Chapter 107.1. Back Kamakura

-???’s POV-

A battalion of 1,000 warriors begins to deploy in Kamakura, tents get set up, and a warding fence surrounds the area. A dome-shaped ward covers the battalion’s base as the ward fence glows faintly.

Equipped with magic armor Masamune Type 22, like warrior’s armor, the warriors moved swiftly to set up a barbed-wire fence and pile up the materials to fortify the base.

In front of the materials that began to be piled up beside the tents, those with wand-shaped magic tools started to use their magic. The mana light transferred from the staff to the materials, the cement floated in the air, and the rebar was combined and erected into a concrete wall on the ground.

In no time, a small but sturdy-looking barracks was constructed, and the construction workers went inside with assembled furniture to prepare the interior.

The Tokyo Survey Team, to which Mashiro and Nagamasa belonged, moved with a high degree of skill and steadily built a base where they could stay for an extended period.

Occasionally, goblins would emerge from abandoned buildings and other places, and Horn Rabbit would attack the warriors to prevent them from destroying their territory. But the warriors handled the situation without panic and won the battle without a hitch.

Their appearance led one to believe they could set the base in a short time.

Even those peering through binoculars from the rooftop of a distant building let out a deep sigh at the thought.

“Hah~, it’s indeed the Imperial Warrior Corps that I heard the sound of, Commander~. The Commander is right. It’s a good thing we didn’t set up a base here.”

A deeply hooded man in a tattered-looking black robe takes his eyes off the binoculars and speaks after him.

“Hmm. From what I’ve heard, the warriors were a vulnerable and corrupt group.”

Leaning against a rusty water tank, a man, wearing the same tattered black robe, crosses his arms and replies amusedly. He’s similarly hooded, his face unrecognizable.

“What’s that? Where in the world are you talking about? The warrior corps of the Japanese Magic Empire is powerful, maybe even stronger than the army. They’re one of the ones we don’t want to fight in Japan.”

The one who had been sitting on the rubble-strewn, dirt-covered floor without a care in the world interjects with an exasperated voice. Her ample breasts, visible even through her robe, told people she was a woman.

“I’m sorry. I seem to remember common sense wrong sometimes, and Annal and Eri are always helping me out.”

The man’s voice is young and makes you think he is still in his twenties, but he has an appealing tone that gives him a mysterious air.

“Well, we’re here because we were helped by Commander Ymir, too. I guess it’s mutual.”

The woman called Eri answers somewhat shyly, and the man called Annal plays with his binoculars in his hands and grins.

“Oh yeah, and if we didn’t have the Commander to save us from the slavers, we would have died as usual.”

“And we awakened our hidden power.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. I’m also very happy to have saved you.”

The man called Commander Ymir smiles thinly, his mouth turning into a smile.

“Ah, but I don’t want to invest anymore. I lost a lot of money on the stocks the Commander recommended.”

“You’re an idiot. Do you know that? Commander Ymir’s predictions have a hit rate of about 70%. You didn’t diversify your investments? If you had, you would have made some money in total.”

“…… I put it in a single …… point.”

Annal awkwardly turns away from Eei, who makes an exasperated sound.

“A prophecy is an exaggeration, Eri. I’m sorry, Annal. I’m just guessing based on a lot of information. I’m not a good investor.”

“Well, you were right this time. I guessed that a group of Imperial Warriors is coming to Kamakura to use it as a base.”

“You, the coward, have been clamoring to establish a base in Kamakura. If we had followed your advice, we would be fighting with the warriors.”

“Heh heh, my bad. I’m sorry, Eri-sama~. Ouch, you’re hurting me!”

Eri threw a piece of concrete at Annal, who was not remorseful but rather teasingly said to her.

With his eyes fixed on the situation, Ymir stares thoughtfully at a group of warriors who are busy building a base far away from him.

“In that battalion, there should be the second prince, Gengami Nagamasa, and Teijo Mashiro, the heir apparent of the Teijo family.”

At his muttering, the two men who had been joking around stopped moving and turned to face Ymir.

“Second prince!”

“Wasn’t Teijo the chieftain of the warriors?”

Ymir nods cockily at the two, his face turning to surprise.

“The druid vassalization, and the survey of Tokyo, and finally …… no, I guess this isn’t happening anymore. They must have come here for those two things.”

For some reason, he didn’t say the last line, and when he withdrew it, he turned to the two of them.

“Hey, hey, …… what were we here for?”

“You’ve forgotten already. Annal is a fool. We’re here to hunt druids, aren’t we?”

“I know! That’s why we’re checking with the Commander! Commander, you don’t think we’d fight with the warriors, do you?”

“If we’re told to kill, we’ll do as Commander Ymir commands.”

“That’s shortsighted! We’re mercenaries, remember? We’re not a group of wanted criminals. Right, Commander? We’re not going to fight, are we?”

Annal and Eri exchange like a pair of comedians. Eri is bullish, while Annal rubs his hands heheheheh, and pleads with Ymir.

“Of course, we’re not a criminal group. Druids are in the gray ones and aren’t protected by the law. We could get away with saying we were protecting them if they found out we were holding them. But it would still be a bad idea.”

“Ho. That’s right. We like to make money, but don’t want to be criminals.”

Eri clicked her tongue as if she was making fun of Annal, who was openly relieved.