Chapter 62

Time rewound to about a month ago.

In the bustling capital of Alkymira, 'Agarta,' a certain group of people arrived.

The group consisted of a somewhat tall dwarf, a half-breed with rabbit ears, a half-beast, a bird-type beast with small wings on its back, a pure-blooded dwarf male, and a half-elf with ears of an intermediate length. They were warriors sent from the allied nation of Latestwood.

They all carried large bags on their backs and were welcomed by the guardian of the great door. The moment they stepped into the city, they all froze in place.

"This is..."

What caught their eyes as they passed through the outer wall was the cityscape of the capital, where all of Alkymira was concentrated.

The main street was so wide that even if dozens of people stood side by side, there would still be room to spare. On both sides, buildings stood in orderly rows. The ground was paved with flawless stones, laid so intricately that the joints could hardly be seen without squinting. The fountains set up in the squares continuously flowed with clear water that could be mistaken for holy water, and the street trees planted in various places were lush, blooming with colorful flowers, creating a beautiful landscape.

It was a scene that seemed to come straight out of a bard's poem of paradise.

"..."

Forgetting that this was the 'Land of Monsters,' the group let out a sigh of admiration. Feeling as if they had wandered into a different world, they stood dumbfounded in the square beyond the gate for a while.

"...Let's go. There's no point in standing here in a daze."

Eventually, the man at the head of the group spoke. He was a young half-elf named Felk, newly appointed as the leader of the Latestwood warriors. He muttered to himself, "Can I really do this?" but with the determination to fulfill his role once he took it on, he brought his dazed companions back to their senses.

The group, led by Felk, moved forward, looking around curiously. As they approached the fountain in the square, a knight in full armor, even wearing a helmet, approached them with the sound of metal clanking. The knight stopped in front of the group and asked, "Excuse me. Are you the delegation of warriors sent from the allied nation of Latestwood?"

"Yes, I am Felk, the leader of this delegation."

"Confirmed. The information matches the pre-notification. Welcome to Alkymira. We welcome your visit."

The knight welcomed them in a monotone. Despite wearing a helmet, his voice was not muffled but echoed like a mountain echo, reaching Felk's ears. It was a strange voice, as if the armor was hollow.

After a formal exchange, the group was led through the city of Alkymira by the knight.

"By the way, did you encounter any problems on your way here? If there were any issues with the guides, we will accept complaints."

"No, we were well-protected by the guides on our way from our country. There were no particular problems."

"Understood. Even in the outer regions, the Abyssal Forest is known to be a source of fear for you. Our military commander was concerned about the inevitable passage through it, but it is fortunate that it turned out to be a groundless worry."

As the knight said, the residents of the Great Tree Sea view the Abyssal Forest and the monsters living there with fear. Especially, the monsters sometimes break out of the forest and wreak havoc, which is considered a natural disaster like a tornado or heavy rain. In other words, it is something that cannot be controlled by human means. The Abyssal Forest, which is steeped in various legends and taboos, is a magical realm that one should not approach.

However, for the current Felk and his group, the situation is different.

To travel between Latestwood and Alkymira, one must pass through the Abyssal Forest. However, in the outer regions, the monsters of Alkymira do not lose their sense of direction. Even a journey that Felk and his group could not have completed on their own is not a significant obstacle for the guides sent from Alkymira. Moreover, it is futile to fear the monsters of the Abyssal Forest now, as they are walking amidst creatures that can easily slay the monsters of the Abyssal Forest. Compared to them, the monsters of the Abyssal Forest are relatively easy opponents.

Just by glancing around, one can see powerful monsters that they could not resist. Goblins and orcs, the typical monsters, are just the beginning. There are ogres, trolls, humanoids with bat-like wings, floating giant eyes with tentacles, and something that might be a type of undead.

It is a terrifying sight that would have made them flee in terror a few days ago.

"Ah...!?"

Suddenly, a voice of suppressed screams arose from within the group. However, the scream was not due to seeing a terrifying monster. It was because an elf was among the residents who were curiously observing the group.

The elf's suspicious gaze caught a woman who worked as a healer in the Latestwood settlement. She, who had been branded with nightmares in Noblewood, froze in a reflexive reaction.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"...N-no, nothing."

The woman, suppressing her trembling, answered the knight. Felk thought it was understandable. He had been captured early on, but those who had escaped had also spent hellish days until just recently.

However, they must overcome this. As members of the newly reorganized warrior group, they are required to have the strength to overcome their past memories.

The reason for their visit to this country is also for that purpose.

The delegation led by Felk came to this city to seek the power to fight. They came all the way from Latestwood to receive 'training' from the allied nation of Alkymira.

(...That's right. To become stronger, we knocked on the door of this land of monsters.)

Felk muttered to himself, reaffirming the purpose of their visit.

It is part of an exchange program designed to deepen mutual understanding between the two countries, but in reality, it is to enhance the combat capabilities of the Latestwood warriors. After suffering heavy losses in the previous battle, Latestwood lacks the self-defense capabilities to repel the forest monsters. There is a severe shortage of warriors with sufficient strength.

However, the problem of insufficient manpower cannot be solved immediately, so they must at least improve the strength of each individual as quickly as possible.

This training, part of the exchange program, was realized in this context.

"We have arrived. This is the mansion where you will be staying from today."

Upon hearing the knight's words, Felk, who had been deep in thought, suddenly looked up. In front of him was a large mansion. The walls were adorned with various spears of different sizes, and the roof was decorated with shield-like ornaments. The door handle of the main entrance was shaped like a sword hilt, giving the mansion a somewhat imposing atmosphere.

The knight, having completed the tour, left with the words, "My duty is now complete. I wish you all the best," which subtly raised some concerns.

The group, left behind, looked at each other and stood awkwardly in front of the mansion for a while. But standing there would not help. After swallowing hard, Felk, as the representative of the group, pushed open the door of the mansion.

"Ah, you've arrived."

Inside the mansion, a humanoid lion was waiting. Although he was not wearing a helmet, he was clad in heavy armor. Despite his large build, which must be quite heavy, the lion walked lightly to the group.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Baran Ziephrit. I am the one responsible for the intercultural exchange program and your 'training' that will take place this time."

"Thank you for your kind words. My name is—"

Felk introduced himself as he had done earlier and exchanged greetings with the lion named Baran.

Throughout the journey, they had seen monsters with unimaginable strength, but there was something different about this lion. The beastkin among the group, in particular, seemed to be stimulated by instinct, as they were visibly shaken by his presence.

However, Felk, as the representative of Latestwood, stood tall and responded confidently.

"As previously notified, during the training period, you will be treated as trainees, not guests. Naturally, I will have to take a somewhat strict attitude, but is that acceptable?"

"Yes, of course. We all came to this land with the resolve to be warriors. We would be honored to be treated as such."

The others also nodded firmly, looking Baran in the eye. Baran nodded in satisfaction.

"Understood. I will do my best to fully meet your resolve. Time is precious, so let's move on to the training after you put down your belongings."

Baran responded seriously and rang a magical bell. The sound echoed through the mansion, and a steward, a humanoid monster with chicken-like features, appeared.

The group, led by the steward, was divided into several large rooms. After quickly setting up their equipment, they regrouped in the lobby. Then, under Baran's guidance, they moved to a large training ground adjacent to the mansion.

The training ground was equipped with unfamiliar facilities and tools. There were also workers who seemed to have been using it for other purposes, gathering building materials. Most of them had already completed their preparations, and the last two were carrying the remaining materials. They saw Baran and the group and hurriedly left.

As they passed by, the workers' voices reached their ears.

"...Hey, aren't they the ones...?"

"Yeah, they're from Latestwood. I heard they came for training."

"If they're here... Does that mean... They're going to go through the Second Legion's training program?"

"Seems so. And the Second Legion Commander is in charge of it."

"...Poor them. I hope no one dies."

—It was a chilling conversation.

The dwarf in the group did not seem to have heard it, but the elves with their keen hearing caught every word.

The faces of the half-elves in the group turned pale. He must have looked the same. The backs of the monsters who had hurriedly left were making him lose the resolve he had as a commander.

Unaware of Felk's state of mind, Baran stopped at a corner of the training ground and turned to the group.

"Alright, let's start the training. As agreed earlier, from now on, I will treat you as trainees. During the training period, call me 'Instructor.' Your response should be 'Understood, Instructor.'"

"...U-understood, Instructor!"

Felk responded first, followed by the rest of the group. Baran, now the instructor, nodded and climbed onto the command platform.

What kind of ordeal would they be subjected to?

Felk shuddered with fear at the unknown, but he secretly resolved not to run away, no matter what the trial might be—

"Let's start with a warm-up run. First, ten laps around this training ground."

The words from the instructor's mouth made him blink in surprise.

Felk was not the only one who felt surprised; the members of the warrior group also looked at each other in confusion. The instruction seemed too anticlimactic. The training ground was quite large, but ten laps was