The inside of the Beta Fort was still, or should I say, very splattered. Human parts are splattered here and there, and the smell of blood and guts fills the air. I think only people who are used to rough stuff like this would be able to handle the smell. In other words, itâs a hard scene for me and the merchants as ordinary people. Even the guards look pale.
âIâm sorry if this was a little harsh. But no one wants to be like that, right?â
Melty smiles at the merchantâs uncle as she says this. The scene on her back is incredibly horrifying. It is a violent horror, colored with blood, violence, and smiles. Sheâs totally trying to scare him, right?
âDonât worry. The enemy we should defeat is the Holy Kingdom and its army, not merchants and civilians like you.â
âY-yes.â
âOf course, if you continue to support the Holy Kingdomâs army to the fullest extent, civilians may not be limited to that.â
âHyieeâŚâ
I turned away from Melty, who was like a cat shaking a captured rat and immersed myself in cleaning and maintenance work in the fort. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it, though it would make a hole in the merchantâs stomach. Thereâs nothing I can do. Good luck, Uncle.
This time, the damage inside the fort seemed to be worse than last time. I guess itâs because the aerial bombardment was swept away by the strong winds of spirit magic and fell inside the fort. Either way, though, it wonât make much difference since weâll be clearing the land, and Iâll be rebuilding the structures.
As I walked around dismantling the half-destroyed structure, I saw bodies draped with cloth and Liberation Army soldiers gathered around them.
âWhat happened?â
âTheyâre war casualties. Some knights were quite skilledâŚâ
âWe lost three people.â
The quality of the soldiers in the Liberation Army, which is made up of sub-human soldiers with superior physical abilities, is higher than that of the soldiers in the Holy Kingdom Army, which is basically made up of ordinary humans. In particular, the difference is more pronounced in hand-to-hand combat.
However, in the Holy Kingdomâs army, or rather among humans, some possess more magic power than normal humans.
Itâs not as if they can use magic as a mage, but those who have a lot of magic power unconsciously use it to strengthen their physical abilities, and they can sometimes display combat abilities that exceed those of ordinary subhumans.
And in the army of the Holy Kingdom, those who have been blessed by the gods are taken up as holy knights and saints. This time, it seems, there was a man who survived the bombing, and he killed three Liberation Army soldiers.
âIf it werenât for Zamir-sama, we would have been struck even harder.â
âBut if it were up to Zamir-sama, she would have killed him instantly.â
It is said that the holy knight or saint was killed by Ms. Zamir in two strikes. She used flowing movements to block the attack and then thrust the mithril jumonji spear, Meteor, into the face. Ms Zamir is amazingâŚ
So the Holy Kingdomâs army was shaken up by the fact that their most skilled soldier had been killed, and the Liberation Army pushed in and overran them unilaterally after that.
âOur army is overwhelming, isnât it?â
âYes. So far, weâve been able to create a favorable situation for ourselves and draw the enemy into it.â
âWell, yes. There are no factors to lose at the moment. Especially the Harpies, they are the key to our success.â
Itâs great that the Harpiesâ eyes can detect the enemyâs information ahead of time, and they can exchange information with the Golem communicator. And the power of their aerial bombardment is vicious. If it werenât for the Harpies, it wouldnât be so easy.
âItâs just a matter of how far we can go before the Harpies take action.â
âItâs not that easy to deal with, is it?â
âHmm, it should be. But I donât know. There are geniuses among humans, too.â
Thatâs true, too. There is no possibility that a revolutionary countermeasure against the Harpies will suddenly be devised. We canât be too careless when I think about it.
After delivering the supplies for the wagons to Fort Beta, the merchants were released. They left Fort Beta as if they were running away. Since Melty had threatened them so much, Iâm sure theyâll be very vocal about how dangerous it is to antagonize our liberation army.
As for the Holy Kingdom army prisoners, after treating them and disarming them, we decided to release them with a minimum of water and food. At the same time, they were given a letter of notification from the liberation army.
I didnât have a chance to look at the contents in detail, but itâs a recommendation to the Holy Kingdomâs army to leave the country â in other words, itâs almost like a declaration of war.
It said that the Holy Kingdomâs army should leave the Merinard Kingdom and free the Merinard people. Itâs the same kind of thing as the sign we put up in front of the temporary fort.
âWill it be all right? Wonât the Holy Kingdomâs army come pouring in at once?â
Danan shook his head as if to dismiss my concern.
âI donât think they can afford that. If the fortress on the border of the other territory is dropped, the losses incurred for the Holy Kingdomâs army will exceed 7000. This is probably close to half of the Holy Kingdom troops stationed in the Merinard Kingdom. The only thing they can do is to send a request for support to the home country and then fortify their defenses.â
âSo we can expand our territory as much as we want?â
âThere are limits, though. If we take a city, weâll have to devote troops to maintain it. Our numbers are small, after all.â
âI see. That will be the problem in the end.â
In order to maintain the fortress and the city, soldiers must be devoted to the maintenance of the city. We canât just get rid of the Holy Kingdom army and be satisfied afterward.
Among the city residents, there would be enthusiastic supporters of the Holy Kingdom and the Adel religion, as well as the families of the soldiers. These people are potential anti-Merinard and anti-liberation forces, so we have to be prepared to deal with them if they get violent.
âWe also need to increase the number of supporters⌠Itâs going to be a tough job.â
âIâd like to think that the original Merinard citizens would be supportive, thoughâŚâ
Twenty years have already passed since the country was made a vassal state. Many people have already left this world, and of course, some have been born in the Merinard Kingdom, which belongs to the Holy Kingdom.
Twenty years is a long time. There might be some people who would accuse Sylphy, saying that the daughter of a royal family was doing nothing and just hiding in the Black Forest.
In reality, Sylphy probably wasnât hiding in the Black Forest for so long, and she was probably just a child twenty years ago, so I donât think she deserves the blame, but I donât know if the people who have been oppressed for twenty years would feel the same way I do.
Anyway, the control of Beta Fort is over, and the process after this is the same as that of Alpha Fort. Collect the corpses, incinerate them, and repair the fort so that it can be used. The only difference was that there was a funeral for the deceased soldiers of the Liberation Army.
âIs this the funeral of the Merinard Kingdom?â
âItâs more like a warriorâs funeral on the battlefield.â
My question was answered by Sylphy. How can I describe their funeralâŚ? Well, I guess itâs cremation.
Unlike the incineration of the corpses of the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, the body is placed on a kind of bed made of straw and logs, and offerings of wine, food, flowers, weapons, and a small amount of money, and after praying for the repose of the soul, the offerings are burned.
âIt is said that the dead who are sent in this way will reach Omicle and begin a new life there.â
Isla said, pointing to a giant planet in the sky. Itâs an earth-shaped planet that takes up about 30% of the sky.
âSo that planet is the afterlife for the people of this world?â
âHmm.â
As she looked at the blazing flames and rising smoke, Isla nodded. The Harpies sang a funeral song. The Lamia played an improvised drum. The Beastmen clapped their hands and played body percussion to create a unique rhythm. I was overwhelmed by the scene.
It looked very primitive, but it was very overwhelming. It even felt solemn. I felt something that appealed to my instincts. It was something completely different from just wearing mourning clothes and listening to scripture that I couldnât understand.
The fire eventually died out, and only ashes remained. The weapons and the bones of the corpse that had been offered along with the fire were also buried in the ashes, and there was not a shadow of them to be seen. Hmm? Can iron weapons and bones be reduced to ashes by the flames of a bonfire?
I wonder if this ritual might have really sent them to Omicle, that planet in the sky.
âWhat do you do when the funeral is over?â
âBanquet.â
âWe eat and drink and mourn for the dead.â
âWell, thatâs not so different from my place.â
âIs that so?â
âYeah. I guess the customs of similar people, or even races, donât change that much in a different world.â
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âYes, there are some idioms with similar meanings.â
âHmm, interesting.â
While talking about this, we entered the banquet. Weâre having a special all-you-can-eat steak dinner today! There will be alcohol! And thereâs still plenty of Gizma meat left to use!
The day after the fort was conquered and the funeral was held, it was decided that we would take the day off to rest. This was decided because they were probably tired from the march and the attack on the fort. Some of the Liberation Army soldiers are still training. Are you guys okay? You just walked around and shot a few crossbows, so youâre okay? I hope so.
There are less than half a dozen Liberation Army soldiers who seem to be training⌠No, thatâs a lot, huh? Not even half of them, but more than 30% of them are training, right? Seriously⌠As for me? Well, whatever.
âHere, Kosuke-san. Aahn.â
âAahn⌠Yeah, delicious.â
âAahn.â
âYeah, yeah. Here.â
âMmm, delicious.â
âM-me too, Danna-sama, aahhn.â
âI want to feed you, too.â
And like this, Iâm spending time with Isla and the Harpies. Donât you think itâs a very worthwhile rest? I think itâs the best. I can feel my heart being healed after watching the battle.
Sylphy, unfortunately, is in a meeting with Danan and Melty. Sheâs working hard, and when she comes back, Iâm going to spoil her to the fullest â just the two of us. Iâve already talked about this with Isla and the Harpies. And thatâs why weâre doing this while we can.
Itâs so fun to be flirted with by everyone! I donât even care about my old world anymore.
I wonder what itâs really like. I wonder how Iâm being treated in the original world? Did I actually die suddenly? Or have I mysteriously disappeared? Or am I supposed to have never existed in the first place? If I had to pick one, Iâd say the third state is the most preferable. That way, no one will be sad. I donât have any siblings or parents, but I do have a few close friends. If I were to be treated as dead or missing, I might have caused them some trouble. Thatâs my only regret.
âKosuke?â
âHmm? What is it?â
âYou looked kind of sad. Whatâs wrong?â
âDo I look sad? I was thinking about the world back home.â
Isla and the Harpiesâ expressions clouded over at my words.
âDo you want to go back?â
âNo, I donât really think so. Everyone is always with me, and I never feel lonely.â
If anything, Sylphy was always there for me.
âKosuke-sanâŚâ
âEehheh, weâll take care of you so much that you wonât even have time to be lonely.â
âThatâs right. Weâre a family now. Donât be shy to ask for attention, Danna-san.â
Isla and the Harpies clung to me tightly and stroked me with their wings. Hmm, I think Iâd be good for nothing if I were pampered like this. But itâs a manâs nature to lose himself in a woman, isnât it? Iâll be careful not to do that, though.
âAhâŚâ
One of the Harpies raised her voice and turned her gaze towards the door.
ââŚ..â
There was Sylphy with a tearful face, and long ears pointed up. She was sad because she felt like she was left out. We all had a very, very hard time comforting her.
âK-Kosuke is mine, you know.â
I stroked her head as she hugged me, tears streaming down her face.
âHmm, I know. Weâre just sharing a little.â
âYouâre right. We all know that.â
âUghâŚâ
After a while, she came to her senses and wrapped herself in a blanket in the corner of the room, and turned into a caterpillar in embarrassment. Iâll mention again that I had a hard time comforting her.
âYouâre pretty, Sylphy.â
âYour Highness, you are so lovely.â
âStop it!â
âFufu, donât tease her too much, or sheâll turn into a caterpillar again.â
I agree with you all, but donât do it again. She will really turn into a caterpillar again.