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Due to the rugged terrain and the frequent appearances of monsters, it was a place rarely visited by humans outside the established trade routes. Even brave hunters and the tough lumberjacks who led harsh lives dared not venture this far.

Amid this treacherous mountain, five men and women were walking.

There was a black-haired young man wearing a mage’s robe, a priest in his twenties dressed in priest robes, a man and woman in heavy armor, and even a young girl with ash-colored hair, lightly armored and with a longsword strapped to her waist.

This was the well-armed group led by Karnak. This time, Laficel was with them too.

As they walked, Alius whispered to Serati.

“Are you sure about this?”

This mission wasn’t a simple journey. They were chasing an imperial noble suspected of being a cultist, making it a dangerous task with unpredictable situations.

Until now, they had always kept Laficel away from combat situations. But for some reason, this time, Karnak had allowed her to accompany them.

“Isn’t this too dangerous for someone so young…?”

Serati responded calmly.

“Laficel is my disciple. A warrior cannot remain in safe places forever.”

Alius still looked concerned.

“I understand that, but…”

The way a mentor trains their disciple is their domain, and it’s considered a great insult for an outsider to interfere. Moreover, it was common for knights to take their squires along on their duties.

So, strictly speaking, there was no issue.

Yes, no issue at all, but…

‘Didn’t she say it’s been less than two months since she took her as a disciple? How much swordsmanship could she possibly have learned in that time?’

It wasn’t just Laficel that he was worried about.

What if they were hindered because of her, putting the rest of the group in danger?

Serati’s response to this was firm.

“Both life and death are hers to bear, and as her teacher, it is my responsibility. There’s no need for you to worry, Mr. Alius.”

“…Understood.”

If this had been Alius’s mission, he never would have allowed it.

But this was led by Karnak.

Although publicly, it was said that they were Alius’s collaborators, in truth, Alius was cooperating with a mission from the King’s Order.

Since Karnak had permitted Laficel’s participation, he had no choice but to trust his judgment.

‘Yes, Dame Serati isn’t someone who would act so irresponsibly.’

Convinced, Alius returned his focus to the mountainous landscape ahead.

It was a vast terrain of steep valleys, covered with beautiful forests. The view was stunning.

“So then…”

He turned around and confirmed once more.

“You’re saying it’s highly likely that the cultists are hiding somewhere around here, right?”

***

As Karnak observed Grenthal County, there was one thing that struck him as strange.

“It’s far too peaceful.”

At first glance, there seemed to be no problems. A peaceful territory was a good thing, after all.

However, even with a little thought, something about it felt off.

“Why is it so peaceful?”

In Karnak’s territory, Jestarad Barony, which bordered the Wild North, monsters frequently invaded from the Zeden Mountains. During the reign of the previous lord, the citizens constantly suffered from monster attacks.

It wasn’t until a copper mine was discovered, making the barony wealthy, that the situation improved.

With better equipment for knights and soldiers, hunting monsters became relatively easier, and the citizens could live in peace.

The situation in Grenthal County was similar.

Located near Gallant Mountain, a branch of the Barakant Mountain Range, it too had suffered frequent monster attacks in the past.

The attacks stopped after Count Hudel became lord.

It was said that Hudel managed the territory with remarkable skill, bringing peace to the people.

“This is rather strange.”

There hadn’t been any reports of people going missing? That could be possible, if the lord was managing the territory well.

No mysterious deaths? That, too, made sense, as it was a matter of maintaining order.

But what about the monsters?

Every citizen said the same thing—that since Hudel became lord, Grenthal County had not been attacked by monsters.

“How does one govern a territory so that monsters don’t attack? Did this capable lord engage in diplomacy with the monsters?”

If they had simply prepared well and repelled the invading monsters, that would indeed be a testament to his skill.

But to prevent monsters from attacking altogether?

That wasn’t a matter that could be solved with competence alone.

“And one of the specialties of necromancers is controlling monsters.”

Of course, this was all just baseless speculation for now.

There wasn’t enough to accuse Hudel of collaborating with cultists yet.

“But it’s worth investigating.”

If the suspicion turned out to be wrong, they’d only waste a few days. There would be no real loss.

But if there truly were cultists hiding here…

“They might have some rather useful information to share.”

***

After another half-day of travel, the group had ventured deep into Gallant Mountain.

As they looked around the dense forest, Alius muttered, “We need to find where the monsters are nesting.”

They would locate the nest, exterminate the monsters, and then look for any traces of necromancy.

If a necromancer was involved, there would surely be some sign left behind.

Karnak voiced his disagreement with Alius’s plan.

“Won’t that take too long?”

The forest was so rugged that finding the nest wouldn’t be easy.

There were spells, like the Observer spell that allowed the summoning of a reconnaissance orb, but even that would be ineffective. Viewing from the sky wouldn’t help since monsters didn’t build obvious structures, making it hard to distinguish their habitat from the surrounding environment until they got up close.

“I’m thinking of luring the monsters to us instead.”

One way to hunt monsters was to disguise themselves as unarmed travelers or woodcutters to draw them in.

Alius shook his head.

“That would take just as long.”

Monsters didn’t immediately appear just because a human entered their territory. If that were the case, monster hunting would be much easier.

When a large group of humans, like an army, entered their territory, the monsters hid quietly.

However, they didn’t always underestimate smaller groups.

When humans entered their territory, monsters typically observed them first.

Only when they were sure they could win would they strike.

People often assumed monsters acted like berserkers, attacking recklessly. But in reality, they were much more cautious, similar to wild animals.

More accurately, the reckless ones were dead, leaving only the cautious monsters alive.

“If we wait for them to attack, it could take three or four days.”

“That won’t be the case,” Karnak said with a sly smile.

“We have excellent bait.”

***

According to the teachings of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, this world was created under the breath of the seven goddesses, and three special races were given the authority to rule over it.

These races were the dragons, humans, and fairies.

However, the forces of darkness invaded this world, and their wicked power tainted the goddesses’ beautiful creation, giving birth to foul beings. These creatures became known as monsters.

In a shadowy forest deep in a mountain valley.

There were several huts, blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings. They were far too eco-friendly in design to be called houses. These huts were the nest of a group of Stone Orcs, which resided in Gallant Mountain.

Monsters, the servants of darkness, could be classified into three major types: humanoid, beast, and formless. The Stone Orcs were categorized as humanoid monsters.

Though shorter than humans, their bodies were bulkier.

There’s a saying that humans are like hairless monkeys, but orcs truly resembled apes stripped of their fur in appearance.

From across the forest, an orc came running toward the nest, shouting a warning.

“Kaaaak!”

Roughly translated, it meant, ‘Humans have appeared!’

A large orc with gray, cracked skin roared back.

“Kraaa!”

That roughly translated to, ‘Quiet down! Report calmly!’

After snapping at the other orc, the chieftain of Stone Orcs pondered for a moment.

Human belongings were highly useful, which is why the Stone Orcs frequently raided human settlements.

However, recently, they had been unable to do so.

The ‘terrifying one’ had not permitted it.

But now, humans had appeared in the mountains? Could they raid these humans?

It seemed like it might be allowed.

The ‘terrifying one’ had only forbidden raids on human settlements. There hadn’t been any orders not to catch humans who entered the mountains.

Still, it was dangerous to lower their guard.

Among humans, sometimes there were those terrifying individuals who could wipe out dozens of orcs by themselves.

The ones with the shiny swords, the ones who shot fire from their hands, and the ones who muttered things to the sky and brought down lightning.

That’s why, when humans entered their territory, careful handling was required.

The orc chieftain shouted.

“Kraaa!”

It was a question—what kind of humans had appeared?

The orc who brought the news yelled back.

“Kaaaak!”

It’s just a small girl. But she was decked out in a lot of high-quality human gear.

The Stone Orcs’ eyes gleamed.

A young human was easy prey. A young human girl was even easier.

And human clothes, armor, and swords—every orc wanted them.

It had been a long time since luck had smiled upon them.

“Kaka!”

“Kraaa!”

The orcs moved all at once.

Even though their opponent was just a single young human girl, they charged in a mass.

It wasn’t out of fear of the girl, but to ensure ownership of the spoils.

“Kaa!”

One of the Stone Orcs shouted, meaning, ‘Whoever strikes first gets the prize!’

But the chieftain’s roar quickly drowned it out.

“Kraaaah!”

Which roughly meant, ‘Anyone who strikes before me dies!’

***

Deep within the thick forests of Gallant Mountain.

A young girl walked between the bare winter trees.

She was equipped with a rather impressive-looking longsword at her waist and wore a stylish set of light armor.

Hidden behind rocks, the Stone Orcs observed the girl. They soon relaxed.

They needed to be cautious with fully grown humans.

Adult men or women could sometimes be so strong that they could wipe out an entire orc group on their own.

That’s why, even if a human appeared unarmed or was just a woodcutter with an axe, the orcs had to be careful.

But this human girl was no bigger than a goblin, still not fully grown.

A human that young couldn’t possibly be strong, no matter how good her sword or armor was.

The orcs charged out at once.

“Kraaaaah!”

Dozens of orcs rushed at the young girl, surrounding her in an instant.

There were no threats or introductions.

When a bandit threatens, it’s to avoid unnecessary conflict and achieve their goal.

But monsters, whose ultimate pleasure was spilling human blood, had no reason to avoid a fight.

The chieftain, at the front of the charge, raised his club and roared.

“Kakakaka!”

Which roughly translated to, ‘This one’s mine!’

And that was his final word.

Flash! A gleam of light, and the orc’s head spun in the air, rotating three times.

A spray of blood formed a pretty spiral in the sky before falling to the ground with a splatter.

The charging orcs froze in their tracks.

“Kek?”

“Kaa?”

It was a scene that made no sense to them.

A Stone Orc’s neck bones were much tougher than a human’s. They weren’t something that could be cut through so easily.

Moreover, the chieftain was at least two heads taller than the human girl. No matter how much she swung her sword, she shouldn’t have even been able to reach him.

Yet, as she drew her sword, she leaped into the air, meeting the orc’s eye level, and with a lightning-fast strike, decapitated the chieftain!

“Kakaka!”

“Kraaa!”

The orcs panicked, retreating in confusion.

Roughly translated to cries like, ‘Young human girls are supposed to be weak!’ and ‘Why is this one so strong?’

The ash-haired girl elegantly swung her sword to flick off the blood and shouted.

“Lord Karnak! They took the bait!”