Hachinan tte, Sore wa Nai Deshou!

I didnt know there was such a strong boss in such a small area.

Really true. It seems like cheating to hide in the shell while disabling all physical and magical attacks.

We had come to this area to scout out the bosses, liberate the army, and finish the training, but we didnt expect there to be such a strong boss that we had to flee.

When we managed to get out of the realm safely, Elle started complaining, huffing dramatically, The more you attack the shell, the stronger the counterattack. How does that work?

Maybe it absorbs the impact of the physical attacks and converts them into magic?

Oh. Ina, youre smart, Louise admired.

In Japan, in the previous generation, a system was developed that generated electricity when a mat was stepped on.

It seemed to be a similar system.

Its impressive that Ina noticed this immediately.

ThatIm not sure if its the best thing to test out, Guru pointed out.

Im sure you have accumulated a lot of magic, since you were reinforcing your blows with large amounts of magical power.

Because of that, we had to put up a Magic Barrier to escape safely.

The large number of magical spears, generated by the attack, caused both Katharina and Burkhart to run out of magic power.

Guru, how did you escape before? Wilma asked.

Hmm. I didnt attack as strongly before. Even so, I had a lot of trouble because of the magical spears.

Then tell us that first!

Even though the other party was the guru, we were all shouting at him in a relentlessly angry manner.

Thats how wronged we felt.

So, how do we defeat it? Guru asked, immediately and forcefully dragging us to a different topic.

There were no words of remorse or support in this person.

Were going to defeat that thing? Doesnt it not work?

We all nodded along with Louises words.

If the gurus attack has no effect whatsoever, even if we make full use of the special move that Louise showed before, the tortoises shell will not be broken.

Rather, the counterattack magic could cause us to be skewered.

I dont suppose it would do us any good to have a bunch of wizards.

Katharina was right. The more the attacks, the worse the counterattacks.

Wouldnt it work with Surplus Healing?

I dont think so, Burkhart answered.

Why is that?

Its like all the magic effects dont work when the tortoise is in the shell, they are converted into magic and stored in the shell. Its the equivalent of sending gifts to the enemy.

According to Burkharts analysis, the shell is designed to inhibit all harm to the tortoise itself.

Surplus Healing is, simply put, similar to the phenomenon of watering a flower too much and causing it to rot.

Its a magic that damages the living organism by overexposing it with healing magic, but its useless if the tortoise is hiding within its shell.

Its not a magic that acts quickly and, to be honest, its a lot of healing magic, so its not very efficient.

Elise wasnt able to use it before. After she married me, she could use it because her magic power increased.

However, even when it can be used, its basically useless.

Are you sure?

Yes, it wont work. But well have to think of another strange method.

Peter, you want the tortoise shell, so go ahead.

Me?

Youre going to win the hearts of the citizens of Imperial City and inherit power, arent you? You want the shell, so you should think about how to get it.

Originally, it was Peter who wanted to fight to get the shell.

The person who wants the shell should be responsible for coming up with a plan to get it.

Well. A strange planWould it make much of a difference if Emera joined us?

Yes. It would increase the number of magical spears that counterattack, Emera calmly dismissed Peters idea.

Im in troubleHey, what about you, Marc? Youve been quiet this whole time. Peter asked Marc, who silently stood by.

As his bodyguard, he would silently follow Peter, and had escaped with him from the magic spears.

If it wasnt for the Magic Barrier, he might have been fighting for Peter with his prized Orichalcum sword, but this time he had escaped with Peter, barely catching his breath.

I think that the only way to kill it would be to strike a powerful blow to the head before it hides in its shell.

Oh! Thats a hell of a good idea!

After trying to figure out a method to kill the tortoise, Marc suggested defeating the tortoise before it hid in its shell.

With this, our thinking also changed.

Yeah. How far away does one have to be to not be noticed by the tortoise? Louise asked.

The tortoise looks dumb, but it is surprisingly sensitive to the hostility of its surroundings. The last time, I tried hurling magic from a distance, and it quickly retracted its head.

The guru answered Louises question, with knowledge of having attacked the tortoise at least once before.

Then, what about a sniper from a distance?

However, there was one problem.

It was what to use as the sniper?

Cant we use magic? Peter asked.

Your Highness, by my calculations, Id have to be at least eight hundred meters away. It would be difficult to use magic at that distance.

Naturally, not with my stone throwing, either.

Neither with my spear.

My magic wouldnt work that far either.

I couldnt with a bow.

Emera, Louise, Ina, Katharina, and Wilma all informed us that they wouldnt be able to do it from that distance.

I cant either, Burkhart admitted.

What about Guru?

The essence of this man is in close-quarters combat, he answered.

You mean you cant.

If even Burkhart and the guru cant do it, Im the only one left.

Wendelin, would you be able to do it?

If I was going to do it from that far away, I wouldnt have the confidence to do it without practice.

Ive never practiced from such a long distance.

There wasnt much time before the emperors departure, so it wasnt the time to waste on practice.

If I were sniping at a target with binoculars while looking at the target, it is unknown how much time and effort it would take to synchronize the aiming process to be like a sniper rifle.

I see. But I want that rainbow colored tortoise shell. Ill pay for it at market price.

HmmAh! That might work! I exclaimed, thinking of an idea.

Come on, Wendelin.

Peter started to support me in his usual light tone of voice.

Ive come up with an idea, but Ill leave it to Wilma to carry out. Wilma, Im sure youll be able to find a way to make it work.

Wendelin, Ill do my best.

The plan I came up with led to the start of a mission to snipe the Tortoise King Rainbow Assault from a distance.

The plan is simple, but the scale is impressive and finishing the training for the military is the goal.

The next day, Peter and I were waiting for the operation to begin in an area where all the vegetation had been cut down.

The strategy to be carried out against the Tortoise King Rainbow Assault, which would be impossible if it retracted into its shell, was to snipe at its head from a distance it wouldnt notice us.

Since this is the demons realm, the Royal Army, and the Earl Mizuhos Army have also assembled and surrounded the Imperial Army that we have gathered and trained over the past few months. The armies are stationed around the forest to prevent the demons who lost their boss from scattering.

They invaded the area in small groups one at a time, hunting the demons that came near before retreating.

This was repeated endlessly to further reduce the number of demons.

The march to the realm, placement, and battle action were all going as planned.

Gilbert, Poppek, Philip, and the commander of Earl Mizuhos army were jointly assembled to ensure there was no discrepancy or confusion.

The shortness of the training period was a concern, but so far, the operation had gone on without a hitch.

Elle and Haruka also led an army of about a thousand people to surround the area and gradually hunt the demons.

And Wilmas sniping?

The demons other than the boss were left to the military, and the main mission, the killing of the Tortoise King Rainbow Assault, was left to be handled by me and Wilma.

The first weapon used for sniping was a new prototype magic gun borrowed from the Earl of Mizuho, in order to ensure its penetrating power against target at a distance.

The Earl of Mizuhos army has a bitter history of failing to achieve success in battles against the Duke of Nurembergs army, where the magic rifle was blocked by a strong shield.

I think its the same as the bamboo bundle that prevented flintlock bullets during the Warring States period, but this time around, High Earl Mizuho is looking for a way to increase the penetrating power of the magic gun.

A number of prototypes have been completed, and Wilma has been testing them and collecting data.

High Earl Mizuho has masters of magic guns, but Wilma is no less talented than them, so she was often asked to collect data.

So, this is the most recent model?

Thats right. Its a seven-armored rifle designed for use against large monsters and long-range snipers.

According to Wilma, this is the seventh prototype, A-7.

If the prototype keeps changing to A-9, the one after that will be B-1.

Apparently, the Mizuho craftsmen are obsessed with such details as the prototype numbers.

Its so cool. I want to use it too! Peter exclaimed with childlike wonder at the appearance of the new gun.

The barrel is long. Also, it has a lot of clutter. But, thats fine, its just a prototype.

Even in the prototype stage, the power and range were unmistakable.

Theres no doubt about its ability as we have tested it already.

First of all, the barrel of the gun was unusually long.

Its not the type of magic gun you can hold in your hand and snipe at, because its nearly three meters long. Wilma has a special tripod and has to get into position to shoot it.

Is it safe here? In the demons realm?

Thats why we have an army around the perimeter.

The snipers location was eight hundred meters from the center of the demon realm.

Naturally, demons would appear, but the guru had greatly reduced the number of demons. The army had also destroyed all the demons around the snipers location and fortified its defense.

Furthermore, the obstruction to the snipers location had been a problem, but this was a simple matter of clearing the vegetation using the open areas where the trees had been knocked down by yesterdays counterattack from the Tortoise King Rainbow Assault to secure the visibility.

This increased visibility made it easier to shoot at a distance.

Visibility, distance, weapon performance, are they all good?

And the sniper is also good.

Whether it was an iron bow or a magic gun, Wilmas long-range skills were genius.

The High Earl of Mizuho even had her take a test, so her talent was genuine.

Do your best.

Ok, I will.

Youre amazing, Lady Wilma.

Your Highness, I am but a person.

Haha, sorry

Peter had called Wilma by her proper name again, but she crisply denied him.

That, Count Baumeister.

Emera, do you need anything?

The magic gun is such a messy weapon?

This is something special.

Emera seemed to be concerned about the multiple large boxes attached to the barrel section of the magic gun.

This magic gun is also much too big, so much so that it needed a custom-made platform.

To increase the power of the bullets, the barrel of the gun was longer, the magic power was also increased to accelerate the bullets

Like gunpowder, if the amount is too large for the barrel to withstand the strength of the gun, it will burst and harm the user.

Therefore, the barrel part around the sniper is made robust as a safety device.

That was the reason the sniper rifle could not be held in the hand.

Ordinary magic rifles solve this problem by assigning only young people who are not good with swords, but who are very powerful.

Wilma is very powerful, thats why she had been entrusted with collecting data from even a heavy sniper rifle.

Theres also the problem of barrel heating.

The barrel of the gun heats up at once as the bullet accelerates to a terrifying speed using magic power.

If left unattended, the strength of the barrel will decrease, and the sniper gun will burn.

This is also because ordinary magic guns have reduced the amount of magic power consumed and the power of the gun, so its possible to fire five round in a row, but this prototype doesnt have such a limit.

In order to prevent it from being ruined after just one shop, a special cooling device was needed.

It has a cooling device that incorporates a magic tool that uses ice magic.

UmThe theoretical power is great, but the amount of magic used

That was the very reason magic guns were not widespread in the Empire.

The materials and processing technology of the gun barrel and the miniaturization of the magic crustal and cooling system were problems that couldnt be solved. And since magic guns couldnt be easily carried about, people thought the magic swords were better.

Even I can only use around four rounds of magic power in a day.

It seems that it eats up too much magic power, but since its a prototype, they asked us not to worry about magic efficiency.

Instead, the Mizuho craftsmen ensured us of its power.

Id say that one shot wouldnt be as powerful as it used to be, either.

Emera was dismayed by the inefficiency of the magic consumption unique to this prototype.

So Wendelin, you have a cord attached?

Yes, Im the alternate to the magic crystal.

The prototype sniper magic gun also had a magic crystal on it, but with this one, only one shot would activate the cooling system.

I wanted insurance in case the first shot missed, so I had to attach a cord to transmit the magic power and replenish the magic power after the second shot.

Thats why Im here.

Now then, Ill be your escort for the next few hours, Emera declared

That is good as Im the magic supply guy, so I cant use any other magic at all.

And Wendelin, you cant move with the cords on.

The cords were very much like the electrical wires from Earth.

The metal that transfers magic most efficiently at the moment is mithril, but that would be costly.

Silver was used instead, but the cost was still uncomfortably high.

A large quantity of thick silver wire was bundled into a ball about the thickness of an adults thumb, and the outside was covered with a rubber-like substance.

The material for this rubber is said to be made from the mucus of giant slugs that live in northern forests.

Because the material is made from the mucus of the giant slugs from the northern forests, it is not susceptible to deterioration due to temperature.

Its a strange material. Peter was impressed with the rubber coverings.

Incidentally, the processing method was a secret, it was High Earl Mizuhos secret method.

Apparently, even if the mucus is collected and hardened, it will only be mucus.

How much, what material needed to be added, and how would it be processed was all unknown.

Can I ask you one question?

What?

Youre aiming for the head of a turtle this far away? I mean, how?

Wendelin provided me with this device, Wilma answered.

I did provide a device, but I didnt develop it.

It was a magic telescope that I found in an underground storage in the Demon Forest before.

As the name implied, it is a device that uses magic power to see distant objects in detail.

It was a magical version of an electron microscope or electronic binoculars.

As it was, it couldnt be used for sniping, so the Mizuho craftsmen needed to improve it somewhat.

There was a slight modification of the shape to make the magic telescope into a snipers scope and some work to synchronize it with the rear scope.

Then there was also the improvement of the bullets.

Heres the bullet.

Its big.

In terms of size, its about 30 millimeters.

The material was all tungsten and after I magically shaped it to a certain extent, the craftsmen at Mizuho shaved it into a pointed, vertebrae shape.

The reason the bullets were made larger and the tips sharper was to increase the penetration.

Human, animal, or demon. Shoot them in the head with this and theyll die, I explained.

I see.

Peter, youre going to have to be silent and careful.

The demons realm has been surrounded with a large army that have begun hunting the demons little by little, and they have also surrounded the sniper points with thousands of troops.

But we never know when the operation will begin.

The only thing is to ask for their protection and wait.

Ill be fine. Im a good fighter and Ive got Marc to protect me.

Okay.

I called out to the wizard by my side to launch a Fireball into the sky.

This was the signal to start the operation.

Wilma. Go for it.

Im on it.

With the signal to start the operation, I grabbed the cord and set up the system to allow me to channel my magic power at any time.

Wilma switched on her magic scope and immediately aimed at the head of the Tortoise King Rainbow Assault from our location eight hundred meters away.

I cant see anything, Peter informed.

There is no way he would be able to see it from eight hundred meters away with the naked eye.

It all depended on Wilmas sniping and the performance of her magic scope.

Your Highness, please be quiet, Emera warned.

Oh, of course.

Peter became silent after Emeras warning.

Peter, being in love with Emera, seemed to listen to her a lot.

Shes about two years older than him, so it almost looks like a sister admonishing her little brother.

Wilma, is the tortoises head out?

It will be fine. Im in position.

For the next ten seconds, Wilma, who was down and holding the prototype sniper magic gun was finely adjusting the barrel of the gun to aim.

The serious expression on her face made her look much older, but she remained cute as usual.

First shot, Wilma shortly said, before quietly pulling the trigger.

The bullet was fired with an explosive sound, more like a tank than a sniper rifle.

Then the cooling system kicked on to cool the abnormally heated barrel, and the barrel was cooled at once, causing intense steam around the surrounding area.

The steam surrounded Wilma in a cloud, but she was wearing a mithril coat in anticipation, so she wasnt harmed.

This was a gift from the Mizuho craftsmen as a reward for her aid in data collection.

Did it work?

Everyones gaze turned to Wilma.

None of us can see it with our naked eyes or ordinary binoculars, so we can only ask her about the results.

Tortoise, down.

Ah!

I hurriedly knelt down next to Wilma and hurriedly looked into the magic scope.

The Tortoise King Rainbow Assault was bleeding from the head and had stopped moving.

I continued to observe the tortoise for a while. It seemed the blow to the head was a fatal wound.

It would be appropriate to make a death determination at this point.

Yay!

With the death of the Tortoise King Rainbow Assault, Peter and Emera were also very happy.

The extermination of demons was still going on, but the death of their boss would further weaken their organizational strength.

Now all we need to do is destroy the demons that have been greatly reduced.

Just when I thought this, an extraordinary image came through the scope.

All of a sudden, the rocky area near the dead Tortoise King Rainbow Assault collapsed with a ground shaking sound, and another tortoise with a rainbow-colored shell suddenly appeared.

Moreover, the second one was one size larger than the first one.

Its so big.

Husband? Wilma asked, sticking her face next to mine and looking through her magic scope.

Is that the parent?

It could be a brother or sister.

This doesnt matter!

Peter is strangely upset, but its only a matter of sniping again.

As I stood up, Wilma quickly reloaded the barrel of the gun before aiming and firing.

This time, the magic power of the magic crystal stone has been exhausted, so my magic power was sucked out from the cord in large quantities.

After this, Ill only have three rounds left in me.

Hows that?

We arent done.

Are you sure? I got down again and looked into the magic scope, I saw the figure of the tortoise that was bleeding from the head, but still alive.

This tortoises head seems harder than the first one. Perhaps, because it is bigger.

Hes the father, he has a stronger head.

Maybe hes the older brother.

It doesnt matter! Peter gets upset again, but I dont have time to worry about that.

However, it was an unexpected accident that there were two tortoises.

Moreover, his head seems to be even harder and we arent able to shoot his head off with one blow.

Guru, be accurate in your reconnaissance.

I cant help but complain about guru, who isnt even here.

Furthermore, this second tortoise begins to act in an unfavorable manner to us.

The tortoise seemed to be mad because it was injured, and the other tortoise was killed.

It started to charge towards us.

The tortoise moves surprisingly fast.

True.

You guys are so cool-headed!

Peter, its times like this we have to be. I turned around and called out to a Kingdom soldier nearby, Hey!

Yes!

The tortoise seems to be after us, the snipers. If any of the troops are in the tortoises path have them retreat.

Yes, sir.

The enraged tortoise had begun a furious march in the direction of Wilma and me.

It moved faster than I thought, but it was only a tortoise, so it had its limits.

If we dealt with this calmly, there would be no casualties.

Well, what do we do?

Wilma still remained calm.

Its true to her character that she doesnt think its a decisive crisis.

Even I, at worst, could escape.

I couldnt just scream and show the people around me an embarrassing sight.

In this case, well just have to snipe again.

Wilma has to hit her in the same place where the bullet is lodged.

That way, the bullet that hit it the first time should be pushed even further and cause fatal damage to its brain.

I see. I think thats a good idea.

Thats why everyone expect me, Wilma, and Emera have to leave.

As soon as I finished with my order, the troops all retreated from the tortoises path.

The only ones left with the sniper were me, Wilma, Emera, and Peter.

Huh? Peter, you wont retreat?

Wendelin, this is very dangerous indeed. We need to get Guru and your wives and get out of here.

No, no. Itll be fine, I replied.

How do you know that?

Wilma seems confident.

Wilma is usually calm, but she will never say she can do something she cant do.

Without a doubt, she must be the most rational thinker among my wives.

Since she says its okay, she will surely succeed.

Do you believe in her?

Im her husband, you know. Besides, if Wilma thinks its a bad idea, shell say that. And then well figure out what to do next.

While I was saying talking, Wilma fired a second shot.

Once again, the sound of the explosion and intense water vapor surrounded the area, but Emera used her Magic Barrier to protect us.

How was it?

A little off. Ill get it right the next time.

All right. Wilma, go ahead.

Since Im responsible, I want a reward.

Lets just go to town, you and me.

Im motivated.

Wilma reloaded the bullet again and began to aim at the tortoise with an even more serious expression.

With that much concentration, she had already blocked off our voices.

As I expected, they came out.

The effects of evacuating the army in preparation for the tortoise approach began to present itself.

A boar demon and bear demon approached us, preparing to attack.

Emera, do you need any help?

No, Count Baumeister. I hope you wont be using your magic for anything other than sniping.

As Emera pointed her hands at a demon, a sharp rock suddenly spiked out from the ground and skewered the demon.

The demon floats in the air due to the spike and blood was dripping down from the spike.

That magic was truly worthy of being called skewering.

Im also called Skewer. Im good at Earth magic.

Its a seemingly unsophisticated magic, but this level should be just an afterthought for her.

Continuing on, a few more demons attacked us again, but there were skewered and defeated rapidly as well.

Emera, Ill take some.

Please go ahead, Lord Marc.

The taciturn swordsman Marc entered the fray, dodging the demons coming at him with fluid motions and cutting them down with his prized Orichalcum sword as they passed him.

His strength was like that of a swordsman in a period drama.

Even to the untrained eye, it was easy to understand why Elle was assured he couldnt win.

And in the meantime, Wilma had fired the third shot.

How did it go?

It was hit, but it didnt go down.

The tortoise was close enough that I observed it with my own binoculars.

The hole where it was first hit widened, and although there was a large crack in its forehead and a large amount of blood dripping down, the tortoise still hadnt stopped its activity.

Do you need to take another shot?

Yes, do I need to hit in the same spot?

Yes. Another shot.

What! Youre still going to continue?! He exclaimed in a negative tone of voice.

To Peter, it seemed reckless to continue this mission.

Its even easier since were so close.

We were already pretty close before, but three times in the same place?

Ill be fine.

Indeed, the distance between us and the tortoise is already less than a hundred.

At first the tortoise just rushed in the direction the bullets flew, but it seemed happy to avenge its partner.

It further increased its speed as it ran towards us.

Wilma, I only have enough magic power for one more shot. Just in case, I have a magic crystal, too.

There will be no more sniping after this time.

Since we will be at almost zero distance from the tortoise, we will have no choice but put up a Magic Barrier and withdraw.

You guys are really calm with this,

I think Im more of a coward than Peter. Im only staying here because Im sure I wont die.

Even if we continue to shoot until the last minute and run out of magic power, its just a matter of running away while putting up a Magic Barrier with the spare magic crystal stone.

Theres also Emera.

Im confident in Wilma, so were safe.

Wendelin, are you perhaps more qualified to be emperor than I am?

What? An emperor is supposed to be someone with more responsibility.

Maybe, but

While the Peter and I were talking, the turtle was about fifty meters away from us.

The tortoise was so big it looked as if a small mountain was closing in on us.

Have you shot it yet?

Peter seemed anxious, but I think Wilma was just aiming carefully to make sure she hit the tortoise.

If this were a normal person, they would be so scared of the approaching tortoise that they would pull the trigger early and miss.

Final shot.

In the end, Wilma pulled the trigger when the tortoise was about thirty meters away.

Along with the sound of the explosion and the large amount of water vapor, my magic power was taken with it.

I felt a little dizzy, but at the same time, an empty voice sounded from in front of me that was unlike anything Id ever heard before.

When I turned my gaze to look at the sound, I saw a bloodied tortoises head lying right in front of me.

Wilma seemed to have fired far enough away so no harm was done to us.

Two impact marks? One is from the second shot that missed. Impressive.

A visible bullet could be seen behind the hole.

As I thought, the skull seemed to have been stronger than the first one.

And a spiderweb-like crack spread out from the main bullet impact mark.

Since the energy of the impact was concentrated three times in the same place, there must have been damage to the brain and the skull as well.

The tortoise was bleeding profusely and there was a pool of blood on the ground.

Its troublesome that there are two of them.

I tried to complain, but the guru hadnt come back yet as he was off with Burkhart and my wives, hunting demons.

Its gone, right?

I think its okay.

Wilma, who stood up from her position, checked the center of the realm with her magic scope removed from the sniper, but she didnt see any other tortoises.

Now we just need to dismember the two tortoises and kill the other demons?

The cleanup may be a pain in the ass, but the defeat of the two tortoises and the liberation of the realm has been achieved.

Its a good achievement for us to start the war with.

By the way, are they brothers? Or father and son?

They could be a couple? And thats why it was so angry?

Well, someone would be furious if their wife or husband were killed. Maybe they are best friends, or maybe theyre not married, but lovers.

They could be good neighbors.

Okay, so theyre neighbors, they share things, and theyre very close.

Wilma and I continued to ponder the relationship between the two tortoises.

You guys are bigshots, arent you?

Really?

Its normal for us.

Is that so

As Wilma and I are basking in the afterglow of beating the boss, Peter was looking at us as if he were seeing something strange.

Dont let this kind of thing upset the man who will be the emperor.

Being upset at this level sill be a challenge in the future, Peter needs to be careful.