「Alright. First, we’ll crush the farthest detached unit」
Once preparations were complete, we set out.
The target unit was about three kilometers away. With Bisha leading, we headed toward it.
Maybe out of consideration for me, Bisha kept a slow pace. It’s pathetic for a thirty-year-old man to be looked after by a fourteen-year-old girl.
That said, I’m in no position to talk about pride. I should just be grateful for Bisha’s consideration and follow her lead.
We advanced with breaks in between, marking directions and signs, until we got within about two hundred meters.
「The goblins are clustered together. I’ll fire a grenade」
We climbed up a slope to make it easier to launch.
I called out a work bag filled with tear gas rounds and put on a gas mask. I handed the M79 grenade launcher to Bisha. I switched to the VHS-2 equipped with a grenade launcher.
We fired toward the center of the unit as much as possible. As I launched the tear gas rounds I had, I could sense the goblins writhing in agony.
「They’re not running?」
The tear gas didn’t spread enough to cover all hundred goblins. The ones at the edges should have been able to escape, yet for some reason, they began to cluster even tighter. Is it instinct?
After a while, some of them started dying. Tear gas really is as vicious as ever.
「Alright. Let’s finish them」
With the gas mask on, I drew my machete and moved in.
Their agonized screams were unpleasant, but as a countermeasure against them turning into zombies, I stabbed their necks and ankles with the machete. Once they dry out, even if they turn into zombies, their movements should be sluggish.
「A higher-ranked one?」
One with a larger build than the others was writhing, tears and snot streaming down its face.
Well, it didn’t matter. I swung my machete and cut off its head. Then I drained the remaining moisture from its body and finished by severing the head completely.
We split the work between us, but finishing off fifty of them with a machete is exhausting.
「Bisha. Let’s move to the next one」
「Got it」
The next unit was about two kilometers away. This time, it looked like there were around a hundred and fifty.
Once we were far enough that the tear gas had dissipated, I removed my gas mask and took a deep breath of fresh air.
「Bisha. Let’s take a break. Eat something light while we can」
「Okay」
She bought a Mos-style burger and washed it down with some kind of shake. I could barely manage a nutrition jelly.
「Alright. Let’s go」
We closed the remaining kilometer, then from the mountain again fired tear gas rounds. Once they were thoroughly smoked out, we went down to finish them off.
By the time we managed to finish them all, it was past sixteen hundred. Two people really have their limits.
「I’m worn out」
「Yeah. I’m hungry」
「Right. Let’s fall back a bit and prepare to camp」
It feels like we’re getting quite close to Milond Fort. We can’t light a fire here. We should fall back about two or three kilometers.
We returned to the point where we first sensed the detached unit, went a little off the road, and brought out Pioneer Two from Home.
「Bisha, wipe yourself down inside the Pioneer. I’ll go cut branches to hide it」
I cut nearby branches and covered the Pioneer with them.
Once that was done, I called out ultra-thin wire and set it up around the area as a booby trap.
「Takato, I’m done」
「Alright. Let’s have dinner」
I thought about starting a fire, but gathering dry branches was a hassle. We decided to eat ready-made food inside the Pioneer.
「I’m going into Home. You’re probably sleepy, but keep watch outside」
I handed her a monocular with thermal vision and entered Home.
A voice recorder had been left on the workbench by the entrance. It seemed Miriel had recorded a message.
When I played it, she said preparations were complete and they were heading to the town of Rihar.
Eight giants. Three dwarves. Eighteen adventurers and staff. Thirty in total including Miriel. The numbers are small, but with eight giants, does that equal a hundred? I don’t really know.
Well, with Miriel, a user of sleep magic, that should be more than enough.
「Was there another battle?」
All the box magazines were gone.
I knew the reward had increased, but I didn’t have the time to worry about it. When I checked the tablet, it had exceeded eight million.
「They must have taken down five or six hundred, and still they don’t retreat?」
For a normal army, that level of loss would mean retreat. If they still aren’t pulling back, then either the damage is negligible, they still have plenty of forces, or there’s some reason they can’t withdraw.
I don’t know. But I bought another thirty box magazines and four boxes of tear gas rounds, twenty per box.
When I checked the refrigerator, it was nearly empty. The water tanks were also dry. Looks like there wasn’t even time to make more.
I bought bread and food from C○sco at random and stuffed them into the fridge. I also bought water and stacked it by the entrance. There’s no way one person can keep up with all this.
I ended up spending nearly an hour shopping. Too tired to even take a shower, I went back outside.
「It’s quiet」
I could hear insects, but no sounds of beasts. The presence of goblins was sparse.
「Are they heading toward Milond Fort?」
There weren’t many, but every single one of them was moving toward Milond Fort. Do they have something that’s drawing them in?
「Reinforcements, huh. What’s the Hero even doing? He’s got more advantages than me, so he should do his job properly」
I’m out here fighting an army without much power. If he’s the Hero, he should be charging straight into the Demon King’s castle.
「Bisha, get some sleep first. We’ll switch at one」
「Wake me right away if anything happens」
「I will. You’re better at night fighting」
Well, she’s better in the morning too, but still.
I took out a portable cassette stove, boiled water, drank some bitter coffee, and kept watch over the surroundings.
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