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 140

Episode 140

Prototype Potion: Energy for Hunting Monsters. That’s the name of the potion that Victor Alkemis (16 years old) provided to his classmates during this orientation camp.

Got it? It’s energy for hunting monsters. Even though the name is long, don’t skip over parts of it. The abbreviation is “Moncal.”

Anyway. Class 1, led by Erin and Miriam, had been on their way for half a day since departing from the Royal Academy in the capital, Nevorista.

Right after the briefing that was held first thing in the morning, Class 1 quickly completed their preparations. They swiftly received the support supplies from the Saylor and Stonewell families and set off early in the morning.

Out of the 100 students in Class 1, 80 who were confident in their horseback riding skills mounted horses. The remaining 20 were divided among 4 military carriages. Each carriage was pulled by 2 horses, and 12 spare horses were brought along for switching.

With this, the 100 students, 100 horses, and 4 carriages formed a high-speed maneuvering unit. The unit was further divided into 4 squads of 25 members each due to the number of carriages.

The squads’ supplies were loaded onto the carriages or onto horses that were not ridden, leading to a notably high-paced march.

The 1st squad was led by Erin, the 2nd squad by Miriam, the 3rd squad by Kailan Matra, and the 4th squad by Jez.

Kailan Matra, leading the 3rd squad, was from the eastern region. He usually acts as a leader for the eastern region students. According to what Jez had heard, was a graduate from four years above, serving as the leader of the 1st-year students affiliated with Crown Prince Leo.

Jez wasn’t particularly keen on taking on a leadership role like this, but he couldn’t refuse Saylor’s scrutinizing gaze and ended up accepting the responsibility.

In any case, the four squads centered around the carriages charged down the highway in a column. Four riders from the lead 1st squad galloped ahead, announcing the passing of the unit to people on the road.

Furthermore, the 100-man unit from the 1st Legion followed at a slight distance behind. Seeing this, people on the road thought to themselves that the time had come again this year and cheered for the future heroes.

The members of the 1st Legion, responsible for protecting the capital, were surprised at the efficiency of Class 1’s preparations and their rapid progress after starting the march. They had heard that this year’s Class 1 included talented students from the famed Saylor and Stonewell families, Alchemis main family, and the Divina Papal State, but they were astonished by how impressive they were.

However, the 1st Legion consisted of elite soldiers. They thought keeping up with the students’ unskilled marching would be easy.

After a little past noon, Erin’s squad took a one-hour break. During this time, while caring for the horses, Victor Alchemis (16 years old) was seen smiling and giving his homemade magic potions to the horses.

According to him, the potions had fatigue recovery effects for the horses as well. While the entire class expressed their gratitude to Victor, Jez couldn’t shake off the unsettling laughter he had heard in the morning and watched the scene with a worried expression.

・　・　・

As evening approached, the class had progressed at an excellent pace after the lunch break. They planned to make their base for the night in a square near a post town 70 km from the capital.

Due to the amount of equipment and the sudden move, they decided not to enter the town but to camp nearby.

“…It’s strange, we’re not tired at all. Could it be because we’re nervous? …Miriam, how about you?”

“Yes, I’m also fine. In fact, I feel like I have more energy than I can use. The horses seem excited and restless too.”

For Erin and Miriam, covering 70 km on the first day was a smooth progress according to their plan, so they intended to camp here.

It was already around 7 PM. They planned to camp here for about 12 hours and then depart around 7 AM the next morning. If they covered 65 km each in two sets over 6 hours, they would likely reach their destination, Lake Eldoa/Tiris Forest Belt, by late afternoon the following day.

However, while it was feasible, the arrival time would be quite tight. If it were an actual battle requiring rescue, it might be better to get closer during the night and rest nearby before advancing to the location in combat readiness.

Fortunately, there was still plenty of stamina, and the horses were in good condition. The class seemed to be handling things well too.

The core members of the class, including Erin and Miriam were debating the future course of action, while Victor approached the group and quietly muttered.

“…This is just an orientation camp, but if there are people truly in need of help, wouldn’t they not hesitate to call for it? Also, look. We’re still full of energy, right?”

Victor spoke seriously to Erin and the others, causing them to fall silent for a while. 

“…You’re right. Let’s go as far as we can. Fortunately, we can continue on the well-maintained highway, and there are no issues with supplies.”

Jez was observing from a bit of a distance as Erin and the others seemed to be swayed by Victor. He turned to Seraphina to confirm.

“Hey, that potion Victor provided, doesn’t it seem a bit strange?”

“Yes, it’s very effective, but there might be some issues. It kind of tasted like the highly toxic substances we used to learn about poisonous tastes. If it were from the church, it might even be considered a semi-taboo substance.”

Hearing Seraphina’s heavy comments, Jez felt a bit disheartened. He realized that Victor, despite appearing mild-mannered, was quite something underneath.

Under Victor’s influence, Erin and the others continued their march through the night and arrived at the Lake Eldoa/Tiris Forest Belt by around 8 AM the next morning.

This remarkable achievement of covering 200 km in less than 24 hours since the orientation camp briefing at the Royal Academy was undoubtedly the fastest time in the academy’s long history.

The 1st Legion, who had been following, hadn’t expected the students to march through the night without camping. They were now moving with serious expressions, adjusting to the unexpected pace.

After arriving at the Lake Eldoa/Tiris Forest Belt, Seraphina and the others who could use magic set up barriers around the campsite to protect against monsters.

Given the season, with an increase in monsters, it was necessary to prepare proper defenses.

“Ha, this is great. I used to think Royal Academy was a load of crap, but getting to try different things is awesome. …Alright, students, show me more of what you’ve got. …Reverse magic formation activate!”

Victor, who had said he was going to use the restroom, left the campsite. He went to a place where he wouldn’t be seen and muttered to himself while using a reverse magic formation on the barriers.

Reverse magic formation. This literally reverses the effects of the magical formation. Currently, Seraphina and the others had set up a very strong monster-repelling barrier.

Reversing its effects meant—

“…!! Monsters are gathering at an alarming rate!?”

A scream erupted from the student standing guard.