A few days after reporting their findings at Mount Nanan, a directive arrived for Noque. The orders were clear—investigate the mountain and confirm whether the monsters there should be eliminated.
“With the Magic Beast’s extermination, the kingdom has begun moving in various ways…
As part of their preparations for dealing with the remaining great threats hindering the northern frontier expansion, they now wish to eliminate lesser monsters in advance,” Noque explained.
Seated in Noque’s office, Elias listened to the report and responded,
“So, their goal is to remove any lingering concerns before they advance?”
“That’s part of it, but according to what I’ve heard, one of the two remaining formidable creatures is said to possess the ability to control not only its subordinates but also nearby monsters.”
“That’s a dangerous ability.”
At present, Elias’ aide, Frenn, was gathering information on these two major threats and the political landscape of the northern frontier. There had been no update from her yet, but once her investigation was complete, Elias expected to receive a detailed report.
“So, in the worst-case scenario, the monsters in Mount Nanan might be under the influence of this greater foe and could be commanded to attack?”
“…A Magic Beast is a being that can influence a vast territory.
Some even describe them as natural disasters in their own right,” Noque remarked.
“I don’t disagree.”
“Especially if one of them truly has the power to command other monsters… If that ability is activated, the damage could be catastrophic.
That’s why, even though Mount Nanan is far from the main battlefield, they want to investigate and, if necessary, take preventive measures.”
Elias considered this carefully.
(…Could it be that the reason there are so few monsters outside the frontlines is precisely because of this creature’s influence?)
Reflecting on the current state of the northern frontier, where only the most dangerous areas teemed with monsters, Elias couldn’t help but suspect a connection.
“Understood.
But if the directive was sent here, does that mean we’ll be conducting the investigation using our fortress personnel?”
“Yes.
This fortress primarily handles logistics, so we don’t have a large combat force… But for a survey mission, we should have enough people.”
“Even so, long-range detection magic requires proper equipment and skilled casters.
Large-scale magic could disturb the monsters and provoke unwanted aggression.”
“Indeed. We’ll need to proceed with utmost caution.
That said, we have received some support.”
“Support?”
“Yes.
The royal capital is aware that most of the northern knights and warriors have been deployed to the frontlines.
Therefore, they’ve issued permission for us to hire additional personnel if necessary.”
Elias let out a sigh.
(So they’re essentially telling us to recruit our own support troops…)
He understood the kingdom’s reasoning, but considering how sparsely populated the Mount Nanan area was, he had to wonder,
“…Will we even find people willing to assist in a simple monster investigation?”
“That is a concern… Elias, what type of personnel do we need most for this mission?”
“If we run into hostile creatures, our fortress knights should be more than capable of handling them.
After all, even if Mount Nanan has become a monster den, it’s still just a confined cave system.
The mana concentration isn’t high, so I doubt there’s anything too dangerous inside.”
“So melee combatants won’t be an issue.”
“No, but we lack skilled casters.
How many people here can actually use magic?”
“We have about five, but none of them have experience handling large-scale detection magic.”
“Then we need to hire a mage.
Someone who can form and sustain a detection field over a wide area.”
“I see…
If we’re hiring, then a mage should be our priority.
But given the lack of population near Mount Nanan, our best bet would be to find one in the nearest town.”
Noque then looked directly at Elias.
“Do you have an eye for choosing the right people?”
“…I can assess someone’s skill level to a certain extent.
But the real issue is whether they’ll actually listen to orders.”
“Your status as a Holy Knight should ensure some level of obedience…
Either way, we have our orders.
We’ll handle this investigation ourselves.”
Elias nodded, then asked,
“Can I handle the personnel selection myself?”
“Of course.
Just make sure you don’t take too many people—we still need to keep the fortress running.”
“Understood.
For now, I’ll bring along Luke and Reina, since they accompanied me on the last investigation.
I’ll add two or three more members, and of course, Frenn will join as well.
That should be enough.”
“That should work. If they agree, take them.”
After the discussion, Elias left Noque’s office.
As he stepped into the hallway, he spotted Frenn walking toward him.
“Ah, Elias. Were you meeting with Lord Noque?”
“Frenn, how’s your investigation coming along?”
“Still ongoing. I need more time to organize the information properly.”
“I see… Well, put it on hold for now. We have a new mission.”
“A mission?”
Elias quickly explained the situation. After listening, Frenn nodded thoughtfully and said,
“Then I’ll handle preparing supplies.”
“I’ll focus on gathering personnel…
Do you have any recommendations for candidates?”
“I’ll leave that to your judgment.”
“Alright.
In that case, get started on the supplies while I head to the nearest town and contact the guild.”
“Will there be anyone suitable for this kind of job?”
“We won’t know until we get there.
Worst case, we don’t find anyone, and the investigation gets delayed…
But for now, let’s just hope things go smoothly.”
Thus, Elias set out toward the nearest town, hoping to find a capable mage for the mission.