Episode21(S1-16)：UNKNOWN THREATS

【The Royal Capital, The Kingdom of Prerahar, June 9, E.C.1657.】

Sunlight rises high above the mountain peaks and a cheerful warm breeze purifies the town. The bustle and fragrance filled the town with peace and prosperity, objectively suggesting that the liveliness of the day was rising to a climax. Grullius Zenon looks down through the large window provided in his office in The Royal Castle.

He has been named one of The Four Knights of The Kingdom of Prerahar, an organization directly under the king, and as the first of the four knights, he is serving his body and soul for the nation.

He takes his duties as his greatest pride, and today, too, he faces his desk and worries his head. The number of Hexenbiests is increasing and becoming more active. The resulting increase in human casualties and the collapse of towns. The daily reports on the situation are a national crisis, and it is a wedge between the safety of the people's lives and the maintenance of the foundation of the nation's management.

Grullius read through a sheet of parchment on his desk. Then, thinking of the horror of the information he had gleaned from the first reading, he let out a loud sigh.

“Masomra was also attacked. ......”

Masomra is a relatively small village in the kingdom. As a result, its human capital value and tax revenue were low and its name recognition was modest. However, it was famous in some circles as a production center for armaments, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was the foundation of the nation's military power. In particular, the quality of the armors produced by a certain family was said to be of the first class, and the country had a track record of being particularly fond of them.

I hope that person is at least safe and sound. ......

The fact is, as a public figure running a country, you should not place a high value on the lives of its people, but as a private citizen who also loves to use that armor, you have to think about it. The demand for the armament is clearly going to increase in terms of countermeasures against Hexenbiests in the future, and his person was absolutely necessary.

However, reality is ruthless. It sometimes gives them happiness and comfort, but usually brings cruel fates and loss of historical value. He read a sentence written on a piece of parchment over and over again. Not once, but twice, three times, but the reality is never reversed.

“Well ...... no. ...... too bad.”

Throwing the parchment on the desk, he gets up from his chair. He approaches the window with his negative feelings intact and looks out at the castle town below. The hustle and bustle of the people, as if the state of national emergency is of no concern, reaches here. Normally, he would find vitality and meaning in such things, but not this time. Rather, he felt disgust and even pain at the sound of their cheerful singing, which was at odds with his own mournful cries.

At the same time, however, he also perceived his own frivolity in harboring such negative feelings. As a public figure, he should not feel resentment toward the people he is supposed to protect in the course of his duties. It is precisely at times like this that we must be mindful of their behavior and do our utmost to protect them.

At that moment, the door was knocked with a lively rhythm. Grullius urged him to enter, and the door was opened as if he had been waiting for it. A young man emerges. His name is Hestra Grimwalde, and he is under the direct command of Grullius, and as his second-in-command, he is a loyal dog who shares his ambitions. He is a loyal dog who shares his comrade's devotion to his country first, as well as his military prowess, and is favored by Grullius, who has placed him at his side.

“Excuse me, Sir. Zernon.”

“Ah, Grimwalde. What's wrong?”

A sheet of parchment is offered to him. Grullius took it in his hand and read the contents. When he had finished reading it, he put it down on his desk and let out a sigh of relief, not distress. It was not anguish, but relief. No, it was not a relief, but it was better that it was not an ongoing stomachache.

The contents of the letter were related to Cars Amra Forest in the western part of the kingdom. It was an agenda item on the disposal of the poisonous swamps that had been a problem for some time, and the stagnation of logistics due to the expansion of the poisonous swamps was on the agenda.

“Currently, there are cries of blockade of various trade routes to Cars Amra and the resulting depletion of resources. I believe immediate action is needed.”

“Hah ...... problems are piling up. ......”

“Is it about ...... the Hexenbiests?”

Hestra asked him, while trying to understand Grullius's troubled mind. He, too, was often assigned to defeat Hexenbiests - they do not know the difference between Sacred Beasts and Monsters, just as they do not know the existence of The Angels and The Devils, and they are generally call Hexenbiests - and he had to deal with their ferocity and mightiness. They are often in charge of defeating them, and their ferociousness and power are a real handful.

“Yes. You know how strong they are because you often go to defeat Hexenbiests, too, don't you?”

“Yes. That's already ......”

When dealing with a Hexenbiest, it is always necessary to have more than one person to deal with it. This is something that every soldier in the country knows, and it is also a proof that Hexenbiests are that powerful. It is the first thing you are taught when you join the national army, and no matter what the reason is, it is strictly enforced.

“That's two cases this month alone. How much is too much?”

“Yes. It's as if someone is behind the scenes.”

“Yes. But there's no reason to.”

There are several types of intelligent life in The Kingdom of Prerahar, including The Humans - The Angels, The Devils, and The Dragons are mythological beings and are not included in this category - but all of them have established friendly relations with The Humans. It should be added that they are almost like separate nations because of the transfer of their sovereignty. The fact that they are also unable to communicate with Hexenbiests and are struggling with the damage they cause also explains why they are not using Hexenbiests in hostile actions against The Human nation.

“So what exactly is the factor?”

“I hope we end up with a concise factor.”

“You say, what is going on?”

“Yeah. It has not been made public yet, but there was a huge explosion on the Prerahar Plains. That was about two hours ago.”

Two hours?" Hestra asked in astonishment. In this world where information and communication technology is still in its infancy, two hours is a very short notice, and it is proof that the information is that urgent. Therefore, Hestra leans forward and asks the details of the matter.

“The details are being investigated by Ilah and Quis. All that is known at this point is that there was a huge explosion and that a large number of Hexenbiests were blown up.”

“Hexenbiests, is it?”

Blindingly, Hestra parrots his superior's words. Unable to read the true meaning of the words, he stutters, speechless and unable to formulate any further words.

“Oh. I heard that the explosion site is littered with pieces of crushed Hexenbiests flesh. I don't think it was The Human's doing, by any stretch of the imagination. What do you think?”

“I agree with you. But even if that were the case, the question remains, who did it? The Dragonutes are the ones that come to my mind first. ......”

“I doubt that they are descended from The Dragon, though. The Dragon is nothing more than a mythical life form, right?”

“Still, in this case, let's keep them on the list of candidates." So be it", because that is the common philosophy of our towards them.”

Both speak with a wry smile on their faces. Either it is an escape from reality or an inner distrust of The Dragonute race. Either way, as long as they have no clue as to the identity of the explosion that occurred on the plains and who was responsible for it, no matter how much they discuss it, it will never go beyond the realm of conjecture and delusion.

“I hope they're on our side if at all possible.”

“Yes, I agree. But until we know what's really going on, maybe we should view them as dangerous, as virtual enemies.”

Grullius, smiling, knows that carelessness and complacency can be the source of one's own downfall. Therefore, he remains vigilant and waits for further news from Ephemera and Aela. He must then consider his next course of action.

“By the way, what do you think about the poisonous swamp in Cars Amra?”

After changing the subject, Hestra takes a seat on the reception couch. The relationship between the two, which is more than a hierarchical relationship between boss and subordinate, is one of deep friendship, so much so that there is no one to blame. Therefore, Hestra's body is shattered and she leans her back on the couch.

“Well, I don't know what to do: ......”

The Cars Amra Lake are believed to have become a poison swamp about 1,000 years ago. The problem was not so much that it became a poisonous swamp, but that it was slowly expanding. It used to be less of a hindrance, but as it has expanded, it has become a chokepoint for the flow of people and has stopped necessary interactions.

“Shouldn't the road be realigned to bypass the points that have not been eroded by the toxic swamp?”

“However, there have been reports of the appearance of magical beasts from Cars Amra as well. With the help of The Dragonutes, that may be possible, but it would still be too much of a risk.”

What's going on?" they both groan. They are caught in the middle of what needs to be done, and they have lost sight of the best steps and methods of dealing with the situation. However, it is also a reality that if we are unwilling to sacrifice the small in order to make the most of the large, we will not be able to do what we can do. Therefore, it was necessary to once and for all solidify the umbilical cord here.

“Looks like we're going to have to make a big move for once. Grimwalde, please send word to the survey team. We need to go out there and do a field survey.”

“Yes, sir. We will now proceed with preparations to be ready to leave tomorrow morning.”

After giving a royal salute, Hestra leaves the room. His back exudes a dependability that even Grullius recognizes. Whenever I see this, I admire my own shrewdness in appointing him as my second-in-command. Or perhaps I should pay tribute to his boldness in achieving a level of performance that would allow him to live up to his responsibilities. Either way," says Grullius, stretching his body wide.

Well, I can't let him do all the work. I'm going to do my job.

Grullius lets out a small exhale and turns his attention back to the parchment facing the desk.