Chapter 142
Wasteland
The
Demon Territory spans across a considerably large area of human lands.
The battlefield I chose this time is a place called the Doog Wasteland,
located in the northwestern part of the Empire.
「So this is... the battlefield where
humans and demons are fighting...」
Once
I've been there, traveling back and forth becomes instantaneous using Door
Placement. Since I would be using my Home Gift to train Lirica
and the others anyway, I left them behind for the time being and came to the
battlefield alone. Promptly using the Ice Pillar I was just taught to
look down upon the battlefield from a high vantage point, I saw a completely
barren wasteland spreading out before me. A scorched smell still lingered in
the air, and weapons that seemed to have been used were scattered about here
and there. The ground had been trampled and ravaged by military boots, and the
earth was churned and turned up due to soil being blown away by magic. And in
various places, I could see the figures of people lying face down, unmoving.
「So this... is war...」
Just
looking at the scars of battle makes me feel strangely melancholic. The
country is destroyed, yet mountains and rivers remain... A well-known verse
crossed my mind. According to what I asked Emilia, this area was once a
fertile agricultural zone. The towns that used to exist here have already been
destroyed, and a significant number of the people who lived there were
reportedly abducted by demons. Just as expected from Lirica's story, the
demon family governing this surrounding area, known as the Zwaarth
family, were hardcore members of the Subjugation Faction. Although their
movements supposedly aren't very active at the moment, battles slightly too
large to be called mere skirmishes are still ongoing. Once Odd's purges
within the Demon Territory are complete, their momentum will surely
become even fiercer in the future.
(Should
I just go ahead and eradicate all the demons that come to attack us myself...?)
Until
now, I've been so preoccupied with our own matters that I hadn't thought too
deeply about the affairs of this world. This is the first time I've felt the
reality of war so close to me. Thinking about it carefully, even in my previous
life, wars were happening somewhere in the world. But because they were
happening far away from where we lived, I only recognized them as passing news.
But now, I can no longer treat it as someone else's problem. Because I've come
to know the faces of the people involved—the King, the Emperor, and the
daughter of the Demon Lord—and what kind of people they are.
Fortunately,
I currently have power. Having cleared a dungeon and surpassed LV 200, I
should be standing on the side of the overwhelmingly strong, even in this
world. However, without being arrogant or underestimating things, I will do
what I can. It'll be fine. The scope of what I can do right now must surely be
far, far wider. Much wider than I imagine... and much wider than Lirica
and Emilia expect of me.
It
seems that battles are currently on hold; even if I strain my ears, I can't
hear the sounds of fights or clashes. First, to grasp the current situation, I
decided to head towards where the people were. I thought a fort would be built
like the time I went to check on Mitsukawa-kun, but surprisingly, I
couldn't see any such proper structures. Instead, what entered my field of
vision was a solid-looking encampment constructed using Earth Magic.
Does having many Earth Magic users mean there's no need to build a
permanent fort? I headed towards a soldier who appeared to be keeping an eye on
the surroundings.
「Excuse me, I'd like to ask you a few
things...」
「Hmm... what do you think?」
「He's definitely not a demon, at
least. Well, why he's in a place like this is a mystery, but... we have some
free time, so why don't we do a body search and then deal with him?」
Seeing
me, someone dressed entirely like a commoner who had suddenly appeared on a
battlefield, the two were clearly on guard. Of course, since I had already
anticipated this, I smoothly pulled a letter from my breast pocket.
「Here, this is a letter from Her
Majesty Emilia. Please examine it.」
「—!? Sir!」
The
soldier hurriedly saluted. The letter, written in Emilia's own
handwriting, stated that I was to be treated as a military observer from the Kingdom.
Good thing I got her to write me a note. However, first a Special Ambassador
and now a Military Observer... my mysterious titles are steadily increasing.
Just what exactly am I trying to become?
「I have verified it! Well then,
please come this way!」
「I'd like an explanation of the
situation, but before that, could you take me to the sick and wounded? I have
some knowledge of Recovery Magic, so I can provide at least first aid.」
「Oh, that would be a great help.
We'll assign you a guide immediately.」
As I was guided inside by the soldier, it appeared to be mealtime, and I saw soldiers dipping their bread into soup. While there were many wearing armor bearing the Empire's crest, I could also spot people looking like Adventurers in non-uniform attire. But looking at the whole picture, their numbers were small. After going inside and looking around, I called out to a person who seemed to be on standby within the camp. The person standing there was a woman dressed in a military uniform.
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