“The monsters have returned to their nest. There’s no immediate threat of combat—everyone, stand down.”
At Elias’ words, Luke and Reina let out quiet sighs of relief. Meanwhile, Jemie, still watching the mountain, spoke up.
“I sensed the monsters’ presence… but they’re not beasts.”
“You can tell?”
Elias turned toward her, curious. Jemie nodded.
“Yes. I’ve studied monsters for a long time. I haven’t seen them yet, but based on their aura, they likely have some form of exoskeleton.”
(She can deduce a monster’s characteristics just from its presence?)
Elias himself had no such ability—this was clearly the result of her extensive research.
“Can you tell anything else?”
“Hmm… judging by how their presence moves, they don’t seem to be bipedal.”
“The way their presence moves…?”
“It’s just an educated guess based on how their energy shifts. We’ll need to confirm it ourselves.”
“No, that’s already useful information. Thanks.”
After thanking her, Elias scanned the rest of the group.
“We’ve gathered enough information for now. I’ll report to Lord Noque and await further orders… Jemie, are you heading back to town?”
“Do I have another option?”
“You mentioned wanting work in the North, right? My post is at a support garrison, but it’s still a foothold in the region. If you come with us, you might gain valuable information.”
“But you’re not just offering this for free, are you?”
“Of course not. If you’re willing, I’d like you to train our personnel in magic. If we do end up launching an attack, we’ll need better-prepared fighters.”
“Hmm… I don’t know what kind of training you expect, but it’s not impossible. Still, are you sure about bringing an outsider into your garrison just like that?”
“Your guild rank speaks for itself. As for the garrison’s lord, I’ll handle convincing him.”
Jemie fell silent, contemplating the proposal.
Frenn and the others remained equally quiet, seemingly deferring to Elias’ judgment.
After a moment, Jemie let out a small sigh.
“…Fine, I’ll go with you.”
“Then stay close. We’re heading back.”
With that, Elias led the group back to the garrison.
Upon returning, Elias gave his report to Lord Noque, who responded with a simple instruction:
“Wait for further orders.”
Jemie, despite being an outsider, was easily accepted into the garrison. This was likely due to Noque’s previous stance on improving the fort’s capabilities.
Her instructional skills also proved to be better than anticipated—her training sessions yielded immediate results.
As it turned out, she had previously been a researcher at a magic academy and had even published academic papers.
“Not that academic papers mean much to people out here on the frontier,” she had mused wryly.
Elias, however, found one thing curious—if she had such credentials, why had she left the academy and come here?
When he asked, she simply replied:
“I have my own reasons.”
She didn’t elaborate further, but the sheer determination in her eyes was enough for Elias to sense that her resolve was not ordinary.
Four days after Jemie’s arrival, the orders finally came.
Elias reported to Noque’s office to hear the official response from the kingdom.
But the words that followed were far beyond his expectations.
“The kingdom has ordered a subjugation operation… however, they want us to assess if we can handle it alone first.”
Noque himself sounded perplexed by the decision.
Elias frowned.
“In other words… they want us to take care of it ourselves?”
“Essentially, yes.”
“That’s an extremely bold decision… Are reinforcements not an option?”
Noque let out a deep sigh.
“…You know how the nobility has been debating whether to exterminate the remaining major threats in the North?”
“Yes. The capital has been buzzing with that discussion.”
“That debate is still unresolved. As a result, certain noble factions have started privately hiring heroes and knights to act on their own accord.”
Elias narrowed his eyes.
“They’re acting before the kingdom officially commands them?”
“Yes. Some nobles see the slow response from the kingdom as a chance to seize credit for themselves. The government is now struggling to control them and is busy quelling these unauthorized campaigns.”
Elias exhaled sharply.
“So the victory over Alder has made them overconfident.”
“Precisely. The zero-casualty victory against the magical beast has warped their perception. They now believe more threats can be easily eliminated, and many are trying to be the first to do it.”
“And this has led to a bureaucratic gridlock, preventing them from deploying proper reinforcements?”
Noque nodded grimly.
“Exactly. It sounds absurd, but it’s the reality we’re facing.”
Elias pinched the bridge of his nose.
“So, because of this political mess, we’re left with no choice but to handle it ourselves?”
“That’s the gist of it, yes. However, it’s not a direct order—if we cannot manage it alone, we have the option to delay the operation.”
Noque watched Elias carefully, awaiting his opinion.
And so, Elias opened his mouth to speak.