After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 71
Chapter 71: Still a Ninja?
“Hah!”
Just as Mifuyu-san intricately intertwined her fingers and took a deep breath, I couldn’t help but notice that the way she clasped her hands reminded me of one of the “Kuji” hand signs I had seen in my previous world. I think it was… the Daimon Kongōrin, or something like that. The culture of the Dark Clan really seemed reminiscent of old Japan in many ways.
“Hmph!”
Following her spirited shout, the atmosphere in the forest changed. Or to be more precise, the flow of smoke drifting through the forest changed.
The fires conjured by the enemy’s magic were burning the trees in the forest. However, the trees in the forest weren’t as dry as campfire wood. They were filled with moisture, making them resistant to burning. While they could burn if the fire was strong enough, they emitted thick white smoke. From the direction the enemy was advancing, the smell of burning wood mingled with the spreading smoke.
The smoke stopped spreading and, as if it had a will of its own, began to gather again. Dense smoke accumulated around where the enemy soldiers were expected to be, obscuring their vision. This was exactly like something out of a ninja’s “Fire Release” jutsu, sparking excitement in my chuunibyou mind.
“Normally, this magic is used where smoke bombs are deployed, but since smoke is already billowing thickly today…”
Wow, “smoke bombs” – that’s getting really ninja-like. But it’s a practical magic, though it lacks killing power. By depriving the pursuers of their sight, it significantly increases our chances of escape.
As expected, the enemy’s advance came to a sudden halt, and panicked voices and coughing could be heard from various directions. Saya fired about ten arrows in succession towards them, accompanied by fierce shouts, clashing metal, and cries of pain… Apparently, soldiers driven to desperation by the attacks they received in the obscured vision started fighting each other. The effect exceeded expectations, or rather, it was even greater than that.
Some desperate individuals ran around, breaking through the unusually thick smoke, but of course, they weren’t organized. Each soldier was acting on their own accord. Gretel, brimming with determination, swiftly took care of each one. No opponent who approached individually could match her close combat abilities enhanced by light attribute magic. About fifteen minutes after Mifuyu-san began manipulating the smoke with her ninja-like magic, Gretel had already sent over a hundred enemy soldiers to the afterlife with a single blow each.
Soon, the enemies trying to overcome the smoke were gone.
“Now’s the time. Let’s retreat all at once.”
Of course. We followed the original game trail and hurriedly fled.
—
“I see, so the Imperial Army has retreated beyond the border after all.”
Receiving reports from multiple reconnaissance teams, Queen Eliza sighed with relief while holding her head. The village that was occupied this time has been thoroughly plundered, and a huge amount of aid from the treasury will be needed for reconstruction.
Moreover, the region that was supposed to be a rich granary has been trampled by the Imperial Army, and not even wheat for this winter can be expected. How much expenditure will be required to prevent the people from starving… just thinking about it makes one’s head ache.
“Eliza… You’re not thinking of letting the Imperial Army off the hook just like this, are you?”
After dismissing the military leaders, Mother blurted out during dinner. Her unusually casual words were because only Her Majesty, Mother, Beatrice, myself, Liese-nee, and Gretel were present here.
“I, who hate war, believe that this time, we cannot let the Empire go unpunished. Regardless of the right or wrong of their invasion, using innocent civilians as human shields to prevent Hilda’s magic from being cast is unforgivable.”
“I feel the same way, Eliza.”
Yes, Her Majesty hates war. After defeating the Empire over twenty years ago, Belzenbrück was the strongest country on the continent for a while. There were plenty of chances to expand by slicing up neighboring countries, but there were no external military campaigns at all.
But more than that, Her Majesty cares for her people. She is genuinely angry about the Empire’s actions of using the lives of civilians as shields.
“However, it’s a fact that we don’t have enough power to deal a decisive blow to the Empire. Thanks to Hilda reducing their forces by about twenty thousand, we won’t be invaded immediately, but it’s still risky to invade Imperial territory with that much force still wandering around.”
“When we retreated, there were about twenty thousand troops, but where are they now?”
“They’ve stationed themselves in a fortress about twenty kilometers from the border, unwilling to give up. While they may not have the proactive force to engage, they might be planning to raid again if we withdraw. What about you, Lutz?”
Huh? Even Her Majesty is passing the buck to me like her daughter? And on top of that, Beatrice is subtly pressuring me from Her Majesty’s side. It’s quite unpleasant, but I’ll refrain from saying anything unnecessary here.
“Let’s attack. Regardless of whether we aim to carve out Imperial territory, we need to deal a blow to ensure they won’t want to attempt such aggression for a while. Our forces are currently superior, and while the enemy may retreat to their castle if we attack, we have plans for that scenario as well.”
As I decisively speak, I glance towards Beatrice. Her usually fair cheeks are flushed, and she looks unusually determined, with her sparkling emerald eyes fixed on me. Yeah, I might prefer this Beatrice over the other one.