episode_0045

Something is strange.

It seemed that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Ayla and Mathias also showed signs of uneasiness, and the mercenaries and knights of the expedition also whispered among themselves with serious faces.

There are no monsters.

Until a few days ago, we would occasionally encounter a few of them, but now even that has completely disappeared. The mountain, devoid of any wild animals or monsters, was filled with an eerie silence.

There was no sound other than the sound of the knights’ iron greaves hitting the ground and the clanking of the expedition’s weapons.

Even we, the most inexperienced beginners, could tell that something was clearly strange.

I wondered if Yugram knew the cause of this situation. I thought about it for a moment, but even if he were Yugram, it seemed unlikely that he would know something like this.

“Stop!”

The faintly audible command of the Knight Commander and the voices of the Knights who followed suit rang out loud. As soon as the footsteps of the expedition stopped, most of the members took out their weapons. The reason they began preparing for battle despite the commander’s order─because before they knew it, countless monsters had surrounded the expedition.

You didn’t hear a single sound when this many monsters came rushing in? And you hid your presence so well that it fooled my senses?

It was obviously impossible. Also, if you look at the faces of the monsters that had gathered, they were not all of the same species. Even natural enemies, who should have been enemies and biting each other, were besieging this side as if they had formed an alliance.

I don’t know who or how, but someone is controlling these monsters as their subordinates.

─Thud!

A huge vibration that shook the axis of the earth was heard, along with a loud noise that echoed. I turned my head reflexively and saw that the mountain path we had come through was blocked by a huge boulder. Of course, it was possible to detour, but that would mean going into the forest. Judging by the sound that echoed a couple more times, the path ahead must have been blocked as well.

I feel like I’m being hunted. It would be perfect if I set fire to this place, but it doesn’t seem like I have any intention of doing that. Now that I’m surrounded on all sides, I think the only options are to either make a breakthrough or to solidify my defenses. But what will the Knight Commander decide?

“Stand your ground! Withstand the attack, and when the number of monsters decreases, we will open the way! Don’t die to the stragglers!”

The voice of the Knight Commander, as if filled with magic, sounded loud as if he was speaking right next to me. As if it was a signal, the monsters began to slowly approach.

“Ayla, please take good care of Mathias.”

“Falcon wings and golden sand, right?”

“Anyway.”

It will be a chaotic battle with hundreds and thousands of monsters, so it will be quite a challenge for Mathias, who still lacks skill. But I feel somewhat relieved that I left it to Ayla.

I glanced at Yugram and he hadn’t even drawn his sword. He was introduced as a healer within the expedition team and had been told not to get involved unless it was a serious matter, so it was natural. On the other hand, if Yugram were to draw his sword, it would be a very big deal.

It wraps around your entire body with magic. A pleasant feeling of elation wells up. I don’t know the principle, but when you use this body strengthening, it feels like your fighting spirit increases. I wonder if this is also the effect of strengthening.

The mercenaries’ shouts and clashing weapons echoed as they tried to build up their morale. The attack had begun.

And of course, it was the same for me. With a roar, a tiger that could swallow a person in two bites swung its front paw. The claws on its front paw were long like blades, and if the beast swung it with the same strength, it would easily tear apart a human’s fragile flesh.

I ducked and easily dodged the attack that came flying at me, narrowing the distance of a few meters with a single leap. I felt the heat of the attack, like a hot wind. I couldn’t just dodge, so I simultaneously drew my sword and slashed at the tiger’s empty stomach. I expected hot internal organs to spill out, but reality was different.

An unpleasant feeling as if the sword cannot advance any further through the tough leather. He tried to cut it in half, but the unexpected rebound force resulted in him simply pushing the tiger away.

Even if the sword wasn’t strengthened with magic just now, is that tiger’s skin this tough?

As I blocked the claws of the tiger that rushed at me and swung its sword, I wondered if there had been a problem with my attack just now, but there was nothing wrong with it. Also, the power contained in the front paw that swung my sword as if it would break it was not ordinary, so something was clearly wrong.

It’s a given that beasts are stronger than humans, but since I’m a member of the royal family and have used physical enhancements, it doesn’t make sense that I would find the tiger’s attacks quite difficult for me.

“Don’t let your guard down! This isn’t your average monster! Think of it as at least twice as strong!”

The commander’s urgent voice rang out once again. From the mercenaries’ swearing, it seemed that the other monsters were in the same situation. Not only were the monsters attacking us in groups, but they had also received some kind of enhancement? It would be a little dangerous.

I felt the need to be a little more sincere, and at that moment, I cut off the tiger’s front paw that was swinging. Unlike before, I cut off the hide and bone cleanly and stabbed the sword under the tiger’s jaw. Even as I was dying, I avoided the remaining front paws that were swinging and pulled out the sword.

When I pulled out my sword halfway, something else attacked me. I swung my sword and blocked the attack. No, I tried to block it, but my sword cut down the crude iron sword that was swinging, and as soon as I confirmed that, I rolled over and ran away, blowing off the head of the goblin that had swung the sword.

The goblins here also had the same green skin, small stature like a child, and the characteristic of attacking humans in tribes. That worn-out sword must have been obtained from a human. Before I could even check the projectile flying from somewhere, I picked up the corpse of the goblin I had just cut down and blocked it. Then, I ran towards the goblin with the bow that seemed to have just attacked and the group of goblins that seemed to be guarding it.

Every time he swung his sword, he killed at least one goblin. He slashed, slashed, and slashed again. If he were a commoner or a lower-ranking nobleman with limited magical power, his sword would quickly become dirty with blood and oil, making it impossible to fully demonstrate his skills. However, if he could solve the problem with simple magic during battle, it wouldn’t be a problem.

In a short time, I killed dozens of goblins, but I felt frustrated. There was no change in the battle situation. It wasn’t that the mercenaries or knights were incompetent. Judging from the countless corpses piled up nearby, it was clear that they had also been doing their job and killing countless monsters.

The reason the situation didn’t change was because the monsters that the expedition team and I had killed were still coming towards us from the forest, to the point where it seemed like only a few were left.

However, if there was a hopeful aspect, it was that there were no casualties or serious injuries among our party, the knights, or even the mercenaries. Looking at the corpses, there were a few that were on a different level from the goblins, like the tigers I had fought, but it seemed that there were many skilled people, so they were able to deal with them without much loss.

“Leave the enemies that require magic power to the knights, and have the mercenaries focus on the goblins! Never die!”

The knight commander shouted loudly. Well, even if the mercenaries were skilled, their swords wouldn’t be able to properly hit the tiger I killed earlier. But if it were a knight who could channel magic into his swords, he would do something about it.

Even as I continued to cut down countless monsters that were swarming in, I felt a lingering sense of unease. Perhaps the knight commander felt the same way. Anyone who knew even a little bit about strategy and tactics would have thought the same thing.

Perhaps the intentions of the enemy who is moving these monsters are not known exactly, but in any case, the important thing is that they have far more troops than us. And the fact that they are forcing us into a war of attrition with goblin-like ragtags that can be easily eliminated means that they are trying to annihilate us without letting our guard down at all.

If the expedition continues to drain its stamina, and when it is fully exhausted, the real power is the monsters… In the worst case scenario, what if the ogre, which was the target of this expedition, is sent in? And what if that ogre is also receiving some kind of enhancement like the monsters they are currently fighting…

This expedition must be prepared for total annihilation.