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Monsters appeared at the worst possible moment.

When viewed individually, each one of them is merely a beast that our knights and soldiers could handle without much issue, but their sheer numbers were a different story.

Even when bathed in magic, their instinct to form packs and sense of camaraderie remain intact. Strangely enough, they didn’t turn on each other and tear themselves apart.

Instead, the problem was that they aimed to kill the defenseless servants who had come with us, starting from Countess Shianella.

Caught off guard during a meal, those who had never undergone proper training were panicking at the size and ferocity of the wolves. Some among them couldn’t even seek refuge behind the soldiers and were frozen in place.

‘I can’t just let them die.’

Whether they were men or women.

Having shared fires together, cooked soup, and resupplied each other when spending nights in the village, I wished that, if possible, their blood would not stain the ground today.

Hoo-ooom!

─Myaow!

While I just wanted some peace and quiet to eat, I summoned Cotton Puff, who I had briefly sent back earlier.

As if just waiting for the summoning, the little spirit appeared with outstretched tiny wings and exuberance.

The tiny spirit flew round and round me quickly.

However, the moment was short-lived, drowned out by the fierce shouts of the surrounding women and the roars of the beasts.

With the smell of iron wafting through the wind, Cotton Puff tilted its head in confusion.

“Please protect those who haven’t yet managed to hide behind the soldiers. Can you do that?”

─Myaow.

Nodding vigorously.

Perhaps sensing the magic radiating from the beasts, Cotton Puff exhibited an unusually vigilant manner and heightened its spirit.

Whoosh!

The spirit, rising high with a gust of wind, began scanning below to identify the most at-risk individuals.

Even as a low-level spirit, it could create formidable gusts capable of tearing flesh.

If Cotton Puff could move freely like the wind and deliver its help quickly, it would be quite the asset.

─Kuhng!

With Cotton Puff’s sharp cry and the sudden rush of wind, I steadied myself.

At that moment, Diolia came toward us with her long hair flowing. With blood on her sword, it seemed she had taken down a beast or two on her way here.

“Princess Shione, I will start the escort now.”

“Ah, Lady Diolia.”

Shione looked at Diolia, who stood with her back turned, frowning at the blood smeared on her attire.

“…Are you hurt?”

“Hmm… There’s quite a bit of blood. But it’s all from beasts, not me.”

“I’m relieved to hear you’re unharmed.”

Diolia smiled faintly at Shione’s words.

“Our knights will never be wounded by such monsters.”

She nodded gently, locking eyes with me.

Shione must have intended for me to clean up quickly while she guarded me. Though she didn’t have a bow, she knew of my past sparring with Diolia and my repeated training with Siabel, giving her no hesitation in offloading this annoying task onto me.

“Also, our knights can easily handle such beasts.”

Somewhere along the way, Diolia’s treatment of me had shifted from being a mere knight to that of an esteemed knight.

…While I was taught that men in this world should be cherished like flowers, I didn’t expect to be pushed to tackle these drooling beasts.

Regardless, I needed to take down all the creatures that had appeared to calm the situation.

With a slight frown, I began to face them once more.

“Grrr!”

I dodged the first beast’s charge, stepping aside and swiftly cutting it down with concise movements.

Rather than hitting and retreating, I aimed for a deep cut.

Mid-fight, I twisted the sword to withdraw it.

“Grr—…”

Before long, the wolf that had no strength left to bite fell weakly.

I had already taken down three wolves myself. As mana coursed through me, revitalizing my body, I fought among the soldiers striving to protect the carriage and servants.

‘Finally, you’re here.’

The elves led by Friel Arielte and Elisa arrived a step late to the scene, beginning their cleanup of the monsters.

It seemed fitting that, being in the Great Forest near the World Tree, they had come.

“I never imagined things would escalate while I was away for just a moment… Piel?”

─Yep?

Friel Arielte’s spirit, Piel.

No longer just taking on a human shape, the spirit had transformed into a more mature form.

Standing about 50cm tall, resembling a cute and mischievous girl.

With this enhanced form, the spirit could wield even more powerful winds than it could in its previous state.

Originally, it was a high-ranking spirit, but as it had moved away from the World Tree in the Great Forest, it was said to have been downgraded to a mid-level. Indeed, as she professed, Piel now seemed like it was at least of high-ranking quality.

With bloodshot eyes, Friel looked down at the beast growling at her.

“Can you sweep the area?”

─You got it! Those guys… have already succumbed to the devils’ power. I’ll make things easier for you before it gets any worse.

As expected of a high-grade spirit.

The unprepared, unguarded attack from the spirit unleashed an unfathomable force of mystical energy.

As the raging winds passed through the enemies, what remained were lifeless forms.

With blood seeping into the cold earth, the ground was soon covered by a deep red carpet, as other elves boldly stepped through to finish off the remaining foes.

‘This situation will be over soon.’

Saying that, I continued to assist amidst the swift responses of the other knights.

Then suddenly—

Bang!

An arrow flew forth, and Shione called out.

“Ray, get back!”

Heeding Shione’s command, I hastily retreated without hesitation as my senses expanded.

From the edge of my heightened awareness, the presence of something enormous could be sensed approaching us.

Rolling harshly across the ground, the existence drew closer.

Though we were quite a distance away, Shione either expanded her senses while firing her arrows or perhaps this new foe had been dulled by the magic, landing within her realm of awareness.

‘…I can’t catch a breather before the next round begins.’

Luck was simply not on my side.

“Hah…”

I took a moment to catch my breath, allowing my body to relax for a split second.

Feeling the ground beneath me tremble slightly, I focused ahead.

…Thud. Thud… Thud…!

Then appeared giant, green-skinned brutes.

“…Orcs.”

These were the monsters that we had hunted tirelessly during the snowstorm.

‘Just when you think you’re seeing everything, something even weirder pops out.’

As expected of the Great Forest.

Not only were there rare flora and fauna, but it seemed like there were an abundance of monster varieties as well.

I adjusted my grip on the sword, heightening my senses once more.

These creatures were also steeped in magic. They had not been met with a snowstorm, so they would be far fiercer now.

From the look in those two eyes, there was still some fighting spirit left, meaning they hadn’t been completely consumed by magic. But I believed they wouldn’t last long before losing all sense.

However, something was more concerning than that.

‘…Their bodies are covered in wounds.’

Whether they had been cut by sharp objects or not, their bodies were riddled with lacerations.

For some reason, they didn’t seem to carry themselves like defeated soldiers.

If they had injuries, catching them would be easier; I took that small comfort and readied myself to charge forward when suddenly—

‘Hmm…?’

Within my heightened awareness.

I sensed multiple presences.

But their auras were not felt at ground level.

Above my head. From the sky.

And from the towering old trees around us, I felt their presence atop the sturdy branches.

The moment my gaze darted to where the sensation was strongest.

Swiish─!

Hooom──!

The piercing call of an eagle soared through the air.

In my line of sight, something shone as it reflected sunlight in mid-air, then fell toward us, or rather, it plummeted mercilessly toward the orc that staggered toward us.

This was not the brutal dive of an eagle but the merciless rain of arrows created by sharp projectiles.

In an instant, the rain of arrows blanketed the battlefield, embedding themselves deep within the orcs, leaving them with no strength to keep their hefty bodies upright.

Thud─!

And down they fell, starting from the back.

Finally, the last one to approach me also—

“Grrr….”

As it bled profusely, it collapsed right at my feet.

The vast, hulking frame that had blocked my view now shifted, and—

“…”

I took in the sight before me.

A tribe that reigned in the Great Forest, the inhabitants of this place.

And among them, those who served in the military.

Dressed in splendid uniforms, a substantial number of elves looked down at us with chilling gazes.

As if looking down upon us humans was nothing out of the ordinary.

They were elves.

 

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