28 Another Day, Another Step

Two week after the initial expedition into the [World Devourer Woods], our attempts to push back to forest have been progressing smoothly, albeit gradual. So far, two more of the forest's power's sources, the [Demonic Flowers], have been destroyed. However, with each trek into the forest, the fatigue of both the troops and ourselves, the Champions, piled on, as penetrating the defenses has proven to be a arduous process. Having to fight through hordes of beast-like [Demons] on not only the ground, but also atop the trees and in the air, has made it draining to make even a bit of progress. While it has been fortunate that the casualties remained low, as our fatigue stacks on, both the commander of the garrison and myself have predicted that we will be taking more losses as we continue down this path. Luckily, Toto has been looking into new strategic possibilities since early on, and soon, we expect to see the fruit of her experimentations.

"Morning Aurelius. Slept well?"

Upon leaving my tent, Six was there to greet me, apparently ready to head over to patrol with the rest of the troops from the looks of it.

"Feels like I've been rammed by a truck, my body aches like it too. Yesterday was too rough."

It was only yesterday did we return from destroying our third [Demonic Flower]. The [Demons] came at us like a swarm of ants, rushing us in hordes and were apparently using their bulk to form walls of flesh to keep us from proceeding further. Even when we did arrive before the giant flower, there were far more fairies in place than usual, and they were far stronger that the ones encountered before. It's as if the ones we've encountered up till that point had been only there as caretakers of the flower, while the ones we encountered yesterday were the ones trained for combat. I have no doubt in my mind that the forest will be pulling all the stops to protect its [Demonic Flowers]. If we don't step up our game soon, we'll undoubtedly be stuck in a stalemate once more, and with [Demon] threats from the other lands, we simply can't afford to have our time wasted trying to maintain just one of our frontlines. Right from the beginning, this has been a triple fronted war. It's like playing a strategy game on max difficulty, except that this is hardly any fun, and if we get a game over we're going to die.

"Aurelius?"

Oops, I lost myself in thoughts again, and I reckon that I look pretty grim while thinking my depressing thoughts.

"Anyways, how's the new sword serving you?"

For now, I'll change the topic. Of all of us, Six is likely the most fragile. I can't let him think that things are going badly.

"The black sword? It's fantastic! In fact, it's so good it's almost scary, cutting through enemies is like cutting through water now. Though, if I have to complain, I'd say that it actually feels too good to swing and doesn't strike a good balance with my other sword. It feels rather awkward when swinging one sword after the other."

The black sword here is the same as the one I got from the [Demon] Champion fought atop the mountains. While it has been given to me, I never actually got to use it very often since I mostly stay in the rear of the formation. Eventually, I ended up deciding that Six would probably make better use of it than I ever could. In exchange, he gave me one of his, which is a short curved blade.

Speaking of the weapons taken off the [Demon] Champion, apparently, the royal blacksmith back in the capital had just finished reforging the Champion's greatsword not too long ago and the princess sent a message back, telling him to send it our way. If all is right, then it should be arriving sometime today. Even while I say that this isn't a game, a part of me is somewhat excited at the prospect of getting my hands on some spanking new gears, especially one gotten off a strong enemy. I can't wait to see what kind of work the royal smith had done with it.

After cutting short the conversation between Six and myself so that he may join patrol, I head off towards an open field nearby that has been set aside for Toto and her experiments.

***

"Good morning, Sir Aurelius."

Entering the texting field, the soldiers and craftsmen who saw my approach greeted me with friendliness.

"Good morning. Where's Toto?"

Upon asking, they direct my sight upwards.

Upon the experiment field, constructed for the sake of Toto's experiments on the strategic delivery of troops into the forest, a large platform over ten meters in height stands tall. This platform is of the most curious shape as it is not completely flat, with the only flat plane on the platform at the highest point which is then followed by a sharp curve downwards before ending on a slight curve upwards. Rather than a platform, it'd probably be more accurate to call it a ramp I suppose. On top of this ramp, I see Toto, mounted on what appears to be the same apparatus she had tested before.

"Isn't that the one that couldn't get very far?"

"Worry not, Sir Aurelius, modifications has already been made. Observe."

Listening to how proud the craftsman sounds, I look towards Toto with curiosity and anticipation. I wonder what exactly they changed. It didn't look at all the different from before and even the materials look similar.

On the ramp with Toto is an assistant, and with a nod, Toto signals him, prompting him to give her a push, sending her apparatus down the curve with her atop of it. As the apparatus tumbles downward and picking up speed, the clacking of the wooden wheels installed upon it bouncing up and down resounds across the testing field, causing me to feel myself frowning at the implications of those sounds.

"It sounds like it's falling apart!"

"Don't worry, Sir Aurelius. Lady Toto knows what she's doing."

I certainly hope so. I mean, sure, even if she crashes, she can easily be healed with the healing magic of this world, but if she happens to break her neck or hit her head on the fall, I can't help but feel that healing magic might not be enough.

Reaching maximum speed as it hits the end of the ramp, the apparatus flies off the upwards curve and into the air. At this very moment, Toto, without a single sign of panic, pulls what appear to be bolts from the lower sections of the apparatus, causing the wooden wheels to detach and fall towards the ground.

I see now! So that's why the wheels seemed so loose. It's supposed to come off, thus reducing the weight of the apparatus.

Without the weight of the wheels, the apparatus hovers across the air with its pair of wide spread wings made with leather and wooden frames. Once all appears stable, Toto begins to turn the pedals installed with her legs, turning the propeller at the front of the apparatus connected to the pedals via gears and chains. I've been calling it an apparatus, but really, what Toto has been building the whole time were aircrafts, more precisely, human-powered aircrafts. Apparently, she was quite a hobbyist for such things back in our world and has been attempting to recreate a functioning craft with the technology and technique available in this world.

Toto's aircraft flew over five hundred meters before crash landing, a new record by far. As she was wearing protective gear and the landing was rather smooth, she had been mostly unharmed, though the attention of a healer was still needed just in case.

"So, what do you think?"

In the healers' tent set up in the testing field, even while being treated, Toto and I start discussing her aircraft.

"The landing doesn't look too safe."

"Nothing a little [Greater Protection Boost] can't fix."

"Can it be steered?"

"Slightly, just enough to get it to go where you want it to go, provided that you have the ramp pointed at the right direction."

"And the ramp? Do we have to build a new one every time we push the frontline forward?"

"I'm sure we can just slap some wheels on it, probably..."

Probably, she says. That does not inspire confidence, but for her to make such stride in two weeks is more than I could ever asked for. I had thought that I'd be a little longer before we see any results, but with the help of the craftsmen from the capital and Toto's directions, something that may just be workable is now within grasp.

"Will it work?"

I ask, finally, the most important question.

"We won't know till we actually try it. As to whether to do it or not, I'll leave it up to Cecilia, you, and the garrison commander."

While I don't know about the other two decision makers here, personally, I want to try it. If it works, then it will change everything. War will never be the same in this world ever again, and most importantly of all, it'll make our jobs here that much easier. But, before I go bring this up to Cecilia and the garrison commander, there's one thing I have to do first.

"I'd like to have to ride on it myself first."

"You're going to have to I suppose. Come, I'll show you how to work it."

Standing up once the healers are done with her, Toto leads me out of the tent and back to the testing field, where a second aircraft is ready and waiting atop the ramp. Since these things are bound to crash, two or three of the same were made for each testing session.

After climbing up to the ramp, Toto proceeds to sit me down on the small seat on her aircraft while giving me instructions on how to operate the thing.

"Once you take off, you want to pull the bolts here and here to dislodge the wheels, and you pull the pulleys here and here to steer. Also, don't forget to pedal."

So far, it's not too complicated, simple enough for anyone to immediately pick up. For its user friendliness, I'd give it passing marks. However, there's a problem, a problem not inherent to this apparatus. Said problem, is my very own fear of heights.

"Ready. Set."

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on, Toto, I'm not-"

"Go!"

And then her assistant just goes on ahead and pushes me down the ramp.

Feeling the momentum of accelerating down the steep ramp, the force pushing against my innards, and the rumbling of the loosely attached wheels, I can feel my instincts screaming at me that my life is in danger.

I couldn't quite remember what happened afterwards. All I recall was a great deal of screaming and my sights blurring, either due to the speed at which I was going or my tears obscuring my vision. However, as far as Toto considers it, the test was more or less a success, since even in my panicked state, I managed to have the thing fly well over five hundred meters. Well, I'm sure it's because I was pedaling like my life depended on it.

At any rate, I spend my time recovering in the healer's tent for the rest of the morning, dreading the fact that I'm most likely going to have to fly again sometime soon. Ah, how long will this war last I wonder, and how many more times will I have to ride that death machine?

***

Around noon, Cecilia had finally woken up. As always, she's hardly a morning person, but at least nowadays she no longer sleeps till late into the afternoon. Slowly but surely, she's adjusting.

"Cecilia, good timing."

I call out to her as soon as I catch her leaving her tent.

"Hm... Aurelius... Mornin'."

"It's already noon."

"Still feels like morning..."

"Do you even know what morning feels like?"

While yawning, Cecilia starts to stretch under the warmth of the sun at its zenith, gradually becoming fully awake.

"So, is there something the matter?"

"We just got a little package from the capital. I'd like you to come take a look with me."

With a quirked eyebrow, she looks at me with curiosity since I usually never bother to go out of my way to tell her about fresh supplies and new equipments sent to this camp. Such matters are usually discussed between the garrison commander and me. If it's important, we'll let her, along with everyone, know during the meeting. For me to go out of my way to get her, even the not yet fully awakened Cecilia is sensing that something is up.

"Sounds like you've got something for me."

"Something you'll like I think."

I lead the way towards one of the supply tents, this one in particular serves as an armory for the garrison. Sitting in the corner of the tent is a stack of boxes, one of which appears to have been opened recently.

"There, take a look."

With a gesture, I direct Cecilia towards the opened box, of which she is quick to peer into.

"Is this for me?"

"You're the best one here to wield it, both the princess and the garrison commander agree."

Within the box, there lies a set of black sword and shield, made from the greatsword of the [Demon] Champion fought atop the mountains to the east. Originally, the greatsword was far too heavy to be wieldy for all but those explicitly focused on building up their strength, with this in mind, the royal blacksmith back in the capital had split the large blade in half and used one part for a new sword and the other for a shield.

"What do you think?"

"It's a little heavy."

Testing her new armaments, Cecilia swings and thrusts the sword a couple of times feeling its weight. Once she's done with the sword, she does the same with the shield, simulating a few shield bashes against opponents of differing weights. Her movements are smooth and practiced, as if these skills had already been a part of her for the longest time. It makes me wonder if it's due to the guidance of the system that came with us into this world, or perhaps something ingrained into these new bodies of ours. I'm a little worried, since my interface tends to spaz out now and then. If it gets worse, will I lose my ability to use my skills and magic?

"It'll take some time, but I can get used to this. I do love how powerful the swings felt."

"Glad you like it. You would not believe how hard it was to beat the guy who owned the original sword and how much trouble it was to bring it back down the mountain. The damn thing was so heavy."

"Hey, whatever it takes to get the best gear, right?"

"Meh, I'm more of a get them while I play kind of guy."

While I'm sure all of us know by now that we're not in a game, and that we should absolutely not treat this world as such, from time to time we still joke about it. While I'm wary of it at first, recently, I've been thinking that it's fine. In small ways, it helps us cope with our situation, and in some other ways, it even helps us figure out what needs to be done. The mindset of playing a game isn't something that cannot be applied to real life after all. So it should be fine, so long as we remain aware of the nature of our situation, it should be fine to fall back on it just a little.

"Welp, thanks for the new gear. Speaking of, how's Toto doing with her's?"

"You mean the aircrafts? Well... it works, I guess..."

"That so? I though it looked goofy at first, what with the pedals and ramps, but if it works, it works I suppose."

"I can't say that 'goofy' is the word that comes to mind when riding on the thing. Still, while it can certainly fly to an extent, I don't think it's quite practical yet flight distance wise. I guess you can say it's still got a long ways to go."

A swift slap lands upon my back for that little joke of mine. A quarter of my Hp disappears in an instant.

"I'm sure Toto will figure something out, that girl's got smarts."

"I don't doubt that, I'm just worried that she won't make it in time."

"You worry too much, you know that?"

"So I've heard."

I've been told to relax, and while I certainly do try, it's easier said than done. Troubling thoughts just come as they please and there's really nothing I can do to distract myself. In the past, I would just focus on my work and forget about everything else, but since at the moment my very work includes dealing with these very troubles, there's really no escape. Woe is me, I suppose.

With that, I have no more businesses to attend to and I returned to my tent, only leaving it when time came for dinner. After dinner, I retired for the day.

***

Another day passed, and once more night came. Tonight, I spend it not in my tent, but atop one of the outermost walls of the garrison, my eyes set towards the forest. In the dark, the embers from the fire we had set to destroy the [Demonic Flower] can been seen much better that in the day, though the rising smoke makes everything else hard to make out, even with the [Night Vision] skill active.

Eventually, I spot a silhouette approaching from the sky, a winged figure shrouded in silk. However, unlike her usual graceful flight, it appears that she's struggling to maintain her altitude. I turn my glance towards the small Hp bar beneath mine, noting that it's blinking red, and beneath said Hp bar, the blue Mp bar had long ran empty. I expected her to return in this state as I've been looking at it all day as I went about my business, not letting it bother me too much. After all, from here, there's nothing I can do for her but pray.

I raise my hand and let the soldiers as well as the healers waiting alongside me to prepare to set off.

When we received Michaela, she was badly hurt, her feathers were ruffled and her wings in tatters, her clothes torn and cuts can be seen in her flesh. I almost felt bad for sending her out there, almost. It must be done however, and as the one who has the ability of [Flight], she is the only one who could do.

Holding her in my arms, she whispers to me.

"My liege, I have the location of the next Flower."

"Well done, Michaela, well done."

I continue to hold her as the healers tend to her. Gradually, her Hp bar fills. I could just dismiss her and she'd regenerate in time, but I'd feel bad to just leave her be as is. I wanted to at least ease her pain before sending her away.

"One more thing, my liege, before you dismiss me."

"Go ahead."

"At the [Demonic Flower], there was someone else amongst the fairies. It was a Champion, my liege. An Archer, I believe."

Gently, I caress her soft hair.

"Good work, now we can devise a countermeasure. Now, go ahead and rest, Michaela."

With that I dismiss her. Michaela's body disappears into specks of light, leaving but a [contract] in her place. I return the [contract] to my grimoire as I call upon one of the soldiers with me.

"Wake up the commander and gather the Champions. I want a meeting to happen right this instance."

***

End of Chapter 28