Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 66
“Ah, you’ve returned! The hero of Dwell, this day shall be remembered in history!”
Having returned from the nest of ants, we had secured the first workshop and temporarily sealed it off before returning to the Dwarven city. Upon our return, King Alvis himself greeted us warmly.
It might have been a bit premature, but there hadn’t been any good news circulating among them lately. It couldn’t be helped. The topic of discussion in the conference room was the key to this success: the magic gunblades.
“So, this is the magic gunblade that defeated the ant monsters! Incredible!”
“With this, those ants won’t be a threat anymore. Truly, you are Bowman’s student. To think you could create something like this!”
They are having conversations while touching the magic gun swords that were used by the dwarves and the senior soldiers of Asgard. It’s delightful to see the color of hope shining in their eyes, unlike at the beginning.
And when things calm down a bit, King Alvis clears his throat, and silence falls, with all eyes turning to him.
“Grace-dono, we truly appreciate the recapture of the First Workshop this time. So, I’ll get straight to the point. Can we win with our current forces?”
With his words, all eyes focus on me. There are pleading looks, clinging looks, various looks, but they all have one thing in common: expectation toward me.
This is where it gets crucial. It won’t be easy to win outright. However, if I don’t explain that there is a proper strategy for victory, the morale that has risen will only fall again.
“Perhaps with the magic gun swords, we wouldn’t lose in one-on-one combat. However, our numbers are too few at the moment. If we were to engage head-on like this, we would surely be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.”
“I see…”
Someone grimaces at my words. Amidst this, Alvis gazes at me with eyes filled with expectation, as if there’s still something more.
It seems like my secret actions were completely exposed. Well, I hadn’t really intended to hide them anyway.
“In that case, we should increase the number of those who can use the magic gun swords. King Alvis, how many dwarves can use magic among your people?”
“Hmm, we dwarves have many who can wield earth magic. There should be around 30 or so who can participate in combat.”
“Then let’s teach those dwarves how to use the magic gun swords. Gimli!!”
“Oh, finally my turn, huh?”
As I raise my voice, the door to the conference room swings open, and Gimli and the others from the workshop enter. Of course, they’re not empty-handed. Instead of our Asgardian magic gun swords, they carry guns that are about one size larger but with barrels one size shorter.
“This is… I can’t believe it…”
“Yes, these are magic gun swords for dwarves. By making them slightly smaller than those used by humans, they should be easier for you to handle. Also, they use special ammunition called shotgun shells. With these, you should be able to penetrate even through armored ants without extensive training.”
“We worked hard based on Bowman-sama’s notes. They’re heavier in return, though, so humans might find them difficult to handle.”
Yes, this is a weapon that falls right in between the shotgun mounted on the steam carriages and the magic gun swords used by soldiers.
Humans couldn’t even lift it, let alone withstand its recoil due to its weight, but for dwarves, it’s a different story.
“And here are detailed maps of the tunnels. Let’s use these to gradually chip away at the armored ant forces.”
“Wow!!”
I show the newly drawn map, indicating the places we should attack next. And so, the plan to retake Dwell begins.
Alvis and I sit facing each other in the solemn conference room, where the senior dwarves had just left. I had requested some time with him because there were some matters I needed to discuss urgently.
“Thank you for making time to see me, Alvis-sama. So, about what I wanted to discuss…”
“You’re saying we can’t win like this, aren’t you?”
I held my breath at his words. He had realized it after all…
“Yes, as you may already know, the armored ants aren’t particularly intelligent. If we continue to chip away at them individually over the years, eventually, we may win by reducing their numbers. However, the Queen Ant is different. If she perceives us as a threat to be eliminated, they will launch a full-scale attack on us.”
“Hmm…Grace-dono, you’ve seen something deeper.”
“Yes… I’ve seen hundreds of armored ants. Faced with such numbers, even if the dwarves master the use of the magic gun swords, this land will become barren, inhabited only by armored ants.”
That was an immense number. The armored ants attacking the dwarves are probably just a fraction of their total population. At this rate, it’s likely that other creatures inhabiting the mines are also falling victim to them.
And if we continue to maintain the status quo, allowing the armored ants to deplete other creatures and minerals in the mines, there will be no hope if they launch a full-scale attack here.
“I see… We’ll lose if we do nothing, and we’ll still lose if we maintain the status quo… But from the look in your eyes, you have a plan, don’t you?”
“Yes, exactly. I intend to make use of another reinforcements that will likely come in the future. But for that, I need the power of you, the dwarf king. It’s not a method I’m proud of. But…”
He laughs heartily at my words, which I’m finding difficult to express.
“What are you saying? We already owe you a lifetime’s worth of gratitude. And if it’s to save our country? Tell me anything. We can only be grateful for your strength and wisdom in our service. If we win this battle, we’ll gladly come under the banner of Asgard.”
And so, we proceed to discuss our future plans together.