Chapter 455 - Episode 438: Slaying the Earth Dragon ①
A night had passed since the confirmation of the Earth Dragon, and the subjugation force, centered around the army of the Archduchy of Arqvist, had set up camp in a farming village located on the Earth Dragon's predicted invasion route.
"...Once this battle is over, I'm going to sleep soundly."
Noein muttered while gazing west from the second-story window of the only two-story building in the village, which was likely the village chief's house. At those words, Yuri and Pence, who were attending him, as well as Conrad, the communications officer, gave wry smiles.
Since last night, Noein and the others had barely slept a wink while making preparations for the interception. Although they were prepared for the likes of a single all-nighter on the battlefield, sleepiness was still sleepiness.
"Noein-sama, please have some tea. Everyone, as well."
"Thank you, Matilda."
It was some time after sunrise. The tea Matilda had brewed for everyone present tasted stronger than usual, which was just right for shaking off the drowsiness.
As he waited for a while while sipping the moderately cooled tea, Conrad's expression suddenly changed, and he began speaking to himself while staring into mid-air. It was the standard reaction of someone receiving a call via 'Far-talk'.
"Your Excellency Arqvist. A report from the dialogue mage at the midpoint. Viscount Queul's decoy unit has encountered the Earth Dragon and is currently guiding it this way. It will arrive here shortly."
"Understood, thank you... Now then, shall we begin?"
Upon receiving Conrad's report, Noein finished his tea, stood up, and headed for the stairs. Matilda and the others followed.
Since the opponent was a monster—an Earth Dragon—the operation this time was simple.
First, Viscount Queul would pretend to have an accidental encounter during reconnaissance and enter the line of sight of the Earth Dragon and the unit leading it. Then, he would pretend to flee in a panic and return to the farming village where Noein and the others were waiting.
It was common for the main force to be where the reconnaissance unit fled. The Earth Dragon would likely chase Viscount Queul and his men first, and the servant mage controlling the Earth Dragon along with their escort unit would follow behind. This was to discover the main force here and launch a surprise attack.
The dialogue mage on the path would confirm this. After contacting Noein's subjugation force, this mage would also hurry back here.
Upon receiving the contact, Noein and the others would take their positions for interception, the dialogue mage would return, Viscount Queul and his men would return, and then Noein and the others would strike the Earth Dragon that had been lured in. That was all.
When Noein and the others went downstairs and stepped outside, the entire army began to move. While Yuri and Pence shouted instructions to the soldiers, Noein spoke to Baroness Bianca Lamprecht, who was accompanied by Dagul.
"Lord Lamprecht. And Dagul as well. How are things?"
"No problems. Preparations are complete... Dagul is also keeping his morale high. I've told him that once this operation is over, he can eat a living human."
"...Hahaha, that's good to hear."
Noein forced a smile.
Once they defeated the Earth Dragon, he intended to capture the servant mage controlling it and the escort unit likely attached to it. From among them, one unfortunate victim would be chosen to be bitten raw by the orc.
Killing prisoners was not normally a commendable act, but unplanned accidents were a staple of the battlefield. For Noein's Eastern Army, it was more important to keep Dagul, a valuable combat asset, in a good mood.
"The Earth Dragon will arrive here shortly. Let us do our best together."
"Yes. I look forward to working with you, Your Excellency."
After parting with Bianca for the moment, Noein headed toward the Claymore unit.
Gustav, Alain, and the twenty other puppet mages were in a state where they could begin action at any time as long as they poured magical power into their golems.
"Your Excellency, the dedicated golems are ready."
"Thank you. Now then, everyone to your positions."
"""Yes!"""
The puppet mages saluted and poured magical power into their respective golems. Since they would be attacking the Earth Dragon as a group this time, they did not carry the jet-black steel assault shields used for anti-personnel combat and fireproofing.
The twenty golems that stood up scattered to various locations within the farming village along with their casters. Then, Noein also poured magical power into his own golem.
"...And here I thought it was for ceremonial use."
Feeling a slight dizziness caused by the sudden release of a large amount of magical power, Noein looked up at his own dedicated giant golem that had stood up.
The giant golem, which was supposed to be a tool for showing the Archduke's dignity at ceremonial venues, had now become a standard weapon for fighting powerful monsters.
Since the golem, standing over three meters tall, might be visible from outside the farming village if he wasn't careful, he moved it behind the shadow of the two-story village chief's house.
"Your Excellency Arqvist! Viscount Queul's unit has returned! I can see the Earth Dragon's dust cloud!"
At that moment, that report came from Rick, who was stationed on the roof of a house.
The interception battle was finally beginning. While everyone braced themselves, the Guard led by Pence gathered around Noein. Matilda also readied her round shield.
Viscount Queul, who had successfully lured the Earth Dragon and survived, ran straight through the village street and came near Noein.
"Lord Queul, thank you for your hard work. I am glad you are safe."
"Not at all! A mission like this is hardly difficult!"
Being spotted by the Earth Dragon at a distance just enough to avoid being caught, and then returning without being lost sight of by the Earth Dragon, was not a mission anyone could do.
When Noein spoke from the heart to Viscount Queul, who had brilliantly performed a difficult job and returned alive, the Viscount answered with a laugh and retreated to the rear. There was no room for his cavalry to enter the battle with the Earth Dragon.
Then, on the west side of the village, the dust cloud raised by the Earth Dragon approached, visible even from Noein's position.
"...Yuri. Begin combat."
"Yes... All personnel, begin combat! Attack at the discretion of each unit leader! Don't slip up!"
"""Yes!"""
Yuri's voice echoing through the village, and the voices of the Archduchy army soldiers and puppet mages responding to it, served as the signal to begin the battle.
Meanwhile, the Earth Dragon continued to approach, and its form could be clearly confirmed from within the dust cloud. Compared to a Wyvern, it had a stocky appearance; it was appropriate to describe it exactly as a "lizard clad in scaled armor, crawling the earth."
The Earth Dragon gradually approached the village, and just as the distance fell below approximately one hundred meters—
"Fire all rounds!"
Dant's voice, commanding the Ballista unit, rang out, and the sounds of several stiff strings slicing through the air echoed.
Piles of straw, houses and barns facing west. The Ballistas hidden behind such obstacles were fired toward the Earth Dragon through holes in the straw piles or windows of the buildings after their aim had been finely adjusted.
Attached to the tips were pots. More than ten pots flew straight toward the Earth Dragon and shattered upon colliding with its hard scales.
However, they did not ignite like explosive flame arrows yet. It ended with the oil contained in the shattered pots merely clinging to the surface of the Earth Dragon's scales.
"GYAOOOOOOOOOO!"
The Earth Dragon's momentum did not stop just because pots were thrown at it. Rather, it howled in discomfort at being splashed with a strange liquid, and while raging, it continued to advance with even more momentum.
"Evacuate!"
Dant shouted, and the Archduchy army soldiers of the Ballista unit abandoned their Ballistas on the spot and fled. Once everyone had retreated to the rear—the Earth Dragon blew away the token gate and the low wooden fences that were only effective at preventing pigs and chickens from escaping, and charged into the village grounds.
A charge with maximum momentum by a giant body of over ten meters. The wooden gate and crude wooden fences flew into the air, and the buildings around the gate were further pulverized. The Ballistas deployed inside those buildings were destroyed, and their fragments also flew into the air.
The large and small fragments that flew into the air rained down upon the ground according to gravity.
"Whoops... it's certainly energetic."
Noein muttered while being protected from the fragments by the shields held by the Guard and Matilda. Those who had retreated to the rear were hidden inside buildings, and the puppet mages deployed in other locations each had the protection of great-shield soldiers, so there was no worry.
"GYAOOOO! GUOOOOOO!"
The Earth Dragon that had invaded the village seemed irritated that it could not find the group of cavalry that had chased it this far or the existence that had thrown pots at it; it looked around frantically, wandering while slamming its body into the surrounding buildings.
Sneaking up from its diagonal rear, from a blind spot, was the orc, Dagul.
Even if they were to set fire to the oil-clad Earth Dragon, if they fired fire arrows one by one, there was no telling if they would successfully hit the oiled parts, and while doing such a thing, the Earth Dragon would notice them, and human soldiers would be easily killed.
That said, even if they tried to fire explosive flame arrows with Ballistas, they would be discovered while leisurely taking aim and would likewise be easily defeated. The soldiers operating the Ballistas would not emerge unscathed.
However, the orc Dagul could move far more nimbly than a human, and could make situational judgments and act flexibly on his own. He was also better than humans at acting without his presence being detected. He could move quickly, immediately aim for the Earth Dragon, and attack while maintaining distance.
What Dagul held in his hand was a pot loaded with a magic stone—in other words, an explosive flame arrow. This explosive flame arrow, which weighed several kilograms once filled with oil, was light for Dagul.
Having quietly approached to a certain distance from the Earth Dragon's blind spot, Dagul threw the explosive flame arrow. With an orc's arm strength, he could achieve considerable distance just by throwing it without using tools.
Dagul retreated before confirming the impact, and by the time the Earth Dragon noticed the explosive flame arrow approaching from above, the explosive flame arrow hit its back, shattered, and gave birth to fire.
That fire ignited the oil that scattered from within the explosive flame arrow, and then spread to the oil clinging to the Earth Dragon's scales.
In an instant, large flames enveloped the entire body of the Earth Dragon.