Romélia Senki

After confirming the death of the three-legged boar, I quietly let out a breath of relief so that the soldiers would not notice.

As I had expected, the three-leg was a formidable enemy. However, I also thought it was a wall that we had to overcome.

The soldiers’ experience had increased over the past few battles. After all, there is no experience better than actual combat.

However, even though they had won consecutive battles, all the opponents we had fought so far had been inferior. Of course, I have deliberately chosen such opponents. For now, we should have gained experience from the success anyway.

But, I decided this wasn’t enough, so I chose a stronger monster and it worked out well. No one was injured, and the soldiers moved well. I was also able to use the explosive magic stone very nicely, so everything went according to plan. It was worth practicing by throwing stones every night.

Besides, thanks to the several battles we’ve been through, I was getting to know the soldiers better.

 

“You all did a great job, especially Gran and Ragun. You did an outstanding job.”

 

I praised the two soldiers who had just targeted the left front leg of the three-legged boar. They’re twins who always work together, showing mirror-like coordination. Their simultaneous attacks are difficult to defend against, and they are often able to bring down the enemy and provide tactful support. They are the ones I trust to play a key role in the unit.

 

“Otto also did a great job.”

 

I also remembered to praise the stocky soldier who charged behind them and drove his spear into the heart of the three-legged boar.

He was small in stature but strong. As the son of a carpenter, he was dexterous with his hands, and I have seen him making figurines out of scraps of wood. He seems to have a high aptitude as an artisan, so it would be a good idea to leave him in the hands of someone who can train him more someday.

 

“Kyle also did a great job finding the nest. Without your work, this operation would not have been possible.”

 

I look at the skinny young man among the soldiers.

He looks like a skinny cat, but he is light and can easily climb trees.

His pure fighting ability is a little below average, but his high agility makes him a good scout. Thanks to him, we were able to find the three-legged boar’s nest and lure them out. Preparation is the most important thing. He did a great job in this operation.

 

“Miss, nothing for me?”

Al made a lighthearted remark.

 

“Yes, yes, I know. You did a great job, Al.”

 

It doesn’t hurt my pocket to praise him. I would give him any number of compliments if all I had to do was move my mouth and he’d be happy. Al did a great job.

He’s still cocky, but he has improved the most when it comes to fighting. He is a daredevil who is fearless. He took on the dangerous role of decoy this time and lured the three-legged boar and its children out of the woods.

This time, Al, Kyle, Gran, Ragun, and Otto should be given a special reward.

It also turned out that Al had an aptitude for flame magic. The other day I tested him with magic paint, and when I sprinkled the powder on the fire, an intense orange glow lit up the surrounding area. This would make him even stronger if he could use magic.

 

“Now dig a hole to dispose of the carcass. Let us cut off the three-legged’s head and deliver it to the neighboring village.”

 

They will be relieved if we bring it to them as proof of its defeat.

The soldiers moved under my command. But there was one person who did not move. It was Ray.

He was biting his lip in frustration because he had failed to perform decisively in the battle.

I wanted to say something to him, but I didn’t because I thought that if I did, he would feel depressed.

Ray has been spinning out of control lately.

I’m a little worried about him, so I’ve assigned him the role of my escort, but he seems unsatisfied with this and wants to get away from me. But, it seems he wasn’t suited for rough situations from the beginning and is just getting more and more injured.

I think he would be better suited to supporting the rear than fighting on the front lines, but he seems to want to make a mark, and I don’t know how to handle him.

Speaking of worries, it turns out that Ray, like Al, has a talent for magic. He has an aptitude for wind magic because his flames glowed blue. It’s a happy miscalculation to have two people with an aptitude for magic in a small group of individuals, but I’m not sure how to raise them.

It is said that it takes at least several months of training under an instructor to be able to handle magic properly.

I want to have a force that can use magic, but I can’t afford to send them to train for several months.

I thought about sending Ray alone for training, but it didn’t seem like a good idea, so I decided to put it on hold.

 

“What’s wrong? Are you deep in thoughts again?”

 

Al talks to me in a friendly manner. You could say that we are familiar with each other.

 

“Yes, I think it’s time for us to go back to Fort Carles and start training again.”

 

“Why? Aren’t you satisfied with our work?”

 

“Of course, the demons and the demon king’s army are formidable enemies. Even knights who have fought many battles are no match for them.”

 

The demon continent is a harsh environment, and the demons are born warriors. Moreover, they have spent a long time in warfare, and all of them are experienced and skilled.

Al and the others have become stronger, but you can say it’s like a blunt blade. We need to return to Fort Carles, train thoroughly, and build up our army into a powerful force.

 

“Hmph, I’ll awaken soon and become much stronger.”

 

Al chuckled without denying it.

Awakening is a phenomenon where a person’s power rapidly increases after a battle with a powerful enemy or after a life-threatening situation.

During a journey, the prince also awakened several times and became stronger.

Perhaps a power similar to my “Grace” lends strength to warriors who have fought fiercely, becoming stronger.

Of course, if Al awakens, there is nothing to say. Maybe he’d even be able to use magic.

 

“Oh, you don’t believe me.”

 

Al did not miss my smirk.

That’s probably true. No one has ever tried to awaken on purpose.

It is said that those who have fought strong enemies and experienced near-death experiences can awaken, but not everyone who has nearly died can awaken. This is because the overwhelming majority of those who have had near-death experiences end up actually dying.

Even if they have the same experience, some can awaken and some who do not, and the reasons for this are still unclear.

 

“That’s not something you can aim for.”

 

The effects of “Grace” may make it easier to awaken, but I can’t expect it. During the journey, the prince awakened many times and became stronger, but it was more thanks to Elizabeth’s healing power than “Grace.” He was wounded so severely that he almost died and was able to awaken only because of the saint’s power to heal his wounds.

In the absence of a healer, it would be too dangerous to go for the awakening.

 

“After stopping at the village, we will continue south and head for another village.”

 

“So we’re not returning to the fort?”

 

“I heard that mid-sized monsters have been appearing in the village on the way back. Let’s take them down while we’re at it. Even though they are medium-sized, we should be able to defeat them if their numbers are small.”

 

Monsters are classified as dangerous not by their strength but by whether they form a pack or by their high reproductive power.

If it is a medium-sized monster, it could be a bear or something that has turned into a monster. I am concerned about the lack of information, but if there are only a few of them, we can defeat them by surrounding them. The worst scenario is to blow them up with an explosive magic stone, as we did this time.

 

“Roger, Roger, oh dear, we’re very busy.”

 

Al returned to the other soldiers with a grumble.

He’s cocky but talented, and the others are catching up. If I can train them well, I’ll have a powerful army.

I could feel the light of reality shining on my once-faint hopes. I clenched my fists in relief.

But three days later, we were in the depths of despair.