Chapter 33

The expedition was proceeding smoothly. It took four days to reach the first boundary stone. After that, they continued moving east, reinforcing the magic of the boundary stones, and were on schedule as planned. As expected, the number of monsters had increased due to the weakening effect of the boundary stones, but they were managing well.

Clement, who was leading the expedition for the first time, was doing a good job, and Lukas hardly needed to intervene.

(If everything continues to go smoothly, I might be able to see Viela as early as next week. I want to return to the capital soon.)

At the last stop of the expedition, a lodging facility had been built for the expedition team. Lukas, who had a private room, kissed the ribbon—Viela's charm—after finishing his shower.

During expeditions, one often wants to return to the capital, but this time the feeling was even stronger. Clement, whom he was most wary of, was also on the expedition and wouldn't be bothering Viela, and no one would dare to challenge the hero just to get close to her.

He simply wanted to see her.

(Well, Viela is so insensitive that she wouldn't notice if other men had ulterior motives and approached her.)

Lukas himself had been trying hard to show his affection, but Viela was only confused and hadn't reached the level of recognizing him as a special person of the opposite sex. Since she didn't seem to dislike him, he was considering whether he should make a more direct approach.

(I wanted to make sure she was aware of me before revealing my true feelings, but I don't want to make the first move. I feel that unless I clearly state that I want to be her real fiancé, she might never understand.)

While drying his hair with a towel, Lukas began to strategize about what to do after reuniting with his beloved.

The next morning, before the sun had risen, Lukas was awakened by a loud voice from one of his subordinates.

"Monsters have been reported to have invaded inside the boundary where the boundary stones are lined up! Lord Clement Bartel requests an urgent meeting."

"Understood."

He quickly put on his uniform pants and rushed out of the room. While walking, he fastened the buttons of his jacket and entered the entrance hall, which served as the headquarters. He tied his hair with the light blue ribbon in his pocket and stood in front of the table where Clement and the other leaders were waiting.

"Clement, what happened?"

"It seems that one of the boundary stones has completely lost its effectiveness, and monsters have crossed the boundary line. The divine beast knights on watch have slain the monsters, and several team members are heading there to activate the temporary boundary device."

"Then we need to follow the vanguard and cast new magic formulas on the boundary stone."

"However, there seem to be more monsters approaching than usual. According to the initial report, the monsters are in an excited state."

"Is it because they fought the divine beasts?"

"No. They were already aggressively charging before the battle. Please be careful."

Lukas frowned at Clement's report. Monsters are generally more aggressive than ordinary wild animals, but they are not foolish enough to challenge something stronger than themselves. Something was clearly wrong.

"Understood. Let's head out."

They headed to the boundary stone in question, and as reported, excited monsters had gathered around the stone that had lost its effectiveness. These monsters, called Skiamice, are medium-sized creatures that resemble rats and are common in this forest. Compared to griffins, they are much weaker, but they are troublesome because they move in large groups.

Albertina and the other griffins, with their eagle-like sharp talons, would catch and crush the Skiamice or knock them down with their beaks. The powerful strikes of the griffins were heavy, leaving the Skiamice unable to recover. If surrounded, the griffins would use wind magic to blow the Skiamice away. Any Skiamice that tried to attack from behind or get close to the griffins were cut down by the divine beast knights riding on their backs.

(Why hasn't the boundary been reinforced yet?)

Lukas felt a cold sweat on his back. He had a bad feeling. If the boundary stone started working properly, the Skiamice should have fled.

However, the Skiamice continued to gather and attack. The tension continued as the boundary mages prevented any from getting through.

Using the bond with his partner griffin, Lukas connected his consciousness and enhanced coordination with other divine beast knights to efficiently eliminate the Skiamice. Then, a messenger from the divine beast knights arrived with a serious expression and reported to Lukas.

"Commander Clement Bartel has issued a notice. A critical issue has been discovered with the boundary stone, and the magic formula update has failed! After activating the temporary boundary device, we are to leave a minimal defense team and retreat!"