Jared and his party, mounted on prepared horses, proceeded down the highway of Duke R’s territory alongside Hugo.
“Excluding a portion of the ghouls, the majority are active from evening to midnight. For now, my soldiers alone should be able to hold them. However, the burden will increase at night.”
Ghouls, perhaps due to their demonic nature, are sluggish during the day. They don’t become completely inactive, and if humans are in front of them, they will mercilessly attack, but their movements are dull. A knight could easily defeat them, and even an ordinary person could kill one by piercing its head with a weapon that maintains distance, like a spear. Of course, this is only possible during the day.
Returning to the topic of active ghouls, when facing a horde, close-quarters combat, which is the primary focus for knights, makes the task difficult, as the Duke mentioned. The reason Jared and his group hurried to Duke R’s territory was to prepare for the night. Simultaneously, they likely intended to defeat as many of the horde as possible during the day.
“Jared, you likely know this, but my territory is the linchpin of the northern defense. It’s not that there are no other territories in the north, but mine is the largest. As the ducal house, the responsibility falls to me.”
“If I may interject, the territories in the north have a close relationship with Duke R’s territory. Thanks to that, many monsters and barbarians have never managed to break through the north.”
Despite the boyish way Lily spoke, it felt endearing. Perhaps it was because she had returned to her true self after abandoning her false name and behavior. Ernesta, like Jared, still seemed unaccustomed to her, but it didn’t seem like she disliked it; rather, she appeared bewildered by the change.
“You’re putting a lot of effort into defense… As someone living in the capital, I’m truly grateful.”
“No, it’s nothing. If I make a mistake, Harald would have to come out, wouldn’t he?”
“He is responsible for the capital’s defense, so yes.”
“It would be irritating if that happened. More importantly, if Harald had to move because of me, it would be my loss. That must never happen!”
“…Honestly, Father, you always compete with Lord Harald like that.”
Jared recalled then. Hugo Rüdiger and Harald Alway had belonged to the Knights’ Order around the same time. Although his grandfather was part of Duke Alway’s faction, he also received letters from Duke Rüdiger. Whether it was because he was meticulous despite his boisterous nature, he would write letters during seasonal changes, expressing concern for his grandparents in elegant calligraphy, and without hesitation, boldly asked to switch allegiances to his faction. Jared remembered his grandfather smiling wryly at this unwavering straightforwardness. Not operating behind the scenes but confronting everything head-on. That was one side of Duke Rüdiger that Jared knew.
“We are not enemies, but rivals. How can we not compete!”
“…Even though you two actually get along… Men are so troublesome.”
His daughter lamented his words. Jared couldn’t intervene in the father-daughter exchange as Ernesta struggled to suppress her laughter. The atmosphere was such that one couldn’t imagine they were about to face over three hundred ghouls.
“Still, this time, my own soldiers will be insufficient. Ghouls aren’t uncommon, but the scale of this current situation is abnormal. It’s probably unprecedented in the Kingdom. That’s why I requested forces from the Royal Palace.”
And so, Jared appeared in Duke R’s territory. Even as they spoke, their horses advanced towards the front lines. A faint scent of blood reached them.
“Did you notice, Jared? You have excellent senses. I’d love for you to join my faction.”
“Well, that is to say…”
“Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter if you’ve already made Olivier your main wife. I don’t care about such trivial matters. I accept anyone who becomes my comrade, as long as they aren’t utter scoundrels.”
Hugo’s hearty laughter gave Jared a headache. He was sure Hugo truly wouldn’t mind if Jared had Olivier as his main wife and still joined him. However, the Alway Ducal Family likely wouldn’t take kindly to that, and it was probably impossible. Honestly, Jared’s primary desire was to avoid getting entangled in ducal family factional disputes.
“I apologize, but I’d like to receive information about the ghoul horde soon.”
“Ah, right. My apologies. I intended to explain once we reached the city, which serves as our base. But given that you might have to fight immediately, it’s better now.”
As if changing the subject, Jared inquired, and Hugo’s expression turned extremely serious.
“We discovered their horde three days ago. It started as a small group, but for some reason, their numbers gradually increased, exceeding a hundred, and now they’ve surpassed three hundred.”
Jared gasped at the sheer number of ghouls once again. While individually they weren’t overwhelmingly strong, forming such a large army made them a formidable enemy, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Moreover, he couldn’t help but feel a primal disgust towards beings that preyed on humans.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask – am I correct in assuming Jared will be joining my command?”
“Yes. Please, by all means, add me to your command. I’m not so foolish as to act recklessly alone in an unfamiliar land.”
“That’s very kind of you. I appreciate your consideration.”
Jared could fight without issue, even in unfamiliar territory, if he put his mind to it. In fact, he had undertaken many requests from the Mage Association in lands he had never visited before. Although he received basic support before being dispatched, there were never any guides present upon arrival. Considering that, he had the resolve to tackle even a large horde alone if necessary. The only reason he wouldn’t was because he, despite the early dispatch, bore the title of Court Mage. He had a Secretary Officer, and one of them, while possessing martial arts skills, was not a magician. In fact, not even a knight. His decision was also based on the belief that acting on his own within a ducal family’s territory would be disrespectful.
“Not all magicians, but some don’t want to be under the command of non-magicians. So, I’m happy that someone understanding like you, Lord Jared, has become a Court Mage.”
“Um, excuse me. The Royal Mage Corps is full of people like that.”
“Ah, no, no! I wasn’t saying anything bad about Ernesta…”
Perhaps relieved by Jared’s flexibility, Lily’s slip of the tongue caused Ernesta to frown. As she had mentioned before their departure, it seemed there were indeed quite a few arrogant individuals within the Royal Mage Corps. Watching Lily frantically apologize, she didn’t seem like a typical daughter of a ducal family. While she possessed elegance and a dignified bearing, she was nothing like Olivier.
*Is it because of her youth?*
As he pondered things that his fiancée might scold him for, they left the highway, and a town came into view.
“We’ve finally arrived. This is the city of Murlasta, our base. The horde is approaching very near this city. Fortunately, their movements are slow during the day, but it’s only a matter of time. It’s good that Lord Jared has arrived in time.”
“I am also glad that I was able to make it in time.”
“Then, let’s fight! We will exterminate these monsters that are ravaging my territory!”
