When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 103

Episode 103 

Around the same time that Jez and René were setting up their living base in the Earth world, Erin and her team were rushing eastward in the Tashman Kingdom. The search party led by Erin, tasked with finding Victor, consisted of 208 members in total: all 100 members of the Al-Faz squad, 50 members from the Holy Knights, 50 from Lilly’s squad, and five from the Academy. Including Erin, Lucretia, and Edelmar, this formed a mixed force of 208.

A week had passed since René and Jez disappeared from the capital. The search party had arrived in Arden, a central city in the eastern region. Beyond Arden lay the frontline cities of Novalis and Voltia in the east, where Victor Alchemis’ trail had gone cold. Novalis and Voltia were fortified cities occupied by the 5th and 6th Legion, serving as the last human settlements before the unexplored territories. Beyond these cities, an expanse of wilderness led to the ancient ruins in the mountains.

Considering Victor’s personality and motivations, Miriam Stonewell, a brilliant mind from the Academy who had known Victor for a long time, speculated that the eccentric alchemist was likely exploring the ancient ruins in these uncharted lands. 

As they moved eastward, Lucretia’s expression grew increasingly tense. According to her, the angels in the eastern part of the country were facing some kind of chaos. Although the exact nature of these angels wasn’t fully understood by the Academy members, reports involving angels had frequently appeared in records related to Saints throughout history. However, Lucretia explained that these angels were not beings that directly protected humanity from disasters but were rather part of the world’s defense mechanism itself. 

Despite their curiosity, Miriam and the other Academy members refrained from delving too deeply into this matter. As it wasn’t directly related to their primary objective—finding Victor.

After arriving in Arden, the group gathered to reconfirm their plans. Erin, the team leader, was joined by the deputy leaders Edelmar and Jamil, as well as Lilly, Miriam, and Lucretia. Fatima, the second seat of the Al-Faz squad, and Alexia Grey, the Holy Knights’ captain, along with her deputy Katrina Rivera, were also part of the leadership team. These nine individuals were responsible for overseeing the mixed forces, and their high level of competency allowed the discussions to proceed smoothly.

Moreover, their mission was clear: to secure Victor. This clarity helped keep their focus sharp.

“…Alright, then. Let’s proceed to Novalis, as planned” 

After confirming the supply situation and the condition of each unit following their week-long march from the capital to Arden.

Novalis, a fortified city defended by the 5th Legion, was the last place Victor had been seen. It was also the closest city to the ancient ruins. In the Tashman Kingdom, the northern and southern fronts were defended by three Legions each, while the eastern front had only two Legions—this was due to the presence of the ancient ruins, which acted as a natural barrier, preventing large-scale monster invasions.

While the northern front had experienced a large-scale monster incursion a few years ago, and the southern front had faced a similar threat just recently, the eastern front had not seen such an event for over a decade. However, despite the lack of large-scale invasions, strong individual monsters still appeared from time to time. They kept the 5th and 6th Legion on high alert.

Another notable feature of the eastern front was the presence of a thriving adventurer’s guild. In the Tashman Kingdom, being a soldier was generally considered a more prestigious occupation than being an adventurer. However, in the eastern front, due to the existence of powerful monsters and the potential for great fortune in the ruins, adventuring had become a popular pursuit. 

Additionally, foreigners who could not join the Tashman Kingdom’s military often chose to work as adventurers in the eastern front. Those who built a strong enough reputation as adventurers and had spent sufficient time in the kingdom were sometimes allowed to enlist in the military. It made this front a popular destination for those seeking that opportunity.

Conversely, there were many cases where former soldiers became adventurers. They had retired from the military due to difficulties with group behavior or various other reasons. This dynamic contributed to the cities of Novalis and Voltia, the frontline fortress cities of the eastern region protected by the 5th and 6th Legion. It had a distinct atmosphere from their southern and northern counterparts.

For now, Erin and her team passed through the central eastern city of Arden and set out for Novalis. After gathering information there, they planned to venture into the unexplored territories. Step by step, Erin’s team was drawing closer to Victor.

・　・　・

In the unexplored territories, further east of Novalis.

Victor had left the royal capital Nevorista over a month ago. Carrying a large backpack, he had drifted through various southern cities, and eventually found himself in the eastern cities. Since the opportunity presented itself, he decided to investigate the ancient ruins that had long piqued his interest.

While doing so, he managed to reconnect with Jez after some complications involving the loss of communication with Jez’s Conceptual Armament. However, due to the depletion of magical power in his Conceptual Armament: From the New World—Ame no Murakumo, he was forcibly sent back to this world. While he had tried to keep his consciousness connected to the other world, the forced return was agonizing. It was almost as if his soul were being torn apart—a pain he would rather avoid.

On top of that, while trapped in the gap between dimensions, he had been relentlessly chased by angels in his thought-form. Those beings were completely impossible to communicate with. What kind of angels were they, anyway? “Damned creatures”, he thought to himself.

Despite his grumbling, Victor found himself snapped back to reality.

“…Isn’t it about time you stop avoiding reality, human?”  

“…Even for Victor, this was unexpected” 

It seemed that while his thought-form was elsewhere, his body had been restrained, leaving him unable to move. He had set up a protective barrier around his physical body, but it appeared that it had been broken. Impressive.

As he lay bound like a cocoon on the ground, his thoughts surprisingly calm. Victor looked around at those surrounding him.

“Demons, huh?”  

“…Humans like to call us that.”