Chapter 199

Chapter 199 - New World Briefing

"Your enthusiasm is good, but calm down. We'll simply go there once and return immediately if it doesn't seem right."

"Yes? Yeeeesss?!"

Octo was taken aback by Eugene speaking of a life-risking ultra-long-distance expedition as if going for a neighborhood walk.

"I understand your mind must be complicated. The voyage of unknown length, dangerous waters and pirates, storms, leaking wages, food and supplies, the soldiers' stress, and the risk of mutiny resulting from it. Is there perhaps anything I missed?"

"It seems you have said almost everything. Except scurvy."

"That's fine. Under me, there will be no such thing as scurvy."

Eugene smiled slyly.

"These general risk factors don't apply to my army. Local supply and combat. You just have to pay attention to those two things."

Eugene didn't exactly intend to head to the new continent with a desperate resolve. He was just doing it because the return was great compared to the risk.

A land free from the power relations of the old continent, new crops or livestock, gold and treasures, and one more thing.

- Among the primitive tribes, there are those who have inherited secrets and knowledge from time immemorial. If I may dare to guess, if there is an existence that can restore Miss Homi's voice, it would only be them.

Even Homi's voice.

There were so many potentially targetable rewards. Those are not the kind of things that can be obtained by exerting effort in the old continent.

"Excellency. Because I am lacking, I absolutely cannot understand Your Excellency's words."

"You will understand when you see my castle. Even if I explain it now, you would just have to nod your head without believing it anyway."

Eugene turned his gaze to Sadet.

"My business is done. Could you please sell this painting to me?"

"Sell, you say? Please just take it."

Sadet smiled and gestured for him to take it.

"I will probably have no reason to return to this place again. It doesn't seem like the senile you will ever leave this land either."

"I am not exactly trying to buy the Lord's favor. It is gratitude for reducing the fears of this old thing."

It was referring to the story about what would happen to the witch's soul.

"Then I'll accept without declining."

As Eugene gave a meaningful glance, Octo packed the painting.

"You know the location of the hidden stolen goods, right? You take it all, old hag."

"Would that be alright?"

"Since I've washed my hands of it now, I don't need such things. I don't have the leeway to go gather them either."

The steps of Octo turning around were lighter than any time in his life.

If he informed his family in Britannia of where he got a job, they would absolutely not believe it. Because it still felt like a dream to Octo himself too.

* * *

A few days later, Eugene reorganized the unit and turned the army back. Since he had gathered all the paintings with the cooperation of Dry City, staying further was meaningless.

When they crossed the snowy field like that and arrived in front of the magic castle, Octo got a blank face.

The giant structure was arrogantly looking down at its surroundings while devouring the colliding blizzard.

"I have seen the fountain of Bonyard. The legend was true."

"Then by what means would I have reached here? Leading an army of this extent at that."

Eugene got down from Might. He slapped the guy's rump, sending it toward the stable gates that began to open.

"Kreung-!"

At the boss's return, the sluggish atmosphere of the stable promptly became sharp and brisk.

The other warriors also entered the castle, enjoying the satisfaction of having returned home. At that sight, Octo nodded his head.

"I think I know the reason why Your Excellency's army was always steadfast even in a harsh foreign land."

The fact that Eugene's warriors always marched manifesting high morale wasn't simply because they were hardy or loyal.

"Brothers! We've prepared beer, so come to the hall once you unpack your bags!"

"Our daughter went through a lot! Is there anything you want to eat?"

That the home to return to was in a place not far away. That they could immediately see their welcoming friends and family if they completed the mission.

Because that belief lightly pushed aside the suppressing pressure of a foreign and hostile land.

"Knight! Welcome back!"

"To think it's fortunate if we find even a single rabbit to hunt after running for a long while. Let's leave this cursed place quickly!"

The tribal warriors, Rex and below, enthusiastically welcomed Eugene. Having been cooped up in the castle in this land of severe cold, they were itching to move.

It wasn't enough to just teach the youths preparing to enlist or lift weights in the physical training room.

They wanted to run on horses following Eugene in a warm region quickly. And their expressions, which had been excited with anticipation, crumpled seeing the white pelts fluttering behind.

"Yetis!"

"God damn it! As expected, I should have followed along too!"

The warriors had faces looking like they would die of unfairness at having missed the hunt for rare mid-sized monsters they had only seen in records.

Due to the characteristics of the habitat, once they left the Land of Snow, the opportunity to hunt them would not come again.

"Knight, can we not stay just a few days more?"

"The seeds in the vicinity have already dried up. It'll take at least half a year for other Yetis to come down from the North."

"Ugh."

He absolutely couldn't say the words to wait until then.

"There will be the next expedition soon, so everyone focus on that."

Eugene forcefully pushed away the tribal warriors looking like abandoned puppies as if lingering attachments remained.

Just like that, he passed the audience chamber and stood in front of the core. Placing the brought paintings down, he checked them in order. The fake paintings piled up neatly as no reaction occurred.

Hwaat!

Only the jungle landscape brought by Octo showed Eugene an illusion leading to a new world.

Watching the flickering illusion as if telling him to grab it quickly, Eugene's eyes narrowed.

The destination, swelling with an even greater sense of reality than the painting, absolutely did not have an easygoing atmosphere.

* * *

"It is a relief that you could produce results. I was worried you might return disappointed."

"We almost did. Fortunately, saving a death row inmate before his execution, I could find the real painting through that tie."

"That in itself is an amazing tie. No, would it be better to say fate?"

Eugene and his wife were enjoying the snowy field scenery at the open observatory.

Though Valda is weak to the cold, it's fine. Because now there was her husband's embrace to proudly hide in. She was receiving warmth with her back against Eugene's chest.

"Do you like the scenery here?"

"It's nice to stay for a short while, but I wouldn't want to stay long. Because the energy of nature is too weak here."

Valda put her hand to her long ear. But all that could be heard was the sound of the bitter wind.

When in Britannia or the continent, she could always hear the sound of nature whispering to her.

When she woke up in the morning and stretched, sprouts lifting their heads from the soil just like her greeted her.

The chirping of a bird rejoicing at catching its first bug in the morning.

Squirrels peeking their heads out from secret burrows and communicating with their friends whether they were safe overnight.

In this land of severe cold, such affectionate sounds could not be found.

'It seems you weren't particularly drawn to the gifts we prepared either.'

From Chief Hakon's fief to Dry City, the special local products they gathered weren't very appealing.

Since, in the first place, most things classified as luxury goods in the Land of Snow were imported from Britannia.

If he had to pick one, perhaps ambergris?

- If you want a fragrance, tell me anything. I will combine what you like and grant you supreme pleasure.

But the forest mage could make a fragrance that disallowed comparison with something like ambergris.

"When will we depart?"

"After resting a bit more. The next exploration location is a jungle. The Dwarven warriors will be the mainstay in this place as well, so they must take sufficient rest."

Because cavalry is sealed, they have to move centered on infantry. Since they always had to be careful of their footing, a short stature was also advantageous.

"Since I am by your side, do not worry."

"It will be different from until now."

"Do you not trust your wife and court mage? The forest is my domain."

Perhaps her pride was somewhat hurt, Valda glared sideways but immediately collapsed in front of a stolen kiss.

"Really! You developed a bad habit after marrying. You try to gloss over it with your body like this at the drop of a hat."

"But why are you raising your heels?"

"...Be quiet."

Eugene, holding his wife in his arms to the fullest, continued his words seriously.

"It's not that I don't trust your skills. It's just that the place called the jungle we are going to this time is truly no joke."

"Is it a forest that rough?"

"Even the expression rough is insufficient. It is the place where life is packed in the most densely in the world."

"Then I think that's good."

"The problem is that all those lives are starving. It's a place where plants eat plants and bugs take down beasts."

Currently, the only ones in the Moving Castle who had experienced the jungle were just two people, Eugene and Octo.

No matter how powerful his army was, it was unknown what dangers they would face in an environment they had never experienced before.

Fortunately, Eugene knew well the cases of armies that met disasters in jungles.

If the supreme commander had the will to be careful, they could avoid most dangers in advance.

"Lord. The item you ordered is complete."

At that time, the maids brought a pure white fur coat.

"Could that be?"

"You recognize it immediately. It's made from Yeti hide."

Pure white fur seeming to retain the mystery radiating from the entire coat and the brilliance of the snowy field. Rather than clothing, it was the domain of treasure.

"It's made from the youngest individual among the hunted Yetis. We could only make exactly one piece."

As all hides are, the younger the individual, the higher the grade it is considered. At her husband's sweet whisper, Valda shrank her shoulders.

Valda as a mage and Valda as a woman. Her two inner selves were being intensely drawn towards the coat in front of her eyes.

- There is no woman who hates fur.

It was truly as Cassandra advised.

"I prepared it for Lady Valda. Please accept it."

"...It is an undeserved gift for me. And acting luxuriously will not serve as a good example."

Valda stroked the coat with a trembling hand. Unlike her words of decline, she had a look of really liking it.

"It is not a luxury. It's hunting."

"It's a play on words."

"I beat the Yeti to death and peeled off its hide to make it. It's just that the history of primitive husbands in the distant past hunting beast hides and dressing their wives in them has changed a bit more sophisticatedly."

Eugene draped the fur coat over Valda.

"It truly suits you well."

"How can I ever repay this precious gift."

"It's simple. You just have to come up to the bed wearing only this tonight."

"...Uhm"

Valda nodded softly with a bright red face. Newlywed life was truly the treasure of humanity.

* * *

Two days later, close to 1,000 warriors gathered in the auditorium within the Moving Castle. Since it wasn't time yet, they were spending time in their own ways.

One who sat on an arranged chair, crossed their arms, and closed their eyes.

A Dark Elf and a Dwarven decurion competing in bare-handed suppression techniques.

Onlookers placing bets on the two warriors.

A head of a household boasting about his daughter born a few days ago.

A warrior looking fondly at a whalebone-handled dagger bought in the Land of Snow.

Caracal Special Ops female warriors comparing their newly dyed fingernails.

Since it was a military unit but simultaneously a home, military discipline and vitality always coexisted at a high level.

"Attention!"

Someone who spotted Eugene entering the auditorium together with Octo shouted.

Immediately, the murmuring evaporated and everyone stopped what they were doing. The two warriors in the middle of a test of strength in the ground state also scrambled up.

"Commander entering! Unit, attention!"

The drill Eugene trained and settled over 2 years had now completely melted in regardless of race.

"At ease."

At Eugene's words, everyone lined up and sat on the prepared chairs.

Gulp.

Octo, watching that perfectly synchronized drill next to Eugene, had his lips become dry.

'It's a ridiculous army!'

The brute force and equipment of individuals were also at a level that demolished common sense, but the most special thing was as expected the military discipline.

"Drink and relax."

"Thank you."

When Eugene, noticing with good situational awareness, handed over his canteen, Octo moistened his mouth.

However, as he went up to the platform alone with Eugene and received the heavy gazes of veteran warriors, his lips became dry once again.

"You, Octo, will serve in this expedition as a special advisor. The authority to issue corrective orders to all of them has been temporarily granted to him. If there's anyone acting up, tell me. I will personally fix their habits. If you spot areas for improvement, correct them immediately."

"Aha.. haha... I, I will try."

'This is driving me crazy.'

It was a success that would shock his fellow smugglers who had retired early, whether intentionally or not, if they saw it. Though the person in question tasted like dying properly due to the burden.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

Eugene said, speaking into a megaphone that seemed like a brass horn enlarged by 10 times.

"The expedition destination we are heading to this time is an unknown world. A continent not even named yet. You know what this means, right? What is the enemy we must be most wary of?"

"An unpredictable opponent!"

As Eugene brought it up, the entire force answered in one voice. At that intense resonance, Octo took a step back without realizing it.

"Octo here is the only sea expert among us who has experienced that region. Even if not exactly that place, he has a lot of experience with jungle terrain. It is the power of a person who survived as a smuggler for 30 years. Treat him with respect throughout the expedition."

"Wa, wait, Excellency."

Octo, flustered at him openly revealing he was a criminal, whispered, but it was a needless worry.

'What's with that guy?'

'Is he an adventurer hired by the Lord?'

'He looks too shabby.'

The warriors who didn't dare to look down on him since Eugene brought him personally, but looked at him suspiciously.

Because those gazes uniformly changed into gazes of admiration.

"Have you heard the saying that if you kill 1 person you are a murderer, but if you kill 1,000 you are a hero?"

"Yes. It's a famous saying, after all."

"It's the same. If you endured 30 years as a smuggler on active duty, you deserve to be called a great navigator. Your sins have been pardoned in my name, and we respect the skills others do not possess."

Even if not necessarily this expedition, his advice will play a big role in matters related to the sea or the affairs of the shadows.

Since he was a person with no foundation at all in the castle, it was better to add authority through Eugene's mouth in a place like this.

"A jungle is different from a forest. Step wrong once, and the land will try to swallow you. A hastily drunk sip of water could let a dangerous assassin into your body."

Parasite infection was the part Eugene was most wary of.

"Before taking a step, visually confirm whether what you are about to step on is soil, a swamp, or the tail of a sleeping snake. Because the air is heavy and humid, the scent you emit spreads far, making anyone seek you out. Maintaining noise and light discipline alone won't be enough."

Being humid doesn't simply end at being hot and gnawing at stamina. It informs the enemies with keen senses of the location of allies every moment.

"Be constantly on guard, but do not forget that the subject of guard also applies to your bodies. Because leeches or venomous insects could attach, or you could catch endemic diseases. Check each other's bodies at regular intervals. If even the slightest abnormal symptom is discovered, seek out the medics."

At the place Eugene pointed, tribal witches were sitting in medic attire.

Eugene wanted to assign one per decury, but even though he drafted trainees, that failed.

"The jungle swallows those who move slowly, but it drives those who hurry to death even faster. Always keep pace with the special ops."

Eugene pointed to Cassandra and the female warriors lined up on one side.

Having mastered Rogue skills, they were targets who could always be relied on in irregular combat. Unlike the witches, they were also large in number.

Afterwards, it was Octo's turn.

"In the place I went, there were broadly two kinds of natives. One is similar to Cat-folk, and the other is similar to the Smallfolk of Samur."

He said they were similar because they were subspecies. Since an entirely different ecosystem was established while being isolated by the ocean, it wasn't a strange thing.

"We can communicate with the Cat-folk. Although there are hostile tribes, we exchanged gifts with the ones our sailors met. We were also introduced to regions with gold mines."

"Gold!"

"The rumors were true?"

Short exclamations burst out from everywhere. Especially the Dwarves became excited. They had signs of their hands itching at being able to dig gold mines rather than the gold itself.

"However, the Smallfolk are extremely dangerous. Because all those who went in aiming for gold after landing went into those bastards' stomachs. Only I and a few comrades barely survived and escaped."

At that time, as one centurion raised his hand, Octo pointed with his finger and nodded his head.

"Please speak."

"I heard there is a very large river, can we procure drinking water and food there?"

"I don't recommend it much. Not only is the water muddy, but it's overflowing with dangerous creatures. Especially beware of snakes that would swallow a person in one bite. Because their swimming skills are amazing, you can't escape by swimming."

"Crazy..."

Afterwards as well, details such as explanations about the monsters they had discovered, and coordination of preserved food and armor according to humidity and heat were actively discussed.

Octo picked those raising their hands from all over and answered their questions.

To decide the speaking rights of fearsome warriors whom he didn't even dare to meet eyes with a week ago. Octo didn't dislike this unfamiliar sensation.

"You must pack more than double the usual socks and towels, and dry your feet every rest time. Because there was a person among my comrades whose foot rotted and had to be cut off."

When time passed, his tension disappeared and he was unfolding his experiences with a joyful look.

Because no one looked down on him, a mere smuggler, and treated him courteously and listened attentively.

This attitude of respecting skills was also the result of education Eugene diligently infused over 2 years along with the drills.

* * *

After finishing all preparations, Eugene bid farewell to the Land of Snow he had briefly grown attached to.

As the Moving Castle disappeared from the pure white snowy field, an intense snowstorm raged.

- What is that?

- It's because we want to leave a trace that we visited.

What they left behind were two large snowmen built with care in a place the wind wouldn't reach.

- But why are they separated from each other?

- Wait a minute, Lord!

- It will break if you do that!

- Look. How nice is it to see them close together like putting arms around each other's shoulders.

The snowmen competitively made by the Dwarves and Dark Elves were stuck together amicably along with drag marks.

Although it was somewhat regrettable that the scarf they wrapped together was diagonal due to the height difference, that is.