第４４７堀：闇夜の情報戦 (Part1)
**Chapter 447: Information Warfare in the Dark**
**Side: John, Weed Monster Army Four Heavenly Kings General, a.k.a. John of the Farm**
"Visual confirmation of a massive number of monsters pouring out of the forest in the direction of the Kingdom of Swords. Requesting immediate contact with the Hero King. I repeat, from the forest..."
I had sent that report just a few seconds ago.
Whatever else needs to be done, Mino-chan, Taiki, and the Boss will handle it on their own.
For those of us on the front lines, the first priority is reconnaissance.
"Alright, everyone. Fortunately, we aren't as massive as Mino-chan. We need to grasp the enemy's composition thoroughly. Hero Taiki will likely confirm via call, but it’s crucial that we visually verify if there are any discrepancies from the reported numbers."
As I said that, my subordinates all nodded.
"Next, 3rd Platoon, Patrol 116, secure the designated point 10 kilometers to the rear. There have been no changes to the plan, so begin construction of the defensive line from that location. Once 3rd Platoon confirms the start of construction, rejoin us here to support our rearguard action. Understood?"
"Understood."
"The rest of you, stay with me and focus on tracking the enemy force. Keep it stealthy—there's no need to get spotted. Depending on the speed of the defensive line's construction, we might have to hold them off by ourselves. Be prepared for that. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
Good, no issues with the subordinates.
Now then...
"This is Patrol 114. Current time, 23:35. Merged with Patrols 115 and 116. As planned, moving to monitor the enemy and secure the defensive construction point."
*“Understood.”*
Though I say that, we’re just observing for now; there’s no need to engage yet.
While watching my subordinates peek at the enemy from the trenches we dug, I checked my own gear.
One assault rifle, four magazines, four grenades compatible with the rifle, four hand grenades, one handgun, two magazines, and...
No maintenance issues.
Well, I have portable rocket launchers in my Item Box, so I’m not lacking in firepower.
...I also have some of Narjia-san’s weapons, but since using those would force me into close-quarters combat, I’d rather avoid it.
A chaotic melee with this few people is basically suicide.
Still, what are the odds that my patrol unit would be the ones to discover the enemy?
Ah, I should eat a cucumber.
Need to replenish my motivation.
Man, what a pain. I should have been in bed right now, excited about tomorrow’s harvest.
"Enemy composition: Main force, Orc Kings. Blood Minotaurs acting as their handlers. And further back, a unit of Lich mages. However, we could not identify a main camp or a leader."
"Same here. The majority of the enemy are Orc Kings, numbering around 1,000. There are about 200 Blood Minotaurs standing at regular intervals. And in the rear, about 300 Liches in the mage unit. However, there are no prominent generals or monsters, and no main camp is visible."
Reports came in from my subordinates, so I did my own reconnaissance.
I poked my head just slightly out of the trench and peered through my night-vision goggles.
It’s cloudy tonight, so it’s almost pitch black.
Thanks to that, I don’t have to worry about lens reflections.
...The enemy hasn’t moved from in front of the forest.
Why?
Hmm, well, thinking about that isn't my job.
Anyway, let me get a grasp of their composition...
First, what catches my eye are my own kin, lined up in rows.
However, they don’t seem to be trained like we are; they look like puppets just waiting for orders.
In a way, that makes them troublesome.
It means they’ll be mindless soldiers who execute orders without fail.
Next, standing here and there as if to organize the Orc Kings, are red pillars.
Those are the Blood Minotaurs, Mino-chan’s kin.
They seem to be the same.
But if they are positioned as platoon leaders, do they have some semblance of ego?
That’s something I need to report.
And finally, the most troublesome group: the Liches.
As my subordinates said, if they have this many, it’s definitely a mage unit. But normally, Liches possess a fair amount of intelligence and can command monsters to some extent.
The fact that they aren't doing that and are being treated as a single unit is strange.
Attacking Ranks will definitely require more than just brute force.
Or perhaps there’s someone else hidden within the swarm of Liches?
Thinking that, I zoomed in and stared at the Lich group, but with about 300 of them, it’s hard to tell.
It’s a night-vision scope, so I can’t see colors. I can’t judge if there are any higher-ranking variants mixed in.
Higher-ranking ones usually emit a clearly colored magical aura.
You know, something ominous-looking.
If you ask the Lich subordinates, they say the facial expressions are completely different, but to me, they all look like the same skulls.
Or rather, isn't that just individual variation?
While thinking about that, I looked at the Liches' faces—the skulls—one by one, but I couldn't tell a thing.
As for their equipment, I don’t see any firearms; it looks like swords, spears, axes, and bows.
I can’t identify the magic the Liches are using right now.
I’d like to use Appraisal, but the distance is too great.
Well, that’s under Taiki’s jurisdiction; it’s easier for them to investigate.
Ultimately, it’s best not to provoke them unnecessarily.
I’d seen what I needed to see, so I pulled back into the trench.
Then:
"What should we do? Should we try to circle around to the forest side?"
"Let’s not. The forest isn't under our control, and there’s a chance there’s a dungeon right underneath it. For now, we wait for the analysis from Taiki, Mino-chan, and the Boss. Oh, is the equipment check finished?"
"Of course. We can't have anything failing when the time comes."
"That’s good. Still, it’s going to be a long night."
"Indeed."
I looked up at the sky with my subordinates, but it was cloudy and pitch black.
No atmosphere, no nothing.
*“This is Command. Patrol 114, do you read?”*
That voice—it’s Eris-ane.
That means this is information from the Boss.
"Patrol 114, signal is clear. I hear you."
*“That’s good to hear. I’d like to confirm the current situation and provide an explanation; is that alright?”*
"No problem. No sign that the enemy has noticed us. We’ve kept plenty of distance."
*“Understood. First, let’s confirm the current situation. Based on the analysis of the information received from Hero Taiki, we have identified the main force as Orc Kings, level approximately 100, numbering about 1,000. Next, the platoon-level Blood Minotaurs, level approximately 200, numbering about 200. Furthermore, the Lich mage unit, level approximately 150, numbering about 300. That is our assessment. Does your visual confirmation match this?”*
"It matches yours. But, Captain, have you found any individuals that look like commanders or generals on your end?"
*“No. Unfortunately, we have not found any specialized individuals that appear to be commanders or generals.”*
So they really aren't there. That’s strange.
Are they coming later?
"Come to think of it, the enemy force stopped the moment they left the forest. How do you interpret that?"