novelraw Chapter 88 : Chapter 88
Chapter 88 : Chapter 88
Chapter 88
Sven, after relaying the detailed conditions to the secretary-general, turned his head to look at the two knights who were waiting.
“I apologize for calling you both when you must be tired from just returning.”
“Not at all!”
“It’s fine!”
Zehir and Thomas, who had returned after finding traces of the scouting party.
Normally, he would have recommended they rest and read the summary report, but there were too many parts of their report that he couldn't understand, so he had no choice but to confirm it again.
“Zehir, you said you confirmed the traces of the scouting party?”
“Yes.”
“It wasn't just a legion, there were Ogres too?”
“Unless the Orcs were pulling trees out of the forest and throwing them, it's certain there were Ogres.”
“Ha, indeed……”
Although he had fully anticipated the existence of Ogres, it didn't mean he wasn't surprised.
How could he not be surprised when monsters that should have been in the heart of the forest had come out to the outskirts?
What was more surprising was that they had found traces of a battle between the Ogres and the Orcs.
“The scouting party?”
At the Count's question, the two knights explained the traces of the battle they had confirmed and their predictions in as much detail as possible.
“Ha… so it’s true that the Young Lord anticipated the battle and jumped into the trap?”
The two knights answered cautiously at the Count's face, which was full of displeasure.
“From what we have confirmed, that is the case.”
“And the Ogres intervened, so they fled?”
“That is……”
The two knights could not easily answer the subsequent question.
Unless it was prepared in advance, it was impossible to retreat as soon as the Ogres intervened, and even if they had succeeded in retreating, escaping from the superior monster, the Ogre, was by no means an easy task.
“That brat, what on earth is he doing instead of the reconnaissance he was supposed to do……”
It was not his intention to interrogate them, so after asking a few more questions, the Count, who had dismissed the two, was lost in thought.
If it had been such a fierce battle, there would surely have been casualties, but the two knights had not found a single body.
The two knights reported that the scouting party was probably moving the bodies to hold a funeral, but the Count knew well that was impossible.
Even if there were no monsters that primarily fed on humans, if they had moved through the forest with lumps of meat dangling from them, they would have become fertilizer for the forest before a single night had passed.
Vergil might not have known, but the veteran ranger Hoodwock would not have failed to report such information, so the absence of bodies meant they had either held a funeral in the forest or there were no casualties.
“It’s unlikely they recovered the soldiers’ bodies and held a funeral while the Ogres were rampaging… could it be that not a single one died?”
If so, it would be a battle worthy of being recorded in the history books.
‘Impossible.
No matter how much of Moner's blood he has inherited…….’
The Count, who thought that was impossible even for the Young Lord, saw the letters that the secretary-general had left behind.
Colorful envelopes sealed with the symbols of the northern noble families.
Did those idle pigs use such high-quality envelopes to add sincerity to their letters?
“Well, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought that was a lie too.”
The letters before him were also ‘impossible’ in themselves.
“…Even while not being here, he moved the prince of the royal family, the cathedral and the elves of the western forest, and even the greedy pigs of the north.”
A brat like that must have had a reason to move.
Perhaps the Young Lord, who had been called a scoundrel, had suddenly started to move to save the precarious Moner and the fortress.
“Perhaps Mogul was right.
The blood of Moner burns redder in the face of adversity.”
Tap, tap, tap.
A rare smile was on the Count's face as he tapped his chair.
“Once the Young Lord officially succeeds the dukedom… I can go on vacation.”
Sven, who had made a meticulous vacation plan, returned to the work that was piled high on his desk.
To go on vacation, he first had to survive.
* * *
While the kingdom was moving noisily.
Ian was facing a monster that was threatening the party with its fur on end, with a troubled expression.
Squeak!
A squirrel.
To be precise, it was a ‘demonic beast squirrel’ with a brilliant gem embedded in its chest.
The demonic beast squirrel was a harmless monster that was even kept as a pet because of its cute and lovely appearance, but Ian was as tense as when he had faced the Ogre.
-That’s dangerous, human!
Even without Calua, who was growling with his tail raised in my arms, I couldn't help but be tense at the sight of a squirrel gnawing on the trees of the forest with its teeth and scratching the bark with its claws.
‘Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to have any hostility…….’
Ian recalled the message that had appeared after he had achieved [Faint Rumor (Extraordinary)].
‘Come to think of it, did it say that the demonic beast squirrel had taken an interest in the human race?’
The important thing was that the demonic beast squirrel was recognized as a ‘resident of the forest’.
‘It’s ridiculous to turn back because of a single squirrel, but I have no choice.’
Ian had no intention of provoking the demonic beast squirrel in the middle of the forest.
If a creature that was difficult for even a skilled hunter to catch had teeth and claws comparable to aura, it would be a nightmare itself.
“Everyone, retreat quietly.”
As the scouting party retreated in accordance with the command, the demonic beast squirrel held out its cute two hands as if to say, ‘Don’t run away.’
Squeak!
Squeeeak!
“Halt.”
As the squirrel stamped its short feet on the ground as if it was in a bad mood, the scouting party came to a halt.
‘It seems to have come to find us…….’
Although I had memorized most of the languages in the game as a hobby, the language of the rat tribe was not among them.
There were no intelligent beings among the rat tribe who were capable of conversation.
‘Tsk, if only we could communicate, I would have seen what it wanted.’
The squirrel seemed to be just as frustrated.
Realizing that communication was not possible, the squirrel tapped the gem on its chest and squeaked.
Calua, who was in my arms, shouted.
-That, that bad guy is cursing at you, human!
‘What?
You understand that?’
-Of course!
I am a great dragon!
‘Then you should have said so earlier!’
I looked at Calua as if I was dumbfounded, but Calua just tilted his head from my arms.
-Hmm?
You don’t understand, human?
For Calua, who read the will contained in language, it was as natural as breathing with mana.
‘Of course I don't understand, I'm not a squirrel.’
Calua, who looked back and forth between Ian and the squirrel as if surprised, turned his head and tried to converse with the squirrel.
-Little creature, as you said, the human is so stupid that he won’t understand even if you curse at him like that.
Squeak!
-Hmm, no.
The human is stupid, but he is not weak.
Do you know how vicious a race humans are?
Squeeeak?
-Of course.
Believe the words of me, Calua, the great and noble dragon.
Squeak!
Squeak!
-No, this human is not a human, but…….
At this rate, the demonic beast squirrel would also develop a draconic prejudice, so I tapped Calua on the bridge of his nose.
-Ouch!
Calua, who looked up at Ian as if he had been wronged, finished his short education about humans and began to listen to the demonic beast squirrel.
* * *
Fortunately, the squirrel's purpose, as heard through Calua, was simple.
“…You'll give us information about the Orc legion in exchange for mana stones?”
-Yes!
They say there’s no race in the forest with more eyes than them, so they know best!
The squirrel proudly puffed out its chest and nodded.
“We could just hunt them ourselves, so why……”
The squirrel, who understood my words, shook its head in disgust.
-They say the Orcs are too dirty to hunt.
The kind human will yield… no, you idiot!
Humans are dangerous!
After tapping Calua on the bridge of his nose several more times as he tried to warn about humans at every opportunity, I was finally able to sort out the conversation.
“So you’re saying you’ll help us out of goodwill?”
In exchange for mana stones, he would give us information about the Orcs who were targeting the fortress.
Considering that this squirrel was a race recognized as a ‘resident of the forest’, giving information in exchange for low-grade mana stones seemed close to goodwill.
-Stupid human!
How is that goodwill!
They’re just too lazy to hunt on their own!
Tap!
-Ouch!
“Be quiet, and tell them we’re grateful for their help.”
When Calua said something, the squirrel raised its head as if it was proud.
* * *
The squirrel not only provided information but also volunteered to be the scouting party's guide.
And on a path where the sunlight, though faint, shone through.
“I’ve been passing through this forest for years, but I never thought a path like this existed.”
“Me neither.
How much time have we saved?”
“We’ve saved at least three or four days.
If we move a little faster, we could even save a week.
Ha, indeed.
The more I see them, the more amazing a race they are.”
That’s because they were a race familiar enough with this forest to be recognized as its residents.
“I'm glad we got help.
We can use this path often in the future.”
“Yes, Captain.
I've been leaving marks on the path since we met that squirrel.”
After telling Hoodwock he did well, I looked at the squirrel and Calua.
Squeak!
Squeak!
-Hmm?
That's right.
That dev… human is the captain here.
Calua and the squirrel, who had become close in a few days, would often tell us stories about the forest or ask questions about humans.
Since Calua was the only one they could communicate with, the conversation often repeated the same pointless draconic sentiments, such as how humans were a scary and vicious race.
-How scary are humans?
If they see that gem on your chest, hunters will line up to hunt you!
Squeeeak?
-Of course!
A gem containing such high-purity mana is rare!
Humans would pull out your hard claws and cut your teeth to make weapons, and they’d pull out that gem to make a necklace.
The squirrel, momentarily flustered by Calua’s serious words, covered the gem with its short arms and scanned the humans.
Sque… Squeak?
Even without knowing the language of the rat tribe, I felt like I could understand those words, so I shook my head and said.
“That will never happen.”
Though it didn’t seem to believe me at all, as it quickly picked up a low-grade mana stone to cover its chest.
‘And it's also true that outside the forest, people are hunting demonic beast squirrels for that gem.’
However, no matter how strong human greed was, it seemed impossible to hunt this demonic beast squirrel, which was recognized as a ‘resident of the forest’.
Its speed in detecting a threat and fleeing before the enemy was even in sight was faster than most flying monsters, and if it felt even the slightest danger, it would immediately dig into a tree and hide.
‘Hmm… just in case, it wouldn't be bad if it avoided humans on its own.’
I decided to think that way and no longer interfere with Calua's education.
If humans, who would even catch dragons to satisfy their greed, could find a way to hunt demonic beast squirrels, it was a possibility.
Since it was the forest of demonic beasts, no one but the House of Moner would enter, but I wanted to avoid earning the enmity of a resident of the forest at all costs.
* * *
On the evening of the third day.
-Human!
The little creature says we’ll arrive at the fortress tomorrow morning!
At Calua’s cry, I quickly looked for the squirrel.
“Thank you again.
Moner will not forget this kindness.”
At Ian's heartfelt words, the squirrel tapped its chest as if to say, ‘Don't worry,’ then turned and ran towards the forest.
Ian, who watched its back until it disappeared into the darkness of the forest, turned his head and said.
“Everyone, from now on, we move at a fast pace.”
Over the past three days, I had been able to hear from the squirrel, who had become friendly with the party, the reason why he had suddenly appeared and blocked our path.
“Before the war begins.”
We have to prepare to stop the king who has lost his Legion Commander.