Just as the sun rose over the horizon, the little fox who had been nibbling at the dried meat I was intending to store as emergency food popped her head out from the leather bag which kept her warm and protected her from the cold winter air.

“Guruofau… Wafi garuooruaan?” (I don’t know this smell… Did we enter someone’s territory?)

“Gaon.” (Perhaps.)

After I briefly responded to my sister in a low voice that almost nobody could hear, I focused on my sense of smell and faintly detected the characteristic scent which was carried by the wind blowing from the north.

(It’s hard to immediately notice it when I’m in my human form…)

However, once I recognized it, I couldn’t ignore it either.

“Everyone, get ready for battle, we might encounter them soon.”

“Have we arrived at the Valley Ant’s territory already?”

“We’re almost there, but isn’t it strange that we haven’t met them already…?”

When I nodded at Muriel who looked tense when she asked, Ares left us and jogged up to Zachs who was walking slightly ahead of us.

“Uu, I’m so nervous, I think I might have a stomachache…”

“Aren’t you one of the people who planned this? You have to keep it together.”

Duke Ferias accepted her suggestion and passed it on to his commanders, so the responsibility lay with him. However, it didn’t mean that the pressure of mobilizing the people and causing casualties just as Muriel predicted would just go away.

While some nobles merely think of people as pawns, there are also some whose hearts are so worn out that you couldn’t just blame them either. When I was an inexperienced mercenary, I remember that I once bit an elderly territorial lord who had brushed me away while saying, “If you don’t think of people as pawns, then your judgment will be swept by your emotions and more people will die…”

If you don’t respond against a threat, then the sacrifices will be huge, but even if you do play your cards right, there is still bound to be some sacrifices.

(It’s tough for people in high positions, huh…)

Although there is a huge difference in scale, as a leader of a pack, I realized that I also have to keep it together. I patted Muriel’s head as she held on tightly to her staff.

“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to make sure everything goes well.”

“N, thanks, Archer♪”

“You two sure get along well, don’t you.”

“Au~”

As soon as she heard Riberto’s comment, Muriel leaned away from me and quickly walked ahead. After a while of following her back, the front of the formation became noisy.

“Valley Ant sighting confirmed in the northeast, spread out in a row formation!”

“Mages and Transport Corps, go to the rear, my group will take the right flank of the first platoon!”

“We’ll take the left!!”

Under the command of the three Knights who swiftly swooped in and gave their orders, the troops immediately broke the formation. The first platoon stood facing the attacking group of Valley Ants and the other two offense units took the left and right flanks while the mages and transport corps who were carrying huge amounts of herbs and supplies retreated to the back.

In the midst of this, the Adventurers who seemed unaccustomed to moving as a unit were left behind by the guards, received orders from Ms. Grace a moment later.

“As decided earlier, my group will take the right flank, while Edgar’s will take the left flank.”

“Alright, let’s go, everyone!!”

“UWOOOOOOOOOH!”

As several groups of Adventurers shouted out in high spirits and moved to their places with the soldiers, we also moved with Edgard’s group and followed the fearless, metal armored warrior.

By the time we were in position, the swarm of more than 200 giant ants was almost immediately upon us.

“First platoon, prepare to fire! After we draw them near, prepare for close combat!” 

“OU!!”

The archers from the soldier group at the front deployed in a two-row formation, with the front row going on one knee and nocking their arrows while the rear line also readied their bows and arrows.

Similarly, the mages and archers from the Adventurers’ group also readied their weapons and spells intending to significantly reduce the enemies’ number with the first strike. However, perhaps getting impatient from waiting for the approaching swarm, someone released an arrow even before the enemies could step into the effective range.

“Hey, shouldn’t we shoot after we draw them in…?”

“Gigiaaaaaah!?”

Zachs was about to say that it was a waste of arrows when his words were drowned out by one of the Valley Ant’s agonized screams. The arrow which was coated with Wind’s Blessing received no wind resistance and flew rapidly and deeply pierced the head of one of the giant ants, and the arrowhead charged with wind magic activated and blew half of its head off.

“Y-you cast Air Burst on the arrowhead!?”

“You’re still refining that spell to intermediate level, aren’t you…?”

Eina, who thought I was only an archer was surprised, while Muriel, who knew I could use magic, observed the skill with interest as I quickly fired my second and third shots.

My arrows found their way to the compound eyes and abdomen of the giant ants and exploded, inflicting fatal injuries. As I was about to nock another arrow, I felt the odd looks the other Adventurers were giving me and promptly stopped.

(Now that I think of it, other job classes that could use magic other than magic users are pretty rare…)

As I stopped and looked uncomfortable because of the awkward situation, several burning spears shot out from the right flank and engulfed the giant ants in flames as soon as they hit them.

“GIGIIIIIH, GI, I…”

As several of the burning giant ants fell and screamed in pain, the voice of Ms. Grace, who probably fired them, echoed throughout the battlefield.

“Everyone, attack!”

“Fire!”

At about the same time, the knight leading the first platoon gave his orders and the Adventurers fired arrows and spells from the sides while the soldiers immediately fired a volley of arrows at the swarm of giant ants that were fast approaching by several dozen meters.

However, the effects of these arrows are limited, since ordinary arrows that have not been endowed with magic would have to hit the target multiple times to create significant damage. Thus, the giant ants taken down by these arrows were only around ten, while the number of ants taken down by the few magic users within the Adventurers was roughly the same.

But even though we had taken out roughly around 1/8th of the swarm after the first volley, the number of people in the strike force and the number of Valley Ants were still the same.

In theory, if an ordinary giant ant is assumed to have the same battle strength as an ordinary soldier, it would be difficult for novice “iron” rank Adventurers to take them on, while the “black iron” Adventurers and even the few “silver” Adventurers and above who are present could defeat them, but…

While the enemy is mainly composed of Soldier ants, there are also Imperials mixed in that are nearly 2 meters in height and 3.8 meters in length, so we also have to prepare to take damage.

Under such circumstances, the battle between the subjugation teams and the Valley Ants entered into close combat.

This translation is brought to you by Nocturne Translations.