The defeat of the magical beast Alder had led to a significant number of individuals receiving recognition, and one such person was Hero Misheana.
Though she felt dissatisfied—believing she had done little to deserve the honor—Elias had advised her,
“You cannot overturn a reward already given.”
After that, she stopped voicing complaints.
However, there remained a lingering concern—her newfound fame meant that the kingdom would now expect her to achieve even greater feats.
Would she be able to meet those expectations?
“That’s exactly what I want.”
Rather than feeling pressure, Misheana grinned fearlessly.
“I’ll head straight for the front lines.”
“…Are you sure?”
“I’ll be fine, trust me. Of course, I know I still have a lot to learn. But next time we meet, I’ll be strong enough to beat you in a duel, Elias.”
And with that, she departed for the northern frontlines.
According to reports from Frenn, she was performing admirably, earning the trust of knights and other heroes alike.
Whether her achievements could compare to the Alder subjugation remained to be seen, but knowing that she was thriving put Elias at ease.
(If I ever make my way to the front lines, I should check in on her.)
Elias’ group finally arrived at Nanan Mountain.
It was a small, densely wooded peak, distant from the expanding frontlines.
Upon seeing it, Jemie narrowed her eyes.
“…Yeah. There’s something here.”
“You can tell?”
“Only vaguely. But… it’s unsettling.”
“We’ll start setting up the detection spell. Give us a moment.”
Elias and Frenn immediately began their preparations, while Jemie observed.
“Is that a state-issued spell?”
“It’s been modified a bit.”
Elias efficiently completed the setup—the spell was an adaptation of a detection method used in the eastern territories, originally developed by the kingdom for tracking magical creatures.
(The terrain here is different, but the types of monsters aren’t vastly different from the east. This should work just fine.)
The ritual circle was completed in about fifteen minutes. The ground glowed faintly, signaling that it was active.
“Alright, success. Jemie, you just need to channel your magic into the circle to keep the spell going. I’ll handle the actual scanning.”
“Understood.”
Jemie extended a hand, and a soft surge of magic flowed into the spell.
Elias closed his eyes, shifting his focus toward Nanan Mountain.
Compared to his previous attempt, the detection spell now revealed much more detail about the mountain.
And immediately—something felt wrong.
“…There are no animals.”
A mountain, no matter how small, should have wildlife—squirrels, birds, small predators.
Especially one far from human settlements.
But Nanan Mountain was completely devoid of life.
“Is that because of the monsters?”
“Or maybe the mountain itself is unnatural…” Reina murmured.
Luke, standing beside her, nodded.
“That does seem likely.”
Elias redirected the detection spell, zeroing in on the cave.
He had already pinpointed its location during the last survey, but now, using the enhanced detection spell, he could map its structure.
The cave was deep.
It did not lead into an underground network—it was a closed-off space.
But the real problem was—
Elias suddenly pulled back his focus.
“…This is worse than I thought.”
Frenn immediately asked, “What did you find?”
For a moment, Elias said nothing. Then—
“The monster nest is bigger than expected.”
“…Bigger?”
“The monsters themselves are low-threat, but their numbers are the issue. There are at least thirty of them in there.”
Luke and Reina exchanged uneasy glances.
Frenn turned her gaze toward the mountain, her expression sharp.
“…If the numbers are that high, we’d need a full subjugation force.”
“But we don’t even know what kind of monsters they are yet. And since they haven’t caused any human casualties, there’s a chance the kingdom might ignore this problem…”
Jemie crossed her arms, watching the mountain.
“Will they really send a subjugation force just because of our report?”
Elias considered her words carefully.
“You think they’ll dismiss it?”
“It’s possible. Or they might downplay the risk, even though we confirmed the nest.”
“…It’s true that since they haven’t attacked yet, the kingdom might delay any action.”
But just then—Elias froze.
He refocused on the mountain.
“…Wait.”
Several monsters were emerging from the cave.
“Some of them are coming out.”
The atmosphere within the group instantly shifted.
If they were heading down the mountain, that meant—combat was imminent.
Luke gripped his sword, readying himself.
The monsters moved—
Several minutes passed.
Elias spoke again.