episode_0031

****

At dawn, we had a quick meal and left diligently.

You’re pretty good at it.

Aside from nodding in agreement when asked if they were okay during their first break, they moved quietly together until they left the city and set up camp.

Occasionally, I felt the gaze of the elements, but it was as if they were just curious or wondering if I was following them.

When I spoke to Ollie yesterday, he seemed to be watching me closely as if we were in sync.

Of course, I’m uploading it because it’s popular.

Anyway, the impression they gave was that they were considerate but not dismissive.

Rather, it is supplied with this number of people.

Suddenly, I burst into laughter at the sight of just ten people carrying backpacks and supplying supplies to a battlefield with at least ten thousand troops, but when I thought that the contents were hard to obtain, I thought that they were really well-organized.

In reality, it probably means that it is that urgent.

If you look at it from the other person’s perspective, it wasn’t something to be laughed at since they had launched a guerrilla force called the Hero Party to catch the Demon King.

What’s important is the existence of enemies who are plotting.

···Should I tell you?

In the Demon King’s Castle, I was able to protect a party member who had fainted due to his sensing ability, but that was only possible by revealing his fighting spirit.

A full-blown enemy can be detected from a distance, but if they are very stealthy, it is difficult to detect them even when they are right next to you.

Thinking about this, I felt that there were quite a few enemy soldiers waiting on the rugged mountain we were heading towards.

“Stop.”

There was no need to tell Aor, who was in the lead, that he stopped.

“Cherpin. Kiwight. Scout the front. ”

Within, the spirits are summoned and sent forth, and everyone prepares to be ready for whatever may come.

“It seems like things other than Chujara’s are waiting with intention.”

“Probably the Demon King’s Army.”

A report of the elements that the spirits have visited and finished their conversation with. It certainly has many uses, but active commands are difficult, making accurate reconnaissance difficult.

“I think so too. It must have been a scheme by the author Kuhora who sent the Chujara group.”

Even though they had finally reached the foot of the mountain, it seemed difficult to charge straight ahead. They had previously clashed with the Chujara group twice, and had proven that they could defeat a group of hundreds of Chujara without taking damage.

It seems like you don’t need my help yet. That is, if the Demon King’s army isn’t involved.

“I’m more curious about how it ended up in the Canio Mountains.”

“You must have been preparing for this for a long time.”

“Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense that so many people are holding out there.”

“I never imagined that the Demon King’s Army would prepare this much. This is all my fault. When I return, I’ll have to expand my patrol area.”

“Are you talking about outside the boundary?”

“The Kanio Mountains are also a shortcut to the human nations that are allies. They probably have such facilities because they didn’t inspect them because they thought it was too difficult to travel.”

The terrain is so rough that even the elements can make you whine. The enemies have also prepared traps in advance.

Still, I decided not to help.

I decided not to interfere if possible, unless I was seriously injured. In fact, I was in a hurry because of the Chujara group, but I had plenty of time to supply myself.

The reason the route was made through rough terrain and mountains was to avoid unnecessary encounters with enemies.

I was curious to see if that would be the case this time too, so I watched the judgment.

“Whew-. For now, supply is the priority, so I’ll put off any belated reflection. It’ll be a little late, but let’s go back. I anticipated the variables from the moment the Demon King’s army started their trick.”

Aor chose the safe method as expected. There was no need to clash, and all he had to do was deliver the supplies.

That was Aor’s goal.

Yesterday and today, Chujara clashed with the crowd, but considering the circumstances, I think it was the best course of action.

Even without that, the surroundings were already emitting an ominous aura as if they were trying to capture us, and Aor, who felt he could not completely escape, had already made two forced breakthroughs.

“Unfortunately, we have to give up on going to the Canio Mountains.”

I came here to avoid encountering enemies, so it’s a rather prudent decision to turn back now. Honestly, if I step forward, it would be easy to resolve, but they treat me as an out-of-combat weapon.

“Are you okay, Aor-nim?”

“···Our mission is to spread the word.”

The enemy did not hide the presence of the hostage, who was presumed to be an element, as if they had anticipated our detour. So they relayed this situation to the Leaf City.

When planning a follow-up, please take these things into consideration.

“Let’s go.”

It was a pity for the elements captured by the enemy, but Aor continued his supply mission as is.

**

“I came in a hurry.”

Kuhora, who had been openly acting as a hostage, clicked his tongue at the report from the reconnaissance horse.

A whole regiment’s worth of troops arrived in one day.

The advance party, which had gathered supplies, left some of them in the middle, and the rear ranks would take them little by little, increasing their movement speed. This was possible because they had spent a long time near the barrier, had a grasp of the surrounding terrain, and had made temporary fortifications in each area.

“This is so pointless.”

But what’s the use of all that? They don’t come.

“The elements are crazy about saving their own kind, I hope my incredible subordinates watch and learn.”

Openly glancing at the traitors sent to the front row.

In fact, they didn’t seem to have any plans to come rescue him, who was disguised as a hostage.

Or maybe they don’t come because they noticed the stomach.

I should have realized this from the time I forced training during the war. The enemy commanders are more feat-crazy than you might think.

“Well, it would be impossible to attempt a rescue with that number of troops.”

At best, it was a squad-level force. It was quite dangerous to infiltrate this place where regiment-level troops were stationed.

“But there’s no need to rush since you know your destination.”

Actually, I pretended to be a hostage just in case.

It was a story that even the Demon King’s army knew that the condition for the Element Tribe’s participation in the war was cooperation in freeing their enslaved compatriots or abolishing related systems.

From the perspective of the Demon King’s army, it seemed like there was no difference between humans who used the same slave system and the Demons.

“Has our presence strengthened the bonds of the Continental Army? It’s annoying.”

There was an element of trying to break through the siege while ignoring the hostage under the premise that they had been deceived, but I was concerned about the human male caught in between.

“The messenger wouldn’t have come through here alone, and he doesn’t look like a messenger. It would be hard to just sit by and watch, not knowing the strength of that human male. Or did he stay in the city from the beginning and get buried among the supply personnel? I haven’t heard any reports of anyone passing through this area.”

There wasn’t enough information to infer from the outfit. Chujara had previously induced two clashes with the group, but the elite were indeed elite, and they overcame them without much difficulty with a series of moves.

Without the participation of curious human males.

“The most likely identity is a wandering wizard.”

Although he was dressed in a simple outfit that was more like a scout than a warrior or knight, there was no significant gain even after watching him closely for a day. Even if he was thought to be a state guest from the human side, the elements did not treat him with respect, so he seemed like a simple companion.

“A young human male. He has the least luggage of any of the men involved in the supply mission, and the weapon he uses is more of a staff than a cane. ”

Fragmentary information given out to infer identity.

“Looking at this alone, it seems like it would be okay to ignore it, but variables are a fatal enemy of the operation. This is a reserve for that.”

While cutting off supplies in a war is crucial, Kuhora adjusts fluidly, considering capture beyond the barrier.

“Messenger! Report to each battalion.”

He instructed that the details of the encirclement be conveyed to the enemy simultaneously, taking into account the speed of the friendly forces’ advance.

“The Dark Harvester has returned to his country, so it’s only a matter of time before the warrior party is slaughtered.”

As soon as the messenger set off, he seemed relieved and focused on assessing the situation.

The advantage and disadvantage of a small elite force were in numbers. In particular, since the Dark Harvester, who was excellent at reconnaissance and exploration, was missing from the warrior party, news of the remaining warrior party in Maluk being tracked down and captured would naturally come if we waited.

The warrior party that was harassing the Demon King’s army has been eliminated!! Is a full-scale invasion of the continent finally taking place?

When that time comes, Lord Critique will personally acknowledge our efforts to catch the Dark Harvester’s ankle, but the current operation is also important and we have to finish it well.

“They’re both in a tough spot, but since they’ve already taken over this strategic location, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

The term strategic point was limited to the passage between the land of the elements and the human city.

Because the terrain is so rugged, even the elements are reluctant to venture there.

There was a problem where if you didn’t pass here, you had to either go all the way up or go through the lower road, which was Chujara’s territory.

“Commander! We’re in big trouble!”

As I was about to feel satisfied with the situation where I had managed to take the stronghold despite the difficulties, one of the surviving battalion commanders came into the tent.

“What is it again?”

A voice that is slightly trembling and shivering, unlike the words.

Could it be that the priestess has invaded again? No, if she had, she would have received a call from Sasam. Yeah, that can’t be right. Even if you’re a Dark Harvester, you can’t move that distance in one breath. That’s how it should be.

Even though it was annoying, I was afraid that the familiar phenomenon would cause trauma to burst out.

“There is a shortage of junior commanders, so the soldiers do not understand the operation.”

“What? What is that···.”

It was fortunate that it wasn’t a surprise attack like last time, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurd content.

When we were dispatched, we filled our unit with guys who looked relatively smart, but their level has fallen to the point where they can’t even carry out this kind of operation.

Although Kuhora had sensed that the organization’s backbone had been torn apart because of the priestess, he realized later that such a great loss had occurred in such a short period of time.

“Damn it. How many times have you been hit in that short amount of time?!”

Remembering again the reduced number of commanders.

I already thought the staff was incompetent, but it was disappointing that they weren’t there when I needed them.

“This is more of a waste than I thought. Haa, even if it’s just to vent my anger, should I ask Mr. Sam to send it to me right now?”

Now that the war has intensified.

Both the Demon King’s Army and the Continental Alliance were suffering from a lack of talent. In particular, the news of the death of Tian Ge, the Four Heavenly Kings in charge of military power, made it difficult to fight in the enemy’s camp.

“Me too, that’s nonsense. There’s a limit to how much time we can buy with a bunch of Chujaras. We’re in a situation where we have to chase after the elements that have already gotten ahead of us.”

Take care of yourself and come up with a plan for the things you face.

Since the enemy commander has come with the original purpose of supplying supplies, the Leaf City is on the back burner. The plan is to lure in all the Chujara groups that can communicate and capture them, but it seems like there is no way to capture them at this rate.

“Timing is important in a siege operation. If one unit is fighting the enemy while another unit has not yet reached its destination, it is meaningless if your hands and feet do not work together.”

I emphasize this again, but the basic policy is to cut off the supply and capture the supply and the relevant personnel.

“There’s nothing I can do, Captain.”

“Yep!”

“Gather the commanders and make them understand how to properly carry out the operation! In the meantime, I will personally slow down the enemies.”

“Yes! Okay! ”

If things went on like this, the target would escape before they could even be surrounded. Even though they had prepared for when they would appear and had prepared countermeasures, the movement speed of the elements was faster than they had expected. So, Kuhora had the intention of digging a hole that was clearly a trap, but that they would inevitably fall into.

“The priestess shouldn’t have told me that information yet···.”

The existence of a pitiful element used in the Demon King’s experiments.

***

“It’s bait.”

“Bait.”

“It’s bait.”

It had been less than half a day since they had turned onto the upper path of the Kaiou Mountains. The three in the lead had noticed the enemy coming down and stopped to say something.

“It seems like you don’t want to send us off nicely.”

Considering the speed, it seemed like it could be shaken off, but it approached noisily, holding a hostage.

Bait. Did they also bring out the element of being taken hostage?

My detection range was slightly better than the elements, but I couldn’t detect the details, so I could only infer what was going on from conversation.

“What would you like to do, Aor-nim?”

One of the elements that dealt with the spirits asked Aor with a serious expression. Although they had previously suggested ignoring the hostage, it was difficult to pass by without rescuing the hostage if it was presented in such a way that it could be saved.

Although supply issues were a problem, the morale of our troops was also important.

“Depending on the situation. If you can save it, you should save it. Even if it’s a trap.”

After all, friction is unavoidable.

I was honestly surprised when they prioritized distribution over their own kind, but they were also elements in the end.

When it comes to matters related to my own kind, I feel satisfied only when I save them, even if I know I will be harmed.

“Can I go and scout?”

“Please do so. Find out their location, their behavior, and how many there are.”

“Yes.”

Preparations for the changed operation proceeded smoothly after the permission of the field commander was given. They tried to pass it by quietly because supplies were the priority, but it seems that other elements also had difficulty ignoring their own people who had been taken hostage.

Well then, I-.

“There’s a nice place just a little further, so let’s all go there.”

I just watched the busy elements from afar.

I felt like the enemies were using their servants just like the elements were using spirits, so I wanted to let them know, but my current role is not that of a firefighter or problem solver.

We decided not to intervene unless there was an immediate risk of death, so we sat quietly.

“Aorim. About 50 Demon Kings are approaching from four kilometers ahead, led by their own kind. ”

“Oh my, what a coward! How many of your kind are there?”

“It’s called one.”

“One···. I wish that was all, but it can’t hurt to be prepared just in case. If we show up and seize the opportunity, we might grab your new compatriots and threaten them, so please scout out the area more thoroughly.”

“Okay.”

Looking at his ability to give orders without any problems, I wondered if there was another reason why he was unable to protect the surrounding villages in the beginning.

“We are being chased right now. In addition to the Chujara group, the Demon King’s army is also trying to catch us. I feel sorry for my people who have been taken hostage, but if I can’t rescue them…”

Since everyone was stopping, I stood too, wondering if this was a good place, and Aor came over, having put down his luggage.

“Hero of the Otherworld. If we were to do that, would we be able to shamelessly ask you to rescue our fellow tribesman?”

I don’t know much about it because of my status as a warrior, but it is a request from a proud element.

Even the high class elements did it politely.