Chapter 362 – 362. Struggle and Struggle (10)
– One –
Inside Stras-Ayla’s bridge.
Absinthe held the voice input magic tool in his hand and slowly opened his mouth in a heavy voice.
I give overwhelming praise to the hard work you guys have put in to clear the road over the past few days.”
On the display panel of the video output magic tool that occupied one wall inside the bridge,
– Whoaaaaa!
– Waaaaagh!
The shouts of soldiers and operatives resound.
All of them were clearly tired.
It is because they have shed blood and sweat while doing sacred labor to pave the way for Stras Eila, repeating logging, transporting, and clearing the land in three shifts for the past three days.
“We will meet the one who receives our full allegiance in a little while.”
Regal wasn’t even watching, but everyone projected on the display panel remained immobile.
Whether there were windows or not, they all faced north.
They all knew very well that Regal was there.
“I won’t tell you to dress neatly or be rude. Because He already knows your hard work.”
Cooong!
Everyone stomped their feet in unison, and Strath Eila shuddered in an instant.
However, there was no such thing as dispelling the magic of invisibility or damaging Stras Eila.
It’s because it’s tough but can’t run due to structural limitations, and the durability itself is terribly strong.
“Even if you don’t show up, he will praise you for your achievements, so you just have to greet him with a dignified appearance. Did you understand?”
Whoops!
Strass Eila shakes once more.
Absinthe raises a deep smile.
“Depart.”
Grureung, boo woo woo woo!
With the powerful noise created by the power source,
Cuckoo coo coo!
Stras-Ayla started moving again.
Dust rises from the barren land.
It almost looked like a transparent, gigantic monster in motion.
Due to the scattering of light caused by the dust, the moment I tried to vaguely see the outline of Stras-Ayla,
Squeak, squeak.
Woo Woo Woo.
A magic tool that casts permanent invisibility magic on the attached target works.
Its outline is blurred, and it slowly disappears, as if permeating into the air.
Along with a huge cloud of dust, an inexplicable roar proves its existence.
– 2 –
“I’ve suffered so much for several days… What should I do, Maman?”
To Margarita’s question full of worries,
“Hehe… What, what is it…?”
Swoop.
Rocking, rocking.
With a hazy expression, Urmama raises her upper body.
Having squeezed so many of her abilities to carry out her operation, she had been struggling to keep her senses for several days.
“Ugh…”
Swoop, Swoop.
Dory dory.
Rocking, rocking.
She shakes her head as she rubs her eyes.
As if she had barely come to her senses, she struggled to open her swollen eyes.
“What’s going on…?”
As she turned her gaze to Margarita,
“Hehe. Are you feeling better now?”
Contrary to her worried tone, Margarita was looking down at Ur Mama with a friendly face.
“Yes…! Uxia…!”
Wood Deuk.
Rocking, rocking.
Turn on the lights,
Chow!
Hit both cheeks with the palm of your hand.
The focus returned to her eyes.
“The wooden fence that Maman worked so hard for was eventually broken through by the hounds of Regal.”
“Ooh…”
Urmama was about to cry,
“Yes…?!”
She opens her eyes wide and looks at Margarita.
“That, then, it’s not a big deal,”
“Yeah, now I need to prepare.”
Margarita came up to her,
Whoops, whoops.
Knock knock.
Tidy up her tousled hair and pat her on the back.
“Ah, ah…! Yes!”
Swoop.
Rocking.
Ur Mama blushes and pulls her body up.
“Where are the others?!”
“Everyone is at their seats. You just need to prepare Mamang.”
“Yes, yes!”
Tat tat tat!
Rocking, rocking.
She runs to her corner.
Holding on to the plant stems knotted there, she lightly lets go of this ability of hers.
In the meantime, check again to see if there is any disconnection, letting her ability flow.
“Good…!”
Rumble.
With a determined expression, she nods her head.
“I’m ready, sister!”
“Yes. Let’s give Regal a big blow, we.”
“Yeah! Give the fucker a big taffy, we!”
Margarita laughed bitterly.
Either way, preparations are complete.
– 3 –
Jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk.
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck.
About 100,000 soldiers of the imperial army moved in an orderly manner.
Due to the forced indoctrination of how to march for several years, at least several months, their steps were extremely stable.
However, unlike those stable steps, their eyes were shaking uneasy.
It is because, regardless of officers and soldiers, they all did not believe what they were seeing.
Buzz buzz.
… What is…
Buzz buzz.
… You didn’t…
The buzz does not subside.
What did not exist when they passed this place, was created in a short period of time.
It was a dense arboreal forest.
As if it were a fence, it was blocking the unexplored land and the new frontier.
It was impossible to occur naturally, at least not over a period of several decades.
What’s even more embarrassing is
“Do I have to go through that way?”
“Why are you going over there? Didn’t the upper management say something?”
“Sergeant! Shouldn’t we stop?!”
Kurrrr!
Woo woo woo!
It was the fact that the entire Imperial army was marching without stopping toward a narrow road that seemed to have been artificially trimmed by someone.
Even there, dust of unknown cause was rising on a huge scale, so everyone had no choice but to shudder with anxiety.
At that time,
“Don’t worry! Our convoy is waiting there!”
“We’re going to join our rearguard in front of that wooden barrier!”
“Your allies are waiting for you there, so don’t be afraid to advance!”
Officers who have communicated with the command post raise their voices toward the soldiers around them.
Only then did the anxiety seem to subside, but the Imperial Army soldiers couldn’t be completely relieved.
This is because, despite the explanations of the officers, there was no description of something unknown that raised dust there.
“Don’t slow down!”
“We are safe!”
“There are no enemies here!”
Repetition of claims without evidence does not qualify as an adequate explanation.
Without a proper explanation, the soldiers could not relax.
Serung, Serureung.
Clap.
Someone checked the weaponry.
Squeak, squeak.
Woo woo woo.
I tightened the knot on my armor,
“… Suspicious. You never know what will happen, so be ready to respond no matter what happens.”
“All right.”
Someone gave a warning to the soldiers under his command.
The closer you get to it, the more the confusion grows.
– 4 –
Kururureureung.
Climb up, run up, run up, run up.
Inside the running wagon.
There are four people on board, but there is a heavy silence between them.
“Majesty…”
The first to break the silence was none other than the warden.
“Hmm?”
Opening her closed eyes, Regal looked back at him.
He must have been asleep, and there was no drowsiness in his eyes at all.
The warden was looking at him with anxious eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“Is it really the friendly convoy to smoke up the dust over there?”
“That’s right.”
The warden’s eyes tremble.
He could not easily believe Regal’s words, having heard the reports of the scouts through the portable short-range communication device plugged into his ear.
“But why…Why do the scouts say they can’t find anyone there…”
Doo-kung, doo-kung, doo-kung, doo-kung.
The warden’s heart beats violently.
But he breathes as much as possible.
The fact that he is full of anxiety, he tries hard not to be caught by Regal.
Unable to see that it would be completely useless in front of Regal, the warden does his best to control his mind.
Food.
Regal sneers.
I don’t know if the effort he puts in to control his mind is laughable, or if the question that clearly shows his intention is ridiculous.
What was certain was that Regal was no longer pretending to be kind to the warden, nor was he hiding his contempt for the Imperials.
“Didn’t I tell you?”
“What, what…”
“The convoy of allies came by means of transportation enchanted with invisibility. So, wouldn’t it be natural for them to be invisible?”
“Ahhh…”
Doo-kung-du-kung, doo-kung-du-kung!
The small intestine’s heart beats faster.
He couldn’t quite shake the feeling of foreboding.
“I know it’s very rude, but can I ask you something…?”
Parching.
Jjiririt.
Heading towards the warden, the two men and women glared at each other.
It was Pinot and Echo.
Pinot’s pupils were still cloudy because his optic nerve hadn’t recovered.
However, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with expressing anger by winking at the warden.
However, the warden dismisses their gaze as if it were nothing.
Ignore it.
It was because it was judged that it was not just a place for escorts.
“Well, feel free to ask questions.”
He doesn’t say anything about answering.
Since he had already assumed that the question was rude, only Regal had the right to choose whether or not to answer.
“Are they really met by a convoy of supplies and food and additional troops?”
Regal looked into the warden’s eyes and just smiled.
Doo-kung-du-kung-du-kung!
Doo-kung-du-kung-du-kung!
The warden’s eyes are colored with determination.
“No, before that, are they allies?”
After spitting out the question, the warden tightly closed his eyes.
He mustered up the courage to ask, even though he knew it was rude.
“The question is, is that all?”
However, Regal did not immediately respond.
Again, ask the manager.
“…Yes, I am…”
As the warden bows his head even deeper, he asks forgiveness as well as answers to his rude questions.
Echo and Pinot’s faces harden coldly.
On the other hand, Regal’s face overflows with warmth and friendliness.
Even if it’s a thorough pretense.
“My answer is…”
Swoop.
The warden carefully raises his head.
I slowly open my eyes and look at Regal.
No matter how much I looked at him, I could only confirm that it was difficult to read his emotions.
“Of course,”
– 5 –
About 3 minutes ago.
“Heehee! Kick your feet!”
Urmama unleashes this ability.
Through the connected stems, Ur Mama gives elasticity to the new weapon that her colleagues are in charge of.
“Haaa…”
Margarita sighs and shakes her head.
She looks up at the sky and purses her lips.
Sending whispers to colleagues scattered all over the place.
– Benison, pull it.
“Yes, Margarita Nunna!”
To Benison,
– Octopoda oppa, don’t hesitate and pull as hard as you can.
“Of course, Margarita.”
To Octopoda,
– Sister Demosi. It’s time for thrilling revenge.
“…Please, let it be so…”
Even for Demosi,
– Sister Estrus. Pull it if it’s hard,
“Hihi~♬ Kick your feet~♡”
– Haaa…
Even to Estrus.
Whisper in everyone’s ear at the same time.
Immediately after that,
Whirliririk!
Papa papa papa!
In their assigned area, they pull vigorously on the plant stems they are holding in their hands.
The knots connected to them are undone all at once.
The elasticity created by Urmama’s ability,
Tang, Tae-Tae-Tae-Tae-Taeng!
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!
At that moment, they explode all at once.
It’s coming soon,
Shush shush shush shush shush!
Shush shush shush shush shush!
Thousands of giant arrows were loaded with powerful kinetic energy.
From the middle of tall trees scattered throughout the forest, arrows the size of long spears soar high into the sky.
According to Margarita’s command, the companions manually adjusted the firing angle of each new weapon assigned to them.
This time, Ur Mama was in charge of loading, while his teammates were responsible for aiming and pulling the trigger.
Thanks to everyone achieving the goal through the division of labor, it was possible to create a result similar to that achieved by a monohorn alone.
– Honey!
“Leave it to me, my love! Haaaaa!”
José waits in midair, then unleashes his ability at Margarita’s signal.
Whoa oh oh oh oh!
For this moment alone, the wind that forced him to revolve around him was released in an instant,
CeeeeeING!
Whoa ae ae ae ae!
Gives strength to the flying arrow.
Manipulate the direction
The arrows rode the wind and flew vigorously toward Stras Eila.
“Heh…!”
Swoop, Swoop.
José wipes his nose with his index finger and lets out a haughty grin.
I thought for a moment that it was somehow like a monohorn habit, but I scattered it thinking about what to do.
– 6 –
“Thousands of arrows are flying from behind!”
“What did you say?”
As soon as he hears the lieutenant’s cry, Absinthe turns his head toward him with a sharp expression.
The adjutant barely swallows what he almost gasped for, and quickly reports the situation to absinthe.
“An unidentified unit fired thousands of arrows from the rear! The length of the arrows is estimated to be over 2m, and it appears that at least thousands of knives were mobilized! It looks like it’ll hit the ship’s aft exactly!”
After hearing the adjutant’s report, Absinthe calmly nodded his head.
“There will be some scratches on the surface.”
It was because he was well aware of the fact that at least a ballista would not be able to damage Stras Eila.
It was self-evident that primitive wooden arrows would not be able to pierce even the shields covered with magic tools, unless they were projectiles fired by hundreds of high-ranking wizards as a group chant.
“There’s no need to activate additional defenses, so leave it as it is.”
At that time,
“Uh…?”
His adjutant froze as he was looking at the display of the surveying magic tool.
As if he couldn’t believe what he saw,
Swoop, Swoop.
He even rubs his own eyes with his fists several times.
“…What is going on?”
“Woe, the trajectory of the arrow suddenly changed!”
“Hmm…? In the air?”
“That’s right!”
Absinthe’s face hardens.
“What is the expected impact point?”
“I think I will be the leader of the Imperial Army!”
Kwadeuk.
Absinthe clenches his fist violently.
I raise my head and look up at the transparent ceiling of the bridge.
I stare at the arrow that passes over his head with sharp eyes.
‘I got hit.’
Since the unfinished Strasseilla had no means of intercepting them, Absinthe was unable to respond further.
Taste was bitter.
“Immediately, connect communications to the lord.”
“Yes!”
Brilliant.
The communication magic tool starts to cry.
– 7 –
Brilliant.
At the sudden sound of the communication magic tool’s connection request,
Swoop.
Sararak.
Regal lowers her head.
After delaying the answer to the warden’s question about whether the second team that came by Strass Eila were allies, I checked the sender displayed on the display panel of the communication magic tool.
‘Hmm? Why is absinthe now… ?’
Regal frowned.
As his silence and disinterest lengthened,
“Majesty…?”
The warden again urges him to answer.
Swoop.
Regal raises her head.
He laughs wryly
“Ah, I’m sorry. The communication magic tool was ringing for a while.”
“It’s fine.”
“So my answer is,”
That moment,
Fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu!
Go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go!
Aaaaa!
Along with the sound of something piercing through, a tearing scream echoed from the outside of the carriage.
Regal opens her eyes and reflexively looks out the carriage window.
Woo woo woo woo!
From beyond the hedge of shrubbery, something like thousands of stakes flew nonstop toward the Imperial line.
Puff pup pup pup pup!
Khehehehehehe!
Gyaaaaa!
Something like stakes explode one after another.
It explodes inside people and rips through the flesh of horses.
The combatants who shot arrows from the roof of the wagon,
Thump, thump!
Aww!
Dump.
Being hit by shrapnel, he collapses into rags.
His corpse will probably serve as a good shield for his allies.
Even if he hasn’t become a corpse yet, he will soon become a corpse, so his allies won’t mind using his corpse.
Regal’s safety was far more important.
Aaaaa!
Save me, Khehe!
Grrrr…
Hee hee…
In an instant, a living hell unfolded near the front line of the Imperial army.
“…Is this your Highness’ answer…?”
“Oh, no, that-“
“In order to fool the warden, in order to meet this moment, did you deliberately spend a lot of time answering the warden’s questions?”
The warden glared at Regal with burning eyes.
Regal’s face goes pale.
“Is it because your Highness leaked the secrets of our military operations to the enemy that all our soldiers have had no choice but to be fooled?!”
“Now, for a moment,”
“It’s not that there was no luck, it’s not that the command made a mistake, it’s just that the entire expedition was made fun of by a traitor inside, not even a handful of ragtag rebels?!”
Woo woo woo woo!
Cuckoo Cuckoo Cuckoo!
An unrefined aura is emitted from the body of the warden.
The wind roars inside the wagon.
Blasphemy!
Cranky!
The wagon, which was manufactured so strong that it was called the essence of magical engineering, began to crack in an instant.
“Echo, stop it! Subdue him!”
“Eh, hey!”
Shureuk, shureuk!
Echo unleashes this ability.
However, the situation was so urgent that she did not even think of activating the limit release trigger.
The stream of water she released with her feeble superpowers,
Click!
Chee Hee Hee!
“What is this, this trivial trick? Do you, the likes of you, dare to fool me?!”
It was caught up in the aura that the warden raised, and it evaporated in an instant.
Pinot bit his lip.
“I’ll stop you, Echo, and you serve His Majesty right now,”
“Ah! Blood, Peanote, you idiot!”
Pinot was so desperate that he referred to Regal by a title that should never be spoken publicly.
It was an absurd mistake that I would never normally make.
“Your majesty…?”
Swoop.
Swoop.
The warden looked at the three of them in turns as he cooled his boiling anger.
In his eyes, the faces of the three people, whose complexions became pale, came into view.
“Did you just call His Highness Your Majesty…?”
“Everyone, in a hurry, that, poem, mistake,”
“Dare,”
Cuckoo Cuckoo Cuckoo!
The aura emitted by the small intestine became more violent.
“In this land, in this empire,”
Whoa oh oh!
Woo woo woo!
It seemed like a typhoon was coming.
“In spite of the fact that the only one to whom such a title is permitted exists openly,”
Kwajak, kwajajajajak!
The walls of the wagon begin to explode helplessly, to the point where one wonders if it was made of sweets.
“Something like a low bloodline that doesn’t even know the subject,”
Boom, puffer puffer!
The carriage is shattered into pieces.
“You mean you want to be called ‘Your Majesty’?!”
Passsss!
As the walls and ceiling of the carriage become dust and scatter, their appearance is revealed outside the carriage.
Because the arrows did not rain again, there was a temporary lull.
“What, what?!”
“It’s an understatement!”
“Protect Your Highness, Your Highness!”
The eyes of everyone around were drawn to the carriage.
That moment,
[I have found out for myself that the unknowns just attacked our allies, all at the direction of Regal B. Whisky!]
The warden loaded a lot of auras and shouted.
[Also, by Regal B. Whiskey making a private proclamation, he admitted that he was behind the rebels!]
The whole area is instantly immersed in silence.
Everyone burns their eyes.
[The jeopardy of this expedition must also have been the result of this traitor sitting in the commander-in-chief’s seat and leaking operational secrets to the rebels!]
It starts to boil.
All of the Imperial Army glared at Regal as if to kill him.
[This is to punish traitors, and it is by no means a disgrace to the commander-in-chief!]
Woo woo woo woo… !
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
The surviving Imperial Army soldiers start stamping their feet.
[Proud Imperial Army! Subdue the leader of the rebels, the traitor Regal and his gang!]
Aaaaa!
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck!
Chunkyong, seureureung!
The spear sword flashes.
“Damn it…!”
Faced with the warden’s blazing anger, Regal staggered back.
Sureureung.
Jerk, jerk, jerk.
Coming.
Rattling.
Blame, blame
Back off.
“Kill the traitor!”
“Wowaaaaagh!”
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck.
However, there was no place for him to back down, as the countless number of imperial troops with spears and knives were coming from behind.
Running towards catastrophe