Chapter 82 – The Familiar Battlefield

At dawn—.

A single dragon sped through the freezing air of the northern lands at tremendous speed……

“Bummel!! Are you sure we’re heading the right way?!”

Wrapped in thick leather winter gear, Nasser shouted at the old man riding the dragon.

The enormous dragon, with crimson eyes and skin, was flying at considerable speed, and the air whistled by their ears with byun-byun, making it impossible to hear one another even at close range unless they shouted.

All the more so when the other person was an old man—……

“Stop treating me like some senile old geezer! I can hear you perfectly well without you shouting your damn head off!”

Bummel’s grumpy reply was indeed surprisingly clear.

Being highly skilled at handling dragons, Bummel apparently knew how to read the gaps and currents in the airflow.

Unlike Nasser, he was not even dressed particularly heavily, seemingly using the dragon’s back itself as a shield against the violent wind.

When it came to this, there was simply no substitute for experience.

Nasser himself had spent many years alongside dragons, but even he had never reached the point where he could read the air currents the way Bummel could.

“Yeah, yeah…… My bad. So…… are we really going the right way? I was stationed on the northern front too, you know. I’m familiar with the area.”

“……Kah! How many years ago was that? I’m a former Marshal of the Magic Corps, you know? I was on the front line until quite recently. I know more about the military than you do.”

Bummel gave a smug little hmph and grinned at him as though mocking him. Nasser felt a slight irritation rising within him, but the moment his eyes fell on the large scar across Bummel’s face, even that feeling faded away.

Several of the old man’s front teeth were missing as well……

“……Hn? What’s wrong—ah, the injuries? Nah, it’s nothing. Just part of life on the battlefield—don’t worry about it, brat. Kakkakka! Makes me look more handsome, doesn’t it?”

Watching Bummel burst into hearty laughter, Nasser found himself unable to say anything more.

“Brat, he says…… Tch.”

Feeling awkward, he looked away and cast his gaze down toward the land below.

There stretched the same barren, emaciated terrain—.

‘Still as damn hateful a place as ever……’

Nasser recalled the time when he himself had once been there during his days as a soldier.

The days when he had fought fiercely on the front lines as a Dragon Summoner……

—Vassa, vassa……

He gently stroked the back of the enormous dragon Bummel was controlling, his hand brushing over its scales.

‘……A dragon, huh.’

Nasser found himself calming down as he watched this powerful creature soar through the sky.

“Well now, we’re about to enter the restricted airspace around the Frontline City, you know?”

“I know—…… I want to conserve my mana, so wait until the very last moment.”

Bummel was implicitly telling him that it was time to prepare for battle, but Nasser shook his head.

Nasser Virginia, formerly a Dragon Summoner—and now a German Army Summoner—possessed the strongest summoned beast of all, the『German Army』, and it was just as overwhelmingly powerful in aerial combat.

……But of course, it had its drawbacks.

Namely, the Messerschmitt fighters, the Stuka dive bombers—and even the Focke-Wulf fighter-bombers—were simply far too loud.

The thunderous roar of those thousand-horsepower-class engines reverberated heavily and deeply through the body and could surely be heard even from a great distance away.

……Therefore, while conducting a covert operation deep within enemy territory, he should avoid summoning them until the very last possible moment.

“Hmph.……Well, fine. Either way, they should be spotting this dragon any moment now—don’t start panicking when that happens, you hear?”

“You don’t need to tell me.”

Nasser answered Bummel with a casual quip, but as they drew closer to the northern lands, unease began to stir in his heart.

The mighty Demon King’s army……

And the elite Field Division, organized to stand against them—.

They were strong, rough soldiers…….

‘And Liz is in a place like that……’

Nasser could not stop worrying.

Just imagining how that young girl might be treated on the front lines made his heart ache.

I just hope she’s safe…….

“—Wait for me…… I’ll be there soon.”

Having already lost everything, Nasser had only two women left.

……Two women worth risking his life for.

His filthy wife, Alicia,

and his last remaining family—Liz.

And Alicia was already gone.

So now, there was only one woman left for Nasser to worry about.

The last family Nasser Virginia had left—the one and only woman precious to him……

Liz, and Liz alone!

“……If she’s that precious to you, you ought to lock her away in a treasure chest or something—Kakkakka.”

Bummel seemed to sense the deep regret in Nasser’s words and teased him with a laugh, but—

“……Yeah. That’s exactly what I intend to do. …………This time…… I really will.”

Nasser answered half-seriously.

Seriously……resolving that he would save her, no matter what—.

“Hmph……Well, whatever. Go and rescue your niece already. Then cherish her as much as you possibly can—”

“……You don’t need to tell me. And I’ll repay my debt to you properly too……”

“Kakkakka! Don’t you forget those words.”

……Yeah. I won’t forget.

—It had been about a month since the battle in the royal capital.

After emerging victorious from the fierce battle, Nasser had buried the endlessly regenerating『Hero』inside a massive pit blasted open by the combat engineers he had summoned.

As a marker, he used the magic sword Alicia had possessed in place of a gravestone, leaving it above that deep pit whose location no one else knew……

Even then, he could not say with certainty that the Hero had been completely dealt with, but there had been no signs of revival during the time he kept watch, so it should remain safe for a while.

He would eventually search for a way to finish the Hero off for good, but for now, he pushed the matter to the back of his mind.

For Nasser, rescuing Liz—his last remaining family—was far more important than sealing away the Hero.

By the time he realized that, however, it was already too late.

With no choice but to search blindly, Nasser had not a single ally at his side and he had been unable to obtain so much as a meaningful clue to Liz’s whereabouts.

…………But there was one man who offered Nasser a helping hand—and that man was none other than the one beside him now: Bummel, Marshal of the Magic Corps, known as the『Slaughtering Old Man.』

‘To tell the truth, I didn’t want to rely on someone like him……’

That day—……

When Nasser awoke in the devastated royal capital, the old man standing beside him had been Bummel.

It might be hard to believe, but after lending Nasser a hand just before he lost consciousness, Bummel had remained there in the rain, waiting and waiting for Nasser as he slept inside the Tiger I.

Nasser had been completely defenseless and Bummel could have slit his throat in his sleep at any moment, yet he had simply kept waiting—

Bummel, the very marshal known as the Slaughtering Old Man!

In fact, Nasser had apparently remained unconscious for several days due to severe mana depletion, and even he had been genuinely shocked when he learned what Bummel had done.

Then, the rain finally stopped……

Several days later, as the sun rose over what had become a completely ruined royal capital, Nasser was searching through one corner of the wreckage for any clue that might lead him to Liz.

That was when Marshal Bummel said to him,

“Want me to help you find your family?”

‘Just what the hell is he after……?’

Naturally, Nasser assumed there had to be some ulterior motive and had no intention of even considering the offer.

After all, Nasser was nothing less than an enemy who had openly defied the kingdom. He could not imagine what benefit Bummel could possibly gain from helping him.

……However, when Nasser found himself completely at a loss with no clues whatsoever, Bummel began by offering him the information he possessed.

A marshal was still a marshal.

And not just any marshal, but the man who commanded the kingdom’s most elite force—the Magic Corps.

Compared to Nasser, who had once been no more than an ordinary soldier, the amount of information Bummel possessed was on an entirely different level.

Moreover, unlike Nasser, who had been retired from the military for quite some time, Bummel—old man or not—was still an active-duty soldier.

And after that, he provided Nasser with money, food, clothing—and even that dragon itself—……

……He was an old man Nasser had once crossed blades with.

In truth, Nasser still had no idea what Bummel was really thinking, and the old man should have had no obligation whatsoever to help him.

It would actually have been easier to understand if Bummel had demanded something in return, but there was no sign of that either.

Surely he was plotting something rotten deep down, but Nasser could not even figure out what that might be.

……Still, with no clues to Liz’s whereabouts, Nasser was desperate enough to grasp at any straw, and so he decided to accept the offer.

Whether that decision would bring good fortune or disaster.

Whether Bummel was scheming something or not……

‘No, he’s definitely got something in mind……He’s not the kind of good guy who’d help someone for free.’

And so now, with the assistance of Bummel, Marshal of the Magic Corps, Nasser was flying toward the northernmost frontline.

“……Well, don’t be so guarded. I have my own reasons for doing this.……That said, it’s going to cost you dearly. Kakkakka! After all, thanks to a certain someone blowing the castle to pieces, I barely had any up-to-date information left.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

Blowing the royal capital to hell had felt damn good, though!

Seeing Nasser’s sardonic grin, Bummel gave a fearless little snort.

“……Hmph.”

Then, as though it were nothing important, Bummel said,

“—About that niece you’re searching for…… Truth is, I don’t really know where she is.”

“What?!”

What the hell are you telling me that for now?!

Nasser nearly flew into a rage and reached out to seize Bummel by the collar, when—

“……However, I do know roughly where the forced laborers sent from the royal capital were transferred.”

Bummel said it in an infuriatingly roundabout way, almost as if he were enjoying Nasser’s reaction.

“Ku……!”

Nasser’s raised fist suddenly had nowhere to go.

“……T-Then say that sooner!”

“Kakkakka! You’re still young” 

Bummel laughed.

But Nasser was in no mood to laugh.

“Kaka! Well, even that isn’t the latest information. Still, it shouldn’t be too far off. You know this yourself, don’t you? ……The northern front relies on transport for virtually every kind of supply.……After all, its productive capacity is overwhelmingly inadequate.”

That was true.

The northern front was not a place of production, but of consumption.

It was a military town where soldiers gathered—and the foremost battlefield against the Demon King’s army.

It was hardly a place where anyone could leisurely cultivate crops, and in the first place, the land itself was unsuitable for growing them.

“Weapons, provisions, luxury goods……I have a general grasp of how those flow. But……manpower is different. After all, people are not the same as ordinary supplies. And when they are relatives of heretics, there is no reason to expect any official record of how they were handled.”

Bummel paused.

“However…… considering the frontline units are chronically short of women…… they were most likely 『supplied』to elite units. For example, an elite force such as the cavalry regiment you destroyed.”

“Elite units, huh……”

At the northernmost frontline, under the command of the Field Division, there were three cavalry regiments and one infantry regiment.

Generally speaking, the cavalry units were considered the elite forces. Among them, the lower the regiment number, the higher its level of training was said to be.

In addition, although it belonged to a separate organization, the Magic Corps was independently stationed there as a force supplementing the division. However, rather than calling them an elite unit, it would be more accurate to describe them as a carefully guarded trump card.

In other words, now that the First Cavalry Regiment had been annihilated, the Second Cavalry Regiment would currently be considered the foremost elite unit.

As an aside, this Magic Corps was under Bummel’s command.

And the unit Nasser had once been assigned to was the infantry regiment—more precisely, one of the battalions under it.

That was also the unit commanded by the battalion commander—Shara Embania.

“Well, this is only speculation. When it comes to relatives of heretics, they’re regarded as easily replaceable, after all. ……Which means they should be concentrated and『supplied』to places where the rate of attrition is particularly high.”

Giriri……!

“『Supplied』……?”

Even that word alone stirred anger within him……!

“……In other words, don’t expect them to be treated well. Those men have rough dispositions, after all. They quickly use women up until there’s nothing left. That’s precisely why there’s a high possibility she was transferred there”

Bummel added as casually as though it had nothing to do with him, causing a vein to bulge on Nasser’s forehead.

“D-Don’t screw with me!!『Use them up』…… Liz?! What the hell did that girl ever do to deserve that?!”

“……Calm down, brat. ……No matter how poorly they may be treated, they probably wouldn’t be disposed of that easily—fortunately, it hasn’t been several months since they were transferred, has it?”

As a marshal, it would not be particularly difficult for Bummel to access the military’s official information.

However, there was no way official records would openly preserve the labor records of heretics and their relatives—something that amounted to one of the military’s darker secrets.

Even so, as long as it was a military organization, some kind of trace would inevitably remain.

—Incidentally, at this point Liz had already been transferred to the Field Division headquarters, so both Bummel and Nasser were laboring under a major misunderstanding……

Still, considering how far away they were from the royal capital, it was only natural that neither of them could know what was actually happening on the front line.

But who could possibly have imagined that the fall of the royal capital would cause the northernmost frontline to effectively become a military clique……

……Much less that lynchings and vigilante violence had become rampant as an outlet for the stress of the soldiers and residents—.

“Th-Then—”

“Exactly. It hasn’t been that long since she was taken away from the royal capital. ……So if we visit a few of the cavalry regiments stationed along the front line, shouldn’t we be able to find out where she is?”

“W-With such a rough method?! ……Wouldn’t it be more accurate to assault the Field Division headquarters and dig up the information there?!”

That’s right. That would be better!

Even now, they could change course and launch a sudden attack on headquarters!

……The Field Division headquarters would have all kinds of information, and if they took some high-ranking officers prisoner, they might be able to learn even more—.

“You idiot…… There’s no way you’d find her with such a short-sighted approach.”

“W-What did you say?!”

Nasser instinctively tried to snap back, wondering which of them was really being short-sighted, but Bummel’s exasperated tone made his face twist in irritation.

Sure, Bummel was helping him now, but the two of them had once tried to kill each other.

—There was no reason for them to start acting like close friends.

“……Listen, your face is already known, isn’t it? ……And so are your methods. Granted, even if they know what you can do, there probably aren’t many people who could stand against your summoned beasts……”

“Of course there aren’t. Don’t underestimate my summons—”

Exactly.

There was no one who could stand against the German Army—!

“……And that’s why you’re planning to charge straight in and force your way through to rescue her? Idiot.”

Even then, Bummel remained unconvinced.

“You only get one shot at this…… Do you understand what I’m saying? —Use that inadequate brain of yours and think about it properly for once.”

“Guh……!”

Bummel spoke in the same tone he had used back when he was the principal of the magic academy.

For all appearances, Bummel was actually an absurdly important man…….

“Good grief…… Listen carefully. The Field Division probably never imagined that you would come attacking them. Right now, they’re most likely planning to retake the royal capital.”

……Huh?!

“Retake the royal capital? ……You mean, retake it from me……?”

“Of course. What else would they do?”

Hah! ……Who the hell would want to occupy that cesspit?

That place meant nothing to him anymore.

“How are they supposed to know that? ……You were in the military yourself, so surely you can understand. Whatever your personal feelings may be, if the『royal capital』was attacked by an unidentified army, there’s no way the Field Division—the kingdom’s main military force—could simply sit back and do nothing.”

……Well, that was true.

That was why the elite First Cavalry Regiment had been dispatched first.

Though, of course, they had been wiped out in an instant by the 80 cm railway gun—.

“—Now imagine you honestly charge straight in to take your niece back. ……What do you think the enemy will assume? They’ll inevitably wonder why you came all this way just to retrieve a single girl, won’t they? ……You personally left the royal capital to come here. Naturally, they’ll suspect there must be some deeper reason and start trying to figure out your true objective—you fool.……And while they’re conveniently misunderstanding you already, are you really planning to go out of your way to reveal your weakness to the enemy?”

Ugh………… I see…….

So that’s what he means.

“The Field Division aren’t idiots either.……And whatever else you may think of them, they’re still the kingdom’s main military force—an elite one at that. No matter how powerful your summons are, it would be difficult to annihilate the entire division in an instant, wouldn’t it? ……If you attack them and even one person manages to escape, your objective will be exposed.……You understand what I’m telling you, don’t you?”

“…………Yeah.”

Finally understanding, Nasser bit his lip and fell silent.

Frustrating as it was, Bummel was absolutely right.

“You only have one chance to attack them—”

What that meant was simple: if Nasser’s objective was exposed even once, the Field Division would use Liz as a shield against him.

……It was only natural.

Liz was both Nasser’s objective—and his greatest weakness.

“……If they put a dagger to Liz’s throat, I wouldn’t be able to make a move.”

And then Nasser would be killed in no time, without ever getting Liz back……

“S-So, in other words—”

“……Exactly. You only have one chance to attack them—while they still haven’t figured out what your true objective is.”

Guh…………!

“……But you’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?”

“Yeah! ……Of course I am.”

Only one chance?

Fine by me……

“…………Then I’ll finish it in a single strike—……”

“Hmm. ……And that is why we’re currently heading toward the cavalrymen’s lair—their garrison area. Of all the possibilities, the places where your niece is most likely being held are the forced labor camps of the Second or Third Cavalry Regiment. After all, you completely annihilated the First.”

……Right.

The First Cavalry Regiment had been wiped out.

In that case, until their manpower could be replenished, the functions of their garrison—including the forced labor camp—would surely have been transferred elsewhere.

……So far, that reasoning made sense. It should not be wrong.

But if there was one problem—

“……The Second Cavalry Regiment and the Third Cavalry Regiment…… So the question is which one she’s at?”

“Exactly. Even I couldn’t obtain information that detailed. Well, judging from the amount of supplies being consumed, women are being『replenished』fairly evenly among the cavalry regiments.”

……So it came down to two possibilities.

“Fortunately, the Second and Third Cavalry Regiments are located close to one another. With your abilities, shouldn’t you be able to attack both without much delay?”

“…………Probably.”

Or rather, he had no choice but to do it—.

But even the German Army was not all-powerful.

Apparently, the greater the mass of whatever he summoned, the more mana it consumed. Even relying on the『Fountain of Mana』repeatedly manifesting multiple 80 cm railway guns would quickly leave him suffering from mana depletion, making it completely impractical.

However, in the case of offensive weapons such as the German Army Lv. 6『V-1』ralthough its mass was still considerable, it seemed that because it had originally been designed as a disposable weapon, scoring a direct hit with one consumed relatively little mana.

……But this time, the objective was rescue, not annihilation.

He could not simply fire a V-1 into the target and call it done.

Then that left only tanks or infantry……

‘……At the moment, what I can summon without pushing myself too hard—assuming I have the『Fountain of Mana』—would be around a dozen or so Lv. 6 Tiger Is at the same time.’

And compared to tanks, troop types such as infantry required even less mana to summon.

—He let the Mana Spring hanging from his neck jingle, then repeatedly opened and closed his hand, checking how well the mana was flowing through him.

“Kakkakka! Good, good—then what you need to do is naturally quite limited.”

“Yeah……We attack the Second Cavalry Regiment, where she’s most likely being held, liberate the forced labor camp—…… then find Liz…… and rescue her.”

The absolute condition: rescuing Liz.

……That was the one thing he could never compromise on.

—Even if she was not with the Second Cavalry Regiment, as long as he could get down to the ground, he could immediately launch a blitzkrieg against the Third Cavalry Regiment!

And no matter what sacrifices it took, he would save Liz.

Absolutely—without fail!

“Yes, yes, that’ll do—……Oh, look! There, there! The city’s coming into view! ……Brings back memories, doesn’t it?”

Nii.

Bummel nodded with satisfaction and directed Nasser’s attention forward.

Coming into view was the familiar frontline—a military town lined with countless tents and rugged forts……

That was the Frontline City.

Now as in the past, it was a city on a hellish battlefield where the Demon King’s army and the kingdom’s forces fiercely contested one another.

‘Familiar, huh…… I wonder.’

But—

“—To think I’d end up coming back here again……”

Nasser narrowed his eyes slightly as memories resurfaced.

He had been wounded in battle against the Demon King’s army and retired from military service.

After being injured, he had joined the Adventurers’ Guild through the connections of his battalion commander……

And that was where he had met Alicia.

“…………Battalion Commander.”

Peering toward the city, Nasser saw the image of his battalion commander in his mind and reached out into the empty air.

Of course, his hand grasped nothing.

Instead, a sharp pain throbbed in his chest.

‘…………I see. Come to think of it, perhaps this battlefield was where everything began.’

Clutching his chest, he pictured behind his closed eyes the person he had once fought alongside here, entrusting his back to hers.

That strong woman with beautiful golden hair, now gone from this world—Shara Embania……

‘—The city where everything began…… and where everything ended, huh.’

Heh.

“……Nostalgic, huh?”

What a joke.

Nasser gave a self-deprecating smile and brushed off Bummel’s sarcastic remark.

He no longer held such feelings toward this battlefield.

All that remained here was the past.

Once, he had fought against the Demon King’s army.

Then Nasser had been wounded—……

And his life as a soldier had come to an end……

That was all.

“Hyohohoho…… That’s right, that’s right—remember it well. Remember it all.……Every last moment of your battle against the Demon King’s army—the enemy you should truly hate. Kaaakkakkakka!”

“……Mind your own business.”

Nasser had no idea what Bummel was thinking or why he had chosen to help him.

And it was thanks to Bummel that they had been able to fly all the way here so quickly, as well as gather the information they needed.

—For that, Nasser was genuinely grateful.

But……

That was all.

“Well then, we’ll soon be over the Frontline City. We’ll use it as our starting point, change course and take the shortest route toward the Second Cavalry Regiment’s garrison.……I would’ve preferred to get there without being noticed, but we’ve already been caught by the Magic Corps’ patrol network. Well, now that we’ve made it this far, it won’t be long.”

For a while now, Nasser had intermittently felt magical energy being directed at them.

Most likely, the Magic Corps on the ground was using some kind of detection magic.

Nasser himself was a Summoner—a type of mage.

He could tell that much.

“……Yeah, I know.”

After all, this place was like a second home to Nasser.

He had a rough idea of just how extensive their air defenses were.

In that case, just as Bummel said, taking the shortest route was probably the correct choice—.

Heh.

“…………A familiar battlefield, huh.”

Yeah……

That’s right.

I really have come back.

—I’ve returned to this land once again……

But this time,

not as a soldier fighting the Demon King’s army……

—BASAA……!!

“……But as your nightmare!”

With all of his emotions behind the motion, Nasser tore off his heavy winter clothing!

Beneath the cloak, he was already fully armed—wearing the German Army’s camouflage combat uniform.

“Now then, Field Division……! Tonight, you’re going to give me my family back.”

……The man standing here was no longer Nasser Virginia the avenger.

He was simply a family man.

Neither a citizen of the kingdom, nor a former soldier.

—He was nothing more than a single man who had come to take Liz back!

…………And precisely because of that!!

“You toyed with Liz, the last family I have left, even though she committed no crime……”

You took away the last family I had, though she had done nothing wrong—.

You hurt the last family I had, though she deserved no punishment—!

“—So don’t expect restraint from me, and don’t expect mercy!”

I’ll answer your injustice with injustice—the German Army.

I’ll answer an army with an army—the German Army!

I’ll answer your nightmare with a nightmare—the German Army!

“……That’s right. To all of you, I am your nightmare—and your enemy!”

Your enemy.

Your hated enemy.

Your mortal foe!!

I have no intention of becoming some Demon King—but if you insist on calling me your『enemy』then I’ll gladly accept the slander of being called a『Demon King』as well!!

And so, I’ll fight you!!

As Nasser Virginia, one man alone, I declare war upon you—!!

An all-consuming struggle!!

A private war fought by one man alone!!

“—Here and now, I, Nasser Virginia, once again declare war upon the kingdom!”

BAAAAAAAN……!

It did not matter if no one heard him.

This was his way of drawing the line.

This was simply his final break with them!!

So—!

…………Now then, let’s begin.

The battle of one ordinary man fighting to rescue his family!!

“—May the hammer fall upon you, Field Division!!”

Mana charging!

Summoning sigil—activate!

Let’s go, my beloved summons!!

“Kaaakakkakkakkakkakka! Splendid! Absolutely splendid, Nasser Virginiaaaaa!! ……Ah, right, right. You probably already know this without me saying it, but we’ve long since been spotted. ……They’ll most likely send something to intercept us soon enough.”

“Yeah……”

I don’t care!

Just as Bummel said, despite the dawn sky, the town below had become restless.

Warning bells began ringing one after another all across the city.

Their covert approach ended here.

If anything, it was impressive that they had managed to get this far without being noticed, even if they were only riding a single dragon.

—I don’t care at all!!

In fact—

“……That’s exactly what I want!!”

Nasser poured his power into the Mana Spring hanging from his neck and felt mana surge throughout his entire body.

The『Fountain of Mana』……

According to Bummel, it was an artifact created by the Great Sage who had supposedly been part of the legendary Hero’s party long ago.

“From this point onward…… there’s no need to hold back,”

—and no need to hide.

“……Then from here on out, I might as well make it as flashy as possible!”

Suuuu……

“Come forth, German Army————————!”

KAAAA—!!