Outer Ragna: Volume 2

1. Auflage 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7183-7050-0
Verlag: J-Novel Club
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 320 Seiten

Reihe: Outer Ragna

For every player of the incredibly difficult video game Dragon Demon RPG-DX, the human salvation route is their dream. PotatoStarch, a live streamer, is attempting this challenge with renewed enthusiasm. Unfortunately for him, the vampires and elves-arch-enemies of the humans-have formed alliances with a mysterious Romanian individual and the strongest armed forces in the world, the United States Military! The decisive battle in another world grows fierce. What is Dragon Demon RPG-DX? PotatoStarch will soon witness the true horrors of war...

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kasugamaru

Weitere Mitwirkende

Namcooo

Keller-Nelson, Alexander

Leseproben

41 The Captain Joins His Friend’s Feast / Ten Thousand Bells Performs Her Best

We are not alone.

We have comrades at our sides and at our backs. Together, we look forward.

-Captain Zakkow I-

I’ll make my living as a warmonger. That’s what I decided on my fifteenth winter, and for nearly forty years I’ve lived steadfastly and unemotionally. I don’t have a family; I don’t want one. The urge dried up after seeing so many friends die on the battlefield. It’s been a long time since my brow last furrowed. I was sure it had frozen in place.

“C-Captain! Captain Zakkow! Look! It’s so fluffy!”

“They’re actually pretty light when you hold them. But their hind legs are so thick!”

“Those long ears and twitching noses... they’re so cute! Look, Captain!”

What a bother. How am I supposed to react at times like this? These men, who not too long ago were in a frenzy for vengeance, are now playing with rabbits like school children. I don’t even know if I should be happy or scold them.

“Right. Be careful of their horns,” I remind them. I realize this is a fairly boring thing to say, but I can’t resist the urge. The militant rabbits have taken over one of the farms and are quietly eating their feed. Apparently they’re now God’s familiars and will fight alongside us humans.

However, these are monsters. Just yesterday, they were out for human blood. I didn’t see any in the attack on the Hell Expanse, but they were definitely a part of the attack on the Frontier. I don’t even need to check the newspaper’s published accounts. Everyone’s heard of someone who’s been gored to death by those sharp horns.

“Why the long face, Captain?”

“Father Felipo!”

“As you were. I merely came to check on them as well.”

The fence doesn’t even creak from the weight of two large men leaning on it from both sides. These are sturdy. The carpenters from the south are skilled and work quickly. All of our most important people and top supplies have come from the south. This man, too, definitely hails from there as well; from somewhere with a lot of political power.

Father Felipo, priest of the Frontier. He’s been running the local government all by himself. The other man is Frontier Captain Agias, a warrior that relies quite heavily on Father Felipo’s insight. This priest likes to talk a lot, and the manner of words he uses makes it quite obvious that he’s from a noble background. He might be from a really powerful family. The bravery and spirit he showed in the battle not too long ago were no less than extraordinary. He’s no mere scholar or holy man.

“My, familiars are such strange beasts... I had some inkling that this might happen, so I had started making preparations, but...”

“It is quite impressive indeed that you considered the possibility of allying with monsters,” I remark.

“According to the holy book, ‘God exists in all His grace, and will appoint an Apostle. Even monsters will obey them,’” he recites.

“God, Apostles, familiars... This is like straight out of a legend.”

“Up until now we have only been working off statements of hearsay. It was the clergy’s job to make people believe, and these words were more like a temporary consolation for those who did have faith. However, now everything has come true. We are truly living in a legend,” he spouts happily. I’d thought that all members of the church were good people who lied, but this man is the exact opposite. He’s a terrible, honest person. “A legend... it’s impossible to describe with logic and words how moving this is.” He smiles widely. It’s practically infectious. “Also, who could have thought that these critters would be so distinct!”

That’s true, militant rabbits are quite easy to tell apart. Even I can spot the differences. That gray one has sharp eyes and a detached demeanor, while that brown one is baby-faced and pudgy. The one next to it is female, I think. This one over here is truly dignified. I can tell these things just by looking at them. Normally, I would never have been able to distinguish them. You could call it the results of God’s blessing and be done with it, but this... this seems a little different. My chest feels hot. The reason?

“It’s because... they’re our allies,” I mutter.

“Indeed. Yes, that is exactly correct. Lord Willow said the same thing in regards to the horses.”

“I see. Then perhaps we can become friends on the battlefield.” As I speak, I realize that the rabbits are not paying us any mind, nor can they offer us a handshake. We can’t even have a simple conversation. But I believe. We’re the same, them and us. Drawn in by the “heat” of this land, we were both brought here by the same energy.

“We are different beings. Naturally, everything about us is different.”

“But we can co-exist,” I add.

“Indeed. As long as we respect each other, I’m sure we can live together. We can both enjoy prosperity. We do not need to be exactly the same; we only need to accept each other’s differences in order to cultivate harmony.”

“Is that rationality speaking?”

“No, it is sincerity. The only political tie we truly need is the one with the elves. With these little ones we must be bonded through honor, as comrades experiencing the same troubles.” This man must be made of stern stuff to not praise God at this point. It’s something our local leadership shares, especially Lady Kuroi, who is the personification of our faith. We were not saved from the depths of despair by God, no. We are not His playthings, His toys. The unreasonableness of living has caused us no end of pain and suffering; we became accustomed to giving in. Even so, we had our pride for surviving thus far.

But no one can live in wretchedness forever.

God gave us the fire to face our troubles and save ourselves with our own hands. He gave us hope, so that we might keep moving forward. All we needed to do was make up our minds. The same goes for these rabbits. That’s why they’ve gathered here. I see. We are comrades; brothers in arms.

“By the way, I heard you shared some of your insight with Lord Willow about the garrison infantry,” comments the father.

“I did. I’ve seen them first-hand, after all.”

“I am your commanding officer, and my second-in-command is Captain Jashan son Peine. As for you, Zakkow, I need your assistance in many things as squad captain.”

“I believe that is the best way to fight, sir.” Unity is everything for the infantry. Without it, no one would be brave enough to set foot on the battlefield. Because your comrades are by your side, you can fight the fear. Wrestle with it, suppress it, force it out.

“The best way to fight? Heh. The infantry will be joined by the rabbits, just as the cavalry work with horses.”

“Yes, that sounds very reassuring,” I respond.

“We must deepen our friendship with each other.”

“Of course.”

“So... you know what must be done, yes?”

“I do, sir.” There’s no hiding the looseness in our cheeks, the wriggling of our fingers in excitement.

“Let us dive in, then!”

“Yes, sir!”

I too will touch the fluffy tail. It’s part of our war, after all.

-Sakiel, the Ten Thousand Bells I-

I sip my tea beneath the blue skies. The warm liquid and scent slip down my throat and into my chilled breast.

“Lady Sakiel, that... Those are...”

“Yes. They have taken the militant rabbits as familiars.” No matter how many times I witness it, I am always thoroughly impressed by God’s quiet, transcendental power. A monster’s only purpose is to belch that stench, a poisonous gas that’s like a mixture of hatred and rot brewed together... and yet a refreshing breeze is blowing over the farmlands. The laws of Nature have been twisted. For better or worse, the world has surely been altered.

“Are you scared, Fleilyu?”

“Honestly speaking, I feel a great unease,” she responds after a pause.

“Because the humans are growing strong?”

“Yes. Their strength seems to build up before my very eyes. It seems almost endless.”

“Hm... your expression says you’re thinking about how to fight against them.”

“How can I not be alarmed by a power that struck down the Golden?”

“You have a point. That was quite the spectacle.” That army, burning red and black... summoning magic that brought the dead back to fight at the front lines endlessly... What Kuroi showed the world that day was the true meaning of the horrors of war.

It’s so sad. The fighting only increases in intensity, but it is my belief that people simply want to get along and smile together.

“Fleilyu, please report this to the Council in great detail,” I command.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“And if I may add something, the beauty of one’s coat knows no high or low social status. I would love to pet those black wolves, too. Alive, of course. Don’t send me any skins.”

“Th-That was...” she splutters.

“And in regards to Arcsem’s successor, please insist they send someone of much calmer temperament. We cannot have the same thing...