Chapter 63 - The Worst-Case Scenario Became Reality
“Detected: Designated super-large monsters. Quantity: 15. Behind them, a procession of 25 gigantic magical beasts was also detected. Description of the super-large monsters: Height exceeds 15 yalds, bipedal. Possess a single eye. Skin color: green. Armed with what appears to be a club fashioned from an enormous tree. Description of the trailing gigantic magical beasts: Identified as Forest Striders. Observed carrying personnel, seemingly at maximum capacity, on what appear to be specialized mounts. The group has traversed the Demonic Forest over a considerable distance and has been classified as an enemy posing a threat to the kingdom. Multiple flags were also identified within their ranks. The banners are confirmed to belong to the imperial army.”
So, they came. The worst-case scenario unfolded, huh...
The report of this situation made my stomach churn. I immediately sent a communication soldier to Eldest Brother. I left the message unchanged, as it was. A reply came swiftly. Even for my brother, the words seemed unusually agitated.
“In case of the worst, issue an evacuation order to the town’s residents. Contact the surrounding knightly houses through Father, and request Mother to open the knightly family’s granaries and food storages. Order the guerilla unit: Eliminate the giant monsters emerging from the deep layer. Use any means necessary. Destroy the monsters. Do as you see fit. The survival of our homeland and the peace of the nation rest on your shoulders. I pray for your success in battle.”
――――― § ―――――
Immediately, the officers and men of the guerilla unit equipped themselves for the worst-case scenario and assembled. Without delay, they began their march to the anticipated battlefield. The soldiers, perhaps sensing the gravity of the situation, moved swiftly and reached the village at the edge of the forest in less than half the usual time.
There, I attempted to communicate with the female spotter using the magic communication device. Fortunately, it was almost time for the scheduled contact. She, too, understood the importance of the information and had managed to escape the Middle Forest without being detected, reaching the hut. The scheduled contact was made using the hut’s magic communication device.
Through the head-mount communication device (headset), I listened to the detailed situation on the grounds.
“The overview is as I reported. There is no mistake in their anticipated route. They are using the river flowing from the Deep Forest and heading this way.”
“I see. Don’t push yourself. Order the special mobile scout party to return. The assembly point is the upper section of the waterfall. There’s no need to maintain contact. I repeat, the special mobile scout party is to return to their original unit.”
“Understood, Sir. The special mobile scout party will return to their original unit. The assembly point is the upper section of the waterfall.”
“Good. We’ll meet on-site. That’s all.”
After ending the communication, I sighed in relief. I was glad she was safe. Despite the numerous difficulties in the Middle Forest, she had managed to discover the enemies. The fact that the monsters controlled by the enemy through some sort of means had such a strong presence likely contributed to her success, but I couldn’t help but admire her for accomplishing her mission despite the vast forest and its countless dangers.
Alright. The enemy was caught in the net. They were advancing exactly as predicted. This was the perfect opportunity for an ambush. Based on her report, the super-large monsters were likely Cyclopes, a rare giant species with extremely few documented sightings.
They had no apparent weaknesses. According to the monster compendium, their large single eye constantly emitted an Evil Eye spell. If their gaze focused on you, it would inflict an instant-death curse. Therefore, attacking from outside their range would be effective, but their range was reportedly vast.
The fact that the scouting shooter was unharmed suggested that the observation range she maintained was outside the Cyclopes’ Evil Eye range. However, in practice, we would need to maintain a greater distance. After all, the Cyclopes needed to recognize and visually confirm us, and if something else caught their attention, the Cyclopes’ attention would inevitably be drawn to that instead.
The engineers were setting up various traps around the waterfall. However, given that the size of the monsters were larger than anticipated, the traps would likely be ineffective. We couldn’t rely on them for capture. If the traps could distract the enemy, that would already be a blessing. But facing Cyclopes...
In this situation, the goal was to divert the Cyclopes’ attention elsewhere, forcing them to expose what appeared to be their vital point without any defenses. A single, precise strike to a fatal spot was essential. If we failed, those powerful monsters would undoubtedly retaliate with devastating force.
―――― That was why I developed the Special Ammo.
The Special Ammo was equipped with warheads designed to deal with creatures like the Red-Furred Monster, which had exceptionally tough exteriors. I distributed these to the shooters. A direct hit could pierce even the skull of a Red-Furred Ape. The artificial magic ore warhead contained 1.5 times the usual amount of magic powder. The downside was that its maximum effective range was 1,000 yalds, half that of conventional ammunition. If only we could position ourselves at the sniping point...
There were many uncertainties, but we had no choice.
We arrived at the waterfall, the anticipated battlefield, just before sunset. Blending into the dimming surroundings, we reached the assembly point. The special mobile scout party had also arrived. The entire combat strength of the guerilla unit would be brought to bear on the task. I handed the Special Ammo to the shooter who had been on scouting duty and asked about the distance during her mission.
“Approximately 1,500 yalds. However, I believe we can close the distance further... Sir. The Cyclopes’ gaze was always directed downward, rarely looking up. Due to their height and posture, they seem to lack the habit of looking at higher elevations, Sir.”
“I see. Was that something you were taught from your hunter father’s training?”
“Yes, well... that’s correct, Sir. He taught me to observe unfamiliar prey carefully. Also, there’s one more thing I’d like to report.”
“What is it?”
“The Cyclopes’ greatest attack is likely their Evil Eye. The enemy soldiers also avoided standing in front of the Cyclopes. However, their single eye has no eyelid, only a transparent membrane-like layer covering it. The eye is always open. They seem to have evolved to never close their greatest means of attack.”
“And?”
“It means that those creatures could turn their attack into their greatest defense. On the flip side, that means their primary attack is always open, and their eyeball cannot be heavily armored. I’m not sure how strong the transparent membrane is, but I would suggest that their greatest weapon could also be their fatal weakness, Sir.”
“It’s your hunter’s intuition... or more of a conclusion drawn from observation, huh?”
“If you see it that way, I’m grateful, Sir. ...It’s the intuition honed from years of hunting with my father... Sir!!”
“I see. Share this information with all the shooters. Spotters! Determine the sniping positions. The enemy will replenish their water supply at the base of the waterfall. Assume the target will be below us.”
“““Understood!”””
We did not light fires, relying on a single warming stone against our stomach for heat, and ate cold rations as we waited for the moment to arrive. The infantry also took their positions, ready to act if we failed to take down the enemy. Facing super-large monsters, engaging in close combat with swords would likely result in significant casualties. The presence of the imperial soldiers being transported also concerned me. If we failed, they would swarm us like a cloud. Dealing with them was beyond our usual scope. How far... could we go?
Even though they were mounted on Forest Striders, during a major rest, the logistics soldiers would surely dismount for tasks like fetching water and other supply-related duties. I had strictly ordered not to harm the humans, so I spent the waiting time considering how to handle them.
Our soldiers specialized in fighting monsters and magical beasts; none had experience killing humans. Thus, the psychological barrier to killing was high, and I didn’t want to force them to do so. The logistics soldiers likely had no combat capability, so we decided to scatter them. The forest would take care of the rest. To escape the forest’s threats, they would either have to risk crossing the Deep Layer to return to the empire or accept capture. If they feared death, they might choose captivity.
The spotters found depressions where the shooters could hide and began marking the locations. Their job was to prepare multiple firing points. The distance from these positions to the small pool at the base of the waterfall averaged 800 to 1,000 yalds, within the Special Ammo’s maximum effective range.
Thanks to continuous training, we now had thirty shooters.
We assigned two shooters to each Cyclops. Eliminating the greatest threat (Cyclopes) was our top priority. Next, we would target the 25 Forest Striders. However, how are they controlling the monsters? I couldn’t figure it out. I had never heard of such a technique or spell. Even developing something like that would require considerable time.
Moreover, the empire, being a militaristic state, was not advanced in academic pursuits. They preferred to solve everything with brute force. They considered cultural refinement a sign of weakness. Their prejudice against intellectual culture was strong, and they believed might makes right.
Those who refuse to acknowledge others and consider their own thoughts absolute fall into narrow-mindedness. They lack imagination and focus too much on immediate gains. They don’t learn from history and try to bulldoze through with what they have. Those barbarians (the empire)...
―――― I’ll show them.
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