434: The Sixth Army’s Special Training
All disasters are unavoidable.
They will never be eliminated. No matter how much technology advances, no matter how many countermeasures are devised, someday, somewhere, some kind of an accident will occur. Human activity itself is a factor in accidents.
It couldn’t be helped that a wild griffin’s territory had been established on the conventional flight route.
First, a change in the flight route. This was a premise. Of course, not just the flight route, but also the safety of the ground route should be checked as frequently as possible.
But all resources were finite.
To maximize the profit and to minimize the loss. That balance was always swaying, and you had to continue to search for the right spot. That said, there was no equilibrium point. And even if there was, it was only for a moment. So, if possible, you would lean a little towards safety and continue to protect the ‘peace.’
That was all we could do.
And what was needed for that was to strengthen the safety net.
Aithys had had an accident. Apparently, when she had been attacked, she had jumped off to make Leaf go at his maximum speed. I was filled with a feeling of “You reckless fool…!”, but since it had been the ‘right’ thing to do, in hindsight, it couldn’t be helped.
Good food and a safe bed. In addition to flight training, the griffins of the Listrean magical beast division were enhanced with their own physical enhancement magic and aerodynamic control. Though they were not as good as a dragon, it was only natural that they were faster than a wild individual of the same species.
…To come up with the idea of ‘letting go of the burden,’ and to be able to choose it, what was with that decisiveness?
When I was on the receiving end of the worry, I had a lot of thoughts.
This time, the rescue had been in time.
Then what about the ‘next time’?
Next time, I didn’t know who would have an accident, or how. The reason so many personnel had been allocated for Aithys’s search was… to put it bluntly, partly because she was my friend.
Of course, even if she hadn’t been, a search party would have been formed. If they had continued to search for the reaction of a single beastman, using a mana signature detection spell, centered on the demons, then they might have managed.
But I had a faster search method.
I… had killed a lot of people.
So, to atone for that—was a little different. I had done the ‘right’ thing. The people of this country were more precious to me than the human race, to which I belonged.
‘Therefore.’
I and Lathus—the supreme commanders of the Demon King’s army—would fight against any and all threats to this country. That logic had not changed.
Therefore, I was in my Lord of Disease regalia, and I was in front of thirty beastmen. They were the members who had volunteered for the search party, and I had decided to ‘train’ them thoroughly. They had spent the three days since the search resting, and now, the training was about to begin.
I raised my voice.
“—Put a ‘sir’ at the beginning and the end, you animal lovers!”
“Sir?”
Confusion spread. ‘Sir’ was a title that existed in this world, but it was not very familiar in Listrea, which had no aristocracy.
I thrust the ferrule of my staff into the ground and smiled.
The Lord of Disease smile, which the doppelganger girls, after I had talked with them at length before their retirement, had said was like, “I will show you the meaning of the word evil in this world,” and “like a drop of poison,” and “crazed.” …They had also said, “It’s addictive,” and “One more time, for a retirement present.”
For now, it was an intimidating expression, until you got used to it. To get them from the start. That was the key.
“Your answer is ‘yes.’ —I will not accept anything else. Answer with ‘Sir, yes, sir.’”
“…Sir, yes, sir!”
“Anyone who has had a foolish argument about whether they are a dog person or a cat person, I will rub your ears until they are raw, so be prepared!”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
Today, I was in drill sergeant mode.
Rebecca, who was standing behind me, muttered.
“What kind of a crazy insult is that?”
“It’s a modified version of a line used by a training instructor in Master’s world, for training new recruits…” Liz answered.
“I have a feeling it’s lost its original form.”
“What a coincidence, Rebecca. Me too.”
The original had a lot of vulgar expressions. And besides, I only vaguely remembered it. The point was to convey a different, stricter, but not too formal, atmosphere. And I had wanted to try it once.
“The training we are about to conduct—is, yes, ‘very simple.’”
I smiled.
“I’m so jealous. I’d almost like to trade places with you.” I nodded.
“…Isn’t that what you’re always doing, Master?”
“You could say that.”
Since it was a very quiet conversation, and since I was very much out of it, it was fine, but I picked it up.
“…The Lord of Disease… is always doing…?”
At my response, Liz’s words sank into everyone’s brains—and one of them muttered, as if by accident.
“Yes. There is no danger. I guarantee your safety.”
A sigh of relief, and the air relaxed. I continued, with a smile.
“You will be spending some time with the Black Hound Barghests. Play with them to your heart’s content.”
I pinched the hem of my robe and shook it. Slither, slither… a number of them came out. No, plus one more.
I gently stroked the head of one of them, who was snuggling against me. I had said that these children liked it rough, and that was true, but that was that, and they also liked a gentle skinship that conveyed my feelings.
“What is it? —‘Your answer’?”
“…S-sir, yes, sir…”
Even though they should have touched them during the previous search, everyone was a little tense. To ease their tension, I smiled gently.
“I’m not asking for anything difficult. It’s a wonderful job. A job where you get paid just for playing with large dogs is not something you find every day. —I will permit questions.”
One of them hesitantly raised her hand. A female cat-type beastman.
“Um… a large dog… you mean a Black Hound Barghest?”
“Of course. I have heard that the magical beast division is in charge of training not just magical beasts, but also warhorses and hunting dogs.”
“Y-yes.”
“Then it is the same.”
“Is it?”
“From now on. —Next.”
Another one, also hesitantly, raised his hand. This time, a male dog-type beastman.
“‘For a while’… how long is that?”
“The period is not strictly defined. I have been entrusted with the full authority of the training by the first in command of the Third Army—that is, your leader, Lathus, the Broken Fang. But I am not free, either. For now, we are planning for three days.”
“Three days…?”
“I’m sorry. But since this is the first time, it is short—”
“Wait, it’s short?”
“…It’s only three days. Surely—in the magical beast division, the training of a hunting dog ends in about that much time…?”
I was a little worried, but he shook his head, a very human gesture.
“N-no. We train them from a puppy to an adult, and even after that, we continue to train them through hunting…”
“That’s right. I was worried for a moment that the magical beast division had such a secret technique. —Next.”
Another one stepped forward. A female dog-type beastman. Pointed, dark brown ears, and a fluffy tail. If they didn’t have droopy ears, it was sometimes difficult to distinguish them by their ears, so in that case, I used their tails as a reference. Her hair, which was about shoulder-length, was the same dark brown as her fur, and when it was gathered, it was almost black, and at the tips, it was a translucent brown.
She looked at me directly with her strong-willed black eyes and opened her mouth.
“My name is Malinois. I would like to hear the details of the training.”
“First, a light skinship. …And after that, it’s mostly the same. You will be with them all day. Any other questions?”
Her—Malinois’s—ears drooped a little.
“All day…?”
“Always, except for the toilet.”
“…During meals?”
“Together. Ah, of course, the food is different. For this training, I have spoken with the cafeteria, and they will be given a little dog food as a snack.”
“Y-yes. …Um, bathing…?”
“Together. You will wash your partner. Without using magic, with a towel. It is a part of the skinship. And after that, brushing.”
“B-brushing, too?”
“Yes. —You all, get yourselves cleaned up.”
I lightly patted the neck of the one at my hand, and the other thirty also wagged their tails in unison.
“…Surely we sleep separately?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That’s right.”
“Yes. To sleep with a Barghest as a pillow is indescribable. To rest your head on them, to hug them like a body pillow, is a kind of happiness—”
She raised her hand, her face a mask of shock, and interrupted me.
“Wait, Lord of Disease. …I don’t… understand what you’re saying…”
“…Have I said something difficult?”
“…No.”
“Then that is that.”
I nodded. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand her confusion, but as they say, practice makes perfect. I deliberately acted as if this were a matter of course. In fact, for me, it was a matter of course, and it was not as difficult as it looked. In Tife Village, too, everyone had gotten used to it quickly, though they had probably been busy with work. …Though they hadn’t been in close contact all day.
“…Um, Master, I agreed to this once, but this reaction… shouldn’t we let them get used to it a little more slowly?”
“I think so, too.”
Liz and Rebecca, who had been watching, gently admonished me.
“But you accepted it right away, Liz.”
“Well… if you don’t accept reality, you die.” Liz’s gaze was distant.
I turned my gaze to Rebecca.
“You, too, were playing with them, buried in them, in a single day. And in fact, I haven’t forgotten that you were strangely popular with the Barghests that day.”
“No, well… it was more like I was being played with… And besides, an undead is probably a ‘familiar’ food for a Black Hound Barghest…” Rebecca’s gaze was also distant.
It was true that a Black Hound Barghest had a compatibility difference that was even called the ‘natural enemy of the undead.’ It was a basic of the wild to target an easy prey. A wild undead… was a strange thing, but if the corpse of a wild animal had become an undead, then it would probably be dealt with by a Black Hound Barghest.
…Most of the Barghests in the country should be with me, but I wonder if the ecosystem is alright. In that sense, too, this mission had to succeed.
To deploy the ‘power’ of the Barghests throughout the country, to secure the safety of the settlements and the trade routes. And to have them act as a search party in case of an accident or a disaster.
Accidents would not disappear. And casualties… probably. But we could reduce them. I believed we could.
Incidentally, to confirm the degree of their obedience, though the situation was different from now.
“…They didn’t take your mana, did they?”
“That was fine. …If that had happened, then I would have probably asked for help.”
Rebecca, asking me for help? A mischievous thought came to me. I wanted to see the usually calm and composed Rebecca in a state of disarray. The Black Hound Barghests and the third in command would just be deepening their friendship with a slightly stronger skinship. Alright. Legal.
I raised my hand.
“—You all.”
“If I were to order the Barghests to attack you to the point where you would ask me for help—then you know what will happen, right?”
Just as I was about to give the order, Rebecca’s words cut in. The words ‘after the fact’ crossed my mind.
I slowly lowered my hand.
“…It was just a whim. And besides, we’re in front of people from another army.”
“…Keep the ‘Sixth Army style’ out of the other armies. This is an official training. I will hear all about what you were trying to do later.” Rebecca smiled.
“…To attack… the third in command…”
“This is… the ‘Sixth Army style’?”
I leaned in and whispered in Rebecca’s ear.
“…I have a feeling there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“…We’ll clear it up later. For now, it’s just right to not be underestimated. Since it’s Master.”
The last part was a little concerning.
I turned back to the volunteers.
“—Then let us begin the ‘training.’ Though it is like a game.”
“I feel a little sorry for them.”
“Well, it’s true that it’s an easy job, once you get used to it.”
The two of them whispered to each other. For now, I decided to ignore it and tilted my head, feigning innocence.
“—Your answer?”
“…Sir, yes, sir!”
Their voices were in unison. A good answer. Though I had a feeling I had made them say it.
