Chapter 21 - Beloved Ones
"The beginning of this story dates back three months. It all started when an increase in magical beasts was confirmed in the Demonic Forest to the northeast of the town. It wasn't the smaller species, but the medium-sized ones, along with large monsters; they began appearing in the Shallow Forest. Fears of a monster stampede arose, and a reconnaissance mission was carried out ahead of time..."
The content my second brother spoke about was extreme. The Shallow Forest, located to the northwest of the town, was a place with relatively low threats, and many people ventured there to sustain their daily lives. Hunters and villagers went there for game, firewood, wild herbs, and valuable medicinal plants. For some members of the Adventurer Guild, it also served as a hunting ground for magical beasts.
Normally, only small magical beasts appeared there, with medium-sized ones being a rare occurrence. To have a group of monsters appear in such a place, and for large magical beasts to emerge as well, it was only natural to fear a stampede. And the cause, it was said, was that monsters had overflowed from the depths of the forest.
The big difference between monsters and magical beasts was whether the extraordinary creatures could wield magic. Both monsters and magical beasts had internal organs that stored mana. After death, the solidified remnants of this power became magical stones.
Magical beasts circulated the mana stored in their bodies, which gave them extraordinary agility. In contrast, monsters could release offensive magic outside of their bodies.
The danger level was far higher with monsters. The difference was roughly ten times. In dealing with small monsters versus magical creatures, the approach varied significantly. First, to fight a monster... to repel it, one had to be able to cast offensive magic, just like a magic knight.
Therefore, when monsters were spotted, an urgent report had to be sent immediately to the lord of the region. Following the lord's decision, the regional army would be dispatched. It was an extremely important decision that required careful consideration. If the regional army moved, significant resources would be expended. In other words, unless there was solid evidence and tangible harm, even issuing an urgent report would be met with indecision.
My second brother had been assigned to lead a unit and had gone out on a reconnaissance in force. Given that no report could be made to the regional army unless the existence of monsters was confirmed, this was to be expected. But the situation did not stop there.
"After I was deployed, the monsters' forest in the northwest became chaotic. Small and medium-sized magical beasts flooded into a nearby village. It seems there were reports of a large migration of small magical beasts. Father immediately ordered Elder Brother to deploy. To resolve the situation, Elder Brother left behind the town's garrison and led the main forces of our knightly household's retainers and vassals toward the northwest forest..."
Our knightly family’s vassals were divided into three groups. One was the guerrilla unit, which my second brother led, focused on force-oriented reconnaissance. Another was the main force, led by my eldest brother, the heir. The third was the garrison that protected the primary territory of our knightly household, centered around this town, which was also our hometown.
The commander of the garrison had traditionally been the Lord Knight himself, but the unit’s management was handled by a close relative of the Lord Knight. Currently, my granduncle holds that position. He was the younger brother of the previous Lord Knight, a brave and impetuous man. In the times of the former and current Lord Knights, he had been entrusted with the main force and had hunted many magical beasts.
Even now, he still possessed considerable strength, with internal mana comparable to that of a baron or viscount. He was skilled in magic as well, and though he couldn’t perform wide-area spells, he was an adept user of fire magic, excelling in single-target firepower.
However, there was a problem with him.
He became intoxicated by his own power, and his subordinates followed suit. While this might not have mattered inside the "Demonic Forest," far from the town, it was far too rough within the town itself. Perhaps it was a second nature forged in the blood-pumping battles he had fought, or maybe it was his pride, believing no one could be stronger than him. Ever since Father inherited the title of Lord Knight and entrusted him with the management of the garrison, that overwhelming arrogance had become a source of concern for those around him.
My second brother quietly continued speaking.
"...As for me, I couldn’t find any monsters. I ventured deep into the forest, but I couldn’t find any trace of them. As for the magical beasts, the large ones that had been reported to us didn’t exist either. In reality, it seemed like it was a migration of medium-sized magical beasts' hunting grounds... Sometimes this happens, but this time it coincided with a real crisis. What Elder Brother encountered in the northwest forest was the real deal..."
The phrase real deal meant that the monsters were chasing the magical beasts. The forest was truly a place where the law of the jungle prevailed. Monsters emerged from the depths of the forest, devouring the magical beasts to fill their empty stomachs. It was a common sight for small monsters to attack, slaughter, and consume medium-sized magical beasts. It was only natural that the panicked magical beasts would flee en masse in the opposite direction.
That was the stampede.
The information from the northeastern forest, where my second brother had been dispatched, had been overestimated. Meanwhile, the information from the northwestern forest, where my eldest brother had been sent, had been underestimated. So that’s how it was. Due to flaws in reconnaissance methods and errors in information transmission, my eldest brother had been caught up in an unforeseen situation.
"Elder Brother fought valiantly. It was an unexpected assault by monsters. The area was overrun by monsters devouring everything, and the panicked magical beasts descended into chaos and frenzy. With the knightly family's forces alone, there was no way to handle it... Elder Brother was well aware of that, yet behind him lay a village inhabited by innocent people. He sent out messengers, placing his hopes on reinforcements, while continuing to hunt both monsters and magical beasts. But it was too many against too few. His forces were whittled down, and there were numerous casualties. The guerilla unit, having confirmed the safety of the northeastern forest, turned back to come to Elder Brother's aid, but..."
Second Brother’s expression was steeped in grief. I assumed the worst. Even now, Eldest Brother was not present in this place. Father and Mother both bore clear signs of exhaustion and despair. If that was the case... then it could only mean that...
So that’s what happened!!
Nothing had been repaid.
I hadn’t been able to do anything.
Had Eldest Brother, who had showered me with rough but warm love, already left this world?
With emotions swirling between despair and regret, I turned my dark gaze to my second brother. I had to hear about my older brother’s last moments. How had my beloved brother fought? And what had happened there...?
I had a duty to hear the details.
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