Summoning United Nations : 国連の召喚 Kokuren no Shoukan

Battle of Italica I

Usually, the traffic here would be flowing briskly, and between the merchants and the taxmen they had to deal with, the area would be very lively. However, that bustle was nowhere to be seen today. A pile of wood and furniture blocked the main gate, denying all who would enter.

On top of the city wall, which was three stories tall, the sentries were lining up and pointing their crossbows at them.

They had even installed a polybolos, which could release multiple bolts in sequence.

In addition, they had many things that were difficult to imagine as weapons. For instance, there were steaming cauldrons, suspended over fires.

If it were located by a river or on a mountain top, one might think it was a cookpot for a witch. But on top of a city wall, there was no way to think it was there to prepare food.

“I hope they don’t decide to give us a bath…”

Kurata, who was driving the HMV, muttered those words. Itami thought, they can’t hear you. In variety TV shows, the “bath” in question was little more than a harmless prop, but in reality, it was a horrible device on par with chemical weapons.

Dying from being scalded to death by hot water would be a long and painful way to go.

Being scalded by hot water over much of the body would cause the formation of full-body blisters and a consequent loss of body fluids, leading to dehydration. If that was not enough to kill a person, the loss of skin would also invite infection. The dead tissues would then rot and lead to sepsis, plunging the victim into terrible pain. Even if they somehow survived, they would bear the scars and agony for life.

If he had known that this was not water, but rather molten lead, Itami would have ordered an immediate retreat because he was keenly aware of the stories where people tried to kill themselves by self-immolating, but somehow managed to survive after incredible suffering.

Italica’s defenders used weapons that were quite different from those of Itami and his colleagues. They were sharp, or hot, and at a glance one could call them “implements for murder”.

The term “killing intent” came up often in TV serials, light novels, or manga, but Itami had never felt that sort of thing during his life in modern society. Perhaps one could only sense these things after becoming a martial arts master. What he could feel, right now, was a sense of pain or heat whenever he looked at those things. In addition to the caution coming from the defenders, he could feel eyes filled with murderous intent fixed on them.

“Friend or foe?! If you are a friend, then come out!”

Although he didn’t know the meaning of those words being shouted from above him, he could tell from their tone. He whispered to Lelei, “Doesn’t sound like a welcome. Should we try another city?”

“The people in the town look very busy too, so it looks like we can’t discuss things with them properly. Although I don’t know what they’ll be fighting against, I don’t want to be involved in it. Frankly speaking, my safety and yours is my top priority. What do you think?”

“Yeah, they’re dying to have us in there.”

As Kurata grumbled from the passenger seat, Sergeant Major Kuwabara said over the wireless, “If they don’t move, we don’t move”. The two of them had their rifles in hand and carefully aimed them outside.

However, Lelei used her usual blank expression and steady voice to say, “Rejected”.

“But we can’t get in while they’re like this.”

“There are other entrances. Italica is a plains city. There will be gates on the north, south, east and west. There’s no way that there’s no other way in.”