CH 69

Chapter 69 – Those Who Changes

As I had feared, the battle was already over at the destination I had teleported to. I approached the Humvee that I had first spotted, but there was no one in the car. The rain was pouring down from the gun turret, and I wondered where they had gone.

“Myrril!”

As I continued onward, I saw many dead bodies lying in the mud.

I don’t know how much they’ve rampaged through, but there are three that are missing one eye and four that are missing heads.

Not a single moving object could be heard except for the sound of rain hitting the grass and trees. The fallen soldiers of the Imperial Army, folded on top of each other, looked like monochrome objects, their gore washed away by the rain.

I try my best to quell the rising excitement in my heart.

Don’t worry; it’s just a groundless fear. Nothing is happening. It’s not going to happen. Because…

“Hey, Myrril!”

When I turned around at the sound of rustling through the bushes, I saw a warhorse in the distance, neighing unhappily, dragging the corpse of a cavalryman in the stirrups.

Those muscle-brained girls, why isn’t anyone else here? You’ve got to be kidding me. Hey…!

“Where are you! Myrril! Minya! Yadar!”

“…Sua.”

At the sound of the voice calling my name, I headed for the imperial camp, which was like a bog. There are countless bullet holes in the fallen and crumpled carriages of the imperial army. Horses that had been hit by stray bullets were dying, crushing the soldiers around them.

When I looked inside the simple tent, I saw a man who looked like an imperial noble commander. He had been tortured by someone or something, and his face was frozen in fear. Both of his legs were missing from the knees down, and a tourniquet was still wrapped around his thighs. It was surreal that he held his head to his chest, but that didn’t matter.

“Myrril!”

I went around the tent and finally spotted Myrril and the others.

All three of them were soaking wet and sitting on wooden boxes in the imperial army camp. I was horrified to see that they didn’t react when I looked at them, so I peered into their faces. They’re all cold and bleeding, but their gazes are steady, and their injuries don’t look like they’re going to die any time soon…

“…Yoshua, you are back. I’m sorry for my selfishness…”

“Forget about that! Are you guys hurt?”

“…Hmm? Oh, I’m fine, no problem. …Well, physically.”

“What about your body? Are there any other problems?”

“The Golem is coming.”

I tilted my head at Minya’s words in place of the silent Myrril.

Golem? What are you talking about?

“The imperial army’s mounted Golem unit. It was called the ‘Nightmare Giant,’ and it’s deployed along the border. The imperial commander there said on his deathbed. We’re finished.”

Minya’s tone sounded serious, but I didn’t really feel it.

The enemy has been eradicated, and the three of them are safe and sound, so my worries are gone for now. The only thing I can think of is that no matter how many enemies come in the future, I’ll be able to handle them.

“Heh… there are Golems, huh? Well, of course there are. There are Elves, Dwarves, Beastman, and even Wyverns flying around.”

It’s a chuuni’s romance, after all — a fierce battle with a giant robot (a golem, at that) coming at you.

I wonder if they’re going to straddle it or if they’re going to ride it. I like that…

Can’t they make it in Casemaian? I don’t know if I can ask the Dwarves or the Elves to do it. I guess it’s impossible, judging from the tone of voice I just heard.

“I’d love to ride one of those…”

“What are you talking about? It’s not just a nuisance; it’s a problem! It has a thick physique and great physical strength. If it’s made of clay or wood, it’s extremely difficult to defeat, and if it’s made of ore, even a bullet from a “simonofu” will probably not be capable of penetrating its magic core. Spears, battle-axes, arrows, attack magic, and all other means of blocking it will have no effect as it marches forward and lays waste to everything, a true scourge of the world!” [T/n: Simonov.]

“…Is that so? That’s a problem.”

Then I stir the noja loli’s hair and laugh.

It was so soft and fluffy, but now it’s all wet and sticky. I’ll have to order some shampoo and conditioner for her next time. And a nice towel.

“The evil of the world is the exclusive domain of the Demon King, you know.”

“H-huh?”

The Dwarf girl, who raised a strange voice, tilted her head suspiciously at me. I noticed that even Minya and Yadar were looking at me with the same posture.

What are you guys, Meerkats?

“…Hey, what’s the matter, Yoshua?”

“Are you okay? You didn’t like it that much, did you?”

“Are you waking up to the fact that you’re a Demon King?”

“I haven’t yet, but I’ve made up my mind. Running away from the problem will not solve anything. If the “enemy of mankind” who leads the “demon race” is the Demon King, then…”

I look at everyone. I shrug my shoulders in anticipation, anxiety, and a few amused glances (mainly from the tiger girl).

“Then I guess I will be the Demon King.”

◇ ◇

“Tanks? So your army is finally reaching that point.”

Simon smiled serenely at my order.

What’s with that calmness? Just a few minutes ago, he was laughing like a stray dog that found something edible.

“I’m telling you, I’ve been pushed to that point. Is there anything you can get me? I’d like something as light as possible.”

“I’ve seen six or so T-55s on the market. I think they’re made in Czechoslovakia and China.”

…Really? That chubby old Soviet tank. The first models were produced in the 40s, right? The first post-war generation, nearly 60 years ago. The main gun is 100mm, right? Well, it seems to work.

“What’s the weight?”

“35 tons, I think.”

I’ve managed up to 15 tons before, but I’m not sure if I can double that.

Moreover, unlike military trucks, it wouldn’t be possible to send it elsewhere because it failed. It would put a lot of pressure on Simon, both in terms of money and space.

“What else?”

“For the main tank class, I’d say the M48. They don’t come up very often and are usually in poor condition.”

The Patton tank. That’s impossible. Regardless of its condition, it probably weighs more than 50 tons.

“And then there’s the Sherman tank. I see them from time to time, but they’re not much better. I don’t recommend using it in battle. How about the M113 or the BMP-1?”

An American-made armored personnel carrier and a Russian-made infantry fighting vehicle. Both are old but well-established armored vehicles with armored tracks. They may be easy to use, but what we need now is firepower.

And we need a lot of firepower against armor.

“No, if I were to buy one, it would be the T-55. Avoid the Chinese ones as much as possible, and get the Czech ones.”

That way, the parts and shells can be flexible. I heard that they have the largest production in the world.

“What about the shells?”

“I want armor-piercing rounds, at least fifty.”

If I buy even one tank with shells, it will exceed my budget. I’ve bought a lot of things already.

I decided to give him some additional gold coins, and we proceeded on the premise of procuring two tanks.

Incidentally, since the place where the imperial army ambushed us was not far from Casemaian, we also stored supplies with each corpse to prevent plague, but they didn’t have many coins. It was in another country’s territory they planned to occupy, and I guess they thought they could just plunder it.

“If you want to test the delivery, do you want me to get it right away?”

“Hmm… Well then, I’ll only ask for one tank at first. I’ll add one more when I receive it.”

It may not be possible yet, but I’m going to need it anyway. If I can’t get it, I can at least pay for storing it.

“According to your story, the more deals you make, the better your abilities will be, right? I appreciate it, but it’s hard to make a procurement plan when you don’t know how much you’ll need to make a deal.”

“Don’t worry; there are still plenty of supplies I need. The market’s capacity will continue to increase. I want you to take care of any additional orders and reimbursements at this point.”

Mostly building materials, machinery, and tools, but also clothing, food, and various daily necessities.

The amount is large, but I don’t know if it’s a good thing for Simon that he’s moving away from the category of arms dealer or not.

“I’m grateful for the large orders, as always. Thanks to you, I’m no longer so infamous as an arms dealer. My wife is pleased.”

“I see. That’s good to hear… But, Simon.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you gained weight?”

The ex-Rasta man in the neat suit looked frightened. When I first met him ― albeit in a dirty and disheveled outfit ― he had a slender figure, but now he’s all shiny and puffy.

The dark gray suit looks good on him, though. The previous fluorescent suit was a slim single, but this one is a double.

“Oh, no, my wife’s cooking is good, just a little. And you know, as a businessman, you need to be dignified. It’s not like I’m not eating enough. I’m thinking about it, yeah.”

“I’ll just leave it at that. Give my regards to your wife.”

People change, don’t they? For better or worse. The fact that that pot-smelling thug has a happy family makes me wonder if time passes differently in that world.

But if I can be a part of that, then maybe what I’ve done isn’t all that bad.