How a Wizard Survives (35)
How a Wizard Survives (35)
By now, packing for travel had become routine.
After moving into Katrina's quarters, I gathered my combat gear, rations, a change of clothes, toiletries, deodorizing ash and charcoal powder, even snacks.
Once I'd packed the essentials, the things I'd genuinely miss if I went without, I was done.
Next time, I'd pack in advance.
Maybe because we were marching to the Front Lines, lunch was especially extravagant today.
Feeding soldiers well before battle does wonders for them, mentally and physically.
But the special meal was only for a handful of us, myself included.
It seemed we were heading out with a small elite force again.
Holy Knights who didn't know the situation spotted my plate and complained to the cooks.
"What's this? Why does only Jaeger get that?"
"Did he cook it himself?"
"No, he's heading to the Front Lines with His Excellency the commander later, so..."
"...Enjoy your meal, Jaeger."
Their envy turned to sympathy in record time.
The Holy Knights of the Inquisition were veterans even among knights...
And even they, who had survived countless battlefields, reacted like that.
The words "front lines" really were terrifying.
Still, I wasn't fazed.
That kind of worry was for the weak.
Katrina arrived at the mess hall late and made a point of keeping her distance from me.
She was needlessly self-conscious about what happened yesterday.
She was so obvious that the other Inquisitors noticed at once.
"What's this? Something happen between you two?"
"Well, Jaeger did make quite a fuss about getting Lady Katrina to wear a saintess robe once..."
"You say that like you didn't."
"I never charged at His Excellency Reinhardt."
Still, I was glad Katrina wasn't a heretic mage.
If she were, she'd have been caught long ago.
After lunch, there was no time for tea. We readied ourselves to depart immediately.
Angelica and the Einhold mages also arrived in the square on horseback.
Just as Reinhardt finished roll call and prepared to ride through the gate, the king himself came galloping toward us in a panic.
Nearly tumbling off his horse, he blocked Reinhardt's path.
"Lord Reinhardt! If you leave Reshutal, who will defeat the mages?"
"...Your Majesty. Most of the inquisitors remain in the capital."
Reinhardt scowled openly, as if he'd expected this.
He must have deliberately submitted his report at the last possible moment.
But the king's survival instinct exceeded his expectations.
Last time, he wouldn't listen even when told it was dangerous...
Now, he wouldn't listen even when told it was safe.
"What if Ulysses, the Wizard of Change, attacks the royal palace again!"
"Rest assured. Ulysses will not attack the palace. The man even cooperated briefly to repel the demon that appeared in Reshutal."
He left out the part about how, if Ulysses had truly meant business, we'd all be dead.
His situational judgment was chillingly accurate.
Reinhardt had already vaguely grasped my teacher's purpose.
But rather than step aside, the king spread his arms and blocked the way entirely.
His absurdly resolute face made him look like a hero standing against a tank battalion barehanded.
Demons and mages appearing in his own front yard must have truly shaken him.
While Reinhardt seriously considered kicking him out of the way, a scolding flew from the carriage that had followed the king.
"Your Majesty. What are you doing, detaining heroes bound for the battlefield at risk of their lives?"
"Ah, no..."
The woman who stepped out of the carriage was none other than the Princess of Reshutal.
Unlike her father, she gave a firm command in a dignified voice.
"Move aside at once. The citizens are watching. If the Front Lines fall, Reshutal will be next."
The king, unable to protest further, stepped aside.
At this rate, it was hard to tell who the king was.
As Reinhardt's force finally resumed its march, the princess drew something from her bosom.
She approached me without hesitation, reached up, and handed me something.
"Sir Jaeger. It's nothing much, but I hope you'll find it useful."
"...F-for me?"
I accepted her handkerchief with a stupid look on my face.
But I was not a knight.
If I made a scene about that now, she'd bring up my refusal of a title last time and chew me out, wouldn't she?
I decided to keep quiet.
For a moment I thought she might have prepared something for the others, too, but...
The princess simply stepped back a few paces and saw me off with a demure posture.
I barely remembered I should thank her and lowered my head.
The expeditionary force filed out of the gate as if fleeing Reshutal.
An awkward silence settled between me, Katrina, and Angelica.
Then Reinhardt finally told us the purpose of this mission.
"Our mission is simple. We repel the demons currently pressuring the Front Lines on the Reshutal front, then return at once."
"Demons... plural?"
Angelica, who was reasonably knowledgeable about the Front Lines, murmured uneasily.
Even the Front Lines, it seemed, rarely saw demons banding together.
But the word "repel" bothered me.
"How are they attacking that we need to repel them... you don't mean we're on the verge of being overrun, do you?"
Reinhardt hesitated a moment, then started the briefing early.
Normally he'd have told us to wait quietly... this wasn't a good sign.
"If they'd attacked the usual way, they'd be easy to repel... but now the demons are using their heads."
"Heads?"
"Yes. They're building a massive catapult about five kilometers from the wall. It seems one of the heretic souls they've recently collected was a siege-engineer."
A catapult, of all things.
In a way, it's so straightforward it's surprising they only just thought of it.
A regular catapult can't reliably hit anything beyond about five hundred meters...
But a catapult built by demons won't be ordinary.
Its power and accuracy will far surpass anything human-made.
"Once that catapult, capable of hurling a boulder five kilometers, is complete, the wall is finished. We have to stop it, whatever it takes."
"Then... we can't simply fight from the top of the wall."
"That's right."
Everyone's faces darkened at Katrina's observation.
We'd have to cross into demon territory and carry out a perilous sabotage mission.
Five kilometers on horseback was a short ride, but the demons wouldn't just stand and watch.
We rode without rest and reached the Front Lines.
It was so near Reshutal that the trip took far less time than before.
Visiting the Front Lines for the first time in my life, I was surprised to find it actually felt lived in.
I couldn't see the wall yet, just a large settlement...
But it had far more vitality than I'd expected.
The village was well-stocked with taverns, shops, and other facilities for soldiers.
And for a place that conscripts the poor and prisoners, the atmosphere wasn't bad.
Reinhardt smirked when he saw my open mouth.
"Surprised?"
"Yes. I expected the Front Lines to feel more desperate... do prisoners turn over a new leaf here or something?"
"No. Ex-convicts get the worst treatment among conscripts. They're used as disposable tools for rough and dangerous labor."
Ah. So the despair I expected was waiting farther ahead.
Reinhardt, who clearly had ample frontline experience, continued calmly.
"A rest village like this only came to be after a great deal of trial and error."
"Trial and error?"
"When soldiers were pushed too hard, they'd make contracts with demons and betray us. The Plague Mage Morel we caught last time was one such case. After him, the Front Lines became fairer in both rewards and punishment than they appear."
Soldiers' treatment improving because of demon contracts. There couldn't be a greater irony.
Couldn't be more ironic.
After passing through the village, we finally faced the great, high wall.
People from the Wizardvein and Einhold families came out to greet us.
"Lord Reinhardt! You've come!"
"Welcome, Angelica."
I focused on the wall rather than the barracks.
A powerful energy radiated from the tall, thick rampart.
It felt like it could reject magic, though it wasn't made of Adamantite.
Angelica noticed my expression and smiled.
"So, what do you think of the pride of the Front Lines, the Ancient Holy Relic Barrier?"
"Well... ancient Holy Relic or not, it's just a magic barrier—urk!"
"You'd better keep quiet unless you want a knife in your back tonight."
Before I could even finish, death glares came from all directions.
They really did use everything they could at the Front Lines.
As I headed inside with Reinhardt, I soon spotted a familiar face.
"That's..."
"Uncle Luft!"
One of the Eight Swords of Einhold I'd seen in Reshutal last time.
A man I suspected was connected to my father.
I knew he'd be at the Front Lines, but I didn't expect him stationed right here.
This was a good start.
But Luft Einhold, with a blank expression, barely seemed to register Angelica's greeting.
The Einhold family members at the Front Lines smiled wryly and comforted her.
"Don't mind him. He's been like that ever since he got back from Reshutal."
"Did something happen in Reshutal?"
"Happen? He seemed to have been looking for someone and then gave up..."
"Looking for someone? That's unlike him."
The inner fortress on the Front Lines was a fairly archaic building.
We moved straight to the operations room and received a more detailed briefing.
Luft Einhold, who had been standing blankly in the corridor, also dragged himself in and sat down.
I noticed quite a few who were clearly stronger than the rest.
Three of the Eight Swords of Einhold are mobilized...
On the Wizardvein side, there were multiple mages at least on Katrina's level.
Their presence didn't reassure me; it made me worried.
The Front Lines didn't seem to have manpower to spare, yet so many had gathered here. This had to be serious.
"Whoa, why are so many gathered?"
"They said a big shot appeared. Could it be a Demon King-Class?"
"No way. If a Demon King-Class had shown up, those bastards would've already bolted."
The Destruction Demon Bael, the Death Demon Gamigin, the Transformation Demon Sitri.
Among demons, there are those considered the highest-rank.
These are what they commonly call Demon King-Class!
The moment they appear, the Front Lines are endangered.
But the Demon Kings can't move easily because they keep each other in check.
This time, fortunately, our opponent wasn't at that level...
But they were still a formidable demon, no doubt.
"The Plague Demon Morelai. In addition, multiple other demons have been confirmed at the location."
"Morelai..."
"Looks like only those with Adamantite armor get to go."
"There are plenty of others too. Anyway, the plan is simple."
A man who looked just as pragmatic as Reinhardt spread out a map and spoke.
A large red circle marked the demon catapult's position.
"We split into as many small teams as possible and destroy the catapult. If even one team succeeds, the mission is a success."
"We're splitting our already insufficient forces?"
"Because the demons are far fewer than we are. Three or four at most, probably."
"Few? That's the most we've ever had."
The soldiers grumbled honestly but still prepared to march.
Three demons on par with the Binding Demon Chainfist...
Even with Holy Relics, this would be tough.
Most of those present wore faces that said they had accepted death.
Still, we were the attackers and they were the defenders.
If even one of our attacks got through, it was a success.
With the enemy's numbers so small, the plan's success rate would be high.
"Anyway, when you fight demons, someone always dies. This is the best way."
"Agreed."
Reinhardt nodded and stared at the map.
Before team assignments, the frontline commander gave a final word.
"To protect yourselves and humanity, use any and all means at your disposal. Now, let's begin assigning the teams."
This time, it might genuinely be dangerous.
I took a step toward Katrina and gritted my teeth.