Chapter 22
『Gaya Forest』monster subjugation request .
The objective is thinning out the monsters and investigating whether monster nests were built in the vicinity of the town and sweep them if they were .
――Gaya Forest .
A very dangerous forest with a degree of risk at rank A, where monsters run rampant in significant numbers .
It is said that the central part of the forest is the territory of monsters so powerful that no one was able to return from there yet safely .
But, that does not mean that monsters are concentrated only in the center of the forest . The monsters appear even along the border of the forest .
The monsters that escape from the central part are classified as C-Rank and D-Rank . Nevertheless, they are still a great threat to ordinary people .
In addition, the strong monsters…… it’s not like A-Rank monsters never come outside of the forest .
When they come out of the forest, the damage to humans inevitably increases .
Therefore, to influence the vicinity of the town…… a sweeping force is needed to clean up the near forest .
It’s usually done just by knights without needing to have the help of adventurers .
This is a special case because of the place that is Gaya Forest .
Even if one enlist to knights and diligently trains, there is only a handful of people who can stride along in the Gaya Forest .
In addition, the town of Shirin is right around the border near a town in the Argo Kingdom . Although a friendly country, the town can’t be left defenseless with all influential people going to the Gaya Forest .
Because of that, adventurers are called for help .
Influential people including A-Rank and B-Rank adventurer parties are being gathered .
As for me, I have received a designated request from the Knights branch Captain Grunwald Ruven-sama to participate in the joint subjugation .
◇ ◇ ◇
One the appointed day . I stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild with Allen and Elena first . My purpose was to check the details about the request .
Honestly, I didn’t hear what sort of request this time’s request is . Just the usual situation .
I didn’t so I wanted to grasp the contents of the requests, so I won’t get in the way . The Guild is on the way to the west gate, after all .
There, Knights loading several carriages and adventurers who also accepted the request are already gathered . When the people noticed our presence, they looked at us with a suspicious and sharp gazes .
I know I stand out because I have children with me, but what an unpleasant atmosphere .
For now, I ignore the stares and approach Wald-sama who is giving instructions .
「Ou, you came!」
Wald-sama who noticed us lifts up one hand and walks towards us .
「Good morning, Wald-sama」
「You properly came . The little ones came too as expected」
「Since I have received the request I would naturally come . Besides, Wald-sama understood that the children would go with me when you have given me the request, right?」
Wald-sama knows the circumstances of Allen and Elena . If you knew, why would you want me to participate in the request!
「Hahaha . You guys will be all right . Besides, I put you guys into my team」
「You have dived us into teams?」
「Three teams in total . A line-up of fifteen people . The parties of adventurers were kept together」
「From what I can see there is no other three person party beside us?」
It’s easy to see each party from the way the adventurers are gathering .
「I let you guys participate on my own, after all . We have two more people in the team . Ah, that way the number of knights decreased」
You seem to have been at least paid considerate in the party dividing .
「If you can pay that much consideration, you should have at least explained about us to the other knight-samas . You didn’t even tell them about us participating? I can feel their cold gazes since a while ago」
「Oh! I forgot!」
This person……
The knights who were listening to our conversation attentively looks at Wald-sama with indifferent expressions . I wonder if Wald-sama is always like this .
Allen and Elena who are sensitive towards the surroundings took the stares of others as “hostility,” but they still thankfully didn’t lash out, but clung closely to my legs instead .
I decided to lift the two up because it was hard walking like that . I lifted one, I lifted the second, and now they cling to my neck instead .
This will last for a while, huh……
◇ ◇ ◇
We moved by the carriage to the Gaya Forest . Because the carriages can’t be left behind outside the forest, knight-samas who don’t participate in the subjugation will take them back .
We will arrive in four to five hours .
I was able to exchange a few words with the knight-samas in the carriage . I’m glad their attitude softened a bit .
Because I was “Forced by Wald-sama”, they had a sympathizing atmosphere around them, though . Apparently, Wald-sama regularly stirs up his surroundings .
The atmosphere in the carriage loosened and we arrived at the place of destination in peace .
「Oshi! The preparations are complete . From here, you will move according to your party’s route towards the camping point」
This subjugation expedition is planned to last for five days . First, the three parties will move through the forest separately .
The party we are in has 10 Knight-samas including Wald-sama . Also, 4 men party『Dragon Breath』containing an A-Rank adventurer Rudolph-san . 17 people in total .
Without delay, I follow Wald-sama’s team while holding hands with Allen and Elena .
After walking in the forest for a while .
「There~」
「Coming」
It seems that Allen and Elena sensed a monster . They point to the left with their fingers while pulling the hem of my clothes .
「Thank you . Wald-sama, a monster is coming from the left side」
I immediately report to the captain of this team, Wald-sama .
「N, from left? ――… Takumi, nothing’s there」
「There’s still some distance . But, you should see it soon . What to do in a situation like this? Everyone takes care of it?」
The extent of Allen’s and Elena’s detection is vast . Therefore, we have a spare time to prepare to confront the monster .
「Gilm, can you detect it?」
『Dragon Breath』leader, A-Rank Rudolph-san immediately checks with his party member .
Rudolph-san has a dignified, well-built stature, and he’s carrying a spear with an ax-like blade attached…… a 38 years old man carrying a halberd . Indeed, a person emitting a “veteran” atmosphere .
The one he checks with is a C-Rank scout named Gilm-san . If I’m not mistaken, he possesses a detection skill . The other two are a B-Rank swordsman Zack-san and the only woman, C-Rank magician Iris-san .
「No, there’s no reaction」
「Oioi, that true? Don’t say such spew such nonsense to me」
「………」
It seems like Gilm-san’s detection still didn’t react .
The surroundings become noisy .
Hearing Gilm-san’s results, Zack-san jeers back in doubt . But, Rudolph-san as if observing something looks at the children and me .
I have a【Detection】skill, but this uses me as a center to spread magical power and allows me to search for magical power other than mine . It uses quite the quantity of the user and is considerably different from presence detection .
Even though he has the same【Detection】as me, since the amount of magical power I have is overwhelmingly larger, I can search wider area .
And although similar to【Detection】, Allen and Elena have【Presence Detection】 . It’s an ability which allows them to sense a malicious intent in a certain scope .
Although we have to activate the skill on our own, Allen and Elena are using the skill unconsciously .
And, the effective radius of Allen’s and Elena’s【Presence Detection】is vast . I checked this fact myself with my【Detection】 .
That’s the reason, Gilm-san’s detection hasn’t reacted yet .
「Ah!」
「What’s wrong?」
「There’s a reaction . Incoming!」
It seems the monster finally appeared in his detection .
「What!?」
「Really?」
『Dragon Breath』members and knight-samas simultaneously look towards us .
Nono, it’s really the truth . It’s not like I would say something irresponsible in a place like this .
Hey, what are you going to do about that? You shouldn’t be paying attention here?
Immediately, a single Red Wolf enters the view . When it’s seen, and everyone enters a ready for battle mode――
「Ah, oi!」
One of the knights points to a direction .
Ah, crap!
When I look to what he’s pointing at, I see Allen and Elena charging at the Red Wolf .
When we were in the dungeon I told them “when you find a monster it’s all right to defeat it”, I remembered too late .
I forgot to tell Allen and Elena to behave……
The two drew close to the Red Wolf immediately .
There, Allen quickly kicks the chin of the Red Wolf from bellow . The Red Wolf raised a bit because of that kick and this time Elena drives a drop kick on its head .
The Red Wolf crashed into the ground and stopped moving .
『…………………』
The knights and adventurers all have the same dumbfounded expression with their mouths agape .