Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Ambush
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Clip-clop, clip-clop.
A general sat atop a lustrous white horse.
His gaze, sharp and fierce, peered out from beneath a brown helmet.
The red garments under his matching brown armor were made of exceptionally fine material.
Wilkis Diello.
Though a provincial noble, he, a baron, had arrived in Erkal as the commander of the expeditionary force.
“Who is the commander here?”
“I am Basel, captain of the Erkal garrison.”
“State your full name, Captain.”
“...I have no surname.”
“Tsk, a commoner.”
At Basel’s words, Wilkis clicked his tongue and glanced around.
A shabby city.
It was of a decent size, but nothing was properly equipped.
He sighed, his expression conveying that he had no idea why he had to be here.
“What a damn forsaken place. I need to finish this subjugation quickly and get back.”
“It must have been a long journey. We’ve prepared warm water and food for you.”
Basel forced a smile as he spoke to Wilkis.
His effort seemed to work, as the irritation on Wilkis’s face seemed to ease slightly.
Presently, the expeditionary force entered the Erkal encampment.
As the commander, Wilkis, followed Basel into the garrison’s barracks, the members of the Neokalitz Unit scowled and spat on the ground.
“Damn bastards. Does it make any sense for them to make us line up in formation just because they’re arriving?”
“He seems quite authoritarian. Are all nobles... like that?”
“They’re all damn bastards.”
Someone muttered.
“Not all of them are like that. But it’s true that most nobles possess a sense of authority.”
Demian said in a bitter voice.
At his words, another unit member spoke to Demian.
“You talk as if you’ve met a lot of nobles.”
“I heard it from my father.”
Demian simply turned away.
In truth, he couldn’t care less about the nobles’ sense of authority. All that mattered was the expedition that would begin tomorrow.
‘I hope there won’t be any problems...’
Demian gazed blankly in the direction where the expedition commander had gone with Basel.
* * *
At daybreak, all the soldiers gathered at the entrance of Erkal.
The atmosphere was somber.
A sense of pressure, accompanied by tense expressions, seemed to weigh on their chests.
“Ahem.”
Wilkis, atop his horse, looked at the assembled troops and spoke.
“As you have all been informed, the Broncerian Forest is currently tainted by a wicked power called demonic energy. Our expeditionary force, under the king’s command, will eliminate the evil beings within the forest and completely eradicate the source of this demonic energy!”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The expeditionary force that had come with him roared.
“Hey, shout. If you don’t, he’ll give us hell later.”
“Shit, uwaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The garrison and the Neokalitz Unit members joined in the cheer.
At the sight, the corners of Wilkis’s mouth twitched.
He then pointed toward the Broncerian Forest and said.
“All forces, advance!”
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The expeditionary force began to move, their feet stomping heavily on the ground.
A combined force of over two thousand soldiers started moving toward the forest.
At this, Dianal swallowed hard.
“...That’s an incredible number.”
Two thousand was just a number, but seeing them all gathered in one place was overwhelming.
It felt as though a force this size could tear the entire Broncerian Forest apart.
But...
“Just because we have numbers doesn’t mean it will be easy. And the Broncerian Forest is bigger than you think.”
“Demian’s right.”
Unit Commander Aaron, who was walking with them, said.
The forest’s large scale meant that the number of monsters within was substantial.
All they had done so far was defeat the monsters that strayed to the outskirts.
But this expeditionary force was moving to completely exterminate the monsters of the Broncerian Forest.
“Two thousand... I don’t know why I have a feeling this number might not be enough.”
Aaron had lived here for several years.
But he still couldn’t confidently say he knew all of the Broncerian Forest.
He had never ventured deep into the woods.
“...”
Demian remained silent at Aaron’s words.
He was having similar thoughts.
Amidst this, the expeditionary force entered the forest.
And then, the first problem arose.
* * *
Two thousand soldiers entered the forest, maintaining their formation.
But the moment they entered, the formation began to crumble.
“Damn it, why is it so narrow?”
“Hey, hey, either move back or go forward!”
Unlike a well-trodden road, a forest path is mostly untamed.
Furthermore, the path was becoming too narrow to maintain the formation.
“Change formation to five columns! Personnel on the left, advance first!”
Wilkis quickly changed the formation to facilitate their entry into the forest.
Contrary to first impressions, he seemed to be quick at assessing situations.
However.
‘The longer the column, the more vulnerable points there will be.’
If monsters were to strike from the flanks, a dangerous situation could arise.
Demian let out a small sigh at the lengthening column and scanned his surroundings.
‘We’re still at the entrance, so it should be fine.’
But there was no telling what kind of creatures might appear once they went deeper.
Did Basel, the Erkal garrison captain, feel the same?
“Lord Wilkis.”
“Address me as Commander Wilkis.”
“...Commander Wilkis. I believe we should position shield soldiers in the middle of the column. We cannot predict where monsters might emerge from.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. In that case, position the Erkal garrison in the middle to fend off any monster attacks.”
Once the order was given, Basel hurriedly moved his troops into position.
And then.
“How about sending out a scouting party with our fastest men?”
“...Hmph, that won’t be necessary. As for those pathetic monsters, if they dare attack, we’ll just wipe them out.”
“But...”
“Captain Basel.”
Wilkis looked down at Basel from his horse.
“Any further advice will be considered an overstep of your authority. Cease.”
“...Understood.”
“Even if your soldiers are somewhat lacking, there are over a thousand elite troops here. Do not trouble yourself with such worries.”
“...Yes, sir.”
Basel simply replied and stepped back.
Tarone, who had been watching the situation, just furrowed his brow and spoke to his unit members.
“There will be no scouting. So stay on high alert and be prepared for an enemy attack.”
“Understood.”
“Relay this to everyone else.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Neokalitz Unit members quickly passed the message to each other as if sharing a secret.
And amidst the somewhat chaotic situation, the expeditionary force continued to advance deeper into the forest.
“Kieeeek!”
“Kuaaaaargh!”
Slice! Stab!
There were sporadic groups of monsters, but they were no match for the expeditionary force.
The creatures that appeared were nothing more than packs of a dozen monsters or a mob of orcs.
They posed no threat to the expeditionary force.
As they advanced, smoothly killing the monsters, Wilkis’s confidence soared.
“As expected, the monsters of a forest like this are nothing before an elite army.”
He then added.
“I don’t understand why a place like this wasn’t subjugated sooner. Tsk, tsk.”
He clicked his tongue as if he wanted someone to hear him.
Of course, no one reacted to his words.
The true horrors of the Broncerian Forest had not even begun.
It was around the time they had advanced about halfway into the forest.
“...Hm?”
Sniff, sniff.
Kyle, who had been walking, suddenly frowned and flared his nostrils.
Demian asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just... there’s a strange smell.”
“A smell?”
At Kyle’s words, Demian looked around and sniffed the air.
There was no particular odor.
Demian asked again.
“What kind of smell is it?”
“Well... should I call it the smell of rotting meat? Anyway, there’s a faintly nauseating smell mixed in.”
“...From where?”
“Well... hold on a second.”
Kyle moved his body around exaggeratedly, sniffing the air.
But soon.
“...Here?”
The spot Kyle pointed to.
Looking at it, Demian’s expression hardened slightly.
It was right beneath their feet.
Swoosh.
Even while walking, Demian looked down.
A rotting smell was coming from the ground they were walking on?
Demian focused his mana into his eyes and stared at the ground.
“...!”
His expression stiffened.
It was only for a moment, but the surface of the ground had risen slightly.
And in that instant, he saw small holes.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Demian lifted his head and shouted loudly.
“Everyone, watch the ground! It’s the enemy!”
But before his shout could reach everyone.
KABOOOOOM!
“Uwaaack!”
“Aargh!”
Soldiers screamed as they were thrown off their feet by something bursting through the ground.
Demian quickly moved to the side and looked at the creatures that had emerged from the earth.
‘Those things are...?’
They had a hunched posture, as if slightly bowing.
They were about the height of a ten-year-old child, with three claws on each hand extending like long blades.
They had short fur and a long snout like a pig’s.
A tongue, resembling that of a snake, flickered rapidly, moving like a worm.
‘Morks...!’
The monster looked like a cross between a mole and an anteater.
With their appearance, the unit was thrown into utter chaos.
“Ki-kill them!”
“Watch your side!”
“Kraaaaaaaah!”
The soldiers couldn’t hide their panic as they watched the Morks charge at them with shrieks.
There were a great number of them.
A rough estimate put them at over a hundred.
Moreover, several soldiers had already become corpses on the ground, cut down by the surprise attack.
“Son of a bitch...!”
Demian cursed.
Morks were fundamentally solitary creatures.
They didn’t form packs, and moreover...
‘They don’t dig traps like this and wait for their prey.’
In a way, they could be considered quite pacifistic monsters.
But these creatures had hidden in the ground, waiting for an enemy to approach?
‘...Damn it.’
His mind was a mess.
The unorganized situation was tangling his thoughts. But...
“Kyle! Help the seniors on your side first!”
“Got it!”
There was no time for long thoughts.
First, deal with these things.
“Kieeeeeek!”
Demian lightly dodged the attack of a Mork rushing toward him.
The ambush was sharp, but.
Thwack!
After knocking the Mork away with the shaft of his spear, Demian quickly secured some space.
Fwoosh!
Demian’s spear swiftly pierced the chest of a Mork in front of him.
Stab!
It then penetrated the side of another that had pounced on his fellow soldiers.
“Kieeeeeeeeeek!”
The Mork shrieked in agony and collapsed to the ground.
“Die!”
The soldier who had been struggling against it just moments before reversed his grip on his sword and granted the creature its final rest.
“Hah... hah... hah...!”
It was a sudden ambush.
Panicked and startled, he was failing to control his breathing.
“Everyone, catch your breath first! They’re not tough opponents if you face them properly!”
Demian shouted.
It was a cry from the youngest member, but no one said a word against it.
Instead, his words snapped them to their senses, and they began to regulate their breathing.
Tap!
Demian then surveyed his surroundings.
The unit members around him were thankfully regaining their composure, but.
‘...There are too many.’
Other areas were still in a state of considerable crisis.
Furthermore, judging by the spots on their bodies, these creatures were afflicted by demonic energy.
This meant they were several times stronger than ordinary Morks.
Demian turned his head.
They seemed flustered by the sudden battle, but.
‘Right now...’
That is what’s needed.
Demian pushed past his unit members and began to run swiftly toward something.