Chapter 205: Standing by, and the Appearance of Frazes
「I-it is not my fault! These are only unfortunate accidents piling up all at the same time!」(Bowman)
Bowman, who was brought to a room in the royal palace, says that in front of everyone.
It seems that he has strengthened the behemoths by improving first a special kind of parasitic plant that absorbs the host’s nutrients in return for drawing out its latent potential and then attaching those plants onto the armed golems. It was the thing fused to the backs of the golems that I saw.
However, those parasitic plants had taken over the consciousness of armed golems, and they started to rampage. The effects of [Collar of Subordination] that had been fused with the golems also disappeared, and the commands stopped working completely. All the golems that had been nurtured at the same time went on a rampage and jumped out into the city.
「Putting the golems aside, those parasitic plants look like there were still in testing stage. It seems that you’ve made a fairly unreasonable fusion by forcefully growing them up and making them strengthen the behemoths. It appears that you’ve overthrown an opposition the research staff had made and forced your own way」
The Knight Commander Limitt informs us while looking at the doc.u.ments that have been seized from Bowman’s laboratory.
「What a thing to do…. Did you not consider the possibility for this scenario to happen? Do you even know just how many victims have shown up due to your thoughtless action…!?」(Audrey)
「The possibility of them rampaging due to the parasitic plants was low! Who could’ve ever antic.i.p.ated them taking over the golem consciousness in the first place!? This rampage is an accident! It’s not my fault! It’s not me who destroyed the town!」(Bowman)
Bowman angrily replies to State Governor Audrey. Though I only hear excuses stating that he is not responsible. In fact, he appears to be the first one to flee from the laboratory and then found s.h.i.+vering in the warehouse.
「In the first place, did you really need to improve the golems right away? The discussion should have been progressing towards borrowing the power of Brunhild Dukedom with regards to matters related to Frazes. We would’ve made a decision with the governors of all states tomorrow and announce it officially. Isn’t that how it was supposed to happen?」
Hee, have they already decided up to there? It seems that up to four out of the seven states have settled on the seeking cooperating with Brunhild. So it’s not only the governor Audrey of the Hill state.
Rodomea is divided into the Central state, the Hill state, the Mountain state, the Lake state, the River state, the Plains state and the Smithing state. Among those states, the Hill, the Mountain, the Lake, the Smithing states are in approval of the decision, while the Central and Plains states are against it. The River state is still neutral though. It seems their opinions are divided like that.
I’ve heard that the official voting to decide the policy of the country would be taken tomorrow during the meeting of the governors of all states….
「It’s because voices of doubt with regards to the research on armed golems were raised after one of them had lost to the Frame Gear of Brunhild. They’ve said that budget of the country shouldn’t be wasted. He had to strengthen armed golems at the very least so that they could defeat Frazes as well as to prevent the reduction of the research funds… It probably like that」(Limitt)
Bowman jerks his body and starts to cower as Limitt opens her mouth and gazes at him. And then what? Are you saying that he has done all of that in order to keep his research going?
「In any case, those golems are utterly worthless. I’ve cleaned them all by myself. They were too weak」
Bowman raises his hung down face upon Elzie’s words. It was a mixed expression of amazement and sorrow.
「You… have defeated those strengthened armed golems…? All by yourself? Such a…」(Bowman)
「You shouldn’t have used those things like a power that you can’t control. This is a heavy crime, Dr. Bowman. We will have you be responsible for creating this tragedy which occurred due to you arbitrarily improving the golems. You’ll be dismissed from all positions and deprived of your doctorate degree. You’ll also be moved to the mine in the Mountain state. Is this fine, statewide viceroy?」(Audrey)
「A-aa, that’s right. He has to take responsibility for this」(Volk)
The statewide viceroy, who was keeping silent and avoided making eye contact, nods a little while making a stiff smile towards State Governor Audrey’s harsh voice.
That’s obvious. The one who entrusted the laboratory and promoted Bowman who ended up causing this damage was the governor of the central state. He can’t avoid taking responsibility alone by saying he didn’t know.
Bowman has been taken outside the room so that the knights could drag him away. During this turmoil, there are people who ended up dying. Has he not been executed due to his achievements thus far being taken into consideration?
「Now then, Statewide viceroy, evacuate the residents of the town of Recept. The situation is the most urgent. Please send out a fast horse」(Audrey)
「Wa-wait a minute, please. If you have them evacuate and nothing happens, what are you going to do? The inhabitants of the city won’t stay silent, you know!?」(Volk)
「What stupid thing to say this late… We’ll apologize and take responsibility for creating panic and compensate them for it if nothing happens. That’s all. Rather, what would happen if they learn that we knew it would happen and did nothing….? Wouldn’t that be a bigger problem?」(Audrey)
The statewide viceroy flinched as he was being told by the Hill state governor but still ordered his subordinates to send a fast horse to the town. That’s because there was nothing wrong with what she has said.
「Your majesty the sovereign King, please allow all the citizens to evacuate from the towns of Limeroad and Emines in the Hill state and the town Recept in the central state. Also, we will permit the deployment of frame gears in our domain for a limited time. Statewide viceroy, that will be fine, won’t it?」(Audrey)
「A-ah. Of course」(Volk)
The statewide viceroy nods towards everything that is being said by Governor Audrey. In a situation like that, I don’t know which one is the leader of this country.
Well, in any case, we can now start preparing to intercept the Fraze.
「Thank you very much. I will do my utmost effort to deal with them. Then, we will immediately deploy our Frame Gears in the vicinity where the Fraze will soon appear」(Touya)
Timewise, it may not be strange even if they appear tomorrow. It’s better to hurry.
I immediately return to the Brunhild Castle and organize the troops as soon as I leave the Rodomea Royal Palace. Knight Commander Rain and Vice-Commanders Norun and Nicola will each be leading 19 units. There will be three platoons with 20 units each including their own respective units. I will station them on site, having them watch it in three s.h.i.+fts.
Brunhild will be undermanned, but it’ll probably be all right with the remaining knights, Baba-jiisan and Yamagata-ossan.
I’m lending to each country of East-West alliance 18 Chevaliers and two Night Barons and have them wait in their own respective countries. As expected, I won’t be able to restrain the major knights of other countries while they are in Rodomea without knowing when the Fraze will come.
The highborn fiancees of our household have said that they want to sortie all together, but I’ve decided to prevent Suu and Rin to come for now.
I’m still uneasy about having Suu stand on the battlefield (Though there is no need for them to stand on it) and Rin is still not used to piloting a frame gear yet.
It has been decided that Elzie will board her personal battle unit “Gerhilde”. Everyone else will each board the frame based on the Night Baron with their respective weapons namely: Yae’s unit will have a crystal katana, Hilda’s unit will have a crystal sword, Luu’s unit will have twin crystal daggers, and Yumina’s and Lindsey’s unit will be equipped with Fragarach.
This time, I’ve asked Rosetta and Monica to deploy in the rear in case of emergencies such as when mini robots and frame gears get broken.
「We have all frame gears equipped with weapons made of crystal material this time, so I think it will be a considerable advantage」(Rosetta)
That’s due to a number of crystal materials that were left crumbling around after the battle in Yuuron. They won’t crumble now though.
I, being accompanied by the Brunhild division of Frame Gears, transfer just outside of the forest a little bit away from the site where Frazes will appear in Rodomea.
The plains are spreading in front of our eyes, and mountains are extending on the opposite side. Clouds are flowing quietly, and small birds sing. There’s not a trace of the feeling that this place will become a battlefield soon.
「Now then, shall we designate this place as the headquarters?」(Touya)
I, having gently smoothed this side just in front of the forest with earth magic, transfer a few container houses of Professor Babylon that have been stored in [Hangar] and place them in a separate place.
Those container houses have the same s.p.a.ce magic as [Storage], so the interior is even wider than I’d expected. Of course, it’s being kept at a normal temperature. They can also be used as a resting place for the knights on watch. Blankets have also been prepared in advance, so it may also be good to use this place for naps.
I leave numbers on the walls of the houses just in case: “1” for the conference house and “2” for the cafeteria. I allocate them by feeling. Oops, I should also prepare a house for women-only use.
If the evacuation of Rodomea properly ends, then the people closest to the place where Frazes will appear will be where we are. In that case, they will head straight here.
We should be able to confirm the appearance of Frazes using the telephoto lens installed on Frame Gears even if we are away. Fortunately, there are no obstacles here since these are plains after all.
「Do you think they will come?」(Nicola)
「It’ll be good if they don’t come unless they really do come. It’ll likely be awkward in a lot of ways if they don’t come since we’re standing here well prepared」(Touya)
I prepare a table and chairs on the roof of a container house and face Nicola-san on a one-on-one in a game of shogi. I don’t have anything else to do besides monitoring.
Taking a close look at the map, I see that the evacuation is proceeding steadily.
「Is Moroha-sama not partic.i.p.ating in the fight this time?」(Nicola)
「Unn, it’s because Moroha-nee-san can’t operate a frame gear after all. It clearly outside of her sword specialty so she is…」(Touya)
Or rather, isn’t she not interested in frame gears themselves? If she can get on it, she will be a considerable strength…
「Still, she said that she will partic.i.p.ate. I’ve also given her a crystal sword, and I wonder if she will be able to cooperate in her capacity」(Touya)
「”Partic.i.p.ate,” you say… in the flesh?」(Nicola)
「In the flesh」(Touya)
Nicola had an absent-minded look for a moment there, and he then immediately shook his head a little, saying
「Guess it’s possible if it’s His Majesty’s elder sister…」(Nicola)
He mutters in a whisper.
Well, we’re not blood-related though.
Honestly speaking, I am not that worried about the fight this time. There was time to prepare, and the numbers that will appear is less than in Yuuron.
I’m only anxious about the advanced cla.s.s however. We might be able to handle something that resembles the crocodile from before, but the damage will still be unimaginable if we’re hit by that thing similar to a charged particle cannon. At any rate, it had about as much power as to be able to destroy the capital of Yuuron which was located far away from the battlefield. I’m thinking of a counter-plan for that just in case, though I just don’t know how much of an effect it will have though, so I can’t say anything.
Of course, I’ve also prepared the crystal materials for [Meteor Shower] that was the deciding factor at that time.
Their number is not that high, and the accuracy is bad. It doesn’t differentiate between friend and foe, its magic power consumption is intense, and using that technique is difficult. The terrain will also become awful.
I could use it as a preemptive strike when Frazes will appear, but I would like to avoid wasting magic power like that in a situation where I don’t know what might happen.
Just like this, the first day pa.s.sed without incident after the stronghold was made. It seems the evacuation of towns has almost been finished. There’s no response even after I try searching for people. We only have to wait for Frazes to appear now….
There are no changes on the second day either. It’s a little late to say this, but I wish they will avoid appearing at night. Those guys are semi-transparent so they are hard to see. I think of those things as the evening ends and the morning of the third day comes.
A report finally comes from the person who’s doing the observations with the frame gear monitor while we’re cooking the stew for breakfast.
『A crack in s.p.a.ce has been confirmed! Frazes are about to emerge!』
A warning rings in the headquarters, and people who have been sleeping also jump up and board their respective frames.
There’s still some time left so I, in that little window of time, go around to each country reporting the appearance of Frazes and transfer each of the frame gears that have been prepared to the actual site.
A total of 200 frame gears, targeting the cracked s.p.a.ce, deploy in an arch shape preparing for an interception.
『Your majesty! The crack keeps spreading!』
I can see a part of Fraze’s body protruding from inside the s.p.a.ce crack gradually spreading about as I extend my vision with [Long Sense].
A very loud sound similar to breaking gla.s.s reverberates, and Frazes start to appear at the same time one after another as if they’re descending from a slope. All of them make their appearance eventually and the distorted s.p.a.ce then returns to its original form.
「Most of them are from the lower and the intermediate cla.s.ses… What about the advanced cla.s.s?」(Touya)
「It takes time for an advanced cla.s.s Fraze to appear. Wasn’t it the same last time?」(End)
「Ah- it was…Waah!?」(Touya)
I cancel [Long Sense] because of the sudden reply, and see End standing next to me. When did he… As usual, he appears at an unexpected time and place.
「I suppose it would take 30 minutes for it to appear. I would like to have those guys cleaned up before that」(End)
End splits the slide in his hand in two calling his monochrome dragon knight. He then boards it quickly. What an impatient fellow.
「Search. What is the number of Frazes that can be confirmed?」
『Searching……8141 bodies』
Their numbers now are about sixty percent than that of the case in Yuuron since there was about 13000 back then, right?
「How many intermediate cla.s.ses are among them?」
『Searching. …… done. There are 809 intermediate cla.s.ses』
Approximately 10% of the total. It’s the same as last time. I wonder, is there some kind of rule?
I summon the Valkyries and have them hold onto cameras to act as relays. Those images will reach the rulers of each country so that they will know the status of the battle. The leaders of Rodomea will especially have to take a close look. I will be troubled if I’m to be blamed like the case in Yuuron.
The headquarters have spare frame gears as well as Rosetta, Monica, Flora, and Rin are waiting there. The destination for the emergency escape magic has been set to here as well.
『Touya-san, Frazes have started to move』
I hear Yumina’s voice from the communicator I put in my ear. I will be able to immediately know if anything happens since Elzie’s Gerhilde and Black Knights can now communicate with me.
I invoke [Long Sense] again and check the front lines. They’ve certainly started advancing towards here just as Yumina said they had.
Leading them are the flying Manta-type and… That’s a type I see for the first time. A dolphin… No, it should be an orca whale if I’m to name it…. An orca-type is flying towards here. It’s definitely an intermediate cla.s.s based on its size.
「Alright, shall we start?」(Touya)
I take out two greatswords with two-meter blades from [Storage] and hold them in each hand.
『All units, start the battle! Follow the order of each commander! Annihilate the Fraze! Clean them up!』
『Oooooooooo！！！』
The frame gear troops rush towards the flock of Frazes while raising an earth tremor.
I also invoke [Fly], and take off to annihilate the flying type Frazes.