Chapter 184: Demon Beasts Moving South (2)
On the wall, Epherene grabbed an automatic crossbow, following the guard’s instructions on how to hold it.
“Yes. Now just press the trigger.”
“…Tatatat- Tatatatatat- Tatatat-”
However, instead of firing, she made a shooting sound with her mouth. Shooting real arrows would be a waste. The guard watched with a smile.
“You can shoot it yourself.”
“It’s okay. Sometimes I hear the sound of thunder at night, and maybe it was this?”
“Yes. With this crossbow, even trolls can be subdued without difficulty.”
“Whoa…”
Epherene and Louina admired the weapon. A troll was a beast that was difficult to subdue with physical force. Did they add magic to this crossbow?
Whooosh-!
A wind kicked up around them, and two small children jumped over the wall. As soon as Epherene saw them, her eyes widened.
“Lia? Leo?”
“Oh. Epherene.”
“Hello, Epherene!”
The two adventurers and her friends. The children gave Epherene a welcoming smile.
“Where have you been?”
“We went out to communicate with Ganesha. We also caught a wild boar on the way.”
“Oh, right. Your captain is buying time right now.”
Ganesha of the Red Garnet Adventure Team was truly a great character right out of a fairy tale. She alone would delay the hordes of monsters approaching…
“But, a wild boar?”
“Yes! Look at this!”
Lia pointed to the wild boar Leo carried on his back. Epherene licked her lips.
“…It looks delicious-“
“Guard, where is the Professor?”
Suddenly, a voice colder than a winter blizzard cut in. Everyone turned to see its owner: Julie.
“Why is she looking for the Professor again… she seems very angry.”
Louina muttered under her breath. The story of Julie and Deculein was so famous that Epherene also couldn’t help the bitter expression on her face.
“…But, why did they break up? Knight Deya, no matter how you look at it, she doesn’t have the personality to be corrupt…”
“Well. I do not know.”
Louina shook her head. The external reason was the corruption of Julie and the Knights of Freyhem. However, no matter how much one thought about it, Julie was not that type.
“Epherene. Have you heard anything from the Professor?”
“No. Not really…”
“Nothing?”
“Yes. The Professor didn’t seem to dislike Knight Julie very much.”
Epherene replied that way. After all, Deculein wasn’t the type of person to reveal his inner feelings. Louina nodded, but…
“Oh?”
Her eyes widened as if she had realized something. Epherene drew closer, sensing she had a revelation.
“No way.”
“…What? What is it?”
Louina felt lightning strike in her mind. Epherene swallowed hard.
“What is it, Professor?”
“…”
Louina glanced around her. Lia and Leo, the two children, were watching her.
“Follow me.”
Louina took Epherene to a secluded area.
“…I always wondered, so why did I realize It only now? Julie isn’t the type to do anything underhanded.”
“?”
Why was this professor suddenly like this? Epherene only blinked.
“Assistant Professor Epherene, don’t you know?”
“Yes? I’m still an assistant.”
“…Come here. Lend me your ear.”
Louina approached, speaking low.
-Maybe it’s because he loves her too much.
“…”
Even then, Epherene didn’t know what that meant. However, what Louina said next enlightened her.
—You know that too. That there isn’t much time left for Deculein.
“…!”
Belatedly, Epherene’s eyes also widened. With just that, she was convinced of the whole story. It was a cliché that often appeared in novels.
“…No way.”
Louina nodded earnestly.
“I think that’s the case. Maybe that’s why he broke up with her. He wants to be hated before she gets hurt more because of him.”
“No, still. That’s too…”
“I know. It’s not a good way. But, Deculein doesn’t care if it’s for a purpose.”
“…”
“…”
Their conversation halted. Just as the two women glanced into each other’s eyes and shared a solemn look, Julie approached.
“Have you seen the Professor?”
Epherene scratched the back of her neck.
“Perhaps he went to check on the villagers….”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Julie nodded and went down the barrier.
* * *
In Reccordak. Children’s laughter echoed through the world’s worst concentration camp.
A pet dog brought by the villagers gave birth to pups, and now the knights and guards were playing with the cute animals.
“This is the herb that I dug up in the mountains today.”
And I was teaching four herbalists, including Zuphan.
“Good. If so, I will ask you one by one. Zuphan, what is this?”
I took out a herb with a purple stem and green leaves.
“It’s Veralon.”
“No. It is similar to Veralon, but the shape is slightly different. This is a medicinal herb called Bella. It is quite effective for hemostasis.”
“…I see. Yes. Veralon is this one.”
Zuphan took out another herb. This time it was a proper Veralon.
“Right. What is the efficacy of Veralon?”
“It helps to calm one down.”
“It might be if you just chew it, but if you crush it and extract a concentrate from it, it can be used as a high-intensity anesthetic capable of putting knights to sleep. Refine it.”
“…”
Then, the herbalist Zuphan looked up at me with surprise.
“How do you know so much? You must have never worked as an herbalist.”
“I admit what I don’t know and try to learn. Sort the collected herbs according to their respective effects and take them to the hospital.”
“…Yes.”
The old building of Reccordak, that is, the former main building, had been reconstructed and was now being used as a hospital. Since the monsters didn’t start moving south yet, they were focused on treating the residents for minor illnesses.
“Hey, Deculein. Support has come; check it out.”
Then, Ihelm called out to me from the doorway. I didn’t like the way he always talked.
“What are you doing? Follow me.”
“…”
At the entrance to Reccordak, the guards were already clinging to the carts and checking the items. Upon noticing our approach, the merchant in charge of the carts came running with a bright smile.
“Haha. Professor! Nice to see you!”
“You’re pretty late.”
“Yes. Sorry. There were so many bastards trying to sell out. We got here late since we had to deal with them. However, I brought much more than what we signed up for! I also heard rumors that you accepted the villagers from the mountains… check it out, and you will know.”
Just then, the supply officer who had finished checking the cart arrived. He wore a proud expression as he chimed in.
“Yes. He’s right. With these supplies, combined with the rest of the food, it will be enough to feed the entire population, including the residents of Reccordak, for three to four weeks. In addition, the supplies from the other upper ranks are on their…”
I nodded, satisfied. The merchant fiddled with his cheeks before holding out a contract.
“Then, please sign the confirmation of delivery here. Haha, I would appreciate it if you could remember my name.”
“Okay.”
As I signed-
─This is terrible! Professor!
Beyond the entrance to Reccordak, in the distance, a silhouette appeared.
“This is terrible! Professor! Professor!”
He ran to me with a loud cry and knelt.
“There has been a landslide on the mountain road leading to the city!”
“…Landslide?”
“Yes! As a result, the supplies that were coming were eradicated, and the road was blocked. We believe that the Demon Blood are behind it….”
I frowned, but I had expected this to some extent. From the standpoint of the Altar, Reccordak was a land that must be destroyed.
“Um… such an unfortunate thing… then, we’ll be going.”
The merchant and his mercenaries turned around slowly.
“Didn’t you hear? There was a landslide.”
“…Yes?”
“Reccordak is a natural stronghold. So there is only one way out and one way in. That is the gateway to the mountains you have passed through. If there were a landslide, it would mean that the road out has collapsed.”
“Uh… then…”
“You are stuck here.”
“…”
I counted them: forty people in total. The number of mouths to feed increased again.
“But, you managed to get here.”
“T-That’s true… n-no, this is not the time, wouldn’t it be possible to forcibly go over the mountain?”
“Wouldn’t the Demon Blood know that simple fact? Wouldn’t they lurk in the mountains and try to kill you?”
“Ah… these fucking Demon Blood bastards!”
The merchant roared and trampled the ground. In any case, they were trapped in Reccordak. It was difficult to expect support from the central government as beasts were infesting the area, so the biggest problem was food again.
“…”
I looked around. Reccordak’s Wall, the reconstructed new building, snowflakes, and… a group of villagers, trembling with their hoes in hand.
“Where are they going?”
“Oh. It is said that there is arable land nearby. They said the seedlings also grow in winter. It’s hard to believe, but I’m letting them try.”
Hearing it, it sounded like a magical space.
“I’ll go there too. Guide these guys to the dorms.”
“Yes? Oh, yes!”
I followed the villagers.
─Go, go, go~.
─Let’s go to work~.
They hummed as they worked with plow and hoe. Shortly after I heard the sound of digging, they began to sow. Dozens of villagers gathered to work the fields.
Stomp-
I deliberately walked loud enough to be heard. The residents who were sowing fell to their knees in amazement.
“…Oh, Professor! What are you doing? Get down on your knees!”
“Yes, yes! W-What an honor!”
“Gosh…”
I approached them slowly and went down on one knee to check the field. I touched the ground, confirming it with my Vision.
──「 High-quality land」──
◆ Information
: A land imbued with mana.
◆ Category
: Space ⊃ Magic
◆ Special effects
: Grains won’t die easily.
─────────
Although the quality was low, it was truly a magical space. However, it was too dim when seen with Man of Great Wealth.
“…Hmm.”
Maybe I should give Midas’ Hand to this land. I didn’t know if it would work or not, but there was no harm in trying. With my hands on the ground, I manifested Midas’ Hand. 4,000 units of my mana seeped into the road surface, and the earth rippled like waves.
“…”
After that, I looked at the ground with my Vision. One more line was added to the special effect of the ground.
───────
◆ Special effects
: Grains won’t die easily.
: Grains that receive nutrients from this land grow quickly.
[Midas’ Hand: Level 4]
───────
This was enough to be a land to provide military supplies. A bountiful harvest was, of course, impossible, but commoners must be accustomed to boiling and eating barley. If we ever go hungry, I could feed them barley porridge.
“It’s a good find. Keep farming here.”
I spoke to bowing residents.
“I will send troops to protect you.”
“Oh, yes! Oh, Professor! Thank you very, very much!”
* * *
It was night. I searched for more cultivatable land, but it was in vain, and when I returned to the main building, I found the knights sparring.
Clank-! Clink-Clank-!
Two swords danced wrapped around a fiery bonfire. Flames scattered like petals. At this time, the training ground was always theirs.
“Oh, it’s the Professor.”
Then someone pointed at me. It was Syrio. Gwen, standing next to him, crossed her arms.
“Look who it is. Aren’t you the professor who said you were going to teach us swordsmanship theory?”
I approached her and nodded.
“Theoretical errors are easy to fix, Gwen. Your swordsmanship also has flaws.”
“…What? What are you saying now?”
“I’ll write down what you lack later and deliver it to you. Fix it.”
Gwen’s mouth opened and closed blankly. She squeaked like a goldfish and then uttered as if she were stunned.
“…That’s ridiculous.”
I thought so too. They couldn’t distinguish between theory and practice and only gave qualifications for evaluation based on the state of their swordsmanship. Ignorant bastards.
“Yes.”
At that moment, another knight appeared from among them: Julie.
“…I read your evaluation of me well.”
I answered immediately.
“Right. Your sword was especially problematic.”
A vein popped out on Julie’s forehead.
“You are too honest. Maybe it’s because of your personality, but it’s a pity that you maintain that even in battle. That’s ignorant.”
“…Haah.”
Julie exhaled and slowly closed her eyes. All other knights were silent. This time, they appeared to be on Julie’s side. After all, I was a wizard who had never held a sword from their point of view.
“I can show you with my own body, Deya. The way to destroy you with pure swordsmanship.”
“…”
Chijik—
At that moment, the flames froze. Julie clenched her fists, but I couldn’t see her expression as she looked down.
“Yes. Fine.”
Julie handed me a sword, lifting her face. Anger, resentment, shame… she looked at me with moist eyes full of emotions.
“Tell me. I will learn humbly.”
It was what I was hoping for. With the body of Iron Man and Sturdy, I would be twice as strong as the current Julie.
“…Huh? Guys, wait!”
But Syrio suddenly pointed to the sky. I looked up.
“It’s a red moon.”
The moon was dyed red. It was a signal to announce the full-fledged southward march, but the knights only nodded and said nothing. It was Gwen who broke the silence.
“A red moon is a red moon, and there is no need to stop it.”
The corners of her lips twisted.
“Show me, Professor. Where and how did you learn swordsmanship to look down on knights like us? Without magic or mana, with the pure skill of sword.”
I nodded without hesitation. I was sure this would also be the foundation for Julie’s development.
“I’ll show you. How to break a dull knight.”
* * *
Tick-tock-
Sophien was tapping her desk, nervous and annoyed.
“…How long are you going to fix it?”
Sophien showed her reply to Deculein’s letter to Kreto.
“Well… first, I have erased all but one mark, including the quotation marks and commas. Things like, ‘you bastard,’ too.”
“Why? It would seem too serious if I left that out.”
Sophien fluttered her royal robe. Kreto shook his head.
“Not at all. The Professor will know Your Majesty’s intentions very well. But…”
Kreto rubbed his chin.
“It’s a personal letter anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt to add a sentence at the end.”
“What do you mean?”
“This professor’s memorial has received great acclaim in the Imperial Palace. In return for giving out a prestigious letter that will remain in this era…”
Sophien listened intently. Kreto smiled a little under her gaze.
“I’m looking forward to meeting you, would be alright, I guess. You won’t seem to be overly concerned nor ignoring him.”
“…”
Sophien pondered, considering it over a hundred times in the passing of three seconds. The result was, ‘it’s no big deal.’
“Fine. Then I’ll send it that way.”
“Yes.”
Sophien took her pen and scribbled it in. And then, she unfolded it and read the full letter once more. It started with, ‘I received your letter filled with your loyalty.’
“Your Majesty. Do you know that?”
However, Kreto suddenly asked something out of the blue. Sophien glanced at him.
“What?”
Then he smiled.
“Your Majesty is smiling now.”
“…What bullshit.”
Sophien moved her fingers quickly and touched the corners of her mouth. Strangely enough, the shape of her lips was strange. Kreto grabbed a mirror and held it up to confirm.
“…”
Sophien had a smile. It was not a forced or silly smile but a real one that appeared unconsciously.
“…I am also satisfied, Your Majesty.”