Beast Forest
“We should hand her over to the guards...”
“It's a misunderstanding!”
John Brown couldn't just stand by and watch the relationships among the main and supporting characters from the original story fall apart. On top of that, he had heard from a friend about her identity, so he was certain of who she was.
“Um, Miss Arwin? That...”
“Hmph... Understood.”
“Thank you! You're my savior!”
The event on his way to work, mixed with a slight misunderstanding, resolved smoothly thanks to Brown's intervention. Afterward, upon arriving at the lab, Brown chatted with the mage in the reception room.
“The escort's actions earlier were just to protect me, so please don't think too badly of it.”
“Ehehe... I wasn't entirely in the right either. Well...”
The mage readily admitted her fault. Brown was surprised by her demeanor.
She's actually admitting it.
Mages were generally steeped in elitist notions of their own nobility, displaying arrogant attitudes and never admitting their mistakes—a tiresome bunch by common knowledge in this world. This was especially evident among lower-circle mages.
But she acknowledged it so easily. And not only that—she even showed signs of reflection, despite the humiliating experience for a mage.
Brown was impressed by her character, so different from typical mages.
Oh right.
This wasn't the time to admire her. There was a reason he'd brought her to the lab.
-Clunk.
“Anyway, I wanted to ask what this is.”
Brown set the weapon she'd been carrying on the table as he spoke. It was a bit crude, but compact and portable, with a metal barrel attached to a wooden body. Of course, the impact from the fall had separated the barrel from the body.
“Ah... That's...”
She looked crestfallen at the broken gun.
“It's a self-defense magitech tool I made referencing a firearm...”
He already knew that from earlier.
“How does it work?”
“Um... You simply infuse it with mana... It's a tool that lets you cast spells easily without incantations. Like a gun, it fires a quick bang! to take out nearby enemies simply...”
There were two methods, she explained. One exploded mana like gunpowder inside the barrel to fire a projectile. The other operated purely on mana.
“The second method existed before, but the first is a new type of self-defense weapon. It's easier to use and consumes less mana.”
“I see...”
So magic can be used this way too...
Mages were creating their own weapons based on firearms. Brown briefly pondered whether this would infringe on patents back in his previous life.
“This morning, when we bumped into each other by chance, I tried to mention it. Though her escort stopped me...”
“So... did you make this, Miss Mass?”
“I referenced one another mage was making and tried building my own.”
“Is this magitech tool spreading among mages?”
“Um...”
The mage pondered Brown's question.
“It's split fifty-fifty.”
Some found it intriguing, but others viewed it negatively—whether mages should mimic crude soldier weapons or rely on magitech tools at all.
“Well, I see it positively. For self-defense, it's perfect since you can use it quickly.”
Brown, mulling over her answer, spoke up.
“You said it uses the user's mana... Could ordinary people use it too?”
Basically, everyone in this world had some mana in their bodies. Using it to cast spells via incantations was another matter entirely.
“Probably not. To infuse mana into this magitech tool, you need mana control on the level of a mage's qualifications.”
Brown felt a twinge of disappointment at her words. He'd hoped for a clean firearm without gunpowder. Even if it worked, there'd be issues—gunpowder recipes hadn't spread yet, which was why civilians didn't have them and other nations couldn't copy them.
At any rate, he'd gathered plenty on self-defense magitech tools. He had a few more questions, but both she and he were getting busy, so they wrapped up.
“See you next time!”
Brown watched her back as she left, thinking.
Magitech tools...
Firearms for mages. How could they be made and utilized? Not just fused with guns, but evolved more creatively.
Well, I'm no mage.
Still, sketching ideas seemed fine. Other questions arose too.
If magitech tools spread among mages... Eh, probably no big deal.
Humans who could wipe out armies if they wanted—hardly worth fearing over self-defense tools.
His next question was...
Arwin and Mass's relationship... If Arwin doesn't go north... Hmm...
Of course, pondering it now yielded no solutions. Brown set aside his worries and headed off to send the letter he'd written that morning to the north.
“Secondary supplies from the Empire have arrived.”
“Mm. Got it.”
Shotguns came with ample ammo—far more than before. This would allow more designated shooters and speed up beast subjugation.
“And a letter came with them.”
The Northern Duke opened the letter and pulled out its contents.
“Hmm...”
The cause of increasing beasts: the Beast Forests. Failure to assault them could endanger the north. The longer the delay, the harder the assault. All warnings he knew.
This is familiar...
The front parts weren't new. He'd already sent knights to scout predicted beast spawn areas and noted increases around his territory. But the next was fresh intel.
The Beast Forests were rated by danger level. He cross-referenced them with the map on the table.
Northwest, northeast... and north...
Unlike the other two, the northern Beast Forest was marked especially dangerous.
Hmm...
Who sent this? How did they know? Questions lingered, but verifying the info couldn't hurt.
Beast gatherings bred thick demonic energy. Entering the forests would confirm it. Risky, but essential for assault planning.
The Northern Duke summoned senior knights and issued orders.
“Just gauge the danger and return. No need to push.”
“Understood.”
Entering Beast Forests was dangerous, but their skill would suffice for intel. The knights received orders and departed.
“Hmm... Beast Forests...”
“Scared or something?”
“Nah. Thought it'd be good for a warmup.”
The knights chatted while mounting up.
“Still, better prepare just in case.”
Another knight spoke as they spurred their horses.
“Northwest, northeast, then north last?”
“Yeah.”
Zigzagging: northwest closest, then northeast, north farthest.
First: northwest Beast Forest. Dismounting, they entered. Low-rank beasts greeted them.
-Slash.
“This one's manageable.”
“Territory troops can handle it.”
After dispatching charging beasts, they sensed demonic energy and talked.
“Moving on.”
Next: northeast. More low-rank, mixed with mid-rank. Easy to suppress.
“This might be tough.”
“Still doable with territory troops.”
“Hmm. Need solid prep. On to the next.”
Last: north. Unlike the others, no beasts visible. But the forest was endlessly dark, thick demonic energy clinging stickily. Sensing it quietly, one knight spoke.
“...We're leaving.”
Staying longer felt like being devoured by the energy. They silently agreed and exited. Hearing their report, the Northern Duke pondered, then began writing a reply.
“Derek. How do you load the ammo?”
“Pull the lever, and the barrel tilts.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
The squad's shooters had increased. Three including Derek. He was teaching seniors shotgun use.
“Hey, you hear?”
“Hear what, sir?”
“They're planning a Beast Forest subjugation op.”
“Whoa.”
The rumor spreading among soldiers soon became fact from commanders' mouths.