Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 37: Strategy Meeting (2)
“Sir Lionel, is that why you became a black knight?”
Count Kelvim asked with a gloomy expression.
“Yes. Even if I surrendered my position and honor, I thought it worthwhile if my fears proved groundless. I needed to see for myself. But when I arrived…”
Lionel breathed deeply.
“Forgive me. I thought it better to share the disturbing news before offering false hope. Alone I can do only so much, but I’ll spare no effort.”
Count Kelvim and his private soldiers had expected the truth from the moment they saw Lionel’s painted shield. Even so, learning the reason left them unable to hide their helplessness.
“Is it not fortunate that the famed former commander is here? And Sir Lionel’s presence brought both his younger brother and the old man, did it not?”
A mercenary laughed, changing the room’s mood. Faint smiles returned.
“He’s right. For now, let us address what lies before us.”
Count Kelvim lifted his head, and everyone nodded.
“What about the message to the capital?”
“We sent a messenger immediately after this morning’s attack. In good weather he should arrive in four or five days. The question is whether His Majesty will send aid. Even if troops depart at once, they’ll need at least ten days to half a month to reach us.”
Men and horses could move only so quickly. A large deployment and its supplies would slow an army still further. Whatever the king’s intentions, no guarantee existed that he would act with urgency. Waiting for reinforcements from the capital wasn’t a viable plan.
“How long will the containment barriers last?”
Lionel addressed an elderly cleric listening quietly in the corner.
“Seven days at most. The perimeter is fully warded, so no creatures should escape.”
“There are no gaps.”
A younger priest added, “We come from the Western Grand Church and specialize in barrier magic.”
After confirming this, a private soldier raised his hand.
“This morning’s large undead beast was almost fully transformed, but not quite. We defeated it quickly as a result. It must have become undead only recently, after the Order withdrew, so I suspect it’s the only large one nearby.”
Lionel nodded gravely. Fortunately, clergy could detect a large creature from farther away. Moreover, such beasts were so lethal that they rapidly killed surrounding animals and monsters, leaving fewer victims able to transform.
“The real problem is the small mutant undead beasts…”
“Regarding them, I noticed something during the day’s battle.”
A mercenary raised his hand.
“Although it seemed pointless, I purified my club with holy water. While the blessing remained, some of the small creatures I crushed actually died.”
“Now that you mention it, I also killed several with my sword.”
The private soldiers nodded together.
Ordinarily, a holy-water-purified sword stopped regeneration where it cut a large or medium undead beast. Severing head from body allowed the creature to collapse and return to the earth. Blunt weapons and arrows had therefore been ineffective, and by the time one beast died, the weapon’s blessing generally faded.
“If that’s true, we may have the advantage of numbers.”
Lionel nodded, and smiles finally returned throughout the room.
Quiet in one corner, Gilbert wondered whether to reveal what happened in the village and began to stand. Dolph pressed him back by the shoulders.
“The day’s incident appears to have resulted from a secret weapon of mine happening to function, but that remains uncertain. I won’t raise your hopes with vague information.”
Gilbert blinked. The private soldiers and mercenaries who had fought beside him all looked away, which puzzled him, but he accepted the explanation.
—It’s the old man, after all. He must have installed some strange mechanism.
As he considered this, another thought escaped his lips.
“…If we completely eradicate the undead beasts, whatever scheme our superiors devised will become meaningless.”
The words echoed strangely in the quiet room. Everyone turned toward Gilbert almost as one.
The private soldiers and mercenary who had looked away now stared blankly with strained smiles. Though they said nothing, Gilbert understood.
—Sorry. That sounded exactly like something a meathead would say.
Gilbert apologized silently. At the center of the room, however, Lionel’s shoulders shook. Gilbert looked up, wondering whether he had angered him, and found his brother laughing.
“I don’t intend to act recklessly. But we should prepare in case it becomes necessary.”
Lionel spoke cheerfully. Count Kelvim, the private soldiers, and the mercenaries nodded with broad smiles. Even the elderly cleric beside Gilbert burst out laughing.
“Excellent. Let us prepare all the holy water we can before the barriers fail.”
For some reason, he clapped Gilbert’s shoulder happily. The other clergy nodded.
“…Moreover, someone rarely seen in public nowadays happens to be in this town: a guiding magic user. What remarkable fortune. Matters may proceed better than we imagine.”
The elderly cleric—a celebrated priest of the Western Grand Church—murmured the final words. By then, conversation had filled the chamber, and only Gilbert and Dolph heard him.
—A guiding magic user? Does he mean Barbara? Is she famous?
As Gilbert wondered, people began rising one by one.
“We’ll first observe how the barriers hold. For the next five days, prepare to eradicate the undead beasts and remain vigilant throughout the region. The operation begins on the sixth day.”
Lionel announced the decision, and everyone agreed.
When Gilbert and the others left the mansion, sunset bathed the town. A delicious aroma stirred their hunger, and Flora waved happily in the distance.