Log Horizon Vol 4 Chapter 2
Chapter 2: A Lazy, Cowardly Princess
Part 1
The group made preparations hastily.
This was the abandoned school campus in Sand Leaf peninsula, the only Round Table Council member
present... Crescent Moon Alliances Maryele made a pa.s.sive decision.
They were to move in the direction of Choushi.
These Adventurers had no motivational factor driving them to protect a town belonging to the People of
the Land. But if they left them alone in this moment of crisis, it would become an uncomfortable memory.
They needed to at least warn Choushi about this... based on this judgement, the group would be heading
there for now.
But there was a party that was moving independently from this decision.
It was Tohyas 5-man party.
They finished preparations early and were the first among the summer training camp groups to head
towards Choushi. The streets seemed to be safe for now, but Tohyas party had to stay alert. They were
currently keeping a further distance away from each other compared to when they were in the dungeon,
moving in high alert formation through the fields.
Rundelhous conjured Magic Light, illuminating the surroundings more than a torch. But in the untamed
lands of the alternate world, the darkness seemed impenetrable after nightfall.
"What about there?"
Tohya said every time he saw a building by the river. The party would act depending on the situation,
either shouting loudly or sending Isuzu to check the buildings alone.
If the People of the Land were still in the building for some reason, they might lose their lives easily if
they were attacked by Sahuagin or goblins. Tohya thought these people had to seek refuge in Choushi for
the night, and they were checking the houses out of their own initiative.
"h.e.l.lo...! Is anyone there...?"
Tohya shouted towards the house then turned towards Isuzu. She shook her head in silence. Seems like
n.o.body was there, so there should be no problem. After Tohyas party confirmed this, they continued
towards Choushi.
"Everyone seems to have evacuated."
"Yeah."
Minori answered Isuzu.
Tohya scanned the area around them carefully while listening to their conversation.
There were no signs of goblins in this farm that was near the coastline. But it was close to the sea, no one
knew when the Sahuagin would jump out from the darkness.
The party split their attention in all directions and moved on slowly.
... In the evening, Tohya saw countless specks of lights on the hills from the school campus, understanding
the gravity of the situation and steeled himself. They might be involved in battles from now on, Nyanta,
Naotsugu, and Maryele were conversing in a low voice. There were obvious feelings of fear, but there
was a strong sense of nervousness in the air.
Tohya crossed his arms and looked at the goblins congregation in the distance. His sister Minori came
over.
(Is something wrong with Minori?)
Tohya was shocked.
From what Tohya knew, Minori had never been so pale as she bit her lips tightly. Minori looked around
her, then said to Tohya unhesitatingly.
"Lets get ready to go, I think we should head to Choushi... I need to speak to Nyanta-san again, please
help me convince everyone Tohya."
Minori turned and left Tohya with these words.
Tohya seemed to be driven by the way his sister said these words, and started to gather his comrades.
They wanted to be the first among the summer training camp to head for Choushi. If you considered the
facts you could see that this was a highly risky move, the advance party would have a high chance of
encountering monsters.
He thought some of his comrades would object to this, but unexpectedly, he was able to convince them in
a very short time. Only Serara was a bit hesitant, but she agreed after Isuzu pleaded with her.
Speaking of unexpected events, he didnt think that Isuzu would be so supportive of this plan.
Tohya was so calm that he surprised himself, accepting the situation with a high level of concentration.
He was not doing this solely for Minoris sake; even if they were People of the Land, Tohya could not
allow himself to leave the defenseless townsfolk behind.
(If we dont do something, the town will be destroyed by the goblins in a blink of an eye...)
Tohya learned the details about the life in the town from Minori, and thought of Choushi as a kind and
open town for the fisherman. Choushi was in Sand Leaf peninsula and was not a fortress city or under the
jurisdiction of any n.o.bles, they might be able to form militias, but they wouldnt have military might
comparable to an order of knights. But with the influence of Maihama and Tsukuba, they had maintained
relatively peaceful lives in this fishing town.
With the flow of the Sand Leaf River nearby, the plains nearby were fertile and relatively flat.
The closer the land was to Choushi, the faster they were irrigated. The farm plots were squared and
shaped like bricks, with wheat, Cole crops and some rice growing beautifully in the land.
Even in the darkness, Sand Leaf with the summer breeze from the sea was a really marvelous place.
The members of the summer training camp formed a long line as they walked from the school campus
towards Choushi. Some of them banded together by levels, others by guilds, some just walked together
with their friends.
Even if they were moving at night, these beginners were still Adventurers. They cast their own magical
light sources and moved tirelessly. Some were riding horses, but it was dangerous as you couldnt see
where you were stepping, so most of them preferred to walk.
Minoris party was much further ahead from the front of this line.
After walking for 30 minutes, Minori suddenly said:
"... I think we must protect this town."
Tohya understood her feelings.
Tohya also wanted to protects, and felt they should protect them.
But they had no reason to.
The town was the residence of the People of the Land, they had nothing to do with Minori and Tohya.
They didnt accept any quests, so they wouldnt receive any items or gold as rewards if they saved the
town.
It was not a player city, and they didnt really know anyone there, just townsfolk they met for the first time
during this training camp.
Even though there were no reasons, they still felt an urgent obligation to help. It might be unfathomable,
but Tohya had this emotion in him, just like a rock in his heart.
But because he couldnt find the reason to help, he couldnt describe it well.
Maybe his other companions had the same thoughts, Isuzu, Rundelhous, and Serara were all deep in
thought as they moved.
There was a dark feeling of unease in his heart, he could not dismiss this sense of helplessness and
confinement. Even if he hated his lack of ability and struggled to leave, his limbs felt like they were
immobilized in a nightmare. This feeling of helplessness lingered in the air around Tohyas group.
"I think that way because... we dont have any pressing reason to help but..."
Minori was at a loss for words.
Gazing up at the forest on the other end of the mountain, you could see torchlights like needles that were
flickering with malice in the dark.
"Although it is scary, I dont think we should stop."
Isuzu was a little uneasy, but you could feel her determination in her words.
Two-thirds of the summer training camp attendees were beginners, and they had various levels among
them. Some were between level 20-30, some were even lower, you needed to be at least level 20 to
battle the goblins.
And they could not ascertain the enemy numbers.
Nyanta called it a mid-size splinter group that is responsible for pillaging, Naotsugu estimated there
were at most 200 of them. But it was hard to give a good estimate in the dark.
There were countless reasons why they shouldnt help.
They had no reason to help.
What they did have, was the emotion of wanting to help.
The sound of the waves surrounded Tohyas silent-moving group. The sea was pitch-black, only the
waves that washed ash.o.r.e could be seen under the moonlight.
With the moonlight and the sound of waves in the background, Tohya had a stroke of inspiration.
"Do we need a reason?"
"Ah?"
Serara asked in surprise.
"Do we need a reason to help?"
After Tohya finished, a strange and wonderful silence fell between them.
"Even if there is no reason, we can still give them a hand, we are Adventurers, right? Because this is an
adventure, if the Adventurers want to help, we can do so even if there is no reason, right?"
As Tohya said these words, the murky emotions inside him started to take shape. Thats right. Tohya
questioned himself on why he was so troubled over this.
Why was he trying to find a reason?
Did he want to explain it to someone?
You didnt need a reason to help people.
"Right? Minori and everyone, since we want to help, we should just help them, its that simple right?
Because we want to help!"
Tohya puffed up his chest and shouted.
"Thats right!"
The first to respond to Tohya was Rundelhous, he nodded strongly and put his hand on Tohyas shoulder,
breaking his silence and showing his support.
"Fu fu fu, to think I was in a slight disarray. That is correct, we are Adventurers. If we run away now, then
why did we become Adventurers in the first place, wouldnt that be putting the cart before the horse? The
goblins are nothing!"
Rundelhous let go of Isuzus slightly worried hand.
"I am also a small part of the Adventurers, I dont want to abandon Choushi and escape to Akiba
shamelessly!"
"Please... Please wait a moment, what are we going to do? How are we going to protect the town? They
have no walls, and they have twice our numbers!"
Tohya and Rundelhous were congenial with each other, but Serara raised an objection in a shrill voice.
"We will leave this to Minori."
"Ah?"
Tohyas change of subject made Minoris eyes open wide in astonishment. Tohya felt sorry for being
unreasonable, but if he didnt push Minori on, his pa.s.sion would be all a waste.
Lighting a fire under Minori was Tohyas duty.
Tohya understood that being rash like this was the best way to go about it.
"... protect. City walls... impossible... Enemy numbers, impossible..."
Minori started mumbling, her lips moved and said: "What would Shiroe-san do..." Tohya who was
watching this scene felt a bit confused as well as an itching feeling of joy. Since his sister started thinking,
there was nothing to worry about.
3 steps, 5 steps.
With Tohyas groups eyes focusing on her, Minori stopped and nodded.
"I have an idea, there is one way."
(As expected of my Minori.)
His sister had a strong sense of responsibility, Tohya feared that she would be crushed by the pressure,
but he also thought the pressure would become Minoris strength. From what Tohya saw, Minori had
learned to turn this sense of responsibility into a driving force to push her forward after joining Log
Horizon.
The source should be from her idolization of Shiroe, Tohya also looked up to Naotsugu the warrior from a
mans perspective, so he could understand this.
"What is the way?"
Serara asked Minori gingerly.
"Miss Minori, I am all ears."
Rundelhous and the troubled Isuzu beside him also gathered by her side.
"With our numbers, we cannot successfully defend Choushi from the goblins. Other than the goblins, we
also need to contend with the Sahuagin, their numbers are more than double that of ours. Not all of the
campers might want to take part, even if we fend them off, the fields will be ravaged which will damage
the town greatly... thats why... we cannot protect."
Minori was firm with her words, even her brother Tohya was dumbstruck by her att.i.tude.
The party was silent after hearing her words.
Minori looked at the faces of her companions, and turned around suddenly like a spring.
"Ah..."
"Hmmm, Minori-cchis instincts have become sharp nya."
"The big brothers have come to visit, checking for any naughty boys and girls who are up to no good,
baby!"
"I am a old man nya."
"Nyanta-san!"
Minori saw Nyanta and Naotsugu, Shouryuu and Rezarick were also not far behind. Serara was already
hugging Nyantas slender arms, her feet were off the ground.
"Teacher Naotsugu!"
Tohya straightened his back on reflex. Naotsugu was not a strict teacher who stood on ceremony, the
problem lay with Tohyas consciousness. He would straighten his back naturally in the presence of this
veteran Guardian, but the two of them usually chatted without any inhibition about girls and panties.
"Nyanta-san..."
Minoris expression was a bit worried, she didnt want to back down, she looked at Nyanta as if she
wanted to stare him down and said: "Please give your permission", then bowed.
"Thats right Chief Nyanta, teacher Naotsugu, this is the time where you should watch us walk away in
silence, thats the manly way to do it!"
Tohya stood beside Minori.
Minori must have thought of a way. She looked up to Shiroe and had been learning things in order to catch
up to him. She must have a plan to break this stalemate, and if that were so, Tohya could not let Minori be
the only one caught in the spotlight.
"There is no need for permission, Adventurers are free by nature nya. If you have made up your mind,
even if the enemy has higher levels or if you need help from your guilds, Adventurers are free to work
towards their goal nya... But Minori, this will be quite a difficult path to travel nya."
Nyanta seemed to know everything, Minori nodded her head to show her determination.
"Understood nya, Puck also said that night is short, the summer night is shorter. So we should hurry, right
Minori-cchi?"
Nyanta allowed Serara to hang from his arms and gave them a sharp look. Tohya and Minori looked at
each other and b.u.mped their fists together.
Part 2
"1 party approaching from the eastern hill, another party 40m behind them, 2 other parties coming from the
northwest."
The moonlight casted dark shadows of trees in the forest.
Minori used the binoculars she borrowed from Naotsugu to survey the area from the top of the tree and
reported to her teammates below.
"Roger."
"Understood, I will start chanting."
Minoris party was at the tip of the forest in the hills near the Sand Leaf River. It was almost midnight,
they were a distance away from the road and on a hill the size of a sport stadium, standing by in the forest.
Minori climbed up a big and steady tree to survey the surroundings and relayed the findings to her
comrades, her duty right now was to reconnoiter the area.
Tohya who already had damage intercept magic cast on him used this barrier which had the effect of a
mirror to charge into the darkness.
He was on his way to lure the goblin party from the eastern hills. After a while, there was a sharp sound
of a bowstring followed by the roar of goblins rushing nearer through the gra.s.s.
Tohya received an all-round battle training in Log Horizon, including the use of the bow which was not
suitable for dungeons. Samurai were compatible with bows and arrows and could equip horse-riding
bows or strong bows. Tohya used a strong bow to attract the attention of the goblins from a distance
away, attempting to lure them to his partys position.
"... Approaching, 2 parties noticed us."
Minoris warning made her comrades take up their weapons and steel themselves for battle. In this open
s.p.a.ce, the distance where a battle would start was much further away, the tactics were different from that
of the narrow dungeons. The monsters and Adventurers would see each other from far away and ranged
attacks would start before they engaged in a melee fight.
But there was a downside to this long-range battle as they might attract the attention of the neighboring
enemies as well. Tohya attacked with a bow and drew 2 parties of about 10 monsters in. They were
unable to confirm the number in the dark, but Minori estimated from the swaying torches and the sound of
the gra.s.s.
"Please start the countdown."
Seraras tense voice stated.
Minori looked closely into the darkness with her binoculars, phosph.o.r.escence appeared in the darkness
illuminated by the moonlight. Moon Fae Drop was an expensive mid-level eye potion made by
pharmacists, by using these eye drops, you would be able to see clearly in the dark like a cat, the effect
lasted for 24 hours. This was also a consumable provided by Naotsugu.
"5...4...3...2..."
Minori concentrated and started counting down.
Serara filled her staff with the spell she prepared, and activated it when Minori counted to 0.
About 30 meters away from the party, a sudden noise came from the forest and the wild gra.s.s twisted
densely in the night.
One of the 3 healer cla.s.ses... Druid.
Each of the 3 cla.s.s had their own unique spells, but they were not limited to just healing.
Druids were mages that could use the power of the forest, their magic came from the mysterious springs of
Mother Nature. They were not prominent in places like dungeons, but in the open world like this, the
potential power of nature could not be ignored. Druid was not a magic attack cla.s.s, their direct attack
magic lacked power, but they were able to use a variety of magic.
The spell Serara casted, Willow Spirits, could affect the surrounding plants, stimulating the growth of
branches and vines to entangle and bind the enemy.
"Here they come!"
Tohya threw his strong bow behind the tree, drew his sword and faced the front. The binding magic
Serara prepared in advance had been activated based on Minoris gauge of distance to only trap the
enemies at the back, leaving Tohya and Rundelhous to take care of the enemies in front.
"I can see them clearly, I leave the opening ceremony to you Tohya, make us proud."
Rundelhous had been adjusting his thinking in the recent battle training.
He understood that he would have a chance to shine even if he left the start of the battle to Tohya. He was
more patient about using his magics and would not think about stealing the show. He was now casting a
spell to buff Tohyas attacks, Icicle Blade.
After Rundelhous finished casting, a chilling cold entwined Tohyas blade, the icy surface flashing in the
dark.
"My spell is different from an Enchanters, it will only cause a few additional attacks, so go all-out right
from the start."
Tohya nodded to acknowledge Rundelhous.
(We need to end this fast.)
The goblins were more formidable than skeletons, the group at the back broke free from the binds and
were on their way here after some time. Seraras spell could bind all monsters within a certain area and
hinder their movement, but the effect was short.
Not only the group behind, the 2nd party was also on its way, there must be even more hidden goblins in
the hills.
Nyanta said there were at most 200, but that was wrong. There were squirming movements all around the
dark shadowy forest, they could not imagine how many enemies were still in the dark.
"Rudy conserve your powerful spells, we will win this by superior numbers. I can support for 30
seconds... Maestro Echo!"
As Isuzu supported with her magic, Tohya and Rundelhous attacked the goblins.
Swords and magic danced in the air.
Rundelhous understood Isuzus instructions and repeatedly used small-level spells in lieu of powerful
single-shot magics. These spells had low damage, but the cast time and cool down time were short, so it
was suitable for consecutive use.
Rundelhous abandoned his powerful spell with a 5 second cast time, opting to use consecutive magic
attacks with 1.5 second cast times. The ice and fire he conjured were beautifully echoed by Isuzus
singing.
A dark red music note followed every fire attack that hit, a sea-blue note would complement any ice
attack that connected.
Isuzu the Bard had low attack power.
This was the fate of all support cla.s.ses, something that could not be helped.
But she was able to do other things because of this.
Isuzu received information from her 5 senses and duplicated Rundelhous magic through singing half a
beat slower.
Being able to replicate an allys magic attack, the ultimate skill of the Bard.
A Sorcerer naturally had high magic attack, so what would happen if all the magics were doubled? Isuzus
voice could only last for 30 seconds, but it was more than enough to defeat the group of goblins.
Following right after was the 2nd wave of goblins that wounded Tohya all over. But Minoris Damage
Intercept spell negated the damage, the remaining wounds were healed through magic. The 2 healers took
turns to heal and Rundelhous finished chanting his powerful magic after 5 seconds of chanting. The group
successfully took down the 10 goblins.
Part 3
"It may be difficult, but it is possible to win."
Serara who was healing Tohya responded, "Dont be careless."
Isuzu drank from her bottle and pa.s.sed it to Rundelhous who was retying his shoelaces. Rundelhous took
the bottle and advised Serara, "Miss Serara, it is taboo to be careless, but we will lose the chance to take
victory if we lack courage."
As the 4 of them caught their breath, Minori was fighting with a folded map. This was given to her by
Shiroe at the beginning of training camp as he said Although I dont think it is necessary. It was a map
centered around Sand Leaf peninsula, with details of the abandoned capital Eastal, Tsukuba and other
cities drawn finely on it.
Even with their enhanced night vision, it was hard to make out the contents of the map. She hid among the
gra.s.ses where the light would not leak out and conjured Bugs Light.
"Yes... Yes, we are fine, we are resting for now, heading towards north-northwest correct? Okay... about
3km, roger, please ask Nyanta-san and the rest to take care too."
Serara sounded like she was communicating through telepathy.
Minoris choice of tactics was pure and simple.
They were going to infiltrate and attack the goblin pillaging group in the forest on the hill.
Since they could not completely protect the town, they had to take the initiative to attack and make use of
the forest the goblins were hiding in to hold night strikes. There was no need to destroy all of their forces,
goblins were different from skeletons, they might be evil but they were still demihumans. If you gave them
a big enough blow, it would sap their morale and make them flee.
In the process of protecting the village, if they could reduce the numbers of attackers in advance, the
defenders would have an easier job. This strategy seemed so barbaric and looked desperate, but it was
working more smoothly than imagined.
Minori only had a rough plan in mind, but it was thanks to Nyanta and Naotsugu fine-tuning the details and
lending them items that it was going so smoothly. And Nyantas group was taking part in the operation as
well.
Nyanta, Naotsugu, Shouryuu, and Rezarick headed straight to the center of the goblins pillaging group.
They lured in the goblins at the heart of the zone and proceeded to pick them off one by one. Minoris
group was on standby to the south of them to deal with any escaping goblins or isolated parties. They had
been executing this battle plan for 2 hours.
Minoris party defeated about 20 goblins during this period. The parties of 5-6 goblins were easy to
handle, but the solitary goblins were unpredictable, it was hard to tell what they were trying to do.
They did not have permission from the supervisor... Crescent Moon Alliances Maryele to engage the
army, so they were acting out of line. Although Minori felt guilty about this, she tried not to think too
deeply about it. She felt she deserved the fierce lecture from Maryele when she reported in through
telepathy.
There was a need for most of the defending forces to be stationed at Choushi to make this battle plan
work. The smaller the number of guerrilla forces, the more the impact and confusion they would create.
This would balance out the difference in numbers between the goblins and the defending forces and
improve the chances of the goblins giving up the attack.
Maryele was not convinced by Minori, but she ended with the words "Really, if you act recklessly, I
wont forgive you, okay?" Minori thought she was willing to forgive her actions. (Just a guess, but it
should be correct.)
"We seem to have taken out all the surrounding enemies, shall we move?"
Isuzu subst.i.tuted for Minori and surveyed the area with the binoculars.
"Towards the southwest direction... Ah, they are amazing, moving so stealthily."
Isuzu sounded impressed as she reported in.
The party Nyanta and the others made on the spot was built around Naotsugu and Rezarick, with the 2
Swashbucklers Nyanta and Shouryuu as the main damage dealers.
Swashbucklers used their high attack speed to build up damage on the enemy, the 2 of them didnt have
flashy or loud explosive spells like Sorcerers. They were able to deal consecutive area attacks on the
enemy, displaying their terrifying skills in guerrilla warfare in the forest.
(Hmm... Head north-northwest 3 km to the top of the mountain ridge... Destination will be the abandoned
shrine we visited... We should avoid the forest trail...)
This route would lead down the valley, but they could make it to the other side of the ridge.
"What should we do, Minori?"
Minori kept the map with everyones eyes on her and nodded.
"We go down the valley to the west, then head northwest, stay alert."
The group moved as planned.
Minori received periodic reports from Nyanta and relayed them to Maryele. Was Maryele discussing this
with the People of the Land? Had the other campers returned to Akiba with Call of Home? No, there
must be some who stayed behind to defend Choushi.
Minori walked in the darkness, a sense of unease and futility filled her heart.
They were just engaging a small part of the goblin army. Minori did not know the details, but Nyanta
spoke of a large tribe of goblins to the north, they even reached the ruin capital Eastal, which was the start
of this incident.
In other words, they were just fighting the tip of the iceberg of the goblin army, a splinter group of
unregulated goblins.
When she thought of this, she felt a sense of emptiness.
Would fending off this pillaging group just be delaying the inevitable? Minori could not stop her doubts
from forming like rain clouds.
"It is dangerous to battle at night."
Tohya who was leading the group said.
"The silver flash when I draw my blade is blinding even with my enhanced vision. We need to be wary of
mud and roots to keep our balance, my heart is beating fast, the stench of the blood and gore stinks, but..."
Tohya didnt turn around.
He remained focused and bashed a path through the vegetation as he made his way down the valley.
"But I will do my best... I will just do my part to help."
Tohyas voice was like a torch burning in the darkness.
Minori lifted her gaze.
She watched the back of her brother, Tohya had the strong feeling that he must protect and help. This was
a strength Minori did not have, Tohyas determination was both simple and straightforward, his speed was
fast enough to leave any doubts and confusion behind.
"Yeah, that will be enough."
Isuzu was the first to nod in agreement.
(As I suspected...)
The free-spirited Isuzu was actually agreeing with this, seemed like Minoris prediction was correct.
Isuzu had been hesitant before the battle and had been concerned about Rundelhous safety. Since that was
the case, they could not afford to lose.
Because Rundelhous was also Minoris comrade.
In order to protect his secret, in order to help her comrade, they had to make it through.
"Why are you saying this? Tohya, Miss Isuzu, isnt it obvious that we need to help these people since we
are Adventurers? I am doing this because I want to, because I want to be an amazing Adventurer."
Rundelhous said spiritedly.
Tohya agreed in a loud voice.
Minoris duty was to protect this silly but adorable group.
Damage interception spells were not healing magic.
And from Minoris point of view, it was not really magic.
This was a promise to protect her friends. Since they would be fighting on the same battlefield, she
wanted to protect everyone and to shoulder any crisis. She didnt even want them to feel the pain of being
hit, that was her ability and will as a Kannagi.
(I am still too green... I am not strong enough to help meaningfully...)
She thought in her heart.
But even so, she carried on to think.
She would not say something vague like One day I will, she wanted the strength tomorrow or even today.
For this reason she faced the darkness without fear.
"Halt!"
Isuzus voice pulled Minori back to reality.
Isuzu squinted at the mountain ridge, there was only a pitch dark forest ahead, but Bards seemed to be
more sensitive in detecting movements in the dark.
She signaled with her hand and moved ahead to scout.
"Its a demonic beast... Not sure what type, but there are goblins riding on giant canine creatures."
Isuzu reported softly, the wind blowing through the hill would not bring their voices and scents to the
mountain ridge so they had the advantage. But the enemy had the higher ground so the terrain was in their
favor.
"There are 3 demonic beasts and 3 goblins."
"Dire wolves... they are strong enemies."
Minori said quietly.
She only had elementary knowledge she learned from Shiroe. Dire wolves were big feral wolves, but
they were not wild animals. They were monsters driven insane by magic and the power of the moon,
twice as strong as normal wolves.
"Any weaknesses?"
"Not many, but for this situation... bright light and loud noises, but that will only work once."
Minori answered Rundelhous curtly.
But no one was hesitating, even if they were, they were not backing down.
"Lets do this, Rudy-nii please be our main striker, lets protect Rudy-nii and win this one, Minori cast a
barrier on him too, please coordinate attacks with Rudy-nii, Isuzu-nee."
Tohya had the support of the group, and they turned their attention to the ridge.
The moon was high in the sky, the long night was just beginning.
Part 4
Night fell in the Ancient Palace of Eternal Ice.
A meeting for interested parties was held in the brooding atmosphere. It was not meant to be a
compulsory meeting but almost all the n.o.bles and advisers for the League of Freedom Towns Eastal and
all 3 amba.s.sadors from the Round Table Council were present, so it was as good as the grand meeting
that was planned for the second half of the 10-day event.
A meeting with many attendees was usually a noisy place with people fidgeting and coughing. But today
no one was making any noise, as if they were afraid of triggering something.
The topic was the security situation in the Yamato archipelago.
The proposer for this meeting was Baron Craindit of Utsurugi Shrine city. The Baron did not start this out
of his own initiative, but because he was unable to withstand the pressure of the situation, which was
obvious to everyone.
Baron Craindit who was chairing the meeting as its proposer was acting so awkward that it was painful to
watch, fidgeting with his beard and wiping off cold sweat under Shiroes stare.
"Even if you say that..."
"Hmmm..."
"Fu..."
The meeting was going in circles when it got to the main point, they had not made any progress.
"The goblin army that appeared in the Yamato archipelago came from the fortress Seven Falls... that...
ah... came to raze... our land... thats it."
After Baron Craindit who had obviously been forced to chair the meeting stammered out this speech in a
shrill voice tens of minutes ago, there had been no further progress.
(From the viewpoint of the n.o.bles, they want us to go into this topic ourselves and gather our intelligence
and force more concessions. Or they are trying to guilt trip us for not attacking Seven Falls in the first
place...)
Shiroe observed the n.o.bles as he thought. The lords had looks of fear, despair, anger, and pleading on
their faces.
Their att.i.tude was full of unease, Marquis Kyriva from Tsukuba couldnt seem to sit still, occasionally
glaring at the Round Table Council members.
(Tsukuba... and Maihama are the closest cities to the goblin army, the front-line of this war. Compared to
the biggest city Maihama in the east, Tsukuba is weak and its walls are fragile... I remember they are
focused on the study of magic and sages, so they must hold a grudge against us.)
"Ah, Eh, cough, and so... the League of Freedom Towns Eastal is facing a great crisis, the demihuman
attacks are the most disastrous thing in history, regarding this..."
Baron Craindit pushed the meeting forward with his dull words, but there was numerous chatter breaking
out in the room, the lords conversing with their advisers and their neighboring n.o.bles. Their voices were
so low you could not make out what they were saying, but combined together it gave an air of commotion.
Looking to one side, he saw Michitaka shrugging.
The meeting was out in order.
But with the future of the Round Table Council at stake, they could not give too much ground right now.
"May I ask, does anyone know the whereabouts of the Knights of Izumo?"
Shiroe had no choice but to ask this way, and he seemed to have poured cold water over the room, some
of the n.o.bles stared at Shiroe with wide eyes and gaping mouths.
(What is this reaction? Do the People of the Land think we are monkeys that cannot think? I guess this
cant be helped, we were looking down on the People of the Land and treating them like NPCs not too
long ago, so that makes us even, but... Seems like the Knights of Izumo will not be deploying. From their
reaction, they seem to be engaged in another crusade? Or is there a deeper reason?)
"The... the Knights of Izumo are the guardian angels of Yamato, we cannot trouble them to intervene in
this fight. Moving on, may I ask the members of the Round Table Council present why Akiba is not
intervening in the face of this grand crisis of Yamato? I have heard the elite order of knights led by Lord
Krusty is mighty and strong, is the Round Table Council not deploying troops for this incident?"
"I dont think this meeting is to question what Akiba thinks, but to ascertain what all the n.o.bles of the
League want, correct? The decision of the Round Table Council is to gather more information about this
incident."
Michitaka scratched his head and said nonchalantly.
Since they were attending a meeting, they did not mind being asked to express their views. But it was
irritating if it was used to steer the conversation off-topic. That was the att.i.tude Michitaka was showing.
"I heard the knights of Akiba have never failed before!"
A skinny and tall n.o.ble whose name he couldnt remember added in a loud voice.
"I dont know where you heard that rumor from, but the Round Table Council and Akiba do not have a
regular military force or order of knights."
Shiroe shrugged helplessly.
He finally understood that battle power was judged in units of order of knights. This seemed to be the
case among the People of the Land. The order of knights did not refer to elite soldiers who rode on
horses, but meant professional soldiers. It was correct to equate order of knights to ever-ready military
force.
There were almost no mercenaries in this world, militias made up of normal civilians could only be seen
when farmers defended themselves. Part of the reason was that the n.o.bles were not happy with the
existence of armed civilians.
In other words, order of knights was the only way n.o.bles could understand a military unit.
But even if that were the case, Shiroe didnt think Akiba needed to accommodate their way of doing
things.
"Then what is the use of Adventurers!"
Marquis Kyriva said rudely with bloodshot eyes, making Michitaka retort.
"What is the use of Adventurers? What is the meaning of this?"
"What else could it mean! Adventurers ability is a gift from the G.o.ds, you have the obligation to save this
land!"
"I never heard anything like this before."
"What baffling words, immortality! You have such powers, and you want to forsake your duty to this
world? Shameless, why are you so arrogant when you have such abilities?"
"... Bulls.h.i.t!"
Michitakas thundering roar shook the air in the whole room.
Shiroes group had been collecting data. Discussing about the loss of memories before the meeting and
also the possibility of sending out an expedition force.
It was a frightening experience to lose your memories, losing the memories of the real world meant losing
your home and being lost in this alternate world, making the feelings of unease more intense. But they
could not avoid living their lives in this world, this was a clear concept.
For Adventurers like Shiroe, even death didnt mean the end. Although they had no idea how long this
would continue... but they only carried on living this never-ending life.
Even if they could avoid sending forces to attack the goblin army, they would inevitably be involved in
war one day. The Round Table Council had the consensus that since war was inevitable, they were fine
with fighting against the goblin king too. They had already come out with a war plan to win this fight, and
the Round Table Council was aware of this when they delegated the decision to the 3 amba.s.sadors.
But it would be troubling if they let the n.o.bles manipulate them so easily. Shiroe expressed that providing
military aid so readily would leave a scar on the Round Table Council, Akiba and the League of Freedom
Towns Eastal. They didnt mind working with the People of the Land, but they must go through due
process.
The 3 of them had specific roles in the meeting tonight.
Shiroe would be supportive of the Round Table Council sending forces, luring them to cough up
information.
Michitaka would be against the provision of military aid, baiting them to give concessions.
Krusty would be responsible for making the final decision.
Put simply, Michitakas opposition against Marquis Kyrivas request was going by the script, but there
was a fury beyond his acting in his roar.
(... Because we are immortals and there is no risk so we must work? Of course we will be angry if you
put it that way.)
For Adventurers who knew about the loss of memory, these words were taboo, of course Michitaka was
furious.
(The arrogance that the strong have against the weak... No, dont laugh, we might be acting arrogantly
without knowing it.)
"We are not n.o.bles of the League of Freedom Towns Eastal because we did not go through the joining
ceremony, isnt that why we were not invited to yesterdays meeting?"
Michitaka stared at the crowd with a fierce look in his eyes.
Akatsuki found out about the secret meeting the lords and n.o.bles held last night.
Because of the effort of the n.o.bles spies, she was unable to find out the contents of that meeting. But the
content could be deduced from the current meeting.
"There is nothing wrong since we have not been bestowed with any t.i.tles through the ceremony. But to
hold a meeting only between the n.o.bles and then making a one-sided request from Akiba and the Round
Table Council for help, what is the reason behind this? We did not take part in that meeting, do we have
the obligation to accept the request in this meeting? What do you think Baron Craindit?"
"Yes, we definitely do not... have this sort of thinking. Lord Michitaka, you are mistaken."
"I am not a lord, didnt I just say I wasnt bestowed with any t.i.tle?"
"Even... Even if you say so... We the n.o.bles of the League of Freedom Towns Eastal did not come to a...
collusion? Anyway... we did not gather together to request Akiba to send troops, there is no such thing..."
Baron Craindit stammered badly under the intimidation of Michitaka.
"The request for troops is Marquis Kyrivas personal request and has nothing to do with the League of
Freedom Towns Eastal correct?"
Shiroe responded.
This made Marquis Kyriva panic.
"Eh! You mean I orchestrated all of this out of my own selfish desires? My dear allies, Earl Kashiwazaki!
Marquis Taihaku! Chief of Lake Suwa! Why are my dear allies not saying anything to the Adventurers!"
"This..."
"It is not the opinion of all of us, not a consensus... But many of us hold this view, is glorious and mighty
Akiba fine with Yamato falling into crisis?"
A middle-aged fat n.o.ble pressed Michitaka relentlessly.
"We are not cats or dogs. Because you cant die, so go take care of the goblins, is that it? If we try to
convince our people to go to war with this reason, how can we earn the trust of the citizens!"
Shiroe restrained the pa.s.sionate Michitaka and let him sit down.
Shiroe didnt mind Michitaka opposing loudly out of his duty, but if he lost control of his emotions and
leaked the fact about the memory loss to the People of the Land, things could get complicated.
(Yeah... This is going to be troublesome...)
Shiroe thought the current situation was a bit of a failure.
Marquis Kyriva and Michitakas hostility was forcing this into a stalemate. Shiroe did not mind sending
an expedition force to help them. No, he thought that it was inevitable that they needed to help.
He needed to find a common ground for both parties to work on, but the meeting was breaking up before
he could do that, and it was hard to interject his opinions at this stage.
(We want to bait them into giving concessions, but we did not decide on what kinds of concessions to
work for, that is a failure... Examples would be financial or economic aid, or signing a contract. No
matter what, attending this meeting without a goal is a mistake.)
The meeting was frozen under this heavy atmosphere.
Even Duke Sergead was unable to speak in this situation. As Shiroe attempted to break the stalemate after
thinking for a while, the meeting room door opened suddenly.
Coming in along with a breeze of wind was a beautiful princess.
It was Raynesia wearing a dress the color of dawn with her hair coiled up.
Part 5
Raynesia was regretting this.
She had been regretting nonstop since a moment ago.
Those who were familiar with how Raynesia actually was would be moved to tears seeing how
hardworking she was at regretting. Regretting was an unproductive action, so it could not be described as
hardworking, but lets ignore that for now.
Raynesia did not have any energy to spare with the details today.
The hall was bigger than Raynesia imagined.
Raynesia had been eavesdropping on the other side of the door for a while.
As she came from a clan of Dukedom, she could not do such lowly things as eavesdropping (she also
lacked the skill), the one doing it was Elissa.
She seemed to be driven by the procession of the meeting as she barged in, her legs were trembling and
her heart was beating fast. Raynesia was a daughter of a n.o.ble family, so she was used to smiling and
dancing gracefully under the eyes of the crowd. But this was her first time appearing in a political setting,
and there was no plan for her to ever attend one.
League of Freedom Towns Eastal was heavily influenced by the culture of n.o.bility, and women would not
be seen as independent ent.i.ties, even more so for single ladies. No woman had ever been given
permission to express her views in such a setting, and there wouldnt be any in the future as well.
Raynesia had been educated to be an ideal, virtuous, and low-profile lady, so she knew this very well,
and was fearful of her colossal actions.
But a certain emotion in Raynesias heart was pushing her on, to stand up on her own away from the
shelter of her parents or knights.
Raynesia, who in her heart was dripping with cold sweat, was on the surface moving elegantly into the
meeting room.
"This is..."
"She is still as beautiful..."
"Its Duke Corwens granddaughter Lady Raynesia."
"Just like a fairy dancing on the surface of a lake under the moonlight."
It was not only the n.o.bles, there were also many advisers and knights in the meeting room as well. Many
of them had been mesmerized by Raynesia when she debuted that night.
Some of them had looks of curiosity and even l.u.s.t.
The smooth contours of her face and her delicate face, sorrowful eyes, clear bridge of her nose, and her
hair like silver strands coiled high up in a bun. A beautiful line that extended from her slender neck down
to her collarbone complemented her gown wonderfully. She had a thin figure with alluring curves, there
should be no objections in calling her a 1st cla.s.s beauty in the League of Freedom Towns Eastal.
If you married her, you would be part of the Corwen family, one of the two most prestigious clans in all of
Yamato. So it was not only gazes of adoration and love, she also attracted attention of ambitious suitors.
The table in the meeting room was arranged in a U-shape, the one seated at the center at the deep end of
the room was Baron Craindit who was chairing the meeting, beside him was her grandfather Duke
Sergead.
In Raynesias eyes, her grandfather appeared more strict and terrifying than normal. She prayed that he
would not fuss over this too much today and walked to the middle of the room and gave a curtsy, the
traditional greeting. First to the front, then to the east and finally to the west.
She had stopped thinking.
Her brain seemed to be stuffed with cotton, unable to think of anything. She was just moving gracefully
like a puppet from her years of training as she greeted the n.o.bles. The real Raynesia seemed to be
watching this scene as if it had nothing to do with her, trembling and hiding deep in her heart, panicking
and holding an imaginary pillow over her head.
But as she straightened herself and raised her gaze, she looked straight into the eyes of her target.
They had been meeting almost everyday for the past week and acted contrary to the customs of the n.o.bles,
a scornful brawny man who appeared polite on the outside.
A monster that could read minds. Looked like a veteran knight on the surface, but was actually an expert
of sarcasm on the inside.
The senate leader of the Round Table Council... Krusty .
With a huge body from Raynesias view, he was wrapped in a black attire with few decorations. He was
calm as usual even in this hapless meeting.
Hiding his eyes behind his square gla.s.ses with a hint of a smile on his lips, an expression of mischief.
Raynesia stared intensely at Krusty.
Krusty was also looking at Raynesia, and he said in a low voice with his mouth barely moving.
"... Not thinking of being a lazy b.u.m today?"
(Thats obvious.)
(Of course I want to.)
Raynesia wanted to return immediately to her comfortable bedroom, change into her slightly stretched but
very comfortable flannel pajamas and roll around on her bed.
She wanted to sleep until noon and not talk to anyone, get up slowly and eat lunch before washing her
face, then go back to sleep again.
Thats why she was looking straight at Krusty.
She had no spare energy to smile elegantly like a n.o.ble lady.
Clenching her teeth, her lips closed tight, she was staring at Krusty with this uncouth expression. Raynesia
could feel the displeasure of Elissa behind her, but she had no time to mind the details as she continued to
stare at Krusty.
A commotion started in the meeting room.
What was this sudden intrusion all about?
The n.o.bles thought this could be the arrangement of Duke Sergead, but they could not help asking quietly.
"Raynesia..."
"Krusty-sama."
Raynesia interrupted her grandfather without even looking at his word and spoke to Krusty.
She prayed in her heart for her voice not to tremble.
Even if she had a feeling that there was no turning back, she still disregarded everything and made a
request to Krusty.
(This is not a man, he is a monster, a monster...)
Raynesia who was shaking in her heart recalled the calm and steady demeanor of Krusty, she didnt have
any intimate contact with him in all their peaceful times together. She remembered he had never told her
any gentle words, and his G.o.dlike observation powers.
Recalling his kind actions and words as well as his fake exterior.
He made sure everything looked fine on the surface and made necessary arrangements. She and Krusty
were accomplices in this.
They had worked together to lie to everyone in the League of Freedom Towns Eastal this past week, using
their kind smiles and gentle actions to hide the truth about them, obscuring their laziness and mischief,
protecting their little secret.
(Thats right... I probably... trust in the dishonesty of this man, trust in the lies of this conman, believe that
he can see through me and help me in this ridiculous joke...)
"Please go on, Raynesia-sama."
Krusty said politely and Raynesia acted in concert and moved closer to him, the 2 of them less than 1
meter apart.
"I want to go to Akiba, please escort me."
Raynesia informed clearly.
Her heart was peaceful and calm, even the noise from the meeting seemed to be so far away.
Her heartbeat, burning earlobes, and the change in Krustys slight squint of his eyes as his expression
changed all seemed so clear to her.
"Krusty-sama once swore an oath to me as a knight to stay by my side during the period of this meeting, so
I beg of you, I have to make a trip to Akiba."
"Head to Akiba... to do what?"
"To recruit a volunteer army."
She could feel the n.o.bles gasp at her words, the Round Table Council governed Akiba, the Adventurers
of Akiba were the military force of the Round Table Council, the military forces referred to as order of
knights in this world.
So she was heading to a city not under her jurisdiction without permission to request the order of knights
for aid directly. According to the common sense of the n.o.bles, this was an action that belittled the Round
Table Councils authority.
But if Krusty, senate leader of the Round Table Council, accompanied her for the trip to recruit a
volunteer army, the situation might be different.
Raynesia was only asking Krusty the knight to escort her, so even if Krusty accepted this role, the Round
Table Council might not be so forgiving. The worst-case scenario would be her execution by guillotine
for inciting a war.
But her actions might have positive effects on the Round Table Council since the Adventurers would
likely avoid executing a princess escorted by their senate leader.
But would Duke Sergead allow his granddaughter to act so willfully? The n.o.bles let out moans that
seemed to be a mixture of disappointment, acceptance, or joy.
Krusty would most likely reject her, this was just a whim of a little girl after all.
But Raynesia continued to look at Krusty straight in the eye.
"I think this is a very very troublesome matter, correct?"
"... Yes it is."
Raynesia nodded with a gentle expression of a lady.
But she was not as calm as she appeared to the people in the meeting. If possible, she wanted to lean on
Krusty and cry, that was how desperate she was.
"Why are you doing this?"
"... Krusty-sama said that Adventurers are a free people, I am just an ignorant girl... I do not understand
political affairs, and also why my grandfather and the others are hiding the news that the Knights of
Izumo are currently missing."
The meeting room was engulfed in curses and swear words this time.
Criticism of Raynesias ill-conceived words was loud enough to shake the walls. Elissa drew her dagger
to protect her mistress, the n.o.bles were even more animated upon seeing this.
"You have really done it this time."
"Please accompany me when the time for apologizing comes."
Raynesia replied to Krusty with an expression of resistance from the bottom of her heart.
This was not an expression befitting the blooming winter rose of Eastal, but almost no one noticed the
slight change in Raynesias expression in this vast meeting room. The accusation that Duke Sergeads
granddaughter had betrayed the League and leaked information to the Round Table Council was still
reverberating in the room.
"What are you thinking about?"
"So Krusty-sama is not all knowing... nothing, I am not thinking of anything... I just dont want to be a
disgrace to the Corwen family."
The young man beside Krusty who looked like a mage claps his hands loudly. The sharp sound shook the
air, stunning all the lords and knights and silencing the room.
It was probably a form of psychological magic.
Raynesia turned in the sudden silence as if she was protecting Krusty and said.
Just like what she told Krusty, she was not thinking about anything.
She was just going with the flow in her heart and making it up as she went:
"The Adventurers are free!... We might be weaker than the Adventurers, but that doesnt mean we can use
our weakness to bully the Adventurers and use them like tools. I want to go to Akiba and plead with the
Adventurers in that city. Krusty-sama says the Adventurers are free, so if any Adventurers are willing to
help, they will not intervene. Be it 10 or 15 people, I want volunteers who are willing to aid us. Since we
want to ask the free-spirited Adventurers for help, we need to have the proper etiquette. My grandfather
taught me that proper etiquette cannot be expressed with only elegant words, so I want to go there and
stand on the street to plead with each Adventurer face-to-face!"
She said.
She said it out loud.
Raynesia had lost all her vitality and almost collapsed dizzily, but a pair of hands supported her
shoulders.
"Can I leave the rest to you, Shiroe-kun?"
"Allow me to reject, it will be a shame if I miss this."
"... Then lets leave it to Michitaka-dono."
The lightheaded Raynesia felt the conversation seemed to be coming from far away.
There was a sharp sound of a flute and there was an uproar in the meeting room.
This was followed by a rush of footsteps and the voices of angry arguments.
Raynesia moved as if she was guided by her partner in a dance and she was in the open balcony with the
gentle night breeze before she knew it. She turned her head and saw the meeting room in chaos and a few
knights rushing after her. The one leading the knights was her respected and stern grandfather.
"Will you be going there?"
Her mind was confused and unable to think about anything, but her grandfathers voice was like shining
letters in the clear night sky going straight into her mind. She nodded to acknowledge and seemed to feel
her grandfathers smile, but that was probably her imagination.
She only held on to this thought for an instant.
A horrifying winged beast... a griffon glided in with the rising air. Raynesia was lifted off her feet like
luggage before she could scream.
"Please excuse my impudence."
This leisurely voice came from the warrior Krusty.
He held her with his strong arms and jumped onto the back of the griffon with the power of his legs.
"You will be fine if you hold on tight."
Raynesia might have fainted if his voice was not so casual. The griffon took off into the starry night sky
with the 2 of them on it.
The griffon with the young mage and a girl with black hair flew beside them.
Her grandfather and the n.o.bles meeting were left behind.
Raynesia held on to Krustys chest tightly to avoid her gown from being blown away.
And so the whim of Raynesia caused her to tumble down an endless slope.
Part 6
"What are you laughing about my lord?"
Akatsuki twisted in Shiroes arms and looked him in the eyes.
Shiroe had been snickering for a while now, making a fu fu fu sound deep in his throat.
The griffon tore through the air of the starry night sky, flying northeast. They could reach Akiba within
minutes at this speed. A journey that took a few hours by horse only took about 20 minutes by the flying
griffon.
"Nothing, I just find this very amusing."
"Hmmm?"
Shiroe was laughing happily.
"This is the first time I have seen Krusty-san make that face, even though he tried to conceal it... But he
totally caved in back there... This is really soothing."
"My lord... you are still bearing a grudge about the dance?"
"No way... well, maybe."
Shiroe replied to Akatsuki who was completely in his arms.
"And that princess is very daring to pull that move at that time... Etiquette, I have never thought of that, but
she saved the League of Freedom Towns Eastal that was trapped in a dead end. No matter what others
may say, she did this to save the League, and she succeeded."
League of Freedom Towns Eastal needed the military might of the Round Table Council. Shiroe did not
know why the Knights of Izumo were not deploying, but the Adventurers would need to join the fray. It
would be a long battle of attrition if they failed.
This might create some vacancies among the 24 members of the League of Freedom Towns Eastal.
To avoid that, the League of Freedom Towns Eastal needed to pull the Round Table Council and the
Adventurers to the battlefield no matter what concessions they had to give.
But there was a major misunderstanding on their part.
The Round Table Council was a governing body that administrated the function of the city, but they did
not rule over Akiba.
The Adventurers were free individuals, the guilds and individuals were not restricted in any way. This
concept was an unspoken rule in Akiba. For players like Shiroe who viewed Elder Tales as a game, this
was something obvious and not worth mentioning.
If Akiba was riddled with rules and bound the freedom of the Adventurers, it would create undue stress
among the Adventurers.
The amba.s.sadors from the Round Table Council led by Krusty had the authority to provide military
a.s.sistance against the goblin army, but they also needed to fulfill a condition. There was only one
condition, they needed to get the support of the Adventurers in Akiba when they announced their decision
to send aid.
If they failed to do this, Shiroe and the other amba.s.sadors would lose their standings in Akiba.
Although the current Akiba was unable to sustain itself economically in terms of food, it was very strong
in the military aspect. With the development of new products using the knowledge of the old world, they
would definitely improve on this and build a strong economy.
Put simply, it was hard to entice Akiba with rewards since Akiba was a prosperous and rich city.
Since neither gold nor provision of technology would work, League of Freedom Towns Eastal had
nothing to negotiate with. In reality, Akiba needed a lot of raw resources such as food. The players with
their knowledge of the old world were always striving for comfort, they would not be satisfied with
tasteless soggy crackers anymore.
But the n.o.bles did not notice this in their short period of time together.
Shiroe already had a plan in mind to hint at what concessions the Round Table Council would want if the
meeting progressed peacefully and to handle the necessary negotiation.
But some of the n.o.bles led by Marquis Kyriva exploded emotionally forcing the meeting to a stalemate
and Shiroe was unable to play his cards.
(She might not know this, but she not only rescued the n.o.bles, she also saved the Round Table Council.)
Honestly, Shiroe agreed with sending out an expedition force.
This was something they could not avoid in orde