Chapter 64 - The Anti-Monster Battle of the Guerilla Unit
“The Enemy has entered the detection range of the special scouting magitech tool.”
Her voice echoed inside my helmet. This meant they had come within 5,000 yalds. The veil of night was chased away by the morning sun, and the cries of magic birds resonated through the forest. A new day had begun.
The morning of slaughter (monster subjugation battle) had arrived.
The empire’s invasion force was larger than I had anticipated. The footsteps of the 15 Cyclopes leading the way shook the forest. No wonder the monsters and magical beasts of the Demonic Forest had scattered to the surrounding areas. I waited quietly for the right moment. They probably didn’t expect an ambush since their vigilance was lax, and they began preparing for a major rest.
“It’s clear they never imagined we’d traverse the Demonic Forest to advance,” it was easy to tell what they were thinking. They had no idea their plans were predictable, at least to me. If you study the war history from all eras and regions, flanking attacks are too numerous to count.
Any knightly family with territories near the forest would naturally assume that if the enemy could pass through the forest using some sort of method, they would take it. By piecing together these assumptions, their intentions became obvious. They hadn’t studied enough.
――― It seems it would be worth providing them with some education.
The logistics soldiers skillfully dismounted from the massive troop transport cages (Transporters) equipped on the giant beasts, the Forest Striders, and began drawing water. It was a scene reminiscent of a training march, a casual morning encampment. Makeshift stoves were set up everywhere, with white smoke rising. Anyone could tell they were preparing breakfast.
It looked almost like a leisurely outing. Good, I’ll teach them a lesson. “Those who seek war must be prepared to die.” Especially when they’ve already invaded enemy territory—lax discipline means they’re flirting with death. I’ll give them a disciplinary lesson.
――― Suddenly, a hushed report came through the communication device. The tone was filled with confusion.
“Unusual sight confirmed. Cyclopes and Forest Striders have civilians chained to their backs. ...What is that? Those with long-range vision, confirm.”
“This is Spotter Team Three. Confirmed. It’s an emaciated child. Wearing rags. ...Skin is pale green. Long ears? What... is that...? No, it looks familiar...”
“That’s... the decoy used by the Elad Arachne! It looks just like it. The decoy was modeled after an adult woman, but this one... a child? Wait, Team Six to Commander. Slave marks confirmed. They’re using them as slaves! They brought child slaves, not even old enough, on an invasion mission? What is this?!”
Reports flooded in from multiple directions. Slave children were sewn onto the backs and shoulders of the giant monsters. I could see it with my own eyes. My stomach tightened. Even on the battlefield... this was an unforgivable sight. Children are the treasures of humanity. They hold infinite potential, the treasures of our kind.
It’s a cruel truth, but slavery exists in our kingdom too. However, enslaving children under twelve is strictly forbidden.
In our kingdom, slaves are either criminal slaves or debt slaves, and even then, there are many restrictions. Enslaving children? Unforgivable. Truly, unforgivable savages! The logistics troops didn’t even glance at the enslaved children. They didn’t even recognize them as human. Well then...
Then I’ll expand the interpretation of wartime international law. Don’t come crying later when your atrocities are broadcast to the world through the royal palace. No country will support you after this. Even in war, there are strict norms and conventions. Those who ignore them deserve no mercy.
After this war ends in futility, the empire’s international credibility will plummet, and they’ll become a pariah state. Now, let’s begin the education.
“Attention everyone. We are commencing the anti-giant monster subjugation battle. Additional note: The empire’s troops attached to the giant monsters and magical beasts have kidnapped and are holding ordinary civilians as slaves. They have enslaved children, an act not permitted under international law. Under the general principles of wartime international law, I declare these children as prisoners of war unlawfully captured by the enemy, and I recognize this as prisoner abuse. Therefore, I declare our mission to rescue and provide relief to them under wartime international law. Understood?!”
“ “ “ “Roger!” ” ” ”
I stood at the intersection of calm and passion. With a firm goal in sight, I suppressed my raging heart and issued orders to the snipers of the guerilla unit.
“All shooters, you are authorized to use Special Ammo. Aim for the Cyclopes’ heads, targeting what seems to be the fatal weak spot—the eye. The enemy is currently gathered around the waterfall pool below to drink water. Downward fire. Prepare to shoot. ...Fire.”
Phew phew phew
Phew phew phew
The guns screamed in unison. The silence of the morning was shattered by the overlapping sounds of Special Ammo firing. The heavy bullets tore through the air with a resonant whistling sound, heading straight for the Cyclopes. The hardened bullets, designed to shatter the skull of a red-furred Piscus, pierced through the transparent membrane covering the Cyclopes’ single eyes.
―――In a way, we had won the gamble.
Old Man had personally taken down the monster, leaving behind a parting gift. The corpse of the red-furred ape (Austra). The singularity of the Piscus was something worth marveling at. It was the result of daily research to create bullets capable of delivering fatal blows. Old Man’s sustenance for the future. I devoured it wholeheartedly.
The results before me were a gift from Old Man. I offered my heartfelt thanks.
The Special Ammo, heavy as it was, fell back slightly, but the well-trained marksmen sent them one after another into the Cyclopes’ single eyes. The bullets crushed the eyes, shattered the bones behind them, and minced the brainstem before the incantation activated.
The explosive generation of holy water from two Special Ammo caused destruction that even the most resilient Cyclopes couldn’t withstand. The explosive generation of Holy Water within the skull created immense pressure, and the sudden surge of this pressure pulverized the brain and shattered the skull into fragments.
――― The Cyclopes’ heads (their vital points) were successfully obliterated.
Even the monsters of the Deep Forest, known for their incredible regenerative abilities, couldn’t recover from having their vital points turned to dust. The Cyclopes quickly charged into the realm beyond this world. All fifteen Cyclopes, in the middle of drinking water, toppled forward into the river flowing from the pool.
“Switch to standard ammunition. Target the Forest Striders’ heads and vital points. Prepare for downward fire. Fire.”
With the spotters’ precise distance guidance, the shooters began pouring bullets into the Forest Striders’ heads. Chaos enveloped their encampment. The giant beasts, Forest Striders, had high carrying capacity. The Forest Striders were equipped with specially made, massive troop transport cages (Transporters). Judging by the size of the troop transport cages (Transporters), they appeared to be carrying an estimated 600 to 700 heavily infantry.
The Forest Striders, their heads pierced, collapsed. Aside from the logistics soldiers, the rest of the troops remained inside the troop transport cages. I’m no saint. The lives of those who came to trample our nation meant nothing to me. I paid no heed to the dying screams of the transported soldiers being crushed inside the troop transport cages.
My focus was solely on the children chained to the super-large monsters and beasts.
“Giant monsters and magical beasts confirmed eliminated. Guerilla and other units, proceed to rescue the children. After rescue, retreat immediately. Leave the area before the enemy outside this operational objective can regroup. Be cautious of the traps laid by the engineering unit. Pay attention to the designated placement area for the layout. Follow the squad leaders and sergeants’ guidance and quickly exit the trap-laid areas.”
Our elite infantry, clad in black armor and wielding magic swords, moved swiftly through the panicking empire’s logistics troops, focusing all their efforts on rescuing the children sewn onto the chains. The tough monster hides were sliced open by the guerilla unit’s standard swords (magic swords), and the chains embedded in the flesh were quickly severed, freeing the children. Carrying the children, they retreated into the forest at full speed, rushing through the enemy encampment and narrowly avoiding the trap zones...
Like a black gust of wind, they successfully rescued over forty enslaved children.
As for the aftermath? I left it to the “Demonic Forest.” With the super-large monsters, a natural disaster-level threat, gone and the large-size magical beasts fallen, the immediate threat was eliminated. The scattered monsters and magical beasts would take time to return, giving them a <<golden window>>.
The logistics troops who realized this abandoned the wounded imperial soldiers (their comrades) and began running towards the deeper layer of the forest along the path they had used to invade. ...That’s a mistake. Do they plan to traverse the Deep Forest on foot? If it were me, I’d surrender to the kingdom and become a prisoner...
Their actions stemmed from the fear that the atrocities they had committed would come back to haunt them if they were captured, leading them to flee in panic. It’s their own doing. No pity, no mercy. The baptism of the Demonic Forest awaits them. Let them reap what they’ve sown.
I announced the end of the operation to everyone.
There’s no more need to stay here. I’ll have to warn the people at the edge of the forest to avoid entering the Middle Forest for a while. The monsters and magical beasts here in the middle layer will learn the taste of human flesh. Until things settle down... it’s best not to enter the forest. I’ll ask Eldest Brother, who should be preparing for evacuation in response to the anticipated rampage, to provide supplies to the people at the edge of the forest for the time being.
I understand the people at the edge of the forest rely on the forest for their livelihood, but the forest is now in a very dangerous state. With the greatest threat, the super-large monsters, gone, the ecosystem has been severely disrupted. The effects will likely reach even the Shallow Forest. Careful observation is needed for now.
And besides...
For a while, the forest beyond the deep layers (the empire’s side of the Demonic Forest) is going to get very noisy.
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