CHAPTER 24: THE BEASTKIN COUNTERATTACK AND BALKA

The fall of Tigervania, the second largest city in the Beastkin Nation of Beastvania. 

The news was like a bolt of lightning… While I wouldn’t say that, but for the Beastvania Beastkin Nation with only medieval-level information transmission capabilities, the news quickly spread throughout the country. 

In Japan, the news is comparable to an alien suddenly invading Osaka. In their own desperate way, they transmitted the information. 

A week after the fall of Tigervania, information reached the royal city of Lycanvania, 200 km away in a straight line… 

“Grrrrr! How can this be! How dare we lose our city to a bunch of ugly furless apes!” 

“This, Your Majesty! P-please, forgive me! ” 

“I won’t forgive you!” 

The Royal Castle of Lycanvania. 

In his throne room, King Lycan II, who had received news of the fall of Tigervania, was roaring with rage as he beat a tiger-type beastkin who had come to give him the information. 

“Hey, messenger! What was your Chief, the Tiger Chief, doing! I didn’t expect the city to be taken away so easily! ” 

Shaking his head, the messenger mutters, “Your Majesty the King, that’s what’s going to happen to me.” 

“Tch, useless! Hey, Sir Bear, have you heard anything!” 

Lycan II, annoyed with the messenger, he asks his vassal by his side, the Beastvania Minister of War, Sir Bear the Brown Bear Beastkin. 

His response was, “…It seems, ‘They were attacked by a powerful magic attack.’ kuma” which is a rather weak answer. 

“Hmph, what a magical attack! Inert fucking tigers! If only you could have stayed in the castle for six months, we could have sent a reinforcement!” 

Grrr, he roared, “You pathetic bastards!” Lycan II, he remarks spitefully. 

By his common sense, there is no way that a city could fall in just one day. 

There is no such thing as a siege cannon in this world. 

Therefore, the only long-range weapons that can be used to attack cities are magic and bows and arrows, which can only defeat a single person at best. 

Neither of these is a useful siege weapon. 

Basically, the cities in this world have ramparts as countermeasures against monsters. 

The defenses of a fortified city are extremely solid and can withstand any attack for six months up to a year. 

That is the common sense of this world. 

In this world, it would be unthinkable for them to be hit by the 31-centimeter cannon of a dreadnought-class battleship or even subjected to a poison gas attack. 

Unaware of this, Lycan II grew angry at the unworthy Tigers tribe who had their city so easily taken away from them. 

…So when will the chiefs gather! “We must now gather the armies of the lords and slaughter every single one of these despicable humans!” 

“Please wait, Your Majesty. I just sent a messenger out to call a meeting, kuma.” 

“Tch.” 

Lycan II clicks his tongue in a bad mood. 

It took one month for the king’s orders to reach the whole country by messenger, and two months for the chiefs to organize their armies and assemble in the royal capital, Lycanvania. 

There is no way that filthy humans can be allowed to be in the sacred land of Beastvania. 

We want to go to retake Tigervania right now, but the earliest we can estimate that the army will be assembled is three months… 

This fact frustrated Lycan II beyond his control. 

“Your Majesty, please calm down. If all the lords’ armies were assembled, a 100,000 strong army could be formed kuma. This is the largest army in Beastvania’s history, kuma.” 

“A great army that will go down in history. Indeed, in the battle against the Dark Elves If I recall correctly, our army was 50,000 strong in the battle against the Dark Elves 50 years ago…” 

“That’s right, kuma. That’s when we had our largest force ever, so double that number, kuma.” 

Fifty years ago. 

Before Lycan II was born, his grandfather, Lycan I, was still the King. 

Large-scale mobilization was carried out during the border conflict with the elves in the east. The 50,000 strong army has been dubbed as the largest army in Beastvania’s history. 

This was the maximum number of troops that could be mobilized due to supply and other limitations. 

“The location of the enemy this time is Tigervania, the center of our country, kuma. Here, we are well supplied, and we can gather far more troops than we could in a battle near the border, kuma.” 

That means I’ll be leading the greatest army in Beastvania history to defeat the dastardly furless apes… hmm, not bad.” 

Lycan II is delusional. 

Imagine himself leading a 100,000 strong army to kill every human being who has landed on the beach. 

By winning this battle, I will be the hero who saved Beastvania. He would be one of the greatest kings in history. 

Moreover, he will lead a 100,000 strong army, which will go down in history, and will not be defeated. 

His displeasure a few minutes ago has changed, if anything, he is in a better mood. 

Damned tigers, abandoning the city so easily. But I will forgive you. Because I was able to create a scene where this me, Lycan II, could play an important role… That’s how it is. 

They were unaware that this was exactly what the Yamato empire wanted. 

Yamato Calendar 15 July, Year 304. 

Post-war ruins of Tigervania. Fugaku anchors at the port. In the cafeteria, Me and Ayame-san are having dinner facing each other. 

“Yes, ahhh please, Eryu-san.” 

“Wait, I can eat by myself, so I’ll be okay!” 

“I don’t want to, here, ahhh.” 

The dish we are eating together is the traditional navy curry and rice. For some reason, Ayame-san is desperate to spoon feed me. 

I’ve been poked with a spoon by her for a while now… I can’t help it anymore. 

“Okay. Here, I’ll allow you to feed me.” 

Ayame-san will keep pestering me forever until she succeeds anyway. 

Since that is tiresome, I wait like a baby bird with my mouth open. Come on, quickly. 

“‘Oh, now you’re being honest! Well then, let’s just…” 

Ahhn… Humph. 

It is hard to eat because Ayame-san stares at me so much, but it is a normal tasty curry. 

“How is it? Is it delicious?” 

“…It is delicious.” 

“That’s good to know. Okay, now it’s time for the mouth-to-mouth!” 

“I don’t want that. …Here, ahhh, please. I’ll feed it to you. ” 

Come on, Ayame-san, let’s feed each other. 

It’s better than being in heat and having mouth-to-mouth. 

Next to us, Roshana is silently and unconcernedly eating her curry. She says, “Oh, it’s too sweet.” 

Even though it is curry? 

Well, the curry on this ship is a particularly sweet curry. I can’t handle spicy food. 

But it’s not as sweet as it sounds… 

“Excuse me! Is the Führer here!” 

“Yeah, over here, Miike-san. What’s the matter?” 

While I was doing this, Miike came to the cafeteria. We are here, I reply while waving my hand. 

I tossed all the half-beastkins that seemed to be bothersome to deal with to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but now I have a shady organization under Ayame-san jurisdiction… 

“We are the Imperial Guard Half-Beastkin Intelligence Service. We are not a shady organization, Eryu-san.” 

　…which they have joined. 

Since normal humans cannot wage an espionage war in the Beastkin Country of Beastvania, we are having half-beastkins help us to guarantee their future independence. 

Or rather, don’t read my mind. Mm-hmm! And just when I was so proud of myself… Here, ahhh, please. 

“You guys are as lovey-dovey as ever. How can you eat in this situation, …Roshana, right?” 

“So you are… Miike, aren’t you? The cuisine of this country is very delicious.” 

Miike-san sits down in the seat facing Roshana-san. 

“So, what do you want?” 

“Well, um, I’ve gathered some information and I’d like to report it to you.” 

“Hmm, thank you for your hard work.” 

Miike-san shows a bundle of documents. I received the documents from her… 

What is it, the Beastvania Beastkin Nation has made its move. As predicted, well, there is no way they would do nothing after being robbed of their second largest city in the country. 

So, we have time before the troops begin to rally… Three months!? 

“Isn’t three months a little too slow?” 

“That’s just how it is, and that’s how it was in the Celestial Kingdom…” 

Roshana-san told me, as she casually asked the maid for another helping of curry. 

Is that how it is… Yeah, if that’s what people in this world say, it must be so… 

“Well, Eryu-san, why don’t we go sightseeing in the meantime?” 

“A sightseeing?” 

“We received a message from the embassy in Balka. Since we are so close to the Balka Kingdom, I was wondering if we could drop by…” 

Hmm, that’s not a bad idea. 

From here, the Balka Kingdom is just across the Balkan Sea. The distance is only a few days by ship. 

That country seems to be a musclehead, but it is the only sane human nation that has been discovered… 

I want to be on good terms with them. 

“The answer is yes. Let’s head to Balka.” 

“I understand. I will inform that captain later.” 

Please do so. It looks like a great way to pass the time. 

The Kingdom of Barca, that is… 

From what I’ve heard, it’s quite a stylish town, very much like ancient Greece. 

I wonder why… Since becoming Eryutheia, I have become peculiarly interested in architecture. 

In the corner of my head, there is always, ‘The Imperial City Grand Renovation Plan!’ There are plans swirling around like that.　

On top of that, I have a sudden urge to paint… 

When I find a nice building, it would be nice to paint it on canvas. 

“Ahh, Eryu-san, mouth-to-mouth please…” 

“Yes, ahhn, please” 

Totally, what an irredeemable pervert… But that’s what makes her so adorable.