episode_0179

“It is a mercenary group that is cooperative with security and has very outstanding skills. Above all, it is a place where an elf is a member. It was determined to be the most suitable partner considering the nature of the quest.”

The Drake Special Quest Team of the Imperial Knights, which had only been dispatched for investigation purposes to the Encrema Cliffs for about two months,

As the Tobal party was finally formed to subdue Drake and was about to leave for the expedition, Kaiser Antoine d’Essel Oblean, the commander-in-chief and apex of the Imperial Knights, came to encourage them.

However, that was just a pretext.

Antoine is checking the reason and background for the overall party composition that he did not expect to be created.

So Victoria was reporting to Antoine in her special quest office.

“Victoria,”

Antoine cut off Victoria’s words, who was appealing for the suitability of the Red Fox Mercenary Group as a fellow member of the quest.

“What do you think is the most important thing in problem-solving?”

Then he asked a very Zen-like question.

“I think it’s trying to find the right answer, but realistically, it’s about finding what’s most effective.”

In response, Victoria gave her own conviction-filled answer.

Victoria is not the 독불장군 (one who does things their way regardless of what anyone else thinks) type.

She is not the type to believe that the best effort will always yield good results.

The result is ultimately something that happens due to numerous influences.

Victoria is just doing her best in her position.

“Yes, the correct answer is important, but the process and appearance are as important as the answer, Saber Victoria.”

However, it seems that it was not the answer that Antoine wanted to hear.

Antoine shook his head with a slightly open-minded expression and tone of voice.

“Because this is politics. Not mathematics or general combat.”

What Antoine is pointing out is Victoria’s attitude toward the special Drake quest.

What was the reason Antoine initially assigned Victoria to the Drake Special Quest?

It was to raise the profile of Victoria, whom he considered important as his successor.

A purely political purpose.

So he wanted Victoria to understand his intentions, learn political skills, and gradually demonstrate them.

A look that can appeal to the public, and furthermore, a look that can deeply impress the nobles and the imperial family.

Then, of course, he thought that they would form a party by attracting prestigious nobles’ children from within the Imperial Knights or even from outside.

But a mercenary group? It’s a combination that can’t create any topicality at all.

“……”

Victoria was slightly silent at Antoine’s words.

“It’s not that I didn’t think about that method either. However, I judged that it would not be easy to maintain security if noble children were included. The opponent is an abnormal monster, Drake, isn’t it?”

Since Victoria is not a very rigid type, she has not forgotten what Antoine emphasized to her when she took on the Drake special quest.

Antoine at the time said that she was too close to a martial artist and lacked the appearance of a commander who knows politics.

So Victoria tried to think about the method Antoine mentioned in her own way, but there was a high possibility that it would deviate from the purpose of the special quest.

“Yes, you’ve only been a Saber for about half a year, but I think I was trying to inject my thoughts too much because my expectations were high.”

Antoine, who had been listening to Victoria’s thoughts, nodded slowly and blamed himself for his haste.

“No. Such expectations are a great strength to me. I’m mentally much stronger than you think.”

“Haha! I know that very well too.”

Victoria responded with a calm expression.

“But a mercenary from Pangea… Hmm… If it’s a mercenary that’s rising up like this, the leader should know the name to some extent, but I don’t know at all?”

Then Antoine d’Essel Oblean tilted his head slightly.

Looking at the list of the Red Fox Mercenary Group in Pangea again, there are too few known people compared to the specifications of successfully completing the Alexandria expedition with a plus attached.

“Olivia Oblian… I’ve never heard of her.”

The reason is that Victoria changed the names of Jeanne and Eugene that were on the report documents.

**********

“Let’s camp here today.”

The Red Fox Mercenary Group, which departed from the mercenary village and headed to Pangea, continued to move until the sunset began to decorate the sky.

When they arrived at a suitable campsite, Jeanne ordered them to prepare for camping.

“Wow~ The map provided by the Imperial Knights is really accurate! I can’t believe there was a campsite like this in a place like this!”

Thud!

Marie couldn’t help but admire as she got off her horse.

She was not very familiar with the road to the western desert compared to Alexandria.

So she wondered if she should do a preliminary survey in advance, but the Imperial Knights offered to provide their precision map.

She trusted it and set off, and after experiencing its incredible accuracy, Marie once again realized the majesty of the Imperial Knights.

“Okay, then the sentries should thoroughly guard the surroundings and take turns working accurately! This area has more large-scale bandit gangs than other areas!”

“I understand, don’t worry, Ivan! Good night, Ivan!”

“Hehehe! I understand, see you tomorrow!”

They set up camp and finished dinner.

It was time to have some personal time and prepare for bed.

Ivan, the advisor of the Red Fox Mercenary Group, always gave his colleagues a final reminder before going to bed and encouraged them as always.

ㅡWhoosh!ㅡWhoooo!!

As the Red Fox Mercenary Group members were finishing their day,

A ferocious wind-splitting sound was heard in a small open space in the nearby forest.

It was the scene of Eugene Schneider practicing with his greatsword at night.

Eugene Schneider obtained new armor.

But he didn’t have enough time to adapt.

So he asked his colleagues for their understanding and was working overtime and practicing whenever he had time.

“It’s better than yesterday and the day before. I can feel that I’m adapting to the Baramion armor to some extent.”

And the one who was helping him with his practice was none other than expert archer, elf Priscilla.

Adapting to the Baramion armor was about refining the details of mana utilization.

Therefore, he needed someone to constantly check it, and the most optimized person would be a mage, but an elf could also perform that role sufficiently.

For that reason, Eugene asked Priscilla,

Priscilla showed an unexpectedly cool reaction of acceptance.

“Really? Hmm… Honestly, I still can’t feel it.”

Eugene was sweating profusely in full armor and working hard on his practice.

He looked at Priscilla in that state and shook his head.

Until now, he had focused his mana operation only on imbuing sword energy into the greatsword or utilizing the weapon inventory.

However, since he started projecting mana evenly throughout his body, his concentration was dispersed and it was not easy.

“Don’t be impatient. What you have to do against Drake is actually focusing on the physical attack area, not fighting one-on-one. It’s all teamwork.”

Priscilla, sitting on a rock, gave advice with a calm expression.

Hunting abnormal monsters is thorough teamwork.

Of course, if you’re above the Seeker level, you might be able to fight one-on-one, but the Drake Special Quest Team to which the Red Fox Mercenary Group belongs will move under thorough teamwork.

So Eugene Schneider is just one piece.

Elf Priscilla is reminding him of that.

“But Priscilla seems too relaxed. I know you’re an elf and an expert archer, but the opponent is Drake, who requires several expert-level people to subdue.”

Eugene raised a question to Priscilla, who was in mentor mode and did not spare him from sharp fact-checking.

The Imperial Knights are also currently in hard game mode.

That’s how much subduing Drake is a quasi-national problem.

The number of people is not very large, but anyway, Victoria, the highest future power of the Imperial Knights, is at the forefront, and Elizabeth, the best future talent of the Academy Magic Tower, has stepped forward.

The Red Fox Mercenary Group is also quite tense, but elf Priscilla is as carefree as ever, beyond just being confident.

“Oh, what, Drake and stuff. If I were in my original form, I would have faced him alone?”

Swoosh…!

At Eugene’s words, Priscilla crossed her arms indifferently and muttered something incomprehensible.

“Original form??”

Original form, Eugene immediately reacted to that keyword.

“Huh? Did I say original form?”

At that moment, Priscilla showed an absurd appearance.

She clearly made a drip about her original form with her own mouth, and now she is shamelessly saying, “Did I?”

“Yes, you did, Priscilla. So, are you saying that Priscilla’s current appearance is not your original form?”

However, since Priscilla is so self-willed, Eugene did not take that crazy reaction seriously and asked again.

“Hmm… This is a bit difficult? To be honest, I’ve never told anyone this before…”

Priscilla muttered to herself as if she were filming a monodrama, doing some blatant build-up.

“But if we face Drake, there’s a high possibility that you and I will be paired up, so it wouldn’t be a bad decision to tell you in advance.”

It was a really blatant build-up.

Priscilla was giving off the intention that it was such an important and secret thing that it would be difficult to reveal, but she was telling him because it was him.

“Ooh-cha!”

Chak!

Then Priscilla landed from the huge rock she was sitting on.

“Let’s see, about this much…?”

After that, she came right in front of Eugene and looked up at him.

“My original height is up to your eyes. You can think of my current height and appearance as a disguised form that I’m maintaining using a special secret technique.”

Shake! Shake!

Then she brought her hand to Eugene’s eyes and shook it, revealing her true form.

“Wow, really?”

For Eugene, it was a content that he couldn’t help but be quite wide-eyed about.

Elves are good at boasting, but they are not beings who lie.

Clearly, her words must be true.

‘Honestly, I was a little doubtful. Priscilla looks old, but she has the appearance she has now.’

And it also solved Eugene’s underlying questions.

Priscilla looks old, but she has the body of a girl.

Of course, that could be her innate appearance.

However, from Eugene’s experience, if that’s her innate body, she tends to show some kind of complex.

But Priscilla didn’t show any such psychology at all, so he thought it was unexpected.

The reason for that has been revealed.

“Haha! You’re completely surprised! You’ll be even more surprised if I tell you this!”

Priscilla became elated at Eugene’s wide-eyed appearance.

“That secret technique is not something that every elf possesses.”

Then she took a pose to reveal her secret again.

“It’s a secret technique passed down from the Elven royal family. And I learned it because I am a princess of the Symphonia Elf Island.”

She declared that she was an elf princess of Elf Island Symphonia.