Afterword
IN the afterword of the previous volume, I wrote about the series’ setting, and it felt just right to me, so this time I’ll talk about the setting at some length.
First, as for why Eyland adopted a scorched-earth policy even though it doesn’t work against Farune, whose soldiers only eat monster meat: this was because they had the preconceived notion that it was only some of them who ate exclusively monster meat. As a matter of fact, there are those who eat both regular food and monster meat even in the Hundred, and they (people who are closer to the general population) are actually in the majority. However, they’re not seen as full-fledged members, and they don’t serve in the military. So, even if Eyland had taken the time to gather accurate information, they would have heard that the Hundred also ate normal meals, and this would have confirmed what they already expected. They were sure there was no way that three thousand people were living off of nothing but monster meat. But in fact, the only ones who actually fought in the war were these select people.
Next, regarding what war in this world is like: Just like in the real world, long-range attacks are intrinsically powerful. Being able to attack the enemy from afar makes it easy to gain an advantage over them, and it reduces the psychological resistance people have to killing others. Also, wizards exist in this world, so magic reigns supreme over all other long-range methods of attack. However, because magic was so overpowered, research was conducted to counteract it, and as a result, defensive barriers were developed that even weak wizards can use. As such, it is generally possible to defend against most spells.
Incidentally, some magic barriers can also be used to defend against physical attacks like arrows. However, unlike fragile wizards, who must always stay on the back lines, archers can simply enter inside barriers, so it’s not like archers are completely useless; they’re just less of a priority than wizards. The reason Frau and the other wizards struggled against the archers was because it’s impossible to deploy attack and defense spells at the same time (one’s attack spells hit one’s own barriers), so they were targeted by arrows when they tried to attack using magic.
All of that is why Count Godwin used crossbows to try and oppose the Hundred. Crossbows can fire projectiles with more power than unaided humans can, which means they work better against the Hundred, who are monsters at close range, and unaffected by both magic and regular bows. Please think of crossbows as less like bows, and more like matchlock rifles.
Also, I must add that while this is the setting with regard to war, the story is a comedy, so I generally prioritize entertainment first. I would appreciate it if these were only considered loose rules that are applied when convenient.