Chapter 33 - To Improve Survivability (1)
That afternoon, I ordered Old Man (my adjutant) to gather all the soldiers at the training field.
I had called upon the entire guerilla unit. The scene was impressive. New soldiers, who had been gathered, looked uneasy. The fifth-year veterans, borrowed from Second Brother, were filled with anticipation, wondering if this meant we were finally heading out. And Old Man, his expression less than pleased, but watching with keen interest, wondering what I was about to do.
From the slightly elevated position in the tense training ground, I addressed them.
"There are likely many of you who feel uneasy about me, a young and inexperienced officer. However, as a man from a knightly family, it is only natural to face threats head-on. My combat abilities have been honed in the Knight Department of the Magic Academy. I believe I can live up to your expectations. But I do not wish for any of you to be lost. I do not want to see any of you, trained with care by our predecessors, easily lose your lives or suffer serious injuries. Therefore, I will impart strategies to avoid unnecessary losses."
The fifth-year veterans gave me confused looks, as though they didn’t quite understand what I was saying. Old Man looked skeptical. I understood that, based on previous norms, my words might be seen as weak and cowardly. But I was certain that recklessly throwing away lives wasn’t bravery.
Especially for the guerilla unit, the most important thing is to bring back information. Reconnaissance-in-force missions only prove their worth if they return successfully.
"Are any of you familiar with a magic called [Search Magic] used for wide-area reconnaissance? It is a magic employed by the kingdom’s army in the capital, used by the reconnaissance unit. What do you think?"
"I’ve heard the rumors... However, I’ve also been told that it requires an internal mana of at least a high count's level to use it properly. Such people don’t exist in the frontier. So, while it would be nice if we had it, there's no point in dwelling on it when it's simply not available."
The one in charge of the fifth-year soldiers (given to me by Second Brother) responded in such a way. I appreciated how he answered without hesitation, even in front of his commander. If I had made any mistake in my actions, I knew he would unhesitatingly speak his mind with a blunt word of advice. The soldiers trained by Second Brother were strong in that sense as well. His observation was certainly not wrong. And so I continued with my explanation.
"The kingdom’s main enemies are humans. They constantly need surveillance against foreign armies. But what about our homeland? The Demonic Forest lies near us, and the enemy country lies far beyond it. What we must deal with are monsters and magical beasts. Our objectives are different. At the royal capital's Magic Academy, in the Alchemy Tower, I trained alongside my classmates, and as a result, I glimpsed a light. If the target is monsters or magical beasts, then if we can identify their unique characteristics, that should suffice. Tell me, what is the major difference between monsters, magical beasts, and humans?"
"The difference... you say? Well, their physiques and bodily compositions are different, of course... However, if we were to generalize monsters and magical beasts as a group, I would say it's the presence or absence of an organ that stores mana. Humans have varying amounts of internal mana depending on the talent granted to them by the heavens, but monsters and magical beasts possess an organ that allows them to store mana. After their life activities cease, that stored mana solidifies into a magic stone... or so I have heard."
"Good. You’ve been studying well. That’s exactly right. The mana stored in monsters and magical beasts is highly concentrated. If we can detect it, we can determine where and in what quantities they’re lurking."
"Even so... There’s no one here who can use such complex magic."
"True, from the perspective of individual talent, that’s correct. But tell me, have you ever seen how people in town prepare food?"
"Huh? How does that relate to the current discussion?"
"I’m simply asking if you’ve seen it. Answer me."
"......Yes, I have."
"Then, what do they use to boil water? Ignition Magic? Flame Magic?"
"That's simply not possible. They prepare firewood, create kindling... and if the household is well-off, they might use a magic stove... Huh? Is that what you're getting at?? S-such a magic tool exists??"
"The training in the royal capital granted me knowledge of alchemy and incantation. Furthermore, one of my Skills happens to include Craftsman. On top of that, my internal mana is at the count level. Combining these factors, developing new magitech tools poses little difficulty for me. I have brought one prototype here. It is not yet mass-produced, but I managed to put together five of them. Since it was hastily crafted, its appearance leaves much to be desired. However, it functions as intended. I also have several scrap magic stones with me. Now then, you, would you like to give it a try?"
"If such a dream-like tool really exists, and if I can see it with my own eyes, then I believe this could help avoid many painful tragedies in the future... I will do it. Please, let me try it."
"Very well. In that case, over here."
With that, I handed the prototype of the scouting magitech tool to the leader of the fifth-year soldiers. It looked somewhat like a warrior helmet that completely covered the head, but its appearance resembled that of a magical beast's head. The soldier, who had received it, stared at it with considerable shock.
He steeled himself and put it on. Naturally, it gave him a rather ridiculous appearance. His left field of vision should still be intact, yet his eyes reflected a look of bewilderment.
"There's a button on the left side of the mask. Try pressing it."
"Oh... this one?"
The fifth-year soldier fumbled around, locating the button by touch, and pressed it as I instructed. I was well-acquainted with its functionality. To ensure that the device performed flawlessly even when used by someone other than myself, I had a handful of scrap magic stones clutched in my hand.
The response from the scrap magic stones should cause a few red dots to appear on the right-side display of the magitech tool the fifth-year soldier leader was wearing. The rune activated without issue, and the intended effect was achieved. This became evident from the words spoken by him—simple yet clear words that would never have been uttered if he hadn't seen the display himself.
"These red dots...?"
"Exactly. Now, press the button on the right side."
"All right..."
Once again, following my instructions, he pressed the button. The red dots on the display should have disappeared. The expression on the visible half of his face was filled with confusion, his eyes darting around in disbelief. His face, partially concealed by the magitech tool, clearly displayed that he still hadn't grasped the true purpose of the device.
"I've brought some scrap magic stones. I'll scatter them around the training ground now. If you'd like, we can have the soldiers carry them and have them move around. What do you think?"
"Please, have the soldiers do it. So, those red dots will move, right? That's really strange."
Stepping forward from in front of the soldiers, I blended in with their ranks, discreetly handing out the scrap magic stones to several new recruits and fifth-year veterans, ensuring that the fifth-year soldier didn't notice. The selection was random. Once the stones were distributed, I gave the order to spread out across the training ground. The scenario was one of retreat—run, flee, and keep running, I instructed. Even those who didn’t have the stones would join in. Now, with this setup, no one would be able to tell who was carrying the scrap magic stones. It was time to conduct a real-world operational test.
"Press the button on the left again. The view above will be the front, the view below will be the rear, and the sides remain as they are. You should see concentric circles, and the center, marked by intersecting crosshairs, is where you stand. The distance between each concentric circle is approximately 200 yalds (200 meters). There should be five concentric circles in total, with the longest radius reaching 1000 yalds (1000 meters), allowing you to scan within this area. That’s all I’ll explain. Now, what do you see?"
"The scattered red dots are... 5, 6, 7... 8 dots. Yes, it's 8 dots. These must be the positions of the soldiers holding the scrap magic stones, correct?"
"Yeah, that’s right. Now, I'll order the scattered soldiers to retreat. The ones carrying the scrap magic stones are the magical beasts that will be hunting them. So, can you capture the magical beasts?"
"If I know where they are, it should be easy. Wait, are these red dots really them?"
"You'll find out for yourself."
"In that case..."
With newfound enthusiasm, the fifth-year soldier leader rushed forward. His actions were bold and decisive. The other soldiers, however, had different perspectives. The ones other than the fifth-year soldier leader expected to be in a retreat scenario, evading magical beasts or monsters. But the fifth-year soldier leader, on the other hand, probably thought the fleeing soldiers were being hunted by the magical beasts and monsters of the Demonic Forest.
Additionally, the ones holding the scrap magic stones could be perceived as the monsters and magical beasts targeting the soldiers who were being chased
--- This is turning out to be quite an interesting training exercise.
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