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The battle has dragged on quite a bit, but there haven’t been any major problems.

Thanks to the strengthened defenses in preparation for the demon’s invasion, the units guarding the rift were packing some serious firepower, and the swarm of Corpse Spiders attacking the rift were experiencing that firepower firsthand, as they absorbed bombardments and bullets with their very bodies.

– Ratatatatat! Ratata! Boom! Ratatatat! Boom!

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶!

From rifles to mortars, grenade launchers, tank cannons, and armored vehicle machine guns.

The Imperial Army unleashed a tremendous amount of firepower to defend the rift, and thanks to that, the swarming Corpse Spiders, which had been charging forward with gusto, were being shredded one by one.

Watching the relentless downpour of artillery that seemed to tear through the fog, I splashed some water on my head.

“Whew….”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Camila. Go inside and rest a bit. I saw you staggering earlier.”

After handing some food and drink to Camila, I ushered her into an empty building. I could go days without food or sleep without much care, but Camila and Francesca weren’t as accustomed to battle as I was. They needed to rest, even if just a little.

As I leaned against the wall, watching over the defense line, I noticed Camila hesitated, looking bashful as she slipped away alone. The Imperial Army was still busy hunting down the Corpse Spiders that dared to poke their heads out, and with the solid backing of our firepower, the defense line was holding strong.

If we could just hold on like this, the reinforcements are bound to reach the defense line from below soon. Then everything would be over.

Once the Imperial Army that fought their way through the monsters opened up the escape route, we’d send the casualties down first. We could blend in with them and head down together. We’d even take those Academy kids hiding in shivers back at the barracks with us.

So, all we had to do was hold out until then. Just maintain the defense line until the reinforcements arrived.

At least, that’s what I thought.

But it wasn’t.

“The defense line has been surrounded.”

“Ah, damn it!”

—

Episode 11 – No Issues on the Northern Front

—

Life is like a game of chance, and fortune often walks hand in hand with misfortune.

Suddenly, I was reminded of a tale I had heard long ago from the Director of Information Command when he recruited me.

In the old sayings, it goes that one cannot easily predict the fortunes and misfortunes ahead, and that calamity and blessing come together—nothing could be truer.

“What do you mean by ‘surrounded’?”

“As you heard.”

It hadn’t been long since the Imperial fellows were out there struggling to collect the casualties while holding back the masses of spiders, and now, here we are surrounded by monsters.

What in the world does that even mean?

I directed a look filled with meaning at the Imperial officer. Seemingly feeling the weight of that gaze, he nudged Senior Lyudmila, who had been translating for him.

Senior Lyudmila spoke up.

“According to what the officer said, the monsters have surrounded the rift, Colonel.”

“How is it even possible for monsters to encircle a unit that has tanks?”

“Um, well, that’s….”

Senior Lyudmila hesitated for a moment, trailing off.

“The monsters that were attacking suddenly pulled back and formed an encirclement. It seems they found it hard to break through the defense line.”

“So the Corpse Spiders that were assaulting the defense line suddenly retreated to create a blockade?”

“Yes.”

I stared vacantly at the defense line.

Indeed, something odd was noticeable. Just not long ago, they had been firing ferociously, but now that fire had died down as if they were running out of bullets.

I leaned my head against the wall and thought for a while.

“Just to check, has the ammo that the unit prepared already run out? It’s been quiet on the defense line for a while now.”

The Imperial officer, having heard Senior Lyudmila’s translation, shook his head firmly.

“No, the supplies are still more than sufficient.”

“Is that so….”

If what he said was true, the troops on the defense line wouldn’t be out of bullets. That means it’s not that they’re saving ammo; it’s that there are no Corpse Spiders to shoot at.

“The monsters that were charging in with the intent to breach the line have suddenly spread out in a wide formation. Reports have come in from the squad stationed to the east.”

“It seems the northern monsters are quite intelligent.”

“We can’t be sure, but there have been instances of this sort of behavior before. An officer who has worked in the north for a long time would have encountered these monsters occasionally.”

“Oh, come on….”

Monsters circling around or slipping past patrols happens from time to time. If monsters were really that dimwitted, advanced nations would have mopped up the No Man’s Land long ago.

The fact that the Abas or Kien armies haven’t managed to do that indicates that the monsters possess a significant level of intelligence.

This isn’t particularly surprising or shocking. Just as feral cats adapt to urban environments, the monsters from the rear regions continue to evolve to survive.

However,

“…Mmm.”

For some reason, I felt a sense of unease from what I’d just heard.

“Are there no troops coming to assist? Given that there are howitzers nearby, I’d think they could bombard their way up easily.”

“The fog is thick, which restricts troop deployment. It’s considered too difficult for infantry to ascend the terrain, so they’ve judged that immediate support won’t be possible.”

“What about fire support?”

“That can always be provided, but securing a vantage point is tricky, making it difficult to operate observation teams. Nevertheless, combat magicians are expected to arrive shortly.”

“Hmm….”

I casually lifted my gaze to survey my surroundings.

With the fog thickening, it did seem quite difficult to lead troops up the mountain or encourage firepower from a distance.

I sighed softly, gathered up the rifle I had leaned against the wall, and entered the building.

—

“…So that’s what happened.”

By the time I finished telling the story, Camila and Francesca were sitting at the table, wearing peculiar expressions.

After meeting with Senior Lyudmila, I immediately explained the current situation to Camila and Francesca. The two of them, resting in the makeshift room, listened intently with serious faces.

“The monsters that attacked the rift suddenly retreated to form an encirclement…”

Francesca spoke up first.

“We hear stories of monsters surrounding people or evading defense lines all the time at the Adventurer’s Guild, but this is not something to take lightly.”

“Definitely not an ordinary monster.”

“Exactly.”

She nodded her head, arms crossed.

“A small breed monster like the Corpse Spider that typically doesn’t attack humans is now assaulting an army, but then it suddenly retreats… It’s certainly strange. Such a phenomenon hasn’t been documented in the Adventurer’s Guild or the academic circle.”

“…….”

“Why is this happening?”

Camila, who had been listening, raised her hand excitedly.

“What if there’s a villain controlling the monsters? Maybe using pheromones or magic to send signals?”

“Hmm… There are indeed people who specialize in handling and breeding monsters. However, those individuals often have clear identities or fall under government scrutiny, Hero.”

“Uh… then might there be a magician lurking here, unknown to the government?”

Camila cautiously suggested.

As I glanced outside, I interjected into the conversation of the two, who were deep in thought, butting their heads together.

“That line of reasoning doesn’t hold much weight. We’re isolated here, and we haven’t even been in the Empire for a month. How would we know anything?”

“The Colonel is right. Groundless speculation just leads us in circles.”

Nothing is certain. Even after three years in the Empire’s service, I have no idea what’s going on, so how could Camila and Francesca know?

We have to do what we can.

I brought a chair over and sat down across from the two of them.

“What’s certain is that we’re isolated by the Rift, and it’s going to be tough to get external support immediately.”

Combat Magicians from the nearby unit are coming, but that might not be enough.

To drive away the monsters attacking the Rift, we need at least a large-scale military force to assist us.

Right now, it’s okay that the Corpse Spider hasn’t attacked yet, but no one knows when something will happen.

I didn’t expect the Rift to be attacked while we were stuck here in the first place.

“Let’s skip over the Imperial Army for now since there’s nothing we can do about them. The unit has already filed a report and requested support. Administrator, is there anyone nearby who could help us?”

“Hmm….”

Francesca pondered for a moment, her eyes rolling around.

“There are Magicians of the Magic Tower operating near the Rift. Of course, there aren’t many of them, and it will take some time for them to arrive.”

“Alright. If you can contact them, please request support immediately.”

“I already did that. As soon as we came inside the defense line, I gave them a call.”

“Oh, really?”

I looked at Francesca in surprise.

I thought she would be too busy dealing with the Corpse Spider, but she had already done what needed to be done before I even asked.

Francesca, with a composed expression, began to explain further while seated.

“Who else did you request support from?”

“I’ve called everyone I could reach. Sir Evangelos, Martinez, and the Northern Magicians who have connections with the Magicians from the Magic Tower.”

Francesca had requested support from almost everyone in her network.

The Commander of the Magic Battalion, Evangelos Rysidike, the head of the Secretariat, Juan Pablo Martinez, the Magicians from the Magic Tower repairing the railways and roads, and the Empire’s Magicians.

She had essentially exhausted her connections.

“Well done.”

“Oh, and there’s one more person. Sir Pereyti.”

“Pereyti?”

The head of the Knights Order?

“Do you seriously keep in touch with someone like that?”

“Connections are important. There’s no harm in knowing each other, right? Especially since we might need each other’s help.”

“…Ah, the investigation into the dark magic items.”

I sighed softly.

If we hadn’t been stuck here, I would have already taken Francesca to Petrogard to scout the smuggling routes.

“What a thunderous blow this is….”

“Don’t think too negatively. It’s not like the demon tribe is attacking.”

“Maybe they’ll attack here.”

“Then we should pray for the Knights Order to arrive quickly.”

I looked at Francesca, who jokingly asked whom a Magician, considered a heretic for centuries, should pray to.

“But Camila, what have you been staring at by yourself? Is there something outside?”

“Ah….”

Camila, standing by the window, turned to look at me. Having gotten up from her seat, she was gazing beyond the thick fog.

“It’s nothing much. Just feeling a bit uncomfortable….”

Camila’s complexion darkened slightly.

“Are you okay? If you’re feeling uncomfortable, don’t stand and come over here.”

“I’m fine. It’s just that thinking about the department store earlier….”

“The department store?”

Why is she suddenly bringing that up?

I looked at Camila with a puzzled expression, but she shook her head dismissively as if it were nothing significant and spoke again.

“It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry about it. I just haven’t had a good feeling about this since earlier… By the way, I’ve been pondering something.”

“What have you been pondering?”

“A way to eliminate the monsters surrounding us.”

Camila turned to look out the window again.

And without facing me, she sent her gaze my way.

“How about gathering the monsters all at once—”

Just then, the world outside suddenly darkened.

Camila, still facing away from the window, continued speaking oblivious, while Francesca stood up awkwardly and prepared to shout.

“Take cover!”

“Huh…?”

Only then did Camila realize the situation and turn back to the window.

I pulled Camila and Francesca toward the interior of the room, wrapping my arms around both.

– ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶!

Then, with a thunderous explosion, dust engulfed us.

*

When I regained consciousness, the first thought that crossed my mind was that I was bleeding.

A hot pain throbbed from my forehead. I felt something warm around my temples and cheekbones as well.

As I wiped my trembling cheeks, blood stained my palm.

“….”

I stared blankly at the blood pooling in my hand. I couldn’t tell whether this was a dream or reality.

What snapped me back to reality was the sound of coughing below.

Camila, covered in dust, was coughing violently.

“Cough…! Cough cough…!”

“…Camila.”

“I-I’m fine—cough…!”

Amidst the coughing sounds, a familiar voice crept into my ears. It was Francesca’s voice.

“Colonel….”

“Oh, Francesca….”

Francesca looked about as bad as Camila. She was also covered in dust and was shaking my shoulder while covering her nose and mouth with one sleeve.

“Don’t move….”

“No,”

“Please don’t move.”

Her firm voice held me in place.

Francesca, with both hands gripping my shoulders, sat me down on the ground and rummaged through her pocket to pull out a potion.

“Drink this.”

“What… is this….”

“You’ve got a concussion. You could really die, so drink it right now.”

I couldn’t muster the energy to reply.

Without giving me a choice, Francesca forced the potion into my mouth as I repeatedly attempted to push it away.

Only after I had downed the entire bottle did I feel my hazy mind gradually clear.

At last, I began to see what hadn’t been visible before.

Camila, a mess from the dust, and Francesca, handing her a potion.

Fire that had started to spread to the wood and curtains, likely from the explosion.

The completely collapsed outer wall of the building, now slowly filling with thick fog.

And,

“What is that….”

In the distance, beyond the thick fog,

The shadow of a massive spider approaching slowly.

Dozens of crimson eyes were glowing a bright red, making their way toward us.

“…….”

Just to note, we were on the third floor of the building.

 

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