Book 2: Chapter 43

「……Now then, the theater exercise will begin! Central Army, all hands, assemble!」

As if dispelling the atmosphere that covered the place, Gordy shouted.

Gordy’s loud voice, which didn’t even use Amplification Magic, vibrated the surrounding air and resounded across the wilderness.

Responding to that voice, a group of black, full-bodied armors……Magic Operated Armors formed lines.

「The Central Army under the Central General Gordy, is before you!」

Gordy’s voice, which one normally wouldn’t have a chance to hear, freely resounded throughout the wilderness.

Having estimated when those vibrations would calm down, this time Fainell shouted.

「Eastern Army! All hands, assemble!」

She had properly made use of Amplification Magic. With that perfectly clear voice as the signal, soldiers that lurked in the nearby mountain shade and wore white military uniforms came running.

What the soldiers were wearing wasn’t armor.

Also, they did carry sword-like things, but looking at the extravagance of the ornaments on them, one could tell that they were Magic Swords.

Going by this equipment, Luuty understood that the Eastern Army was probably a group of either Magic Swordsmen or Magicians.

If Fainell’s own battle style was taken into consideration, then she could understand it.

It’s because the Fainell that Luuty knew was a Magic Fist Fighter that combined magic and hand-to-hand combat.

Finally, after looking at the lined up Eastern Army, Fainell turned back around to Vermudol.

「Under the Eastern General Fainell, the Eastern Army! It has taken the stage before you!」

「Yeah, good work. It looks like you’ve brought along quite a lot of them, but is that alright?」

「Yes, it is not a problem at all.」

The number of the Eastern Army that was lined up before them was probably one thousand at most, but one could understand from Vermudol’s words that this wasn’t the entire army.

Even so, even a thousand Magic Soldiers was an enormous threat.

Finally, after seeing that Fainell had returned to her saluting posture, this time, the silver haired Majin shouted towards the wilderness.

「……Well then, Northern Army! All hands, fall in line!」

At those words, this time, many Transmission Magic formations expanded on the wilderness.

Before long, what appeared enveloped in light were soldiers dressed in blue armor.

They deployed with perfectly coordinated movements, and created perfect rows.

「Under the Northern General Altejio, the Northern Army. They have taken the stage before you.」

「Yeah. Today, you’ve taken quite the enchanting method, haven’t you. Fainell is glaring at you, you know?」

「It is because this is a exercise that should be celebrated. We cannot be stingy here.」

After confirming that Altejio had returned to a saluting posture with a nonchalant face, this time Sancreed gave his command.

「Western Army! Assemble!」

Together with Sancreed’s voice, a group wearing dark blue armor appeared from the opposite direction of Fainell’s Eastern Army.

They, who ran at a fixed speed despite wearing multi-layered armor, lined up in front of Sancreed, and clicked their shoes. And then, the soldier at the lead shouted.

「The Western Army, has completed its assembly! The number of persons is neither more nor less than what was last reported!」

「Yeah, good work.」

Sancreed responded to him, then turned back to Vermudol.

「……Under the Western General Sancreed, the Western Army. It has finished assembling.」

「Nn. Don’t you think it would be better if you put a bit more effort in being enchanting?」

「I shall take the proper measures.」

With this, only the Southern Army remained.

However, the large man that controlled the Southern Army only expressed a deep smile.

「……Hey Demon King-sama.」

「What is it?」

「Is it alright? To bring out my Southern Army.」

Hearing those words, Vermudol nodded.

「Yeah, it’s fine.」

「Are you seriously saying that?」

「Yeah, I’m serious.」

Vermudol nodded once again and answered.

「Do it seriously.」

「……Understood.」

What did that mean?

Before that question could be asked, the large man’s voice resounded throughout the wilderness.

「Southern Army! Don’t hold back! All hands, assemble!」

At the same time as those words, earth tremors that were like earthquakes occurred.

「Wha, wha!?」

Each member of the Jiol Forest Kingdom delegation was surprised by the trembling earth, and Nino expressed an annoyed-looking face.

And then, from beyond the wilderness, seeming like a mountain……a wall drew near.

No, it wasn’t a wall.

That was, a group of Golems.

The group of gigantic Golems were coming here, running across the land.

Also, a group of Majuus (magic beasts) of various sizes came running to the grounds from a different direction.

And from yet another direction, a grove of gigantic Majus (magic trees) arrived.

It was truly a party of large monsters.

The appearance of the group that could destroy a single country seemed as if it had swallowed up all of the displays that were shown up until now.

But, the large man’s words continued on.

「I said for all hands to assemble! Are they asleep!」

As if to match with those words, something came flying in from beyond the cloudy sky.

「……What is that……?」

Zekwell narrowed his eyes so as to ascertain its identity.

Something black, that covered the sky.

It came in with high-speed, and entered a range where it could be confirmed by sight.

This time, every member of the Jiol Forest Kingdom delegation became speechless.

That, was a flock of Dragons.

Red, blue, yellow, brown, green.

It was a group of Dragons with various colors.

The Dragons, which were said to have high pride and wouldn’t flock together, were flying in in a row.

This commanded flock of Dragons was literally war potential that could fight against the world.

「Well, this is pretty much it. The Southern Army under the Southern General Raktor, it’s been assembled.」

Seeing Raktor say that, Vermudol breathed a bored-sounding sigh.

「……What. So in the end, you didn’t get serious.」

「Oi oi, don’t say something like that. If I myself were to get serious, it’d be an uproar that couldn’t be called a display anymore, you know?」

「Well, that’s true too.」

Hearing Vermudol say something terrifying so calmly, Raktor heartily laughed and answered. And then, it was there that he first noticed Luuty.

「……I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.」

「She was one of the candidates to be the Hero Ryuuya’s wife.」

「Hoー, so that was it……Ah, in that case! Do ya know if that Ikslet guy is doing well or not, oi.」

Luuty, who was about to refute Fainell’s frivolous talk, heard Raktor’s words and made a puzzled face.

「……Are you, an acquaintance of Ikslet’s?」

「Ahn? Well, if I had to say if I were acquainted, then I would be.」

After sending distrustful eyes towards Raktor, Luuty answered as if unconcerned.

「Unfortunately, I don’t know of Ikslet’s whereabouts either.」

「Then who would know?」

Hearing Vermudol’s words, after Luuty thought about it for a bit……she resolutely declared.

「I don’t want to answer.」

「L, Luuty!」

「Zek, you be quiet.」

Seeing Luuty silence Zekwell with her gaze, Vermudol leaked out a suppressed laugh.

「Ahh, then it’s fine for now. It’s because the relationship of mutual trust between me and you is only at this level for now.」

「That’s right. I have yet to hear about that truth or whatever after all.」

「That’s for sure.」

After laughing and sounding like he was truly having fun, Vermudol turned his gaze to the speechless Sarigan.

「Sarigan-dono.」

「O, ohh……Vermudol-dono. Sorry, I was a bit astonished.」

「What, I did this in order to surprise you. I am satisfied.」

Hearing that, Sarigan weakly laughed.

Sarigan was truly surprised……but at the same time, his innards had grown cold.

How terrifying.

That was his honest impression.

Did they really think of turning something like this into an enemy?

Sarigan thought that his past self was foolish.

「And so.」

As if to cut off Sarigan’s thoughts as he was thinking about such things, Vermudol spun out his next words.

「This is about the replacement war potential for your country but. Which one would you like?」

「……Ha?」

What was he saying?

For an instant, Sarigan was unable to understand that.

「What I am saying is that this is about the replacement war potential that will be placed for your country’s defense. Well, the ones I killed were the Imperial Guard unit after all. I had thought of sending several members of the Central Army……But, there were also several generals that had died. After taking that into consideration, I thought that some of the other armies would be good as well.」

「No……wait, please wait!」

「What is it?」

Sarigan finally understood.

That Vermudol was saying that he would lend a part of his powerful military that seemed like it could even destroy the world to the Jiol Forest Kingdom.

「Are they insufficient?」

「N, no. They aren’t insufficient……」

「Fumu?」

Rather, they were excessive.

They were much too great to take in as assurance, and if they were taken in as a favor, there would be no way to pay them back.

「I am not expecting repayment. This is a symbol of friendship.」

「Friendship……」

Sarigan ruminated over that word.

「Overcoming the past, we will become the true embodiment of peace. Please think of this as a symbol of that.」

「……Is that, so……」

「Yeah, it is.」

Sarigan reseated himself into his chair with a calm look to him.

However, it was there that Zekwell opened his mouth.

「In that case, Vermudol-dono. May I state my opinion as one who engages in the military affairs?」

「Of course you may. What is it?」

「I would like to hold back on those who are greatly disconnected from the human shape.」

Hearing those words, Melt and Morse looked to Zekwell with a snap.

They felt that that was an outrageous verbal gaffe.

「Hou, and why do you feel that way?」

「If we speak from a defensive collaboration point of view, affinity with the existing war potential should take priority. We the Jiol Forest Kingdom are a country that has been configured with Sylphid and Beastmen at the core. If we are to aim for affinity with them, then naturally joint tactics would be impossible unless they were in the same human form.」

「I see, you do have a point……Raktor.」

「What is it?」

When Vermudol called Raktor, he made a broad smile.

「……Do it.」

「Ou.」

Raktor snapped his fingers, and with that as the signal, the gathered members of the Southern Army which had atypical forms changed into human forms.

「Wha……!?」

「See, there isn’t a problem. Well, with the exception of the Dragons though.」

It was possible for the Majuu (magic beasts) and the Maju (magic trees) to transform into Majin forms.

Therefore, the condition that Zekwell mentioned had already been cleared.

「Now then, since you are a Forest Kingdom, I believe it would be fine for you to choose from the Maju (magic trees) of the Southern Army. Sarigan-dono, what do you think of that?」

「Th, that’s true……They are all so good, I’m not sure which to choose.」

While the talks were advancing, Luuty was calmly getting a grasp of the situation.

The Demon King Army certainly became much stronger than the Great Demon King Gramfia’s time when Luuty had come to visit this continent in the past.

Having clearly gathered their war potential into a form of armies, they will most likely introduce war tactics as well.

Not leaving battles to powerful individuals, they migrated to combat done with powerful groups.

That military force might have already reached a domain where it would be too much for mankind’s armies to handle.

Demon King Vermudol.

This Demon King, is clearly different from Gramfia.

What if, things now were how it was back then, is what Luuty thought.

If Ryuuya.

If Teria.

If Juno.

If Duke.

If her companions of that time were here right now, would they be able to win against this many formidable enemies?

「……Ryuuya.」

She muttered that single name.

That mutter, vanished within the tempestuous sounds.

But, only Sancreed gazed at Luuty.