Chapter 865: The Second Year of the Great Invasion 1
As I told Naris and the others, there’s little reason for us to fight riskily during the Great Monster Invasion this year. Last year, we had to consider the dragons’ treatment from multiple angles, but we pretty much spilled the beans on all that during the Kalwin incident. Besides, back then, the only dragons I could directly ask to hunt monsters were Laila and Maia. Now, Emma and Leda have joined us, and there are plenty of other dragons who’d likely join the fight at a moment’s notice. There’s less and less reason to risk injury by having the knight girls directly engage hordes of monsters charging across the horizon. Using dragon breath and flight to trample them would wipe out thousands of monsters without a single scratch. Plus, dragons possess formidable defense and can heal most wounds themselves, making them even less of a concern.
“So you plan to join the battle with a complacent formation?”
“C, Cautious……”
“Unexpected events can happen in any battle. We shouldn’t reduce our preparations, Andy”
Dianne flicked my nose with her finger and joined me in preparing for departure.
“For now, the blue dragons should suffice to guard Polka……or rather, even one is more than enough for this small town. ……All other subordinate dragons will accompany us. The Ace Knights and Gauntlet Knights will participate as much as possible, of course. And you, don’t neglect preparing your weapon. After all, the Great Monster Invasion is a hellish battlefield.”
“……R, Right”
“We’ll prepare a separate carriage for transporting people. That hut is comfortable, but it doesn’t seem mass-producible quickly. It’d be wise to place an additional order with Irina for future use. That one is worth mass-producing even if it costs my or Onyx’s money……though, perhaps we don’t need such high-grade wood? That level of sturdiness is clearly excessive……”
“Well, well. Let’s save those calculations for after the expedition”
“A slightly modified carriage can handle it. It’s a simpler hut design, so if we play our cards right, we might even mass-produce practical ones within days……?”
“If we’re rushing to make something that makes everyone nervous, let’s just manage with multiple trips. We’re fast, after all”
“That’s true……but this idea of downgrading could be taken much further”
Dianne muttered to herself while helping with the luggage. True, the 「Sexroom」 was meant as a gift for me, so it was over-specced, but as a guest room, it really didn’t need to be that elaborate…….
Neia and Beatrice will also participate in the Great Monster Invasion.
“Knowing you’ll heal if you get hurt makes it easier, doesn’t it?”
“That doesn’t mean you should take unnecessary risks, Beatrice”
“It’s a matter of mindset. ……Even if it’s for the people, pain is still pain. And depending on the situation, you could lose the use of a limb for life……if you keep that in mind, fighting just becomes depressing”
“……I didn’t realize you were such a sensitive soul when you were the Hero”
“Isn’t that kind of concern normal!? Neia, are you seriously mocking me!?”
Beatrice was furious, but honestly, I was a bit surprised too. Because she’d just become a hero and seemed completely full of herself. If it were Richard-kun, who was with her, I’d understand.
“If you think I didn’t seem scared at all, then that just means I was admirable! Against humans, fine, but if the hero is passive against monsters, no one can feel safe!”
“Well, that’s certainly true……”
“And anyway, weren’t you acting all cocky around us, calling yourself the Hero Captain or whatever……”
“That was……acting! Acting! We were desperate in the heat of the moment, what else could we do!?”
Well, considering how badly Brian got it when he went against the flow, you could say it was smart behavior……maybe. But in the end, he just got used and used, and then they cut off his wrist for the bracelet.
“If you keep poking at people’s pasts like that, I’m not coming with you!”
“Sorry, sorry”
“My apologies. It’s pointless to say anything now, I suppose”
I do think Beatrice doesn’t need to come along……but she just got a stern warning from Dianne, and it’s not good to leave Beatrice sulking. I try my best to appease her alongside Neia.
The two from Saint Gardo were the ones wondering what to do. Leaving Polka behind felt a bit off, but there was no real reason to deliberately take her to the frontlines during the dangerous Great Monster Invasion……or so I thought. Well, ensuring her safety wouldn’t be hard. Plan-wise, I had plenty of knight girls to spare for escorts. But it wasn’t exactly a place for sightseeing……that’s what they were thinking when they arrived.
“I heard you’re heading to the Great Monster Invasion. Could you take me and Fiona to Renfangas too?”
“Princess!?”
The ever-curious Princess Ran had already made her decision, acting on impulse.
“I want to see such a scene with my own eyes. Imagining it alone has its limits”
“Princess, this is taking your jest too far. It’s the Great Monster Invasion. Monsters are invading in huge numbers”
“I want to see it. Besides, it’s about time Fiona moved beyond just training and got some real combat experience”
“You want me to wipe out a horde of monsters……? B, But, if it’s me now, maybe……?”
I wish both of them would calm down.
“It’s fine if you’re just here for the spectacle, but could you at least behave yourselves in Rennesto? If you go out into the town, street thugs will attack you immediately”
“I’ll show you how to cut them down!”
“Don’t cut them down. That place is where those thugs might turn out to be ridiculously strong”
Besides, no matter how much her strength has grown, she still hasn’t mastered her blade technique. Relying on Fiona as the princess’s guard is unrealistic.
“If I can witness your exploits, then I have no interest in Rennesto……♪”
Princess Ran seems eager to witness the awe-inspiring natural spectacle of a monster horde, while also hoping I’ll show her what this legendary hero is made of. ……Well, 「Show off」 might be overstating it—I doubt I’d be much use against actual monsters. Though I’d certainly give it my all with a crossbow. Thinking that, I figured I’d better make sure my crossbow was properly maintained.
And naturally, Irina and Christie are staying behind this time. I certainly don’t plan to have them join the monster invasion, and even if it’s to prepare for unforeseen circumstances, the risk of them causing trouble is too high.
“I suppose I could let you participate a little”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Irina. There’s plenty to do preparing for winter”
“D, Don’t pull my ear, it hurts!”
As expected, Christie showed zero interest in the expedition, and Irina seemed resigned to staying put this time. ……Come to think of it, what about that stealth elf, Charlotte? I wonder if she’s properly handling her relocation paperwork. With that thought, I returned to my departure preparations.
After spending a full day preparing, saying farewell to the other female slaves, and finalizing departure arrangements, we were ready to go. Dianne, Anzeros, and Aurora were naturally joining us. Health Manager Hilda, Cook Apple, and Luna as a scout also join. Then the four from Gauntlet Knights and the two former heroes. All the dragons—Laila, Maia, Emma, and Leda—are present. Last time, I got complacent thinking 「With dragons here, there’s nothing to fear」 and ended up carelessly landing in a pinch. There’s no way I’d cut corners on protection right after that. And for some reason, the three Black Collars are also smoothly on board.
“Well, we’re not fighting, okay? That’s the deal”
“We might swat away any sparks that fly our way, though”
“This time, the three of us will be participating as meat receptacles……♪”
Yeah, that’s the deal. True, since it’s a contract to handle my dick, there’s no need to stick to Polka specifically.
“……If Lord Buster or those involved in that incident find us, it’ll probably cause a ruckus……”
“We’re hiding properly, so it’s fine, fine. Besides, if we’re lying around naked in a 「Sexroom」, they wouldn’t notice anyway♪”
Corti declared it, but was that really okay?
Then, declaring I’d drop by to let the dragon run wild while reporting Tetes’ pregnancy, we split into the 「Sexroom」 and the carriage, departing Polka. The plan is within a week. I think we could stay a bit longer, but with concerns about 100-man Commander Becker and Naris, and as a favor to the outsiders and Zama, this timing should be just right.