The Unfortunate Girl Wants an Easy Mode in Her Second Life – Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Towards the Final Battle
ㅤWhile still harboring a subtle tension, we, who had somehow managed to refresh ourselves, finally set our sights on Zalbuck, the royal capital of the Zamzaria Kingdom.
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ㅤThe idea of a surprise attack via airborne assault from the aircraft was also proposed, but we have absolutely no idea about the situation on the ground.
ㅤWe came to the conclusion that it would be best to infiltrate from the ground in order to confirm our escape route.
ㅤHowever,
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ㅤ（The escape route is only to be “confirmed,” not “secured.”）
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ㅤThe Ash of Ruin—no, according to Flone-san, it’s the “Ash of Imprisonment.”
ㅤThat ash, which petrifies people and transforms the world into a cursed device, can be neutralized by the pendant Arne-san received from Flone-san.
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ㅤHowever, there’s only one pendant.
ㅤThe pendant’s effective range is only as far as the wearer’s line of sight.
ㅤTherefore, we cannot create a separate detachment.
ㅤWe can’t leave a rear guard separate from the main force to secure the escape route.
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ㅤAlso, only Arne-san can use this pendant.
ㅤSo, if Arne-san is defeated in battle, it will only be a matter of time before we are all annihilated.
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ㅤ（Well, we did hunt Cockatrices in the dungeon and prepared two Stone Immunity Rings per person…）
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ㅤIf we lose Arne-san in the ash-filled capital, I don’t think we can escape to safety before the two rings break.
ㅤIf we were to do anything, it would be to switch to an offensive rather than running away.
ㅤIt would be a desperate operation to break into the royal castle and defeat Cretias before the rings break.
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ㅤ（But I don’t think we can win by forcing an attack in a situation where we can’t even protect Arne-san.）
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ㅤWe must protect Arne-san at all costs.
ㅤThat’s practically a prerequisite for us to win.
ㅤOf course, even if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t abandon Arne-san.
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ㅤThe royal capital Zalbuck is located at the eastern end of the Zamzaria Kingdom.
ㅤZalbuck sits atop a table-like plateau, surrounded by numerous hills, making it a so-called natural fortress.
ㅤOf course, as befitting the capital of a military power, it’s also one of the world’s foremost fortresses, surrounded by moats and ramparts.
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ㅤ（So, the question is, from which direction should we attack?…）
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ㅤThe area we are most familiar with is around Loft.
ㅤLoft is located west of the center of the kingdom, and further west is a rugged mountain range inhabited by dragons.
ㅤNow that Escavelm has joined us, it’s not impossible to pass through there.
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ㅤHowever, it would take too long to cross the Zamzaria Kingdom from east to west.
ㅤThe march would be a strain, and I’m also worried about everyone’s exhaustion.
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ㅤBesides, Cretias naturally remembers that I was an adventurer in Loft.
ㅤMoreover, Cretias’s family |（Although he’s been disowned） was the lord of Loft.
ㅤIn terms of geographical advantage, they have the upper hand.
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ㅤ（So, the west is out of the question. Trying to outsmart them would be disastrous if it fails.）
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ㅤThe next candidate is the south.
ㅤWe would head north from the Mistradia Tree Country through the Mist Forest.
ㅤHowever, the road from the Tree Country to the royal capital Zalbuck is a major trade route with bustling activity.
ㅤAlthough the relationship between Zamzaria and the Tree Country isn’t very good, it doesn’t matter to the common people.
ㅤThe shrewd merchants are tenaciously pursuing economic benefits.
ㅤHowever, due to the relationship between the two countries, there are many checkpoints along this road.
ㅤIt’s unclear whether we need to be cautious now that the entire country is being petrified, but if Cretias has any forces, our intrusion might be detected.
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ㅤ（Then there’s the north…）
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ㅤThe north of the kingdom is also the northern end of the continent, with several small port towns.
ㅤIt’s said that trade is conducted with maritime cities such as Celesta.
ㅤThe ports are said to be covered in ice during the winter, which seems to be the reason why the northern port towns remain “small.”
ㅤThe north of the kingdom is underdeveloped and sparsely populated due to its cold climate.
ㅤIt’s not bad in the sense that it’s inconspicuous, but it’s too far from the capital.
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ㅤ（So, that leaves the east.）
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ㅤEast of Zalbuck is a mountainous region.
ㅤFurther east, the mountains abruptly end, giving way to the sea.
ㅤThe sea has strong currents and is lined with cliffs, so there are no harbors whatsoever.
ㅤDue to the cold current flowing from the north, the eastern coast of Zamzaria is colder and less suitable for cultivation compared to Loft in the west.
ㅤDue to the slopes of the mountains, it’s said to be undeveloped land with only small settlements of mountain people scattered here and there.
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ㅤHowever, from our perspective, having few people is a good thing.
ㅤEven without a harbor, we can use the Demon King’s Castle aircraft or have Escavelm carry us.
ㅤZalbuck is a robust fortress, but if we had to say, the eastern defenses are the weakest. That’s if we had to say, though.
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ㅤSince that alone would be too obvious, we also arranged for diversionary forces.
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ㅤ（From the north, the Salvation Allied Fleet, mainly composed of the Celesta Navy, will approach. From the south, the Salvation Allied Knights of the Mistradia Tree Country will approach. From the west, dragons and the Demon Kingdom’s aircraft will approach. Because of the ash, it’s only an “approach,” but they shouldn’t know where we’ll be coming from.）
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ㅤBoroneal took care of those arrangements.
ㅤI’m surprised he was able to do so much in such a short time.
ㅤIt seems each country was paying attention to Zamzaria’s movements.
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ㅤ（We have to thank Harriet-san of Celesta and the Queen of the Tree Country. And Escavelm, too, for persuading the dragons in the west.）
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ㅤWhen Escavelm visited, the dragons apparently already knew about the collapse of Elvansrow.
ㅤDragons don’t use weapons or tools.
ㅤInstead, they are blessed with physical prowess.
ㅤSome dragons are said to have incredibly keen eyesight and had noticed the anomaly in Elvansrow in orbit.
ㅤHowever, they couldn’t go to the rescue outside the atmosphere.
ㅤThe dragons were reportedly on standby, prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.
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ㅤ（Even if we surround Zamzaria, we don’t know how effective it will be.
ㅤBut the ash can’t be produced infinitely, so if we apply pressure from three sides, they might reach their limit… maybe.）
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ㅤIt’s a slim hope, but it’s better than doing nothing.
ㅤConsidering the aftermath of the war, it should be easier to settle things if we act as an allied force.
ㅤEven on Earth, if you take military action alone, it tends to cause trouble in the aftermath.
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ㅤ”…And that’s how we got here.”
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ㅤI muttered, standing on a hill overlooking the royal capital Zalbuck to the west.
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ㅤ”What are you talking about, Minato?”
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ㅤArne-san asked me.
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ㅤ”Oh, I was just reviewing the situation.”
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ㅤ”You seem relaxed…”
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ㅤArne-san said in exasperation.
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ㅤWe are currently on a hill with the eastern mountains at our backs.
ㅤThe royal capital is also on a plateau, but this side has a higher elevation.
ㅤThe capital, which we could see in its entirety below, was enveloped in thick ash, and only the shadows of the ramparts were visible.
ㅤIt was like a scene from an Earth documentary, showing a town at the foot of a volcano engulfed in pyroclastic flow.
ㅤThanks to being higher than the capital, the ash hasn’t reached this location as much.
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ㅤ”The ash is thick, isn’t it?”
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ㅤAlmi said from behind.
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ㅤ”Yes, it is. Cretias is probably in the castle, but I wonder if he has any other forces.”
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ㅤIn response to my words, Escavelm, in human form, said,
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ㅤ”There is a description of beings called 『Angels』 in dragon lore. They are said to be supernatural beings sent by G*d to bring salvation to the earth.”
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ㅤ”If such beings exist, why haven’t they come out until now?”
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ㅤ”The First Demon King placed a seal to prevent G*d from interfering with the earth. Even if that seal is weakening, wouldn’t it be difficult to bring Angels outside of G*d’s domain?”
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ㅤ”Is it a similar relationship to dungeons and monsters?”
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ㅤ”I’ve never thought of it that way, but perhaps it is.”
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ㅤ”Either way, we have no choice but to defeat them.”
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ㅤIt was Grunblin who said that.
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ㅤ”Well, that’s true, but…”
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ㅤ”There’s no point in waiting any longer.”
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ㅤGrunblin has a point.
ㅤ（And Arne-san seems to be having a hard time.）
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ㅤI glanced at Arne-san, who was silently enduring the intense pressure.
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ㅤArne-san is battling tremendous pressure.
ㅤHer death would directly lead to the annihilation of the party. Yet, she is the weakest among us. By general standards, Arne-san is an exceptionally skilled magician, but the comparison is too harsh.
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ㅤ（Perhaps because she’s so skilled, she’s not used to being a burden… maybe.）
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ㅤThinking about Arne-san, there’s nothing good about prolonging this.
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ㅤ”Alright. Let’s go then.”
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ㅤMy words were met with nods from my companions.