Chapter 40

At four in the afternoon, the Zack Quartet, who had seen their first real combat, returned safely to Takanogahara.

Sharon, who had initially turned pale, had started to perk up by the time they could see the village. Mel and Dan, who had felt fear during their first battle, were now excitedly discussing it as they entered the village.

I held Sharon's hand and thought to myself,

(Wild dogs are as weak as goblins. Even so, I was paralyzed by fear...)

I had fundamentally failed to understand what it meant to fight for one's life. The enemy had confronted me with a straightforward intent to kill. Faced with such pure malice directed at me, I had been terrified.

In peaceful Japan, it's almost impossible to be confronted with genuine malice.

(From now on, the enemies I might face could be like those who challenge the gods. Could I remain calm even when faced with their malice?...)

Back at the mansion, Guy explained the events in the forest to my grandfather and father.

When Guy apologized for exposing us to danger, my grandfather shook his head slightly.

"Entering the forest means facing such dangers. Besides, you were with them. There was no real danger, right, Zack?"

I could only nod. If I had spoken, I would have confessed to being shaken by fear, which might have made Guy and the others feel responsible.

After Guy and the others left, I told my grandfather about what I had felt.

"...The wild dogs, the enemies, were terribly frightening. I never imagined that the intent to kill could be so intense... Am I a coward?"

My grandfather neither laughed nor got angry; he listened to me in silence. When I finished, he began to speak slowly.

"Let me tell you about my first battle. I was thirteen when I went on my first campaign. At that time, I was assigned as a new squire to the defense force of Wellburn, the capital of the Razwell March, where I was stationed..."

Instead of talking about my fear, my grandfather began to tell me about his first battle.

He was born into a family of soldiers in the Razwell March, the northern governorate of the Kaerum Empire, and joined the knight's training at the age of twelve.

Even then, he was confident in his skills and could fight on par with a fifteen-year-old squire, so he was assigned to the defense force as a squire after just one year.

The northern region of the Kaerum Empire occasionally sent troops to the northern kingdom of Lax at the emperor's whim, but it was generally a peaceful land.

My grandfather, born a commoner, had become a squire at thirteen and was somewhat arrogant.

At that time, a series of attacks by a band of thieves on merchant caravans around Wellburn occurred.

A squad of about a hundred men from the defense force was dispatched to eliminate the bandits, and my grandfather was selected to join them.

The bandits were ruthless, killing everyone, including guards and merchants. However, they were also cunning, luring the elimination squad into hilly areas with poor visibility and manipulating them.

My grandfather's squad was assigned as a reconnaissance team, operating separately from the main force.

The bandits ambushed the reconnaissance team and attacked with overwhelming numbers. Outnumbered and caught off guard, the reconnaissance team was cut down before they could even counterattack.

My grandfather, paralyzed by fear, had resigned himself to death.

However, the bandits were cunning. They intentionally let the young grandfather escape to guide the main force. Unaware of this, he returned to the main force, half-crying.

The commander of the elimination squad, the squadron leader, saw through the bandits' trap and pretended to rush to the scene while secretly sending a small squad to flank the bandits from behind.

My grandfather, having lost his entire squad, was reassigned to the squadron leader's squad and witnessed his command up close. Initially, he could not forgive the squadron leader for seemingly abandoning his comrades, but his opinion changed when he saw the squadron leader shed tears over the bodies of the reconnaissance team after the bandits were eliminated.

"...In battle, calm judgment is necessary. You protected your young comrades in your first battle and observed the fight calmly. There's no shame in feeling fear. Those who don't feel fear can never achieve true strength. My first battle was terrible. I was so paralyzed by fear that I might have put my allies in danger. Compared to that, you did well. You will surely overcome this fear."

I felt a bit relieved by my grandfather's words.

Hearing that even my grandfather, who had risen to knighthood through his sword skills, had felt fear in his first battle, I was reassured that I wasn't alone in my cowardice.

However, I couldn't be sure if his story was true. It might have been a fabricated story to encourage me.

Still, I felt that I could overcome my fear because my grandfather had shown empathy for my thoughts.

After leaving my grandfather, I found Ridi waiting for me.

"Your first battle, huh? How was it?" she asked in a teasing tone, but her face showed concern.

"It was scary. I just talked to my grandfather about it. Honestly, I think I might not be cut out for battle."

"That's true. I don't expect you to become a warrior like Govey right away. But that doesn't mean you're not suited for battle. You just lack experience. With more experience, you will definitely become stronger. I guarantee it."

I was a bit taken aback by Ridi's unusually serious expression,

"Thank you. I plan to go to the forest as much as possible. I don't want to be a burden to Ridi and the others, trembling with fear."

Ridi smiled at my words but quickly turned serious.

"I'm glad to hear that, but don't overdo it. And don't get too cocky. You tend to get overconfident."

She then hugged me.

"I'll try not to overdo it. More importantly, I'm worried about Sharon. Mel and Dan seemed to be okay, but Sharon was quite scared."

Ridi smiled slightly,

"Probably fine. You were with her, right? By tomorrow, it will be a good memory."

I didn't understand what she meant, but the next day, Sharon came to the mansion with the same smile as always.

The only change was that she said she wanted to learn swordsmanship.

When I asked her why,

"Yesterday was scary, so I want to get stronger so I won't be scared... I don't want to be a burden to Lord Zack..."

I blushed at her words but immediately consulted my grandfather.

"Sharon is a mage. Her focus is on self-defense. Therefore, her fighting style will be different from yours and Mel's... It would be best for her to learn from Lydia."

When I told Ridi this,

"Exactly what Govey said. The rear guard's swordsmanship is about deflecting enemy attacks. I'll teach her during her magic training."

From that day on, Sharon began to learn swordsmanship and magic from Ridi.

Ridi's sword is a short one-handed sword, and she uses it to parry downward strikes and deliver quick thrusts. Despite her lack of strength, her light and agile movements make her a tough opponent.

In fact, even in a mock battle with my father, who is around level thirty, she can hold her own if she focuses on defense.

At first, Sharon was hesitant, but after watching our training every day, she quickly adapted to handling a sword.

Forest training became part of our daily routine.

Guided by Guy or Hector, we entered the forest. After a month, we even ventured into the more dangerous eastern forest.

On July 7th, we faced our second real combat.

It was hot and humid from the morning, and we were drenched in sweat after the morning training.

At eight in the morning, we set out for the eastern forest with Hector, Guy, Will, and the hunter Rob. We descended from Takanogahara, passed by the south side of the pond, and entered the forest.

Compared to the western forest, the eastern forest had more deciduous trees, and the interior was dim even in the summer sun, making visibility poor.

Rob, a bearded and taciturn hunter, led the way, cutting through the underbrush and shrubs as he advanced into the forest.

Hector followed Rob, then us, followed by Will and Guy.

My equipment included a short sword (which isn't short for me) and a small round shield. I wore only a leather hat, vest, and gloves as armor.

Mel carried only a sword, Dan had a practice shortbow and dagger, and Sharon had a dagger for self-defense.

It was our third time in the eastern forest, and we all walked behind Hector with tense expressions.

We planned to reach the base of the Aquila Mountains, a more dangerous area than usual.

With the loud cicada chirping as background music, we advanced eastward for about four hours and reached the upper reaches of the Woodford River.

The Woodford River is a clear stream about five meters wide, with large rocks scattered along its course.

The green trees reflected on the water, and the sunlight from the sky illuminated the riverbed, making the fish shimmer.

We were tired from walking through the deep forest, but we stood and waited for instructions from Hector, our leader.

After surveying the surroundings, Hector declared a break.

"We'll take a break here. Guy and Rob, check the surroundings for any danger. Will, stay close to Lord Zack. Lord Zack, there are many monsters around here, so be on your guard."

I nodded, and he warned the others.

"Dan, Mel, Sharon. Don't let your guard down. Follow my orders absolutely. Understand?"

The three of them responded energetically, "Yes, sir!"

"Once Guy and Rob return, we'll have a meal here. Lord Zack, take a break."

Guy and Rob quickly returned, reporting no danger.

We put down our backpacks and sat down.

I looked around at the vibrant forest as I put down my gear.

(I'm exhausted. This is the farthest we've ever come. What an incredible primeval forest. It's completely untouched by human hands.)

As usual, we opened the lunch boxes made by the head maid, Mollie.

Recently, Mel and Sharon have been adding their own dishes, sharing them with me. While some of their dishes are a bit off, they are surprisingly well-made for eight-year-old girls.

After a one-hour break, we started heading back along the river.

The Woodford River, with its abundant flow, often attracts wild animals to drink.

On the way back, Rob, the hunter, led the way, searching for prey.

Hector, walking in front, quietly raised his hand and crouched down.

We also crouched silently, but we didn't know what was happening, so we all looked around nervously.

Guy and Will joined Hector from behind to check the situation.

"Rob seems to have found something. It doesn't look like prey. Rob, report back, and Will, guard Lord Zack and the others. Guy, be ready to support Rob."

I couldn't see anything, but Rob, who was leading, had apparently found something and signaled Hector.

After a while, we heard rustling, and we tensed, thinking a monster might appear. But it was Rob.

"There are goblins ahead. More than ten, I think. What should we do, sir?"

Rob reported in a slightly accented voice and waited for Hector's decision.

"Guy, I need an accurate count. Scout ahead."

He licked his finger and pointed it up, perhaps to check the wind direction.

"Even if we bypass them, we'll have to go upwind. Rob, Will, be ready to fight, depending on the number."

The two nodded, and Hector turned to me,

"Depending on the number, we'll eliminate them if there are about twenty."

Considering Mel and the others, I asked, "Can't we avoid them?"

"If we don't cross the river, we'll have to go upwind, risking an attack. It would be safer to launch a surprise attack and eliminate them quickly."

"Understood. I'll leave it to your judgment," I nodded.

Hector nodded back and gave us instructions.

"There are probably twenty to thirty. If it's that number, Lord Zack, I need you to attack with magic. Sharon, join Lord Zack with magic. Dan, use your bow to target any enemies we miss. Mel, protect Sharon."

We nodded quietly and began to prepare.