The Loner Who Conquers the Other World

Day 49 – Morning, On the way to Omui.

Steep mountains towering over a wasteland and a long mountain pass, so narrow, it might even be called a crevice. There, deep down the path where the way ahead can be barely seen…

「All troops, take formation! Hold your position! We only need to halt the enemy! Don’t leave your posts!」

The town that lies on the other end of this pass, Narrogi. The only domain neighboring the lands of Omui, the treacherous town of Narrogi.

By now, it’s no different than an enemy territory, and that boy ventured there alone.

He surely can destroy the town, and erase the lord of Narrogi along with their castle.

But we cannot allow him to lay hands on the town or its lord. Were he to go against the law of the state, the kingdom itself will take action.

I will allow no one to get to him, even the King himself. But it will become an all-out war.

In battle, we won’t lose no matter how great the enemy force is.

But I had no counter to his words.

『Even if you win the battle, you won’t be able to protect them? Many townsfolk and villagers will die, you know? For real. If it’s about winning alone then a small force is enough, but you have nowhere near enough numbers to protect? Kind of?』

Were the town to be targeted, we would have to station troops for defense, and if the enemy goes for villages, we will have to split our forces even further. Having enough forces only for fighting, we don’t have the numbers it takes to efficiently defend.

But even if it is to avoid the war, heading to the enemy town with no intention of touching either the lord or the town itself is suicidal. As strong as he is, what good is that strength if he can’t even fight them?

『Yeeeah? Looks like things progressed way further than I expected? Somehow. So I think if I just bring Stalker Girl out and return, the citizens will take care of the rest? Probably?』

I couldn’t fully grasp what he meant, but even so, it certainly was a huge risk.

He has to reach this place without fighting, while also bringing another person with him, constantly defending from attacks of pursuers.

Even so, he went there.

Trying to stop him is pointless.

After all, he only informed me, the local lord, out of obligation.

He wasn’t seeking help or assistance, he simply wanted to avoid inconveniencing us.

Informing me of an already made decision, and yet heeding my request.

As a result, he ended up having to jump into the heart of enemy territory unable to kill any of the opposing soldiers or attacking the town and its lord.

In a low voice, I say to my aides.

「It’s kind of getting tiresome already? We are also pretty pissed, so how about just charging in? Like all forces going GAAAAA! And just DODODO swooping in? 」

That’s a no-no it seems.

Well, I wasn’t serious anyway. I promised that boy that we definitely won’t enter the pass.

Even so, thinking that our benefactor is there, unable to fight, I’m beginning to get the feeling that maybe it’s fine to take some kind of action.

But waiting impatiently is the only thing we can do.

For some reason the boy also made me promise that I will listen to my aides. I can’t possibly break the promise with our benefactor.

That’s why the only thing I can do is wait with impatience and irritation.

He managed to come back from the Great Dungeon, so I wait, having faith that returning from the neighboring town is no different from a pleasure jaunt for him.

All we can do is wait for the boy that is trying to rescue someone from the enemy territory without fighting.

「How about taking the whole army on a bit of reconnaissance in force……「No! In which world would the whole army go on reconnaissance in force?! How is that different from an all-out attack? No!」kuh, so stubborn.」

And as I continued to wait, unable to do anything, an orderly ran up to us. A movement from the enemy?

「Residents of Narrogi are coming this way, carrying their belongings and household items with them! How should we deal with them?」

「Okay, everyone, prepare for a cha—「Find their representative at once and bring them here. Carry this out immediately.」… You heard him…」

For the residents to be escaping to the frontier with their possessions, something extremely extraordinary must be happening. Didn’t he say that he won’t attack the town? No, if he attacked it, then the town of Narrogi would’ve been obliterated without any chance for the residents to escape. Then what is going on? Asking them seems to be the only option.

「Allow shelter to the residents! Treat the wounded, prepare wagons for the ill and weak. What are the enemy movements?」

「The enemy force took no action! No action, and yet there is a movement! There is a movement, but the enemy force is not acting!」

What is that report? Normally, such an unintelligible report would earn them a strong rebuke, but if that is an accurate description of an incomprehensible situation, then it can’t be helped.

The boy that makes the incomprehensible happen is currently over that pass. If that is his doing then they can’t be blamed for such an incomprehensible report.

I already had that experience. When I received the report on the monster raid, the incoherent explanation of puzzling events and their baffling resolution left me in utter confusion. That’s just incomprehensible.

「I’m leaving this place to you. Report to me as soon as you understand the situation.」

Yes, there is no way to comprehend an incomprehensible event without seeing it with my own eyes. And if the boy is safely making his way here I cannot possibly loaf around in the rear. At the very least I must welcome him back awaiting at the front lines.

Going on my horse at a gallop, I head to the frontlines. Something is happening there. Some sort of event is taking place there.

「The movements… Or rather, what is moving? Report only what you understand at the moment.」

「Currently, we are trying to confirm the situation while maintaining the encirclement, putting priority on sheltering the escaping Narrogi residents. The circumstances currently under investigation are too unclear, we don’t understand anything!」

So even on the frontline, they don’t understand what is going on. At the very least, I hope it’s the boy doing something incomprehensible again.

Climbing up a watchtower, I take a look at what is happening with my own eyes.

I saw it. Yeah, no idea.

If I were to put what I saw into words, the pass leading to Narrogi no longer existed. Yup, I don’t get it.

What I saw was a giant cave… No, since residents of Narrogi are making their way here, it should be connected with Narrogi’s territory. Then, a tunnel? But the ones leading the residents of Narrogi, while also protecting them, are monsters. These are stone golems. And if there are stone golems, that means it’s a dungeon. As proof of that, new golems are emerging out of the tunnel walls one after another and… Join the evacuation effort? Yeah, perfectly incomprehensible.

Using a far-sight magic tool, I peek into the depths of the tunnel. What I saw there was a stone army that held back Narrogi troops while protecting the people, allowing them to escape. Its first line held giant stone shields, defending against incoming attacks, while back rows held very long stone pikes, sticking them through the gaps between the shields, forming a spear wall, keeping Narrogi troops at bay. That formation is impossible to break through. This is a dungeon protected by the strongest stone army. And right now, that army is sticking to organized retreat while defending the people. Yea, incomprehensible. I wouldn’t dare to ask anyone to explain that. If I can’t understand what is going on even after seeing it myself then there is no way anyone can give a coherent explanation.

The enemy force is not acting, but there is a movement, that movement is sealing enemy force from taking action, so the order wasn’t wrong. The report was correct. Simply incomprehensible. The reason for this is simple, something incomprehensible is taking place.

And that is something that dungeon monsters are doing on their own. And there is nothing in the laws of the kingdom that prohibits monsters from fighting or attacking troops. Yeah, no problem at all.

「Reporting. The representative is asking for a meeting. We already heard the gist of what is happening from them. Your orders?」

「Yes, I will meet them.」

It’s not like I can learn anything by watching this incomprehensible situation. Hearing an intelligible story would be much more beneficial. And as I was heading here, I saw the black-haired gang laughing, while pointing their fingers at that strange scene. The comrades of that boy. They must’ve come here to assist him, but witnessing a bizarre sight that they didn’t even imagine, they couldn’t help but laugh. All of them must’ve instantly realized what was done and by whom the very moment they saw it, which brought them to laughter. Then, the boy must be alright. That’s why they can laugh in such a way.

[TL Notes:

Changed Tailing Girl to Stalker Girl because it sounds better.