Chapter 51

To them, it appeared that this was a mission where my chances of dying were significantly high. Still, they seemed unbothered about throwing me into an ant's nest without any additional support. "...Then, at least lend me some territory folk." "Territory folk?" "Even if we succeed in the extermination, it's impossible for us to transport them all by ourselves due to their numbers." This was true. Besides, the location of the ant's nest wasn't great, and transporting them would likely involve some clashes with monsters, during which there was a high chance some people might die. Even after explaining this, the lord spoke as if it was of no concern. "If that's the case, I can lend you as many as you need. I'll give you the right to mobilize the territory folk. You can use some of them for combat as well." 'Disgusting.' It's hardly surprising, though. After all, selfish humans are nothing new to me. Nobles, if anything, had even less reason to be any different. 'I was treated well as long as I was useful, but this isn't the time for such considerations.' "Given the danger and all that has been provided in the past, I find it hard to refuse. I accept the request." Of course, it was merely lip service. Had I refused, they would likely have tried to persuade me by other means. They would emphasize the crisis of the territory, appeal to what they had done for me before, entice me with a knighthood, and if all else failed, they would likely resort to coercion. Thus, I simply played the part they wanted to see. 'After all, I'll be the ultimate winner.' "You've made a wise decision. If you need anything, feel free to ask for support." "Equipment-wise, we're sufficiently equipped." Given the circumstances, as if on the brink of war, asking for more seemed likely to be met with excuses for refusal. I hadn't been expecting much, to begin with. When the moment of crisis came, it was easier to just accept their true nature. 'Well, it's true that they've done things for me in the past.' At least they hadn't swindled me. I decided to think of them as somewhat better, for what it's worth, among nobles. After all, faced with the prospect of losing everything to someone else's schemes, betting on the life of an honorably settled soldier was a small price to pay for their benefit. Whether through reluctant agreement or coercion, they impose their losses on others for their gain. It was just my life this time, an all too common occurrence. 'Well, it's not actually that dangerous, in reality.' "I won't forget the contributions you've made to the territory." I had heard that line before. And this was the result. "Depending on the outcome, we'll consider promoting you to a knight." I had expected such a statement, and there it was. "Oh, and if you get the chance, could you please hunt some beasts? Even just a few would be fine. There won't be many to eat them, anyways." He apparently didn't want to eat monster meat. "If there's an opportunity, I will." With those words, I left the office of the lord. Thinking about which anthill would be the easiest to tackle as I returned to my party, I heard a familiar voice just before leaving the mansion. "Master Jimnis?" As I turned towards the source of the familiar voice, I saw a man with a surprised expression looking at me. "Aren't you Mr. Rickeley?" The man was Rickeley, one of the two successors of Rankbing. Now the sole successor since I had heard the news of the other, Carbus, dying. 'He lost an arm…' Fortunately, it wasn't his right arm. Approaching him, I said. "It's been a while, Mr. Rickeley." "...It has, Master Jimnis." There was a deep shadow on his face. "...I'm glad to see you're alive." "I'm not sure if that's fortunate." Rickeley held his empty left arm as he spoke. "But aren't you the one who saved Lord Rankbing? You've made a significant achievement for the territory." "Yes, that's true. Though it is as you say." While agreeing, his face still wore a deep shadow. "I wanted to visit you sooner, but it seems this is how we meet. How's your condition?" "Except for the arm, I'm fine. Lord Rankbing, my master, is recovering quickly too." If there had been a proper priest in the territory, he would have recovered sooner. "What brings you to the lord's mansion, Master Jimnis?" "I was given a new order." "What kind...?" "To address the food shortage in the territory." "How can an individual solve that?" "Some monsters are edible." "...I've heard of that. Huh. So our territory has come to the point where we must eat monsters. Those damn merchants… What monster are you targeting?" He was a successor of Rankbing, essentially part of the upper class of the territory, so I felt no need to hide it. "Giant Ents." "...Giant Ents? Do you have support troops?" "I have two in my party. We plan to complete it together. I was granted the right to mobilize the territory folk, but I intend to use them only if we succeed. As porters, that is." "How dangerous...!" "The situation being what it is, we have no choice but to do our best. Though I'm fairly familiar with Giant Ents, so it's not entirely hopeless." "...Damn. To feel so helpless in such a place...." Rickeley sighed again. "You don't look well." "Sigh... How could I be? ...I don't know if I should say this but...." After hesitating for a moment, Rickeley spoke. "Honestly, our chances are slim. Even if Lord Rankbing fully recovers, I doubt we can win." "...Is it that disadvantageous." "Even with the mercenaries contracted by Lord Kuman, our chances are barely 30%." 'I did kill some of their number, though...' He must have heard about it as well, considering how long he's been here. "That's assuming my master fully recovers. His body is healing quickly, but using mana as naturally as before seems problematic." It's rare, but not unheard of. In such cases, recovery generally takes several months, and in the worst instances, recovery never happens, forcing the person to adapt to their new condition. Naturally, in the latter case, one’s skills would inevitably degrade compared to their past abilities. Furthermore, growth becomes considerably more challenging, often resulting in a stagnation of abilities due to lingering aftereffects. Given that situation, it essentially means the outcome is almost predetermined. "Of course, I have no intention of giving up, but...how much help I'll be in this state..." Rickeley and I fell into a brief silence. "Ah, that reminds me, I haven't thanked you. I heard you slaughtered some of the enemies and saved the young master along with the dwarf, bringing them safely to our territory. Thank you. Your actions have ensured our endeavors were not in vain. Carbus, too, must be smiling down on us from the other world." "I merely did what needed to be done. It’s I who should thank you for coming back alive." With those words of gratitude, we wished each other safety and parted ways. When I informed my companions about the new assignment, Athena furrowed her brows and said, "This is just too much. They’re practically sending us to die." "With our skills, it’s entirely possible." "But, master, you know it. The lord doesn’t know our true capabilities. This is just their way of saying they want us to find food at the cost of potential loss of life. And with this kind of assignment, if we die, they won’t take any responsibility." "Nobles are like that. Most of them are. Those who aren't are rare. The higher up you go, the worse it gets. That’s the reality. If you don’t like it, get stronger." "Damn it..." Athena bit her lip, clearly frustrated. Once our conversation paused, I immediately said, "Since it's our task, we might as well get on with it. I’m thinking of targeting an anthill near Nockwood Village." "Nockwood Village? The place we went to before?" "Yes. It's not the same place we scouted, but there is an anthill in that vicinity." "There's one near the orc village we annihilated, too. Wouldn’t that be closer?" "If we consider the neighboring powers, that one seems smaller. If we pick a target too small, we might end up having to do the job twice." My plan was to hit a larger target first, prepare for the monster wave, or simply ignore it altogether. "But what if we lose the war and the territory falls?" "We'll run away." "Where to? The territory will be sealed off." "We have maps of monster territories." We had maps outlining the areas around external residences, initiated by Nenson and completed by me; we were also somewhat familiar with the distribution of monsters around Nockwood Village. There were also areas we’d scouted more deeply. "Sealing off a territory isn't easy. Over time, it’ll be lifted, and we can use that opportunity to escape to another region. If the territory falls, there'd be no reason to maintain the blockade, so it’ll likely be lifted within a month anyway." Surviving that duration wouldn’t be too difficult. 'Although, that’s unlikely to happen.' If it does, we might get caught in a potentially arising monster wave. No matter how strong, surviving in the midst of a monster wave would be impossible for me. Should that scenario occur, it might be better to take my party through the secret passages and flee not towards Count Siglen’s territory but in the direction of another domain. We might run into mercenaries hired by the merchant union, but it would be safer than being in the middle of a monster wave. Anyway, the territory wouldn’t fall so easily. Even if we were defeated in combat, the fortifications of the pioneer fortress would still remain. 'A monster wave would occur before a complete downfall.' So, it was a needless worry. "Really? Okay then." Athena seemed relieved to know I had thought that far ahead. Realizing there was a contingency plan for even the worst-case scenario motivated Athena to reengage more actively in the discussion. She asked why the closer location wouldn’t work and what evidence there was that the Giant Ents were less numerous there. I explained based on the distribution of nearby monsters and that the territory of the Giant Ents was relatively small. Athena argued that considering the presence of powerful forces nearby, the Giant Ents’ territory might not be as small as we anticipate. However, given the nature of Giant Ents, which lends them an advantage in defense, attacking them wouldn’t be easy for any monster, making her accept my explanation. Athena had a point, but it was better to go for the option with higher chances of success. "Then, our destination is Nockwood Forest." There was still a chance the anthill in Nockwood Forest could be smaller than expected. However, it was concluded to be a better target than the smaller orc settlement. We might have to leave Thea behind, but since it was within the pioneer fortress, Athena wasn't too worried. In fact, Thea seemed more worried about us going to hunt the anthill. "Do you really have to go?" "It's the lord’s request." "...I wish I could be more helpful." "What are you talking about?" Thea’s words alarmed Athena. "I’m tired of being left behind, sister. I want to come with you." "Absolutely not. Besides, your body could be in grave danger if you mistreat mana due to the curse from before." Athena’s words made Thea’s head droop. Thea knew it too. For a woman, becoming strong without mana was nearly impossible, especially for Thea, whose physique wasn’t strong to begin with. If she wished to become powerful, mana was essential for her. "Please come back safely... Don’t get hurt...." "We’ll be back as soon as possible. Stay calm and wait for us." Athena, perhaps made a bit anxious by Thea’s words, emphasized her promise, and Thea, thinking she had unnecessarily worried her sister, obediently responded. Even as we left the fortress, Athena looked back several times, seemingly worried. "Worried?" "Of course, I am. I don’t want Thea to be in combat..." "A certain level of self-defense might be necessary." "It's an incredibly dangerous world. Especially on the frontiers, those without the means to defend themselves are inevitably at risk." "You want my sister to get involved in dangerous situations?" "You can't be by her side forever. If you really dislike the idea, then at least assign someone trustworthy to stay with her." "I plan to be with her for life. I'm not handing my sister over to anyone." "Seems like Thea has a different opinion." "...She's just lonely. Damn it, that lord. Giving us such an unnecessary assignment..." After a moment of contemplation, Athena spoke to me.