo-kung!

It was only to save Estrus.

The moment he dies, Estrus’s life ends too, so he was struggling desperately to stop it.

Kwak Kwak Kwak!
Scolding.

“Heog, heo, heo, heo!”

Finally, he crumples himself into the crypt.

Gurgling, gurgling.

The moment I felt blood oozing out of my battered lower body,

Quung!
Woo woo woo woo woo!

The secondary explosion caused by the aftermath began.

Benison closed his eyes in fear and prayed fervently that he might survive.

– 3 –

“Hey. Did you see it?”

“Uh. Apparently the cabin exploded before the magic ran out.”

“I couldn’t see it properly because it was so fast, but I could see something that seemed to be a human or humanoid monster running out from behind it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Uh. Let’s go once the explosion subsides. Whether it’s a corpse or at least bloodstains, there are definitely traces of him.”

“From the first report.”

“Okay.”