Chapter 46
Chapter 46
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Western Great Forest (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Sion’s heading to the Western Great Forest? To find the Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai?”
“That’s right, Sis.”
“That guy’s in real trouble now.”
Sena frowned.
It had been a while since she last saw Kain and Robel, and she was catching up on recent events when she heard something completely unexpected.
“Was it Aunt Helena—no, the Grand Marshal—who gave the order?”
“Yes. It’s the first unresolved mission assigned to the Independent Knight Brigade’s 13th Unit.”
“They’ve really handed him an impossible task...”
Sena knew the Independent Knight Brigade was taking on so-called “unresolved missions.”
But for their very first one to be searching for the Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai in the Western Great Forest...
“The Western Great Forest is dangerous. It’s full of monsters, and there are rumors of bandit hideouts too.”
“More than that, it’s easy to get lost and stranded.”
“They say the trees are so dense that it’s pitch black once you’re inside. That’s why they call it the ‘Black Forest.’”
It was worlds apart from venturing into the Heremel region.
At least that place was habitable by humans.
“But is that Ashurai even findable?”
“Who knows...”
“If even the Heresy Inquisition couldn’t find it after ten years...”
It seemed Helena had given Sion a brutally difficult assignment just to mess with him.
“I’m a bit worried.”
“We feel the same way...”
“But it’s Mother’s decision...”
Kain and Robel had grown more favorable toward Sion compared to before.
Their attitudes must have shifted during the enlistment exam.
But Helena, their mother, was still hostile toward him, and they couldn’t defy her.
Sena was in the same boat.
“My father’s probably involved too.”
“Uncle Sershes?”
“Well, the Integrated Oversight Headquarters has to approve any orders to the Independent Knight Brigade.”
The adults were banding together to crush Sion.
It pained Sena to see it.
“Or is this our fault...?”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean, Sis?”
If Sena, Kain, or Robel had been on Sion’s level—able to compete with him evenly—the adults wouldn’t have resorted to this.
But Sion was so overwhelmingly superior that the grown-ups had to step in personally to check him.
“The only one who could rival Sion is... Liz, I guess.”
Sena sighed, thinking of her other cousin wandering the world.
* * *
“The time has come.”
I assembled the entire 13th Unit.
“We’re heading to the Western Great Forest—the Black Forest.”
“The Black Forest!”
“We’re going to the Western Great Forest...!”
Many knights looked anxious.
That was only natural. They still lacked confidence.
“No need to panic. You’ve all endured grueling training. The Western Great Forest won’t be a problem for you.”
“...”
I kept it brief.
No point in lecturing them into confidence. Words alone had their limits.
They’d gain it through real combat experience.
“Let’s move to the briefing.”
I explained the mission: searching for the Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai.
The knights grew even more uneasy, but I ignored it.
“Then we’ll be off, Brigade Leader. Aide.”
“Good luck.”
“We’ve prepared ample supplies, but procure anything missing on-site.”
After bidding farewell to Bernhard and Gustav, we set off for the Western Great Forest.
* * *
We traveled to the Western Great Forest by horse and carriage.
It would take about ten days.
“Traveling with so many people feels different from heading to the Heremel region.”
Edwin, riding beside me, smiled as he spoke.
“It feels kind of proud, somehow.”
“Our numbers will grow even more.”
“Yes. I hope you lead fifty—no, a hundred, a thousand men someday, sir.”
Unlike the other knights, Edwin was completely at ease.
Lieselotte was the same.
“Rear guard, time for rotation. Rest in the carriage until your next shift.”
With her natural charisma and composure, Lieselotte was leading the others well.
Many squad members already relied on her.
“Brigade Leader.”
Lotus, who’d been scouting ahead, hurried over.
“There’s suspicious movement in the forest up front.”
“Report.”
“Looks like an ambush. Could be monsters or bandits.”
“An ambush, huh.”
“It might be risky. I suggest we go around.”
“Avoid clashing in the woods?”
“Yes. It’ll take longer, but better than getting jumped inside.”
It was a reasonable point.
We could suffer heavy losses before even reaching the Western Great Forest.
“Lotus, Grade 1 Knight—what are we?”
“Sir?”
“What are we?”
“Well... the Independent Knight Brigade.”
“Before that—Holy Knights.”
Holy Knights.
At the word, Lotus flinched.
“Monsters or bandits—they’re evil scum preying on the world’s people. What’s a Holy Knight supposed to do, run from them?”
“...!”
Edwin nodded in agreement beside me.
“You’re right, sir, Lotus Grade 1 Knight.”
“Edwin Grade 2 Knight...”
“Let’s wipe them out. If we run, they’ll just hit someone else.”
“But our mission is to reach the Western Great Forest and search for the Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai. That comes first.”
Lotus countered Edwin.
From a mission-priority standpoint, he had a point.
“Alright, think of it this way.”
“Sir?”
To the puzzled Lotus, I spoke calmly.
“Once we enter the Southern Great Forest—no, Western—we’ll face ambushes from all sorts of scum in the woods. This is practice for that.”
“P-practice?”
“Yeah, live combat training. Isn’t that necessary for mission success?”
“...Isn’t that sophistry?”
“Call it a change in perspective.”
Lotus shook his head at my words.
“Understood. But we need recon first. Can’t charge in blind.”
“No need for that.”
“Huh? What do you...”
“I’ve already got them scoped out.”
“...?”
Lotus looked baffled.
But I’d already grasped the enemies hiding in the forest.
[About fifty. Half have no mana, half have 1-star or 2-star mana. One 3-star.]
Igzard inside me had sensed their mana and reported their levels.
“My lord, they don’t seem very strong. About ten archers, so just watch for the initial volley.”
Dietrich, who’d been concealed, even detailed their composition.
“First real fight. Everyone, follow my orders.”
Using info from Igzard and Dietrich, I briefed the squad on the plan.
* * *
“They’re getting close. Definitely Holy Knights.”
“But they’re all young. Some look like kids.”
“Prime prey.”
The bandit gang ‘Red Forest Ravagers,’ hiding in the woods, buzzed with excitement at the big catch approaching.
“Looks like the young masters who joined the Holy Knights without exams. Green as grass. A coordinated ambush, and we’ll crush them easy.”
“The boss has beaten Holy Knights before.”
“We’ll follow the boss.”
Real Holy Knights were no pushovers for bandits.
But these inexperienced rookies? They could win.
“Alright, they’re entering the forest.”
The mounted knights and carriages rolled into the woodland path.
Soon they’d hit the archer kill zone.
“Loose arrows on my signal, then charge together.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Three, two, one...”
But.
“...!”
Whoosh!
The knights surged into the forest in unison.
“Urk!”
“Gah!”
Screams erupted from the hidden bandits.
“What the hell! Shoot now!”
“B-but they’re tangled with our guys...!”
“Damn it!”
In the chaos, nearly ten bandits already lay fallen.
“Fight back! We’ve got the numbers!”
The boss charged out, sword raised.
“Hah!”
“Ugh!”
Sword aura flared as he swung, forcing knights back.
He’d learned mana training in his mercenary days—currently 3-star level.
“Fall back! I’ve got him!”
A fresh-faced youth charged in.
The boss swung at the newbie, but recoiled at the unexpectedly sharp swordplay.
“No way, how...”
“Hyah!”
A lightning thrust!
The youth pierced the boss’s heart in an instant.
“H-how...”
Spurting blood, the boss collapsed.
The other bandits were being slaughtered around him, but he could no longer care.
* * *
The presumed bandit leader—a 3-star swordsman—fell to Edwin’s strike.
He died with disbelief on his face at the easy defeat, sowing chaos among his men.
“Lotus Grade 1 Knight, their leader’s down. Press the advantage and sweep them.”
“Got it!”
“Lieselotte, grab one prisoner. Pick a suitable one and take him alive.”
“Yes, Sion.”
I stayed out of it.
To build their confidence.
[Smart move. No need for you to handle small fry like this.]
‘If I wipe them out myself, it won’t help the squad gain confidence.’
The bandits flailed in panic, thrown by our counterattack.
Numbers meant nothing for rabble like them. My rigorously trained 13th Unit could handle it easily.
Some tried fleeing, but per my prior orders, the knights cut them off.
“All clear!”
“No escapes—total wipeout!”
“Wooo!”
Cheers echoed everywhere.
The newborn 13th Unit’s first battle: total victory. They were thrilled.
“Good work, everyone.”
I praised them, scanning the group.
“If you follow your training and my orders, we’ll always win like this. Understood?”
“Yes, Brigade Leader!”
“Past this woods is tonight’s village. We’ll report the bandit extermination to the admin office and hand over the prisoner. Expect a bounty—dinner’s on me tonight.”
“Wooo...!”
The cheers now carried a different flavor.
A commander who fed his troops well was always popular.
“My lord always took good care of his men’s meals back then.”
“Starved a lot as a kid.”
After replying softly to Dietrich’s whisper in my ear, I turned to Lotus.
“Lotus—feeling confident now?”
“You’re embarrassing me, sir.”
He scratched his head with a grin.
“I’ll trust you completely from here on out, Brigade Leader!”
The moment I earned their utmost faith.