Chapter 69

Summary of the previous chapter:

Gerbera tries her best but fails.

15 ～From Yuna Iino's perspective～

Leaving the Cheria fortress with the elite of the Imperial Knights, it took about a week to reach the colony.

Despite the shock of the drastically changed temporary residence, it took more than a week to rescue the survivors who had taken refuge in the mountain cabin.

It took another twenty days and a bit to return while protecting the survivors.

"…No way."

After a journey of nearly forty days, I, Yuna Iino, returned from the rescue operation deep in the forest, only to be greeted by the Cheria fortress, now a desolate ruin.

Confused and bewildered, I wondered where the companions I had left behind and the people from another world who were supposed to guard this place had disappeared to.

The state of the destroyed fortress made the answer clear, but I couldn't accept it at first. The shock was so great that I almost fell to my knees.

Of course, I couldn't let the new companions I had just rescued see me in such a state.

With that resolve, I managed to stay on my feet.

Observing the fortress, I noticed a few things.

For example, the traces of destruction suggested a monster attack. In some cases, there were even rotten, dried pieces of flesh stuck to the walls.

What kind of monster could have attacked, causing such extensive damage to the supposedly sturdy fortress walls?

The existence of such a creature, other than the cheaters in our exploration team, made me shudder.

…However, conversely, it also meant that there were people in our exploration team who could do such a thing.

For example, I, 'Vedant,' specialize in speed and lack the means for large-scale destruction, but Tenji and Watanabe could do it. This means they could have fought against the enemies that attacked the fortress.

There is hope. I must not give up.

Despite the frustration, I headed north to leave the forest.

The new companions I had rescued from deep in the forest numbered over twenty, and getting them to a safe place was my top priority.

At the nearest frontier village, I managed to get some information, albeit minimal.

The Cheria fortress had been attacked by a large-scale monster assault, losing most of its garrison, and was subsequently abandoned.

The knights who accompanied me all denied this, saying it was impossible.

Such a large-scale monster attack could not have happened; it must be a mistake.

However, facts are facts. No matter how much they denied it, the past could not be changed.

The fortunate part was that not everyone in the fortress had been brutally killed.

The survivors had abandoned the indefensible fortress, made their way to the nearest frontier village, cleared the surrounding monsters, and left information behind. Among them were other transfer students.

I had to join the survivors of the fortress attack at all costs.

I needed to confirm the safety of my companions who had been transferred to this place with me and understand the situation.

The survivors of the fortress attack were heading for the city of Seratta.

It was a city I had passed through when I traveled from the Evinus fortress to the Cheria fortress.

After leaving the forest, I judged that it was safe enough and entrusted the rescued companions to the knights.

Holding the borrowed translation magic stone, I set off alone for Seratta.

My speed, even when restrained for long distances, was faster than a trained horse.

I covered the distance from the forest to Seratta in two days and requested an audience with Lord Lawrence, the lord of Seratta.

Fortunately, the deputy leader of the Imperial Knights, who had accompanied me on the rescue mission in the forest, was a relative of Lord Lawrence.

Thanks to the letter of recommendation from him, I was quickly led to the lord.

The interior of Seratta fortress was more luxurious compared to the front-line fortresses like Evinus and Cheria. I was greeted by two people in a lavish room.

One was a man in military uniform.

His muscular body showed no sign of excess fat, indicating a strict self-discipline. His short blonde hair was neatly cut, and he had a somewhat nervous but serious face.

The other was a gentle-looking man with wavy brown hair.

He was slimmer than the military man but also had a well-toned body. He was clad in heavy armor, but his face was quite soft, giving him an elegant air more suited to a bard than a knight.

I was puzzled.

According to the deputy leader of the Imperial Knights, who had given me the letter, Liam Lawrence, the head of the Lawrence family, was a well-built man exuding wealth.

In other words, he was a rather plump man.

However, neither of the men in front of me fit that description.

"Who are you…?"

"I am pleased to meet you, Yuna. My name is Louis Bard."

The military man bowed.

"I am under the command of Grantley MacLorin, the Margrave of MacLorin, and am responsible for part of the border army. And this is…"

"Travis Mortimer, the leader of the fourth division of the Cathedral Knights. Please remember me, Yuna."

The gentle man bowed, his elegant and affected gesture reminiscent of a Hollywood actor.

He must be quite popular with women. However, what caught my attention was something else.

"Louis and Travis, huh? …Why are a subordinate of a great noble from the southern empire and the leader of the Cathedral Knights here together?"

I had heard a brief story about the Margrave of MacLorin from the deputy leader of the Imperial Knights before.

The Margrave of MacLorin, a great noble, is also a warrior who personally leads the border army to fight monsters.

However, why would one of his subordinates be in the Seratta fortress, which is in the territory of Lord Lawrence?

Meeting my questioning gaze head-on, Louis answered without a flicker of emotion on his stern face.

"My lord, Margrave Grantley MacLorin, as one of the lords responsible for the peace of the south, is deeply concerned about the disaster that befell Cheria fortress. The matter involves the safety of the hero, and it is beyond the scope of a mere baron to handle. Therefore, he decided to take action himself. Lord Lawrence gladly accepted his offer."

Louis then turned his gaze to the knight beside him.

"Sir Mortimer was originally on his way from the capital to the south to welcome the heroes at Cheria fortress. On his way, he received news of the fall of Cheria fortress and has been assisting my lord since then."

His gaze returned to me.

"And I, as my lord's representative, have been given a certain mission and am staying here in Seratta."

"Mission…?"

Tilting my head, I asked, and Louis nodded.

"Yes. I am responsible for protecting the soldiers who fled from Cheria fortress."

"! So, our companions…!?"

Hearing Louis's words, I couldn't suppress my excitement.

It had been over ten days since I saw the state of the abandoned Cheria fortress, and I had been feeling restless all this time.

Finally, I could get information about my missing companions!

"By any chance, do you know anything about the attack on Cheria fortress! Please tell me, Louis. What happened there? Where did our companions go?"

"Please calm down, Yuna."

Louis held me back with both hands.

"I will tell you what I know. Please, give me a moment."

Of course, it was a welcome offer.

I calmed my racing heart and listened to his story.

***

"Surely, not such a thing…"

I was speechless at what I heard.

According to Louis, Cheria fortress was destroyed by a sinister plot carried out by some of the transfer students.

"Unbelievable…"

"Unfortunately, it is the truth."

Louis said in a heavy voice.

"Cheria fortress was attacked under the guidance of a person with the ability to control monsters. This is supported by multiple testimonies and the situation leaves little room for doubt."

I had seen the state of the abandoned Cheria fortress with my own eyes.

While it wasn't thoroughly investigated, there were numerous traces of destruction that could only have been caused by a massive swarm of monsters.

Such a large-scale monster attack, except for rare exceptions like the Trip Drill swarm, is almost unheard of in history. That's why the Imperial Knights who accompanied me were skeptical of what they saw.

They said that such a large-scale attack was last seen during the great expedition of a hero hundreds of years ago.

Indeed, if it weren't for such a rare event, it would be impossible to build such a massive fortress with so much effort. No fortress, no matter how sturdy, could withstand repeated large-scale monster attacks. It would be a waste of resources if it were destroyed immediately after construction.

A rare event coinciding with our visit to the fortress?

That's impossible.

If it was caused by the people there, I would have to accept it. With our cheater abilities, it's not impossible.

However, that—

"…is unforgivable."

My molars ground together.

That was the only way I knew to suppress my anger.

Louis, a subordinate of the Margrave of MacLorin, told me how many people had died at the fortress.

Tenji and Watanabe, who had traveled with me through the forest, were killed.

Most of the other students we were supposed to protect also died.

Most of the kind people at the fortress were also gone.

The damage was so severe that it was irreparable.

Thinking of the people who died in fear and despair, my heart ached.

I felt a chilling disgust and uncontrollable anger towards the perpetrators.

"I will not let them escape…!"

I would catch them and make them realize what they had done.

It would be a small consolation to the victims.

"Yes, it is an unforgivable act."

Louis nodded deeply at my words.

"I also believe it is a crime that cannot be overlooked."

"Louis…"

"Unforgivable. No, it cannot be forgiven. Many people have died due to the evil ability to control monsters. Such evil cannot be left unchecked."

His fingers, clasped in his lap, tightened.

It was a gesture of barely contained righteous indignation, as if the sound of bone and flesh grinding together could be heard.

"Evil must be destroyed. Justice must be executed. Even if it means my own body will be a miserable corpse, there are evils that cannot be left unchecked. Apart from my duties, I will not forgive those who control monsters or those who assist them."

The pressure I felt from the man, who was physically inferior to me, made me catch my breath.

Each word was filled with a terrifyingly heavy emotion.

However, it was a feeling I could empathize with.

Though I was overwhelmed, I did not feel uncomfortable.

"For the sake of destroying the evil in this world, I would like to ask for your help, Yuna."

"Of course."

I nodded firmly.

***

After that, I listened to everything Louis knew.

However, there wasn't much information.

The information was mixed, and it seemed that few people knew the detailed circumstances, leading to irresponsible rumors spreading.

As a result, the credibility of any information had been lost.

"Even to the point where some people claim that Tenji, who is in the same exploration team as you, Yuna, was one of the perpetrators of the attack on Cheria fortress."

"Such a thing!"

"Of course, I do not believe it. It is just a rumor."

I calmed down at his words, but the confusion of information seemed to be serious.

The fall of the important stronghold, Cheria fortress.

The deaths of multiple transfer students there.

The fact that some transfer students were part of the group that attacked Cheria fortress.

All of these were so sensational that their impact on people's minds was enormous. Adding to this, the spread of rumors would be disastrous.

"Our society, which must constantly fight against monsters, is inherently unstable. This is even more so when it involves the hero, who is the pillar of our hearts. A slight thing could break our hearts before our swords. We cannot allow irresponsible information to spread. For this reason, my lord has entrusted me with the protection of the soldiers who fled from Cheria fortress and the management of information."

The Margrave of MacLorin himself had already left Seratta.

The only person who seemed to know the detailed circumstances, a member of the Allied Knights, had also left Seratta with him.

Louis, leading a large number of border army troops, had followed the Margrave, who had already left with a cavalry unit.

Therefore, when he arrived in Seratta, the Margrave had already left, leaving only orders, and he had not met the Allied Knights