298 – Battle Preparation

It’s completely dark by the time the weapons and medicine have finished being gathered… It’s entirely possible that the enemy could launch a night attack, especially since they might notice that I destroyed their poison magic circle and attack in a hurry.
The people of the dragon-god village might also be anxious that I’m not there in a time of crisis.
In the early night, I head towards the dragon-god village accompanied by warriors of the anti-dragon-god village.

It would be bad if the anti-dragon-god village were to be attacked while their military strength was away.
So Bella and other influential people discussed the matter, then decided to leave half of the approximately two hundred population behind.
On the off the chance they’re attacked, there’s an evacuation route planned, as well as enough combatants to form a rear guard.

I walk down the riverside with approximately one hundred anti-dragon-god warriors… With this many reinforcements, we should be able to deal with however many enemies there are.

I heard from Bella earlier that the dragon-god village has a population of about three hundred.
Within that, the number that can fight is about two hundred.
Combined, that makes around three hundred combatants.

A lot of people in the dragon-god village will still be suffering from the cursed water, but… I’ve cut off the source, so their conditions shouldn’t have gotten any worse.
Since I was able to complete the persuasion of the anti-dragon-god village without having to waste any MP, I should be fully recovered by the time we get there… Through use of [High Rest] and [Holy], we can secure more battle-capable combatants.

Besides, I’ll be there.
As long as it’s a straightforward fight, then even if there’s a huge number of people, I should be able to handle them.
Ever since I was a plague dragon, I’ve had enough strength to take on many people at once.
As an ouroboros, I snow specialise in protracted battles, so I should be able to fight all day long.

This is why, rather than driving the enemy back, I’d rather the Lithovar warriors focused on holding out.
If I can can move around driving the enemy back, that should be enough to end the battle.

I think as I walk, and notice my partner’s jaw muscles shivering.
Thinking it strange, I watch her and see her moving her eyes periodically.
Did she maybe pick up on some strange presence?

What’s wrong, partner? If you noticed something, please say.

『…It’s nothing big.』

I ask, and she replies with just that.
Then, seemingly through a conscious force of will, she stops looking around.
Doing that just makes me more worried though.

Look, if there’s something… 

『…No, it’s just that those guys in the back aren’t calming down.』

Having been told that, I check behind again.
The crowd of Lithovars trails out behind me.
Some carry spears, and some pull cart laden with pots… Now that I look for it, they are a bit uncalm.
As long as they don’t scare the dragon-god people, it’s fine though.

Once the dragon-god village comes into view, I use [Whistle]… Or rather, I blow a whistle.
A sharp hyuui sound fills the air. 

They’ll probably have heard it in the village.
I feel bad for waking up all the sick who were asleep, but this is important.
Now’s not the time to worry about that.

Hyuuuuih! Following on, a second whistle rings out.

It’s not mine, it’s my partner’s.
I glance at her, and she faces forwards with a composed expression.
Oi, you just wanted to do it too.
No, it’s fine though.

As though in reply to our whistles, I hear a strange high-pitched sound off in the distance.
Seemingly on patrol, three groups appear from different directions, each composed of five Lithovar warriors from the dragon-god village.

One of them has a whistle made of monster bone.
There’s no doubt that that was the source of the high pitched sound I heard earlier.
He might have blown it to let the village know there was something occuring.

“Wh-what exactly is… D-dragon-god-sama, what exactly is happening?”

The dragon-god Lithovars look at me in bewilderment and, after my partner glares at them, they lower the spears they had pointed at Bella.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, Baron jumps down from my back, landing on both feet.

“Be at ease.
They heard we were in a crisis and came running.
Dragon-god-sama went there to mediate.
The feud is on hold for now.”

“Dr-dragon-god-sama…!”

Hearing Baron’s voice, the few who still had their spears raised lower them.

“They have brought antidotes and precious medicinal herbs.
Please let everyone in the village know!”

Hearing Baron, several head back to the village to tell them.
Though it takes a little time, soon enough they get permission to enter the village. 

I’d thought it would’ve gone worse, but… It all goes surprisingly smoothly.
It might have to do with how they don’t have much in the way of other options at the moment.
The interactions between people of the dragon-god and anti-dragon-god factions are a little uncomfortable and awkward, but it’s not a massive problem.

They might distrust each other, but…the absence of the original cause of the secession, the dragon-god’s miko, might be having a positive effect.
They seem to have pinned all the sins on the miko household now.
Sorry, Hibi.
I’ll definitely protect the Lithovars in your stead.

Once inside the village, as Bella is an influential figure among the anti-dragon-god faction, she is invited to the meeting hall.
They’ll be discussing the current state and planning what to do.

Meanwhile, I go around healing people with the aid of people from the anti-dragon-god faction.
Though they’re experienced with poisons and medical treatment, none of what they can do compares to my partner’s healing magic.
Also, as long as I’m present, I can quickly mediate in any fights that occur.
By going around using [High Rest], we secure more combatants, as well as heal those seriously damaged by the poison.

Once the need for healing dies down, unable to bear my curiosity, I head over to the meeting hall.

Ideally, if I could move around independently and strike at their leader to scare them off, that would be best.
But if there are discrepancies in our plans, there’s a chance I could miss the enemy sneaking past to attack, which would be a disaster.
To avoid that, I’m not going to move around as I please but will instead follow with whatever’s decided between the Lithovars.

It doesn’t look like Bella and the others are coming out of the meeting hall though.
We’ve no idea when the enemy is going to attack.
Rather than being in the village, I should be out patrolling as soon as possible in order to detect their approach.

Involuntarily, I put my ear to the wall to try and listen.
But I’m not able to hear the voices inside very well.
Impatient, I try peering in through a window.

Inside, three people from the heads of either faction sit facing each other across a long table, with five guards arranged behind each.
They seem to be wary that the other side doesn’t make any strange moves… Though we really can’t afford a conflict between Lithovars at the moment.

It seems Bella and Baron are the ones mostly moving the discussion along… Though saying that, Baron is standing with a spear in hand, so he might have been brought along as a guard originally.

Suddenly, an old woman sitting in one of the chairs notices me stuck to the window and falls over backwards.
S-sorry… I couldn’t sit still.
I quickly pull my head back.