Chapter 66

"Here it is, teleportation. Little monk."

"Blantark, are we going to be involved in this again?"

"Don't say it..."

While it's questionable whether it's truly top-secret, we, the 'Dragon Busters,' ended up being forced to accept a request from the Margrave of Breichrader.

The content of the request was to embark on an expedition to the Forest of Demons in the southeastern part of the Lingaiya continent, an act of folly that involved the previous Margrave of Breichrader and our family, the Baumayster Knights, and resulted in the sacrifice of many people.

In that reckless expedition, nearly two thousand people died, and the two thousand bodies left in the Forest of Demons turned into undead and remained there for several hundred years.

The longer the undead exist, the more their lingering regrets, sorrows, and resentments amplify, making them more troublesome beings.

Anyone can understand this by looking at the numerous defective properties in the capital.

In the Lingaiya continent, the habitable area of the Baumayster family, which has territory in the southeastern part, is separated from the undeveloped area by several hundred kilometers. If anyone were to enter the Forest of Demons again, it would take at least several hundred years.

If, during that time, the undead were to intensify their resentment like a venomous insect and become more powerful, and if many adventurers were to fall victim to the undead of the Forest of Demons, it would naturally be investigated, and the Margrave of Breichrader would receive a bad reputation.

I can't be certain if the Margrave of Breichrader will still exist several hundred years from now, but since the Margrave of Breichrader has a history of 1,200 years, it is highly likely to continue.

To ensure the safety of our unseen descendants, we need to purify the undead that are the remains of the expeditionary soldiers wandering in the Forest of Demons before they become too powerful.

For this purpose, we were to head to the site.

From the fact that we are handling a request related to the shameful past of a great noble family, it seems that we are being relied upon by the Margrave of Breichrader to some extent.

The reward is also a considerable amount, including a confidentiality fee.

"But, is it really okay with such a small group?"

"It's fine."

El's doubt is immediately answered by Blantark. The reason for challenging a domain inhabited by many monsters with a small group of adventurers, as previously mentioned, is that if too many people rush in, the monsters will appear in large numbers in response.

The failure of the previous expeditionary force was due to this one point. There are other reasons, but I will refrain from mentioning them for now.

"If we infiltrate with a small group, they won't send out as many as they would otherwise."

"I understand that from our recent extermination experiences, but with a small group, it's impossible to defeat two thousand undead, right?"

"It's fine. That's why we have Elise and the little monk."

I wish he would stop calling me 'little monk' now that I'm almost an adult, but Blantark doesn't seem to have any intention of doing so. To him, I am a disciple of a disciple. It might be inevitable that he treats me like a monk, and he doesn't speak rudely to me, a baron, in public.

He understands the boundaries.

"Vell and Elise?"

"Yes, that's right. Get rid of the oil bugs all at once."

His plan for this time is to annihilate the undead that gather, rather than eliminating them one by one.

"Can you use the wide-area diffusion magic, little monk?"

"Yes, my master taught me."

Wide-area diffusion magic, in simple terms, is a magic that spreads the effect of a spell over a wide area. Since it spreads the effect over a wide area, it naturally uses a large amount of magic power, and the target must be appropriate for the magic to be effective.

The compatibility of attributes also matters. With fire attributes, fire can spread over a wide area, making it possible to burn a large number of monsters. Occasionally, people die from being surrounded by the fire they spread themselves.

Similarly, tornadoes and other wind-based spells are also effective, but earth and water-based spells might not be as useful.

However, not all are useless. For example, earth-based spells might include construction magic. Since they act over a wide area from the beginning, there is no need for wide-area diffusion.

For water-based spells, it might be the wide-area diffusion of healing magic. In the past, during times of war, it was convenient to gather the wounded and heal them all at once. However, it was limited to healing minor injuries due to the amount of magic power required. Still, very few people could use such magic.

I have read in books that they were highly relied upon in the past.

"Can your wide-area diffusion magic be used on others' spells, little monk?"

"Yes."

"Then, it might be an easy job."

Blantark explains the plan. First, Elise will use a purification spell with holy attributes, and I will spread it throughout the Forest of Demons using wide-area diffusion magic. If Elise's magic power runs out, Blantark will replenish it, a skill only he can use.

El, Ina, and Louise's main task is to prevent other monsters from approaching us.

"So, Blantark is here to help?"

"Of course, with this number. The basic principle is a small, elite team, and the helper must have the appropriate skills and discretion."

If we succeed in the annihilation, there will be no problem, but considering the possibility of failure, Blantark, who serves the Margrave of Breichrader, was chosen as the helper.

"Then, let's go quickly."

"No, wait."

From the age of six to twelve, I explored undeveloped areas within the Baumayster family's territory, using it as a training ground for magic. Thanks to this, I could move freely throughout the area, though I never entered the Forest of Demons.

So, I intended to move quickly and complete the request, but for some reason, Blantark stopped me.

"Why?"

"There's a place we need to go first."

"A place we need to go?"

"The Forest of Demons is technically within the Baumayster Knights' territory, so it's normal to greet the lord."

"Well, I understand that, but..."

Of course, I was aware of this, but I was honestly reluctant. I thought it would be nice if the Margrave of Breichrader had already greeted us, since we were there to handle their shameful past.

"Hmm..."

"Please bear with it."

Even if the area is undeveloped and only I and the expeditionary force to the Forest of Demons have entered it, it is officially the property of the Baumayster family.

Therefore, we need to go and greet the lord, obtain permission, and negotiate the division of the spoils.

If there were a branch of the Adventurers' Guild in the area, like in Braihburg, it wouldn't be necessary. As long as you register as an adventurer, the guild will negotiate and even pay the taxes for you.

However, there is no Adventurers' Guild in the Baumayster territory or the undeveloped area. Therefore, we need to negotiate directly with the lord.

For example, in this case, the spoils from the process of purifying the undead, such as the remains of the soldiers and the expeditionary force, the materials obtained from the monsters that attacked, and the herbs collected in the Forest of Demons, need to be negotiated.

How much profit will be made from all the spoils?

Will the payment be in kind?

Or will a certain amount be paid in cash after selling in Braihburg?

These details need to be negotiated.

"(It feels a bit late, doesn't it?)"

Although I spent my childhood plundering undeveloped areas as part of my magic training, this is a different matter.

In fact, this is where I become a bit of a villain. Even if I plunder minerals and materials from undeveloped areas, my family can't punish me.

This is because, to prove theft, evidence is needed. My family, who have not yet surveyed the area, cannot prove my crimes.

It's the same as someone who doesn't know how much money they have in their wallet complaining about being robbed; the police won't take it seriously.

"..."

"Vendelin-sama?"

"I understand how you feel, Elise. Just give him some space."

El, who has a delicate relationship with her family, seems to understand. I feel a bit gloomy about having to greet a family I had already abandoned, even if it's for work.

"Hmm..."

"What's wrong? Are you that reluctant?"

Through teleportation, I stood in front of the Baumayster family's mansion for the first time in a long while. Honestly, I thought it would be better if I could forget the location and move, but because I had trained diligently, the teleportation spell worked normally even after several years.

El and I are in a similar position. We are both in a situation where it's impossible to inherit a knight's family, and we have established ourselves as independent adventurers. El renounced her inheritance rights as soon as she became an adult. Although she had unexpectedly come into a large sum of money, it's a different family now, so her family wouldn't ask for help in a disgraceful manner.

It had been about a month since the conquest of the hellish underground labyrinth, and El was worried about what would happen next due to the speed of information dissemination.

What about my situation?

Previously, the head of the village, Claus, had thrown a bomb by saying I was the most suitable to be the next lord. I had already renounced my inheritance rights early on.

In fact, when I received a new title from the king, the renunciation was already determined. At that time, I hurriedly asked the government to handle the formal procedures.

Moreover, my father and brother didn't say anything. This was because everything was handled by letter, and we didn't actually meet face to face.

I don't have much attachment or affection for the Baumayster family or my parents and siblings. When I was reborn as six-year-old Vendelin, my previous memories were just knowledge I had seen in dreams, and I had little contact with them, or rather, I was clearly neglected.

I wasn't abused or anything. I didn't have to help with household chores, and I spent my time on studies and magic training, contributing a little to the household with the results.

In short, that's the kind of relationship that was visible to everyone around me.

I think this tendency became even more pronounced after they found out I could use magic.

What the impoverished knight's family in the southernmost border needed was a closed, cooperative relationship among the clan and the people, and my magic was only a hindrance to that relationship.

So, they really wanted me to become independent as soon as possible.

"Now, to greet them..."

"I want to greet my stepfather and stepmother."

"I do too."

"Me too, as the third wife."

The three of