novelraw Chapter 132 : Chapter 132
Chapter 132 : Chapter 132
Chapter 132
“No need to be nervous.”
At Carlson’s words, the knight following him answered.
“Kikikik.
Commander, do you think we are kids to be scared by something like this? An Orc is just an Orc no matter how scary it is.”
“Tyren, please be a little nervous.”
“You just told us not to be nervous.
Kikikik.
Well, don’t worry. As soon as we find an Orc, we’ll package it nicely and offer it to the Moner bastards.”
Checking the faces of Vice-Captain Tyren and other knights, Carlson nodded.
Faces not the least bit nervous despite the order to become live bait.
There is a reason why they look so carefree that one wouldn't think they are facing a dangerous mission.
“You’d know since you’ve done it before. Orcs are not the problem.”
The forest Orcs possessed surprising combat capabilities, but that was all.
If they don’t intend to fight, there is no reason for it to be dangerous.
Because knights capable of moving using mana were overwhelmingly faster.
“The important thing is to move to Moner’s camp. The target is the center where the Young Duke is.”
“I said don’t worry. It’s not like it’s our first or second time doing something like this, is it?”
At the Vice-Captain’s words, Carlson smiled fishily.
“Right, this is our Knight Order’s specialty.”
Luring monsters to enemies or nearby villages was one of Carlson’s favorite strategies.
Because there was no reason as convenient as a sudden monster rampage to deal with guys he didn’t like.
Since it’s a process repeated to the point of boredom, it won’t fail.
“Then, move to your respective positions. Signal with the horn flute when monsters appear.”
“Yes!”
With the answer, the 3rd Knight Order disappeared into the darkness, and silence descended on the forest again.
Squeak?
Until the squirrel, tilting its head watching the humans disappearing into the darkness, disappeared.
* * *
Carlson and the Knight Order’s scheme was conveyed to Ian even before it started.
- Stupid bastards! Humans are really stupid!
Of course, the thoughts of the squirrel and lizard who overheard the scheme were completely different.
Calua, stamping his feet in surprise, shouted.
- To enter the moving forest without a guide! They will starve to death before meeting an Orc!
Mm. Was that the worry?
Lately, Calua is serious about everyone’s meals.
After boasting that he grew as his mana increased, he started to feel the surrounding ‘hunger’ by assimilating mana.
‘…It’s my fault.’
Since he clings asking for food whenever he’s bored, I only said he’s not qualified to eat if he’s not hungry…….
- Mm? Human?! Thinking about hunger made me hungry too!
The hybrid lizard capable of feeling even imaginary hunger appeared.
“I’ll give you food later. By the way, they really went into the forest…….”
They must have had their own thoughts.
Like moving while leaving marks, or grasping each other's location by sound.
Since Orcs under the spell would find the Knight Order on their own, the Knight Order wouldn’t have needed to move directly either.
“It seems they intend to lure Orcs to our side using the Knight Order… Certainly, it’s not a bad plan.”
Except for the fact that there are a few fatal mistakes.
“As long as the witch’s magic exists, they cannot find the path without a guide.”
Squeak! Squeak!
The squirrel, putting two high-grade magic stones into its mouth skillfully, nodded proudly.
“Whether it’s sound or marks, it’s meaningless once the forest itself starts moving.”
Even if they leave marks, it’s meaningless because the forest itself moves. Grasping location by sound in the forest is truly a stupid thought.
The biggest mistake was thinking they could lure Orcs.
“No matter how lost in reason Orcs are, there’s no way they can be lured in this manner.”
When I realized Orcs under the spell die after 3 days, I also had a similar thought.
Shooting arrows at enemies who die if we just stall for time was practically a waste itself.
“If it’s a countermeasure anyone can think of, naturally the spell would have a prevention device too.”
They would have prevented such problems by making them attack the side where more humans are gathered when casting the spell, or ignore humans below a certain number.
‘Once I figure out the principle, I could use it later.’
While organizing my thoughts, Calua, who was playing with the squirrel, approached.
- Human! Then what about those humans? The squirrel is worried about the weak humans!
I glanced at the squirrel, but I couldn’t read its thoughts at all.
‘…Unlike someone, it’s cute.’
Except for the fact that the way it munches on magic stones is seriously cute.
- Human! I feel bad!
‘Mm?’
Wondering if he reads thoughts now too, I looked at Calua, and Calua, stamping his short feet, quickly raised two feet and shouted.
- Hug me!
‘Clearly, when we first met, he seemed to dislike being hugged…….’
- N-No! Because I am a patient! Hurry and hug me!
Strangely, his habits seem to be getting worse.
Should I separate him from Reina a bit after all?
The butler and Reina take care of him too much, so it feels like he’s picking up bad habits…….
- A-Again, I feel bad!
Smirking at Calua puffing nasal steam as if feeling something, I stroked his head.
Right, a dragon can have somewhat bad habits, what’s the big deal.
- Suddenly I feel good! Strange?!
‘It’s because you’re hungry, hungry.’
When I conveyed my thoughts, Calua, eyes wide open, nodded vigorously.
- …Is this what hunger is.
As if realizing the truth of the world, Calua continued in a transcendent voice.
- For today, the beef I ate yesterday would be good.
After roughly hugging the lizard naturally deciding even the menu, I looked at the faintly flickering light in the distance.
The Royal Army’s camp distinctly different from the first day.
“It’s a waste to discard them like this…….”
Scratching the back of my head, I glared at the light and turned my body.
“I should use them a bit more after all.”
Since the Royal Army still has many uses.
* * *
Swish, thud.
Swish, thud.
Tyren, playing with a dagger, suddenly raised his head.
The forest visible only faintly even though he increased his vision using mana and adapted to the darkness.
“Kikikik, if I knew a place like this existed, I would have come sooner.”
Other knights would have whined about it being uncomfortable, but he was different.
“Ah— It would have been good if I ran away here when I was wanted.”
Fidgeting nervously with the necklace given by the Royal family on the condition of pardoning his crimes, a chilling smile settled on his lips.
“Kikikikik, since I know now even if late, does it matter? There are no guys spouting nonsense, and the Commander seems to implicitly wish for it too.”
Swish, thud.
Gripping the dagger that moved ceaselessly, he looked south.
“Kikik,
anyway, it was my mission from the start… I don’t think anyone will get angry if I do it first.”
It was a moment he wished for even in dreams.
The best environment where he could release all restrictions and run wild as he pleased.
Plus, aren’t there dozens of humans making his hands itch in this forest?
Unfortunately, only one person left a mark, though.
“Kikik, for a debut, a Duke is enough. Kikikikik. They said he’s an unlucky bastard; what sound will his scream make?”
Tyren’s body, trembling as if excited, melted into the darkness and disappeared.
The notorious murderer called the Clown of the Night moved his steps towards the mark he left.
* * *
Buuuuuuuuu!
As Carlson flinched hearing the horn flute sound echoing in the forest, Garme opened his mouth.
“Is it finally starting?”
Different horn flute sounds and the legion’s drum sounds were heard faintly riding the wind.
“Mm… It seems okay for now.”
“Of course it should be.”
Garme continued in a cold voice.
“Just the horn flutes used this time number over dozens, and the legion’s drum telling the path is an item even I cannot handle recklessly. On top of that, we even used the Thread of Fate to find Moner’s location.”
The Thread of Fate is a treasure boasting enormous value, called priceless.
A thread that finds and guides to the opponent once a connection is made.
The Thread of Fate, called a divine object, could find a person on the other side of the continent as long as the skein didn't completely unravel.
“If this operation fails, it won’t end as a small problem.”
Despite Garme’s threat, Carlson answered nonchalantly without changing his facial expression.
“That much is natural. There’s no way the mission would fail even using such items.”
Not only the items used by the Royal Army, but the items used by the Knight Order were also substantial.
From solutions attracting monsters to various potions to run even a little faster.
And even magic stones to convey emergency situations.
“I really can’t believe the price of this one magic stone is equivalent to one castle.”
The price of communication stones that anyone, not just wizards, could use was also unimaginably expensive.
Enough that even in the Knight Order, they educated that trusting comrades and dying was cheaper than using magic stones.
“Well, even so, there won’t be any occasion to use it.”
“That’s true. Since we took dozens of items besides horn flutes and the Legion Commander’s drum to convey news to each other.”
The moment Carlson and Garme buried their bodies saying that.
Vrrrooom!
The magic stone placed on the table vibrated loudly.
“Th, why is this…….”
The two, stiffened at the vibration of the magic stone that shouldn’t vibrate, looked at each other.
“G, General, do you know how to use this?”
“…I don’t.”
An item both possessed but neither had ever used.
“If we just put mana in, wouldn’t something happen?”
“What if it breaks while doing that…….”
While they were lost at the vibration of the disposable magic stone approaching the price of one castle.
Letters floated above the magic stone.
[Lure failed. Attempting return.]
“…….”
The gazes of the two who read the message collided in mid-air.
It was a mission that couldn’t fail no matter how one looked at it.
Even if Orcs tried to ignore and pass by, as long as they are monsters with remaining instincts, they wouldn’t be able to ignore the Magic Tower’s special lure scent.
“…Huhuhu, failed again.”
Unlike Garme speaking calmly, Carlson’s head was complicated as if to explode.
‘All prepared items failed besides the lure scent? Then does it mean the bastards are coming here? How on earth?’
Unless they knew in advance they were in this forest, it’s impossible.
To pinpoint the Royal Army’s location accurately in a forest vast beyond knowing the end.
Doesn’t it look like they targeted the Royal Army from the start?
“Ha…….”
He would rather believe it all a dream, but the approaching horn flute sound proved this situation wasn’t a dream.
“It is fortunate we are already prepared, but, khm! I am worried about the Knight Order.”
When Carlson, who buried his face in his hands, lifted his head, he saw Garme’s twitching lips suppressing joy.
‘He’s not happy that I failed…….’
He’s not that stupid of a human.
“I hope the Knight Order returns safely.”
Revenge.
Right, that smile was a smile a human successful in revenge would wear.
Grind.
‘Praying for them to die properly.’
Carlson, gritting his teeth, answered with a forced smile.
“Do not worry. I am not stupid enough to let my knights fall to mere Orcs.”
‘Your soldiers fell because you are stupid.’
At those words, this time Garme’s face twitched, but there was no more time for wordplay.
Puuuuuuuu!
Because Orcs intending to chew and eat them were flocking in.
“I will participate in the battle after finding the Knight Order.”
At Carlson’s words, Garme, narrowing his eyes, glared at him and said.
“I hope it won’t be too late.”