Hell Mode: Volume 4, page 4
Allen recalled that Tiamo was a city farther inland in the southern region of Rohzenheim. If the battlefront had already reached Tiamo, it meant seventy percent of the country had fallen to the Demon Lord Army.
“She is still safe and well, then?”
The Elders shifted uncomfortably at Sophie’s question. No one had a ready answer.
“What is the matter? Answer my question.”
“I’m afraid...Tiamo can only hold out for just a few more days.”
Sophie wordlessly turned from the old men with pained expressions to the armored generals. The one with a missing arm was hanging his head.
Are they all still in armor so they can be ready to head to battle again at a moment’s notice? Hmm, so the situation’s bad enough that even their generals are getting hurt and being forced to retreat back here. Sophie did promise that I’ll be able to do whatever I want, so I guess it’s about time for me to step in.
Allen abruptly spoke up. “So, this is my understanding of the situation: This city is full of refugees fleeing the war and wounded soldiers. Right now, the front line is at Tiamo, which is about to fall in a matter of days. The queen is also at Tiamo and at risk for her life. Is that all correct?”
Everyone looked at Allen in surprise. The one-armed general asked, “Your Highness, is this perhaps...?”
Sophie had regained her composure during the lull when Allen was talking. She nodded. “Indeed. This is the savior that the Sovereign of Spirits prophesied about. He has come to save Rohzenheim.”
“My name is Allen. Nice to meet you all.”
“This young man is the promised one?” The one-armed general studied Allen from head to toe. He did not think the boy looked all that strong.
All right, now that I have the information I need, it’s time to get our priorities in order and take action.
“Oh, so you are our savior!” another elven general said, scooting over to make room around the table. “Come, come. We are in the middle of a strategy meeting at the moment. Please, join us.”
Allen thought continuing this meeting was a waste of time, though. There were other things that he needed to sort out first. He gave Sophie a look as if to ask her to back him up, to which she nodded in response.
“The military meeting is certainly important, but first, allow me to heal your arm, General,” Allen said.
“Ah, I am grateful for the offer, but rather than my arm, our forces—”
“Lukdraal, do as he says. Approach,” Sophie commanded.
“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”
The elf’s arm had already been treated with Healing Magic to stop the bleeding, but the bandages wrapped around the wound were still being stained red. It was a horrific sight.
Allen took out from his Storage what looked like a red peach. His companions did not question why he seemed to be going back on his earlier statement about not being able to afford the time to heal the wounded. They knew full well after their days at the Academy that he always had a reason for whatever he did.
This peach-like item was called Blessing of Heaven and was the product of Grass B’s Awakened Skill. It served to heal all friendly individuals within a hundred meters to one hundred percent of their health. The three Gamers who had gotten off along the way there also possessed ten of them each.
When Allen used the Blessing of Heaven, the bandage wrapped around the general’s stump ripped apart as a new arm sprouted in its place. At the same time, the other wounded elves in the meeting room were healed to full.
“Th-This can’t be!” Lukdraal rubbed his new arm many times over, but could not even find a scar. One of the old men was so astonished his hips gave out and he fell from his chair.
“Is... Is this an elven elixir?” the general asked in shock.
“Yes it is,” Allen replied.
There were ranks to recovery items, and elven elixirs were among the very best. Supposedly made from fruit of the colossal World Tree beside Fortenia through a secret elven technique, they were highly treasured even in Rohzenheim. There were very few items powerful enough to restore lost limbs—not even a Flower of Muellerze, the plant worth a steep five gold that had saved Allen’s father’s life, could regenerate missing body parts. An elven elixir was what had immediately come to the general’s mind upon seeing his arm grow back.
In the same vein, it was said that only a Saintess and other Cleric-line classes with at least three stars had spells to regrow lost limbs. This feat was naturally beyond Keel, a one-star Cleric, even though he had already maxed out both his level and class skills.
“By the way, how many wounded soldiers have been transported to this city?” Allen asked.
“Around 100,000. Even more, if you include the wounded refugees.”
“General, we can fully heal every last one of those 100,000 troops.”
“You can what?! Th-That’s impossible! Only those who have been incapacitated and deemed unfit for duty have been brought to Nest!”
Allen produced another Blessing of Heaven as if he was performing a magic trick. “Just one of these can heal enough people to completely fill the plaza we passed on our way here. And I have three thousand of them.”
The plaza in question was already filled with the injured at the moment. In fact, it was the exact place where Krena and the others had leaped off the carriage and started healing whomever they could.
There’s no need to hand over all three thousand right away. I suppose a thousand would do. I have to find a way to restock soon.
Nest was a sizable port city, and judging from what he could see through Bird E, several hundred Blessings of Heaven would be needed to completely heal everyone here. Allen currently had twelve thousand Rank B magic stones on hand, ready to be converted into Summons. Separate from that number were the three thousand Blessings of Heaven that he had accumulated over almost two years of school.
“Th-Three thousand?! But that’s—”
There was no way such a miraculous item existed in such numbers. Before Lukdraal could finish his sentence, Sophie cut him off.
“Lukdraal, accept what Lord Allen says as true.”
“U-Understood, Your Highness.”
Allen continued: “I have companions who’re already healing those in the plaza, but that is a task far beyond just three people. By now there should be a number of troops who’ve been restored to full health and can move around, so please order them to gather the wounded.”
Lukdraal, who had just experienced for himself the efficacy of a Blessing of Heaven, nodded in response. “Understood. I’ll send men out immediately. Now, the military meeting...”
What’s my top priority right now? To help reestablish the front line and turn back the Demon Lord Army’s advance.
“I appreciate the importance of this meeting, but I shall be participating through a Summon that will represent me. I myself will be immediately heading for Tiamo with my companions.”
“Come again?”
“I am truly sorry. However, if Tiamo is only able to hold out a few more days, then it is paramount that I leave immediately so as to secure Her Majesty the queen and protect her.”
“The thought certainly pleases us, but...even our most powerful horses would need a month to pull a carriage all the way to Tiamo. The magic ship might reach in time, but it would be too conspicuous and would undoubtedly get shot down.”
Lukdraal added ruefully that Tiamo was already a lost cause. The city had been completely encircled by enemy forces, making it impossible for anyone to even get close.
So, we still do have magic ships on hand, but the Demon Lord Army is capable of shooting them down out of the sky. This sort of information is exactly what I need to know.
“Ellie, you caught all that, right? Stay here and let me know what else you learn.”
“Your will is my command, Master.”
“What?! Where did she— Who is this?!”
The generals and Elders all jumped in surprise at Spirit B’s sudden appearance. Not wishing to waste even a second, Allen ignored their reactions and turned to give Ellie her orders. As he would be constantly Sharing with this Ellie, she could always act as his mouthpiece and relay what he wanted to say.
Oh right, and to make it easier to exchange information, I should leave a Poppo here too.
Bird F’s Awakened Ability, Messenger, made it possible for Allen to instantaneously speak and show footage to specified targets within a hundred kilometers. He was sure that this Awakened Ability was going to play a huge role in the ongoing war.
Sophie ordered the elves to cooperate with the Summons, then Allen passed over a thousand Blessings of Heaven to them. It would be up to the elves themselves to figure out which areas had the largest number of wounded.
“All right, guys—off to Tiamo we go,” Allen said.
“Don’t forget to pick Krena and the others up first,” Cecil reminded him.
The No-life Gamers left the building to find the sun already set. A whole crowd of elves had gathered around the building, having heard the news of their princess’s return. A ripple of murmurs ran through them when Sophie appeared. The magic tool lampposts dimly illuminated shifting faces and varying reactions in the crowd: some burst into tears, some pleaded for help, some shouted out their gratitude, and some begged her to run away and save herself.
“We’re heading over on your Summons, right, Allen?” Cecil asked for confirmation’s sake.
“Yep,” Allen nodded. “Come on out, Griffs!”
Seven massive, elephant-sized creatures with the limbs of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle suddenly appeared with an earsplitting screech. When they reared up on their two hind legs and spread their wings, their gargantuan forms reached the same height as the building behind them.
Under Allen’s command, the Griffs knelt down, making it easy for the No-life Gamers to mount their necks. Before the crowd of onlookers and soldiers had time to fully comprehend what had just happened, Sophie gave Lukdraal one last order.
“Lukdraal, take care of Nest. We will definitely save Her Majesty and the residents of Tiamo. In the meantime, focus on healing the troops here and preparing them for return to the front line.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The Bird Bs took off in the direction of the plaza, seen off by soldiers assuming the elven salute.
“So Lord Rohzen’s prophecy was real,” Lukdraal murmured as Allen’s group disappeared into the distance. He then turned around sharply and began barking orders at his subordinates.
＊ ＊ ＊
We’ll make it in time. I’ll make sure that we do!
Allen deftly manipulated his griffin to land in the plaza. Krena immediately ran over.
“Krena, our next destination’s been decided. We’re going to Tiamo!”
“B-But...” she turned around, looking at all the wounded elves who still lay in view.
“You don’t need to worry about them. I’ve given the elves enough recovery items to heal everyone in this city. They’ll be passing them out among themselves soon.”
“Really?! So everybody’ll be saved after all. Thank you, Allen!”
Even though Allen had only just arrived, Krena, Dogora, and Keel quickly got up to speed on their new objective. Without further ado, they each hopped onto a griffin.
“Okay, hold on tight! Griffs, use Jet!”
“Wait, wait, we’re using that again?!” Keel wailed.
The group had often used this Awakened Ability in the dungeons, so they were more than familiar with it. And Keel was not a huge fan, to put it mildly. However, the Bird Bs paid Keel no mind.
“KIEEEEEEEE!”
At Allen’s order, they shot off into the sky, accelerating to a breakneck speed in no time at all. This quickly left the Bird Ds that Allen relied on to see in the dark behind, prompting him to use Quick Summoning to constantly Summon new ones ahead to update his view of the surrounding area with Night Vision.
Several hours later, Tiamo came into view, surrounded by countless glowing dots. The buildings closest to the city’s walls, as well as quite a few farther in, were also giving off billows of smoke. The city was ablaze.
Chapter 3: Tiamo
As the No-life Gamers approached Tiamo, Krena was the first to cry out, “The city’s on fire!”
They were soon close enough to identify the tens of thousands of glowing dots encircling the city as torches and campfires. Thick clouds of smoke poured out from within the city walls.
“Horo, use White Night!”
“Hoot!”
Bird D’s Awakened Ability, White Night, enabled Allen to instantly register everything within view inside a hundred-kilometer radius at night.
Phew! Okay, the city hasn’t fallen yet!
Although he could not see inside buildings, he now had an accurate idea of the state of the city and the besieging forces. There was no sign of battle at the moment, likely because it was nighttime. The Demon Lord Army was camped outside, while the elves behind the walls scurried about putting out fires and carrying their wounded.
“The city’s still standing!” Allen shouted to his companions, prompting a look of relief to spread across Sophie’s face. “We’re gonna climb super high and then land directly inside the city!”
There were members of the Demon Lord Army that could fly too. It might have been the dead of night, but to minimize their chances of being discovered, Allen ordered the Bird Bs to first fly up to a higher altitude, reach the area directly above Tiamo, then fly straight down, aiming for the largest building in the center of the city. The enemy should not have had any intel on Allen’s group yet, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.
“All right, we’re going down now!”
“Huh? Wait, I need to prepare myse—”
Before Cecil could finish her thought, the Bird Bs plunged downward.
＊ ＊ ＊
The large building in the center of Tiamo was filled with elven soldiers. When the Bird Bs landed in front of it, a commotion sprang up among them.
“Wha—?! We’re under attack! We’re under attack! Monsters have made it inside!”
Soldiers flooded out the entrance, quickly grabbing the bows from their backs and nocking them with arrows. Spirit Users held their hands up, pointing them toward the Summons. Just as their palms started glowing faintly, Volmaar shouted from the back of his mount.
“Stop it, you fools! Hold your fire! Know that you are directing your attacks at Her Highness Princess Sophialohne!”
Ah, I thought it would go better than this. My bad, my bad. But I’m sure Volmaar understands, with the situation being what it is. We don’t have time to do this nice and slow. Do your best, Volmaar.
As the soldiers glared at the Bird Bs with hostility, Allen mentally cheered Volmaar on. Despite having been taken by surprise at Allen’s decision to land so abruptly—and to do so right before the noses of those guarding the heart of the city—the elf was doing a good job controlling the situation.
“P-Princess Sophialohne?”
Thanks to Volmaar’s roar, one by one, the soldiers began noticing Sophie’s characteristic silver hair and golden eyes as she gracefully dismounted her griffin.
“I have returned. Sorry for the fright, everyone. Please lower your weapons.”
“We are sincerely sorry!” the soldiers shouted in unison, falling to their knees like a tidal wave.
“It is no matter,” Sophie replied, using a gentle tone to reassure the troops.
One of the soldiers, whose outfit indicated a high rank, said, “Please allow me to guide you inside, Your Highness!”
After Allen dismissed all the Bird Bs, the whole group followed their guide into the large building. As they approached the second floor, they started picking up on voices raised in dispute. Before long, they were shown to a large room where just over a dozen elves were standing in a circle.
“You of all people need to evacuate the most, Your Majesty!”
“This city will fall tomorrow!”
“I must not. Many of my subjects still remain in this city, trapped within the walls before they had opportunity to escape. Tomorrow, I, too, will fight in person. If you’re worried for my safety, then do everything you can to ensure that we survive the day.”
“Many of our soldiers have already died or been severely wounded. We are nearing our limits. I beg you, please evacuate. You are what makes Rohzenheim!”
“No, our people are what makes Rohzenheim.”
As the woman assumed to be the queen argued with the elves all around her, the soldier who led Allen’s group saluted and loudly announced, “Reporting! Princess Sophialohne and Sir Volmaar have arrived!”
Uh, is he not gonna announce us too? But still, “Sir” Volmaar, huh? He is her closest attendant; I guess the position comes with a pretty high standing.
Volmaar, who always accompanied Sophie as her guard, was generally a reticent man and never talked about himself.
“What? How dare you make a ruckus in this situa— Wait, what? Princess Sophialohne?!”
One of the elves started to upbraid the soldier in irritation, but then noticed Sophie’s presence. The entire room fell silent.
Hmm, so that’s the queen of the elves. She looks exactly like Sophie. Uh, is that a flying squirrel on her shoulder?
There was a throne at the far end of the room, but judging by the conversation just now, the woman who was apparently the queen had been participating in the conference as another military commander. She had the appearance of someone in their late twenties and sported silver hair and golden eyes. Allen had half expected her to be in a white dress, but instead, she was decked out in armor and was as heavily armed as every other soldier in the room.
Sitting upon her shoulder was a flying squirrel. Although Allen understood that the elves loved nature, he was surprised to see just how close they were with animals. However, the creature looked entirely out of place in the tense atmosphere. When the squirrel noticed Allen, it began staring at him fixedly, so the boy gave the animal the stink eye in return.
“Sophie...welcome back.”
