Read Novel Full Chapter 291
Chapter 291
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Chapter 291 – Remnants And Remains
We were traveling from Keol in the Western Territories to Hagway, the capital of the Republic, preparing to camp for the night along the way. We had entered the Central Territories, and as we made our way through several urban centers along the way, the sun began to set. We detoured around them to avoid the hassle of the city.
“We could have gone to the next town.”
“If we go to the next town, we can have a hot meal and sleep in a bed. If you don’t have the money, I can pay you, but… I don’t think that’s a problem, is it?”
“Yes.”
I told Ecla-san my concerns.
“Do you remember passing some merchants on your way here?”
“The horse-drawn sleighs, right? Of course, I remember… What about them?”
The first time we passed them, I saw a red bar on their heads. At the time, I thought they were just being cautious of a stranger in a strange vehicle, but the second time I saw them stop in the distance, I felt a tingling sensation in my neck. I looked at Myrril just to be sure, and she gave a small nod. I knew they were the enemy.
“Hjelmar, how are the refugees?”
“They have all regained consciousness. They are tired but healthy.”
I took Casspir into the woods, where we could take shelter from the wind, and started the engine to turn on the heater. The air conditioning didn’t work on the southern continent, and the heat was too much for them, but there was no problem with the heat here.
“We’re moving everyone there. We need your help.”
“If it’s in an urban area, you can’t risk the residents getting caught up in the fighting.”
I nodded at Myrril, who spoke in a low voice. The Republic civilians are not our enemies. I don’t know who they are, but I don’t think they’re the kind of people who care about damaging their surroundings.
“If they are the enemy that has infiltrated the Republic, then I will be the one to take them out. I’m still used to rough stuff, and that’s our problem. I’m feeling better, and my magic is back.”
“That’s why.”
I shook my head, dismissing the “Witch of Sarz,” who was showing a lot of enthusiasm.
“This is the highway. I saw a ranch or farm at the end of the forest. There must be a village nearby because there were several trails leading to it. If we made a big hole in the road or blew up the forest here, it would be a nuisance to the residents.”
“What do you think I am? At least I can control my power. Right, Hjelmar?”
“Ah… no, yes.”
Which is it? The child elf turned back to the refugees with a troubled look on his face as if to say, “I don’t want to offend her too much, but I’m not entirely in favor of this either.”
“Ecla-dono. Are there any people in the Republic who are against the government?”
“There are some, but only politically. I have never heard of anyone taking up arms against the government.”
“Then are they people from the Empire?”
“I don’t know. Judging from the tracks of the sleds, the weight of the luggage is not unnatural for a merchant. They did not carry golems or soldiers.”
We didn’t look inside the wagon, but even if there were armed men on board, there would be only a few, and even including the driver, there would be no more than ten.
“If they were Empire fighters, they could have been mages.”
“After all, you are used to being targeted, aren’t you? Or maybe I’m just getting dull…”
“Ecla-san, how’s the communication with the capital?”
“If there’s a problem, they should be able to contact us through the communication magic circle, but so far, nothing.”
So, there is a communication magic circle. But, well, does that mean that there is nothing unusual going on with the emperor and his entourage? It could be a force that protects the emperor from behind the scenes. If they don’t approach us, we can leave them alone, but… it’s bad manners to send them to other countries. On the other hand, we are also from another country.
“Yoshua. As long as we are under surveillance, we will not go out to kill them. If it’s for our own protection, we have no choice.”
That’s what we’ll do for now. I stow the Griffon and take out the tent. It was a valuable item that I had bought from Simon for the winter (it was hard to find in Simon’s area). The inside of the Casspir is heated, but I take out a thermal sleeping bag and extra blankets to distribute to the refugees in case they are exposed to the outdoors in a battle or accident.
“As for food, sorry, maybe portable food.”
I turned on the stove, melted snow in a large pot, and heated canned food and rations for distribution. Despite their illness, the refugees seemed to have regained some strength and had a good appetite. The taste of the food was not so good that they were happy with it, but it was not so bad that they did not like it either.
“It smells a little strange, but it’s not bad.”
I agree with Ecla-san’s comment. I don’t know if it was the preserved ingredients, the flavoring, or the spices from the country of production, but it was not a taste that I would want to eat repeatedly, not to say that it tasted bad.
After drinking the tea, the non-combatants went to sleep in the car with the lights off. Around midnight, it started to snow heavily, and the darkness outside deepened. It was a little painful, but it was still okay. The snow made visibility worse, but its muffling effect drowned out the sound of the engine.
Me, Myrril, Ecla-san, and Hjelmar, who had raised his hand, decided to take turns sleeping in the driver’s seat. The first to go to bed was the little elf and Ecla-san, but the witch was not sleepy or anything, so she stayed in the driver’s seat with us.
“What’s that, little girl?”
“It’s a Remington. It’s quiet and powerful, but it’s a pain to handle.”
Ecla-san and Hjelmar are armed with their own magic wands, while Myrril is armed with a Remington M700, a bolt-action rifle with night vision and a silencer for night combat, in addition to her usual UZI and M1911. I’m the backup and driver, so I carry a MAC10 on my shoulder to keep my hands free in case of an emergency.
I also have a helmet with night vision goggles in case of open-field combat. I hoped everything would be fine by morning. But I had a feeling that wasn’t going to be the case.
“Why don’t you put that thing away?”
Ecla-san pointed to a tent pitched in a conspicuous place from the road. It was a medium-sized civilian-style tent for five or six people, a bright yellow color. A lantern hung inside, making it visible even from a distance. The Casspir was parked far back in the forest…
“If the enemy wanted to target us, they would go there.”
“What a waste.”
In my former world, I would have agreed with Ecla-san’s opinion. But I would do anything to limit human casualties. As long as it contributed to Myrril and me being happy, that is.
“If it’s all about money at this point, I don’t care.”
“His Majesty the Demon King has a big heart, doesn’t he? No wonder Mir-jouchan is in love with you.”
“I love everything about him. Spending money is a trivial matter.”
Seeing Nojaloli’s puffed-up chest, Ecla-san laughs in dismay.
“…You have a good mind. It got me.”
After a bluish-white flash of seemingly magical light, the tent blew away. The lanterns went out, and darkness soon followed.
“The magic is not very precise, but they seem to have good camouflage skills. They’re like the Republic’s personal observers.”
“Myrril, did you get a fix on the firing position?”
“That’s right. They are either too dumb or too stupid to know where we are, and they stay where they are after the attack. That’s a good target.”
Myrril chuckled and quietly leaned out of the gun emplacement on the roof. I see nothing but a thick blackness and a blue-white glow in the distance as 7.62mm NATO rounds are fired in rapid succession.
“The threat has been eliminated.”
“That’s impressive. Three men in all?”
“Four. I only kept the armored one alive, who seems to be the commander. Just ahead…”
Myrril stepped down from her post and gestured into the darkness.
“A straight line about fifty feet ahead. You should be able to see him because he’s rolling around screaming.”
“Oh, I’ll go then. You stay here.”
The witch jumped down from the gun emplacement, waved her wand, and flew off across the snowfield.
“With his armor, he must be the commander of the Imperial Army.”
“I hope so.”
“…..Eh?”
“The color of the armor is not clear, but it looks more like the cloak of the Eastern Territories than the equipment of the Imperial Army.”