◇

As the Winter General and the official went to the general staff room together, I opened the map and checked the situation while sipping the sweet potato liquor.
It seems the Kogeoku Kingdom army has invaded the mountain region to the south-east.
It"s quite to the south of the regular highway.

--Centaurs kin?

Looks like Kogeoku Kingdom is not a human kingdom.

Real life centaurs huh... Maybe we should go sightsee them?

While thinking that and looking at the map"s information, the movement of a small unit that"s seemingly attacking a nearby village looks strange.
It"s as if they"re running away from something, heading toward the main troop.

Wonder if they encountered Rock Wolves?

Yet, there"s no dead person in Kogeoku Kingdom army.
Only people in fainted and frostbite states.

I invoke [Clairvoyance] and [Clairhearing] magic to confirm the actual site.

『I-it"s a demon! A snow demon is attacking.』
『Run away! You"ll get stepped on!』

I saw centaurs wearing warm-looking fur armor desperately scampering in the snow.
Their language seems to be of the East Nation language.

『Uwaaaaaaa』
『Tommy!』
『That guy"s finished. Quick run!』

--Oh?

The white object walking with thud thud sounds looks familiar.
It"s the snowman golem we used to transport food.

They were a disposable type that didn"t use Magic Core so I had set them to protect the village after they had finished transporting to the last village.
They should be only in three places, those centaurs sure are unlucky to draw the loser ticket by chance.

『I am the third prince of Kogeoku Kingdom, Retaromi! Demon! Become the rust of my treasured lance!』

--Oh, amazing.

He performed an accelerated Lance Charge as if he was flying in the sky, though it was probably due to the power of the wind stone on the tip of the lance.

With a dull sound, the snow golem"s stomach was pierced through.

"Did you see that! The strongest of Kogeoku--"

During the middle of the prince"s victory shout, the snow golem dropped its fist from above, burying Prince Retaromi deep into the snow.
The hole in the golem"s stomach was restored to the original state like reversing a film, and it restarted to attack the other centaurs energetically.

It looks comical looking at them from the image in my mind, but the escaping centaurs are serious.
I"ve set it to be non-lethal for everything but monsters, so there"s no one dying for now.

『Save the prince! Bring the flame beasts!』

A slightly arrogant-looking commander swung a short whip with tuft attached, and then eight monsters that looked like anteaters that spew fire from their mouth came from the troop"s vanguard position.

Apparently they"re tamed monsters.
They"re probably using those monsters to move the army in the snow.

『BURN IT DOOOOWN!』

The snow is lit red, and the snow golem is covered in flame, melting.

However, the snow golem can"t be melted that easily.

--MVA.

From the snow golem"s charcoal briquette mouth that opened, it emits blizzard breath mixed with icicles after roaring once.

--KUGYWEEEEEE.
--KYSHUUUUUUW.
--MVA.

The flame and the blizzard jumbled together, the image is covered in white mist.

"Hoooooot"
"Co-cold. I"m numbiiiiing."

Apparently, the hot steam and the cold blizzard did a number to the surrounding centaurs.
It"ll be nice if they come to dislike war a bit after this.

Some unknown top people of Kiwolk Kingdom will probably goes through a sleepless night without knowing that the military forces of Kogeoku Kingdom were chased away by a golem.

Before going to sleep, I stealthily saved the weaselkin people in the dungeon and the paralyzing poison maid who was on the verge of being frozen to death and left them in some appropriate stable.
They won"t die from cold there, and they"ll probably run away themselves.
In addition, I confirmed that the weaselkin people in the dungeon were falsely accused from the conversation of the guard and the torture officer.

After coming back to my room, I slept while feeling slightly troubled with the perfume fragrance and the warm temperature of human body in the bed.

◇

"Looks like you can walk on top of the frozen lake surface."
"Yes, but since the snow flake bears can"t walk on it, everyone has to get down."

The next morning after the army of Kogeoku Kingdom scurried back to their home land.
Together with Light Snow Princess, I rode polar bear-like pa.s.senger animals to the Amethyst Tower on the middle of the lake.
There are several house-sized domes made of ice near the tower, they"re probably the magic facilities the weaselkin engineers are using to produce Ice Stones.

This place looks like a good tourist attraction if only the demon weren"t sealed in the Amethyst Tower.
Direct subordinates of Light Snow Princess, the White Lily Squad that"s encompa.s.sed of 15 female knights have followed us here.
Their average level is 8, so they"re probably just a decoration squad.

"I heard that a neighboring country has attacked, is it alright for you to guide me?"
"Yes, I don"t mind. Kogeoku army seemed to have been defeated by an unknown demon and retreated back. Right now general Ganunu should be going to investigate the demon."

Light Snow Princess answered me with a light tone.
The snow golem should have crumbled after losing all its magic power yesterday, the red-haired general"s search will go in vain.

Apparently, the information about the the withdrawal of Kogeoku army arrived this morning through the messenger tower whom Winter General had built.
There"s only one facility on the direction of Kogeuku Kingdom that exists, but the high-speed information is quite a thing.

--MUWOOOOWN.

The yell of the monsters below the ice was transmitted here.

The squirming Murder Kelps under the ice look gross.
Even though I know they can"t get through the thick ice, it"s still physiologically revolting.

"That"s, right."

Light Snow Princess points at a suspicious altar where a seal-type magic circle is engraved.
There are six of this altar placed around the Amethyst Tower.

Today is just a preliminary inspection. The sealed demon"s extermination will be in two weeks.
We"re going to bring the mithril explorers team [Pendragon] from the Labyrinth City with the airs.h.i.+p.

"By the way, Your Highness."
"What is it?"
"I wonder what are the imposing Ice Wands that the guards are carrying and the cannon on the sled behind us for?"
"Ufufu--"

Light Snow Princess dodged my question by laughing.

"--What do you think they"re for? If you guessed right, I"ll give you the right to do anything you want with me."

Light Snow Princess who walked up to the altar looked at me with a feminine smile.
The huge War Hammer she"s shouldering looks extremely ill-matched with her.

Don"t tell me, she won"t destroy the seal right here and now will she?

"> Castle Destroyer War Hammer!"

After the princess recited the scripture while smiling, the war hammer--Castle Destroyer War Hammer glowed red.
Boom, tearing the cold air, the princess"s hammer smashes the sealing magic circle.

I could have stopped the princess"s rampage if I had used Ground Shrink and chantless [Magic Hand], but as expected, using those would have exposed me.
If I could use those, it"d show that I"d have no problem fighting against a mid demon in a close combat.

Using [Telephone] magic, I ordered my companions in the airs.h.i.+p to do an emergency takeoff and to deploy the gargoyle unit here.
They should arrive in several minutes at this distance.

--Crackle.

"Now then, Satou-sama. Let us fight together."

Light Snow Princess stretches one hand toward me  with a nice smile.
How do I say this, she"s a battle junkie at the same level of the black dragon.

--Crackle crackle crackle.

The Amethyst Tower is cracking.
The weaselkin engineers who were working in the ice dome nearby ran away while fumbling on the ice lake surface.

The young ladies of White Lily Squad seem to have taken some distance away and finished preparing the Ice Wands.
It seems setting the cannon on the sled is met with some difficulty, the female engineers are operating in panic. Do your best, I cheered for them in my mind.

The Amethyst Tower breaks while leaking white mist.
The thing that appears is a mid demon with the lower half of an octopus and upper half of a rotted tree. There"s a bird nest-like structure on the part that should be its head.
It seems the tentacle lower half is under the ice until the middle part.

--TWAKWUUUUUUUOW.

The mid demon roared, the ice below cracked and then tentacles appeared from the cracked ice.
Somehow, it feels like when your feet get tangled on roots of sweet potatoes.
I thought it was freed at a glance, but only the outer tentacles had appeared from the ice.

I said that the tentacles looks like an octopus"s, but there are branches grown on the middle of the tentacles, the way they"re wriggling look gross.
Before the demon could got its freedom, Light Snow Princess who was the closest jumped forward.

"Dwoseeeeeeeeeeeeeeei!"

With an unladylike yell, she struck the mid-demon"s body with the Castle Destroyer War Hammer.
Due to the Body Reinforcement and Strength Increase skills, Light Snow Princess"s swinging speed was quite a thing.

--DWAGWWWUUUUOWN.

The demon"s roar seemed to be a spell, an ashen barrier appeared to block the Light Snow Princess"s hammer.
The scattered ashen powder seem to bring bad status, the princess"s armor that"s bathed in the powder begins to deteriorate.

Taking the Fairy Sword from behind the mantle, I cut the tentacle that tried to sweep down the princess.
The tentacle tried to attack me by scattering ashen blood by wriggling about, but it stopped moving when I trampled it with my foot.

"Satou-sama, my thanks desuwa."

The demon"s bird nest-like head has begun to produce ashen mist.

"Ice Wand unit! Fire at the head!"
"""YES!"""

By the vice-captain"s order, the young ladies of the White Lily Squad use the Ice Wands.
The shower of white hail freezes the ashen mist above the demon, blowing it away.

It seemed the demon didn"t like it, it took out the tentacles below the ice without caring the tentacles that got torn-off.

--DWAGWWWUUUUOWN.

The demon seemed like it was going to invoke a ranged magic, so I kicked the tentacle that was going to attack the princess toward the main body, stopping its chant.

Meanwhile, the demon"s thin tentacles stretched toward the White Lily Squad, binding them.
Screams, stretched limbs, broken chest armor, they were like in eroge, but unlike a game, the girls were not being disgraced, but slaughtered here.
The demon tries to attack with its tentacles, aiming at the hearts under their bare skin.

"I won"t let you!"

To save her subordinates, Light Snow Princess aims her war hammer at the root of the demon"s tentacles, she has too many gaps since she"s wielding a heavy weapon.
The tentacle coming from behind her caught her leg, raising her body up in the air.
While screaming, the princess is raised upside down.

I don"t like splatters, so I stop the sharp demon"s tentacle with [Magic Arm].
The young ladies of White Lily Squad who saw the sharp tentacles before their eyes had cold sweat while looking pale.
I"m sorry for the young ladies, but help is coming soon, so please bear with it.

"....■■■ Air Slasher!"

Clear voice echoed in the sky, and then invisible blades cut the tentacles.

The aftermath of the blades that cut the tentacles also tore the ice field, covering the surrounding area in white ice and snow mist.
Being invisible is a good thing, I take out some pebbles from Storage and throws them at the root of the demon"s tentacles.
The wind magic earlier only cut the surface of the tentacles, it didn"t sever them.

Flying in the sky with a s.h.i.+ning emerald staff on her hand is Zensan.

"I-I can"t stooooooop"

I catch Zensan who was going to crash to the ice with [Magic Arm].

I thought she was strangely fast, turned out she used the catapult in the airs.h.i.+p to gain the velocity.
Imitating Pochi and Tama is dangerous, please be more discreet okay.

"T-thank you Satou-san."
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, I"m alright."

Behind the heartwarming exchange, the tumbling demon struggled to get up and slid along the ice.
The gargoyles that came flying seemed to have rescued the young ladies of the White Lily Squad.

Light Snow Princess is squirming to get out of the tentacle that"s coiling the lower part of her body.
The tentacle is strangely active even though it"s been separated from the main body.

"Ah, Her Highness Princess is!"
"Can I ask you to help her?"
"Yes! I"m going."

Zensan who saw Light Snow Princess pulled her stiletto and went to rescue her.
I"ll support Zensan with [Magic Arm].

"FIREEEEE!"

While sinking into the breaking ice field, the cannon on top of the sled fired off blizzard mixed with white icicles.
However, due to the unstable ground, the attack vainly disappeared beyond the horizon without hitting the target.

Looks like the shooter young ladies have managed to escape the sinking sled.
When I look closer, the magic facilities where the weaselkin were using to produce Ice Stones are sinking into the lake together with the broken domes.
I stealthily extend [Magic Hand] to one of them and collect it.
I"ll put it back into the lake once I"ve finished making the copy.

"Satou-san I"ve successfully rescued the princess."
"T-thank you for your cooperation desuwa."

Light Snow Princess who"s borrowing Zensan"s shoulder has wounds all over her body.
Her white steel armor is crumbling, but compared to her subordinates whose skins even got exposed, she"s still better.

I looked up when I heard an engine sound and saw the airs.h.i.+p approaching the lake.

I could see the princess, Sera and Hikaru on the bow canopy.
Looks like Hikaru has come to help since I talked to her about the demon when I went to the solitary island palace.

The catapult gate on the approaching airs.h.i.+p is opening.

--It can"t be.

"Karina kiiiiiiiiick!"

Lady Karina who mimicked Zensan flew from the airs.h.i.+p"s catapult.
Doing that despite not having any way to fly, she"s too reckless.

Lady Karina who"s wrapped in Raka"s white light protection runs into the demon body like a bullet.
The demon"s ashen barrier and Raka"s protection is clas.h.i.+ng, scattering sparks around.

Kaboom, with heavy sounds, the ashen barrier got broken through.

--DWAGWWWUUUUOWN.

The demon"s roar that"s both a chant and a scream echoes.
I saw the ashen blood splash eroding Lady Karina"s trousers" cuff.

"Raka! Expand the protection!"
『Umu, this is bad.』

With my call, Lady Karina"s [Intelligent Item], Raka, expands the light protection.
Unlike the young ladies of White Lily Squad, it ended with just Lady Karina"s ankle getting exposed.

Thanks to Lady Karina"s reckless courage, the demon"s health is on the verge of exhaustion.
I kept the fact that the demon"s HP had been cut down by 90% from the pebble attack before her a.s.sault a secret.

The demon screamed like it was its death agony, the tentacles that remained on the ice field writhed about.
It seemed Lady Karina"s feet were damaged badly and she couldn"t move, so I made her move using [Magic Hand], evacuating her here.

『s.h.i.+stinsama, the bombardment.』
『Yes! Understood.』

The two magic cannons of the airs.h.i.+p burns down the demon with red heat rays.

These magic cannons are the same model used in Seryuu city to fight wyverns and installed in large airs.h.i.+ps.
It"s not usable with a normal airs.h.i.+p since the s.h.i.+p"s magic power won"t be not enough, but it"s a different story with my airs.h.i.+p since mine has a magic furnace that makes use of a Philosopher"s Stone.
The fact that the small fire bullet from my Magic Column has higher attack power than the cannon is a secret.

Thus, the mid demon that was sealed in Kiwolk Kingdom was destroyed and became black dust.