As the sun sank below the horizon, the Great Kudeln Forest transformed into a realm ruled by beings other than humans. Traveling through this forest at night was a suicidal endeavor, even for the mightiest of armies.
In fact, there were several documented instances of entire forces being annihilated before dawn: armies that had fallen prey to the monster hordes that roamed freely in the darkness. The beasts of the forest showed no mercy to intruders, launching relentless attacks. Many of these magical beasts grew more ferocious at night, making them an ever-present threat to humans.
Our unit, the Kingdom of Sternbelt’s Pegasus Cavalry Corps, had therefore set up camp in a slightly open area within the forest to rest. We remained vigilant, though. My subordinates took turns patrolling the perimeter, and we had erected a magical barrier around the camp—Ruby Ash Ray, the Border of Rejecting Flames, a third-tier Flame spell designed to repel monsters weaker than the caster.
The mage who had cast the barrier was a renowned adventurer and a close associate of my family. His prowess was well established. Unless the elven army attacked, multiple Hind Bears appeared simultaneously, or the Red Hind Bear known as the Mountain Lord approached, the barrier would not be breached.
Reassured by this protection, I—Therese E. Eckelmann—had removed my armor and set aside my magic estoc, Lune Vent. I had changed into a more comfortable outfit: black shorts and a gray sleeveless top, which had been developed and recommended by our kingdom’s esteemed Sage of the Otherworld. Indeed, it allowed for easy movement and provided a sense of comfort without any restrictive feeling.
Oddly enough, one of my male attendants had previously asked me to cover up, claiming that my bare thighs and shoulders were too stimulating. Why would he say such a thing? As I was wondering about the attendant’s meaning, the mage who had set up the barrier, Lord Weissly, entered the tent.
“Good work today, Lady Therese,” he said. “Your command was exemplary.”
“Thank you, Lord Weissly,” I replied with a nod.
“However, you seem a bit restless. If you’re too tense, you might falter when it matters most.”
“Perhaps. But to cure the princess’s illness, we must end this war quickly. I wish to shed as little blood as possible, not just of our own, but of the enemy as well. The more blood that is spilled, the greater the sorrow and the deeper the grudges and anger.”
I spoke while looking directly into Lord Weissly's eyes, whose rugged, resolute features exuded a sense of dependability. He met my gaze and smiled—a gentle, reassuring smile.
“You are kind, Lady Therese.”
“Killing does not seem kind to me, but… I will take that as a compliment.” I smiled, feeling my cheeks heat with a bit of embarrassment. Just then, my stomach growled loudly, catching me off guard.
Lord Weissly and I stared at each other for a moment, and I felt my face flush even more from the awkwardness. I began to sweat uncomfortably. I hurriedly tried to change the topic to cover my embarrassment.
“Speaking of which, I haven’t had supper yet,” I said hastily. “If you haven’t either, Lord Weissly, would you care to join me?”
“Heh heh… Yes, I would be honored to join you.”
At Lord Weissly’s restrained laughter and affirmative nod, I tried to hide my blush as I ordered the guards outside to bring our meal into the tent.
I am the commander of the Pegasus Cavalry Corps, but this is still a battlefield. Therefore, the food that arrived was not a selection of the lavish, spice-laden dishes we might enjoy in times of peace. Instead, it was a simple meal: a vegetable-rich soup, hard bread, smoked jerky from Jarlou cattle, and the tangy, addictive fruit of the Langdo tree.
Before starting on the meal, I sipped some tea to wet my lips and soothe my throat. Then I dipped the bread into the soup and took a bite. Perhaps it was because of my fatigue, but this simple fare seemed to nourish me more deeply than usual. I chewed thoroughly, savoring the flavors and appreciating the sustenance it provided.
The more I chewed, the more flavor seeped out from the bread. It was truly delicious, and my appetite only seemed to grow as I continued eating. I quickly finished the first piece of bread and immediately reached for a second. Noticing Lord Weissly’s amused gaze, I raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Lord Weissly, what do you find so amusing?”
“Nothing, nothing. It’s just that seeing the usually composed Lady Therese chowing down like this, I couldn’t help but be captivated.”
“To be captivated by someone eating… Lord Weissly, do you have peculiar tastes? I hadn’t realized.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. And judging by the slightly troubled look on his face, my comment seemed to have missed the mark.
“No, it’s certainly not that.”
“Then, what is it?”
“Hmm. How should I put this? Given my position, being too direct might be inappropriate… but if I speak indirectly, I doubt it will get through. It seems that Lady Therese is not well-versed in such matters… This is quite a conundrum.”
As Lord Weissly laughed awkwardly and seemed to turn the issue over in his mind, I finished my second piece of bread. Though I intended to eat about eight more, it wouldn’t be right to continue eating while Lord Weissly, whom I had invited, hadn’t touched his meal yet. I was about to reluctantly urge him to start eating too when a sharp, shattering sound echoed around us.
It was a sound reminiscent of glass or a mirror breaking—crisp yet somehow ominous.
“Hm? What was that sound—”
“Impossible!”
Before I could finish voicing my question, Lord Weissly sprang to his feet, his face etched with unmistakable shock.
“W-What is it, Lord Weissly?”
“My barrier has been breached. I don’t know what’s coming, but it’s definitely an enemy. Quickly, don your armor.”
Just as Lord Weissly finished speaking, an explosive roar, presumably an enemy attack, shook the air. The ground and the tent shook violently from the impact, accompanied by the sounds of repeated crashes. Fortunately, the fabric of the tent had been woven from the threads of the Arachne, so it remained intact despite the force. However, outside was chaos.
I strained my ears to hear the shouts and screams rising in the night.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!!”
“All units, prepare for battle! If you don’t want to die, move it!”
“It hurts! It hurts so bad!”
“My arm! My arm’s gone!!!”
“We’ve identified magical bombardments. The enemy has mages, and plenty of them! Any available magic users, do something to block those attacks, or we’ll all die!”
“Medic! Medic!!!”
“Enemy sighted! The enemy is a horde of undead! I repeat, the enemy is an undead horde!!!”
“Don’t bunch up too much! If we get too close together, we’ll be easy targets for magic! Spread out and coordinate!”
Hearing the commotion outside, I hurriedly put on my armor. As a magic item, my armor automatically adjusted to fit my body, allowing me to quickly gear up without help. It had been expensive, but worth every coin.
After ensuring my armor was perfectly secured, I grabbed my beloved magic sword, Lune Vent. The reassuring presence of Lune Vent in my hand calmed my heightened nerves. I then donned an enchanted cloak, crafted by my personal tailor, and grabbed a shield engraved with the emblem of a Pegasus, symbolizing our Pegasus Cavalry Corps.
Now fully equipped, I felt the supplemental effects of my gear boosting my strength beyond its usual limits. My body naturally adjusted, ready for combat.
As I finished my preparations, two familiar figures burst through the tent entrance behind me.
“Excuse the intrusion, Commander,” one said. “I have a report on the enemy attack.”
“The enemy consists of a massive horde of Black Skeletons! We’ve also spotted several hobgoblin mages. We suspect that there’s a high-ranking monster with a Blessing among them,” added the other.
Turning to face them, I issued my orders to my two deputies: Baen, a highly capable young male priest who had already become a bishop at the age of twenty-two, and Levias, a swordswoman clad in crimson armor.
“Annihilate the enemy,” I commanded. “Follow me. Lord Weissly, join us as well.”
“Of course. Let us achieve victory.”
“Naturally.”
I didn’t want to spill any more blood, whether of my allies or my enemies. That sentiment was genuine. However, if I did not take the lead now, many of my subordinates would perish—soldiers who had joined our forces to support their families, comrades who had trained and sweated alongside me. Therefore, I resolved to harden my heart and kill the enemy, to save my subordinates’ lives. I firmly embraced this resolve, without allowing any cracks to form.
Buoyed by this determination, we marched onto the battlefield, committed solely to victory. I was prepared to stain my hands with blood and do what was necessary for the sake of my subordinates and comrades.
Unfortunately, I did not yet know what awaited us outside the tent: an immensely formidable ogre, trained in the martial arts of the battlefield and possessing bizarre, extraordinary abilities, far beyond anything I had ever encountered.