Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: This is a Trap!
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"First, let me explain what we've detected with the detection magic."
A mage from the Gold Eagle Knight Order projected magic onto the parchment spread across the table. Red dots glowed sharply in the light.
"These are the numbers of magical beasts caught in the detection magic."
"As expected, there are quite a few."
But perhaps because it was anticipated, the princess remained composed. If it had only been a handful, there wouldn't have been any need to call in the Knight Order.
"As you can see from the red dots, the magical beasts aren't traveling in packs."
The red dots representing the magical beasts were scattered throughout the forest. There were many, but compared to the size of the Knight Order, they didn't seem particularly dangerous.
So why had the Empire suffered such heavy losses while hunting these beasts?
"Can you identify what kind of magical beasts they are?"
"We can't tell exactly what species they are. But we can make out their general form."
At Ariana's request, the mage chanted a spell into the air. Slowly, the shape emerged. It was impossible to depict the exact appearance from long-range measurements, but the general outline of the magical beast took form.
"...A snake."
Though the distinct features weren't clear, its elongated body was unmistakably like a snake. Ariana frowned slightly at the sight. She'd assumed magical beasts would resemble typical beast-type monsters, but this looked creepy.
"But what's that big dot in the center?"
Princess Asabel had been eyeing the large red dot in the middle of the forest map. The spot she pointed to was considerably bigger than the others.
"Your Highness, we believe it's the king of the magical beasts."
"The king of the magical beasts? So that's why it's so large."
"Yes. We suspected it might be a different species and checked with magic, but its form is nearly identical to the smaller dots."
"So it's the same elongated shape?"
"That's correct."
With her curiosity satisfied, Asabel turned to Ariana. Now that they had a rough idea of the magical beasts, it was time for Ariana to devise the strategy. Asabel wasn't particularly skilled at directing troops in actual combat.
It was shameless to reap the benefits of others' efforts for free, but the elite imperial knights she'd brought along would be helpful. And it was better than her stepping in clumsily and demanding some absurd plan.
"Ariana, what do you think we should do?"
"Your Highness, since we know so little about these magical beasts, I think it's best to avoid picking them off individually for now."
"You mean we should stick together? Why?"
"This won't be a battle where we wipe them out quickly. We need to gauge how strong they are and what traits they have, so caution seems wise."
Ariana's judgment was truly prudent. The Gold Eagle Knight Order was powerful, but with no knowledge of the enemy, erring on the side of caution couldn't hurt.
"I agree with the Commander's assessment. But dragging this out too long isn't ideal."
"Your Highness is right. That's why we should consider a strategy to take out the king first."
"Kill the snakes' king first?"
"Yes."
Ariana decided they should target the king first. In any battlefield, troops' morale and combat effectiveness dropped when their commander fell. It was no different for beasts.
"We have to kill all the magical beasts, but there's no need to hunt the small ones one by one. We'll have to deal with the king eventually anyway. The faster we eliminate it, the easier the rest of the fight will be."
"As expected of the Gold Eagle Knight Order's Commander. I agree."
Asabel responded with satisfaction to Ariana's proposal. It was an efficient, swift plan that didn't overextend them.
With that, the knights began their discussion. They debated when to enter the forest and what tactics to employ, ideas flying back and forth.
"Come to think of it..."
As the meeting heated up, Asabel finally turned her gaze to me.
"Daron. I'd like to hear your opinion too."
My mouth had been itching to speak, and now the opportunity had arrived. It was only natural not to chime in first in front of knights and the princess. The class divide was that vast. But now that she'd granted me permission, my voice was free.
"Do you know anything about the magical beasts?"
"Yes."
They should have asked from the start. It was quite late to finally turn to me. Clearly, they'd been thinking something complacent like, "How dangerous could a magical beast really be?"
"It's a magical beast called the Black Anaconda."
It was probably a name they'd never heard before. They lived only in demon territory and hadn't been spotted elsewhere until after the war, when the demons began using them in battle.
"Black Anacondas, unlike other snakes, travel in massive swarms. You might ask why that's unusual—it's because they're magical beasts."
Being magical beasts set them apart from normal animals. These knights, including the princess, didn't yet grasp the true danger of magical beasts. They'd learn once war broke out.
"Black Anacondas can be divided into two main types: those with venom and those without."
"Even within the same species?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Among a Black Anaconda swarm, there are leader-class snakes. About one in every few dozen has venom."
"So there are several of them. Is the venom dangerous? Can we detect it?"
The implication of venom was that even a minor wound could turn fatal. Asabel voiced her concern.
"Getting bitten and having the venom enter your body is extremely dangerous, of course. But the venom tends to clump rather than spread quickly, so if you extract it promptly, there's no great risk."
Of course, it would be hard for ordinary people to extract it themselves. But with a mage present, removing it with magic was simple. The mages here could handle it easily.
"And distinguishing them is straightforward. The ones with red heads are the venomous ones."
"Heads?"
"Ahem. I mean the heads."
I'd slipped into the slang I'd used chatting with soldiers in the previous loop. In front of the princess, I was trying to use more refined language, but it was trickier than expected.
"If the traits you describe hold true in battle, it'll prove your sincerity."
"Thank you."
Even as a mere soldier, proving myself in actual combat would earn me solid recognition. Black Anacondas were spot on. The mage's projection had shown a horn on the head—that was unique to them.
"Since you know so much, let me ask a few more questions."
"Of course, Your Highness. Please go ahead."
"You've seen our discussion. Any points to improve?"
I'd been waiting for that.
Plenty. Tons!
But I held back, fearing accusations of insolence. I'd planned to whisper it to Ariana later to adjust the tactics, but if the princess said it was fine, no issue now.
"If I may speak boldly."
"Go ahead."
"Black Anacondas have no king."
"What? Then what's that big one if not the king?"
As the princess said, among living creatures, the largest was naturally the king.
"Look at this dot. Including the big one, we're estimating 100 to 200. But in reality, there are far more."
"More?"
"Each individual snake isn't that strong. But there's one terrifying thing about Black Anacondas: their sheer numbers."
So. Damn. Many.
They were huge, but the quantity was insane. The memory of them swarming soldiers like ants was still vivid.
"These small dots around the large one—those 100 to 200 snakes... are just the ones that have strayed from the main group."
"Not the whole group, but stragglers?"
"Well, wouldn't they get stiff if they were always crammed together?"
"...So that big snake we saw earlier... is actually a mass of Black Anacondas clumped together?"
At the princess's words, every knight paled. If the snakes had merged to form that shape, the numbers would be staggering. I didn't confirm it outright. They'd realize the truth soon enough even if I stayed silent.
Then Ariana, sensing something off, followed up.
"Daron. I see you know Black Anacondas well. But why would the magical beasts form that snake shape?"
"An excellent observation, Commander. Naturally, there's no reason they would."
That didn't mean my judgment was wrong. It didn't mean there was some king I didn't know about.
So what was it?
"Someone made them that way, that's why they appear like that."
"Someone made them?"
Succubus Princess Ellis had said there was a mastermind behind this.
"Demons."
"What?"
The most shocked was none other than Princess Asabel.
Demons.
They were natural predators to us humans and other non-humans alike.
"Why else would magical beasts be here? From the sky? Tunnels? No. For them to appear in this place, far from any magical beast territory... means someone intervened. It could be someone other than demons, of course. But demons are the most likely culprits."
"So the magical beasts appearing wasn't some random accident... but a force targeting our Empire."
As the frontrunner for the throne, she couldn't help but react sensitively to a potential threat to her nation.
"Daron. I get what you're saying. That this is a demon trap?"
"As expected of the Commander. Exactly. They figured our Empire knows little about magical beasts and deliberately clumped the snakes into a big snake shape."
True to form, Ariana instantly grasped it was a trap upon hearing demons might be involved.
"Then we'll need to scrap the plan and start over."
Half of the earlier discussion was now invalid. Based on my input, the knights launched into a fresh debate.