Beast Forest (3)
Before the North launched its operation to conquer the northwest Beast Forest, the Boern Empire received a request for support.
“The Empire has already supplied shotguns. Expecting more support than that...”
“The North is an extremely important region for the Empire. Just looking at the resources alone...”
The ministers began voicing their opinions on the matter—whether to send additional support to the North or not.
“The North has served as the Empire's duchy for many long years...”
“But deploying Empire troops to the North would...”
The Emperor, who had been listening to the ministers' debate, finally spoke.
“We cannot ignore the suffering of Proston Duchy. Send the support troops.”
The Empire decided to dispatch support troops to the North's Proston Duchy. The next item on the agenda was how to compose those support troops. On this matter as well, the Emperor spoke up.
“Include mages in the support troops.”
“But...”
“I know. However, to minimize losses among the support troops, there's no choice. This should provide sufficient justification, don't you think?”
After the meeting ended, the ministers chatted as they left the chamber.
“Mages to the North... I'm not sure if that's a good idea.”
“Doesn't the justification hold? Including mages in the support troops would actually reduce casualties even further.”
“Better to send cannons...”
“I'm not sure we could maneuver cannons through that complex terrain and dense trees. Besides, cannons...”
“Hmm... True...”
The contents of the meeting were relayed to the military and the mages as well.
“We need to form support troops for the North...”
“Start with a division in scale... The mages are the sticking point.”
Knights and soldiers posed no issue. They could survey volunteers and conscript more if numbers fell short. But the mages were problematic.
“Pfft. Send us to the North? What a joke.”
The mages hated the North too. If one traced the origins, it stemmed from certain mages causing (what they deemed) minor incidents in the North, leading Northerners to despise mages—and those mages in turn to despise the Northerners who hated them. A vicious cycle. Of course, the Northerners' loathing for mages was kept stoked by firewood dutifully added by a few of those same mages whenever it began to fade.
Anyway, no matter what we do, our reputation's not gonna improve.
Perfect timing. I've been pondering that human petrification research...
The mages called these types black mages, but the North made no such distinction between the two. This animosity between Northerners and mages had repeated over long years and persisted to this day.
“It's insulting enough that they lump black mages in with us. And now they want us to provide support?”
“Yeah. Just because we ran a few experiments, they've been holding it against us for decades...”
“You aren't thinking...?”
“No way.”
“Helping the North? We'd have to be suckers.”
“Once they get badly burned by the beasts, their thinking might change. We could consider it then.”
Whether support to the North was truly necessary—this was the prevailing view among mages. But not everyone always thought the same.
“Beasts, huh... Sounds fun.”
Penelope Valentine. A 7th-circle mage. With her violet wavy hair and alluring features that made everyone she passed turn their heads, she differed from typical mages. She was Mayrn Mass's mentor.
“Master? Did you say something?”
“Hm? Nothing much. More importantly, are you still fiddling with that toy?”
“Toy? This may look simple, but it's a magitech tool that drastically shortens spellcasting time. For self-defense...”
Mayrn Mass protested, holding out the magitech device. Valentine smiled faintly and replied.
“Relying on tools isn't good. Practice casting magic quickly even in unexpected situations.”
“Eek...”
“Oh, right. Want to join me for some training?”
“Training?”
“Yeah. I think it'd definitely help you. What do you say?”
“...I'll go!”
If she had known the training meant heading to the North, would she have agreed so readily? Unfortunately, by the time Mayrn learned their destination was the North, it was too late to back out.
“Hehe. Don't look so glum. It'll definitely benefit you.”
“...”
“Who knows? You might even awaken something up there.”
There were more mages who volunteered for the Northern support force besides them. Of course, their numbers were woefully inadequate compared to the knights and soldiers.
“It's not just us. Look—other mages are here too, and plenty of meat shields... I mean, knights and soldiers. It shouldn't be too dangerous.”
At her master's words, the disciple finally replied weakly.
“...Yeees.”
“That's the spirit. Smile. You'll ruin that pretty face.”
“...”
Meanwhile, Brown was looking at his guard beside him. Serena Arwin. Someone who should have joined the Northern support by all rights. Instead, she was fulfilling her usual duty of protecting him.
This is messed up.
The story was progressing without its protagonist. Brown couldn't predict what results this would bring.
“Is something on your mind...?”
“Nothing at all. Fine weather we're having, isn't it? Haha.”
It'll work out somehow.
The world wouldn't veer to a different ending over the absence of just one person. There were other supporting characters besides her; they'd handle it somehow. Brown tried to convince himself of that.
Support troops arrived from the Empire. Along with ammunition resupplies. Shortly after the northwest forest conquest concluded.
Good news. With the support troops, they could push through the northeast forest even faster and safer. However, a tiny fraction of the support troops caught the Northern Duke's attention. They were mages.
“Mages...”
The North's hatred for mages had reached its peak. Memories of the insane antics those lunatics had pulled in the North flashed through the Northern Duke's mind.
“Hmm... Still, they're support troops. Can't treat them poorly.”
The North was in the position of receiving aid. The Empire's justification—to minimize support troop losses—was sound. Besides, the North had no grounds to complain about the Empire's reinforcements.
“See to it that they suffer no harm during their stay.”
“...Understood.”
The Northern Duke's adjutant, fully aware of this, simply acquiesced without protest.
“Mages may suck, but they're here to help us. Make sure the soldiers know.”
“Got it.”
The adjutant informed the commanders.
“They suck, sure. But let's not show it until we've hunted the beasts.”
The commanders passed it down further... and eventually, the order reached the soldiers.
“Haha. Of course.”
Once only soldiers remained, complaints poured out.
“Tch. Fuck. Have to hunt beasts alongside those obnoxious bastards.”
“They're here to help, so don't make it obvious.”
“I'd rather not even see their faces. Might not be able to hold back if I run into them.”
Meanwhile, among the support troops, knights and soldiers were already mingling with some Northern troops.
“Northern tobacco is...”
“Ooh... It's something else.”
“How about some friendly sparring?”
“Sounds good. Go easy on me.”
Northern knights and Empire knights. Northern soldiers and Empire soldiers. They quickly blended together. But the mages...
“...Tch.”
“Tsk.”
Even a brief eye contact twisted the Northerners' faces.
“Master... was coming to the North really the right call?”
Faced with treatment as cold as the weather, Mass voiced her discontent.
“Why whine again, my cute disciple?”
“...The weather's freezing... and the people here don't like us...”
“You fret too much over others' gazes—that's why you're still stuck at 3rd circle.”
“But...”
“Fine. Let the trivial stuff slide. We've unpacked, so time for some long-overdue training...”
“Ah... Aah...”
The support troops trained in coordination with Northern forces, and time flew by until the day of the northeast Beast Forest conquest arrived. For Mass, it was her first real combat. Sensing her tension, her master reassured her.
“Just do as you've practiced. You can handle it.”
“...Yeees...!”
“Don't overdo it. You could get corrupted by demonic energy.”
The large contingent advanced toward the Beast Forest and soon entered its depths.
“----!”
Mass chanted her detection spell and began tracking the surrounding beasts' movements.
“Movement spotted at eleven o'clock! Get ready!”
“Dead ahead! Lots of them!”
Besides her, other mages attacked beasts or pinpointed their positions. This allowed them to brace for ambushes, reducing casualties compared to the previous forest op. The mages' support fire also aided the conquest.
“Queen beast individual eliminated!”
In the end, the northeast Beast Forest conquest succeeded too. Though it had more perilous moments than the last, mage support kept casualties far lower.
“Withdraw.”
The troops returned to their territory afterward.
“We got help from them.”
“Urgh... More than expected...”
The Northerners' view of mages shifted slightly.
“Hmm... It's unfolding more blandly than I thought.”
In the Beast Forest, a woman in black priestess robes spoke.
“Only this place left. The plan's gone slightly off track.”
“My apologies.”
The priests behind her bowed their heads.
“Eh, whatever.”
But her expression remained relaxed.
“It's not like this is our only spot. Still, this one's a failure, it seems.”
“...”
“Let's abandon it. But we should leave a little parting gift, right?”
She swung her hand. The small horn on her forehead glowed. At the same moment, the bodies of beasts around her began to twist.
“Hehe. Can't let it end on a boring note.”
With her words, the beasts began to howl.