Chapter 209.2 |
The nets were made of monster materials, so they could not be cut off so easily, and above all, they could not be easily shaken loose once the wings and feet of the harpies got entangled into them. Although the nets were only large enough to fit humanoid opponents, it was more than enough to trap its prey.
These harpies proved Welner’s hypothesis. As Welner had predicted, the harpies’ ability to fly was hampered by the wind magic tools that were still consuming magic power from the surrounding area at the edge of the nets.
If all they had to do was send the nets flying, they could have done so with arrows from their crossbow. But to stop those harpies in their tracks, PET-bottle rockets were better as they could carry things like liquid. The liquid that was poured down on harpies from rockets was not just water.
The harpies writhed in disgust, flapping their wings and shaking their heads in an attempt to shake off the liquid they had been drenched in. All those movements caused harpies to get further tangled up in nets.
Although that liquid had the effect of harassing monsters and making them run away, it did not have enough power to damage the monsters.
…
Some time ago…
As the opinion began to coalesce around the idea that potion to repel monsters should be used as a last resort to protect the residents who had evacuated to the city, Welner spoke up.
“What if we just dilute it and use it in a diluted manner?”
The potion to repel monsters was originally a concentrated solution to be sprayed on the ground to produce an effect. That meant that even if the solution was diluted, it should still have some effect if it was directly sprayed on the opponent. In order to be sure, they tested its effect on the monsters in the suburbs of the royal capital.
As expected, it really had an effect on monsters. However, to make it really useful in war situations, diluted potion needed to spread to a large distance.
There was a limit to the distance that could be covered by aiming the potion manually. That was where PET-bottle rockets provided a solution, spreading the potion much farther than being thrown manually or scooped up and splashed directly.
…
Back to the present…
The diluted potion that was carried by the PET-bottle rockets to the top of the harpies fell on their bodies, causing the monsters to act confused for a moment, but it was enough distraction for an opening. Welner also once considered launching a steam explosion as a follow up, but decided not to do so because heating the potion would have destroyed its effectiveness.
Max, who had been watching harpies writhe in pain from a distance on the ramparts, asked, “What do you think that potion feels like to monsters?”
Welner, who had come up to the ramparts to check his luggage, answered, “I don’t know, but I guess… it’s like having a bunch of ants crawling all over your skin, right?”
Welner’s reply caused not only Max but also Augen, Valcay, Neurath, and Schunzel to frown.
“I don’t even want to imagine that feeling, sir.”
“I felt bad when you said it, as well.”
Even Welner, the one who made the comment, responded with a subtle expression on his face, and while he was doing so, the battle situation changed. Countless arrows started raining down from the top of the ramparts.
At the initial stage, the few harpies that were covered with nets might still have been able to avoid the barrage of arrows. However, because the harpies were distracted by the effects of the diluted potion, they became even more entangled in the nets one after another, becoming so tangled that it was almost impossible for them to escape.
In a very short time, more than 50 harpies crashed to the ground. No sooner after that attack, Welner and the others descended the ramparts, revealing the results of the attack.
Having succeeded in blinding the enemy’s side, the second phase of the operation started, which involved the kingdom’s army going outside the city.
“Let’s go out!”
“The Zeavert Corps, move out, too!”
Following the other units, the Zeavert Corps, commanded by Welner, also moved out of the city. There was something to be done before the enemy’s second column arrived.
The Kingdom’s army, fired up by the fact that none of its allies had suffered any losses in the first battle, hurriedly rode to its planned position.
