Chapter 39 - Combat Action in the Forest
The first report came from a hunter living in the village. He regularly entered the shallow-level of the forest to procure his daily sustenance. A man with sharp eyes, dressed in a fur coat and carrying a short bow on his back, he did not seem like someone who would lie. I listened carefully as he described the location and the surrounding conditions.
"That thing... it was down by the waterfall in the small valley. No doubt about it. My hunter's instincts told me not to approach. It might have been seeking water. It didn’t seem injured, just wandering. Also, I don’t think it had any companions... just that one."
"Your instincts as a hunter, you say?"
At my words, the hunter's face fell. Given my young age and position as the commander, he clearly harbored some doubts. I had unintentionally used words that could have seemed like suspicion towards him. There was no excuse for my carelessness. With a gruff expression, the hunter continued.
"...Let's just call it a rule of thumb. You probably won't believe it anyway."
"Thank you for the valuable information. So, when a monster moves alone, it’s called wandering?"
"Yeah... exactly. It could be looking for a mate, or maybe just trying to fill its belly. But now and then, such individuals show up. Monsters and magical beasts are no different in this regard."
"If there’s something attracting it, we’ll need to investigate that as well. Do you have any ideas?"
"......Do you actually believe me?"
This time, I didn't make the same mistake. The hunter couldn’t hide his surprise. Though I was merely a minor noble, I was still a member of a legitimate knightly family. It must have been strange for him to hear a noble speak without condescension.
"No, you’re the one who saw it, and if the situation was urgent enough for you to issue an emergency report, then it must be serious, right? We don’t know the conditions on the ground. If we doubt every report from those who know, we won’t be able to take any action. That would make it impossible to protect the village. Does that answer your question?"
"... A noble's 'little kid' actually taking a hunter's words seriously? This is a first."
"Hey, watch your mouth."
"Ah, crap... my bad."
At the reprimand from the fifth-year soldier behind me, the hunter quickly shrank back. Despite being powerless and struggling to survive, the hunter had mustered the courage to report the situation. Even though there was a risk of being reprimanded if it turned out to be a mistake, he had done it anyway. It was clear that his hunter’s instincts had picked up on the threat.
Ignoring the opinion of an older, experienced hunter would be akin to underestimating the Demonic Forest. I steeled myself and gave orders to the fifth-year soldiers.
"Deploy the reconnaissance. Center on the waterfall of the little valley. The upstream area corresponds to the middle-level forest, so focus there. The shallow-level forest will be behind us. Establish a loose formation and maintain close communication as we proceed with the reconnaissance. Understood?"
""""Yes, sir!""""
With that order, the soldiers sprang into action. They were well-trained in both physical strength and combat. The fifth-year soldiers knew the terrain well. Thanks to the Telepathy magitech tools, we had a detailed communication system. The scouting magitech tools could pinpoint the exact location of monsters and beasts.
At present, only the guerilla unit was deployed in the "shallow-level forest." Neither the villagers nor the hunters dared to venture into the woods, fearing a monster appearance. This had already begun to disrupt daily life. The situation was dire, and it was clear that the spread of the threat would not be confined to that village but would likely extend to others as well.
I focused, straining my eyes and ears as I carefully searched through the forest. Occasionally, I would stop and lower my heavy infantry helmet's faceplate to aid in scanning the area. Several red dots appeared on the display of my equipment.
The response suggested small beasts. Since our priority was to search for a monster, I left that particular area, which was still considered normal for now, and pressed forward. Only I carried a gun—none of the others had been equipped with one yet. I was still selecting marksmen and spotters.
Additionally, I thought it was too early to arm the soldiers. I needed to test how effective the "scouting magitech tools" really were before deciding. It would take more time to fully deploy the guerilla unit in battle. However, the situation at the frontier didn't give us the luxury of time... That was the reality. In the frontier, where danger was ever-present and constantly looming, the fact that we had managed to train this much was already a small miracle.
No, I had to thank my father and brothers for their consideration. I mustn’t forget to be grateful. I couldn’t allow myself to feel resentment, no matter how harsh the battlefield might be. Even if I were thrown into a brutal war, it was my duty.
---
The scouting magitech tools seemed more than sufficient for the task at hand. The small and medium-sized magical beasts were clearly marked on the display. I swiftly issued commands to the soldiers, and they maneuvered through the gaps with precision, carrying out the plan flawlessly. According to Second Brother, past reconnaissance operations often led to ambushes, making it nearly impossible to advance with a scattered formation.
If we could avoid unnecessary battles and focus on finding what we needed, then the gear we were wearing could certainly remain the core equipment for our guerilla unit moving forward. The only issue was... we still hadn't found the monster.
We reached the little valley and stood before the waterfall.
For a moment, I was captivated by the grandeur and beauty of nature. So such a place exists in the shallow-level forest, huh? The mana was dense and heavy, and a vast amount of water flowed through, as if channeling that very mana. Flowing water and mana had a high affinity for one another, after all. I see, it made sense that a monster would be drawn here. With such dense mana filling this place, even middle-level and deep-level monsters could easily make it their habitat.
Monsters from the middle and deep levels slow down in areas with thin mana, as they consume more than they can replenish. To move their large bodies, they require additional mana assistance. ...This was what I had learned at the Magic Academy. It was clear that the knowledge I had gained there still applied in such a deep, natural environment. After all, education serves this very purpose... I couldn't help but appreciate it.
"Attention!!"
A voice rang out from one of the scouts through the Telepathic communication in my mind. I could tell who it was just from the Telepathy. I turned towards the source and focused my eyes. I kept my heavy infantry helmet on, still not lowering the faceplate. The forest trees were the only thing visible, but I felt a pressure in the air.
I quickly lowered the faceplate.
As soon as I did, the display flashed with a strong response. The greater the amount of mana an entity accumulates, the stronger the response. The creature was located about 500 to 600 yalds (TL/N: I think the author meant yards, but the katakana is slightly different, so I'll stick with this for now.) away.
"Close the scattered formation. True bearing 270, distance 550. Engage using both visual sight and scouting magitech tools. The target’s estimated strength ranges from medium-high to strong-low. The creature is a medium-sized monster. Watch out for any magic it might cast. First, identify the species."
The reconnaissance line began to close in. The target hadn’t moved. Was it eating or sleeping? The Telepathy echoed in my mind again.
"Individual detected. It's located at the base of a large tree, in a hollow. It has... three pairs of legs. It's an insect-type monster. The eye color is blue. It appears to be sleeping. There are numerous remnants of small and medium-sized magical beasts, likely preyed upon. It seems to have come out from the middle level for hunting."
"Confirmed here as well. It has... four pairs! Four pairs of legs. There is a humanoid protrusion above its head. Similar to human in appearance. It is... likely an Arachne species."
"Four pairs of legs and a humanoid feature above its head. It’s 'almost certainly' an Arachne species. Everyone, listen closely—that protrusion above its head is just bait. Don't be fooled. Scout, how many eyes does it have?"
"It has... two sets of four eyes."
"In that case, the threat level is medium. It’s likely an Elad Arachne. Let me describe the distinguishing features. The body color is dark brown and brown. Its first leg segment has claws. A yellow line on the abdomen. Can you confirm?"
"Confirmed. Its body is stained with blood, making it appear almost dark red. Its first leg segment is buried in the ground, so I couldn’t confirm that part. But I can see the yellow line on its abdomen."
"That's the most distinguishing feature. The target is confirmed as a medium-sized monster, Elad Arachne. Runner, prepare and report to the Lord Knight. Run!"
"Yes, sir!"
One of the fifth-year soldiers dashed back the way we came. Now... how would I drive this thing back to the middle level? No, if it came to the shallow level to hunt, there were plenty of small and medium magical beasts here for it to feast on... It would have no reason to return and starve in the middle level.
We had no choice but to confront it here.
My first campaign is facing off against a monster? This truly felt like an epic. And yet, I had the duty of ensuring that my comrades made it back alive to the village. As I stood before the sleeping giant, I...
--- was at a loss.
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