Episode 216 The Temple of the Abyss – The Island Where the Sun Never Rises (1)
Only two hours after departing from the military port of Brittany.
In that short period of time, we went from safe territory to the realm of demons shrouded in a purple mist.
Everyone, even Alejandro, the leader of the Holy Knights, swallows his saliva as he sees the ominous sight of the coast surrounded by purple fog.
This is also the reason why Christine and Admiral Lee were unable to identify any abnormalities along the coast even though they scouted the coastal terrain as much as possible.
Because of that fog, basically, stepping into a battlefield where visibility is limited is a burden in itself for the soldiers.
The good news is that the fog gets thinner as it approaches the coast, so at least you can have good visibility on the coast…
In other words, the problem is that you don’t know what it’s like even if you go a little bit away from the coast.
“Well, how come that fog can’t be dispersed by Admiral Lindsay’s celestial magic?”
“I tried, but it only lasted a moment and I was soon covered in fog again.”
“Tsk, that’s so annoying.”
Nevertheless, it is not the fearsome armada of demons that stalks this shore today.
The sight of the battleships of Francia, the Eastern Empire, the Brotherhood of Iberica, and the Northern United Kingdom covering the coast clearly shows our superiority.
“Prepare to fire!”
“All guns open and ready for bombardment!”
Christine’s command was repeated by Duhun, and a flag signal was sent to each ship.
As if my concerns were not wrong, there were quite a few drones lined up on the coast –
“Launch!”
This was meaningless in the face of the fire of hundreds of ships of the line firing at the same time, including naval guns of a different caliber than the army’s cannons.
As the successive bombardment and the rockets that flew away making a piing sound were rained down, the drones that did not even know how to take cover were instantly torn to pieces.
“Oh oh oh…! “It’s spectacular!”
This is definitely okay.
If they had seen the drones running as soon as they landed without knowing anything, the soldiers who saw the strange movements for the first time would have felt visual fear right away, no matter how much information they had.
However, even now, soldiers aboard the landing ship are witnessing with their own eyes drones being torn apart by the barrage of ships of the line.
Going in knowing in advance that they are an enemy that can be destroyed will greatly reduce the psychological fear.
It took about ten minutes for the ships of the line to shell the coast and prepare for the landing.
“Your Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette, the first landing party is ready!”
First landing force.
Damien de Mirbeau and Holy Knight Commander Alejandro take the lead in landing.
“Brother, are you sure you don’t mind giving up the honor of being the first to land?”
“of course. I will go with the second landing force, even if only for the sake of judging in case of emergency. “It would be a big problem if we landed prematurely and there was a delay in issuing orders to the Navy.”
“Oh, how responsible you are…! I will definitely remember that you gave me this honor. Then let’s trust you and go first.”
The glory of landing is only glory if you win.
I really don’t know what could happen, but it’s only because I’m on the front line that it becomes difficult to command the whole thing.
At least no one thinks that the Commander-in-Chief is a coward and doesn’t take the lead, perhaps thanks to my record of defeating Barbatos single-handedly.
Should we consider this fortunate?
I turned my gaze into the distance and saw Damien de Mirbeau, who looked anxious even from here, and Giselle Davy, sitting next to him, intently scanning the coastline with a telescope.
Then he turned his gaze to see Christine looking around with a telescope and said softly.
“Lewis is landing with me.”
“Ah yes.”
Christine flinched a little and then smiled awkwardly.
I would have wanted to land with Luis and Dabi, but the first landing force was very dangerous, so I took out all of the magic division to the second.
If we lose the Magic Division, building the gate in the first place will be a failure, so there is nothing we can do. Of course, I don’t want Christine to have to experience losing something again.
We stood in silence for a moment on the deck of the battleship, which shook with each shot.
Almost all of the drones on the coast have been shattered, but you can still see sporadic ones being smashed as they approach the coast.
“…I’m nervous.”
As I looked at the landing ships that had almost reached the shore and opened my mouth softly, Christine slowly turned her gaze to me and answered.
“me too.”
Finally, the landing ship arrived, and while Damien de Mirbeau was flinching, Alejandro, the leader of the Holy Knights, jumped down holding the Holy Church’s flag and smashed it on the beach.
It was only after seeing this that Mirbeau and the revolutionary army came down in a huff, planted the Franzian flag and cheered.
“…under.”
It’s just the beginning, so don’t make a fuss.
It’s so absurd that both laughter and relief flow out.
Even as the first landing troops finish landing one after another, there are no signs of anything suspicious.
Still, at least there didn’t seem to be any special traps on the coast.
“Your Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette, the landing of the first landing force has been completed!”
“Okay, good job. “Let us land too.”
“ancient!”
The staff runs away.
“…Pierre.”
Christine called me softly.
It seemed like she was trying to smile at me, but I could see that it didn’t work out well.
What should I do?
politician, merchant and admiral. She performed so well in every role she took on.
In fact, starting with the Kingdom of the Northern United Kingdom, which she brought into the fold, there are even fewer places in the Revolutionary Army’s war effort that she has not reached.
He won a naval battle against the powerful enemy of the Abyss Corporation and helped me by neatly organizing the landing operation, which had been slow due to political issues, as well as the issue of command after the landing.
Nevertheless, in the end, she couldn’t do anything other than send me to my death again and wait.
How should I reassure him?
After thinking for a moment, I said with a wry smile.
“I don’t know if Leon and Fleur will remember our faces.”
Christine widened her eyes, then smiled and answered.
“Iknow, right.”
Dumont and the nanny may have done a good job raising him, but as parents, we were so busy with construction that we couldn’t show our faces.
“Still, Christine. “Don’t you think that when those children grow up, they can be proud of us?”
-If I have children, I want them to grow up proud of me so that I can hear good stories about them.
The goal she set for herself when she married me, having grown up losing her mother at an early age and not being loved by her father.
Christine seemed to have remembered that as well and answered with a smile.
“You loved me.”
-You don’t have to comfort me, Pierre. Please love me instead.
“yes. I will love you more in the future. Our children too. So…”
I hugged Christine and kissed her lightly.
As she casually closed her eyes and lightly kissed her with her mouth like a bird bumping its beak, Christine slowly opened her eyes with a dissatisfied look on her face.
“I’ll finish it and continue.”
Christine looked at me for a while with a puzzled expression on her face and then answered quietly.
“Then I will scold you then.”
I smiled at her and jumped onto the landing craft.
* * *
Christine and Admiral Lee did indeed keep their promise and bombarded the coast until the entire force completed the landing.
Thanks to this, the landing force was able to complete the landing safely except for sporadic skirmishes with a few tattered drones that occasionally reached the coast through heavy fire.
To be honest, I was also considering significant troop losses during the landing phase.
Because nothing is more vulnerable to attack than a landing force.
Nevertheless, the fact that it succeeded in landing with ridiculous ease is even more questionable.
The demons of the Abyss Corporation would not have been unaware of the effectiveness of attacking landing troops.
Christine didn’t just scout out the battlefield best suited for coastal artillery support and randomly fire expensive shells at her.
But why was the landing allowed so easily?
Is this because they are concerned about damage from coastal shelling?
“Even if I had dismounted from the original warhorse, there would have been no chance of a glorious charge. There’s no doubt that the demons were afraid of our Holy Knights! ha ha ha!”
Alejandro thinks so, but is it possible?
At least the great devils I encountered were not the kind of beings that would fear even human knights.
“Your Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette! “All units have been assembled!”
I stared at the ground covered in purple fog, with a viewing distance of maybe 100m at most.
…Anyway, for now, if you worry about it until you die, you won’t find an answer.
The soldiers are anxious even if they don’t have to be because of that strange fog, but if I act indecisively, I’ll be even more agitated.
“Okay. “The target point is to advance to the hill where the rendezvous is planned.”
“I give the order for the old unit to advance!”
Trumpets sound and the military band begins the march, beating drums.
“It’s a bad place, brother.”
After hearing Crocs’ words, I lowered my gaze and looked down at the barren land.
There is almost no proper vegetation on the land, which looks purple as if it has been polluted, perhaps because of the light purple fog that covers the sky.
Just looking at the land covered in moss gives off an eerie and unpleasant feeling.
“Commander Mirbo, let’s dispatch a messenger first. “Because of the fog, we can’t see it with the naked eye, so let’s keep in touch and adjust the time to join.”
“Oh, I understand, Your Excellency the Marquis!”
Damien de Mirbeau immediately gave instructions, and soon a messenger on horseback was dispatched and rode ahead of us, disappearing beyond the fog.
And 30 minutes.
No news came.
…It was not possible to see this far through the Navy’s observations, but given the terrain, it did not seem to be spinning particularly sharply.
Looking at the map, the hill we have chosen as the confluence point is a distance that can be reached within two hours at the latest after landing, either on that side or this side.
The commanders over there are Gilles von Leonhard of the Germanian Empire and General Scharnhorst of Krafte.
It’s unfortunate that King Henry I couldn’t personally come as an advance team, but I heard that General Scharnhorst is a young prospect, not to mention quality.
At least they aren’t people who can’t finish the march on time just because there’s a little fog.
Perhaps because of the constant fog, a constant sticky feeling irritates my throat.
“…Commander Mirbo. “Send another messenger.”
“Oh, I understand. “His Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette.”
Damien de Mirbeau sent the messenger back with a slightly frightened look on his face.
This messenger kept turning around, looking towards us, and then ran his horse and disappeared beyond the fog.
And after a while.
A terrible scream rang out.
“Huh!”
“What the hell!”
Holy shit!
“Don’t be agitated! All units in battle formation! “Ready for battle!”
“I’m ready for battle! “Ready for battle!”
Chaos unfolds as soldiers lined up in a long marching formation run around panting and artillerymen frantically lower their cannons.
Damn what happened to this damn island!
I immediately spurred my horse forward a little.
“Wow, Your Excellency the Marquis! “It’s dangerous!”
I narrow my eyes, but even with a knight’s eyesight I can’t see beyond that damn fog.
It’s just that the visibility has increased a little –
Chuck.
But my sensitive ears picked up a definite noise.
From afar.
chuck.
Familiar and regular.
chuck.
An unpleasantly accurate sound that could never be made by a living army marching.
“All artillery units ready to fire buckshot!”
“Yes yes?”
chuck.
“All artillery units ready to fire buckshot!”
Even as Mirbeau is embarrassed, Giselle Darby quickly repeats my orders and prepares the artillery.
“Louis Dakiten!”
chuck.
“Yes old! Marquis de Lafayette each-”
“Call the wind ahead!”
“Oh, I understand!”
As Lewis frantically drew a magic circle and concentrated his mind, the same wind that blew away the pile of rubble in Bahua City soon blew away the fog.
And only then did the enemies become visible to everyone.
chuck.
“Huh huh huh!”
An army of drones, which seemed to number in the thousands, took steps beyond the fog.
The regular footsteps stopped all at once and the next moment.
“Prepare for the assault!”
As soon as I shouted, the drones started running at full speed, waving their arms.
