CH 104

Chapter 104 – Magical Beast Hunting

As the sun began to set and a light rain began to sprinkle, the marquis took Myrril and me through the city gates.

We are to meet the duke who is in command of the rebel army.

I had heard from Merel-san that he was the leader of the rebel army that was leading the civil war, Duke Lemore.

“Oh, by the way, Marquis Yerkel. I heard that in addition to Duke Lemore, there is another marquis in a leading position. Could it be that it is you?”

“I am in a leading position? No, that’s just a rumor. It is true that I got information about the summoning of heroes and offered my opinion to the duke on the protection of subhumans, but I didn’t have the power to organize the southern noble territories. As for the overthrow of the royal family, my territory, like the other noble territories, is only subordinate.”

“Why did you take on the role of ambassador to Casemaian?”

“Simply because I am young. Everything in my territory is young. Soldiers, horses, generals.”

There seemed to be some implication, but I saw it as impolite to ask too much about it. In the first place, the situation inside the rebel army is not something for me to interfere with.

“I’m sorry, Marquis, but I have to ask you something I don’t understand. Does your family name have anything to do with the Yerkel village?”

I looked at Myrril, and she shook her head and wrote a character in the air. No, I can’t even read the characters in this world.

“The word “イ” means “to cultivate” in the old language. I’ve often heard that old territories have a “イ” in front of the family name, but I was curious because it’s located so far away from here.” [T/n: イエルケル = Yerkel.]

“It was the birthplace of my ancestors. Yerkel used to be a prosperous trading town along the highway. In my great-grandfather’s time, it was even more prosperous than the royal capital…”

Lord Yerkel smiled with gloomy eyes.

“The king at the time ordered a change of seal. Nominally, the new lands were given out to the promoted barons, but I think it’s clear what was intended. The house of Yerkel has always been a family of strong men who are not suited to political disputes within the royal palace.”

It seems that this marquis and the royal family have been sullied by feelings that transcend generations. This is very different from our Takefu family, which has forgotten its roots as it wanders around Japan from generation to generation.

After talking to the guard, we entered the office of the government building that serves as the command center (the official mansion in place of the lord’s mansion because it is under the direct control of the royal family).

Duke Lemore is a man of great stature, recognizable at a glance. He was discussing a strategy with the other lords and his staff in front of a map of Meteora. The layout of the troops and the outline of the strategy are known at a glance.

It would be a bad idea to let outsiders in on this, wouldn’t it?

From the information I had heard, it seemed that the war was going back and forth, and the duke seemed to be in a state of tension, but when the marquis introduced me as the “Demon King of Casemaian,” he smiled stiffly.

Compared to the people around him, who remained frozen and motionless, he was clearly a big shot.

“…I never thought that you were the Demon King. So, you really do exist, don’t you?”

“No. Actually, it’s just a title of convenience that was given to me by the people around me after I found myself being carried on a portable shrine. For example… like the king, you know?”

I told him with a smirk, and now even the marquis altogether just gave me a convulsive smile. The middle-aged Japanese joke didn’t seem to be to their liking.

“I am pleased to inform you that Yoshua-dono, no, His Majesty the Demon King, has agreed to assist us in this battle.”

“What?”

“Oh, just to be clear, the only thing we’ll be helping you with is defeating the magical beasts. We think it’s out of line for us to get involved in a civil war.”

“…But in the previous battle… Oh, I see.”

Duke Lemore let out a small breath and shook his head.

“That’s right. The new Demon King will not invade. Just as rumored. He fights only to defend himself and his people. When he does, he will kill without mercy.”

What kind of rumor is that? I mean, where did the rumor originate?

“We will cooperate with you until we finish off the magical beasts and the magical beast user, but after that, we will leave it to you. If possible, I would appreciate it if you could pull back your troops to prevent any damage during the attack.”

“How many days would that be?”

“If they come from the enemy, it will be over by the end of the day.”

The duke looked at me with a vacant stare, and the marquis shook her head in amazement. The surrounding noble lords and general staff remain as expressionless as puppets.

It’s already evening, so as expected, it’s too much excitement for the rest of the day.

“Your Excellency the Duke, I foolishly think that we should not think on our own scale.”

“…I understand. Hey, when the monsters attack, tell the soldiers to stay in a defensive formation and not to go on the offensive.”

“”””Yes!””””

The messenger soldiers left, and I was led to a chair. A young man who looked like a squire entered with a tray of tea. As I was about to sit on the chair, a shout went up outside.

“It’s the sea pack wolves! They’re coming in large packs!”

I didn’t have time to drink the tea.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me now.”

I left the government building and teleported to the ramparts with Myrril in my arms. I told the guards to stay back and ran along the passageway on the ramparts. When I reached the seaside, I saw a group of giant creatures coming ashore from the shore. They were much bigger than I had expected.

“Is that the sea pack wolf?”

“I’ve never seen one before. They are strange creatures.”

Its arms and legs have fins like sea lions, but from the neck up, it resembles a wolf. Its entire body is covered with hard scales like those of a dragon, and it has dorsal fins or mane-like hairs growing from the back of its neck to its back.

“Your Majesty, this is Owe. We have identified the target.”

“Wait a minute.”

I shout to the soldiers who have deployed from the ramparts to the seaward side and are positioning themselves.

“Hey, get back to the ramparts! Friendly attack magic is coming!”

“…Friendly forces? Were there any mages?”

The soldiers reluctantly move away from the beach.

The same was heard from the marquis’s messenger soldiers, who mentioned the same thing to the various camps. There are some suspicious reactions, but no one wants to rush into a crowd of magical beasts at will, I suppose. There was no one who would advance, despite the messenger’s instructions.

“Line of fire clear. Commence firing.”

Owe-san, holding the RPK, circling slowly overhead, sends in 7.62mm rounds at point-blank range.

It’s like a little gunship.

The scales are hard, or maybe they have an effect similar to a magic barrier, but they bounced off a few rounds and sparked.

Owe-san seemed to change her aim from the heart to the head and soon started landing on the wolf-like head and neck.

The shots are too far away to be heard, but faintly, and on the shoreline, pieces of flesh can be seen flying off the body of the convulsing magical beast.

The sea pack wolf goes out of control with a tremendous cry as it spurts blood, but no one is around to see it, so no damage is done. After a while, the wolf stops moving, bleeding profusely, and then it just dies out.

The soldiers, bell-ringed on the city walls, cheered.

“”””Oooohhhh…!!”””””

They may know that they were under attack, but the sea wolf was helpless to cope with the bullets raining down from far above. Is this what it means to be out of touch?

Even the wolf pack’s tactics, which take advantage of their speed and rushing power, can only run around in panic if they cannot see their targets.

The strength of their huge bodies, sharp fangs and claws, and thick defenses that swords and spears cannot penetrate. If it were a human opponent, they would easily overrun them, but now they are on the side of the hunted.

Their roars of anger soon turn into pitiful screams. One by one, the sea pack wolves are slaughtered and buried in their own flesh and blood.

“Yoshua, teleport over there. To the ship with the white rags on it.”

Carrying Myrril in my arms, I teleport to the lookout post on the mast of the designated warship. From there, Myrril stares at the ship’s bow and lets out a muffled breath.

Immediately afterward, the UZI erupts in flames, and I see a figure tumbling into the sea.

“Is he an idiot? That magical beast user activated his offensive magic. It’s like lighting a torch in the dark. And become a good target.”

I don’t know much about magic, but I guess that’s how it works. Maybe she has a special ability to perceive things. I’m not sure, though.

“This is Owe, Sea pack wolf annihilation. 40… and there are seven left.”

“Great. Thanks for the good work; please remain vigilant.”

“Roger that.”

I move to the bow of the ship by teleport, retrieve the remaining magic core and magic tools there, and return to the ramparts.

I realize that the sailors on board are hiding their breaths, but I can’t bring myself to kill them all. There was no time for that.

“Your Majesty, the Demon King, there are about 60 giant monsters and a pack of orcs from the northwest forest.”

“Wait for the shooting. We will kill the orcs instantly on the ground so as not to call in the big ones.”

“Understood.”

The giant ogres and orcs are slightly different in size, color, and shape (or so it seems), but they are about 2 to 2.5 meters tall. They are almost the same muscular humanoid magical beast.

Their skin is reddish and greenish, and they have no clothes, only the remnants of armor that they seem to have taken from humans. Their weapons also varied from clubs to battered iron weapons.

I couldn’t tell the difference. If they were mixed up and rushed into me, I wouldn’t be able to tell which was which.

I don’t really care, but if the orcs are calling large monsters by their voices or smells, I have to focus on killing them.

“Which one of those herds is the orc?”

“The one that looks like a pig with fangs is an orc, and the one that looks like a pig with horns is a giant ogre.”

“Is that all?”

“Perhaps they are different creatures, but I don’t know anything about that! What are you waiting for? Let’s get on them!”

“Uheey!”

I resolve to move to the edge of the forest.

The hordes of humanoid monsters approaching so close are so powerful that it’s almost frightening and makes me cower.

“I’m going to start from the right side. Yoshua, you take the left one.”

“Got it.”

I aimed an RPK with a 75-round drum magazine at their heads, and while making sure I got them, I reaped them off with fully automatic fire. Blood, flesh, and brain fluid splattered all over the place, making for an extremely messy experience.

In the meantime, Myrril-san sends a bullet into the eyeballs and then fires two more rounds at the fallen body.

By the time the orcs noticed us and turned to face us, the herd had been reduced by half.

However, there were still 30 of them. If they came charging at us, we would have no chance.

“Myrril, let’s go.”

“Roger that.”

We went out to the other side of the herd at the edge of the forest, exchanged magazines, and opened fire again.

It seems that Myrril-san is focusing on killing only the orcs, but since I can’t distinguish them from the giant ogres and my shooting accuracy is low, I have no choice but to use a one-way slaughter and lay waste to them.

It is in this kind of usage that the tough and rough AKs and RPKs live.

Yes, I know. I am a sore loser.

The giant ogres and orcs were easily annihilated in a mere 10 minutes of slaughter that could hardly be called a battle.

The noble lord’s army soldiers, who were watching the battle from the city walls, cheered. And then, the earth shook.

I had a bad premonition. The shaking grew louder, and the earth began to heave at the edge of the forest. It looked like a huge mole hole, and it was coming closer and closer to us.

“That’s right. In that order, there are sea pack wolves, giant ogres, and orcs…”

Nojaloli-san shook her head and looked back at me with a wry smile.

“Yeah. That’s the legless dragon, isn’t it?”