The carriage rattles and sways.
Riding like this always makes me drowsy, which is a problem.
To stay awake, I turn my gaze out the window. Today the sky is blanketed in thick clouds.
According to the talk, the rainy season should be ending soon, yet here we are.
Today’s inspection tour takes us to a fortress on the outskirts of the capital. Thanks to that, the travel time is pointlessly long.
The official purpose is to observe the situation regarding dragons, but with the rainy season still lingering, there are hardly any around.
It will probably end up being “go, look, done”.
Which means most of today will be free conversation.
The conversation has completely derailed from my original question, and we’re still deep in Empire ogre talk.
-0-
「Surround her with people confident in their strength, attack from all four sides. Then hit her with maximum firepower, including your allies, in one big 『boom!』. If she’s still alive after that, follow up with more attacks. Even something that tough should go down eventually, right?」
「……You come up with some truly brutal strategies. Are you even human?」
「That monster is just too monstrous, that’s all. It’s a pure battle maniac, laughs while charging at you no matter how badly wounded it gets. Right now, I can’t think of any other way to kill it… Even Noie could only attack at full power, and she still got bitten a few times. It was honestly pretty dangerous.」
「That’s…」
Marisan quietly weighs his words against what she already knows.
There isn’t the slightest hint of falsehood in his tone.
If he’s voluntarily giving this much information… then he truly has no other options.
「If you can’t turn her into an ally, you’re saying you are prepared to treat your greatest assets as disposables?」
「Pretty much. If she ever shows up here, I’ll give up and focus on finding a way to kill her… but I can’t use Noie as a throwaway. Maybe I’ll just strap some explosive spell formula to the big-boobs-obsessed idiot prince and have him charge in for a suicide blast.」
「……」
Prince Halfren of the Kingdom of Univance is undeniably skilled. Treating someone of his caliber as disposable… from the Republic’s perspective, it would be honestly difficult. Practically impossible.
Their greatest firepower is herself, but there is no one capable of fighting on equal terms with a dragon slayer.
This is the result of prioritizing organizational strength over individual power.
Marisan honestly acknowledges it: 『There is no way.』
「It would be difficult for our country as well.」
「Yeah. Ah～. Just thinking about that monster showing up again keeps me up at night.」
「……It’s okay. Next time you’ll win.」
「Yeah. I believe in Noie.」
「Yes.」
Argusta gently closes his eyes partway and strokes the head of the girl sweetly clinging to him.
He finds comfort in doting on his truly adorable wife.
While basking in that healing warmth, deep in his heart Argusta makes a quiet wish.
He hope that monster… picks up some roadside snack somewhere and just drops dead.
-0-
Broidwan Empire, Northern Frontier.
「Achooo!」
A massive woman carrying a log across her shoulders sneezed with enough force to shake the ground.
The breath she expelled actually sent stones rolling across the ground in front of her flying away.
「Tricia? If you’re a woman, at least try to be a little more modest.」
「A good, loud sneeze clears you out the best. Besides, I’ve been soaked in rain nonstop… probably caught a cold. My stomach’s been killing me too.」
「Isn’t your stomach upset because you ate that discarded meat five days ago?」
「Hah! You just don’t get it. Meat tastes best when it’s good and rotten. All you ever drink is that finely minced meat soup, you’ve forgotten what real meat is like.」
「I have zero interest in eating meat crawling with bugs. Honestly.」
The ogre woman shrugged at the earnest man supervising the site.
「Yeah, yeah, whatever. That’s exactly why you’re still single at your age. Virgin too, right?」
「That applies to you as well, in both senses.」
「I’m fine with it. Ogres don’t marry until our forties. When we’re young we focus on fighting instead of fooling around with men. Once we can’t fight anymore, that’s when we make children. A true warrior ogre woman stays pure.」
「……You’re not just making that up because no one can verify it, right?」
The man, sent here alongside her on disciplinary duty to this remote northern backwater, sighs in disbelief.
「Since no one else can verify it, the only one who truly knows ogre ecology is me, an ogre.」
「Good grief.」
Shrugging, he turns his attention back to the map in his hand and calls out to the soldiers carrying logs.
「Take that one over there. Looks like good quality, use it for the living quarters.」
The soldiers, well accustomed to carpentry work, move quickly.
「Hey, Yaju.」
「Yes?」
「Why exactly are we doing carpentry work out here?」
That was the question she shouldn’t have asked.
Snapped back to harsh reality, Yaju lets out a long, deep sigh.
「……No choice, is there? This is literally the northernmost frontline of the continent. Nothing here but nature’s blessings, no fortress, nothing.」
「Ah～. One little failure and the emperor’s got the smallest heart ever.」
「Just accept it and focus on building the huts. Otherwise, we’ll be camping in the rain again.」
「Ugh. Really sucks. What did we even do wrong?」
「We failed the mission. That’s all.」
Until the heat dies down, they’re stuck living in this rural frontline outpost.
Still, neither of them had given up. They wanted to complete any mission they accepted. So, whenever they had free time, they discussed ways to conquer Univance.
Though their strategy meetings always ended up turning into arguments.
「Stop rotting away and move your body.」
「Yeah, yeah.」
「One reply is enough.」
「Got it.」
Despite everything, the soldiers watched their strangely close superior officers with warm smiles.
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