Chapter 83

The next morning, the knights of Reisenburg hurriedly set off from Wolzard. Up until they passed the midpoint between Lastock and Wolzard, they were repeatedly attacked by goblins and kobolds, losing four horses in the process, but they managed to traverse the Forest of Demons without losing a single man. Of course, we were watching from the shadows and were ready to help if things got really dangerous, but the messengers chosen for this mission seemed to have excellent combat skills and judgment.

"Reinhardt, don't you think there are too many goblins around Wolzard?"

"Yes, at this rate, the price of grain might skyrocket."

"Is it possible to thin them out without taking away the adventurers' jobs?"

"Leave it to us. The Reisenburg messengers have returned, and everyone is a bit bored. We'll defeat a few of the herd and let them eat each other, then collect the magic stones when they evolve."

"Yeah, that's fine, but it feels like we're farming goblins."

"Hehehe, indeed. We'll make the goblins work for us."

When Reinhardt gave the order, Zae and Alte set off with enthusiasm. Yeah, they look like they might wipe them all out.

As the sun began to set, the knights who had emerged from the Forest of Demons slowed their pace but showed no signs of resting, and they spurred their horses toward the drawbridge. They watered their horses while waiting for the drawbridge to lower, and as soon as it did, they moved forward.

"Hey, Paul, what's going on? Weren't you supposed to stay in Wolzard for a few days?"

"What do you mean, 'what's going on'? Wolzard is being hit by a massive goblin outbreak."

"What? Is that true?"

"We can't afford to relax. The monsoon winds are about to change direction, and then Lastock will be the next target."

"We can't just sit here... but what can we do?"

"Instructions should be sent directly. Be ready to move at any time."

While Paul was talking to the knights at the drawbridge, the other knights were already galloping toward the garrison. When the group arrived at the garrison, they dismounted without even brushing off the dust from their journey and began their actions. Rondal and Rebitz headed for Camilla's office. Rondal nodded to the guard and knocked on the door busily.

"Who is it?"

"It's Rondal, I've returned from Wolzard!"

Camilla, who had been reviewing documents, stopped her work and glared at the door when she heard Rondal had returned.

"Come in!"

"Yes, my apologies."

Dusty and weary, Rondal, with a strong will in his eyes, made Camilla open her eyes in surprise.

"What happened? Did someone...?"

"No, everyone made it back to Lastock safely."

"Then what's the matter? Did you face an attack? Did you deliver the letter safely?"

"Yes! I delivered the letter to Klaus Wolzard without a doubt."

"And the response?"

"The escaped ones have not reached Wolzard."

"…So that was the response?"

"No, it's not that. It seems they haven't even reached Wolzard."

"Hmm… What do you mean?"

"Camilla, Wolzard is being hit by a massive goblin outbreak."

"What?!"

Camilla, who is always calm, slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"How big is it?"

"The area around Wolzard is completely covered by goblins, so much so that the ground can't be seen."

"Covered the ground… How many are there?"

"The exact number is unknown even in Wolzard, but they say it's in the hundreds of thousands, or even over a million."

"A million…?"

Even Camilla, who is usually composed, seemed to freeze for a moment with wide eyes at the number.

"Camilla?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Before the massive outbreak, there was also a large-scale emergence of rock ogres and orcs numbering in the hundreds."

Camilla covered her eyes with her right hand and took a deep breath.

"Are you sure?"

"When we headed to Wolzard, the density of goblins and kobolds was unlike anything we had ever experienced."

"I see, you did well to return safely."

"Yes, we left Wolzard early in the morning and faced even more intense attacks on the way back, losing four horses."

"What? How did you manage to return?"

"Yes, Wolzard prepared twelve horses for our return journey. They were all selected horses, and by leading half of them empty and abandoning the injured ones, we managed to get through."

"Indeed… Wolzard was considerate enough to do that?"

"Yes, they said, 'We are knights who protect the people, even if we are from different countries.'"

After widening her eyes, Camilla slowly closed them, took a few deep breaths, and then opened them again.

"If Lastock were to face a similar outbreak, do you think we could defend it?"

"No, the dry season has reduced the river's water level, and it's likely that the goblins will cross the river and enter the city."

"Start planning the countermeasures immediately!"

Rebitz stepped forward at Camilla's words.

"Camilla, we have a draft that we prepared while staying in Wolzard. Please use this as a basis for your plans."

"You… did well. That's what I expect from Reisenburg's knights."

Camilla smiled and began to review the documents handed to her. However, as she read through them, a deep frown appeared on her forehead.

"Rondal, Rebitz, do you think we can make it in time?"

"To be honest, I don't think we can manage with just us."

"Camilla, I think we should request assistance from the king."

"Yes, I agree. I will approve this plan in full. Start with the personnel, materials, and funds that are available immediately!"

"Yes, my lady!"

Rondal and Rebitz, forgetting their fatigue from traversing the Forest of Demons, rushed out of Camilla's office. Camilla, who remained, gathered the documents she had spread out and began to review the draft that Rondal and the others had created from the beginning. After finishing her review, she took up a pen and began to write on three sheets of paper, comparing numbers. After a final check of the numbers, Camilla wrote three letters. She attached the sheets of paper with the numbers written on them to each letter, placed them in three envelopes, and sealed them with sealing wax. The recipients were her father, Alexis, the first prince, Alphonse, and the second prince, Bernhard. It seems that Camilla intends to repel the wave of the massive outbreak in Lastock, even if it means getting help from the second prince, who is her political rival.

"Barks, send a fast horse to the castle!"

"Yes, my lady!"

Barks, who received the letters, rushed out of the office.

"Basten, can you take a few kobolds and investigate the situation at the castle?"

"Understood, I'll bring about six for communication."

Basten and the others immediately followed Barks. Camilla, after instructing her secretary to deliver the letters, began to carefully examine the contents of the draft. She prioritized the items listed in the draft and made corrections where she thought there were deficiencies. Her demeanor was that of a seasoned commander, far removed from the typical image of a princess.

"What do you think, Reinhardt?"

"To be frank, she is a capable commander. She did not hesitate to seek assistance from her political rivals when she saw the danger to the country."

"Yeah… By the way, I had forgotten that the current king is still alive, being so focused on the rivalry between the first and second princes."

"According to the information Basten gathered, the current king, Alexis Reisenburg, is a fence-sitter and is not highly respected by the people."

"Will Camilla's letter have any effect?"

"Of course, as the current king, it would be inappropriate to seek help from the second prince without reporting to him."

While I was talking with Reinhardt, Camilla continued her work with incredible focus. She assigned the prioritized countermeasures to specific individuals. However, her pen stopped, and her left hand began to tap the desk impatiently.

"Probably, there are not enough personnel."

"What? Really? How can you tell?"

"Hehehe, it's not for nothing that I was a squadron leader. There are also intentions to avoid friction with the second prince's faction, but the personnel at this garrison are far from sufficient."

Camilla's forces at the Lastock garrison numbered about 120, not even enough for a single unit.

"She seems to have requested reinforcements from the first prince, but will they come?"

"What? But Camilla is part of the first prince's faction, right? If it's a matter of a massive outbreak, reinforcements should come immediately, shouldn't they?"

"Will the second prince's faction let it go so smoothly…?"

"But it's a national crisis. If a massive outbreak occurs, the eastern part of Reisenburg, where the second prince's faction is concentrated, will be the first to suffer."

"That's true, but will the second prince trust Camilla's words?"

"But Camilla has also requested support from the second prince. Surely he will trust her?"

"Perhaps not. These are people who are blinded by the throne."

Reinhardt predicts that even if reinforcements from the first prince's faction arrive, the second prince's forces will only enter Lastock after confirming that the countermeasures for the massive outbreak are being implemented. Since Camilla has sent a fast horse to the capital, the news should reach everyone by tomorrow morning. After that, the reinforcements will be considered, and the second prince's faction will likely move after the day after tomorrow.

"No, no, isn't that too late? It's a massive outbreak, a national crisis."

"Kent, you haven't seen the other nobles besides Lord Claus and Camilla, so you might think that, but I consider this to be relatively quick."

"Really? But it's a massive outbreak, a national crisis."

"Capable nobles will respond immediately to the news, but for ordinary nobles, it starts with verifying the facts."

"Really… It takes that much effort?"

"Verifying the facts and discussing the response can take time, and it's not unusual for them to investigate the situation of other factions before taking action."

Pride, face, and power struggles… Nobles cannot act without going through trivial procedures.

"But, if the second prince is sharp, there's a chance that reinforcements will come quickly, right?"

"Based on the information Basten has gathered, the chances are low. If he were sharp, he would be more proactive in taking advantage of the first prince's faction being weakened by the desertification."

"Hmm… So, should we wait a bit before making our negotiation demands?"

"Yes, if we want to drag the second prince's faction into funding assistance, it would be better to wait until they feel the crisis."

"But, if the massive outbreak occurs while we're waiting, and there are significant casualties, it won't be a matter of compensation or a repatriation ceremony anymore."

"Yes, if the countermeasures are not completed in time, we may need to rely on our followers to minimize the damage to Reisenburg."

"Reinhardt, if we want to protect Lastock, we still need to use the river, right?"

"Exactly. The natural moat plays a significant role."

"In Wolzard, the goblin corpses piled up under the city walls, creating a dangerous situation. The situation in Lastock is similar, right?"

"Yes, if the corpses pile up and the river becomes shallower, there's a risk of the goblins crossing it all at once."

"I see… Hmm…"

In Wolzard, we disposed of the goblin corpses by dropping them into the shadow realm, but if we do the same in the river, a large amount of water might flow in. While the capacity might be sufficient, the reduced water flow downstream could have negative effects.

"Maybe we should consider a different method?"

"Yes, in this case, it might be better to remove parts of the obstruction."

"Parts…?"

"If we remove parts, the river will wash the rest away."

"Oh, I see… The river's flow."

"To put it another way, we should target the parts that obstruct the flow."

In Wolzard, we were the only ones who could dispose of the corpses, but in Lastock, if the river flows normally, the monsters won't be able to cross.

"By the way, Kent, our role was to hinder the countermeasures if negotiations with Reisenburg broke down, right?"

"Yeah, but in negotiations, it's used as a bargaining chip. Honestly, I don't want to cause harm to the citizens."

"Of course… I expected you to say that, Kent. However, if we don't show some kind of demonstration, it might be difficult to bring the negotiations to the table."

"That's true… During the rescue operation, we focused on avoiding bloodshed and putting everyone to sleep, so only Gert and Paul experienced the full capabilities of Reinhardt and the others."

"Shall we storm the garrison and cause some chaos?"

"Hmm… Isn't that just because Reinhardt wants to spar?"

"N-No, that's not it. It's a demonstration, of course."

Sometimes, my thoughts leak to Reinhardt and the others, but now I can clearly understand Reinhardt's feelings.

"Hmm… But…"

"Don't worry, I'll hold back."

"Well, if there's a serious injury, I can treat it…"

"Then…"

"If it comes to that."

Reinhardt seems like a large dog eagerly waiting for a walk.

After sending the messenger, Camilla seems to be focusing on planning the countermeasures, so there won't be much activity today. I decided to return to Wolzard.

"Fred, can you keep an eye on Camilla?"

"Leave it to me…"

I returned to Wolzard and reported the situation to Mr. Oda. Mr. Oda was also surprised by the slowness of Reisenburg's response.

"Really, it takes that long?"

"Since Reinhardt, a former squadron leader, said so, I don't think it will be far off, but we'll have to see how it actually turns out."

"I see… I'm currently drafting the letter to Reisenburg. I plan to finalize it with the other teachers in the morning and finish it by the afternoon. I'll decide when to send the letter based on the situation in Lastock tomorrow. Can you do another day of reconnaissance?"

"Yes, I'm also having someone investigate the capital, so I can bring that information as well."

Mr. Oda nodded and, after a moment of thought, began to speak.

"There are parts that depend on the other side's response, but if negotiations are necessary, we'll need to move to Lastock. Is there a good way to do that?"

"Yes, the most reliable way would be to have a small carriage pulled by my followers… Once the date is set, I'll try to borrow a carriage from the guard."

"I'm sorry, to rely on you for everything."

"No, I think now is the time for everyone to do what they can."

A one-horse carriage from the guard's warehouse would be the right size. By the time the meeting with Mr. Oda was over, it was already dark. It was probably around the time Amanda's shop would be winding down, so I decided to go back to the boarding house for dinner. As I left the guard's quarters, I was stopped by a boy from another class.

"Kunifusa, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure, no problem…"

Since we were in different classes, I didn't know the boy's name, but he was a quiet type with glasses. He led me to a path between the dormitories, where several boys were waiting. There were no streetlights, and it was probably quite dark, but with my night vision, I could clearly see their unhappy expressions.

"Um… What's this about?"

"Hey, aren't you getting a bit too full of yourself?"

"Cut it out! We agreed to talk calmly."

One of the boys tried to lunge at me, but the others stopped him. There were seven boys in total, including the one who had called me, and they all seemed to be non-athletic types. The tall, thin boy who seemed to be the leader spoke up.

"I think you probably have an idea, but this is about Asakawa."

"Okay, so…?"

"To be frank, we want you to leave Asakawa alone. We don't want to see her suffer."

The leader's words seemed to be the catalyst, and the other boys started to speak up.

"Because of you, she's been looking miserable for the past two days."

"We're grateful for your help, but it's cruel to force her to make such a decision."

"I understand why you want her to stay. If you can use that much magic, it's understandable, but you should let Asakawa be free."

"It's different from getting married in Japan. She won't be able to see her family again."

"Asakawa might like you, but asking her to choose between her family and you is too much."

"Having two cute kids is one thing, but adding Asakawa is too greedy."

"Abandoning her family and saying you have two other women… Isn't that too much?"

As the class president who supported everyone in Lastock, it's natural to have this kind of reaction, and I think what they're saying is not wrong. In Japan, you can still see your family after getting married, but if she chooses to stay in Wolzard, she won't be able to see them again. If I were asked if I have the right to force her to make that choice, my heart wavers.

"We're outsiders, so we don't