Game’s End Part 2

by Mamare Touno

  Krusty, who’d been the first person to acknowledge that she had the freedom to go to battle. The Adventurers, who probably didn’t even doubt her. She herself had gone a very long time without being given freedom, and the desire to protect their freedom was the first wish that had visited her heart.

  “Please. I beg you.”

  She almost murmured the words. The moment she finished, she heard the heavy sound of steel. In the center of the plaza, a group in navy blue overcoats marked with undyed comma-shaped tomoe crests were rattling their various weapons and clicking their heels together.

  A group wearing black armor dropped matching long swords into their scabbards, declaring their intent to go to war. From the crumbling terrace of an abandoned building, a group of elves with longbows slung across their backs blew hunting horns, and dwarves with axes raised war cries.

  Even minority races such as felinoids, wolf-fangs, and foxtails didn’t seem to be particularly discriminated against in this town.

  Oh…

  Krusty came up and stood beside the astonished Raynesia. A step behind him, Shiroe advanced to stand on her other side.

  “Starting now, this town…will embark on its first military expedition. Those who wish to go to the front must be level forty or over. This is a quest from the Round Table Council. There is only one reward for this quest: The respect of the Person of the Earth standing here. Those who think, ‘That’s for me!’ mount your steeds and go straight to Maihama! In light of the urgency of the situation, this will be a blitzkrieg. Since that’s the case, directions regarding organization will be issued while we’re on the march. I ask for self-restraint and cooperation from every one of you. I, Krusty, will act as supreme commander for the expedition.”

  “And I, Shiroe, will act as counselor. First, we’ll organize an advance strike battalion. I will make contact via telechat within fifteen minutes from now. If I contact you, please leave the town of Akiba and hurry down the Akiba River to the experimental dock. The Ocypete will pick you up there. Those of you who have not been contacted after fifteen minutes will be the main force. Please go to the registry office set up at the city’s east gate, pick up your quest documents and register for telechats, then depart according to the instructions you receive. We’ll conduct party matching on the way, and I’ll issue orders for squad organization. You have fifteen minutes to prepare for the expedition. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  “Uh, uhm…”

  In front of the speechless Raynesia, an army more than a thousand strong sent up war cries.

  “Why are you dithering?”

  “Wha— What are you talking about? Saying something like that… For a nobleman… For a nobleman, that’s…”

  Raynesia faltered; her voice was shaking.

  Still, the plaza was filled with clamor and the sounds of armor, and it didn’t reach any ears that shouldn’t have heard it—except for Krusty’s.

  With aristocratic elegance, Krusty held out an arm. He and Raynesia exchanged stubborn glances that were filled with suspicion, but also with mutual understanding. To onlookers, though, they only looked like a beautiful couple, smiling beautiful smiles.

  In any event, it had been decided that they would march.

  The enemy was the army of goblin tribes, estimated at more than ten thousand strong, facing the ruined city from the Zantleaf Peninsula. And so it was that Akiba’s first expedition turned the tip of its sword toward Zantleaf.

  3

  It was near noon, and Minori’s party was making its way toward the village of Choushi.

  They were tired, but their faces had lost none of their vitality.

  Although it had only been one night, the intensity of the hours they’d spent in the darkness had honed the group’s latent abilities. Of course, it was also true that the battles they’d been fighting since Forest Ragranda had raised their levels slightly.

  Every battle they fought gradually refined their teamwork, and there were moments when they felt they could hear what their companions were thinking without speaking to them.

  As Minori and the others walked down the country road, although they were more relaxed than they had been in the forest, they kept their guard up. Even as each kept an eye on the surrounding area, covering each other’s blind spots, they were able to walk along in an amiable atmosphere.

  Fighting is still scary, but…

  It was scary, Minori thought, but there was no longer anything to fear.

  What was really frightening was the feeling of terror that was running through her veins and making her limbs cringe: the feeling of being about to let go of her own life. That was very similar to “giving up.”

  In this deathless world, “giving up” meant the same thing as “death.” Conversely, as long as you didn’t give up, you had a chance. Even if it was shameful, even if you were shaking, as long as you stayed standing, there was a possibility that something might happen.

  The hour was already too late to call morning.

  It was probably a bit before noon.

  “Helloooooo! Heeeeey!”

  As they’d confirmed via telechat a short while ago, Naotsugu’s party was resting where they’d detoured around the bushes. Nyanta, Shouryuu, and Lezarik were there as well.

  In this other world, resilience meant that equipment that was only dirty cleaned itself automatically. Equipment had set durability values, and, in numeric terms, normal wear during use was very slight. Since the figure was so small, little realities like dirt were lumped in with that number…and that was why the dirt came off, or so the reasoning went.

  However, on the other hand, since there were set values regarding wear, rough treatment would steadily grind down the number. In specific terms, long-term battles gradually destroyed weapons and armor. This was why it was necessary to periodically take them to weapon and gear shops to be repaired.

  The four people in front of Minori were all skilled level-90 Adventurers, and their power was many times greater than that of Minori’s group. However, relying on that power, they’d probably leapt into the center of the goblin plunder unit, caused thorough confusion, and attacked again and again.

  Even though they’d fought in a mobile formation centered on the two Swashbucklers, the ferocity of their battles must have been far beyond what Minori’s group had experienced.

  “You guys okay? Yo, Touya. Did you protect everybody?”

  “Yes, Master Naotsugu!”

  Touya responded with a deep, respectful bow, and Naotsugu patted his head.

  Serara had already made a dive for Nyanta.

  Minori gave Shouryuu and Lezarik a brief report of how the previous evening’s battles had gone. They both seemed relieved, and they took a look at their equipment and wounds for them. Shouryuu aside, Lezarik was a Cleric from a major guild. Minori had thought they might be rebuked for their selfish actions, and their consideration made her feel both abashed and apologetic.

  They had no wounds, but the wear on both had been great.

  It had been so bad that Minori’s group had been afraid they’d run out of potions partway through.

  When the sun had risen that morning, the attacks from the goblin plunder unit had decreased like a wave rolling back. They probably also understood their own characteristics and numbers, and the effectiveness of attacking at night.

  As the enemy retreated, Minori and the others had withdrawn to a spot near Choushi.

  “All right, let’s wrap up our break and return to the village. I’ll be uneasy until I see it with my own eyes.”

  It was Lezarik, the Knights of the Black Sword’s Cleric, who’d spoken, and his expression had been very serious. The group agreed and began walking, making straight for Choushi.

  It was a summer morning after a very bloody night, but the sky was blue.

  Zantleaf’s distinctive sea wind came to them from the coast, across the fields, and buffeted their cheeks.

  Under the bright sunlight, the colors of the distant scenery loo
ked pale and overexposed, and the shadows of the beeches and zelkovas fell darkly across the farm road, creating a beautiful contrast.

  But after they’d walked for a little while, they began to see goblin corpses. They hadn’t simply been left on the road; they had been gathered here and there in piles. The sight made them realize that Adventurers must have been fighting goblins in the area the night before.

  “Looks like they handled it. That’s a big-boobed, big-sister type for ya,” Naotsugu murmured, sounding happy.

  It was just as he said: Even Minori’s group hadn’t thought they’d be able to protect Choushi with the infiltration strike idea alone. Minori’s friends and Nyanta and Naotsugu’s group had fought their goblin enemies in the mountains as mobile units. It was a strong-arm-guerilla tactic that used the advantages of surprise attacks and their night vision to decrease the number of goblin squads.

  If they managed to reduce the goblin unit’s numbers this way, the attacks on Choushi would grow less intense, making it possible to defend it… This was the tactic Minori had come up with.

  Although Minori didn’t know the technical term, the strategy the goblin tribes had taken was a saturation attack. This was a tactic that used an overwhelming difference in numbers to break down the enemy’s position.

  If they fought one-on-one, for example, or squad versus squad, the goblins would lose to the Adventurers. Any slight different in fighting power would be repelled by the Adventurers’ combat abilities.

  For that reason, the Goblins unleashed small-scale units in numbers the Adventurers couldn’t handle, all at once. Of course many of the goblin squads would be blocked by the Adventurers, but the difference in numbers would inevitably create holes. The Goblins simply had to throw their abundant resources at these holes.

  Once they’d invaded through the holes and sunk their teeth into the fruit that was the village of Choushi, they could probably set fire to it and create a panic. The Adventurers’ discipline would be disrupted, and they wouldn’t know whether they should return to the town and deal with the plundering goblins or keep battling the goblins that were there in front of them. They would then dispatch the confused Adventurers one by one. This was a conventional goblin invasion tactic.

  However, Minori’s group had begun attacking before the goblins had, and they’d done so at a distance from the town.

  When Minori had proposed this operation, her idea had been a simple one.

  The goblins had no base to protect, while Minori and the others did. Not only that, but their base—Choushi—didn’t have a protective wall and would be easy to invade. This was a weakness. Therefore, in battle, they’d be at a disadvantage.

  In that case, we just need to fight in a place where we won’t have to worry about our weakness.

  It was a simple, easy conclusion. Of course they’d needed skill and courage as well, but Minori and the others had put that conclusion into action by brute force.

  Their maneuver had reduced the goblins’ numbers, but even so, the goblins had attempted to launch a night raid, in accordance with their earlier plan. Choushi had been attacked.

  However, decreasing the goblins’ numbers hadn’t been the maneuver’s only goal. Several times the number of goblin squads that Minori and the others had actually destroyed had been wary of Minori’s group in the mountains, or had tried to detour around them, and had ended up taking more time than was necessary. That meant the goblins hadn’t been able to act together and attack all at once.

  The main point of a saturation battle was to create a situation the enemy couldn’t cope with by concentrating all your power on one point. The goblins hadn’t been able to assemble, and their timing had been staggered; they’d followed their unit commanders’ orders and attacked Choushi anyway, but they’d done so as individual units, little by little, charging as they arrived. From the Adventurers’ perspective, this attack method had made them ideal prey.

  Even Adventurers who didn’t have much power and whose numbers were insufficient could handle sporadic attacks like those.

  As such, Naotsugu had talked Marielle around to the idea. In turn, Marielle had persuaded the summer camp members, and they’d managed to defend Choushi until dawn.

  “Welcome home!”

  “Hey, welcome back!”

  “I bet you’re tired!”

  When they entered the village of Choushi, familiar Adventurers called to Serara and Shouryuu. The two of them looked after the newbies at the Crescent Moon League, and so they knew a lot of people. Nyanta, Naotsugu, and Lezarik also seemed to be discussing intel with the veteran Adventurers.

  The roads of the village, tramped firm by many feet, showed no sign of having been disturbed.

  The goblins seemed to have been unable to invade the village.

  “Heh! Check that out. We did it!” her little brother’s voice declared triumphantly.

  When Minori looked his way, there was Touya, in the sunlight, with a huge little-kid smile on his face.

  At the sight of that smile, Minori’s heart grew warm.

  Minori’s brother had hung on to his unclouded cheerfulness all through the night. Spontaneously, Minori smiled, too. She was also glad they’d managed to keep Rundelhaus safe. Touya held his fist out to her, and Minori bumped it with her own.

  “Minoriii! The People of the Earth set up a place for us to nap in the tavern! Let’s take turns and go rest! We can’t get careless yet.”

  “Mademoiselle Minori. Ah, and Touya. It sounds as if they’re going to let us wash our faces, at least. Many thanks to the kind staff at the inn!”

  Isuzu and Rundelhaus were yelling to them across the street, and Touya and Minori began to walk, their steps light in the summer sunshine.

  4

  The Ocypete was an experimental, steam-driven transport ship.

  It had been created as a test ship to inspect the possibility of large-volume transport, combining a steam engine with large, external paddlewheels. The steam engine had been made to be more compact than the ones that had actually been used in paddlewheelers on Earth, and because it used a heat source (a Salamander) conjured by a Summoner, one couldn’t overlook the fact that there was no need for fuel stores. As a result, the Ocypete had a carrying capacity that was more than ample.

  Paddlewheelers were a type of steamboat that had structures like enormous waterwheels attached to either side. These two wheels were turned by the steam engine, and their revolution moved the ship forward through the water.

  In terms of performance, paddlewheelers weren’t as efficient as propeller ships. The energy was the same, but there was a greater loss when converting it to driving force.

  However, due to the difficulty of manufacturing and installing the components, it had been determined that paddlewheel construction was appropriate for Akiba at this point in time, and they’d run experiment after experiment.

  Although paddlewheelers did fall behind propeller ships in terms of propulsion efficiency, on the other hand, they didn’t need to draw deep water, and they were perfect for traveling down the Sumida river, as they were doing now.

  Steam engine experiments with small boats and barges had succeeded less than a week after the uproar surrounding the establishment of the Round Table Council, but it had taken the intervening two months to arrive at the Ocypete, their experimental steamship.

  At present, the Ocypete was carrying about 130 Adventurers. Although it was crowded, it was a large ship, and it didn’t seem filled to bursting.

  Raynesia stood idly on the deck, all alone, near the bow. It wasn’t as though she’d never been on a boat before, but the way this ship was traveling was different from sailing ships. She couldn’t rid herself of the feeling that their power-driven, wave-cleaving progress was unnatural, but they were certainly moving fast.

  The Adventurers around her were relaxing in various attitudes or walking around making preparations. Although there were all different kinds of people, nearly half of them wore overcoats with the same
crest as Krusty, and she assumed they were from the same clan.

  Still, Raynesia was in a dull mood.

  It wasn’t that she was seasick. As the daughter of the lord of Maihama, she’d been familiar with boats of all sizes from the time she was small.

  This sunken mood was due to her disastrously reckless temperament.

  I went and said it again…

  Why was it that someone like her—a shy, idle person who thought everything was too much trouble—grandstanded when push came to shove? She thought it might be a reaction to the “perfect lady training” she’d been subjected to ever since she was small, but never mind the reason: She wanted to bury her face in her hands.

  Since just last night, I intruded on the Lords’ Council meeting and caused a scene, even though I’m a woman; I made my grandfather and the lords lose face; I picked a fight with a mind-reading menace…and then ran away with him. …On top of that, he embraced me on the back of a griffin…

  Remembering the warmth of Krusty’s arms, even in her depression, Raynesia squirmed in agony.

  No, I didn’t mean… And then, when we reached the town of Akiba, I was forced into embarrassing clothing. Which I am still wearing. …And I gave a speech like that one…

  She buried her face in her hands.

  Even she couldn’t believe herself.

  Still, personally, she wanted to be particular about courtesy and her promise.

  As a Person of the Earth, she wasn’t like the Adventurers. She’d heard that assumption from her grandfather and had understood it intellectually, but until she’d stood there, she hadn’t been able to truly understand what it meant.

  That enormous crowd of high-level knights, who’d simultaneously had the intelligence of civil servants… She’d never heard of such a thing.

  If they’d been the people known as heroes, it would have made sense.

  The Ancients, beings with both the sword skills of knights and the magic of philosophers, did exist, after all. There was no inherent problem with a certain individual being superhuman. She couldn’t put it into words well, but the strangest part of all of it was the way there had been several thousand such people, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. That uncanny group had been Adventurers.