Day 321-330/Day 328

Day 328
The day of departure came. After I finished parting with the group that stayed behind, such as Blacksmith-san, Sisters-san, Alchemist-san and Doriane-san, I concentrated on the ≪External Training Field≫ for a moment, and I finished things, such as confirmation of several plans and a headcount.
Since the preparations had already been done, we rode several large skeleton centipedes separately one by one. There is no air route with dragons this time, even if choosing the land route by large Skeleton Centipede might be a little bit strange. However, there is a reason for this.
Obviously, the air route using dragons is faster. It is possible to travel in no time. I might not hesitate either and use the air route if it was only a few people. However, a lot of dragons are needed if moving approximately 3,000 people at a time. As expected, if dragons of such a number moved in one the direction at the same time, the neighboring monsters which sensed their presence might be frenzied. Or perhaps I should say, I am almost sure of it.
Though it is safe in several cases, a fairly huge dragon is necessary when carrying several numbers. Thus, a huge dragon is such a high-level existence, excluding very few exceptions, is a threat equal to a natural disaster.
Realizing it is similar to a large-scale typhoon that passes in the vicinity or a large earthquake occurring, it flies by practicing magic principally from the wing, even at times which it cannot check the comparison visually or at most fly, it is very difficult to conceal all the enormous magical powers that a high-level dragon scatters at the time of flight, increasing the chances that they will be sensed.
To begin with, since a high-ranking dragon of that level has such a greater sense of a powerful existence compared to a group of low-level dragons, meaning that if there are few numbers of them could cause the same effect. So that being the case, the reason goes with moving with the land route. They're easy to be concealed in this case because it doesn't casually scatter magical power, there are fewer of them if I compare their influences.
However, it was planned that the main battlefield of the【Holy War】would be on the【Sacred Fire Mountain of the Oni's Howl】which I owned before hand after using【Dungeon Plunder - Underworld Oni's Howl】, since it takes too much time if I go by the normal land route.
Thus, it is convenient to head to the place that is geographically nearby to shorten the time it takes to reach Labyrinth City ≪Aquarium≫, where the【Waterfall Basin of the Water Oni's Howl】exists.
Just in case, to decrease the possibility of being discovered, as much as possible, by someone nearby or far away, before reaching Labyrinth City ≪Aquarium≫ , I went through the places where the public eye won't notice large skeleton centipedes, which is a condition to let me execute【Hiding】in forests.
Though the route took a detour, the large skeleton centipede's terrain traversing power was all there. They ran through without care even if it is the forest, a valley, or if there is a monster's den on its path, and I was able to arrive at the Labyrinth City ≪Aquarium≫ at midnight.
After I did some sightseeing, I entered quickly by showing【King's Recognition - Promissory Note】from the Tomboy Princess which was accepted by the soldiers who are guarding the entrance. As expected, there were less crowds of people around since it was already late. However, since I can hear the cheerful laughter from the tavern, the eye-witnesses that come alongside the entrance of the【Waterfall Basin of the Water Oni's Howl】increased, so I let members on break get into it quickly.
Afterwards, I moved to a deserted place in the surroundings, then we transferred to an isolated space in the 49th floor that I developed beforehand and at once prepared a warp gate that, with one step through reached the other side in an instant. Knowing the possibilities to come, the space that I prepared beforehand is wide and comfortable, and even if there were these many members, it was still able to accommodate some more.
Since I am going to take a rest here today, I fixed myself a bedroom where I tried cooking a dish or something to pass the time.
I had done the drill training, it's easy and there is no trouble to instruct everyone.
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RAWS
“三百二十八日目”
出立の日がやって来た。
鍛冶師さんや姉妹さん、錬金術師さんやドリアーヌさん達残留組と別れの挨拶を済ませ、一旦≪外部訓練場≫に結集し、人数確認や予定の確認などを手短に済ませる。
それが終われば既に準備は出来ているので、順次数台の骸骨大百足に分乗していった。
さて、今回は竜達による空路ではなく、骸骨大百足による陸路を選んだ事は少し不思議に思うかもしれない。
だが、これには理由がある。
当然ながら竜達による空路の方が速い。アッという間に移動できる。少人数なら俺も迷わず空路にしただろう。
がしかし、流石に約三千名を一度に移動させるとなると竜達が数十から数百頭は必要になってしまう。
流石にそんな数の竜が一度に同方向に移動すれば、周辺の気配を察知したモンスター達が狂乱しかねない。というか、ほぼ確実にする。
数頭程度なら大丈夫だが、しかし数頭で運ぶ場合はかなり巨大な竜が必要だ。そして巨大な竜は極僅かな例外を除いて上位種の高レベルな存在であり、それは天災に等しい脅威である。
近くで大型台風が通過したり大地震が発生すれば分かるように、例え視認できない高高度を飛行しても翼より魔力を主に使って飛行する関係上、高レベルの竜種が飛行時に撒き散らす膨大な魔力を全て隠蔽する事は非常に難しく、高確率で察知されてしまう。
そもそも高レベルの上位竜種は下位竜種の群れよりも強く存在感があるので、それでは数が少なくても意味は薄い。　
という事で、陸路で移動する訳だ。
これなら無造作に魔力を撒き散らさないので隠蔽もしやすいし、影響も比較すれば少ない。
ただ聖戦の主戦場は【・鬼哭異界】によって最初に得た【鬼哭神火山】を予定しているため、陸路で普通に向かえば時間がかかりすぎる。
よって今回目指すのは地理的に近く使い勝手がいい、【鬼哭水の滝壺】が存在する迷宮都市≪アクリアム≫である。
一応、迷宮都市≪アクリアム≫の近くまでは誰かに発見される可能性を極力減らすため、森の中など人目のつかない場所を【】などを発動させた状態の骸骨大百足達に乗って駆け抜ける。
やや遠回りのルートではあるが、そこは骸骨大百足の踏破力。
森林だろうが渓谷だろうが、モンスターの巣窟だろうが関係ないとばかりに走り抜け、迷宮都市≪アクリアム≫には夜中に到着する事が出来た。
ちょっとした自然観光を終えて、入口を固めている兵達にお転婆姫から貰った【王認手形】を見せてササッと入る。
流石に時間も遅い為、周囲に人通りは少ない。
しかし酒場などからは陽気な笑い声も聞こえているので、目撃者が増えないうちに【鬼哭水の滝壺】の入口に横付けし、乗っていた団員達をサッサと【鬼哭水の滝壺】に突入させた。
その後周囲に人気がない場所まで移動させ、一旦ワープゲートを展開して最下層一歩手前の四十九階に造っている隔離空間まで一瞬で転移していく。
こんな事もあろうかと、あらかじめ用意していた空間は広く快適で、コチラの数が多くても若干の余裕があった。
今日はここで休む予定なので、各自自分の寝所を整えたり、料理を造ったりと行動している。
行軍訓練をしてきただけに、指示する手間がなくて非常に楽だ。
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster Volume 8