I Got a Cheat and Moved to Another World, so I Want to Live as I Like - CH 274.1

At the very base of the world tree is a large hollow.

「That should be enough. With this much, we should be able to get the second magic circle moving」

A high elf with slouched shoulders spoke up, and the others agreed.

The acting chairman took a step forward and thrust his arms into the air.

「Now, everyone, please send your magic power towards me」

What they were trying to do was to activate the second magic circle.

The power to do so is supplied by the first magic circle, but it requires magic power to operate it.

「I will begin」

As the acting chairman mumbled something in his mouth, a small white dot of light appeared a little higher than his height. It jumped around at high speed and drew a large magic circle.

This was the second magic circle. Its diameter is about twice as large as the first magic circle.

The horizontal disk, made of white lines of light, has not yet rotated.

「Slowly and carefully. If we rush this, the magic circle will collapse」

A high elf with thick eyebrows said while staring intently at him.

The Spirit Forest War, which used Spirit Cannon, happened before the Bloodless Revolution. Because of that, the experience of using it has not been handed down.

The pressure on the slouched-shouldered high elf who was entrusted with the operation of the cannon must have been enormous.

「Okay, it’s moving」

He leaned forward and clenched his fists.

The second magic circle above his head began to rotate steadily, but the first magic circle below his knees, on the other hand, was rotating extremely slowly.

「Slower! Slower!」

An old woman, different from the pharmacist who is in the hospital, holds her mouth with her hands and screams.

Various suggestions from the surrounding. Still, the acting chancellor maintained his concentration and completed the heavy and delicate task.

「It went well. Now let’s discuss the remaining issue from last time, the range and power of the Spirit Cannon」

The acting chairman wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and turned around with a relieved expression.

With a snap of his fingers, a tapestry of a map appeared on the inner wall of the room. As if approaching the surface of the earth from a great height, the Northern city is magnified.

「What else is there that needs to be discussed? It’s obviously the Northern city」

「No, we must also include the area outside the city walls where the Knights are stationed.」

「There’s that damn checkpoint, too」

One person’s question is answered by another. Each time an opinion was expressed, the size of the red circle on the map changed.

Some expanded the circle, fearing that the Griffon’s range of action was too wide. Others narrowed it down, saying that widening it would reduce its power.

In the end, a circle that covered the Northern city to the checkpoint was chosen. It was the larger of the two proposals.

「Well then, have all of you decided?」

The acting chairman asked after everyone had expressed their opinions.

After confirming that more than half of the hands had gone up for the vote, he continued.

「Majority in favor. The range shall be as shown on the map」

Once the second magic circle is filled with light, they will spin the third magic circle. Once that is done, the only thing left to do is to activate the Spirit Cannon.

The high elf with the slouched shoulders breathed a sigh of relief that things had gone smoothly so far.

***

The provincial city Awoke, that is located two days away to the west of the royal capital by commuting golem carriage.

On the road stretching north from this city, there was a group of merchants.

Five golem wagons in a row, filled with grain, smoked meat, and barrels of distilled spirits. They were heading north.

「It sure smells good, huh, mister? I really can’t help but love this smell」

The bearded man holding the reins at the head of the wagon sniffs the scent of liquor exuding from the barrels. He is a shipper, the owner of a golem wagon.

「Please spare me from “it was swallowed by the golem horse on the way”, alright?」

A bearded golem horse in the shape of a man smirks. 『Trust comes first in business, so it’s going to be fine』 he replied, but the boss looked worried.

But the boss looked troubled, because his dark skin, which was not tanned, made him look like he liked to drink. By the way, golem horses do not eat or drink.

『Smoked meat is also great as a snack』, the bearded man continued teasingly.

「Boss! Something’s coming! It’s on the west side of the forest」

Just then, a warning arrives from the carriage behind them.

The two of them turned to their left with nervousness. A flock of birds took flight in the depths of the forest, and even from their seats, they could feel the ground shaking.

「Prepare the spears! Send out a distress signal! Golem, full speed!」

The bearded old man, who had transformed into a different person, gave instructions to his men. Immediately, a scroll with a magic circle on it was used, and a mass of light shot up vertically.

Like fireworks, it revealed the emblem of the merchant guild, the Goddess Riding a balance.

「Giant lizard! One of them!」

The report from his men continued.

A dark green reptile emerged from the forest, snapping the thin trees in his path. It exceeded the size of a four-ton truck and was classified as a medium-sized magical beast.

「Damn it! It’s pretty fast for something with small legs」

At the shout coming from behind him, the owner looked back from the violently shaking driver’s seat. There were men standing on the back of the carriage at the end of the line, waving their spears desperately to keep it away.

However, it doesn’t seem to be able to escape it.

「Mister! The Giant Lizard will stop chasing if it eats. Be prepared to sacrifice a car or two behind」

He gulped as the bearded man told him in a low voice. The sacrifice would not be limited to his luggage. Perhaps his men as well.

「!?」

Just as he was thinking about it, he was hit by a violent blow to the side and thrown to the ground.

(So there wasn’t just one of them!)

The first golem carriage that was overturned blocked the road, causing the second to crash and the third to suddenly stop.

As a result, all five vehicles were caught between two Giant Lizards.

(This is the main road. Not a remote, narrow road in the middle of nowhere)

He thought, but the reality remained the same.

In front of the owner, who was unable to move in despair, the Giant Lizard opened its mouth wide.

The next moment, the head of the Giant Lizard blew off except for the lower jaw.

(What?)

I don’t know what just happened.

There was the sound of the Giant Lizard’s head bursting. But other than that, there was no other sound or vibrations.

Then, the same bursting sound came from behind him. When he turned his head to look, he saw the figure of another Giant Lizard that had lost its head.

「What the?」

The owner, who was still hunched over, let out such words.

On the other hand, the bearded old man, who was the first to recover from the confusion, instructed the rest to check the surroundings and treat the injured.

「Boss, there’s no one, or anything as far as I can see」

The bearded old man, standing with his arms crossed, nodded without losing his grim expression. He looks down next to him and calls out to the fat middle-aged man sitting there.

「Mister, I’m going to repair the golem carriages and unload them here. The first and second carriages are badly damaged, so we’ll leave the ones we can’t carry here, is that okay?」

The owner silently shook his head several times.

About thirty minutes later. When the tail of the headless giant lizard finally stopped moving, a being that shook the ground approached from the south.

It was a single B-class Knight belonging to the Kingdom knight order. It seemed to have seen the distress signal and rushed over from Awoke.

『Please tell me the situation』

When asked by an external sound system, the fat merchant replied. Wishing to hear more details, the B-class Knight dropped to one knee and opened his breastplate.

The person who appeared was a boy pilot, no matter how you look at it. However, his demeanor and mannerisms were calm and reassuring.

(This boy will be very popular when he grows up)

The owner thought. He has a neat face and a neutral atmosphere. The way he behaved gave the impression that he was well brought up.

In fact, one of the women in the group whistled at the boy.

「I see. The head of the Giant Lizard suddenly burst open. And two of them in a row at that, is it?」

After listening to the story, the young pilot puts his hand on his chin and thinks. He looked to the west, where the blood of the giant lizard stretched, and then turned his gaze to the mountainous area on the other side.

Those around him looked to the east as well but could see nothing but mountains, blue sky, and clouds.

『I will station a C-class Knight here until you can move again. Well then, I will be on my way now』

Leaving the place to the C-class Knight of the Kingdom knight order who arrived late, the noble kid boarded the B-class and turned to return to Awoke.

And as he let the Knight walk, he sighed with a somber look on his face.

(Giant Lizards huh? It must be becauseof the subjugation we did the other day)

Yesterday, a total of seven B and C-class Knights set out west from Awoke. They fought off a pack of magic beasts that had invaded the border.

(Perhaps it was left over from that time. So some of them managed to slip through, huh)

There were many inexperienced people in the group, so they must have missed it.

He decided to put the mystery that the merchant had told him on hold for now.

After arriving in Awoke, the noble kid left for the east with his men to return to the royal capital. On the way, the C-class Knight who was walking behind him mentioned something that caught his interest via the external sound system.

『What’s up with that guy? Why is he still here?』

The C-class Knight next to him who he was speaking to, replied with the external sound system while turning the Knight’s eyes to the north.

『That guy from the merchant guild must have it easy huh? All he has to do is just sit there』

The noble kid looked over and saw a beige knight sitting on the top of a rocky mountain in the distance. It was no doubt the Old Lady.

『Can you tell me more about that?』