Chapter 142
Wasteland
Translator : PolterGlast
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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