Elias had just finished surveying the most promising locations on the map when he turned to Frenn, storing the map away.
“There were no places where monsters might have taken root.”
“No. There were a few depressions in the terrain, but none showed signs of lingering miasma.”
Miasma—the corrupting magical energy emitted by monsters. Knights and mercenaries, accustomed to battle, had measures to resist it, but ordinary people could suffer severe harm from prolonged exposure.
Furthermore, areas with concentrated miasma could attract other monsters or even serve as spawning grounds.
“At the very least, the monster I defeated wasn’t born near the fortress.”
“A monster of that class—Danger Level Two—would require a sufficiently dense miasma to manifest. But from what we’ve seen, there’s no such place nearby.”
“That means it must have descended from the mountains.”
Having drawn his conclusion, Elias shifted his gaze toward the mountains.
“It seems we have no choice but to investigate further.”
“And it seems that in the time we’ve been investigating, the front lines have already begun to shift.”
Frenn, too, turned her attention toward the mountain range.
There were still monsters in those lands—but something else had entered their domain.
“A knight? Or perhaps a hero…”
“I can’t tell from this distance.” Elias frowned slightly before glancing at Frenn. “Shall we check it out?”
“It’s still early. If we leave now, we should be able to return to the fortress by evening.”
“You’re assuming we’ll be using enhancement magic for travel.” He smirked. “I can handle that, but what about you?”
“I’m prepared.”
“Then let’s move.”
With that, their aura shifted.
Magic surged through their bodies, enveloping them completely. Their eyes sharpened, fixing on the mountain slopes ahead.
And in the next moment—
They launched forward.
What they were using was not conventional magic.
It was a combat technique, one essential for knights stationed at the front lines. By infusing magic into their bodies, they could drastically enhance their physical abilities—allowing them to react instantly should a monster appear.
It was a standard technique in the eastern front, where combat was relentless.
Now, using it to traverse the terrain at inhuman speed, Elias contemplated the monster from the previous day.
Two questions weighed on his mind.
First—where exactly had the Class-Two monster come from?
Second—why hadn’t the knights at the fortress displayed any of the combat techniques he and Frenn were using now?
“Frenn.”
Even as they moved, Elias called out to her.
“Yesterday, when I engaged the monster, the knights and soldiers hesitated—but they still attempted to fight. And yet, none of them showed any signs of using enhancement techniques like these.”
“One possibility is that they were too shaken by the monster’s sudden appearance to use them properly. However…”
“There’s another, more likely explanation.”
“They simply don’t know how.”
Frenn’s voice was calm, but the implications were significant.
“Could it be that combat training differs between the east and the north?”
“Soldiers, perhaps—but knights? They should have had more experience.”
Elias narrowed his eyes.
“We’ll find our answer soon enough.”
“For now, we should observe from a distance before making our presence known.”
“Agreed. Given our sudden arrival, we’d only draw unnecessary attention if we rushed in carelessly.”
As they spoke, they neared their destination.
The northern front spanned a vast expanse of untamed land, and the place they were headed to was merely one section of a much larger battlefield.
Elias suspected that the strongest knights and warriors—those leading the expansion efforts—were positioned deeper within the mountains.
By assessing the strength of the fighters here, he could gauge the importance of this particular location.
Then—
He stopped.
The forest thinned, revealing an open battlefield.
In the clearing ahead, figures clashed.
Through their magically enhanced senses, Elias and Frenn could clearly make out the scene.
Knights fought against monsters identical to the one Elias had slain yesterday—and among them were four individuals in mixed attire, different from the standard knights.
Elias narrowed his eyes.
“Mercenaries… or perhaps heroes.”
“Most likely.”
Not everyone who ventured into monster territory was a knight or soldier.
There were adventurers, who scoured the land in search of rare materials.
There were mercenaries, hired through the Adventurers’ Guild, who fought alongside knights when needed.
And among them were those who had achieved great renown—those officially recognized by the kingdom as heroes.
For many, monster hunting was not just a duty, but a means to fame and fortune.
As Elias observed, one thing became clear—
These monsters had indeed come from the mountains.
And more importantly—
They were not solitary creatures.
Multiple identical monsters fought together as a pack.
“So it was a group, not just a lone stray.”
Frenn nodded.
“A pack of Class-Two monsters… That increases the overall danger significantly.”
Elias turned his attention away from the beasts and toward the four non-knights.
Among them—
A woman wielding a longsword, her golden hair flowing down to her waist, moved with notable precision.
She was accompanied by three others—a fully armored man, a woman in white priestly robes, and an elderly figure clad in a black robe.
“A four-person party. No doubt about it.”
As Elias murmured, Frenn suddenly spoke, as if recalling something.
“Gold hair… and that weapon… I believe I recognize her.”
“Oh? You know her?”
“While we were in the capital, I briefly researched known heroes. One of the most frequently mentioned figures… matches that woman’s description.”
Elias raised an eyebrow.
“When did you even find time for that?”
“I had some free time.”
Her response was as efficient as ever.
“Her name is Misheana Hyraine—a recently recognized hero.”
“I see. With a hero present, it seems there’s no need for us to intervene.”
However—
Though Misheana handled her opponent with ease, her companions and the knights struggled.
Despite their best efforts, the pack of monsters was proving difficult to contain.
Elias narrowed his eyes.
“If this keeps up, there will be casualties.”
Frenn nodded.
“We also need information about the monsters. This is a good opportunity to gather it.”
With that, Elias and Frenn activated their magic once more—
And charged toward the battlefield.