CH 181

Chapter 181 – Demon King Army, Heading North

“…You’ve turned things around again⁉︎”

Myrril-san, with a dumbfounded look on her face, shouted in my ear. The conversation amidst the blaring sound of explosions was a loud one, with both of us shouting at the top of our lungs.

“Oh, yes! If I can’t hide it anymore, it’s safer to draw attention to it and let people know who we are!”

I playfully tried to make a joke of it, and Nojaloli-san nodded at me with a smile.

“As expected of the demon king, you have a keen eye!”

Well, half of it was just a matter of chance.

I had a vague idea of what this new weapon would be like, but I had never expected it to be as good as it was.

The noise, not to mention the size, was so loud. Hovercrafts are so noisy. The roar of the huge turbocharged diesel engine was quite loud, but the wind noise from the four-winged propeller, which was more than two meters in diameter, completely muffled it. The high-pitched sound that ruffles the air is like that of a gigantic lawn mower.

I had moved inland to the snowfield before launching it, as I thought it would damage the surrounding building and materials in front of the lord’s mansion, but I was right. Or perhaps it would have been better if we had moved further away from the city. After starting the engine, the roaring sound and the blowing powder snow attracted more and more onlookers who gathered to see what was going on. The noise and the majesty of the vehicle frightened them, but they stayed far away and did not come close to us.

“So, Takifu? What is this thing?”

“This is a hovercraft. Nowadays, I think it’s called an air cushion boat. It’s a vehicle that floats a little with the force of the wind and moves forward with the force of the wind.”

The 2000TD is a medium-sized boat, 12 meters long and 6 meters wide, made by a British company called Griffon Hoverwork.

It has been adopted by several militaries, including the British Marine Corps, but the one Simon procured was a white-bodied civilian model. Oddly enough, it is just right with a snow camouflage body. It seems that most of the customers are civilians and public organizations other than the military, such as polar expeditions and rescue operations.

Although it is a civilian type, a machine gun mount with a shield is attached to the roof as a modification, and a MAG general-purpose machine gun by FN of Belgium, the same as the main armament of the Tiran APC that was procured recently, is mounted. When firing, the driver stands between the cockpit and the passenger seat, and the roof is opened for access. Wind and snow blow in, so I’d like to close it except in an emergency, but it’s already an emergency, so what can I do?

Through the gull-wing doors, we entered the cockpit.

“It’s surprisingly small inside.”

“Yes, indeed. It has to float, so it has to be light.”

The outside dimensions are larger than a fishing boat, but that includes the outer deck and bulging skirt, so the enclosed cabin volume is about the same as a bear-faced kindergarten bus or rather smaller because of all the cargo. The hull is primarily aluminum and is not intended to be bulletproof. Outside the side-by-side windows was a fine-mesh steel fence. It may have been a remnant of testing the operation in the area where Simon lives rather than a service. Can it handle a bow and arrow or so?

“…Umm.”

Myrril-san checked each part of the hull and made a subtle face; whether she understood or not was hard to tell.

As is usual with engineers, they are interested in new things and even aim for them themselves, but when it comes to practical use, the technology is withered, and comparisons are made based on what has already been proven. After all, innovation is only possible when it outperforms existing technology and convinces the conservative class.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“No, that’s not it. I understand the general principle. But I still don’t understand why it is necessary to go through all that trouble again. If you want to fly, you should fly; if you want to run, you should run; if you want to float, you should float; but I don’t understand where this thing stands.”

It’s hard to tell whether it’s a sailboat, a horse-drawn sleigh, or an airship (the one Rinko rode in when coming here) that is at the head of the technological evolutionary tree.

“I think it’s pretty obvious when you get in there, don’t you?”

“Demon King!”

I turned at the sound of a voice and saw that McKin-dono was running toward me. He was in good spirits, even though he had only a few hours to live. Behind him, a guard with a sled chases after him. On the sled is an old man wrapped up in a bamboo mat. He is the East Lord… I forgot his name. He is the old man in the blue cloak I picked up.

“It’s Tyrell.”

“Thank you, Mir. So, Lord-dono, what’s with this guy?”

“He told me in the first stage of the interrogation. The Koubi tribe is a task force of the council’s old guard. He confessed that the fleet was dispatched to support the raid planned for tonight.”

Yeah, I don’t know what that means. I don’t really want to know. Realizing that I nodded vaguely and didn’t understand, McKin-dono began to explain.

I don’t need that kind of concern.

I heard the explanation, but I had no particular opinion. Simply put, it was a common story. The council of the central territory is not monolithic. There are countless conflicts of interest, but the most troublesome is the conflict between the reform forces that want to change the republic and the old guard that clings to vested interests. The largest faction in the parliament, the old guard, have colluded to protect its own interests and has eliminated by force those lords and influential figures with whom it has conflicts (or who are expected to become obstacles in the future). I heard that the old man in the blue cloak, Tyrell, is also one of the old faction militants, though he doesn’t want to get his own hands dirty.

“I see. Your late father and brother, McKin-dono, were eliminated as members of the reform forces, I see.”

“It seems so. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Southern Territories have no assets or vested interests to protect. We have been desperately trying to make a living and become rich, and this is the result.”

So this is how it’s going to be. This is what happens all the time. I don’t dislike McKin-dono and his way of life, and it is true that I would like to lend a hand, but… honestly, I don’t really want to get involved in political disputes in other countries where my interests are not at stake.

“What are you confused about, Takifu?”

“…I’m just wondering if this is the right thing to do.”

If you’re going to do something, you have to take responsibility until the end, said my grandma in Koriyama. I had to take responsibility for the safety and future of the people of Lafan, even though I had nothing to do with it.

“Aren’t the people of Lafan all good people? Don’t you want to save them?”

“Rather than not wanting to, I’m afraid.”

Myrril looked at me and laughed. It’s not mocking or dismayed. She laughed softly with the eyes of something lovely.

“I don’t ask you to bear everything. I, and perhaps even they themselves, are not asking you to bear it all. If you go all out and fall, that’s fine. Isn’t that right?”

“…It’s not that easy.”

“You can’t break it down, can you? It is your virtue, though it is not good for you to dwell on it. I love the Demon King with all my heart, who always looks at where he stands and tries to move forward while suffering from doubts. Choose with all your heart. Whatever choice you make, I will always be with you.”

I think it’s not fair if she said that with a big smile; it would be hard for me to back down.

“I suppose you have already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

“I guess so. I’m not going to let them get away with it.”

“That’s the spirit. Well, then, let’s go, McKin-dono. We will take you to the enemy camp. All you have to do is distinguish friend from foe.”

“Y-yes.”

I don’t think that Myrril-san is interested in politics, factional strife, or the resulting terrorism.

Needless to say, my feelings seem to be all over the place. Myrril turned around and poked me in the chest with her fingertip.

“You know, Takifu. It’s easy to leave the affairs of other countries to others. If it is a helpless person who is struggling for their daily sustenance, it is easy to turn a blind eye and say that someone else should take care of it. But you are no longer powerless, and you are no longer a helpless citizen. You have vast wisdom, invincible power, many dependable friends, and the ability to control them. It is now the duty of the Demon King and his wife to bring down the evil of this world.”

No, that is indeed the job of an angel or a god, not a demon king. I can’t read whether she’s being too quick to reason or whether she really believes that the Demon King is the messenger of justice, so it’s hard to react to her.

“We are certainly not from the Republic. But we cannot allow the powerless to be oppressed, for the voices of the ambitious to be silenced, and for unpleasant unreasonableness to prevail. It was you who rescued me from the same deprivation and oppression and led me and the lost people to the paradise of this world. I hope that you will bring the revelation of the great Demon King to this land as well.”

Was I right? Isn’t this some kind of story about some great man or hero who is different from me?

“But that is my own selfishness. You can do as you wish.”

Louis and Tig climbed in with a sense of trepidation, followed by the lord and his five guards. The East Lord, who was wrapped up in a bamboo mat, was thrown into the rear of the cabin, and boarding was complete for the time being.

I sit in the cockpit, and Kayson-san sits in the passenger seat. Behind the passenger seat, Calmon stood.

“Takifu, what are we supposed to do?”

“No, we’re going on an expedition at the request of the lord, so you and your family members will stay behind in Lafan. We’ll stop at Kayson-san’s house first and then switch places with McCain and the others.”

Kayson-san looked quiet, and Calmon nodded, looking both troubled and relieved.

“I’ve had the rear crew members put on their seat belts. We are ready to go.”

Myrril opened the roof of the driver’s seat and climbed up onto the upper machine gun seat. It was originally intended to be used standing up, but since Myrril was not tall enough, she had to sit on the roof to shoot during the battle.

“Is everything all right, Mir?”

“No problem. I’m always ready.”

She is in a better mood than ever, even though we still don’t know who the enemy is or how many men they have because, besides the UZI, the Star pistol, and the Alaskan revolver, she has a new weapon.

An M79 grenade launcher, which I had asked Simon for a long time ago. It is a grenade launcher with a shoulder-mounted wooden barrel. With two ammunition belts slung across her body and the launcher itself suspended in front of her chest by a leather strap, Mir-neesan looked pleased with her full-body weaponry.

There was even an FN MAG general-purpose machine gun mounted on a gun rack in front of her, and she looked as if she could kill a thousand people, not just 134, with a humming sound.

“Takifu.”

I look up at the gun turret as I am about to launch the griffon when someone calls out to me. I looked up at the gun turret and saw Myrril looking at me with a loving expression.

“Look only where you are going. Seek only what you want. I will protect your back.”

“…Thank you. I’m counting on you.”

I opened the throttle and turned on the spot, and saw the onlookers, who had been watching from afar, jump back in unison and scatter to make their escape. The sound of the engine increased, and the sound of the propeller grew louder. Slowly at first, then gradually picking up speed, the hovercraft flew like an arrow across the snowfield. The goal was the central territory of the Republic. It was a powerful reconnaissance by the two strongest men in the Demon King’s Army. Anyone who harms my allies, no matter who they are, I will kill them all.

“Go on, Yoshua!”

I’m not afraid of anything anymore.