Chapter 56 - The Red-Furred 'Piscus'
I growled as I pinned the report from the village onto the designated spot. It was a place where countless pieces of information gathered. Is this it? The root of it all? Everyone in the office glanced at the report. Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Old Man, the sergeant major... All of them wore troubled expressions.
Old Man muttered softly.
“...Red fur? ...Red-furred Piscus, you say? ...It appeared at the border between the Middle Forest and Shallow Forest?”
A dangerous glint flickered in Old Man’s eyes. His lips tightened. His expression was as if he had remembered something. What is it...? Does he know something I don’t? Despite my thoughts, Old Man spoke to Eldest Brother.
“This is a matter for the guerilla unit, Lord Heir.”
“Indeed, it’s not something we can ignore. If a monster from the middle layer has appeared, we must verify the truth of this report. Isn’t that right, Commander of the guerilla unit?”
“Yes, without a doubt, this is our mission.”
I steadied myself under the weight of the situation. A reconnaissance in force was necessary. If the report proved true, we’d need to either repel or eliminate the threat. If it turned out to be beyond our ability, we’d have no choice but to immediately request reinforcements from Second Brother. As I pondered our advance route, Old Man spoke in a deep voice, his eyes still carrying that dangerous glint...
“Lord Heir, I have a request.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“There are former colleagues of mine in the garrison unit. I’d like to cross-reference their information. They’re currently tasked with training the younger recruits, but could they be temporarily reassigned to the guerilla unit?”
“...If you’re making such a request, Old Man, there must be a reason.”
“I pray it’s just my misunderstanding, but if not, this could turn into something grave. Commander of the main force, I have a request for you as well.”
“What is it, Old Man?”
“I’d like you to deploy as many old soldiers as possible to the standby main force. Preferably those around my age. If there aren’t enough, prioritize those closest to it.”
“I assume there’s a reason for this?”
“The only ones who can outwit them are those with the wisdom and experience of old soldiers. There’s no ulterior motive here. Not now, at least.”
“I see. Understood. Brother, I agree with Old Man’s proposal. Our current main force has no experience fighting Piscus. I’d like to prioritize old soldiers with that experience.”
“Very well. The guard unit will also contribute the old soldiers Old Man mentioned. Use them well.”
“Understood.”
And so, the decision was made. We prepared for the presumed Piscus monster and issued the order for the guerilla unit to deploy. I steeled myself, knowing this would likely turn into a reconnaissance in force. Monsters from the middle layer rarely ventured into the shallow layer. The difference in mana between the two layers was too vast. Middle layer monsters would find the shallow layer too inconvenient to inhabit. They wouldn’t come to such an inconvenient place without reason.
This time, too, it’ll probably end up being a false alarm... That’s what I thought.
Unaware that this was the beginning of a tragedy.
――――― § ―――――
The guerilla unit set out. The village that sent the report was located at the northwestern edge of the knightly family’s domain. Among the villages at the edge of the forest, it was the closest to the Demonic Forest and the farthest from the town. It was founded by brave and determined settlers.
A village built by people who believed in coexisting with the Demonic Forest.
As a result, its inhabitants possessed knowledge and insights about the Demonic Forest that were far more dense and profound than those of other villages. We marched at maximum speed and quickly reached the village. Time was of the essence. Acting swiftly after receiving the report was crucial, and my elder brothers agreed. Right now, the backup main force and the transport unit were likely in the midst of preparations.
The hunter who discovered the monster was someone respected even by hunters from other villages. There was no way he would make a mistake or misjudge the situation. He showed us the traces left behind by the red-furred creature and explained the scene in detail.
“That area is where the Shallow Forest and Middle Forest intersect. The mana density there overlaps, and occasionally, beasts from the Middle Forest descend into that area. They’re strong, yes, but with traps, longbows, and crossbows, they’re not impossible to hunt. It’s a hunting ground we use. The meat and pelts of middle layer beasts fetch a good price, so we hunters rely on that area... But this time, something was off. The usual hunting ground was filled with tension, and the atmosphere was thick with fear and hostility. Instinctively, I felt that ‘something was there,’ so we hid and suppressed our presence. Occasionally, middle layer monsters do come down, but even compared to those times, the level of caution and tension enveloping the area was abnormal.”
“I see. So, you’re saying you witnessed the Apeul species Piscus?”
“Yes, that’s right. But I didn’t know that monkey’s name. It had jet-black fur with no patterns and golden eyes. It moved quickly and in a group, making it difficult to target with a bow. It also easily dismantled the traps I set, one after another. I thanked God that I was hiding at a distance. I couldn’t hunt that thing. After taking the bait from the traps, it looked around, bared its teeth as if to intimidate, let out a howling roar, and then returned to the Middle Forest. I was terrified to my core, but I knew I had to bring back something as proof... Otherwise, no one would believe this story. So, I suppressed my fear, searched the area, and found this.”
“This? ...It’s definitely red fur. Are there color variants of the same species?”
“The texture is the same. Here’s the jet-black fur. I brought some that was caught on a tree. Compare them.”
Indeed, it seemed to be the same species. Just to be sure, I ordered a soldier with the Appraisal Eye to confirm. The result was that it belonged to the same species—the Apeul species Piscus. However, the red-furred individual’s true nature couldn’t be determined. While we were gathering information from the hunter, Old Man silently stared at the red fur. Behind him, the veteran old soldiers from the guard unit, temporarily assigned by Eldest Brother, also remained silent, their eyes fixed on the red fur.
What is it...? This unease and tension from Old Man and the veterans... A fierce fighting spirit lingered among them.
“Old Man, what’s wrong? Do you know something?”
“Young Master, stay alert. There’s bait. If the Piscus realizes someone set it, it will come back. It’s a monster with the dexterity and intelligence to dismantle a hunter’s traps, and that red fur... We can classify that one as a mid-sized monster. I’d wager it’s the boss of the pack.”
“It’s undoubtedly a variant, but boss...? The one leading the pack? Why are you so sure?”
“The red-furred Piscus... Its build is about the same as an adult male, perhaps slightly larger. It possesses extraordinary strength and a body covered in thick muscles. On top of that, it’s constantly enveloped in Adamantine Body enhancement... A monster with the individual name ‘Austra’... That thing is dangerous.”
“You know this monster, Old Man?”
“Young Master, I faced it long ago. Our equipment and gear were far more ‘primitive’ compared to now, but we managed to push it back into the Middle Forest. We wounded it badly—took out one of its eyes. But the elite main force at the time was decimated. It took two years to rebuild...”
“Old Man...”
“Now, everyone. ‘Austra’ has crawled out of its nest. We must either drive it back or exterminate it. Are you ready?”
“””Yes, we are.”””
A deep, heavy sound reverberated through the room. The voice filled with unwavering determination. That tone was unlike Old Man’s usual self, and it struck me with a powerful impact. What... What is this...?
“Young Master, we’ll take the lead. Make sure you’re ready to link up with the main force at any moment.”
“Y-Yes. I’ve brought spare magic communication lines. From what he said, they should reach far enough. If things go south, I’ll immediately request backup from Second Brother’s main unit. For now, reconnaissance is the priority, right?”
“Focus around the hunting grounds. Don’t engage the Middle Forest side. Draw a warning line on the Shallow Forest side and advance gradually.”
“I’ll adopt that plan. It’s rare for you to be this cautious, Old Man. Advice from a senior figure is worth heeding. Let’s begin the operation.”
“Understood.”
The old soldiers brimmed with energy as they advanced down the path leading into the forest. I positioned myself slightly behind Old Man and his group, maintaining a vigilant stance. I gave strict orders to the soldiers on both flanks to ensure they didn’t overextend. All that was left was to quietly raise the warning line.
――― Thus, the operation began.
Comments
Post a Comment