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 181

Episode 181

The northern core city, Foresval, governs the northern front of the Tashman Kingdom and is where the 2nd Legion is permanently stationed. It is also the capital of the Norman Margrave. Foresval and the surrounding northern front are snow-covered for nearly half the year, making it a harsh environment unsuitable for human settlement. Despite this, Foresval remains one of the five largest cities in the Tashman Kingdom, thanks to its abundant natural resources.

The northern front has always been a place where humanity steadily advances its frontline, primarily driven by the desire to extract these natural resources. The area is rich in magic ore veins, making mining a significant industry. The magic ore mined in Foresval is supplied not only throughout the Tashman Kingdom but across the entire Azelion continent. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Tashman Kingdom’s northern front supports the production of all magical tools used on the continent. Consequently, many people in Foresval are involved in mining, processing, transporting, and trading magic ore.

However, magic ore does not only bring wealth; it also attracts monsters. The rich magic ore veins in the northern front draw in many powerful and high-quality monsters. It seems that monsters can somehow replenish their magic from the ore. If left unchecked, stronger and stronger individuals are born. For centuries, humanity and monsters have fought bloody battles over magic ore in this region. Both sides have adapted to the harsh environment and survived the fierce competition.

Out of this long history of struggle emerged humanity’s ultimate warrior: Gerald Norman. The Margrave of the Norman Frontier, commander of the 2nd Legion of the Tashman Kingdom, and the strongest man in humanity. He is also the benefactor who protected and trained the young Jez Wist, teaching him the ways of battle. A historian who once witnessed Gerald in combat reportedly murmured to himself that Gerald was no longer human, but had finally become the perfected Norman.

・　・　・

“Hmm?”

That day, the members of the 2nd Legion had just finished their usual morning patrol and were gathering at headquarters for their daily information-sharing meeting. Recently, there had been major battles in the southern uprising, the capital assault, and the civil war in the Divina Papal State. Although the northern front had been relatively peaceful since the last great conflict a few years ago, they remained vigilant.

Just a few days prior, the commander of the 2nd Legion had personally led the army, mobilizing the 3rd and 4th Legions in a large-scale expedition beyond the northern frontline into uncharted territory to thin out the monsters. Despite this, the soldiers remained on high alert, never letting their guard down.

In the midst of this, Gerald, who had been quietly listening to reports as usual, suddenly moved. Instantly, the once lively chatter in the headquarters fell silent. Everyone turned their attention to Gerald, preparing for action. After silently probing something for a while, Gerald abruptly stood up, gazing eastward.

“Something big is coming… and fast. Is it flying? Ah, I see, it’s that rumored flying battleship.”

Murmuring to himself as if he had just pieced something together, he immediately issued orders.

“Everyone, prepare for a mock battle! It looks like the flying battleship we were briefed on is approaching. This is a rare opportunity, so let’s enjoy it.”

At this time, Jez and his group were flying about 200 kilometers east of Foresval, but it seemed Gerald had already sensed their presence. Given that the strategic-class conceptual weapon/pseudo-divine artifact, the Skybound Arc—Mandjet/Mesektet, consumed a massive amount of magic while flying, it was highly likely that someone sensitive to magic could detect it as it got closer. However, Jez and his group had never imagined that Gerald would detect them from 200 kilometers away.

・　・　・

After departing from the eastern frontline city of Novalis, Jez and his group leisurely made their way to the northern core city of Forsval, stopping at various frontier cities along the way. During this time, Victor and others practiced piloting the ship, Jamir’s group got accustomed to the magic bikes, and the priests and holy knights trained for aerial operations. The journey was essentially turning into a military drill.

Jez felt a mix of emotions as he watched Archbishop Edelmar, wielding a simple yet sturdy staff, leap from the floating ship to crush monsters on the ground below.

Jez found himself contemplating something utterly trivial: “What kind of story would start if a rugged, muscular priest suddenly dropped from the sky?” Despite this idle thought, he continued discussing the group’s next moves with Erin, Princess René, Lucretia, and others.

Every time they descended to the ground, they made sure to send a messenger on horseback to Foresval from the nearest town, keeping in touch with the 2nd Legion. Jez assumed this would help them avoid any unexpected skirmishes. But when he received a message from his father-in-law that essentially said, “Let’s have a mock battle,” he couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

He understood the value in testing how well their ship could perform in combat, as his father-in-law suggested. Still, Jez couldn’t help but wonder: was it really wise to have the 2nd Legion that’s led by his father-in-law as their first opponent, even in a mock battle? Jez mused that if there was anything scarier than the strongest man in humanity, he’d like to know about it. But knowing how determined his father-in-law was, there was no escaping it. The crew had already been informed that they were scheduled to engage in a mock battle with the 2nd Legion near Foresval.

As Foresval came into view, still a considerable distance away but visible enough to spot the city, Jez ordered the ship to prepare for second-level combat readiness. Just a few minutes later, a sudden emergency alarm blared throughout the ship.

“High magic reaction incoming!” 

May Carter shouted. She is an Al-Faz unit member undergoing training at the operator’s station on the bridge. Jez and the others quickly rushed to the bridge to look at the ground below. There, far beneath the Skybound Ark–Mandjet/Mesektet, which was cruising at an altitude of 1,000 meters, a force roughly the size of a regiment—about 1,500 soldiers—was deploying on the ground. They were flying the 2nd Legion’s banner and a flag indicating a mock battle, signaling the start of the exercise.

The bridge’s monitor zoomed in on the scene, showing a man stepping forward from the legion. The moment Jez saw him, a cold sweat broke out all over his body.

“Victor! Maximum power to the defensive barrier! Right now!”

Jez shouted. But before the command could be fully executed, the man on the ground leaped high into the air. It created a massive crater with the force of his jump. With a dull thud that shook the air, he smashed his fist into the Mandjet/Mesektet. His fist even went through its defensive barrier, sending the ship flying.