novel"Look forward to it. Your story will begin someday."
| ← Ch.52 | Ch.54 → |
- The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Volunteer Army of the Holy Order of the Lake
Paladin of the Lake: "That is all!"
The Female Paladin: "They came."
Aide-de-Camp: "They really did. And they arrived even faster than expected."
Butler: "But the Southern Alliance has given us but 30, 000 soldiers......"
The Female Paladin: "We have no other options."
Dual Swordsman of Beasts: "Hah. With 30, 000 reinforcements, we can easily take down another 100, 000 enemy soldiers."
Paladin of the Lake: "How cocky. Hahahaha."
Aide-de-Camp: "It is said that you require three times as many forces to conduct a siege. There are at best 20, 000 soldiers of fighting strength remaining within the City of the Gate."
Butler: "They are supporting a population of at least 100, 000 civilians, fully five times their number. This is not a good situation they are in."
The Female Paladin: "Well then, what should we do?"
Aide-de-Camp: "When can we link up with the Southern Alliance troops to our rear?"
Butler: "......"
The Female Paladin: "With the 4, 000 soldiers on our hands, the Southern Alliance definitely has a substantial military force, but even so, the vanguard of the Holy Crusaders numbers 150, 000 strong. They are also absorbing the stragglers from the supply areas which we destroyed earlier. Even if we linked up with the Southern Alliance, the difference in strength is still appalling. The Southern Alliance army numbers 30, 000. The Demon King's army within the City is 20, 000. We have 4, 000. If we add it all up, we've got 54, 000. They have three times as many as us, and on top of that, our opponents are Holy Crusaders armed with muskets. The hopeless situation continues."
Aide-de-Camp: "......"
Butler: "And."
The Female Paladin: "Yeah."
Aide-de-Camp: "...... The Crown Prince Marshal."
Butler: "Based on information from our spies, the army of the Crown Prince Marshal is currently headed towards the Lands of the Pale."
The Female Paladin: "The Pale?"
Aide-de-Camp: "Logistics!?"
Butler: "So it would appear."
Aide-de-Camp: "We were careless. The lands of the Pale are not far from here. With two weeks, they could conceivably pacify the region. The armies of the Tribe of the Pale have all been dispatched to the Surface, so the defences of the region are paper thin. The Tribe of the Automatons has jurisdiction over the region, but against a force equipped with muskets, they will not put up any sort of significant resistance."
Butler: "That's not exactly true."
Aide-de-Camp: "?"
Butler: "We have some envoys visiting from the Surface defending it."
The Female Paladin: "From the surface?"
Aide-de-Camp: "Who the hell!?"
Butler: "The Scholar."
Aide-de-Camp: "Do you mean the Demon King? Why would the Demon King? Huh? Isn't she inside the City of the Gate?"
The Female Paladin: "...... No you're wrong. There is another Scholar."
Aide-de-Camp: "Eh? There are two of them?"
The Female Paladin: "Ahahahahaha! Ahaahahahaha! What!? I can't believe it! I cannot believe it!"
Aide-de-Camp: "Eh? Eh?"
Butler: "It's true. Who else could it be?"
Aide-de-Camp: "What are you talking about?"
The Female Paladin: "Ahahahaha. You don't know? You've met her before, at that inn. It's her. The Elder Sister Maid."
Aide-de-Camp: "Eh? Eh!?"
The Female Paladin: "Alright. It's decided."
Aide-de-Camp: "What do you mean?"
The Female Paladin: "We'll defend. Or rather, buy time?"
Butler: "Got it."
The Female Paladin: "All that is required to succeed is for the Crown Prince Marshal to be unable to ensure his food stocks. It would be better for those stocks to fall into our hands."
Aide-de-Camp: "But, how will we defend them?"
The Female Paladin: "Doesn't really matter. All that matters is the results... What a good opportunity. The situation is just as the Demon King said it would be."
Aide-de-Camp: "What do you mean?"
The Female Paladin: "The weakness of muskets. They require massive amounts of logistics. This is the reason we were so focussed on destroying their supply areas. With their rear area being raided in this manner, and the Crown Prince Marshal being unable to acquire new supplies, those 200, 000 soldiers of the Holy Crusaders will be starved to submission all at once. On top of that, the applicability of the muskets will also deteriorate."
Aide-de-Camp: "...... We have a chance to win!"
The Female Paladin: "That's right. In this long and bitter siege, until they break down the walls of the City of the Gate, those walls have a ravenous appetite. They will consume all the musket balls. Consume, or rather steal. These walls are not just protective barriers. They are also a sword, steadily eating away at the gunpowder and food of the Holy Crusaders."
Aide-de-Camp: "!!"
The Female Paladin: "She must have noticed. The Demon King could not possibly have not noticed this...... She knew it. She knew it, and endured. The Demon King has not given up yet."
- The Demon King's Dream, or perhaps a Memory
The Demon King: "Hmph. Boring. Modelling is like a MATHEMATICAL PUZZLE*, that doesn't get more interesting. If I can't use this, then the future cannot be predicted."
In those days, in that cold and hungry research laboratory and Library, all I cared about was succeeding in my experiments and models. Just to protect my tiny sense of pride, I studied as hard as I could.
The Demon King: "To begin with, as far as we are concerned only with the economic allocation of scarce resources, no matter how IRRATIONAL THE DEMANDS* seem, they can be calculated too."
I saw the world as my enemy. I fought a lonely fight.
The Demon King: "No matter how I attempt to model human morality and desires, this model cannot accommodate the changes due to education. And education is the product of the economic and cultural demands, or what could be considered the general demands of the GESTALT*. With this, we can only return to the relationship between two sets of goods."
Despite how small and insignificant I was, I defended myself to the death, I learnt to bite my teeth everyday and look down at the suffering of the people in the wide world below. How young and immature I was.
The Library was everything. The outside world was pointless. It was a jealous, messy, crazy place.
Everybody was hoping for a future neverbeforeseen, but I could only laugh coldly and consider that such a future had never existed before. I surrendered, and studied economics within the cold, lonely nights of the darkness in the Library——.
The Demon King: "No matter how things go, it all just comes back to the same key models, and the result is just a mathematical paradox. These sort of answers can only be found in the clouds."
- The one who will save the world is called the Hero.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just believe these wild conjectures? After learning so much, the world is still pitch black.
Did such a person really exist? Could someone else exist outside of this CLOSED MODEL*?
The Demon King: "- How boring."
Perhaps it is good to hope. Maybe I should allow myself to dream. It's alright to dream. I want to see it happen too.
--
Explanation
Mathematical Puzzle: The most recent economics studies now require extremely high levels of mathematics. In order to solve economics issues, it has become necessary to solve mathematical issues as well.
Irrational Demands: In the past, the study of economics assumed that people all followed rational demands, and economic models proceeded from there. However, because a lot of predictions did not materialise, it has been suggested that humans do not actually follow rational consumption patterns. Modern economics is now searching for a reliable way to model the irrationality of human consumption patterns.
Note: The word rational means that humans apply cost-benefit analysis to their consumption. However, the word irrational does not mean that cost-benefit is ignored. Rather, it means that humans add perceived cost or benefit to the transaction which is not accounted for in the utility they derive from consumption of the good.
Gestalt: Gestalt is a German word with a very broad definition referring to a whole which is more than the sum of its parts. Here it refers to the fact that education in society reflects the economic gestalt of the society, or the cultural gestalt. Moreover, while education determines the economic and cultural gestalt, the same can be said vice versa. Each constitutent of the whole affects the others. For this reason, in order to improve education, it is often necessary to invigorate the economic system, and in improving education, there will also be economic growth. The Demon King has realised that sustained growth requires growth in all areas.
Closed Model: All economic models assume a closed system, whereby external inputs are discounted. For instance, when evaluating a domestic economy, it is important to disregard foreign inputs. When evaluating world trade, it is important to disregard extra-terrestrial involvement.
-
- The City of the Gate, the Keep, the Demon King's Bedroom
The Demon King: "......"
The Demon King: "It was...... a dream......"
The Demon King: "Well it still hurts."
The Demon King: "......"
The Demon King: "I want to meet the Hero."
The Demon King: "I'm working hard, Hero."
The Demon King: "I will definitely not allow this City to fall. If this City falls, all our progress for the Demons and the Humans will be undone. That is why, it is better that the Hero does not come...... If he does come, and see that graveyard. I don't want to fight with the Hero. It would be horrible if I had to fight him. I will endure."
The Demon King: "......"
The Demon King: "I like him."
The Demon King: "......"
The Demon King: "I want to meet him......"
——— The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Logistics Units
Musketeer of Light: "Ahh...... ahh......"
Guard of Light: "Give me water."
Quartermaster: "Here. Drink some water."
Guard of Light: "Ahh, I got it." Gulp, gulp
Quartermaster: "Who else? More?"
Musketeer of Light: "Yes, hurry. There are more to the rear."
Guard of Light: "But, there's still some distance to go......"
Musketeer of Light: "What of it? To our rear, the Southern Alliance is catching up to us."
Guard of Light: "Damn. Damn."
Quartermaster: "Why do we have to do this?"
Soldier of Light: "Because those guys......"
Musketeer of Light: "They are heretics!? The comrades of Demons!"
Guard of Light: "Damn them to hell!"
Quartermaster: "...... They're heretics because they eat potatoes."
Soldier of Light: "What did you say?"
Quartermaster: "Nothing at all."
Guard Commander: "-! -!"
Soldier of Light: "What?"
Musketeer of Light: "What's happening?"
Guard Commander: "-! -!!"
Guard of Light: "Huh?"
Guard Commander: "We under attack! To arms, men! To arms!"
Quartermaster: "What? From behind!"
Soldier of Light: "Where!?"
Musketeer of Light: "Where are they!?"
Guard of Light: "Gah!"
Quartermaster: "Where?"
Guard Commander: "Agh—!!"
- The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Volunteer Army of the Holy Order of the Lake
The Female Paladin: "As you have been briefed, let's go!"
Paladin of the Lake: "All knights mount up! Let us show them what the 'Virgin of Battle' can do!"
Pikeman of Beasts: "We Beasts will take the right flank, we'll cut off the stragglers and strike a the heart of the enemy!"
Dual Swordsman of Beasts: "For honour!"
Aide-de-Camp: "Rifle units follow closely, take aim at the enemy advance units!"
Rifleman: "Understood!"
The Female Paladin: "The enemy number less than ten thousand! They may outnumber us, but they are logistics units. Their weapons may be muskets, but their command is in disarray. Strike at their vanguard first, and fly at their centre! Let's invite chaos and destroy their formations!"
Paladin of the Lake: "Got it!"
Pikeman of Beasts: "Leave it to us!"
Dual Swordsman of Beasts: "My wrist are aching for a fight."
The Female Paladin: "Let's go!"
Paladin of the Lake: "Attack!!"
- The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Logistics Unit
Soldier of Light: "Run! Run!"
Musketeer of Light: "Where the hell to!?"
Guard of Light: "Stupid! What are you doing?"
Soldier of Light: "It's pointless. These carriages are carrying food."
Guard of Light: "So what!?"
Soldier of Light: "We have to carry as much as we can and escape. Into the forests! Into the crags! If we don't, we'll be massacred by those Beasts!"
Pikeman of Beasts: "Life is important, so you better run! Or you'll have to deal with me!!"
Dual Swordsman of Beasts: "We are the Beasts! Silver Tiger Lord! We fight in your name!"
Musketeer of Light: "Aghhhhhhh!"
Guard of Light: "What! Run!"
Guard Commander: "Stand and fight! Fight!"
Soldier of Light: "No way, we cannot fight with these monsters!"
Guard Commander: "Muskets! Form up! Show them the power of the Light, we who will not take a single step backwards."
Musketeer of Light: "Form up!"
Guard Commander: "Load!!"
Bang! Bang!
Guard of Light: "What the hell!?"
Guard Commander: "Spearmen! Attack! Attack!"
Soldier of Light: "Aghhhhhh!"
Guard of Light: "Aghhhhhh!"
"It's no use! Run! Run!"
"Retreat! We'll be killed!"
"Why!? Why us!?"
"Run, run, do you want to die!!"
Quartermaster: "Eh?"
Soldier of Light: "What?"
The Female Paladin: "Haiya!"
Paladin of Light: "All forces! Advance! Second attack!"
Paladin: "Haiyaa!!"
Paladin: "Haahhh!!"
Musketeer of Light: "That's!"
Guard of Light: "Our rear guard has run away!? What? Come back! Where are you going!?"
Quartermaster: "It's impossible. We'll take those carts-. Fire!?"
Pikeman of Beasts: "Now! Go!"
Dual Swordsman of Beasts: "Aim for the carts! Destroy the wheels!!"
- The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Volunteer Army of the Holy Order of the Lake
Butler: "The destruction has begun."
Aide-de-Camp: "It's going even better than expected."
Butler: "They've taken longer to respond to the pain we've been inflicting on them than we've expected. They have a really dull chain of command."
Rifleman: "Targets have begun shifting. Increase range to targets."
Scout: "Should we follow?"
Aide-de-Camp: "...... Ah, Butler."
Butler: "That's right. It's about time. It's probably been two hours."
Aide-de-Camp: "Echo my order! Sound the bells! Retreat!"
Scout: "Yes!"
Aide-de-Camp: "......"
Butler: "Alright. We've got them by the nose."
Aide-de-Camp: "This will be more effective. Right?"
Butler: "Yeah, out of the 40, 000 logistics units involved in this battle, at least 10% of them are injured or killed. Just to care for these soldiers, they will require at least an equal number of soldiers."
Rifleman: "We are prepared to move!"
Scout: "Ready to pull back."
Aide-de-Camp: "Right! Let's go! If we get confronted by the Crown Prince Marshal, we'll get DESTROYED IN ONE BLOW*."
Rifleman: "Yes!"
Scout: "Let's go! Bring the horses around!"
- The Plains of Strange Cliffs, the Crown Prince Marshal's Army
Crown Prince Marshal: "What?"
Strategist: "What the...... it seems to be the Southern Alliance."
Holy Imperial General: "Those ladies. Hard to imagine the Southern Alliance could send soldiers down here......"
Crown Prince Marshal: "I wonder why?"
Holy Imperial General: "What's up?"
Crown Prince Marshal: "That Scholar has imprinted her will into those eyes of her. It's difficult to imagine she would be used by someone else."
Strategist: "......"
Crown Prince Marshal: "The head of an army. Hard to imagine."
Strategist: "Indeed...... But the army ahead of us is completely different from the one we just encountered."
Holy Imperial General: "50, 000 troops from the Southern Alliance."
Crown Prince Scout: "Yes! This army moved incredibly fast and struck at the rear of our Holy Crusader logistics units, immediately withdrawing eight LI* thereafter, and......"
Crown Prince Marshal: "Were they routed?"
Crown Prince Scout: "No, but they suffered grave damage, particularly to the caravans, though there were many injuries as well......"
Crown Prince Marshal: "Hmm."
Holy Imperial General: "As to be expected, the attack of the Southern Alliance was quite blunt. At this rate, we'll destroy them with ease."
Strategist: "Make contact with the commander of the logistics unit at once, let's get more information."
Crown Prince Marshal: "The Southern Alliance has 50, 000, right? How many did the logistics unit observe?"
Holy Imperial Scout: "30, 000 to 35, 000."
Crown Prince Marshal: "......"
Holy Imperial General: "Our army is almost entirely unharmed. On top of that, we have a corps of elite Imperial Chevaliers, as well as the pre-eminent crack troops of the Holy Crusaders. With our army of 50, 000, the Southern Alliance's 50, 000 be entirely insufficient. I firmly believe we can crush them with ease. I mean, they couldn't even destroy a logistics unit numbering just 35, 000."
Holy Imperial Scout: "Very true."
Crown Prince Marshal: "......"
Strategist: "What's wrong?"
Crown Prince Marshal: "Amazing."
Holy Imperial General: "?"
Crown Prince Marshal: "If they wanted to settle this in a single fight, then why did they withdraw eight li? Eight li is almost the distance travelled in an entire day. Of course, it's a very safe distance to be at, but if they wanted to strike again, wouldn't they try to be in reasonable proximity?"
Strategist: "That's......"
Holy Imperial General: "They will strike with heavy mounted units, and then follow on with the main force, right?"
Crown Prince Marshal: "A cavalry unit capable of taking on 35, 000 muskets, just how large would they have to be? Do you think that 50, 000 strong troop can support such a unit?"
Holy Imperial General: "That's......"
Strategist: "It would indeed be an incredible force. To verify this, we're going to have to come into contact with them directly."
Crown Prince Marshal: "We have other things to think about. To get to the City of the Gate from the Lands of the Pale, we have to go through the forests. In other words, we'll have to turn our backs to the unsecured Lands of the Pale. And to that Southern Alliance friendly force commanded by that Scholar."
Holy Imperial General: "!"
Crown Prince Marshal: "It is a small force. 5, 000 or maybe 10, 000. However, if we permit them to operate with impunity, they might be able to harass us. A bigger problem is that this is the Subterranean World, we have no idea what sort of army we could encounter."
Holy Imperial General: "Can't we just destroy these people with muskets?"
Crown Prince Marshal: "We would definitely win. Their tiny force cannot possibly hope to stand up to an army of 50, 000 muskets. However, the Southern Alliance also numbers 50, 000. On top of that they've COME INTO CONTACT WITH MUSKETS BEFORE*. It's not that I think we will lose, but I cannot guarantee we can take them in one shot. If it's a pitched battle of 50, 000 against 50, 000, it's entirely possible that we could lose thousands to ambushes and their reinforcements......"
Strategist: "Indeed."
Crown Prince Marshal: "We're going to have to re-examine our movement speed from here on out. We have to link up with the logistics main unit in 3 days...... And we have to get out of the forest as well."
Holy Imperial General: "Hmm."
Strategist: "This route of advance, huh."
Holy Imperial General: "There is a chance we could be ambushed inside the forest. We are going to have to keep early warning units to our right flank. We would be stretching our scouts. Especially when we are harbouring, we will need to monitor all movements carefully...... Continuing at this course, we may be able to put ourselves between the logistics unit and the Southern Alliance."
Strategist: "Three days."
Crown Prince Marshal: "We have eight li to cover, we have to monitor the surroundings adequately as well, and that will take time."
Strategist: "Understood. I will get to work."
Holy Imperial General: "In that case, I will signal our entire army to get ready."
Crown Prince Marshal: "The scouts are going to have to work very hard."
Holy Imperial Scout: "Yes! Orders received!"
Crown Prince Marshal: (The Southern Alliance...... That female general? Or maybe the Iron Fist King or the Lone Winter King have taken to the field? Who are we up against? The one who will rule this Subterranean World will be decided by the fire of muskets. )
--
Explanation
Li: A li is an ancient Chinese unit of measurement also used in Japan, Korea and other Sinoxenic countries, roughly equivalent to 3. 9km. Eight li is about 31. 5km.
Come into contact with muskets before: Any decent commander will be able to derive strategies to counter weapons he has encountered before. Previous victories have depended on the shock factor of never before encountering the muskets.
-
—————— The City of the Gate, the Keep, the Study
Banshee Lady: "- Your Majesty!"
Banshee Butler: "...... Your Majesty."
Banshee Lady: "Your Majesty!"
The Demon King: "! Ah, sorry. As you were."
Banshee Lady: "...... You're at your limit, your Majesty. You need some sleep and you need to eat."
Banshee Butler: "Your face is completely pale."
The Demon King: "I've always been the indoor type, so my body is rather frail."
Banshee Lady: "This is not the time for jokes."
Banshee Butler: "Yeah. At this rate, if your Majesty were to collapse, the City of the Gate would fall in an instant."
...... Boom!
The Demon King: "...... I can't sleep."
Banshee Lady: "Those cannons. Really do make a terrible noise."
Servant: "Please do not push yourself."
The Demon King: "No...... I can't meet the person I want to meet. That's all."
Banshee Lady: "——"
The Demon King: "Forget that, please."
Banshee Lady: "That's......"
...... Boom!
Fiend Servant: "Report from the wall. The Southern fortification took a serious pounding this afternoon, but emergency repairs were a success. If we can, they're going to need to get more labourers."
The Demon King: "Banshee Lady."
Banshee Lady: "Shall we some people from the volunteer forces stationed at Temples?"
The Demon King: "Go ahead."
Banshee Lady: "Understood."
The Demon King: "Hmm......"
Servant: "Have some tea."
The Demon King: "It's fine."
Servant: "...... Yes."
The Demon King: (When will this siege end...... How long can we maintain this......)
——— Eleven Years Ago, in the Forest
The Hero: "Hey, old man."
Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "I brought apples."
Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "......"
Wise Sage: "Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "What are you looking at?"
Wise Sage: "...... the stars."
The Hero: "Stars?"
Wise Sage: "What about it?"
The Hero: "Stars?"
Wise Sage: "What are stars?"
The Hero: "...... Uhhh."
Wise Sage: "Unbelievable."
The Hero: "Really?"
Wise Sage: "...... As the years pile on, the number of unbelievable things only increases."
The Hero: "Uhhh."
Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "......"
The Hero: "You've been very quiet recently."
Wise Sage: "Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "Have an apple?"
Wise Sage: "Mmm."
The Hero: "I'll eat them all."
Wise Sage: "Go ahead."
The Hero eats an apple
Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero eats another apple
Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "Hey, old man."
Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "Have an apple?"
Wise Sage: "—— Hero."
The Hero: "Eh?"
Wise Sage: "I don't need that anymore."
The Hero: "......"
Wise Sage: "......"
The Hero: "...... No."
Wise Sage: "What?"
The Hero: "I don't like this...... Something is wrong. You're mistaken."
Wise Sage: "It is natural."
The Hero: "That's not true."
Wise Sage: "The time has come."
The Hero: "You're lying."
Wise Sage: "Hero."
The Hero: "!"
Wise Sage: "If you open your ears wide, you will be able to hear the tiny whispers that echo from the corners of our world. With the increased clarity within this darkness, you can listen to the tiny voices that come from far away...... This is a rich world. Populated by the small, whose every motion generates a wave of ripples across this wide pond."
The Hero: "I don't understand."
Wise Sage: "...... It's not bad. Like this."
The Hero: "I don't understand......"
Wise Sage: "Hero."
The Hero: "......"
Wise Sage: "All I hope for is a fool like you."
The Hero: "Yeah."
Wise Sage: "But, if you give up on hope, then all is completely lost."
The Hero: "———"
Wise Sage: "Look forward to it."
The Hero: "Why, why now?"
Wise Sage: "Because you have the power you require."
The Hero: "I've never wanted to have the power of a Hero."
Wise Sage: "That is different from the power of the Hero."
The Hero: "I don't understand!"
Wise Sage: "...... I haven't taught you well then."
The Hero: "——"
Wise Sage: "Look forward to it...... Your story will begin someday. And you will meet friends. You may be stupid, but you are no coward. That is why, you cannot leave things to chance. When you have free time, protect them. Protect the people—— They are not stupid, but from ignorance is born cowardice."
The Hero: "Why are you saying things like this?"
Wise Sage: "What else should I say?"
The Hero: "Whatever is fine, have an apple. I'll catch some fish. I'll go hunt us some meat! I'll never ask to go to the city ever again. I'll repay the kindness you've shown me. Look at me."
Wise Sage: "I see it......"
The Hero: "That's not what I'm talking about."
Wise Sage: "I see it very well......"
The Hero: "That's not it......"
Wise Sage: "...... Hey, Hero. Young man."
The Hero: "...... Yeah."
Wise Sage: "I am good. I have lived a life full of regret and disappointment, but to the end, I lived it my way. It was fun, the times I spent with you...... No matter how, I've made good use of my time."
The Hero: "I told you not to talk about that!"
Wise Sage: "Haahaha...... You have to stop being so na?ve. This may be my nagging, but you need to work hard. Hero, this will be my last lesson to you. Look forward to it. But, work hard, and take the victory. Make friends. Make people who are important to you. Use your time well. - Remember everything I have taught you, and may they guide you in the darkness."
| ← Ch. 52 | Ch. 54 → |