How to Use the Lord's Future Diary

Chapter 176

The Johnson Knights.The Crimson Comet.

Even the Rangers.

The most striking sight, however, was the residents mixed in among the soldiers.

No...

Judging by the numbers, it was more accurate to say that the soldiers were mixed in among the residents.

There were far more residents than soldiers.

'This really is something...'

Seeing the residents clad in heavy armor, carrying hammers and flails, I couldn't help but wonder what I was looking at.

'...They fit in unbelievably well.'

'There's not the slightest sense of awkwardness.'

They blended in with the soldiers so naturally that no one would ever believe they were a hastily assembled force.

It felt as though everyone had simply returned to where they belonged.

'Well... this isn't the first time.'

It had only been two years since we'd all stood together defending the southern wall against monsters.

Everyone had already experienced a total war once before.

There was nothing new about it.

That was why I didn't stop the residents from joining.

To defend the enormous Johnson Castle, mobilizing the residents was essential.

And for their sake, it was the right decision.

Even if I ordered them to quietly stay inside their homes...

These weren't the kind of people who would actually listen.

Of course, the fact that they'd begun preparing the defenses before I even gave the order was incredibly... Johnson-like.

'Besides, there aren't many dangerous variables on this side anyway.'

Unless something unexpected happened, this battle would actually be safer than the defensive battle two years ago.

If this had been a truly dangerous siege, I would've stopped the residents from participating no matter how strongly they insisted.

This battlefield had been chosen from the beginning to minimize casualties.

I never intended to stop the enemy using the blood of my people.

"By the way... is it really alright for me to stay here?"

"Yes, of course."

"Chief Baurok is handling everything perfectly well."

"Well, that's true, but..."

Using the excuse of managing the Divine Relic, the Dog Tribe's Priestess, Elline, once again remained at Johnson Castle instead of returning to Hound.

She insisted there was no reason for her to interfere since the Dog Tribe was already doing an excellent job on its own.

Honestly...

She wasn't wrong.

United firmly under their chieftain, Baurok, the Dog Tribe had completely adapted to life in Hound.

Not only did they maintain the surrounding area, but they also carefully escorted the territory's merchant caravans.

On top of that, sericulture, Pepper Tree cultivation, and even Horn Ostrich ranching were all progressing without issue.

There really wasn't anything for Elline to interfere with.

It was a little exhausting that they reported every tiny little detail to me as though I were... well, whatever they seemed to think I was.

Still, that much was understandable.

The same applied to this battle.

Only around a thousand Gnolls had headed toward Henil.

That was well within the Dog Tribe warriors' ability to handle.

Their greater concern now was organizing the battlefield afterward.

To be honest, I trusted the Dog Tribe more than either the Cat Tribe or the Ape Tribe.

"Good."

"Then once the battle begins..."

"Yes."

"I'm ready."

"But... is this really alright?"

"Beastman Shamanism only works on Beastmen."

"Exactly."

"That's how it's supposed to work..."

The reason Elline was here was because I'd asked her to stay.

With Yuria absent, Elline was the only one I could rely on.

I wanted her to provide an area-wide enhancement like Yuria's songs at the most critical moment.

Fortunately, Elline said she could use a similar type of shamanic art.

The method was different, but the effect was nearly identical.

'I really had to work hard making that drum in such a short time.'

Yuria supported Beastmen through song.

Elline strengthened Beastmen through musical instruments.

Since both relied on sound, it seemed that sound itself was the medium through which this form of shamanism functioned.

To help Elline, we'd specially made a massive war drum.

Its sound was so loud that every soldier standing atop the walls would be able to hear it.

'Even if the shamanism doesn't affect humans...'

'It'll still boost morale.'

Watching the beautiful Dog Tribe Priestess Elline beating a great drum while encouraging the troops would raise morale one way or another.

At the very least...

It looked incredibly impressive.

Besides, Elline herself had become fairly popular throughout the territory.

"And what about the Holy Spirit...?"

"Oh, him?"

"He's doing his own job."

Elline was asking about Blacksoil.

Apparently she'd noticed that Blacksoil, who usually sat on my shoulder, was nowhere to be seen.

A perfectly reasonable question.

'Blacksoil's actually earning his keep for once.'

Since the northern basin had been chosen as the decisive battlefield, the Horned Rabbit Ranch was destined to suffer tremendous damage.

No...

"Damage" wasn't even the right word.

It had to shut down completely.

There was no way the Horned Rabbits would survive while thousands of Gnolls rampaged across the area.

Naturally, we couldn't simply abandon the ranch.

After moving a large number of rabbits to the ranch at Rotsy, we sealed the tunnel.

To prepare for the worst-case scenario in which even the Rotsy ranch was destroyed, we were also safely keeping some rabbits inside the castle.

Of course, regardless of how many rabbits survived, the ranch itself would effectively be closed for business.

Still...

Saving as many as possible was the better option.

After all, rebuilding their population would take time.

For several days, countless residents worked tirelessly butchering rabbits while relocating as many as possible elsewhere.

Even after all that...

There were still enormous numbers of Horned Rabbits left roaming the fields.

It would've been far too wasteful to leave them behind.

So I asked Blacksoil to lend us a hand.

Right now...

He was out there in the middle of the plains, happily playing with the Horned Rabbits.

Once the battle began...

He'd finally earn his keep for the first time in a while.

'Though that's hardly the only thing he'll be doing.'

Since Blacksoil normally spent all day making ridiculous jokes...

I fully intended to squeeze every bit of usefulness out of him while I could.

-Dududududu.

"...It's starting."

The sound of pounding hooves echoed in the distance.

The Horse Tribe was riding toward us.

It was finally time for the battle to begin.

Just one day.

Somehow...

We intended to wipe out every last one of those troublesome bastards before today was over.

That was precisely why we'd even sacrificed the Horned Rabbit Ranch and chosen the northern basin as our battlefield.

The Horse Tribe Chieftain, Ollio, stood atop the Northern Fortress, watching the Monster Mountains.

Beside him waited five hundred Horse Tribe warriors with bows already drawn.

The moment the Gnolls arrived...

The operation would begin.

"Our human chieftain really is an entertaining fellow."

The Horse Tribe's mission was simple.

Toy with the Gnolls for a while...

Then retreat.

There was no one better suited to playing with the enemy than the Horse Tribe.

As long as they avoided direct confrontation, it wasn't even particularly dangerous.

The human chieftain always entrusted them with the most entertaining jobs.

He truly understood the Horse Tribe.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, Chieftain!"

"If we pull this off..."

"Are we finally the heroes this time?"

"Those Cow Tribe bastards got all the Fried Rabbit after the last war!"

"Rabbit! Rabbit!"

"That's right! Rabbit!"

"This time we'll be the ones mocking those Cow Tribe bastards!"

Among the Beastmen, it had somehow become common knowledge that whoever achieved the greatest merit in battle would be treated to Fried Rabbit by the human chieftain.

Iron had never actually said such a thing.

Yet somehow...

The rumor had spread on its own.

To Ollio, it seemed ridiculous that a reward like Fried Rabbit would be handed out over something this minor.

Still...

There was no point arguing about it.

These fools would grin from ear to ear even if they were handed nothing more than canned meat.

Which meant...

He could make as many empty promises as he wanted.

"There they are."

"Prepare to fire!"

The Gnolls were finally emerging from the mountains.

There had to be several thousand of them.

Five hundred Horse Tribe warriors nocked arrows and aimed at the leading ranks.

"Fire!"

-Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

A rain of arrows announcing the beginning of the battle poured down upon the Gnoll horde.

The Gnoll Lord...

Leader of the massive horde formed by uniting five separate Gnoll packs within the Monster Mountains...

Led his army into human territory.

Before him stood the humans' defensive wall.

Beyond that wall...

The human fortress.

And beyond that fortress...

Warm lands where humans could be hunted without restraint.

-Grrrr.

No Gnoll had ever reached that place.

It was simply knowledge inherited through instinct.

Through memories carried in their blood.

One of the greatest reasons the Gnolls had always failed...

Was that wall.

Crossing it demanded unbearable sacrifices.

And even after doing so...

They were never able to fight properly before reaching the human fortress.

-Grrrrr.

But this time...

Things were different.

Never before had a Gnoll led such a vast army against humanity.

He intended to cross that hateful wall with minimal losses...

Then feast upon human flesh.

-Shushushush!

As they approached the wall, the humans released their arrows.

A familiar attack.

-GGGrrrr!!!

This wall had always been where human resistance was strongest.

Their greatest task was crossing it while keeping as many warriors alive as possible.

The Gnoll Lord ordered the Shamans to cast the Berserk Shamanism.

The losses caused by Berserk could easily be repaid by devouring humans afterward.

After all...

That fortress was always filled with humans waiting to stop the Gnolls.

-Grrr!!!!

-GGrR!!!!

The Gnoll vanguard, their eyes dyed crimson, charged through the rain of arrows.

Some fell with arrows protruding from their bodies.

But those casualties were well within expectations.

A few sacrifices allowed the majority to reach the wall.

At last, they climbed over it.

Destroying the sturdy human wall was unrealistic.

The best strategy was to climb over it and slaughter the humans defending it.

Now...

A bloody battle between the humans defending the wall and the Gnolls attempting to conquer it should have begun...

-...Grrr?

Instead...

Nothing happened.

The humans defending the wall had transformed into something strange and were fleeing beyond it.

Their upper bodies remained human...

But their lower bodies had become bizarre beasts.

-"Fried Rabbit! Uraaaahhh!!"

Shouting incomprehensible battle cries...

They continued firing arrows.

-Gr!

-Grac!!

The blind arrows flying over the wall were already costing the Gnolls valuable warriors.

But an even greater problem awaited inside the wall.

There was...

Nothing.

No humans.

No food.

Not even a single drop of water remained.

For the Gnoll vanguard, already on the verge of exploding from hunger and thirst after receiving the Berserk Shamanism...

It was a devastating problem.

-Grac!!!

Meanwhile...

Those strange humans continued showering them with arrows from outside.

-GRRRRRR!!

In the end, the Gnoll Lord chose to advance.

He ordered another Berserk Shamanism.

They would pursue those strange humans...

And devour them.

That was the only way to satisfy their immediate hunger.

-GrGrGr!!!

How long had they chased those bizarre humans?

Soon...

They encountered something utterly incomprehensible.

Rabbits.

So many rabbits that even the Monster Mountains rarely contained such numbers.

The Gnolls, driven mad by hunger, rushed toward them without a second thought.

-Grrr.

Slaughter and consumption were the very instincts of the Gnolls.

After receiving Berserk Shamanism twice, the unbearable hunger would not subside until they had eaten.

And when such perfect prey suddenly appeared before them...

-GrGrGr!!!

It was only natural that the entire Gnoll horde lost all reason.

Naturally...

As the Horned Rabbits desperately scattered in every direction, the Gnolls spread out to chase them.

The Gnoll Lord could not tolerate such disorder among his army.

After all...

Not a single human had been killed yet.

-GGGGRRR!!!!

Even after the Gnoll Lord's furious roar...

The horde continued chasing nothing but rabbits.

Realizing this could not continue, the Gnoll Lord personally moved to the front to restore order.

The Gnolls who met his gaze slowly began regaining their senses.

But then—

-BOOM!!!!

With an earth-shaking explosion...

Towering pillars of flame erupted from every direction.