Ch.10Prologue (10)

    In this world, there exist creatures known as goblins.

    These diminutive beings, standing at a mere one meter tall on average, are a humanoid species with hairless green skin, devoid of any body hair whatsoever.

    Their emaciated bodies, with ribs visible through their skin, coupled with protruding bellies, form a grotesque appearance. Their ugly heads, adorned with disproportionately large pointed ears and noses, are considerably oversized compared to their bodies.

    Particularly due to these distorted faces, they resemble small green demons, and despite clearly being a humanoid species, they are treated as little more than vermin in this world….

    The most fundamental reason for such treatment is the inherent malevolence of the goblin race.

    Goblins are inherently selfish and greedy creatures with an evil disposition, and this nature differs in direction from human greed or selfishness.

    While humans, despite being greedy and selfish, can at least suppress their personal desires through reason, the wicked minds of goblins lack this capability.

    As a result, despite technically being classified as humanoids, goblins cannot integrate into human society and have been pushed out of civilization into the wilderness….

    These goblins, living in primitive tribal societies among wild animals, are considered the worst nuisance, especially in rural villages and countryside settlements.

    Though individually weak enough to be dispatched by a farmer with agricultural tools, their primitive yet cunning nature allows them to cause damage on a scale completely different from ordinary beasts.

    Therefore, to protect agriculture—the foundation of the barony’s industry—and to maintain security by eliminating bandits and other monsters, my father orders the domain’s troops to patrol the territory annually around goblin breeding season….

    “Young master, are you managing the horseback riding well?”

    “Sir Basque, thank you for your concern, but I’m holding up reasonably well… though my backside does hurt a bit.”

    “Haha. Everyone goes through that at first. When I first rode a horse, I thought I would die from the pain in my thighs.”

    At ten years old, I was accompanying one of the patrol units circling Alzar Barony as part of my heir education.

    Sending an heir among troops where combat might occur—to someone unfamiliar with this world, it might seem excessively dangerous. But from my perspective, having become somewhat accustomed to this world’s “common sense,” it’s an understandable practice.

    There are three knights who have awakened the powerful force called Aura, and one of them, Sir Basque from the lord’s guard, is specifically assigned to protect me.

    Additionally, there are four military priests serving in the domain’s army as part of the friendly relations between the Pantheon and the barony. Above all, this army’s combat personnel, excluding simple laborers, consists entirely of men-at-arms.

    These men-at-arms, equivalent to professional soldiers in modern terms, are equipped with priest-crafted gear of incomparably higher quality than standard supplies. They are elite troops capable of physical enhancement through mana, with experience gained from confronting various monsters (hostile creatures).

    Being protected among such outstanding elite soldiers, I’m arguably safer now than inside the castle walls.

    Moreover, I’ve succeeded in gaining enough strength through repeated training to at least protect myself.

    Two years have passed since I first received knight training. During those two years, I’ve devoted myself to knightly training almost daily, and various changes have occurred in the process.

    The most significant change is my growth—at just ten years old, I’ve attained an impressive height of about 150cm with a robust frame.

    Considering that people of this era, especially commoners and the poor, tend to be shorter due to poor nutrition, my current height is comparable to the average adult in this period, which isn’t particularly unusual.

    Of course, the soldiers and knights around me now are mostly from middle-class or noble backgrounds, or naturally large individuals, so it might not seem that way at present….

    Nevertheless, it’s fortunate that I now possess physical abilities comparable to a typical adult and no longer face the predicament of lacking properly fitting equipment.

    Additionally, I can now be considered to have mastered all the qualities required of a squire—if not yet a knight.

    I’ve learned to handle various cold weapons to the extent that my father, who is sparing with praise, acknowledges I can pull my own weight. In swordsmanship specifically, I’ve finally moved beyond being dragged along by talent to being able to control that talent to some degree according to my will.

    I’ve also learned horseback riding, which is essentially the equivalent of obtaining a driver’s license in modern terms.

    “Prrr…!”

    “Ah, sorry. Did that hurt a bit?”

    “Pffft.”

    “Sorry, sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

    Naturally, being somewhat unskilled at horseback riding, having only recently learned, I was gently stroking the back of my warhorse, apologizing for my recent “mistake” when…

    “…Hmm?”

    Despite nothing happening, I suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

    In an ordinary situation, this might be dismissed as tension due to the sharp circumstances, but I happen to possess a power called “Hyper Intuition” (tentative name) that detects crises and highly activates my senses.

    A power originating from a sixth sense beyond the five senses, allowing me to detect what normally couldn’t be sensed or perceived in advance.

    This sense, which has never deceived me or misdetected anything, was now warning me in the form of anxiety, and I felt an indescribable ominousness from it…

    …That’s when it happened.

    “Burning smell…?”

    “…Did you notice it too, young master?”

    When I muttered those words and stopped in place, feeling the scent of something burning entering my nostrils, Sir Basque, who had apparently also smelled it, halted with a hardened expression.

    “Halt! Everyone halt!”

    Even a nameless knight in charge of commanding this army ordered the troops to stop, so there was a reason for our heightened sensitivity.

    Our army was currently crossing a low hill on the way to another city serving as a supply base, so naturally, the surrounding area consisted mostly of forests and plains.

    Yet, despite no visible fire, there was an acrid burning smell—perhaps indicating a fire somewhere unseen?

    As the halted army remained vigilant, scanning in all directions, while the knights in command whispered among themselves…

    “…Sir Basque, what’s that smoke?”

    “What? …Oh?”

    Suddenly feeling as if I heard a ringing sound, I reflexively turned in one direction and discovered smoke rising from that point. I called Sir Basque’s attention to it, and following my words, others also turned their heads to see the smoke.

    Not just a single stream, but dozens of black smoke columns rising as if something was burning…

    “Over there… there should be a village….”

    The moment a soldier, apparently from this area, mentioned that there was a village at the point where the smoke was rising, everyone present made a terrible but highly plausible conjecture.

    The tragic but common story in this world: that quiet rural village had been attacked by some group and was now burning.

    Consequently, the soldiers and knights were now staring intently at my face.

    While the ostensible purpose of this army’s formation was to patrol and exterminate monsters, in reality, it was my father’s consideration to provide me with battlefield experience in a safe environment.

    Well aware of this fact, they were reminding me that my decision was of utmost importance right now…

    “What are you waiting for! Knights, move quickly! Don’t just stand there looking at me—fulfill your duty!”

    “””””””””—Yes, sir!”””””””””

    The moment I declared my decision with a resolute expression, the knights and some soldiers looked at me with approval and pride, then the mounted cavalry and knights moved forward slightly faster than those on foot.

    “Trot! Trot! Cavalry forward! Cavalry forward! Veteran soldiers, lead the troops and follow closely!”

    “”””Yes, sir!””””

    Perhaps to move quickly to the village where smoke was rising, only those on horseback advanced rapidly, and I followed behind them.

    The warhorse of good bloodline stoically obeyed orders despite this sudden exertion, moving quickly. Seeing this, I hoped that perhaps we might arrive before the attack fully progressed, but…

    “…Damn it!”

    …By the time we arrived, the village had long since descended into chaos.


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