CH 166

Side: Marley Heat Zilba Empire: Wind Princess Knight.

「That concludes my report」

「Fumu. Thank you for your hard work on this expedition. However, an orc, huh? That’s nastier than the demi-humans in a way」

「Indeed. Despite being a surprise attack, I’m surprised that it could take down the Wind Princess Knight’s aide」

「This, don’t say insensitive things in front of Marley」

「Indeed, forgive me」

「I’m sorry about that. Your close aide was Jessica, was it? I also remember her. She was a skilled fighter capable of taking down several magic sword users even without having one and her head was not bad either. We lost a valuable person」

「I’m sure Jessica would be glad knowing how much his majesty appreciates her」

I returned to Zilba Empire capital and report back as planned but with a lie.

Sadly, this officially meant that Jessica is dead.

Of course, even if I told the truth, that power is still a force to be reckoned with. A half-hearted army would be my second failure.

「Your Majesty, I have a proposal」

「What? Try telling me」

「With this rescue, the demi-human who fled because of the orcs had scattered. But I don’t think there is only one orc」

「Certainly. Whether it’s goblins or kobolds, those kinds of monsters will join forces with them and form a faction」

「That’s why, I think that we should give priority to the battles in other countries, and issue a warning order for the areas where the orcs have been sighted, and take defensive measures against them」

「I see. Wouldn’t it be better to call back all of our armies fighting and exterminate the orcs?」

「Yes, even though my subordinates were caught off guard, we killed it. However, if the numbers are not enough, the damage the armies will suffer will be enormous」

「If we are going to do it, we have to call all the armies at once and kill them in one swipe? Do you think the surrounding villages and towns will survive if they prioritize defense?」

「Yes, the orcs came out as we approached the forest. It will never come out of the woods as long as we don’t make contact with them. Even if they come out, we’ll be able to support them in time as long as they defend」

「I guess the Wind Princess Knight is right, with the current state of the war, it’s not a good move to recall the armies that are moving in various directions」

Good, all the ministers nodded their heads in agreement with my statement.

This way we can avoid fighting with low numbers and being beaten.

Also, by earning time, even if the demi-humans returned to the village, I have the excuse that they came back because the orcs are gone.

What remains to do is how to save Jessica, but what the hell are Yuki and his group looking for? If I can figure that out, I can make a deal in order to save Jessica.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if Jessica, who is a prisoner, finds a way to contact us.

「Thank you for your hard work, Marley. You can rest in the royal capital for a while. And then later you can rejoin the interrupted invasion campaign into the Enalia Holy Land」

「As you order!!」

Just as I was about to leave the audience room, a problem arose.

「Excuse me, Your Majesty」

「Onee-sama, you’re being rude」

Two magic sword users entered.

「Oh my, it seems that you are in excellent spirits, Marley-sama. Rumor has that you have taken down an orc」

「And I heard that your subordinated Jessica had been killed」

「It’s as you said…」

「Oh my oh my, it’s not good to let an important soldier from Your Majesty die to a mere orc, you know?」

「It’s like onee-sama says」

The one who is referred to as onee-sama is called Olive Melt and is wearing a red dress armor and holding a flame magic sword.

And the one who is calling her onee-sama is called Mist Melt and wears a blue armor dress and holds a water magic sword.

As their names imply, they are sisters and both are magic sword users.

Originally, those two were ordinary nobles, but at the same time, these sisters had an aptitude for the magic sword possessed by the Zilba Empire, and so they started walking the path of raising in ranks.

Accompanied by real power, these two have been solidly active in the battle so far, and like me, they possess armies, albeit small ones.

However, how unfortunate. Because they have a strong desire for promotions, they cause discord with their surroundings. Like now, they often poke at me even when I’m in a higher position.

「You two had nothing to do this time. Then, what do you have to report?」

「Yes, Your Majesty. We returned after making fall the fort we were ordered to conquest」

「What!? It hasn’t been even two months!?」

「It was easy. That fort was filled with water, so it was something simple with my magic sword」

「Yes, Mist crumbled the soldiers’ spirits who were inside prepared to attack, and when I saw them how wet they were, I thought how cold they should be, so I set them on fire and they ended coming outside」

「Then I defeated them and made fall the fort」

「Ooh, as expected of the sisters, should I say?」

Yes, these sisters are strong when they work together. Alone, they don’t even come close to me.

「You also can rest a little in the royal capital. I’ll give you your next task at a later date…」

「Your Majesty, would it be okay if I tell you what I wish for my next mission to be?」

「Hm? What? Try telling me」

「The orc that killed Marley-sama’s subordinate over here, we’ll go and take it down. Since it turns out that I’m free」

「Wait a moment, Olive. Only once we have gathered a large number of soldiers is that we will be able to do that」

I panicked and tried to stop Olive from giving her opinion.

Otherwise, it would be bad in many ways.

「Is that so, Your Majesty?」

「Umu. We don’t even know how many orcs are out there. It’s not good to stimulate them carelessly. That’s why we have decided to prepare an appropriate number before doing such a thing」

「Well then, let us take the defense and reconnaissance mission. That way, it would make easier to annihilate them later, and we wouldn’t have to worry about the orcs destroying villages or towns in the unlikely event something were to happen」

「Certainly..」

Damn, Mist calmly came with a plan that it’s hard to deny.

「Will you do it?」

「Yes, as soon as my vacation is over, we’ll leave with my soldiers immediately. We have twice as many soldiers as Marley-sama, and we also have heard about the surprise attack, so I don’t think we’ll take us a long time to deal with it」

「It’s indeed like you said. I’m ordering the two of you to defend and scout orc-related matters for a while!!」

「「As you order!!」」

She got me.

Those two were laughing as they bowed their heads while looking at me.

In the situation I gave them I was a step closer to failing, so if they can do a better job than me, it would show that they are superior to me.

No matter what happens don’t mess with Yuki and the others… What should I say in this situation!?

Side: Yuki

「Hm~m, a magic sword of flame and water… Ori○ー and Piku○n(オリ○ーとピク○ン)? So there’s a possibility they could come to attack?」

「Wrong, it’s Olive and Mist. What’s Ori○ー and Piku○n?」

「It’s a creature that pulls you, fights you, and eat you, and even it would not still love you」

「A useful soldier, it seems」

「Though, that’s not the answers I wanted to hear」

「Yes?」

「No, it’s nothing」

As expected, this kind of story can only be understood by local people.

Maybe I’ll have a chat with Taiki-kun with CALL.

「Well, it doesn’t matter if those two magic sword users come or not」

「That could be, but judging by your policy, it isn’t a good idea to leave that could affect you as they are, am I not right?」

「I can’t avoid it either way. The other party will come wherever I want or not. At that time, I’ll have to pick a fight with Zilba Empire, but it doesn’t matter, and besides, those two magic sword users can be captured, just like the princess, and sent back with a lie」

「You honestly don’t think that you don’t care, right?」

「No, I truly don’t care. After all, my opponent can’t do anything. What I have to do now is…」

As I’m talking to Jessica, I stretch my hands to grab some materials when Zargis enters.

「This is the progress report, Yuki. It’s related to the application of magic power」

With that said, she hands over the materials.

「Thanks. Hmmm… weird. Even with the same magic, there is too much difference in the consumption of magic power」

「Indeed, even the consumption of the same fireball can vary from twenty times to twenty fives depending on the mage」

「If this were about ten people, it would enter the margin of error, but..」

「It’s no wonder they tried this 10 times at a time with 100 people. An unusual number」

That’s right, what we need to do now is studying the depletion of magic.

Unless this is over, I can’t even go on the adventure to try to figure out the cause.

It would be very troublesome if at some key moment I could not use magic in full power due to the increased absurd amount of consumption of magic.

So, we will do as much research as we can here to make sure that we are prepared before we start investigating the cause.

「That reminds me, how is the gathering of demi-humans?」

「Yes, I’ll be the one telling you」

「Oh, thank you, Tori」

「As you can see, quite a few numbers of demi-humans have gathered after receiving reports of the defeat of the Zilva Empire. Well, some idiots complain that the leader is Yuki-san」

Tori’s face… darkened? No, wait, that’s murderous intent.

「Hey, Riel. Tori is kind of scary, was the negotiation with the demi-humans so hard?

「No. It wasn’t necessarily difficult? We’re all demi-humans from their point of view. That’s why, after hearing the results of the battle, they said to her ‘become my wife’ or ‘leave that man’, and in the end, she defeated that man and came here to pick you up, such a thing happened…」

「…Tori beat it that man to a pulp and then she threw him out」

Kaya also says angrily.

「Ahー, you got it hard. Should I be the one negotiating after all?」

「No, it would be bad if something were to happen to Yuki-san」

「Rather, if someone curses Yuki-san in front of me, I’ll make a mess of the other party」

「As for me, I’d kill them」

Yeah, I’ll leave the negotiation to them.

For the demi-humans’ sake.

「Well, I’ll be busy with many things so I will think about it when Ori○ー and Piku○n come and we catch them」

「No, I’m telling you, they are called Olive and Mist」