(The demonic beast Older’s ability is a serious threat, but I’ve fought creatures with similar traits before. Defeating it isn’t impossible, but if it’s as fast as they say, subduing it alone would be unrealistic…)
“…Frenn, there haven’t been any official orders for its subjugation yet, but is there any information on potential strategies?”
“No, not even a unit has been assembled yet.”
“I see… I have some ideas, but no matter what plan we go with, we won’t have enough manpower to execute it.”
“Do you need more people?”
Mishena asked, prompting Elias to nod.
“Yeah, the biggest issue with this enemy is its ability to escape. Even if we set up a net trap and manage to restrain Older, it has the power to break free.”
“So, unless we can restrict its movement, it’ll just flee?”
“It’s survived for fifty years. I’d wager its ability to escape is just as developed as its speed. By the way, Frenn—how did they fight it during the second subjugation attempt?”
“They lured it into a designated area covered with traps, then used a magical barrier to block off all exits.”
“And yet, they still failed?”
“At first, Older engaged the knights, but as soon as it realized it was at a disadvantage, it forcefully broke through the barrier and escaped.”
(So it retreats the moment it senses danger… Stopping its movements will require more than brute force.)
“There are plenty of ways to restrict movement, aren’t there?”
Mishena interjected.
“Like physically sealing off space, suppressing its ability, or slowing it down. Or maybe even luring it into a trap while expecting it to use its ability… What do you think, Elias?”
“I doubt Older will fall for the same trick twice. Even if it only has the intelligence of a beast, surviving for fifty years means it has an exceptionally high sense of danger. It’s incredibly cautious—so simple traps won’t work, and it probably wouldn’t be fooled by the same baiting tactics I used with the Red Wolves.”
“Then what’s the plan?”
“…Frenn, do we know how its movement ability actually works?”
“Just before moving, it releases a burst of magic and moves its legs. Apparently, this allows us to detect the moment it activates its ability, but we can’t predict where it will move to.”
“Its legs, huh…? So it’s not teleportation—it actually needs to move to use its ability.”
Elias muttered, prompting both Frenn and Mishena to give him inquisitive looks.
“So… do you have a plan?”
“Despite previous failures, trapping it remains the best strategy. If we can restrict its movement, our chances of killing it increase significantly. However, given that the second subjugation attempt failed, we’ll need a new approach.”
“What kind of approach?”
Frenn asked, to which Elias responded decisively.
“Frenn, I need you to gather as much information on Older as possible. The more we understand about its abilities, the better our chances of success.”
“Understood. Since Older is a named demonic beast, it’s been under observation even outside of subjugation efforts. That means there should be extensive records on it.”
“Good. Look into everything you can find.”
“I have a question,” Mishena suddenly spoke up, raising her hand slightly.
“It’s good to investigate beforehand, but do we really need to know every detail?”
“Of course. The kind of trap we use depends on what we learn.”
“You’re really cautious about this.”
“Preparation is the most critical step. In the Eastern Front, we never hunted a monster without thorough preparation.”
Mishena fell silent at his words.
“Even here in the North, you scout before expanding the frontier, right? You gather as much information as possible and prepare accordingly. It’s the same principle.”
“Huh… I see your point. So what kind of trap are we talking about?”
“We need to find something that actually works. Since there’s existing information on Older, we’ll go through it and select the best option.”
“Isn’t the bigger issue where to set up the trap?”
“That’ll depend on how the battle unfolds. We’ll have to deploy it in real-time.”
“So you’re not setting it up in advance?”
“Exactly. We don’t know where Older will move, so planning it out ahead of time would be impossible. Instead, we’ll prepare several options and deploy the most effective one based on the situation.”
“…Do you need my help?”
“For now, intelligence gathering is the priority. Do you have any leads, Mishena?”
She thought for a moment before responding.
“…I could ask an acquaintance.”
“The same one you mentioned before?”
“Yeah. Oh, that reminds me—they said they wanted to meet you.”
“That’s sudden… I don’t mind, but make sure to get Lord Nork’s approval first.”
“Ugh, such a hassle… Why don’t you just take over this fortress and become the new lord?”
“Not happening.”
Mishena pouted slightly but quickly laughed at his immediate rejection. Seeing this, Elias sighed.
“Even though I’m a Holy Knight, I have plenty of enemies watching me. But when it comes to Older, I’m motivated. There’s something I need to accomplish here.”
“Oh? Well, as long as you’re determined, that’s good enough for me. I’ll head out to meet my contact.”
“Alright.”
Mishena exited the room. As she left, Frenn made a passing remark.
“Depending on who her acquaintance is… this could get complicated.”
“She doesn’t seem like the type to be dissuaded, though. If trouble comes, we’ll deal with it when it happens. For now, let’s focus on what we can do.”
With that, Elias and Frenn followed shortly after.