The “reinforcements” for Ciel-Teira are in the form of an emergency mobilization of the army of the Count Randall of the Frontier, whose territory bordered Ciel-Terra.
However, military service was originally a task to be shared by the nobles under royal command. The Kingdom of Noacurio had organized a reinforcement force of mixed armies of the lords and ladies.
For the time being, they were securing Ciel-Terra with their forces. They were planning to further increase their strength in order to capture the royal capital, where the “Princess Rose of Hellrage” was encamped.
The first such reinforcement was advancing westward near the border. If non-combatants were included, the total number was over 10,000. The territory was close to Ciel-Terra, and the troops were relatively quick to respond.
However, this was also a de facto supply force.
The freezing cold river was lined with many cargo ships, and the soldiers marched in tandem with them. The troops included farmers carrying supplies instead of armaments, many foot soldiers, and the knights’ own horses and wagons.
The general of the garrison unit, the Count of Randall’s Frontier, was screaming about the lack of supplies. The large amount of supplies was a response to this situation. In addition to sending reinforcements, he wanted his soldiers to serve as transport escorts.
The alcohol merchants who usually accompanied the marchers also showed up. The merchants had wagons and carts lined up with plenty of goods to sell after their arrival in Ciel-Terra.
In addition, this time, a party of adventurers was escorting them, in addition to the usual force.
Seventy-four members of 21 parties responded to the emergency first gathering.
Most of them, however, were low-level adventurers who would have had a good fight with a pack of goblins.
Their job was to escort the transport and, incidentally, to carry the cargo.
The lowest level adventurers’ work consisted of exterminating pests and cleaning ditches, which was far better in terms of content and reward.
Unlike dungeon exploration, there was no chance to get rich quick, just a job to get paid. Most adventurers would agree that it was not worth the reward of endless marching in the cold wind and cold weather.
The only senior adventurers who would have agreed to go to Ciel-Terra were, of course, after the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”.
“Oh, man. I’m sorry. I wonder if the pack bearers are stronger than the wyverns.”
“Stronger than a Cyclops, I assure you. I guarantee it.”
The Fighters, carrying burdens as large as a man’s legs, laughed at each other.
They were both 6th class Elite adventurers who were not afraid of the snow and were moving forward at a leisurely pace.
One was the “Blue Silver Bond” and the other was the “Clasp of the Dunes”. Both of them were advanced parties consisting mainly of 6th class Elites.
The Transportation Corps, which includes the carriers and the transportation soldiers who manage them, were scheduled to return to Noacurio once they delivered the supplies to the city of Wesala.
Most of the adventurers would leave Ciel-Terra with an escort on the way back with the Transportation Corps, but these two parties were different.
They were also contracted to participate in the subsequent battle for the royal capital. They were also very enthusiastic because they had been told that they could move freely if the battle turned into an urban battle and that they would receive a large reward if they defeated the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”.
They were so excited that they were willing to let the army take care of the exposure and let themselves take the good part of the action. The interests of the country, which wanted to eliminate the threat and obtain the Glacelum concession, and the adventurers, who were seeking the honor and reward of defeating
a Named, did not compete, but were in harmony.
There were only a limited number of requests with difficulty levels and rewards commensurate with the abilities of advanced adventurers.
The two parties, who had no suitable quests close at hand, decided to take on the hottest challenge of the day: defeating the Named Monster that had destroyed a country.
Fighting Named Monsters was one of the most glamorous adventures, accompanied by heroic illusions. It was enough to stimulate their spirit of achievement and adventure.
The only concern was the lack of information, but the results of the military’s upcoming intelligence gathering would be shared with them. As 6th class Elite adventurers, the trust placed in them by the public authorities was also quite high.
Both parties had priests, and they had also prepared anti-undead equipment. All that remained was to deal with the situation in a flexible manner. It was not unusual for them to go into battle with incomplete information.
“All right, that’s it for today! Get ready to encamp!”
The knight, the commander of the vanguard unit, gave the order, and the accompanying soldiers blew a small trumpet.
Next, the same tone, like that of a mountain lion, rose from all over the following ranks. The blowing of the trumpet had various meanings, and this was the signal that the front ranks had reached the encampment.
The procession of the march was quite long. Therefore, trumpets were used to inform the whole group of the situation.
Command one.
Not only the soldiers, but also the adventurers who were to join the march, began to set up camp in their own groups.
The boats carrying the cargo were anchored at the riverbank.
“… I don’t feel like I’ve walked all that way. It’s so slow and tedious when there’s so many of us.”
“Don’t say that. If we walked as fast as we do, even the horses wouldn’t be able to keep up with us.”
“No doubt.”
The two adventurers chatted lightly as they quickly set up their tent.
For adventurers accustomed to going on the roadless, even unpaved roads were a walk in the park.
In addition, their physical abilities were far apart. For them, marching was too slow.
The seasoned adventurers were accustomed to camping out, and after quickly setting up camp, they began to relax.
It was still a little early to prepare dinner. Some were still sword-fighting, reading grimoires, and some dwarves were drinking the wine they had brought along with them.
When it was getting dark, the smoke from the cooking was coming from all over the encampment. While the soldiers were cooking their own small meals, large pots of soup were being prepared in batches of several hundred servings over a fire in a simple makeshift stove.
The dim lights of the pots and pans were somehow a nostalgic sight.
And as it grew darker, they realized that there was a “light” nearby that was different from their own.
“What is that?”
The adventurers raised a quizzical voice.
Ahead of them on the road was a dim red light.
“Do people live in a place like this …? No, I don’t think so.”
“It doesn’t look like it’s inhabited or that travelers are boiling and cooking.”
“… The fire spirits, Salamanders, are making noise. Bad fire, standing … up.”
It was Elementaler, a female spirit user belonging to the “Clasp of the Dunes.”, who said this in a mumbled voice.
She was always vague, but she never made a mistake when it came to spirits.
“I’m sure there are scouts out there, but if it’s a … monster-related situation, it’s too much for the soldiers to handle. I’ll go check it out.”
The leader of the “Blue Silver Bond”, Coxon, stood up.
Coxon was a man in his thirties, a big, muscular man who was said to look like an ogre if he hid his face. He wore armor made from the shell and scales of a Red Dragon that he had slain himself.
The scars that ran the length and width of his body beneath the armor, as well as on the backs of his hands and face, testify to the number of lines of death he had passed through. Brave and responsible, he was trusted by the other adventurers.
“We’ll check it out, and “The Clasp of the Dunes” will be on the lookout for us. And talk to the general, just in case.”
“Okay.”
Following in Coxon’s footsteps, the members of “Blue Silver Bond” started to run.
＊ ＊ ＊
Once they got somewhat closer, they could see what the light was.
A carriage was burning on the side of the street.
The overturned carriage was on fire.
It was burning, melting the remaining snow around it and scorching the exposed ground.
“Just a single carriage in a place like this?”
“Some kind of merchant or something…?”
It happened all the time.
Often, people overestimated their luck and didn’t hire enough guards, or they unfortunately met a vicious assailant.
Even on well-trodden roads, bandits and monsters could appear out of nowhere, like weeds growing thick.
And those who were targeted often lost their lives.
Anyway, the problem was that “the carriage is on fire”.
They didn’t know when the fire started, but it couldn’t have been yesterday or the day before.
Someone must have attacked the carriage and set it on fire, or the lights ignited the fire. It couldn’t have been too long ago.
“… Let’s investigate the situation. Combat readiness.”
“Enhancement buffs?”
Asked by the magician, Coxon shook his head.
“More importantly, I need you to look around for signs of life.”
“Understood.……≪Mana Search≫”
The magician who raised his staff changed color, as if he had noticed something.
“What’s wrong?”
“One reaction, in front of the carriage! It’s alive!”
“What!?”
Immediately Coxon and the others started running.
When they got close enough to see the detail of the burning wagon, Coxon could see it.
Someone was lying on the ground with their head turned toward them as if they were going to fall over. It appeared to be a black shadow against the burning flames.
As they approached, they realized that the figure was smaller than they had expected. It was a girl in shabby clothes.
“A survivor!?”
“Heal!”
Coxon pulled out a healing healing potion, and the Priestess held the holy seal in her hand.
Coxon crouched down to check on the girl.
“You’re okay…”
Pow! Coxon heard a sound like firecrackers being set off from his chest.
He had done this many times before. He remembered. This was when his protective charms went off. The two charms he had equipped for surprise attacks had reached their limits at the same time.
Although they should have been ready to take three direct hits from high-level magic, their protection was ripped away in an instant.
The girl was reaching out her hand to Coxon’s leg. In her hand was a knife that looked like it had been carved out of red jade, and it was thrust through the boot and into Coxon’s leg.
It hurt, he thought, almost at the same time.
Coxon felt a horrible sensation as if a beast was on his back, slurping him up.
The girl who fell down in front of him, a thick, evil presence rose up, so thick you could almost touch it if you reached out your hand.
“What…!”
Coxon, not caring that his toes were being ripped off, jumped away as fast as he could and tried to draw his sword.
As he backed away, Coxon kept his eyes on the girl, and that proved to be fatal.
The red blade disappeared as if it had been untied in the girl’s hand.
Then she quickly looked up. Her silver eyes shone as bewitchingly as the red moon of a bad omen.
Coxon felt himself being completely consumed.
＊ ＊ ＊
When Coxon and the others returned, they were greeted with trepidation, not only by the “Clasp of the Dunes” members, but also by the soldiers and adventurers who were around them.
“How did it go?”
“…A wagon was on fire. It must have been attacked by bandits. There were no survivors …”
Coxon’s tone of voice was one of regret toward the Fighter of the “Clasp of the Dunes”, who had asked him on behalf of the group.
He regretted the lives he could have saved. That was his usual style.
“Are you sure it was bandits?”
“Yes. There were traces of looting and … the rest were the scars of a corpse. The swordsmanship is human or of a similar build. Ciel-Terra, as you know, is a terrible place, and the banditry is bound to increase.”
Hearing these words, Coxon felt the relief of those around him.
No bandit would ever attack a large supply convoy with this many soldiers and escorting adventurers (although they might be drunk or drugged).
Whether they were to be ignored for the time being or eliminated for the sake of avoiding any further trouble, they could not be a threat to the group.
“Anyway, report to General Gibbon.”
“Ah.”
Coxon split off from the adventurers and headed back through the long line of encamped troops toward the main camp.
The general’s position was in the center of the line.
Along the way, the members of the “Blue Silver Bond” parted without a word. They headed for their respective posts.
Soon he approached an area where there was a forest of magnificent tents, clearly different from the crude ones rented out to the soldiers.
This was where the General, Marquis Gibbon, and the top brass of the troops were gathered.
The smell of the air seemed to have changed.
The area was enclosed with holy energy. This was created by the “Star River Grail”, a magical artifact weapon. If undead entered this barrier, they would be purified, and even if not, weak monsters would be rendered ineffective. A single one of these weapons was enough to wrap an entire medium-sized city in a barrier of holy energy.
Two “Star River Grail” were already deployed in Wesala, and additional ones were being transported to Terra Kaine for installation.
They were still being used as a precaution during the march, but since the magic of the land could only be used above the magic pooling hotspots, it seemed that the output was reduced to a minimum and powered by magic stones. Only the general’s tent and a few surrounding tents were in range.
Some people had pointed out that “what’s the point of using it in a place so far from the front?” and “it’s meaningless to protect such a small area.” But since Marquis Gibbon, the general, was using it at his own expense, they had no right to complain.
–There are many ways to break such a thing. Since it only protects against evil spirits, if you hit it with elemental magic at point-blank range, you can blow the whole tent away…
Not rational, Coxon thought. He was just using it for some kind of peace of mind.
“Coxon, leader of the “Blue Silver Bond”. I am here.”
“Come in.”
When he called out from the entrance of the tent, which had been made arrow-proof and magic-proof, a knight on guard, not Marquis Gibbon himself, responded.
The inside of the tent, with the magic artifact for heating running at full blast, was as warm as another world.
Sitting on a folding chair, Marquis Gibbon was already an old man. He was a clean-cut man, even though he was in the middle of a campaign, and he wore a frizzy, unique headdress over his thin, scrawny face.
“Welcome, ‘Blue Silver Bond’.”
The general greeted Coxon in a friendly manner.
The aristocracy usually regarded adventurers as vagabonds, and it was not usual for them to speak to them in a casual manner.
However, when it came to the upper ranks of parties, the social status was so high that they could not ignore them. Even if they looked down on them inwardly, they could never avoid responding in an appropriate manner.
“I hear you found something strange?”
“Yeah, about that.”
Coxon flashed his sword, stepped in like a bolt of lightning, and sliced Marquis Gibbon across the torso.
“Eh…”
His eyes widened in astonishment, and he coughed up blood.
Arching a vomit of blood in the air, the upper half of his body, which had been cut off with the back of the chair, fell to the ground and rolled.
Then, finally, the two or so knights who had been guarding him reacted.
“Wh…!?”
“What!?”
Unlike Marquis Gibbon, who was wearing only formal attire, not even protective gear, the guards were fully equipped. But they appeared to have been completely unprepared.
They were careless, thinking that Coxon would not suddenly slash at him. They were also careless in thinking that they were still too far from the battlefield to be in any danger.
With his returning sword, Coxon slashed at one of the guards. Before he could even draw his own sword, the knight was struck in the face, causing his death.
Next, Coxon twisted the other’s sword around, kicking the knight in the shin area, knocking him off balance and knocking off his exposed head like an execution axe blow as he nearly fell over.
“Everyone, take action!”
Coxon issued orders to the members of “Blue Silver Bond” with a call mark.
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