Arc 22: If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
Chapter 191: The Dragon Raid, and the Knights’ Power
「Because of this, a swarm of dragons is coming here soon. Since they’re troublesome, we’ll quickly finish them off」
「Baba-dono... I...don’t know how should I retort to this」
「Be relieved Yamagata. I also don’t know」
At the conference room, Yamagata-Ossan and Baba-Jiisan turn their eyes filled with amazement towards me.
We’ve immediately gathered the executives from the knight order and explained the current situation after arriving to Brunhild well ahead before the dragons by using [Gate]. Everyone turns their eyes to me all at the same time. Before long, the vice-commander, Nicola-san, exhales as if he’s calming himself down, and quickly gets up from his seat.
「P-please wait a minute, your Majesty. By “dragons”, you mean the ones who breathe fire from their mouth and fly in the skies? You are talking about those dragons?」
「Yup, those dragons. Apparently, some idiots have become c.o.c.ky and are coming here to destroy our country」
「That......swarm you say, about how many are there......?」
「About 20 normal dragons, I think? I also guess that there are about a hundred pterosaurs that look like wyverns. Their numbers aren’t that big compared to the Frazes from the other day, right?」
「「No no no」」
When the Commander Rain-san nervously raises her hand and asks a question which I then answer, and both she and Nicola-san start waving their hands in denial in front of me.
「You know, it will be like that, right? His Majesty will be the one who finishes them off, right?」
Norun-san says so with a slightly stiffen face. Her wolf ears are shaking and trembling.
「I did think of doing that at first, but then I thought “Why not to use this opportunity?”」
「Use?」
「That’s right. I thought of conducting a joint training for the knight order. Aren’t the dragons good enough opponents for this?」
「Eeeh!?」
Rain-san utters an astonished cry. Honestly speaking, I believe our household’s knight order is quite strong, but magic beasts are few around here, and we are surrounded by Belfast and Regulus that are both friendly. There’s almost no opportunity for battles. For that reason, I expect them to gain some experience during this situation.
「Our household’s knight order doesn’t reach even a hundred people even if we include the intelligence agency, you know!? Unless we pair one human against one dragon, it will be unreasonable! Furthermore, how can we even fight someone that flies in the sky?!」
「I’ll bring down those who will be flying. All that’s left is for everyone to be careful of their breath. You guys should be able to cope with it though in some way or another since the s.h.i.+elds of the knight order are imbued with a heat-resistant barrier」
「”one way or another,” you say......」
I’ve taken several safety measures just in case. I also plan to include the divine beasts and us to support the knights. To be frank, I don’t think the enemies will be that easy to defeat.
Even if that’s true, I think this is a good opportunity. This is a country that we’ve just established recently. If it becomes known that our knight order has repelled more than a hundred dragons, no stupid country like Yuuron would readily start a fight with us anymore in the future.
「I-I guess we will be able to defeat the dragons if we use the Frame Gears. Then......」
「I won’t bring out the Frame Gears」
「Eh!?」
This time, there is the aspect of showing the potential of humans to those conceited dragons. Let’s make them realize the power of humans they are looking down upon as lower organisms. The purpose which drives those guys is an unjustified resentment, after all.
Moreover, it will be an easy victory if we use Frame Gears, but it won’t become a joint training for actual combat in that case. I will be troubled if they misunderstand the power they borrow as their own strength and start thinking that “We’re unbeatable if we have the Frame Gears!”
「And then, here is the most important thing......」
「?」
「The raw materials from the dragons will turn into money」
「............」
That’s right. Everything from the skin to the bones of the dragons are traded at a considerably high price. Even a single dragon is a fortune in itself, and there are more than a hundred of them. It’s a chance to make a great profit.
「It will greatly help if we get that money」
「............」
「I will also be able to issue a bonus reward to everyone」
「Let’s do it!」
「「「OOoo!」」」
So simple.
========================Scene Change===================
『I can see them. I think they will arrive here in about three minutes』
As I extend my vision with [Long Sense] after Ruli’s comment, I can certainly see a flock of dragons heading right over here. We’re in the plains to the south of the castle town of Brunhild, waiting for the dragons coming to attack. There won’t likely be any damage to the town if we meet them here.
「What a scream they are producing」
『They say things like [Ma.s.sacre them!] or [Burn them to the crisp!]. There’s also a vulgar laughter included among those. It seems they have fallen too much for me to even consider them as my dependants. Or is it an effect of that cursed magic tool that brought this madness to them...?』
Unfortunately, I don’t know the language of dragons so I have Ruli translate it for me. Good thing she can hear them from here. However, are they really saying that? Then it looks like there’s no need to hold back.
Since talking is unnecessary, shall we then have them grovel on the ground?
「Come forth storm, a great many millions of wind blades, Tempest Edge」
I invoke an ancient magic of the wind attribute which I have obtained from the [Library] towards the dragons.
All the dragons were swallowed by a storm that abruptly appeared and their wings were torn up by the wind blades.
「Gyaoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!」
「Gugyoooooooooooooo!?」
The dragons fall down one after another while raising various screams. Though I could have caused them even more damage if I was serious, I stopped myself only to the point of removing their ability to fly by tearing their wings.
Every dragon was knocked down to the ground, and Kougyoku, who returned to her form of a huge bird, blows a rain of giant flame bullets upon the dragons from the air.
「Brunhild Knight Order, cha────rge!!」
『Oooooooo──────h!!』
Pus.h.i.+ng through that gap, our knights order brandish their crystal swords and s.h.i.+elds, and attack the dragons all at once by the order of knight commander Rain-san.
On the other hand, the dragons who were still lying on the ground, turn their heads to us and breathe out their flames. However, the sudden appearance of a water curtain blocks their attacks and reduces its power in half.
『Bad luck. I won’t let you do it that easily』
『We are originally more proficient towards defense after all』
Kokuyou and Sango are in charge for the countermeasures for the breath attacks. I’m looking at the dragons while standing on top of the sh.e.l.l of the big turtle and serpent that have turned back to their original forms as everyone from the knight order starts slas.h.i.+ng their swords at the dragons.
Moreover, Kohaku indomitably changed back to her big tiger form and took off towards the wyverns and released a shockwave with her roar. The wyverns who took that yell were swiftly blown backward.
『Well then, I will go as well. I can’t just leave it all to that Kohaku《b.a.s.t.a.r.d》』
「I ask you to focus on continue supporting everyone」
『I understand』
Ruli spreads her wings and roars as she turns towards the sky. Upon hearing that, the movements of the dragons freeze for a moment. It seems she has shouted something. Though I don’t understand what is it since it’s in the dragon language. I guess it’s to be expected that even the translation magic [Translation] cannot decipher the language of animals. It then would be similar to [Telepathy] if it could. Such magic....... I guess that if I search for it, it will likely exist.
Ruli flies into the sky and shoots fire bullets towards the dragons who are in the inner parts of the herd. With just that alone, a few dragons were blown off.
Umuu, those guys will turn into money, so I would like you not to blow them off too far.
It seems that Ruli doesn’t see those guys as her relatives anymore since she doesn’t oppose selling those defeated dragons. Even I think it’s quite dry, but it may not be that strange in a world where only the fittest survive.
「We will also use support magic」
「I agree」
Lindsey and Yumina, who are waiting behind me, chant wide area support magics. These are part of the ancient magics discovered in [Library].
「Come forth flame, barrier of fire protection, Fire Resist」
「Bestow the wind on us, blessing of the favorable winds, Tailwind」
Everyone in the knight order is being wrapped by red and green lights. Those are support magics that give flame resistance and increase their agility respectively.
「Tower s.h.i.+eld corps, to the front! a.s.sault corps, follow behind them!!」
『Oooh!!』
While expanding the defensive barrier, ten people holding their s.h.i.+elds form a row, and receive a single dragon’s breath. After that, the knights holding the long crystal spears thrust them into the dragon from the gaps in between the s.h.i.+elds and easily pierce its body.
「Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?」
The spears easily pierce through the dragon’s own scales that should be even harder than steel. The dragon seems to be more puzzled than surprised. That reaction is fatal for it.
「Haaaaaaaaaaaa!!」
Utilizing the jumping power of a rabbit beastman, Rain-san jumps over the s.h.i.+eld corps and lands onto the dragon. Having deeply pierced the crystal sword she has unsheathed in the air into the dragon’s crown, she then immediately withdraws her sword.
Just when I thought that the dragon made two to three big convulsions, it then collapsed on the spot.
「Good! Let’s go to the next one!」
『Ou!』
Nicely done. Same goes for the knight order. You can say that it’s thanks to the equipment or the support magic, but I guess what’s most amazing is that little less than 10 people can defeat a dragon. Moreover, their opponent was a dragon that became as strong as a regular high-rank dragon thanks to [Echo Needle of Domination]. I guess that our knights getting viciously beaten up by the G.o.ddess of sword isn’t just for show after all?
「Touya-kun, is it not okay if I go too?」
「Like I’ve said, it will no longer be called a training if Moroha-nee-san goes in as well」
That sword G.o.d, who is itching to go and wants to fight, is standing right beside me. You say that you want to go and fight, but in the first place, any blade will quickly be chipped against dragons as long as it isn’t a crystal sword or an extremely sharp sword. Well, if it’s Moroha-nee-san, she will still fight and finish them off even if I give her a dull sword.
「However, you know that there’s the so-called “worst case scenario”, right? In order to be able to respond to that situation, I think it would be better for me to be over there, you know」
「Mu....You’re just going to support everyone, you got that? Being overwhelming is not good, okay?」
「I get it, I get it already. Come on! Give me a sword or something!」
I take out a crystal greatsword from [Storage] and pa.s.s it on to Moroha-nee-san. The next moment, she joyfully starts running towards the dragons, swings that blade, cuts off the ankles of the dragons she happens to pa.s.s by one after another and then defeats them. Even though I’ve just told her not to be overwhelming...... Well, our side won’t lose now. In a sense, I’ve just sent out our ultimate 《Lethal Weapon》.
「Is it still bad for us to head out？」
「No, it’s no good because the knights won’t have their turn if you guys also join in」
Elsie, Yae, Rue, and Hilda begin sulking. Even if they show me those faces, it’s still no good. Moroha-nee-san as support is already more than enough.
The fight will become a free-for-all if there are too many partic.i.p.ants. Nevertheless, it’s a good thing that Kougyoku is keeping everyone in check, Sango and Kokuyou are protecting them, and Kohaku and Ruli are guiding everyone so that it would make it easy for them to fight.
I’m currently following up on the injuries of those who fell with recovery magic to some extent. Since Sango and Kokuyou are suppressing the enemy’s fire breath, they probably won’t be killed instantly unless they will receive a big blow or they will overexert themselves too much.
「Oh?？」
One of the wyverns is trying to fly with its wounded wings. But, after he floated for about 10 meters, he was knocked down by the Kougyoku’s flame bullets. Nice.
「Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!」
Raising his battle cry there, Baba-jii-san drives his giant crystal spear into the temporal region of the wyvern’s head. That one blow ends the life of that wyvern.
Being as old as he is, I want him to fall back to the rear as a support, but he doesn’t intend to listen to what I say. Next to him, Yamagata-ossan is swinging his greatsword against another wyvern, and slashes the legs of yet another dragon.
「Ora Ora Ora! Come over here, you lizards!」
The tension is rising up since the fight is going on for a long time now. Baba-jiisan and Yamagata-Ossan don’t want to get on the Frame Gears. They say they don’t feel like they are fighting while they are inside it, but it seems like they are enjoying this state where they are fighting naturally with their own lives. Although I myself believe that safety is the most important aspect, you know. I don’t understand the feelings of people who like to fight.
「Fuua!」
「Yaaaa!」
Nicola-san’s halberd is roaring and Norun-san’s twin swords are wildly dancing. This time I prevented them from summoning their mounts, Rain-san included.
I’ve done this because I told them to look at the situation of the battlefield while they are on the ground. Had they ridden the griffons or pegasus, it would be difficult for them to defend against the breath attacks with their s.h.i.+elds. The riders themselves would be fine, but the mounts would be defenseless in that case.
While I was talking about this and that, most of the dragons have collapsed, and have stopped their movement.
Even the remaining dragons seem to be screaming something, but as always, I don’t know what they are saying. I try asking Kokuyou who is winding around Sango’s feet.
「What is that one saying?」
『Haa, this is a storm of abuses. Saying things like [Inferior creatures!] or [Weaklings who can’t win if they don’t crowd!], as if you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds can say that』
Good grief. Even though they are the ones who crowded and came attacking here first.
Towards that dragon which is yelling and ranting, Ruli pours down on him her largest flame breath that chars him to a crisp. Aah, even though I’ve said that I won’t be able to sell him like that.
『Ruli-chan seems to be furious. I suppose that’s natural. I would also become like that if my dependents were howling like that』
On the other hand, Kohaku blows away a dragon that’s attacking the knights with a shockwave and tears its eyes with her claws thus rendering one more enemy unable to fight without killing it. It’s like she is saying they are unworthy to be her opponents.
『It seems it will be over soon』
「Do they really have the power of a high-ranking dragon? Aren’t they too weak?」
『Perhaps they do have a power close to that if it’s a one-on-one. However, they are no good when it comes to group fighting. Each one of them is just selfishly running around so there isn’t any cooperation. It seems like their power didn’t lift up their slow-mindedness. If there was at least a single [Elder Dragon], the outcome might have been different』
In the first place, dragons don’t hunt in herds. I guess it would be noticed otherwise.
The outcome has already been decided exactly as how Kokuyou has said it would be. Even the dragons that are still breathing are being slaughtered one by one by the knight order.
Eventually, all their movements stop. The damage on our side is limited to several lightly injured people. It’s an overwhelming victory.
「Raise the shout of victor────y!!」
「「「Ooooooo─────h!!」」」
A victory shout echoes throughout the plains where many dragon corpses are lying exposed. We won even though it was somehow a let-down.
Before I’ve noticed it, there were already a lot of spectators at the back. I guess we will really stand out if we make that much noise, won’t we? It seems a lot of spectators have come down from the town. As far as I can see from here, I feel there are a lot of adventurers.
「Y-your Majesty! What happened......?!」
The guild master Rerisha-san appears from among the spectators while bringing along several members of the guild staff. For a moment, she flinches after seeing the huge figures of Sango and Kokuyou, but after realizing they are my summoned beasts, she comes running here without minding about them.
「I went to the castle to inform you that I had received information stating that a swarm of dragons were headed towards here. But when I had reached the castle, His Majesty wasn’t there, and neither the knights......！」
「Ah, I’m sorry for that. We’ve missed each other. But we’ve already solved it」
「It... seems so...」
Rerisha-san looks shocked while surveying the corpses of the dragons that are stretched out. Oh right, maybe I should have asked the adventurers to help out as well? Oh well, let’s have them convey the heroic tale of the bravery of our knight order.
「I... I guess you’re right. Will the guild be able to buy them for us?」
「Thi-is... you mean all of them!? No, there’s no problem with regards to buying all of them, but I really can’t pay the full price right now... If I am to consider their price, then I can pay for about ten of those corpses right away...」
「Well then, I will just safekeep the rest. Until the remaining money can be prepared, that is」
They won’t rot once I put them in [Storage] so it should be alright. All that’s left is roasting the meat from several of those dragons and distributing the meat in town, I think? It’s said that the dragon meat is delicious. Let’s share it with others.
I address the excited knights with an aerial projection from the smartphone.
『Good work to all knights. I will roast dragon meat after this so please eat a bellyful of it and heal your fatigue. Of course, I will also properly pay out the reward bonuses』
「Uooooooo!! We did it!!」
「Meat! Meat!」
「I am hungry~!」
「I can pay back my debt with this......」
「Brunhild Banza~i!」
Various shouts are echoing through the battlefield. Above all else, I’m glad they’re happy.
『And tomorrow, we will head to the dragon’s nest on “Drachen Island” with the Frame Gears for extermination, so I’m looking forward to working with you~』
「「「「「Eeh!?」」」」」
Everyone makes faces full of surprise and simultaneously turns their eyes wide open towards me.