Chapter 219

Chapter 219 - Man VS Nature

The Dwarf Prince confirmed that Eugene had no subordinates attending him.

"Count! What about your escort and you came alone?"

"The subordinates' warhorses couldn't keep up with this guy's feet so we came first."

As Eugene stroked his neck, Might licked his lips feeling good. He showed satisfaction with the dual pleasures gifted by victory and egg yolks.

"Because every minute and second is urgent in a mid-sized monster attack. Multiple casualties could arise from a single attack."

The Prince intuited from Eugene's attitude that it wasn't his first or second time doing this.

'Indeed, he is a person who got a country in his hands with a single sword. Strong and also young.'

It must be a boldness possible because there is the ambition youth gives besides strength. Of course, Eugene stepped forward because he was certain of his own safety, though.

"Then we will return to the unit and standby. Because another request for salvation might come."

"Excellency! Excellency! Just a moment!"

The Thornbeard tribe Dwarves stopped Eugene who was about to return.

"What is the matter?"

"May we collect the Cockatrice Your Excellency caught? Of course we do not mean that we will take it. It is saying that we will process it for you since you are a busy person."

"There doesn't seem to be any particularly useful parts, though."

It is said a village dog of 3 years can recite a poem. The time Eugene spent together with the Blackhand tribe was already 3 years. It's a prey he's seeing for the first time, but he could roughly guess its value.

"Only the legs are reptilian, the body is a bird so the leather doesn't look very valuable either. The only thing there's a lot of is meat."

"The taste of that meat is excellent!"

"Ah..."

"It is a characteristic of bird-type monsters. There is also no poison and it is perfect as a food ingredient."

Having only paid attention to making military supplies while hunting monsters all this time, he had forgotten its primitive use.

"It is good roasted or boiled in a stew. If you make dumplings with the liver, the scent is meat but the texture is like bread. And a rich texture like compressing three or four breads at that. You can make dumplings with this guy's intestines, and it defies comparison with the likes of wheat flour wrappers! With this single one, all the subjugation squad members will eat their fill."

"..."

An old Dwarf passionately babbled away while spitting. He seemed so excited that he even forgot he was in front of the Prince and Count.

"If it's that, I will donate it as a common trophy of the subjugation squad. Let's all enjoy a company dinner together with this guy."

"Thank you! Truly thank you! All the tribes in the mountains will praise Your Excellency's generosity!"

The Dwarf warriors were sincerely delighted. Because it is harder to encounter meat in the mountains than one thinks.

Moreover, even living under the light of civilization, it is still an era overflowing with superstitions or wrong folk remedies.

The belief that one can receive that vitality by eating the meat of a powerful existence like a Cockatrice is widely spread among Dwarves.

Above all, in an era where things to enjoy were lacking, the satisfaction given by delicious food was great.

"Count Excellency. You can make the highest quality quill pens with the wing feathers of the Cockatrice. It's a precious luxury item where only a few come out because they are so small. We will process them doing our best and present them."

"Thank you. I will pay a reasonable reward, so please do."

As Eugene turned his horse's head around, the Dwarves moved busily and began to chatter.

"Pluck it gently! If the feather breaks while doing that, your shin will break too, you know? Eheey! I'll do it so move over there!"

"You have to carve it out gently from here on. Because the bladder is beyond this. If you accidentally burst it, you have to throw away all the nearby meat."

"Eing. He ate all the eggs? This is the real delicacy..."

"Shh! Shh! Is this guy crazy?"

* * *

Even afterwards, Eugene and his subordinates moved around busily. Because the uncharted territory east of the mountains was a wonderful environment for monsters to live in.

First off, there is high rainfall. The winds holding moisture blowing from the west get caught in the mountains and frequently spray rain.

From the desert on the opposite side, sandstorms holding abundant inorganic matter blow in. They supplied nutrients to the mountains frequently.

Between the Dwarf Mountains and the Sand-Worm Desert, a rocky terrain spreads out. Since it's a land where not a single blade of grass grows, the inorganic matter it receives also glides and flies into the mountains exactly as it is.

Naturally, grass and fruits grew rapidly, and the herbivores and predators eating them had no choice but to prosper.

"Th-That is!"

Eugene was startled by the massive beast seen from a distance. That was the same for Homi.

"Oop... Count. It's that guy from 3 years ago."

Homi, during her mute days, had a habit of talking to herself in her mind. Since it was a voice only she could hear, she ignored things like social formalities.

Then suddenly her speech opened up so she tends to make frequent title mix-ups. Even though she's quickly correcting it.

- A giant wild boar is blocking the advance route. One allied unit and 2 twin-horse carriages were smashed! Please provide support!

What Eugene, who came after receiving the request for help, discovered was a giant-sized wild boar. It's the same lineage as the guy Eugene, Homi, and Godfrey caught as a trio in Kingdom's End.

"Why are both of you so surprised? Although the Dire Hog is a formidable fella."

"The monsters Your Excellency has defeated are far more amazing."

Rex and Hind both had puzzled faces.

"It's the guy I last hunted during my squire days. It was a kind of graduation exam. Seeing it again like this, it feels new."

The size was smaller than the guy caught back then.

"Did Your Excellency also have a squire period?"

Everyone looked at Eugene as if fascinated.

"Then is there any guy who's a knight from the beginning? I also received knighthood after acting as a squire under Master Godfrey."

"Ah, no. Come to think of it, it's a natural thing but..."

Hind laughed awkwardly. Since he was a liege lord who so often showed monster-like appearances, a strange prejudice had formed.

"This is also a destiny. We definitely have to catch it."

"It's a large prey after a long time."

The tribal warriors ignited their fighting spirit while checking their bows.

"Aren't you looking down it too much? It doesn't have special abilities, but its weight class doesn't go anywhere. Looking just at weight, it must be a guy heavier than an Ogre."

At Eugene's worry, Rex grinned.

"We aren't letting our guards down so please do not worry. Even if the weight class is ignorant, there is something called affinity. A Dire Hog is a guy our tribe catches really well."

"Is there some kind of secret?"

"That guy's strength is good but its movements are linear. Its turning ability is terrible so it's good for light cavalry to toy with. And this area is a plateau suitable for warhorses to maneuver. Furthermore, that guy is male."

Eugene, who was listening while nodding continuously, tilted his head at the last part.

"If it's male isn't it worse? The tusks are fully threatening and its bulk or muscle strength must be stronger too."

"If it were an ordinary monster that would be true, but that guy is a pig in the end."

Rex clenched both fists and brought them together so the backs of the hands showed. Then, he hung one thumb down limply. That sight was reminiscent of giant testicles and a small penis. Rex shook his thumb playfully.

"A pig is the guy with the most giant testicles among all beasts. It's a quadruped so it can't even hide them."

"You don't mean..."

Eugene realized what kind of terrible strategy Rex had set up. For the first time, the sight of a knight whose voice trembled on the battlefield.

Rex replied with a satisfied and cruel smile.

10 minutes later.

"Good! Keep drawing its attention!"

The light cavalrymen holding red flags provoked like bullfighters in front of the Dire Hog.

The flags specially crafted for luring monsters fluttered fiercely. The frenzy-inducing agent generously applied to the flags flowed into the pig's nose riding the headwind.

"Kkueeek-!"

The Dire Hog chased the light cavalry glowing with anger and excitement.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Every time the heavy footsteps rang out, two pouches larger than beer barrels swayed dazzlingly. It is a visual as if the bell of a city facing an emergency situation is swinging back and forth.

Rex, who first went around to the Dire Hog's rear, released the bowstring.

Ping!

A sound he had heard so much that it was now familiar.

Puuuk!

However, the sound of tearing flesh was completely different from what he had heard so far.

"Kkuweeeeeeeeeek-!"

A scream making one's hair stand on end shook the mountain range.

Tremble tremble.

The Dire Hog's hind legs tremble intensely with terrible agonizing pain. The destructive charge stopped immediately.

"It's a guy that endures even if you lodge a ballista arrow in its side. But..."

Rampage, who was watching together with Eugene, sighed.

"I heard they have a pretty severe ill-fated relationship with Dwarves."

"That is correct, Excellency. Since we couldn't ride horses, that kind of hunting was impossible. We have to secure a fixed base and fight, but then it's a truly hard guy to kill."

Unlike humans who are incapacitated even if a small hole is pierced in their abdomen, wild creatures have tremendous vitality.

"It's nothing much if hit in a vital spot."

"I somehow feel somewhat wronged. We drove them out suffering such hardships, but to think those guys catch it this easily."

The Dire Hog, which barely stood up again, spun round and round continuously. It is to hide its vital spot from the light cavalry aiming for its rear like doing dog-fighting.

"Kkuweeeek-! Kkweeeeeee-!"

"Hmm. For some reason, I feel like I can hear that pig's language."

"I think so too. Excellency."

'Cowardly bastards! Fight fair and square!'

It must surely be shouting like that.

However, the Dire Hog's resistance is futile. Its testicles were too huge and also jiggled to hide from the light cavalry's persistent pursuit.

Puk!

Puuuk!

As 3 arrows lodged additionally, both sturdy hind legs sank down.

"Such cruel fellas. They even applied poison?"

Eugene lamented as the Dark Elves soaked their arrowheads in small black bottles. It is a gruesome sight hard to even keep one's eyes open to watch.

The Dire Hog dragged its body with its 2 front legs and resisted, but it's futile. A quadruped walking creature is excessively vulnerable to rear attacks.

Behind the completely slowed down prey, the horse archers gathered and aimed their arrows in unison.

"Prrr."

The clever warhorses moved in tune with the Dire Hog moving its lower body and helped aim.

Pipipipiping!

20 poisoned arrows flew in in unison. Some dug into the upper part which is as vulnerable as the testicles. However, the resounding scream was small.

Wheeze...

Wheeze...

The Dire Hog was already in a too weakened state. It was no different from a death row inmate waiting for the guillotine.

* * *

While Eugene's army was operating like enjoying a hunt, the situation for other units was different.

"These crazy Goblin bastards!"

"Be careful! Their arrows and sling stones are not ordinary!"

The Dwarf warriors dispatched from the Thornbeard tribe struggled against the Goblins.

Goblin is the pronoun for an easy monster, but even that is case by case.

Depending on the tribe, they performed bizarre feats like taming fierce beasts, being skilled at trap operation, or possessing shamans who use curses.

The guys they met this time were a tribe specialized in ranged attacks.

And the Thornbeard tribe uses phalanx tactics forming a dense formation with pikes. They had fully been hit by a counter.

Ppa-ak!

"Aag!"

"This damn it! Phili your, your eye..."

The Dwarf bled profusely from his right eye hit by a stone.

"I'm fine. I was hit on the brow bone. Be careful everyone. You shouldn't think of it as the level a child throws!"

The Thornbeard tribe Dwarves hold pikes with both hands. They only tied a small shield like a Targe to their arm, and even then many didn't use it.

Because in the area they live in, wolves or bears mainly appeared, and there was practically no case of fighting people.

"■■■ ■■!"

However, they were vulnerable to Goblins repeatedly firing slings and bows right in front of their eyes.

Ppak!

"Keugh!"

"Kiikiit-! Kihihihit-!"

As another Dwarf shed blood from a sling stone, the Goblins let out sneers.

"Damn it! They're coming again over there!"

At the sight of about 30 Goblins running, the Dwarves' faces hardened.

"A Hobgoblin..."

At the vanguard is a red goblin as tall as an adult human man. It has a rugged muscular body and holds a terrifying axe in its hand.

The Dwarves thought they might end up burying their bones here.

"■?"

The Hobgoblin's pointed ears twitched and it stared at the opposite side. The Dwarves also followed that gaze and saw a Dwarf on the hill.

"Hey, friends! You looked to be having a hard time so I came to help!"

Rampage shook his fist from on top of the hill.

"It's the first actual combat!"

Flags symbolizing the Hammer Brotherhood and the Mayer family rose one by one from the hill. The ones grasping those spear shafts were the Dwarf Stone Cavalrymen riding large pangolins.

"It's salvation!"

"I heard they went outside to act as mercenaries, just where and what did they do to come back like this?"

The Thornbeard tribe's mouths fell wide open at the Dwarf cavalry being deployed in actual combat for the first time in history.

"Lady Homi. We ask for your help if push comes to shove."

"Leave it to me."

Since there are still many unskillful parts as a cavalry, Homi needs to assist them. Even if the nominal Stone Cavalry commander is Rampage, Homi is essentially a higher ranker.

"Stone Cavalry advanceeeeee!"

"Khazad! Ai-menu! (The Dwarves are upon you!)"

At Rampage's shout, the subordinates let out a battle cry and initiated the charge.

Dududududu!

Both rider and armored beast approach clad in armor from toes to head. That gave a sense of pressure like a castle wall pushing in like a wave.

"■■! ■■!"

The Hobgoblin's roar seemingly ordering to fire. In the direction the red finger pointed, the Goblins aimed their slings and bows.

"Be careful! Their attacks are fiercer than you think!"

The Thornbeard unit commander warned.

However, the Stone Cavalrymen had already seen far more powerful arrows and sling stones closely countless times. Compared to the skills of the ear-pointies (Elves), the Goblins' were extremely crude.

"■■■!"

As they got close enough, arrows and sling stones flew in from the Goblins.

They didn't shoot in unison but fired sequentially fitting their respective ranges. This means those guys are more skilled than a passable archer unit.

Which would be natural since they are guys who waged a struggle for survival in uncharted territory, though.

Ting!

However, the arrows and stones couldn't deal damage to the Vertigo's natural scale armor. The Dwarf riding on top was also in a state of being wrapped in armor round and round.

When the Hobgoblin yelled something, the guys holding bows stepped back, and instead, the guys holding spears stepped forward and aimed ahead.

"These guys know how to fight properly?"

At the order of Rampage laughing heartily, the Stone Cavalrymen pulled out heavy crossbows from their saddles and aimed.

"Fire!"

Steel bolts of a might incomparable to Goblin arrows swept away the spearmen.

The Stone Cavalrymen slotted the fired heavy crossbows into the saddles and picked up another loaded one from the opposite side. The speed of alternating fire from the training so far is extremely fast.

"One more shot!"

Pipipiping!

The Goblin spearmen, who received 2 consecutive volleys from a close distance, were shattered.

"■■■ ■■!"

The Goblin archers, who instantly became the front line again, shot arrows like having a seizure, but it's useless. They all difused off the scales and armor of the Stone Cavalrymen.

"Lower lances!"

Lances thicker and longer than what knights use in actual combat were aimed forward. The Vertigos also gained even more confidence from their rider's lance aimed in front of their heads.

"Kkueeong-!"

"Kueoeeong-!"

A unique yet weighty roar. The Goblins got scared and tried to retreat, never mind their boss's command. But it was too late.

Kwaaang!

Kuung!

The Thornbeard tribe saw Goblins flying in the sky for the first time.

The impact force of the Stone Cavalry contained an even more powerful destructive force than that of arrogant knights.

Rampage shook off a Goblin that died after being dragged nearly 10m pierced by his lance.

"Hamlin! Be careful!"

Rampage warned a somewhat protruding comrade. Goblins rushed in unison around Hamlin and tried to pull him down.

"Kkueong-!"

Then the Vertigo, sensing danger, stood up raising its hind legs.

The Goblins trying to drag the Dwarf rider down from the side bounced off and tumbled.

It is a sight similar to scared warhorses raising their front hooves and standing high saying 'Hihing!' during battle, but there are two differences.

First, the animals belonging to the Pholidota order, which the Vertigos fall under, can also walk bipedally.

Second, they can attack using powerful claws in that state.

"■■■?"

The Goblin that rushed in with the joy of 'Incapacitated!' thinking of a horse was slashed to pieces by claws more brutal than a brown bear's.

One Goblin gritted his teeth and stabbed a short spear into the exposed belly, but it's useless.

If it were a wild Vertigo, it would have received a fatal wound on its scaleless belly, but there's no way the Dwarves would leave that weakness alone. Leather lamellar armor painstakingly clad was protecting the belly.

Rather, his neck was pierced by Hamlin's spear, enraged that he attacked his partner.

"Charge! Charge!"

Crash!

Crunch!

At the unstoppable charge of the Stone Cavalry, Goblins were ground away helplessly.

"Kuek-!"

The Hobgoblin, trying to fight to the end as the boss, flew about 4m after being rammed by Rampage.

However, thanks to the adrenaline of battle, he tried to get up again and fight, forgetting the pain.

Rampage answered by ramming once more without bothering to use his spear.

"Uweeek!"

The Hobgoblin vomiting a bowl of blood, probably getting firmly hit this time.

"Hey, calm down."

The Vertigo seemed enraged at the Hobgoblin daring to block its path. Despite Rampage soothing it, it kept rolling the dead Hobgoblin over and over like dribbling.

Having gone through armored training with the Dwarves, the Vertigos were in a state where they realized the sensation of 'arrogance'.

It is not arrogance in a negative sense. They realized that having been reborn as Stone Cavalry, they crossed the boundary of carnivory and herbivory and ascended to top predators of the ecosystem.

"Kkueoong-!"

The Vertigos roared resonantly at the corpses of Goblins rolling around the battlefield.

This sensation is a sweeter taste than the cassava they dug and ate in the wild.

- Break them. And scratch them. Then you will enjoy a new taste.

Arrogance as a superior in the ecosystem. That is what Homi, who participated in the Stone Cavalry training, taught the Vertigos.

- A taste that cannot be felt with the tongue. A delicacy that can only be tasted on the battlefield. The pleasure of the strong. I will teach you that.

Homi, who could perfectly speak the language of beasts, could instill education going beyond mobility training into the Vertigos.

From capture to training, she can be called the number one contributor to the completion of the Stone Cavalry. This is the reason the Hammer Brotherhood Dwarves have no choice but to treat Homi with the utmost sincerity.

"Did you see those crazy guys?"

At the hot charge pushing away the Goblins completely in an instant, the Thornbeard tribe Dwarves laughed heartily.

"We can't just leave it to our neighbors, right?"

"Let's sweep away the remaining guys!"

The path the Stone Cavalry passed through was full of Goblins crawling around crippled. The pikes of the Thornbeard tribe poured down on them.

* * *

Eugene nodded at the report that the Stone Cavalry that went to rescue achieved a great victory.

"It's most important for Rampage to play an active role in this subjugation."

Eugene visited the mountain range with complex purposes.

Tribal Chief Allesa is doing well wooing the Dark Elf tribes, but there is no clear method for the Dwarves.

However, if the Dwarf Stone Cavalry goes around stamping their eyes into the tribes of the mountain range like now, it becomes convenient in many ways.

'Could I ride too?'

'Just what kind of journey have those guys been doing?'

Desire, and curiosity.

These two things are powerful motivations that make one leave their hometown and set out on an adventure.

Separate from the subjugation, the Stone Cavalry were entrusted with the mission of planting those seeds in the Dwarves of the mountain range.

"Eugene?"

"Ah, you woke up because of me."

Valda, waking up from the camp bed, has an absentmindedly disheveled face unlike usual.

Because she used her magic to the limit aiming to find monsters nesting all over the mountain range. Because there is no one who can follow the forest magician in this field.

- Lady Valda. This is enough.

- No. I can do mo... oop!

- I feel this always, but it's a relief you handle forest magic.

An elf princess who becomes tough whenever she uses magic, unsuited to her usual gentleness.

Especially on the battlefield, she commanded mighty magic like squeezing to the limit. Therefore, often lying down like a person with torn muscles from overtraining.

'During the time fighting the Bonyard bandit group or the Ghouls in the Northfork forest, you restrained yourself perfectly fine, though.'

There is a reason for this kind of change in Valda.

In the past including the time she roamed Roman, there was no one to trust. Valda's body had to be taken care of solely by her alone. Therefore, she always tried to maintain a sound body and mind.

But it's different now. Beside her are a reliable husband and loyal Homi, and an army of thousands protects her.

Therefore, she uses magic profusely without looking front or back. Also because forest magic itself is a field where recoil is very small.

"Won't you sleep a bit more? You must be tired."

"The sun hasn't set yet. If I sleep more, I won't be able to sleep at night."

"That is good in its own way."

"What does that me... Ah!"

Valda hugged her own upper body with both arms. Her face is red like a carrot.

"Restrain yourself outside. I'm telling you the sound leaks outside the tent."

"Can't you just hold it in?"

"Do you think that's as easy as it sounds?!"

"I'm joking."

"Haa."

Valda sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

"Since you got married, you've become sly. Where did the polite and romantic knight of the past go."

"Because we've continuously wandered the battlefields despite being newlyweds. It's my own countermeasure."

Eugene was worried that the heat would cool down being busy with work at the time when the couple should burn up the most.

However, Valda chuckled at such worries of her husband.

"We are monarchs. A couple born with the destiny to shine upon subjects and our family while wandering the battlefields at that. The sight of a spouse carrying out that duty wonderfully is my pride and fuel."

Valda pointed at the kettle boiling on the stove.

"The time spent on the battlefield is like that stove, and I am like the tea water boiling upon it. I feel fulfillment even in every moment right now. You do not need to worry that our honeymoon is being wasted... Kyaak!"

Valda screamed pinned down by Eugene who pounced like a beast.

"Th-This kind of thing later!"

"I know. I just suddenly wanted to hug you."

Valda was a wife faithful to noblesse oblige more than Eugene thought.

"Even if 5 years, 10 years, or even 30 years pass, I will remain exactly the same as now."

Valda stroked Eugene's head which was buried in her chest.

"Therefore, you concentrate on your tasks as a monarch. Since even after you have achieved what you must, I will comfort you with soft and warm skin."

"Those are truly thankful words, but wouldn't that be a loss for Lady Valda? I would be a middle-aged man with grayish hair by then."

"...That is good in its own way."

"Oh!"

Piiing!

Outside, the 6th signal flare blossomed. The subjugation is proceeding very smoothly.

"If it's an urgent matter you may enter, though?"

"A-Ah, no. Because it's not urgent."

The messenger outside the commander's tent didn't dare think of cutting in despite the sentry's words. Because he was scared of ruining the internal atmosphere where sesame seeds were pouring.

Only after a certain amount of time passed did the messenger enter and hand Eugene the Dwarf Prince's letter.

"The Prince has issued a halt order to the entire army. He says they have achieved sufficient results, so they will solidify the defensive line now."

The main goal of the uncharted territory subjugation is strictly to find substitute mines. It was not the unlimited annihilation of monsters. Since it only pointlessly expands the front line and makes it hard to manage.

Above all, the Prince just confirmed the biggest result, Eugene's army.

"It is a letter inviting Your Excellency to the Royal Palace."

The messenger presented an invitation to Eugene.