Chapter 64

This is a rare perspective from the Daido Kingdom.

Why is this happening?

How did it come to this?

Lecter, riding his horse and fleeing from the monsters pursuing from behind, repeatedly questioned himself.

Why, why must I do such a pitiful thing?

Greed, running beside him, used wind magic to sweep away the monsters. No matter how many he defeated, more monsters kept appearing. Their magic power had its limits; once it was depleted, it would be the end.

“Greed, how many soldiers are left?”

“Half...! If we use them as a shield, we can escape!”

“...Understood.”

He would lose most of the soldiers given to him by his father. As someone who was competing with his brother for the throne, this was a painful defeat, but death would mean losing everything. He had to escape this forest safely somehow.

When did it start?

When did the gears begin to go wrong?

Just a season ago, everything was going smoothly.

High-level monsters could be defeated with a sufficient number of people, though it wasn't easy. They were close to conquering the deepest part of the monster cave, where the ancient dragon's remains lay. The soldiers' morale was high, and despite some sacrifices, they had achieved more than any previous extermination team. His team was supposed to accomplish the Daido Kingdom's long-held wish to conquer the Glass Forest.

The first anomaly began when the monster repellent incense ran out.

The incense, which kept even weak monsters at bay, was used not only during daytime hunts but also during nighttime rest periods to reduce the soldiers' fatigue. Without the incense, both weak and strong monsters attacked without pause, forcing all soldiers to remain on constant alert during the day. At night, what used to require one team of 30 people to take turns on night watch now required three teams. Even those off duty couldn't sleep due to the constant sounds and presence of the monsters, leading to rapid exhaustion and a drop in morale. Soldiers began to collapse from fatigue, and some suffered mental breakdowns from the prolonged tension. The recovery magic, which was supposed to help, was ineffective due to the poor quality of the mages, and each mage could only heal a few people at a time.

“Why don't you heal everyone at once! The recovery isn't keeping up!”

When he shouted at the mages, who were healing people one by one, they bowed with pale faces.

“Recovery magic is typically cast on individuals. One mage can heal up to 10 people at most. Any more and they will run out of magic power...”

“Don't lie! Our team's recovery was handled by one person before! Now that we have more mages, why are you making such ridiculous claims!”

“But...! It is recommended to have two mages for every 10 soldiers. With only one mage per 10 soldiers, the risk of magic depletion is high, which can be life-threatening! This is common sense!”

Common sense.

Indeed, it was.

Even in the military strategy classes he received as a prince, the ideal number of mages for long-term battles and extermination missions was clearly stated.

Why? When did it change?

When did the common sense for the Glass Forest extermination team change?

At first, the extermination team had a proper number of recovery mages. About 500 soldiers were accompanied by nearly 100 mages, with two mages assigned to every 10 soldiers. Over time, it was concluded that so many recovery mages were unnecessary. In reality, the mages assigned to recovery were often idle. So, they were all reassigned to the attack team. Mages weren't exclusively for recovery. With more attack team members, the progress in conquering the Glass Forest would accelerate. There were no issues, thanks to the girl with miraculous recovery powers.

A chill ran down his spine.

It was strange. Now, thinking about it, it was impossible. 500 soldiers with only one recovery mage.

But the girl managed it. With her pale, gaunt face and emaciated body, she hid her tattered clothes under a saint's robe, held a staff with her thin arms, and responded to the demands of Lecter, Greed, and the other soldiers. In exchange for meager food, a shabby tent, and Lecter's sweet words, she performed the work of 100 mages.

Was his sense of normalcy numb?

Why did he think it was normal?

Why did he feel frustrated, whispering sweet words, when he should have been a prince? Now, he realized how foolish it was to let go of such a beneficial and efficient resource. He should have kept the girl, Cindy, under control and never let her defy him again.

As the number of soldiers dwindled, one by one, Lecter and his men managed to escape the Glass Forest. They lost most of their soldiers, but once they left the forest, the monsters, who were wary of leaving their territory, pursued them in smaller numbers.

“We need to return to the capital and regroup.”

Greed nodded, his face etched with deep regret, just like Lecter's.

“Greed, we need to find a replacement for that girl.”

“Yes, Your Highness. There is something that concerns me about this...”

“What is it?”

“The new soldiers sent from the capital were talking about a large-scale monster attack on Kylart in Marita. The second prince, who led the defense, was critically injured, but was miraculously healed by a saint who arrived with the fourth prince...”

“The fourth prince of Marita... the monster enthusiast...”

He knew from the capital that the monster enthusiast from Marita was prowling around the Glass Forest.

“After we exiled the girl, perhaps the fourth prince of Marita captured her. Given his interest in monsters, it wouldn't be surprising if he entered the Glass Forest to hunt them.”

The monster enthusiast of Marita. A royal of Marita, with the strength of a high-level adventurer, but only interested in monster hunting. As the fourth prince, his claim to the throne was low, but he was still a prince of the powerful Marita. Despite his wealth and power, he rarely returned to the capital and spent most of his time hunting monsters. Lecter found him incomprehensible.

“Among the rumors from Kylart, there was also talk of a female swordsman who could control fire. The maid we exiled with the girl was originally a mercenary who could use fire magic.”

There were exaggerated rumors about the swordsman, such as killing multiple monsters with a single strike and fighting with a flaming sword, but rumors tend to be exaggerated. However, the characteristics of the fire mage matched those of the maid who went with the girl.

“Greed, can you gather information about Marita?”

“I have a few spies there.”

“Then have them investigate the saint who appeared in Marita. If that lowly girl is living off the kindness of the prince of Marita, we need to have her brought back to our country. She is a criminal of our country and has no right to live comfortably in Marita.”

“Will Marita give her up? She is a valuable asset as a fighter.”

The girl had no value, but her magic power was hard to let go of.

“If necessary, we can force her to come. If she resists, we can remind her who her master is by inflicting pain. As long as she can use recovery magic, it doesn't matter if she is physically intact.”

Greed smiled sinisterly.

“I have a few people who enjoy rough work. Some are only interested in children, but that shouldn't be a problem, right?”

Lecter frowned. He couldn't understand the interest in children.

“Well... I don't want her to become too damaged to be useful, but otherwise, it's fine.”

“They are skilled at making children obedient. They will meet your expectations.”

“I'll leave the details to you. Bring her back at all costs.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Lecter and Greed, with a small number of soldiers, headed towards the capital of the Daido Kingdom. Lecter's mind was preoccupied with how to explain the loss of most of his soldiers to the king and the thought of finally seeing his fiancée, Cindy, after a long time.

He had yet to realize that the withdrawal of the Glass Forest extermination team would lead to a disaster involving not only the Daido Kingdom but also the surrounding countries.