Chapter 295: Operation to Organize the Frontlines
As the forward base for the development of the Demon Forest was rapidly being established, the reorganization of the eastern front of the Prava Divine Nation commenced.
To swiftly eliminate concerns, the transportation of the Chimiya Family would be handled by the Paraiso. Although the Chimiya Family possessed the physical capability to run at 80 km/h on the ground, they could not compete with the tiltrotor aircraft, which could travel at over 600 km/h in the air.
By deploying multiple personnel, it would be possible to bring all the monk soldiers under command within a few days. The Chimiya Family had no objections, provided that the trivial matters could be resolved quickly.
Thus, the hastily deployed tiltrotor aircraft, the Seahawk, took off one after another toward the eastern front.
The Seahawk operated unmanned, yet it was impressive to see the Chimiya Family boarding without complaint, acting without question when given orders.
“With this, the eastern front should be manageable.”
“Yes, Ma’am. We will also establish supply bases. Fortunately, there is a port town in the Kati Andal Litin Principality to the southwest of the front. We can develop it as a landing port to supply materials to the frontlines.”
Currently, the forces on the eastern front were being sustained by consuming local supplies. Due to the small number of personnel, this was not a problem in the short term. However, if left unattended, various supplies would begin to dwindle as the seasons changed. Therefore, it was imperative to commence the resupply of military materials as soon as possible.
“For the time being, we will rely on air transport, and in the long term, we will consider railways. In the medium term, perhaps large trucks. Extending the railway to the northern part of the front will be quite a challenge.”
“The distance from north to south is nearly 1,000 km. The terrain is uneven, and there are forests that have not been touched by human hands, so connecting them will not be easy. There are roads, but only small powered vehicles can traverse them. It might be better to establish an airport somewhere.”
The river that flows from the Demon Forest is also an important infrastructure. In fact, inland nations have cities that spread along the riverbanks. Due to the width of the river, large ships cannot pass through, but it could be considered as a means of transportation for the time being.
“I want to explore for mineral veins, and I want to create major arteries. The pacification is complete, so extensive exploration can proceed, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. However, the urgent matter that needs addressing is…”
“The Fenrir, isn’t it, Older Sister!”
Indeed, the Fenrir family had been left untouched, and honestly, they were quite a nuisance. The Frost, Yalun, and Hati had apparently made a portion of the Reidia Kingdom their territory. With no external threats, they roamed freely within their claimed territory.
“Fortunately, it seems they have no intention of expanding their territory further, which is a relief. However, a vast area of approximately one-sixth of the Reidia Kingdom is rendered unusable! While there is still plenty of land available, it is unacceptable for outsiders to occupy it!”
“The presence of that threat creature is an uncertain factor, preventing us from establishing a land use plan for about half of the Reidia Kingdom. Moreover, if left unchecked, they will continue to encroach upon the forest. If that happens, future utilization will become even more difficult.”
The territory claimed by the Fenrir was rapidly becoming overgrown with greenery. It seemed that something was overflowing from multiple magic hotspots, causing vegetation to expand at a visible rate. If left unattended, it would soon be absorbed into the Demon Forest.
“I see… If we don’t take action soon, it will become even more troublesome. If it turns into a Demon Forest, there is also the possibility of other threat creatures or monsters increasing.”
“That would indeed become an important subject for research! However, that research is not something we should pursue right now! The Reidia Kingdom lies between the eastern front and the Prava Divine Nation, and part of it is blocked! We need to pacify it quickly and establish supply routes!”
Asahi likely desired an environment where she could conduct her research calmly. The territory of the Fenrir would indeed be a valuable subject for study, but it was vast. Observing all of it would be extremely challenging, and the longer we waited, the more difficult it would become.
Moreover, the territory of the Reidia Kingdom had been incorporated into The Tree. Asahi’s hope was likely to liberate it quickly and utilize it effectively.
“So, are we going to drive away or eliminate those Fenrir?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Originally, the Fenrir’s territory was only within the forest. The reason they had not encroached upon the kingdom until now may be due to past conflicts with humanity. They might have recognized some threat, but at some point, they acknowledged that they could be pacified.”
“After all, they appeared suddenly! From what we can observe from the outside, it doesn’t seem like there was any significant anomaly in the Demon Forest! While there may have been territorial disputes that we cannot see, as far as tracking the Fenrir goes, they seem to possess a large territory within the Demon Forest, so the likelihood is low!”
Due to their massive size, the Fenrir could be tracked even within the forest. However, unless one was aware, even the advanced analysis program of The Tree would struggle to detect them due to their remarkable stealth.
“Since they are in the midst of raising their young, if we show them a threat, there is a possibility they will return to their original territory. Therefore, we should plan a strategy to test the waters.”
“That sounds reasonable. Hmm, should we use the land battleship (Jotun)…? But if I recall correctly, it was capable of breathing some outrageous fire.”
The basic policy was to deploy large weapons against large threat creatures. However, from past recorded images, it was predicted that this Fenrir possessed the power to incinerate entire cities. The capital of the Reidia Kingdom had been burned and destroyed beyond what could be attributed to a mere fire. It was undoubtedly this Fenrir that had caused such devastation.
“Based on past experiences, it is believed that oversized threat creatures possess correspondingly strong magical barriers.”
“Against magical barriers, multi-legged tanks would be insufficient! We need the striking power of a Jotun-class weapon! We could also deploy Gigantia or Titan, but they have issues with defense! Perhaps we could use them as missile platforms!”
“We have also prepared mass-type hypersonic missiles for use against magical barriers.”
The conclusion reached regarding countermeasures against magical barriers was that simple mass and velocity strikes were the most effective. This meant either bombardment from large coilguns or continuous strikes with hypersonic missiles.
The Fenrir was assumed to possess mobility that allowed it to traverse the ground freely. Predicting its movement would be difficult, making long-range bombardment challenging. Therefore, it was anticipated that autonomous flying missiles would be effective.
“A distance of a few kilometers is concerning! If we want to keep a distance of several tens of kilometers, even a shell traveling at 8,000 m/s would take several seconds to hit. If we don’t achieve a direct hit, it won’t mean much, so we definitely need hypersonic missiles!”
“The warhead weighs 4 tons, and the total is 15 tons… Isn’t that too heavy?”
“Yes, it is too heavy, Older Sister! The number that can be mounted on a Gigantia is limited! It is primarily designed for ground launch, but without a catapult, it cannot reach maximum speed, which is a drawback!”
The anti-magic barrier missiles were intended to be launched from an aircraft in a subsonic state or accelerated to supersonic speeds using an electromagnetic catapult on the ground. Otherwise, the built-in rocket engine would not be able to achieve sufficient acceleration to be effective.
In other words, a considerable launch facility would be necessary. Even if it were to be made mobile, it would require a significantly large vehicle.
Mass… The mass warhead solves everything…
Since ancient times, weight has been synonymous with strength.