CH 25

Strategy meeting for a counterattack

***---***

For the meeting for counterattack, Fred and Basten also returned.

The cheat of shadow movement is that you can easily come back even if you are in a remote place.

In my room at the boarding house, I spread a sheet of paper on a small table that summarized the main points.

When I was ready, Reinhardt asked me a question.

[ Kent-sama, do you remember the three issues I talked about before? ]

[ Yes, the rescue method, the recipient, and the insider? ]

[ Yes, the recipient of that is the promise of cooperation from Klaus-dono, so there are just two remaining issues. ]

[ That's right, but I also want to hurt the other person, I'm not convinced if I leave her alone, and I feel like I'm going to be underestimated during negotiations. ]

[ That's right, let's add a counterattack as an item. ]

[ Rescue method, insider, and counterattack method. ]

I will write these items on the unfolded paper.

If I write it in Japanese, Reinhardt and the others will not be able to read it.

If Amanda-san or Meisa-chan sees it, they may be suspicious, so I plan to keep the memo in the shadow storage.

[ First of all, the rescue method, but since I found out that shadow movement cannot be used, I have no choice but to go through the Devil's Forest, but the first thing to do is to get them out of the garrison. ]

[ That's true, but after all it's better to rescue everyone at once, right? ]

[ That's right, that's the ideal. They'll be wary if we divide it into several groups, and we're more likely to lose our stengths. ]

[ Our stength is that we can move freely using shadows, right? ]

[ Of course there is that, but the fact that our existence is unknown is one of our strengths. ]

[ Well, they think I am dead. ]

[ Yes, if they don't think you're alive, they won't be wary of you. ]

[ I see, it's easier to do various things if they're not wary. ]

We are trying to rescue my classmates, but for Camilla who doesn't know of our existence, she should only think about not letting my classmates escape.

Of course, she should be less alert.

[ That means she shouldn't be aware of our existence, right? ]

[ Of course, for example, even if this me was known to exist, it would be as an unidentified monster, but Kent-sama with black hair and black eyes should not be seen until the rescue of all of them is completed. ]

If so, it may be better to have Reinhardt move openly, but if that is the case, they may think that he is a monster summoned by the Volzard side, and above all, my classmates won't think that he is on their side.

I mean, can we rescue everyone from that garrison at one time?

The garrison is surrounded by high walls, and there is a soldier's station at the sturdy gate.

The location is on the outskirts of the city, but you have to cross the river to head towards the Devil's Forest, and the bridge is a drawbridge to prevent the invasion of monsters.

Of course, there is a shack on the drawbridge, and no matter how you think about it, it seems unlikely that you can escape without making noise.

Of course, if there is a fuss, there will be a chase, and it will be more difficult to rescue them.

[ Hmm ... everyone at once ... it's difficult. ]

[ Kent-sama ... an idea ... ]

[ Idea? What are you saying? ]

[ How about using the actual battle in the Devil's Forest ... ? ]

Fred's idea was to rescue my classmates during the upcoming battle in the Devil's Forest.

This will save us the trouble of rescuing from the garrison, and of course the chances of a turmoil are much lower.

[ Kent-sama, this may be a good idea, the number of soldiers leading them will be limited in the actual battle, and there is no worry about reinforcements coming. ]

[ Well, if they didn't think we were there, they would only be worried about them running away. ]

[ No, Kent-sama, they're not worried about them escaping, if they're left behind in the Devil's Forest ... ]

[ Well, they're in a situation where they're in trouble if they don't take them home. ]

[ Yes, even if they escape from the spot, they will not be able to escape with the bracelet of slavery on, so in the end they have to return to the garrison. ]

In a situation where there is almost no fear of escape, without considering a rescue operation from the outside, I feel that the knight who leads the knights is not very cautious.

After that, what is the procedure for rescue?

As I wracked my brains, Basten came up with an idea.

[ Kent-sama, isn't it better for us to attack them like a monster? ]

[ Attacking them, my classmates aren't a match for Basten. ]

[ I know, so it may be a little painful, but how about stunning your classmates and killing the knights who lead them? ]

[ I see ... hmm ... but ... ]

[ Is there a problem? ]

[ Is it necessary to kill the knights leading them? ]

[ I don't think there will be any after-effects if you can get rid of them. ]

[ Hmm ... ]

Certainly, as Basten says, if you kill the knights, you won't have to worry about information being leaked.

There is no doubt that if they return alive, information on the unidentified skeleton will leak and they will be more vigilant.

However, if we kill them, I feel that it will cause a grudge and I will not be able to proceed well when negotiating to return to the original world.

I walked about those thoughts and asked everyone for their opinions.

[ What do you think, Reinhardt? ]

[ Yes, if you do cause a grudge, later negotiations may fails. On the other hand, if they are vigilant, it can be difficult to rescue them. Which one should be prioritized? ]

[ Yeah, I'm afraid we can't go back to the original world, so I'll try not to kill the other person as much as possible. Can you do it? Basten. ]

[ Leave it to us, let us break the difficulties, etc. into pieces. ]

[ Yeah, thank you, I'm counting on you. ]

I can see a path to rescuing my classmates, so I feel a little lighter.

[ Kent-sama, you have to be ready to proceed with the rescue operation. ]

[ Oh, yeah, I have to talk to Klaus-san, right? ]

[ Although there is that, it takes two to three days to walk through the Devil's Forest. In the meantime, you will need to prepare water, food, tents, etc. ]

[ Well ... I used to rely on you guys for food. If the number of people increases, I have to make appropriate preparations ... ]

According to Reinhardt, the Knights of Resenburg act in units of five.

The branch leader puts one leader in a group of five and bundles the five groups.

It is said that the unit leaders are the ones who handle each of the five teams, and the branch leader is the one who handles the five unit leaders.

[ So, will they prepare several units of five people? ]

[ That's right, I think that the actual battle in the Devil's Forest will change depending on the scale, but I think that it will probably start with about 20 people. ]

[ Then, will it be okay if I prepare enough for about 30 people? ]

[ That's right, you can put it in the shadow storage, so it's better to have a margin. ]

Even if I want to rescue my classmates quickly, I am keenly aware that I am not ready for anything.

In the first place, I don't even know where to get a large amount of food or tents.

[ Kent ... don't worry ... ]

[ Why? ]

[ From the garrison ... can take it ... ]

[ Oh, I see ... but I wonder if it will be found out? ]

[ If you take it out from the back ... it won't be found out ... ]

I asked Fred to list the garrison equipment, which seems to be useful.

Of course, the number of equipment is managed, and the number of items to be taken in and out is checked each time, but the total number is checked only once in a certain period of time.

Therefore, if I use shadow movement to take out from the back of a large number of items, there is almost no worry that they will find out until the total number is checked.

[ Kent-sama, even if you get caught, they won't notice the existence of this us and would suspect it was being diverted by an unscrupulous person as long as there is no evidence of invasion. ] (TN: Awkward, I've been using 'this me' as washi, but I don't really know how to make sense of washi-tachi which is plural so it became 'this us' a suggestion would be helpful.)

[ Yeah, that's right, then Fred, I'm sorry, but I'd like you to get some things that you think I'll need, and put them in the shadow storage. ]

[ OK ... leave it to me ... ]

I won't have to worry about the items we'll need for the rescue.

After that, I have to bring everyone to Volzard and have them welcomed.

[ Hmm ... I think it's better to talk to the garrison ... and a bracelet of slavery ... ]

[ Kent-sama ... bracelet, I looked for ... ]

[ As expected, Fred, you work fast. ]

I received a bracelet presented by Fred from the shadow space.

The bracelet, which looks like carved obsidian, is not as heavy as it looks.

When I picked up the bracelet and concentrated my consciousness, I was wondering if there was any clue, and the image flowed into my head.

[ Uh ... this is ... ]

[ What happened, Kent-sama. ]

[ Yeah, unlike the one I picked up in the Devil's Forest, it seems that a very complicated technique is engraved. ]

[ Well, maybe it's a special thing made for this summon. ]

Only one person, perhaps Camilla, can unlock the bracelet, but it seems that the person wearing the bracelet can't use violence against those who are recognized as residents of Resenburg.

[ Hmm, that's certainly a rare technique. It is usually owned by an individual and is a technique that makes them unable to go against that individual. ]

Reinhardt says that a typical slave bracelet is not engraved with a magical signature before it is fitted, but is engraved with a magical signature when the owner puts it onto the slave.

When I try to close the bracelet, it doesn't come open even if I pull it anymore, and I can hardly see a seam.

When I concentrate my consciousness in that state, it is certainly locked by another person's magical signature, not my magical signature.

When I focused more on my consciousness and interrupted the magical signature, the bracelet split into two with a small clicking sound.

[ Yeah, it's okay, I can remove this bracelet too. ]

[ I've heard that it's difficult to remove the slave bracelet for a dark attribute mage, as expected, Kent-sama. ]

[ If I rescue my classmates, why don't I throw it away with the blood of a monster on the bracelet I remove? ]

[ That's good, then it would seem they were killed by a monster, not rescued. ]

[ Well, like me, they have to be thought of as dead. ]

In order to rescue, remove the bracelet, bring them to Volzard, and have them accepted, I think it would be better to talk to a garrison person so that it would not be confusing.

[ For the time being, I have to go to Klaus-san first thing in the morning and then let Kartz-san and Donovan-san know. ]

[ Kent ... also for the saint ... ]

[ Oh yeah, if she thinks that many people died at once, the chairman might fall down again. ]

The person to contact was supposed to be Ayako-sensei, but if this happens, I'd like to contact the chairman and let her know everyone is well even at the time of treatment.

[ Kent-sama, if you don't do it well, our strengths will be lost. ]

[ Yeah, but if it's the chairman, I think she'll do better than Ayako-sensei. ]

[ Are you still going to contact that person? ]

[ Hmm ... let's see what's going on ... it's better not to spread my presence too much, right? ]

[ Well, if you're rescuing from the garrison, it would be better for her to know, but if you're rescuing them from the Devil's Forest, you'd better not let her know. ]

For the time being, I will hold back on contacting Ayako-sensei for a while.

[ By the way, Basten, what was the royal capital like? ]

[ Sorry, Kent-sama, I actually went to the Davira Desert first. ]

[ Oh, that's fine, it doesn't matter which one comes first, so it's okay. So how was the desert? ]

[ Yes, to be honest, the situation was worse than I had imagined. ]

According to Basten, the city that used to border the desert has been completely swallowed by the sand and has become part of the desert.

On the contrary, many of the towns to the east were swallowed by sand, and even in the town on the boarder with the desert today, sand has entered the fields and the growth of crops has deteriorated.

People's lives are poor, probably because of poor crop growth, and it is apparently not uncommon for children to be malnourished.

[ But the city of Lastock isn't that terrible, is it? ]

[ Not as rich as Volzard ... but not that poor ... ]

[ In such a case, isn't the lord or the royal family doing something about it? ]

[ Yes, that would be normal. ]

[ The thing is that something unusual is happening? ]

[ Excuse me, Kent-sama, if only I looked into the royal capital ... ]

[ No, then I wouldn't know the current state of the desert, so it's not Basten's responsibility, no matter how much shadow movement you can do, you only have one body, so you can't check everything. ]

[ Yes, tomorrow I will explore the movements of the aristocrats of the royal capital, so please wait a little longer. ]

[ Yeah, you don't have to hurry, and you have to come back during the rescue operation, so you don't have to overdo it. ]

Apparently the problem of desertification is more serious than I expected, and this is definitely the reason why Camilla is in a hurry.

[ But if she's in a hurry to cultivate the Devil's Forest, why not do it herself? ]

[ Kent-sama, maybe there aren't enough people. ]

[ Yes ... I don't think there are any human resources for some units in the garrison ... ]

[ But it's a national issue, so why not gather people from other areas? ]

[ Probably, the only force that the princess can freely order is the human resources in that garrison. ]

Somehow, guessing from the information so far, it seems that people other than Camilla are reluctant to take measures against desertification, and Camilla relied on summoning magic because there is a shortage of human resources to be used.

In that case, I think it would be better to give a more decent treatment.

[ What's wrong? Kent. ]

[ Yeah, I told you my country is peaceful, right? ]

[ Yes, it's so peaceful that it's stupid ... ]

[ It's a little different, but it's okay ... Well, as a characteristic of people of my country, it's hard to say no when asked. ]

[ Well, then, do you mean that your classmates would be willing to cooperate as long as they arranged the treatment and asked for it? ]

[ Oh yeah, magic exists only in fairy tales in our world, and the thought of using magic, it's extremely exciting. ]

[ In other words, does that mean that the princess is doing it wrong? ]

[ Yeah, if you are treated as a slave, you'll only be repulsed, right? ]

[ That's right ... I certainly don't praise her treatment, but there must be some reason. ]

[ Damnit ... That wicked princess, what are you thinking? ]

If I understand what Camilla is thinking, I feel that it will be useful in rescuing my classmates, but on the other hand, if I understand her reasoning, I feel that I will be unable to blame her.

[ Kent-sama, we still don't have enough information. Let Basten find out a little more before thinking about it. ]

[ That's right, if I just think about it with speculations, it's likely to be wrong. ]

[ Yes, it's probably a deep-rooted problem with royalty and aristocrats. ]

[ Uh ... I can't solve that problem. ]

I don't think I can solve a problem that involves a great person in such a country, and evne just listening to it makes me feel heavy.

[ That's right, if the problem grows to that extent, it's not at the level of what can be done with an individual's power. ]

[ Hey, what does Reinhardt and the others want to do? ]

[ Huh? This us ... is it? ]

[ Yeah, the shape of the country has changed from when Reinhardt and the others were alive, and I think that there are only people who you do not know in the royal family, and the people who live in it, but it's still the country where Reinhardt and the others lived, right? ]

[ Sure, as Kent-sama says, but we're dead already ... ]

Reinhardt's words are mixed with a sense of embarrasment.

[ Yeah, that's right. But Reinhardt and the others are the ones who worked to improve the country and the territory, right? Is it okay to leave Resenburg as it is? ]

[ That ... wasn't even thought about. ]

[ Reinhardt, Basten, and Fred all remained to protect me, but I hope everyone's hopes will come true anyway. ]

[ Our hopes ...? ]

[ Yeah, it's my top priority to rescue all my classmates and return them to the original world, so I have to get Reinhardt to cooperate, but I don't want to force everyone to do something unpleasant. ]

Perhaps even at this point, if I use Reinhardt's abilities to the full, I could kill all the soldiers in the garrison, rescue my classmates, and even if we can't return to the original world. It may be possible to solve it by threatening Camilla with killing all the people in the city of Lastock.

But I don't think it's the solution Reinhardt wants.

Some of the knights in the garrison may be descendants of Reinhardt's relatives and acquaintances.

If we kill Camilla and all the knights that can be mobilized, desertification measures may be delayed and many people may die.

And yet, there may be people in the royal capital who are sucking sweet juice without doing anything.

At the end of the day, I don't think Resenburg is the future that Reinhardt and his friends had hoped for when they were alive.

[ How about it, Reinhardt. ]

[ That's right, as Kent-sama says, the current Resenburg is a little different from the future we wanted when we were alive. ]

[ Branch leader, isn't there something we can do? ]

[ The body I got from Kent-sama ... If it can be used, for the country ... For the people ... ]

Everyone's feelings for Resenburg seem to flow in.

[ Kent-sama, I will be a sword and a shield so that Kent-sama can achieve his wishes. But if allowed, I would like to work for the people of Resenburg and for the people of Landshelt. ]

[ Of course, everyone is my family, so my family's wishes are my wishes. ]

[ Thank you for your words, this us, three people, we will do our best to serve you until our bodies shatter. ]

[ Yeah, then rescue my classmates, but do it in a way that is to brighten the future of Resenburg, is that okay? ]

[ I have no objection. ]

It's wrong to treat everyone as a matter of course while feeling angry at being treated as a slave.

I will look for a way to fulfill both my wishes and everyone else's wishes.

[ Well, I hope Kent-sama becomes the king ... ]

[ Hey, Fred, what are you saying, I don't want to be a king. ]

[ No, at that age, it's okay because you have an eye for the problem of desertification just by looking at the map. ]

[ No, Basten, they happened to be talking about desertification in a school class. ]

[ Buahahaha, if the royal family is doing something silly, let's wipe them out and let Kent-sama rule the country. ]

[ Yeah ... King Kent ... Good! ]

[ Stealing a country is it? My arm rings. ]

[ I can't do that, I can't be a king, so I won't do that, hey, are you all listening? ]

Hey? It may be just my imagination that everyone is starting a disturbing consultation, isn't it? Hey? Hey, say it's just my imagination ...