Beast Forest (2)
"..."
The patrol squad gazed at the magical beasts they had just hunted down. They could feel that their numbers had increased compared to before.
"Extract the magic stones."
"Yes, sir."
The patrol squad's losses were minimal. Aside from one soldier who had clumsily pinched his hand during reloading due to inexperience with the double-barrel shotgun, there were no injuries.
With the introduction of the shotgun, they could now easily subdue not just low-grade magical beasts, but even mid-grade ones. Today, as usual, the patrol had smoothly eliminated them.
-Squelch.
Even so, the soldiers' expressions were grim.
There were two reasons for that.
First, even to the soldiers' eyes, the number of magical beasts was growing. They could handle the subjugation smoothly for now, but how long would that last? The beasts' numbers would keep increasing, while the patrol's capacity to eliminate them had its limits.
The second reason was the impending operation to assault the Beast Forest. It was necessary to curb the rising numbers.
But the interior of the Beast Forest was dangerous. The dense trees blocked sunlight and visibility, making it impossible to predict where a beast might lunge from.
Moreover, humans were inherently weak to demonic energy. They had to push through these harsh conditions to conquer the forest.
In short, if the beasts increased beyond this point, they wouldn't be able to cope. They needed to assault the forest, but that came with great risks.
"Extraction complete."
"Head back."
With the squad leader's words, the patrol began their return to the territory.
"You think we'll be okay?"
"Who knows."
They knew an assault was necessary, but they couldn't shake the anxiety.
"The soldiers' morale is dropping."
The Northern Grand Duke had noticed it too. Assaulting the Beast Forest wouldn't be easy. The soldiers knew that, so their declining morale was understandable.
But this situation was far from ideal. The lower the morale, the harder the assault would become.
On top of that, the intelligence gathered from repeated scouting of the forest's interior painted a grim picture: demonic energy thickening deeper in, beasts growing stronger. Even the northwest Beast Forest, deemed the easiest, required significant risk for conquest.
He had requested support from the Empire. But the beasts appearing around the territory kept multiplying, and the demonic energy inside the forest was intensifying.
They couldn't afford to wait indefinitely for reinforcements that might never come. They had to act before the beasts overwhelmed them or the forest's energy made assault impossible.
But with demoralized troops, a proper assault was out of the question. After much deliberation, the Northern Grand Duke rose from his seat.
"Assemble the soldiers."
The day of the scheduled Beast Forest assault drew near. The soldiers tried to hide their tension or anxiety, but they couldn't fully mask it. The atmosphere in the barracks was heavy.
Moreover, grumbling complaints began to surface.
"Can't we just torch the damn place and call it done?"
"If that worked, we'd have done it ages ago..."
"Fuck. We're marching off to die soon."
"If you're just gonna spout that unlucky shit, shut your trap."
"Honestly, the knights might be fine, but guys like you and me..."
"Even so..."
"Yeah, true. Even if we go, we're just meat shields..."
"All hands, assemble!"
The soldiers, mid-complaint, heard the order and filed out of the barracks.
"Why'd they call us?"
"Beats me."
Soon, they saw a figure ascending the platform.
"The Grand Duke...?"
One soldier murmured upon recognizing him. Why was he taking the stage? Why gather all the troops?
The Northern Grand Duke, met with puzzled stares, scanned the crowd briefly before speaking.
"I know your concerns. The Beast Forest operation will undoubtedly be dangerous."
The soldiers fell silent, listening intently.
"I won't give you irresponsible assurances that everything will be fine. The operation will be extremely perilous. The forest will be dark, thick trees hiding the beasts from view. You could be attacked anytime, anywhere—by you, or your comrade beside you, falling. That's why I say this now: anyone who doesn't want to join the Beast Forest assault may leave this moment."
His speech left soldiers, officers, and knights alike stunned. But the Grand Duke pressed on, ignoring their reactions.
"No one will hold you accountable. No finger-pointing at cowards who fled. If anyone tries, I'll punish them myself. You've already given your all subduing the beasts around the territory. Had you not, the territory would have suffered repeated attacks, and the townsfolk great losses. So it's fine to opt out. You've already earned great merit, safeguarding the peaceful lives of our people."
The Grand Duke acknowledged their past contributions, promising no penalties for withdrawing and vowing to prevent any backlash.
"But the situation worsens by the day. Shotguns have sufficed so far, but the beasts keep multiplying. Subjugation will hit its limit soon, and in the worst case, they'll assault the territory."
He paused after describing the deteriorating circumstances. The soldiers watched him quietly.
"Countless territory residents will be exposed to attacks. The peaceful lives you've protected will end; food will grow scarce. The walls can't hold forever. Your families, lovers, friends in the city will lose their safety."
The Grand Duke outlined the catastrophe if the beasts overran them.
"To protect our loved ones, we must thin their numbers. And the beasts still crawl from the Beast Forest. Without assaulting it, they'll keep coming, endlessly multiplying. That's why we must strike the forest. I'll say it again—no lies that it'll be fine. It will be dangerous. We won't have the luxury to tend all casualties. But your sweat and blood won't be in vain. If the operation succeeds, if the beasts vanish from the north, peace will return. Boring, everyday peace like before the beasts came. Your loved ones will live safer than now."
The soldiers thought of their dear ones, imagining lives secured by their risks.
"The north will thank your sacrifices. Your loved ones will too. And the north will never forget your merits."
The Grand Duke gazed steadily at them as he spoke plainly.
"The beasts target us—and our loved ones— even now. So I ask you, not as an order, but a plea: protect our precious ones. Reclaim our peaceful lives. To do that, we must fight. Enter the unknown perils of the Beast Forest. You might not return. And this won't be the last time. Still, we must."
He made his plea to the soldiers.
"I'll lead the vanguard. Who will join me?"
With that, he fell silent. Roars of approval erupted from the troops. Worry and fear were gone from their faces.
"Advance."
At the Northern Grand Duke's command, the forces began to move. Beyond the gates, into the open fields.
It was a day of vicious blizzard. Yet the soldiers' eyes burned with resolve.
"No shotgun fire until we reach the Beast Forest."
Not knowing how much ammo they'd need, any approaching beasts were handled by knights. At last, they entered the northwest Beast Forest.
-Boom!
"Left flank! Mid-grade beast!"
-Blast! Boom! -Slash.
"Above!"
-Shing.
"Grab the casualties' shotguns and ammo!"
-Boom!
The northern forces pressed on. Dense conifers shrouded the interior in darkness; beasts lunged from above, behind, or beside trees. Survivors collected dropped shotguns and ammo, advancing. Deeper in, ambushes and mid-grade beasts grew more frequent. Still, they pushed forward.
Finally, they reached the forest's heart.
--......-----…!
A repulsive magical beast emitting an eerie wail. Its massive belly undulated, spewing eggs.
"..."
The Northern Grand Duke silently infused his sword with aura and swung.
-Splatter.
"Rotate and check casualties."
The first Beast Forest assault operation was a success.