Surviving a Harsh Fantasy with Cheat Items (WN)

「What in the world happened? General Barbariccia has been defeated!」

「Curse those despicable Abyssapanians! Using such vile sorcery! Even now, your port is under attack by our grand fleet. Twenty thousand demon troops are on their way here, gaahh!」

Those who speak so arrogantly are to be shot.

While I can’t guarantee every shot will hit, aiming for the head only struck the shoulder.

Even so, the power of the rifle is sufficient to knock him off the griffon. Falling from a height of four or five meters can be fatal.

Even if he survives, he would be impaled by the soldiers below.

Riding a flying beast is a deadly risk for soldiers who can’t fly themselves.

「Uaaah! Vice-General Cagnazzo has been killed too!」

「Retreat! Fall back!」

After losing four or five, the flying griffon battalion from the Six Great Demon Countries finally began to withdraw. Not all ten of the griffons attacked at once.

It was unclear what the enemy hoped to achieve by having their general make a suicidal charge.

Perhaps it was an attempt at a show of force and a high-pressure surrender demand.

It seems Abyssapania has been losing continuously, and now in a state of overwhelming victory, they might have been complacent.

I would have liked to capture and tame at least one of those griffons, but controlling a beast might be too challenging.

Unfortunately, even if I wanted to try, the griffons, along with their fallen riders, fled into the sky. It’s likely they are trained to do so. If they obey their master, they might be useful, though they seem more convenient than horses.

「Hero-sama, what was that strange feat you performed earlier…」

「It’s called a magic rifle. You might not understand what gunpowder is, but it’s a powerful lead sling with greater range than a strong bow.」

「I see. As expected of the legendary Hero-sama. Thank you for your aid!」

While Barland is jubilant, there’s no time to celebrate too much.

「Don’t rejoice too much over just a few kills. In a full-scale war, even I alone can’t handle it all.」

「Still, thank you. Look at everyone’s joy from the victory.」

From the castle, soldiers are seen cheering with raised hands.

Antil is a small town. My reputation as the Hero of Asama seems to have spread, with even the townspeople bowing towards us.

When I waved playfully, the crowd below erupted in cheers each time.

They really seem to be overjoyed, but given their long streak of defeats, it’s understandable.

Abyssapania has been losing continually up to now.

Even a small victory brings them to tears of joy.

「The enemy was talking about launching an assault on the port.」

「Yes, it appears they were an advance party. A full fleet would require a sizable port. It’s likely they’re heading for the port of Apana, about half a day’s journey on foot from here.」

From the map, it seems they are attacking southward from the Linmon State on the Abyss Continent, moving down the Easter Peninsula.

Considering they are coming from the state capital Presidio, the protruding Easter Peninsula would serve as a foothold.

The enemy’s grand fleet will likely assault Apana’s port.

In my world, it’s akin to Havana.

The map is unclear due to a lack of proper surveying, but there appears to be a sizable bay. If it’s the largest port on Antil Island, it should be able to accommodate the enemy fleet.

「What’s the current status of the port of Apana?」

「It’s our port, but it’s been left in a state of neglect with only minimal watch. After a previous attack by sea dragons, our fleet was destroyed…」

「Alright, then we’ll meet them at the port.」

「Eh? Hero-sama, I just said our fleet was destroyed. Moreover, the approaching enemy is a grand fleet. We should prepare defenses in the city of Antil and fight them here.」

Barland, the knight commander, had intended to gather the villagers from nearby frontier towns into Antil and prepare for a siege if the enemy’s grand fleet attacked.

「Barland, are you planning to die defending the castle without reinforcements? A siege without support is a poor strategy.」

「However, it is an embarrassing situation. We’ve managed to scrape together only two thousand troops. The enemy must have a good estimate of our numbers, and the claim of twenty thousand troops that the enemy’s vice-general made is not an exaggeration.」

「I see, a ten-to-one disparity in forces.」

With a tenfold difference in troop numbers, the enemy could win by attacking head-on. It’s a basic strategy in warfare, and the enemy seems to understand this.

「Moreover, approaching the port carries the additional risk of attacks by sea dragons.」

「Don’t worry. My allies’ ships are nearby. If we can establish contact, we can strike the enemy fleet before they can land. In fact, I’ll make sure to deal with the sea dragons as well!」

Barland gulped as he looked at me, who was confidently offering my guarantee with a pounding chest. Entrusting their fate to a drifter like me was undoubtedly a source of doubt.

But war requires decisive action.

Now that I’ve chosen to support Barland, I want to see how decisive he is.

「Ha ha… Hahaha!」

「What’s with the sudden laughter, Barland?」

I was surprised when Barland, who had been frowning and troubled, suddenly burst into laughter. It seemed he had made up his mind.

「I’m tired of hesitating. Let’s place all our bets on the words of the Hero-sama.」

「I’m sorry, but I can’t guarantee that the reinforcements will arrive as planned. It’s a gamble.」

I had to be honest about the uncertainty. Yet, I believed my wives would soon find us.

It would be too late if the enemy reached the interior. We must act on faith that our allies will arrive; victory in war requires it. I know this from experience.

「Don’t worry about it. It’s a relief that the battle, which seemed certain to be a loss, is now one we can contest. Even if our soldiers fall, as long as Queen Amorette survives, that is enough. You mentioned having allied ships. Let’s also ensure the queen and her attendants are brought along. It’s easier to escape from a nearby port if we need to retreat.」

Barland had already steeled himself for a desperate fight. His hesitation was only about which strategy would better save the queen.

As a knight, he is admirable. As a commander, he has made the right call by placing his trust in me.

Although I hadn’t explained it, having the enemy griffon troops witness our preparations for a siege would serve as a good feint for our surprise attack strategy. It seems Barland understands this well.

「Well then, Barland, gather the troops. Let’s head straight to the port where the enemy is attacking. You’ve placed your bet on me. I’ll make sure that your determination wasn’t in vain.」

「I’m counting on you, Hero-sama.」

With the enemy already on the move, it was a race against time. Although I wanted to check the market for supplies, that would have to wait.

I proceeded with Barland and his two thousand soldiers toward the port of Avana*.

TN: Apana became Avana from this point.

※※※

「Wow, it really is a grand fleet.」

From a vantage point overlooking the port, I saw the enemy’s massive fleet approaching. Each ship seemed like a small sailboat or galley, but there were an overwhelming number of them.

The sea was packed with their ships. It was impossible to count them all at once, but there were nearly five hundred. It would be a challenge to take them out one by one.

「The enemy is already starting to land at Avana port. With about five hundred ships, the enemy forces likely number around twenty thousand. They’re following their usual strategy of overwhelming us with ten times their numbers.」

Barland spoke with visible distress. Attacking with ten times the number of troops was a classic strategy. It seemed the enemy was employing solid tactics.

Even in a dark fantasy setting, basic military principles were understood by the enemy. With their ace cards like sea dragons and griffon units, it’s clear why their general was confident.

The griffon unit’s scouting of Antil was likely an attempt to gauge our strength and pressure us into surrender. Even though they had failed, an opponent attacking with sheer numbers was the most troublesome.

「By the way, Barland. Are there no civilians living in the port town of Avana?」

Without walls and only about a hundred houses, it resembled more of a village than a town. Still, it seemed there should be around five hundred residents.

「When the sea dragons attacked, all the port town’s residents evacuated to inland villages. We didn’t order the guards to protect them, so they should all be gone by now.」

「Good. So, attacking the town won’t involve harming civilians.」

Barland nodded.

This was excellent news. We could launch our surprise attack without worrying about collateral damage.

However, our troop strength was still insufficient. It was unfeasible to launch a direct assault without a clear chance of victory, and if we delayed, the enemy might fully disembark their troops.

While I was contemplating how to strike, our soldiers began to make a commotion.

「Demons! Demons are flying in!」

「What? Have we already been spotted by the enemy?」

No, that wasn’t it.

I recognized the figures flying in from a distance.

「Kaara! Hold your fire, archers. Those are allies. Don’t mistake even the Saintess for an enemy demon!」

「Allies, you say?」

Kaara, dressed in her usual black robe, was flying in with Ria, who was clad in an extravagant saint’s garb.

I had expected Kaara, who could use flight magic, to come looking for me. But why had she brought along Ria, who was ineffective in this land’s sacred magic?

「Takeru, your saintess has arrived!」

It was good that she had arrived, but Ria was as noisy as ever. Her outfit was far too flashy and conspicuous.

There were enemies below, after all.

「How are we going to deal with the enemy if they spot us?」

Given how conspicuously they’re flying, they shouldn’t be shouting.

「Kaara, why did you bring Ria along as well?」

Honestly, she was more of a hindrance than a help.

As Ria hugged me upon landing, I asked Kaara.

「It was Ria-sama who found Nation’s Father.」

「What do you mean?」

「Takeru, look at this. This ‘Silver Feather’ from Asama guided me to you without fail.」

Saying that, Ria pulled the ‘Silver Feather’ from my pouch.

「I see. Because the holy magic is weak in this land, Ria was able to detect the strong holy magic emanating from the feather.」

「Exactly. With this Asama feather, even far from the holy land, it’s possible to use holy magic.」

It functions like a magic stone, then.

「To think it even serves as a detector, the ‘Silver Feather’ is quite a handy item.」

「That’s because of me, after all. Didn’t I say I could be useful?」

「Indeed, this time I must admit you’re a ‘right stuff’.」

When I acknowledged it, Ria’s smile melted into a soft, pleased expression. She doesn’t get praised often, so it’s rare to see her being genuinely useful.

「Please, praise me more. This is definitely a reward. I’ll be the one to celebrate our first arrival on the new continent.」

「Don’t get carried away, Ria. I appreciate that you found us. Kaara, I’m sorry for the rush, but I need your help.」

「Of course.」

「First, there’s that grand fleet over there. They’re said to be from the Six Great Demon Countries, but they’re my enemies.」

「If they’re your enemies, then they’re my enemies as well.」

「They are supposedly a demon army led by a great demon king from the new continent. But still…」

Before I could finish, Kaara pulled me into a kiss. It wasn’t the first time, but it was a bit embarrassing with the troops watching.

It’s awkward being intimately affectionate in front of everyone.

After giving me a manly kiss, Kaara declared resolutely:

「Don’t elaborate further. I am devoted to you alone, Takeru-sama. The demon king I serve is only your child, Orakeru-sama. If they defy you, even if they are a great demon king, we will defeat them. First, we should sink those pathetic little boats, right?」

「Yes, please.」

「Understood! Kaara Demonia Demonicus will invoke the dawn’s dark king, shining from the farthest stars, from the void of space to the surface, to bring ruin to all!」

With that, Kaara held me with one arm and cast the Meteor Strike spell. Giant meteors rained down from the sky, crashing into the five hundred-ship fleet of the Demon Country.

A high-level magic spell, and as spectacular as ever.

The sudden catastrophe caused the enemy fleet to capsize and sink to the bottom of the sea.

「Well done, Kaara.」

「This spell is effective over a wide area, but lacks precision, so a bit of debris remains. There are also two Black Cedar warships nearby, so I’ll inform Admiral Drake to take care of the cleanup.」

「I thought everything would be fine, but hearing that the two Black Cedar warships are safe reassures me.」

Kaara, who often takes on the role of strategist in Lyle-sensei’s absence, quickly took off to attend to the task.

「Kaara, the enemy is said to control the great sea dragons. While they’re not visible now, they might appear later, so make sure to be cautious.」

「Understood!」

I had shown off the usefulness of having pure demons as allies, but I wondered how they were reacting.

「Commander Barland, as you can see, we’ve inflicted a heavy blow on the enemy.」

「I’m amazed…」

「Now, we just need to surround and defeat the demon forces that have landed at the port from both sea and land.」

「However, Hero-sama, we only have two thousand men. Can we really manage?」

Even though the demonic forces are in disarray, the soldiers who have already landed might still outnumber us. Our main force is the navy. If we keep the enemy pinned at the port until the Black Pine warships arrive, we can effectively encircle them from both land and sea.

I knew Barland wouldn’t grasp this easily. How could I motivate him?

「Let me handle the advance of this battle!」

A voice rose from among the soldiers with enthusiasm.

It was Sergeant Renton, who had fought against General Barbariccia—the one I had sniped—and had been wounded by his battleaxe.

「Haha, don’t worry about me, Hero-sama. This is hardly a serious injury. As long as I have one arm, I can use a spear or a sword. I am a seasoned warrior of Abysspania. I’ll take down ten or twenty enemies with me!」

Sergeant Renton, with his left arm slashed and bandaged, had a determined look in his eyes. His willingness to take on the role of a vanguard, despite his injury, showed his deep care for his fallen comrades.

「Hey, Renton. Drink this.」

「What’s this?」

Renton looked at the flask I offered, which contained a blue liquid, with curiosity.

「It’s a recovery potion. I see, your country doesn’t have these because holy magic can’t be used here.」

「This is a holy recovery potion? It’s too much for me…」

「Just drink it. I still have several more, so anyone with injuries should come to me. Once the ships arrive, we’ll have plenty, so don’t worry.」

「Then, I’ll take it… Oh, my wounds are completely healed!」

The soldiers around us were astonished, murmuring, ‘A miracle from Asama!’ and ‘As expected of Hero-sama!’

The reaction to just a recovery potion was immense in this land.

「Everyone, see this? We no longer need to fear injuries. Witness the miracle of the Goddess of Creation and follow the words of Asama’s Hero-sama, Sawatari Takeru-sama. Is there anyone who doubts this?」

When Sergeant Renton, healed from his injuries, raised his spear and shouted energetically, the soldiers erupted in cheers.

It seemed the mood was shifting positively.

These soldiers were deeply religious by nature. Witnessing holy magic for the first time in their lives, their morale surged to a level where it was almost impossible to restrain them.

「While it’s good to be enthusiastic, don’t waste your lives. Once reinforcements arrive, we can encircle the enemy from both land and sea. Just hold on until then, and victory is assured.」

「Understood, Hero-sama. We’ll clear the demon forces from the port!」

Mounted on his warhorse, Commander Barland, leading a small group of knights and two thousand soldiers, charged from the high ground to retake the port of Avana, which had been seized by the enemy.