The Cry Peeper's Remains
But unlike Joseph's expectation, they didn't encounter the Cry Peeper.
Because the next morning, the Cry Peeper's corpse lay discarded near the encampment.
“Which of the guards from yesterday are you!”
Davie called out the mercenaries upon waking to the bizarre sight.
Originally, he wouldn't interfere much with Joseph's command, but this situation was too strange to ignore.
“W-We saw nothing! I swear!”
The mercenaries shouted indignantly, having stood guard last night.
They glanced at some of Davie's soldiers.
Because, besides the mercenaries watching the camp perimeter, some of Davie's soldiers were also guarding Davie's tent.
Since Davie's tent was in the center of the camp, if any of them hadn't stood watch and did something else, the soldiers would have noticed.
“……”
But the soldiers averted their gazes.
They prioritized Davie's choice over right or wrong.
Since they were knight's soldiers, many were at least minor nobles.
But even so, as nobles feeling displeased, especially not being able to spill the truth to their employer without hesitation, they had no choice but to look uncomfortable.
“……Bring those bastards here. I'll cut their throats myself.”
Davie furrowed his brows and spoke.
The ones hired with money couldn't even properly stand watch, in a situation where not only their employer but also as a noble himself.
It was a fate they deserved to die.
From Davie's perspective, not pursuing further charges and cleanly cutting their throats was rather merciful.
“……No, wait a moment. Isn't that too hasty?”
As Davie's soldiers reached for their waist swords, Joseph stopped them.
Honestly, Joseph also had some responsibility to the guard mercenaries.
After all, regardless of reason, failing to notice it until daylight was a problem.
But to just cut people's throats on the spot?
It was surprising, but no one was harmed.
More importantly, what was needed now wasn't finding and punishing the culprit.
……Moreover, I hired the mercenaries.
Of course, it was using Braham's money, not his own.
But still, it was a bit bothersome that he was trying to punish them arbitrarily without consulting him.
This is why nobles are……
But Davie looked at Joseph with an expression of being puzzled by the opposite of his words.
“Lord Mage. These are people who have dirtied your face. It would be better not to let it slide.”
It seemed that, since they were moving under Joseph's name, they felt obligated to follow instructions as much as possible and not disgrace their employer, whether they were private soldiers or mercenaries.
It wasn't wrong.
It was just that they shouldn't cut their throats for that.
“First, we should accurately assess the situation, and only then decide on punishment.”
At that, Davie let out a small snort.
He said he didn't care about honor, but was this sincere? Looking at Joseph with that face.
To stand up for a few mercenaries who didn't follow orders properly.
He then raised his arm and dismissed the soldiers.
“If Lord Mage's opinion is so, I will respect it. However, their crimes will not disappear.”
“Of course. In the end, it's a fact that they didn't properly stand watch.”
Davie nodded once and gave orders to the soldiers.
“Strengthen the perimeter. We won't let sloppy ones pass through.”
Then he turned and returned to his tent.
It seemed to mean that he would lay the groundwork as needed, and the rest should be handled directly.
“Th-Thank you!”
“B-Because of us, you went to such lengths……”
After Davie left, the mercenaries hurriedly bowed to Joseph.
No matter how much they were veteran mercenaries, being told by a knight to seriously cut their throats made them scared.
But there, Joseph stood up and blocked the noble's opinion head-on.
“We will definitely follow whatever instructions Lord Mage gives.”
“We will repay the favor with our lives.”
They bowed repeatedly, saying it many times.
But Joseph couldn't nod happily at the reaction.
Eh…… Did I make a slight mistake?
Rather, after hearing the mercenaries' words, he started thinking that.
Joseph had intervened because he didn't think they needed to be killed, but in the end, he ended up blocking the noble's opinion directly.
I’ve been with Auger for too long……
Thanks to the friendliness of that rural knight, he had momentarily forgotten that this world was an absolute class society.
This might cause trouble later.
From what he knew of Davie's personality so far, he probably wouldn't directly express displeasure to Joseph.
But just in case……
“Enough. It's not the time to think about such things now.”
Joseph sighed and said to the mercenaries.
This was also for himself to say.
“First, we should check the state of this Cry Peeper.”
“Yes!”
In response to Joseph's words, the mercenaries took defensive stances.
Since Davie had returned to his tent, the rear perimeter might have become looser than before.
Joseph slowly approached the Cry Peeper.
Then, swinging his staff, he took out a mana orb and gently pressed it against the monster's chest as if using a stethoscope.
Though it was hypothetical, he thought it might be feigning death.
Since he already knew that demonic beasts were beings that strayed far from common sense, caution was needed.
Fortunately, the corpse didn't move, and the unique scent of demonic beasts that had touched divinity didn't rise.
Then, it seems it really is dead……
Joseph slowly examined the Cry Peeper's corpse.
Seeing it was larger than the ones caught yesterday, it seemed the one that flew away last was the one.
There are many wounds. What did it get hit by?
Upon closer look, the body and wings were torn in places.
This……?
Looking closely at the torn parts, there were traces as if bitten by sharp teeth.
Joseph's gaze turned to the Cry Peeper's neck.
Its flexible long neck was broken in the middle.
Did it get attacked by some beast-like creature?
He had seen similar wounds long ago.
To the corpses of villagers attacked by the black beast in Bari Village.
“Could there be rumors that there's a more dangerous monster in Harbert Forest than the Cry Peeper?”
Joseph asked the mercenaries.
But they recalled and shook their heads.
“No. If it were that dangerous a monster, a extermination request would have come out in the city.”
Since they were affiliated with the mercenary guild, they wouldn't have missed such rumors.
Harbert Forest basically has many monsters, but most are lower-grade monsters.
That's why the Viscount Favidea or the influential figures in Caladon have left it alone.
As long as you avoid them well, it's fine.
More importantly, if there was such a thing, Joseph would have been the first to report it.
Then, something else must have happened recently……
He couldn't be sure, but looking at the wounds, it was likely a beast-type monster.
That meant such a creature was wandering around here.
But why is the corpse here.
He could roughly guess why it died.
But the thing he couldn't understand at all was why the Cry Peeper's corpse was discarded right next to this encampment.
Did the Cry Peeper try to target the encampment and get attacked? But no one heard such a thing……
Since the Cry Peeper is large, when it moves, it naturally makes a big noise.
If such a creature was attacked here and nearby soldiers didn't notice……?
Like someone deliberately left it in front of the encampment.
“……Hmm.”
Joseph, after thinking that far, ordered the mercenaries to search the surroundings widely, just in case.
What to find were blood trails and such clues.
Since it hadn't been dead for even a day.
Though it's a just-in-case thought……
If it was real, besides the scattered blood around, there should be more fallen blood.
“Found it!”
“Really?”
And as expected, it matched Joseph's prediction.
There was a blood trail on the ground a bit more northeast from where the Cry Peeper's corpse was placed.
“Could it be a blood trail of some other animal, not a monster?”
But one of the mercenaries, who was a hunter, immediately shook his head at Joseph's words.
“I haven't seen any traces of other animals around here.”
“Then, could it be the blood of another monster?”
“……That would be even harder, wouldn't it.”
He laughed awkwardly at Joseph's words.
But then his expression also subtly hardened.
The same conclusion was unfolding in Joseph's mind.
So…… A creature whose species as beast or monster is unknown killed the Cry Peeper and left it near our encampment?
“Is that a reasonable statement?”
“No.”
Joseph let out a small hollow laugh.
In this crazy world, strange things could happen at any time, so he couldn't nod.
“I don't know the exact reason, but it would be better not to leave it for long.”
At that, the rest nodded.
In fact, the extermination was supposed to continue for a few more days, but they didn't want to proceed with such strange signs.
***
“So, it seems there's a beast-type monster.”
When he reported to Davie, he stroked his chin.
“If it was enough to kill a Cry Peeper, it must be a significant creature.”
A brief curiosity appeared in Davie's eyes.
“If it's that kind of monster……”
He stopped there, then cut off his words.
But Joseph could understand what he was about to say.
Davie said he wanted to raise his name to become a proper noble.
A monster that tore the Cry Peeper apart like that.
If he exterminated such a creature, his name would spread far.
Like when Joseph exterminated the bear in Valois Territory in the past.
“Lord Davie.”
Joseph opened his mouth cautiously.
“I understand your thoughts, but isn't it too dangerous? In a situation where we don't know what kind of creature it is.”
Davie nodded at that.
As per Joseph's opinion, confronting an unknown monster was dangerous.
“But leaving such a creature alone isn't something Lord Mage doesn't know, right?”
It wasn't wrong either.
That such a creature would settle in the forest.
That meant it would ultimately push out the territories of other lower monsters.
And Joseph was already feeling that to some extent.
The burrowing spider that injured the mercenary's ankle, the bug monsters that came out to the encampment, the monsters that often appear even at the forest outskirts.
They had been ignoring them because they were quietly in the forest.
“……If it's such a creature, it would be better not to fight.”
If the one who killed the Cry Peeper was at a similar level to the bear monster in Valois Territory, perhaps half the troops might die.
Even at the time, they received help from the church, but this time there was no such thing.
Rather, it would be better to tell the Caladon commercial branch and let them handle it on their own.
It's not just Joseph who would be troubled if the monsters in Harbert Forest spread everywhere.
It means the trade routes around the forest would all become dangerous.
Probably, without Joseph urging, they would move on their own.
Joseph didn't want to jump into handling it without compensation.
Especially since it was a dangerous matter for his life!
“Hmm……”
At that, Davie fell silent for a moment.
Honestly, he wanted to use the mercenaries and quickly exterminate the creature.
He didn't want to share this content with Caladon.
Whether the commercial branch or he himself moved, the result would be the same: the dangerous monster would be exterminated.
But the important thing was who moved first.
If Davie exterminated the monster first, then informed the Caladon, he could owe the commercial branch.
So, he wanted to move now with the troops he had.
But I can't bully……
Davie wanted to maintain a good relationship with this mage.
His personality aside, the mage's powerful might and combat experience.
He didn't doubt it would be very helpful in the future dungeon hunts.
How to persuade……