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 142

Episode 142

“Whhhaaaat!? Wait a second!? This is seriously no joke!?”

Victor was shouting frantically, but the situation was no laughing matter; it was his own foolish actions that were the real issue. The young alchemist had been secretly causing trouble. He was now tied up with ropes and hanging from the eaves of a military carriage set up on the defense line. Moreover, the monster-attracting perfume he had been hiding was discovered by Miriam, who poured it all over him. Victor was being used as bait to lure monsters by Miriam and her team.

Some of the first-class students thought this might be going too far and discreetly asked Miriam and Erin if it was alright. Miriam, with an angry mark on her forehead, declared with a steely gaze, 

“Victor has really gone too far this time. Depending on the circumstances, he might even face the death penalty, so we’re going to deal with this thoroughly.”

Indeed, Miriam was right; the situation was quite serious. Although Victor had an unusual sense of ethics, Miriam judged that if things continued like this, he might end up being a genuine societal misfit. Therefore, she decided to provide him with strict educational guidance. The beginning is crucial for everything. It was hoped that Victor would learn his lesson from this.

Despite the twists and turns, the monsters were affected by the perfume and now charged straight at Victor. This made predicting their actions easier and significantly improved the efficiency of their extermination efforts. The first-class students, who had been covering a wide area with a small number of people, could now concentrate their forces more effectively.

With the students able to support each other, the first-class members were starting to show signs of relief. However, Victor, the crazy alchemist hanging from the carriage eaves, was often terrified by monsters charging up close. He was twisting and turning to avoid their attacks while crying out, but it was entirely his own fault.

This event became one of the reasons Victor began to seriously consider improving his escape skills. He was an alchemist who had missed the point of reflection.

・　・　・

An hour had already passed since the first-class students arrived at the Eldoa Lake/Tiris Forest Belt. During this time, the first-class students had been continuously repelling monsters without rest, and they were visibly exhausted. While their magical power was unusually abundant, thanks to the potions provided by Victor, their mental and concentration reserves were running low.

It was understandable. Just a few weeks into their enrollment, they were suddenly on a non-stop 24-hour march in an unfamiliar environment. Especially at night, limited visibility made managing the horses nerve-wracking.

Moreover, after arriving on the scene, they immediately engaged in combat with monsters. It would be unusual if they weren’t tired. It must be remembered that they were still 16-year-old students. Even the seasoned soldiers found this forced march quite challenging. So it was admirable that the Royal Academy students, especially the freshmen, were managing it.

Under these conditions, it was more surprising that they weren’t more exhausted. However, the number of monsters was gradually decreasing over time. Considering their previous extermination results, the number of monsters present at Eldoa Lake/Tiris Forest Belt was astonishing.

It seemed as though they were hunting down every monster in the area, almost as if they were luring all nearby monsters.

Victor, who had served as bait, was already exhausted from crying and shouting. He was hanging limply from the carriage eaves. It was a very surreal sight.

The First through Fourth Squads rotated through the front lines, and no serious injuries had occurred in any squad. However, recovery potions were running low, so they were considering withdrawal depending on the situation.

The 1st Legion that stationed at a short distance was also aware of the situation of the first-class students, including the number of monsters and the students’ conditions. Given the circumstances, a supply replenishment was likely needed. In fact, the first-class students had already achieved more than enough results.

While monsters in the Tashman Kingdom were generally weaker, they were clearly exceeding the freshmen’s level.

Just as the 1st Legion began to consider ending the exercise and pulling the students back, the forest stirred. A howl that seemed to belong to a wolf echoed throughout the forest.

“…What was that?”

Hearing this, Erin and the others changed their expressions. The monsters, upon hearing the howl, retreated into the depths of the forest as if something terrifying was approaching. Erin and the others braced themselves, remembering that preliminary research indicated a special monster called a “Nushi” by the locals in the Eldoa Lake/Tiris Forest Belt.

This special individual was a very rare type of monster, living deep in the forest and generally avoiding humans, which made it rarely seen. Now, this monster had emerged from the depths of the forest and was advancing towards the first-class students, accompanied by many subordinates. 

The group was led by a gigantic wolf-like monster. It was currently observing the first-class students, preparing to attack. Why had such a normally elusive special monster appeared?

The answer was, of course, Victor. The monster-attracting perfume he had concocted was not particularly noticeable to humans but was highly unpleasant to dog-like monsters. Moreover, the scent spread over a wide area and lasted a long time. This perfume had attracted the pack of wolves. The forest’s Nushi and its minions were cautiously advancing from the depths of the forest.

What should be done in this situation? Erin, now slightly unsure of what to do, was understandably troubled. She had already done well up to this point. However, wild monsters were not kind enough to overlook even a moment of hesitation. The forest’s Nushi, having noticed the students watching Erin, recognized her as the leader of the group. And then—

“…Crap!?”

The moment Erin hesitated, the pack of monsters surged toward her. The First Squad, stationed at the front lines, attempted to come to her aid but was too late. Even for Erin, handling that number of monsters all at once was overwhelming.

In the midst of the tense situation—

“Norman-style Combat Technique: Level 3 – Shatter Cipher!”

A voice echoed mysteriously across the battlefield. Along with the voice, the wolves attacking Erin were torn apart. The Nushi’s head was sent soaring into the sky, and a rain of blood fell. This all happened in just a few seconds.

Erin watched the scene in a daze. Jez had been vigilantly watching the surroundings against the backdrop of the blood rain. He called out to her.

“Are you alright, Saylor?”

On this day, Erin was protected by a boy of the same age for the first time in her life. She remembered that moment vividly even ten years later. This incident made Erin acutely aware of Jez, but it was still too early to call it romantic affection.