Chapter 4: Chase that back
After Raynesia left, the meeting had an atmosphere of chaos and exhaustion. The senate leader of the
moderate tactician.
The nobles didn't know where to throw the clenched fist they held up in the air. No, holding fists up in the
able to pick up the pieces had already left, the group didn't know what to do.
alternated between green and red, even his attendants were unable to help him. In the end he begged
Even if they were not at the level of Baron Craindit, all the nobles should have a certain degree of the
As it had come to this, the meeting ended temporarily.
(This is going to be troublesome.)
the details. He thought a merchant just needed to produce quality goods and sell them at an appropriate
(And I am a blacksmith...)
joining the Round Table Council. With the drop in players raiding high-level dungeons, there had been a
solved by managing the supplies strictly.
conversing with others. This was how Michitaka judged himself.
any hostility towards the 'League of Freedom Towns Eastal'. He only opposed sending military aid
...But he was a production player, he had a lower risk of dying compared to the battle players. Even if
how could he agree to wage war so easily? He couldn't deny that he felt a sense of guilt over this.
His thick and strong fingers reached through his black hair and scratched his head. He felt low-spirited
Michitaka was followed by a male attendant, walking down an empty and long corridor. He casually
was just turning his head after seeing the moonlight on the floor.
"Soujirou-sama, please listen to me too!"
There was a luxurious couch in the balcony under the moonlight, a place suitable for tea parties. A
and maids of the People of the Land, making Michitaka feel a sense of desolation.
unease, all these things he was thinking about didn't seem to matter anymore.
'League of Freedom Towns Eastal' was colorless and boring.
Michitaka did not approach Soujirou and headed towards the zone where his bedroom was.
Michitaka thought so, but he found that the development that followed would be complicated.
zone. The old duke was accompanied by a single knight as he bowed to greet Michitaka silently. The long
The elderly Duke simply said: "Is it convenient?"
He invited the Duke to a small meeting room, this was where the Round Table Council... Krusty, Shiroe,
rooms would be big enough to be Michitaka's home back in Japan.
surprised, but someone like the Duke definitely knew about Bags of Holding, so Michitaka didn't
"Sorry to disturb at such a late hour."
"Hahaha, indeed."
"The Corwen family must not fall because of the reckless actions of my granddaughter."
Duke Sergead was the chairman of the 'League of Freedom Towns Eastal' and commanded great
"As you have judged, it is possible that the girl's actions fractured the relationships between the league
His words hinted at the doubts the other nobles had of clan Corwen. Maihama was a strong city under
strong enough to subjugate the rest of the 'League of Freedom Towns Eastal'.
all the events leading to their present situation happened at the spur of the moment, and there were no
But in that kind of situation, the most important thing was how others interpreted it.
(Even this conversation might be interpreted as some sort of conspiracy...)
Michitaka asked directly, he was not good with testing the waters or scheming.
Michitaka resented being addressed as lord during the meeting, so the Duke made a good impression on
man was wary about using terms that might anger Michitaka, which made him want to continue
(But I am not as talented as Shiroe...)
There was the gentle sound of door knocks.
reinforcement requested by Shiroe included chefs, and they had been preparing all sorts of dishes to
working their asses off).
"Ah ah, you came just at the right time Henrietta-san, please join us."
"Ay, please don't hold back."
"You are the lady who danced with Shiroe-dono at the party correct?"
"Crescent Moon Alliance is one of the 11 guilds that forms the Round Table Council, this lady is the guild
Michitaka took a breath after finishing his introduction.
Henrietta should be able to look out for Michitaka's blind spots and hint the direction the meeting should
But first, they helped themselves to the snacks.
They chatted casually while enjoying the food.
Maihama, the topics took a detour before coming back to the main topic of the night.
Henrietta gracefully put down her teacup and said.
"I think the most important starting point is Duke Sergead's long term plan, I think we can come to a
Michitaka grunted.
sentence, how pathetic. But he should be thankful for Henrietta's intelligence and capabilities instead.
meetings would seldom yield the benefits of brainstorming.
Duke Sergead closed his eyes.
want to use this opportunity to find out your straightforward views and what you wish to achieve for your
Michitaka added.
the chairman of the league also acted this way, there would be no point in further discussion.
years of battle with the demihumans, protecting this land that nurtures us is our top priority."
Nobles who did not want to protect their people and lands were not real nobles.
"Next, I will not be inviting you all to become the 25th member of the 'League of Freedom Towns
This stunned Michitaka.
reason for our failure. I do not wish to exclude or keep a distance from the Round Table Council, to put
of Freedom Towns Eastal'. The Round Table Council and Akiba are able to rival the whole 'League of
an alliance of all the feudal lords while the Round Table Council is made up of clans... I remember you
one city, and we have the preconception that one city is too small and underestimated you. We have been
Michitaka considered Sergead's words.
the League, problems are bound to arise and will end up hurting or ending the League. Even if we succeed
that to the griffon flying in the sky. I think the 'League of Freedom Towns Eastal' and the Round Table
treaties and open up trade routes and use this as a basis of our relationship."
Michitaka's reply made Sergead eyes open wide.
other territories. We just want to protect our home in this world and realize our own dreams... a way back
to visit the ruins and relics all around the world, we will also need to trade for food and resources. To
thing."
"This is a very possible but rough policy correct? Even if we announce that we will be on equal
we can make any concrete promises."
He was hoping that Henrietta would watch out for such details.
them.
other, and to maintain our relationship as trading partners. Sorry to be blunt, but the countermeasures of
have not signed anything, but for Maihama and the 'League of Freedom Towns Eastal', dealing with the
Both Michitaka and Duke Sergead nodded and agreed on Henrietta's point.
The burdens on the People of the Land and the Adventurers were not the same.
"Let's not talk about this for now."
He was thinking about what Soujirou was doing, just remembering that scene made him feel silly for
The Adventurers had limitless powers, the People of the Land envied them and had to resort to schemes?
seemed to not matter anymore. It was an experience that made you lose strength in your legs. No matter if
In the end, Michitaka did not need to burden himself to this extent.
say this. They might have some concrete plan on what to do, so it is unfair that only we have to rack our
distribution of labor."
Even if they came to a consensus or their negotiations broke down, the events had already been set in
stop them.
They had always been successful in achieving their goals when they took matters into their hands.
So they could only wait and see how things turned out.
Henrietta pouted as if she were angry and her words seemed to belittle Shiroe, but her eyes seemed to be
"And so, I will let my granddaughter shoulder the responsibility for this incident."
Part 2
Beside Raynesia was a female knight wearing the conservative military costume from D.D.D. Instead of
telepathy.
The sound of simple reports, different from the style of the knights, not like anything she had heard of.
gently on her eyelids. Raynesia was able to see after blinking a while, her vision was clear and the
But the sounds from the dark were still scary.
this type of environment. She shuddered at every movement in the dark bushes.
Her emotions were still intact.
But her body was more honest, she was tense and shivering as she felt her life was in danger. She
the bag.
when we reach there."
The warriors around her seemed to know of this arrangement as they changed their formation smoothly.
provided details of the geography to the female knight when she queried them. There was a small stream
was a platform there where you could see the whole valley.
The leading warrior would clear the bigger branches, but the sharp and thorny undergrowth was still in
her.
She was concerned with exposing her thighs.
do that in the summer, Raynesia was wearing a thin cape that only reached her waist, she was reluctant to
(Ah...)
trees and up the slope the height of a man, the view became wide and open. This was a rocky platform 6
cliff were also visible from here.
and wiggled like a procession of evil bugs.
The female knight ushered her to a foldable field chair. It didn't have a backrest or armrest, but she was
Raynesia thanked her politely and borrowed the seat.
different. Not only Krusty and the Round Table Council, she had to be prepared that everyone had the
So she could not forget to show courtesy and gratitude in her behavior.
Raynesia observed the female knight, she seemed to be busy studying the map and talking through
The Adventurers around her took out foldable equipment, including a 3-legged table and several tubes that
"It begins."
The moment Raynesia turned at the knight's words, a flash of light fell into the valley, followed shortly by
corner of the dark valley with her white finger guiding the confused Raynesia.
even make out the shape of the trees and leaves.
pulling your focus too far... It is starting, please watch this closely."
The lightning strike right at the center of the goblin group, the bright hammer that fell from the sky was
Raynesia could see Krusty's body clearly in the bright flash of light, he wielded the double-edged axe
In the wake of Krusty's path, about a hundred people followed him along the stream. It felt like the cape
They striked at or pierced the goblins without mercy upon contact.
they probably had overwhelming destructive power.
Leading his men from the front, guiding the knights with his back, Krusty was emitting a strange air. The
mountain of corpses.
His eyes squinted with joy.
Krusty rampaged in the battlefield happily, like a child rushing around in a festival.
His axe was like the wind, you could not see its tip.
Some monsters attacked Krusty occasionally. A wolf the size of an ox charged at him and Krusty stopped
magic pierced through the wolf immediately.
shifted his interest to the next group of goblins.
Eerie.
But in Raynesia's eyes, this scene felt very sorrowful.
warrior protecting her homeland, Raynesia thought that was a shameful thought.
Why was there a feeling of solitude?
outside."
Raynesia opened the eyes she closed unconsciously, 2 colossal giants the size of siege towers were
"...!"
and positioned himself between the two giants. To Raynesia, the giants with their devastating size could
Krusty swung his glowing red axe at the giants and they retaliated furiously focusing only on Krusty.
hanging on and defending.
equipped with stone bows and spears scattered around them. But the 'Legion Raid' Krusty was leading
The 'Legion Raid' divided roughly into 4 and each splinter group split further into 4 parties, spreading out
The movements of the Akiba army was fast and flawless, the goblins without a well-defined command
From Raynesia's vision enhanced by the Fairy Balm, their dancing figures rushed through the forest.
He swung his hand down like a conductor.
Krusty looked so elated.
This made Raynesia sad.
He swung his axe with all his might, cutting open enemies, blocking attacks. Both his arms were bleeding
The Krusty in Raynesia's eyes was so free that he might just turn transparent and disappear into the
(This...)
The invincible and strong Krusty in both the palace and the battlefield seemed so fleeting to Raynesia,
Krusty seemed so delighted, but the end of this happiness was probably emptiness and solitude. This
The blitz group led by Krusty continued their advance in the forest.
with all her heart.
Maryele's group used the fisherman's warehouse by the Sand Leaf River as their temporary base, keeping
defensive plan.
The goblins seemed to have pulled back from the forest and the Adventurers were taking turns sleeping in
It had been 24 hours since the goblin attack, Maryele's group had successfully defended Choushi during
The more you looked down on the beginners, the more passionate they were in adjusting and helping,
She thought this was probably natural.
so they will not have any bias...)
kind of disadvantage, the veteran players would treat the beginners as weaklings.
When Shiroe revealed that the People of the Land were the same as players, they had personalities,
But the impact was lighter for the beginners.
a game. Because of this, they just felt like they had been abducted to this alternate world that had nothing
Hence, they were more passionate and aggressive about protecting the People of the Land and were
need much convincing before agreeing to fight and protect Choushi.
The summer training camp started out on a voluntary basis, so the veteran participants were all kind and
a brave face and lead them.
morale even higher.
From what Maryele knew, there were 26 defensive actions at the borders that night, about 4 battles per
The expression of the beginners changed as dawn broke.
hardship. Instead of saying the battle was grueling, it should be the air of the battle that was acrid.
class, but stamina, strength, toughness, and agility were not a problem for them. They could heal their
spells.
Even if they were monsters, taking lives was still a terrifying experience, some Adventurers might even
If they wanted to carry on battling in this world, they must get used to this no matter what. Before the
companions.
was also a rare chance for them as well.
morale would reflect on their fighting spirits and determination, but the most obvious effect was the
A trio of beginners on their way to guard Choushi noticed white foam and bubbles in the direction of the
It might be their memory of the horror of being assaulted at the beach, but this fear produced positive
Because they detected them early, the Sahuagin were still on the far side of the beach when the veteran
The Sand Leaf River was very wide in this zone and the river mouth connected to the sea. The fresh and
The veterans groaned as they looked at the surface of the sea, there was a lot of white foam on the surface,
(This...)
Choushi was a peaceful town centered around fishing and farming, so their town was built along the Sand
least a 100-meter distance from the river, which was very near.
This was just an open beach of sand and stones for the fishermen to pull their fishing boats and tools to
The flank of the town was fully exposed with such a wide avenue of attack, protecting the town from such
(No, instead of saying impossible... It is easy for us to survive, we can just run away, we can take them all
it is probably impossible...)
either side of her.
On the left was a beginner assassin and many other warriors holding their bows getting ready for battle.
them like knives.
Naotsugu said with a bright smile.
There was no need to worry.
heart grow wings and flutter.
Maryele raised her voice.
Choushi and the damage to the farms are kept to a minimum. We successfully fended off the goblins, this
before we are really done in protecting this town. This is the final battle, please lend me your strength... I
The bowstrings sounded out loudly.
behind him, Nyanta waved gracefully at Maryele before joining them.
But there were a few parties that did not take part in the assault. At the corner of the road farm trail where
puzzled eyes, she replied: "We will need to substitute another team soon."
had a point, since they would be defending against such a large group of enemies, they would need to plan
A fierce fight broke out at the coastline.
It was very draining for the healers in a long fight, Maryele as a high level cleric would be needed in the
Part 4
Simple defensive outposts were being built and the parties were being formed. After the confirmation of
of the whole army.
Krusty's blitz group had already engaged the enemy early this morning, from the reports of the
what this figure meant in the whole war.
didn't know if that figure was big or small, or if the goblins would retreat from this loss.
was the crude knowledge Shiroe had but he had doubts about it.
Tales was a game, the monsters in the game would only attempt to flee at this stage and would never
Considering this, the 30% rule might not be applicable here, or the military knowledge of the real world
concept of retreat.
Krusty's army managed to defeat giant beasts and 2 giants in the goblin army without much loss. Unless the
(If there are enemies Krusty's army cannot handle, nobody else in Akiba will stand a chance.)
plan accordingly to take them out.
Tales was a game, they had to go through countless failures and get wiped out multiple times before they
fight. If both sides were equal in strength, the one with the best intelligence of the opponent would gain the
But in the situation with no intelligence, Krusty's army was without doubt the strongest sword in Akiba.
Shiroe placed a black pebble in the center of the map representing Krusty's position, then a white pebble
Now he needed to focus on Choushi.
cape of land fell, the Sahuagin might even make their way to Maihama.
mind.
The reason was unclear, but Shiroe deduced that it had something to do with the goblin invasion, the two
and reap something for themselves. No matter which was the case, the fact they had to fight on both fronts
(For this portion... We can consider it roughly complete.)
wings closed, it was placed in the sea.
This ship had been utilized to the limit in this war.
should have linked up by now and was ferrying the 4 'Full Raid' groups detailed by Shiroe towards
Ocypete was a cargo ship and was not armed, so it was a leisure ship.
high defense. The Adventurers it was ferrying were the ship's weapon.
summoners were not as strong as sorcerers', but they had the ability to conjure elementals to conduct
spells and reduce MP usage.
Shiroe held discussions with the various telepathy communication operators that entered the tent, tying
It was easy to win in this war. But if they destroyed the core of the goblins' battle group causing the
would become a mess.
including the elder and the villagers toiling the land and herding sheep. In this dangerous world, they must
But if there was a chance to save them of course they should do that, that was the right thing to do.
The duty of destroying the heart of the goblin army could be safely entrusted to Krusty, the crucial thing
Unlike the 'Legion Raid' blitz group Krusty was leading, they needed to organize smaller and more agile
was now working on turning this concept into a practical war plan in order to achieve this goal.
To do this, Krusty was starting from the west and going clockwise, 'peeling' the outer edge of the goblin
tactic, they should be able to herd them to the most optimal position.
Chiba prefecture known as Boso peninsula in the real world, the surrounding regions should be relatively
could get there in time.
Akatsuki who claimed to be his bodyguard followed him here to ask while seated on a cushion in the tent.
ending in a day or 2, I will go then."
Akatsuki nodded.
only be rivaled by a red wyvern.
could get to Krusty or Choushi in 30 minutes.
First, he could relay his orders to the whole army speedily with so many communication operators
Second, the situation of the war changed rapidly, Shiroe wanted to stay between Krusty and Choushi so he
Shiroe was still setting up the communication networks for the whole expedition army.
with half-autonomous battles. A leader would command each party to keep communication with
operator would be assigned to maintain horizontal-level communication between parties. By writing the
into a visual format.
It was similar to how he planned his schemes.
point of interest, utilize it by sending out orders. The strategy Shiroe was thinking about was just the
And similar to now, most of the work was dull and boring, Shiroe ranted that he was totally a bureaucrat
The shout of a communication operator filled the tent and broke Shiroe's train of thought.
but there are over a thousand Sahuagin, they are critically outnumbered!"
needs to be completed, we need to complete the communication network in one day... no, half a day!"
would happen in the future to the dozen or so communication operators, his voice unwavering.
Shiroe bit his lips and thought hard.
"Huff... Huff..."
Shouryuu lay on the ground exhausted as Naotsugu covered him and looked out for enemies, smiling
Naotsugu, Nyanta, Shouryuu and Rezarick were catching a breather under a pine tree a short distance
The battle had gone on for 4 hours since the morning, the bright summer sun shone at the beach where
This was the 3rd time Naotsugu's group was resting, but they took a 10-minute break the other 2 times.
and down the entire beach and river bank to fight. To build an effective defense net with so few people,
Sahuagin would slip past them from the gaps.
They had already asked the mayor to hide the People of the Land in the most sturdy building in the town,
But the town had no walls, so the resistance of the townsfolk against the Sahuagin would only delay the
Three beginner parties were fighting continuously at the edge of the water. In the eyes of the level 90
But there were many breaches in their defensive formation which was in danger of dissolving, which was
This could not be helped, their skills and range were much inferior to Naotsugu's group. Another thing
Elder Tales had a item lock system, most high level magic items needed to be locked before it could be
The concept was the same as customizing the item for personal use, the locked item could not be equipped
unleash hidden powers.
like Shiroe who engaged in high difficulty raids, they would have dozens of high-level items or even
These magic items were not only superior in attack or defense, they may have unique abilities as well,
For instance, Naotsugu's sword 'Chaos Shrieker' could increase the range of his taunting skill 'Taunting
Mid-level Adventurers did not have the support of such powerful high-level weapons, so they could not
The worried Naotsugu wanted to stand up but Nyanta stopped him from his back.
Nyanta warned sternly which was rare for him.
special effects, their MP recovery rate during battles would be insignificant. If they returned to the frontline
When they were fighting the goblins on the hills, they could hide in the shadows and rest periodically. But
stop the attacks of the Sahuagin.
had the MP to last for an hour.
"Please take this Naotsugu-san."
Naotsugu drank the potion Rezarick gave him, this blue potion could recover MP but the effect was poor.
and the recovery amount was limited. These potions might be expensive but the effects were limited.
The young boy ran on the beach waving his blade to attract the aggression of the Sahuagin and attack them
Tohya had grown strong.
he didn't need to rely on techniques for now.
spirit, a positive attitude and mettle you bore in order to reach your goals.
comrades, you must have the will to break a glass door with your bare hands and possess the brave soul
(Tohya has so much potential...)
that Isuzu was a bard.
gauge of distance. The untrained eye wouldn't be able to tell her dexterous technique, so even relatively
But she used her support skills to bring the party's attack, defense, mobility, and recovery to another level.
to meet all the expectations of the young man. She used all sorts of actions to protect the sorcerer with
The young sorcerer who was being supported was full of spunk. Sorcerers had naturally high attack, for
But the attacking young man seemed to rely more on his emotion than the natural performance of his class,
the Sahuagins as he was channeling his obsession into his magic.
She was starting to evolve too. When he met her for the first time in Susukino, he could see her speed and
healing now, she would also summon the spirits of nature to fight or use support magic to help the party.
Lastly was Minori.
got goosebumps from the feeling she gave him.
"Rudy-san, suppression attack!"
"Serara-san, I will take over healing, please concentrate on attack!"
Naotsugu knew what she was doing.
She should be trying to grasp the MP consumption of all her allies, she needed to be familiar with all the
and the condition for it to be effective.
the order of battle and the priority of each enemy.
this essay into a story known as 'tactics', and was in the process of 'reading'.
'reading' here was changing the battle into immobile words, but to confirm all possible futures, 'reading' it
It was still very crude, but Minori was imitating Shiroe's 'Full Control Encounter'. This petite young girl
Using 1% as a unit, forecast 30 seconds ahead.
This sentence meant that he could envision the battle 30 seconds into the future and grasp his allies'
In high-level battles, understanding the environment was a basic principle and Naotsugu could understand
left, but only to the extent of full, enough, half, waning, danger, empty, these 6 levels. Mid-level player
to know the MP of your allies of different classes was difficult.
anticipate the monster's action after you got used to it.
know all the remaining resources of the party and the enemies, looking at the battlefield from a bird's eye
When Elder Tales became an alternate world, the unpredictable elements in battles were more significant.
do it. Because Shiroe was not joking or boasting when he said 'Using 1% as a unit, forecast 30 seconds
Naotsugu only heard about the details because of his long-standing friendship with Shiroe. For Naotsugu
master, but he also felt that this 'sense' was akin to superpowers. Naotsugu could only understand the
But the Minori in front of him was chasing Shiroe's back.
20%? Or with her low level, is she already proficient enough to do 10%...?)
distance from the direction north of Choushi. This was a unique attack skill of a druid... 'Shrieker Echo'
Naotsugu's reaction was slow by half a beat.
Minori's group at the front line returned to Naotsugu's side like a gust of wind.
"Please take care this place!"
"Eh... Nyanta-san! Good luck!"
The figure of them running under the summer sun looked like swallows flying straight into the sky.
Naotsugu looked at Minori with a perplexed face, the young girl was drenched in sweat but her eyes
"The spirit alarm Serara set in the hills went off, the goblins are probably attacking again. Since they are
are more suitable for this battle... So Naotsugu-san, please take care of things at the beach!"
Minori waved her hand to acknowledge Naotsugu.
Part 6
He had been focused since the morning, his magic attacks seemed to be stronger.
magic item named 'Magician Gauntlet'. It could be equipped at level 25, a common equipment that could
strength.
were a rare treasure back then. There was only 1 item so they could not share it, but they would feel sad
After Isuzu's group talked it over, they decided for Rundelhous to use it. It was an item made for magical
Rundelhous was a little hesitant to accept it at first, but he equipped it happily after the group talked him
Rundelhous who was running in front of Isuzu was wearing this pair of gauntlets.
more spell. But Isuzu's group understood that the percentage when accumulated would have a big effect in
fire spells and his fighting spirit.
'Fawn March' which increased movement speed and support skills.
"Slow down Rudy!"
mage with armor as thin as paper to be at the front.
Rundelhous slowed his pace after saying this, Isuzu gave him a bottle from her bag which was filled by
though it was warm.
"Do you even need to ask? The great Rundelhous Code is in top condition as usual, I feel I can take on the
Rundelhous responded after taking a big gulp, even though drinking and walking was bad manners (as
His big eyes with the corners slightly drooping, his silky smooth blonde hair, his appearance gave an
"You two are such good friends."
puppy.
gardens were next to each other so he also came to visit the Isuzu family, a furry and bushy golden
Because of its pedigree it was handsome with elegant features, its movements polite and graceful with no
until he was exhausted playing catch and shake his tail until it hurt, that kind of stupidity.
just ranting off-topic. But he was just displaying his dumb nature so it didn't make her angry.
that's why she could be direct in replying to Serara's teasing words.
Her movement of collecting the bottle from Rundelhous, casually wiping it before keeping in her bag was
"Sorry."
"No such thing, right Miss Isuzu?"
"Rundelhous is a mage, so being a bit bossy and looking stupid suits you better."
mean by stupid! You keep using that word!"
This highschool girl from the country with freckles, skinny body, and lacking feminine charms, was
sounded too mean, it should be she was treating him like a spoiled middle-schooler with a screw loose.
with Rundelhous was a relaxing and fun way to spend time together.
Just as Isuzu wanted to bully him again, a 2nd 'Shrieker Echo' went off nearby.