In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 327

Chapter 327: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Ultimate Weapon 1

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“Mm… As expected, a single unit alone does not seem to have much effect…”

While observing the enemy lines through a telescope, I muttered to myself. Then I shifted my gaze to the temporary artillery position set up right next to the command bunker. Calling it an artillery position was generous. It was just a simple setup lightly protected by earthen walls.

At the center of that position sat a small cannon resembling a fireworks launcher. It was our army’s main artillery piece, the 60 mm mortar. Although its caliber was modest, its structure allowed for easy rapid fire, so its firepower was nothing to scoff at.

The current battlefield was in complete chaos. Allies and enemies were mixed together, forming a full-blown melee. Providing fire support in such a situation would inevitably cause friendly casualties, so I had aimed to disrupt the enemy by firing shells into their rear… but with only a single mortar, it seemed difficult to shake them.

“Cease fire!”

There was no point in wasting shells. At the very least, we should conserve our bombardment until we had more guns ready. Otherwise, the shock effect would diminish, and that would be a problem.

If we shelled the enemy directly, friendly fire would be unavoidable. So instead, I opted to use the mortars to startle them. Anyone would have trouble staying calm with explosions going off repeatedly behind them. That was how I planned to force an opening and then deliver the real blow.

“Uoooh… Delivery has arrived…!”

At that moment, several birdfolk flew in. They dropped the mortar parts they had been carrying onto the ground with a thud. Technicians rushed over and began assembling the mortars. These mortars originally belonged to the reinforcement unit led by Gilberto. The reason they were here now was not because the reinforcements had arrived. The reinforcement unit was still at least forty minutes away.

That was far too long to wait, so I decided to airlift only the mortars. The wyverns would carry the operators, while the birdfolk transported the mortar components. Mortars were extremely lightweight for artillery, so even the physically weaker birdfolk could carry them when disassembled.

“Hmm… So Liseben possesses weapons like this… Along with that warship, it is truly astonishing…”

Dalaiya murmured as he watched the mortar parts being delivered one after another. To elves, who fought with bows, swords, and magic, mortars must have seemed like weapons from another dimension… though from our perspective, the elves themselves were quite extraordinary.

“Still, no matter how excellent a weapon is, it is used by people… Ah, Lady Uru! Come here for a moment.”

Careful not to let regret creep into my voice, I called out. If I had come up with this plan just two hours earlier, this messy melee could have been avoided. It was truly pathetic. But regret would not improve the situation. For now, I had to focus on what I could do. Thinking that, I called out to Lady Uru, who had just flown in. She spread her jet-black wings, braked sharply in midair, and landed on top of the bunker roof. Then she promptly tripped and tumbled straight into the bunker.

“Ahuf!? N-ngh… Wh-what do you need?”

“N-no, I just wanted to hear your report… Sorry, I should not have stopped you so suddenly.”

Sweating nervously, I helped her up.

“Haha… Normally I would not embarrass myself like that, but this load is really heavy…”

Glancing at the sack hanging from her waist, she gave an awkward smile. Inside were mortar shells. There were not many of them, of course. If they overloaded and crashed, it would be disastrous, so each birdfolk carried no more than about ten kilograms. Even so, it seemed quite burdensome for them. That was understandable. Carrying the same weight while flying consumed far more stamina than walking. Birdfolk were not suited for hauling cargo.

“I am sorry to push you so hard. Still, we are relying on your strength for this operation. Please hold out a little longer. I will make it up to you afterward…”

After gently patting her shoulder, I took the sack and handed it to a nearby attendant before continuing.

“By the way, what did Gilberto say? This was a last-minute change in plans. I am worried it might be causing problems.”

To counter Vanka’s scheme, I had hastily prepared a new plan. It required the cooperation of Gilberto’s reinforcement unit, so I had been issuing instructions through birdfolk messengers. Since they were in the middle of a forced march, preparing for a new operation must have been extremely difficult. Honestly, I felt quite bad about it. If I were in Gilberto’s position, I would probably have shouted a complaint or two.

“She said there are no problems at all. Leave it to her.”

“…As expected of Gilberto. As long as she and Sonia are around, we are in good hands.”

Smiling slightly, I patted her shoulder again.

“Alright then, Lady Uru, keep it up. Once the mortar transport is done, we will prepare for Operation Vittles. Okay?”

Operation Vittles was the name of my new plan. If it worked, we would completely crush Vanka’s scheme… or so I hoped. And for it to succeed, the cooperation of the birdfolk was essential. It was a bit of an overload, but they would have to push through.

“The old lady is already pretty rough with people, but you are even worse, Albert-don… Got it, I will work myself to the bone. But you better make it up to me later.”

Shrugging lightly, Lady Uru took off again. Make it up to her, huh… what exactly would she ask for? If it was medals or rank, I could arrange that right after the battle…

“I do not think I am that hard on people…”

Dalaiya groaned, shoulders slumped. Her oddly pitiful expression made me chuckle. I might be pretty bad, but she was not much different.

“…Sir Albert!”

As I was thinking that, Sonia, who had been observing the enemy through a telescope, raised a sharp voice. I knew that tone well. It meant something unusual had happened. I hurried over to her.

“What is it? Did new enemies appear?”

“Yes. Something is happening in the middle of the enemy lines. But what is that…?”

Seeing Sonia, who was usually composed, so confused sent a chill down my spine. That was rare for her. Feeling uneasy, I took out my own telescope and looked where she pointed.

“What is that…?”

What I saw was a green monster attacking everything around it indiscriminately. Compared to the elf soldiers trying to fight it, it was enormous. It looked like some kind of insect… yes, like a praying mantis.

“What is it? What happened?”

Dalaiya approached, so I handed him the telescope. He peered through it with a small grunt, then suddenly shouted in shock.

“Is that not a Praying Mantis!?”

“A Mottaina (What a Waste) Praying Mantis!?”

I had heard that name before. Wait, what? I thought it was some kind of joke creature, but it was real?

“W-what is that…?”

“It is a common name for mantis-type insectoids…! A true monster that appears on battlefields, muttering ‘what a waste… what a waste…’ as it devours dying soldiers…!”

“What?”

That sounded less like barbarians and more like something out of a horror movie… and why had something like that suddenly appeared!? Sweating nervously, I took the telescope back and observed the so-called Praying Mantis.

The green monster rampaged with incredible speed despite its massive body. With the scythes on its arms, it grabbed a nearby ant soldier and split it in two in an instant. Then it brought the upper half toward its mouth.

W-wait… was it eating it? As I shuddered, the mantis suddenly tossed the upper half aside. …Did it not like the taste? I did not understand, but it immediately turned to its next prey, attacking an elf soldier wearing a cross-marked poncho.

“It is rampaging without regard for friend or foe…”

That thing was bad. Seriously bad. The elf and ant soldiers tried to fight back with bows, thrown spears, swords, and lances, but nothing worked. Weak attacks bounced off its green carapace, and anything aimed at vital points was deflected by its scythes. …What kind of defense was that!?

“…”

What do I do? Seriously, what do I do?

If something like that was on the field, Operation Vittles would be impossible… no, wait. Maybe this could work in our favor. If we managed to defeat it, our chances might actually improve. The appearance of a powerful enemy attacking both sides could be advantageous. If we handled it well, everything might fall into place.

But that mantis was no ordinary opponent. Defeating it would require a solid plan, and we had almost no room to spare. The only thing we could do was bombard it, but mortars were too slow to target it precisely and would inevitably hit our allies nearby. The only option would be to pull our troops away from it and launch a wide-area attack…

“Ah!”

As my mind raced, the mantis suddenly stopped moving. Then the human upper body attached to it stirred and looked around.

…Wait, our eyes met. Even though we were so far apart, our eyes met. How!?

“Geh!?”

Almost at the same moment I felt a chilling dread, the mantis spread its wings in an instant. It knocked aside both elf and ant soldiers in its path, built up speed, and took off. Its massive body soared into the air.

You have got to be kidding me!

But that was not the end. The giant mantis flew straight toward us without hesitation. The heavy sound of its wings approached at terrifying speed.

What!? What is going on!? Did it just target me? No way…

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