NOVPUBDespite Ghislain’s bold declaration igniting the fighting spirit in everyone, not all shared the same sentiment.
Skoban stood at attention, his expression solemn as he saluted.
“I pray for your safe return!”
Following his vigorous words, Ricardo and the rest of the Forest of Beasts guards saluted as well. They all shared a similar thought:
‘As long as we don’t go, it’s fine.’
‘Why does he keep stirring up trouble in such dangerous places?’
‘Well, he’s the Duke’s heir. He’ll figure something out.’
They had no interest in taking unnecessary risks. The ordeals they had survived up to now were enough to brag about for generations.
Surely, this was enough. They all just wanted to enjoy a peaceful retirement.
But Ghislain fixed his gaze on Skoban and spoke.
“What are you talking about? You’re all coming with me.”
“Huh? Why?”
“The more hands, the better.”
“But we’re supposed to guard this place!”
“I’ll handle the front lines. What’s left to guard?”
“...Can’t we just stay here?”
“No.”
Skoban crossed his arms, deliberating briefly. After some quick thinking, he presented a justification.
“I’m a part of Ferdium’s forces. I can’t move without the Lord’s permission.”
His reasoning was simple: being from a different domain, Ghislain had no right to order him around. Unfortunately for Skoban, Ghislain wasn’t the type to care about such formalities.
“My father’s absent, so as his heir, I’m the acting lord.”
“...But isn’t the administrator the acting lord?”
“Sigh... Do you plan on retiring anytime soon?”
Ghislain’s implication was clear: once he inherited the territory, Ferdium would also fall under his control, and Skoban would remain under his thumb for the rest of his days.
Skoban immediately turned to Ricardo.
“Gather the others... prepare everyone.”
“W-We haven’t received formal orders yet, though!”
“If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and resist. Don’t you know that the Duke’s heir standing right in front of you is far scarier than the administrator miles away?”
“...”
“Let’s just go with the flow and think of it as sightseeing in the inner forest. Try to see the bright side of things.”
Though the Forest of Beasts guards were few in number, every extra hand made a difference.
Ghislain added further instructions for Skoban.
“Leave only the bare minimum force for local security, and bring all reserve personnel. Also, start recruiting workers. Let anyone interested know they’re welcome, and offer generous pay.”
Skoban complied without resistance. After all, most of the main forces were stationed at the northern fortress, and no one here could oppose this “madman.”
Of course, Ghislain had no intention of waiting for reinforcements and laborers to arrive. He was determined to establish a base camp as quickly as possible.
“Alright, let’s move in!”
Ghislain and the Fenris forces entered the Forest of Beasts through the paths they had previously carved out.
The forest remained eerily silent. The paths, created solely for extracting rune stones, showed little sign of use. The surrounding area wasn’t exactly “developed,” as towering barricades lined the paths. However, Ghislain was now intent on claiming this region definitively.
“Tear it all down!”
Boom! Thud!
As 3,000 soldiers and knights moved in, the tall, sturdy barricades protecting the paths were quickly dismantled. A vast clearing emerged, and command tents were promptly erected. This clearing would serve as the starting point for a proper settlement.
“There aren’t many monsters at the forest’s edge. Push forward as quickly as possible.”
The real heart of the forest, the territory of the Diruth Ents, was still some distance away. This area had already been cleared during past expeditions.
With no imminent threat of monster attacks, Ghislain mobilized his troops decisively. In just three days, they secured a large enough area at the forest’s edge to accommodate several villages.
But, of course, there were still occasional attacks.
“Graaaahhh!”
A massive creature charged out from the forest toward the soldiers chopping trees.
The men screamed in shock at the sight.
“W-What the hell is that?!”
“A bear? Is that supposed to be a bear?”
“How is it that huge?”
What stood before them was a grizzly bear nearly twice the size of an ordinary one, its rough, patchy gray fur dotted with scars. It was no longer just a beast—it was practically a monster.
This bear, evidently scarred from countless battles, had likely been driven to the forest’s outskirts by even stronger creatures. Yet, it possessed the strength to shred an average human to pieces in moments.
Claiming its territory, the bear let out an earth-shaking roar.
“GRAAAAAHHHHH...?”
However, as it prepared to charge forward, it hesitated. There was too much prey—far too much. At this point, it wasn’t even “prey.”
The bear stopped in its tracks, its eyes darting around. Even a beast driven by instinct could recognize when the odds were unfavorable.
“Grk, grk.”
After a moment of deliberation, the bear nodded slightly, as if signaling, Carry on with your business. Then, it began to retreat.
But the Fenris troops, already tense from the forest’s fearsome reputation, weren’t about to let it go. Their heightened nerves resulted in an extreme response.
“Fire!”
Swoosh!
At the command of the nearest officer, hundreds of arrows rained down on the bear. It was a wildly unfair assault.
“KUOOORRRR!”
Reduced to a pincushion in an instant, the bear let out one final, anguished cry before collapsing.
Kaor came running up, shouting angrily.
“Hey! What kind of attack was that on something like that?! The hide’s ruined now!”
The massive bear’s hide, which would have fetched a high price, was now riddled with holes and utterly useless.
The officer stammered, clearly flustered.
“Well, it was... such a scary-looking monster...”
“Ugh, come on! That’s not a monster; it’s just a freakishly large bear! Relax—it’s not that big of a deal!”
“...”
The officer couldn’t bring himself to argue further. How could someone call such a monstrous creature “not a big deal”?
Kaor, wearing a smug expression, gave a stern warning.
“I’ve been here before, haven’t I? I know this place like the back of my hand. So, if anything like that shows up again, call me first. Got it?”
Kaor, who had spent countless days skinning monsters for profit, had turned his focus entirely to hides. Every piece of his gear was now made of top-quality leather.
He wasted no time summoning his hunters.
“Anyone who can skin monsters, step forward! You’re up front from now on. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
As the self-proclaimed “Leather King” of Ironcliff, Kaor’s orders were met with enthusiasm.
From that point on, Kaor and his hunters handled all skinning tasks, ensuring every monster or beast hide was carefully preserved. While this work brought in steady profits, the forest held far more bizarre and grotesque creatures than those with valuable hides.
Although the monsters encountered so far were scattered and posed no significant threat, the atmosphere in the Forest of Beasts kept everyone on edge.
Rumors about the forest, combined with its eerie, oppressive ambiance, unnerved even seasoned soldiers. The guards stationed at the forest felt particularly conflicted.
“This is why numbers matter. I never thought we’d live to see the day we bulldoze this place.”
“You don’t think any truly dangerous monsters will show up, right? We’ll be fine, right?”
“The Duke’s heir cleared this area once before. It should still be safe... it has to be.”
For the people of Ferdium, the Forest of Beasts had been a symbol of fear for generations. Even though Ghislain had successfully ventured into and reclaimed parts of it, that fear never entirely dissipated.
The forest remained off-limits except for paths used to extract rune stones, and guards were always stationed at the entrance to prepare for monster attacks.
Thus, even as Ghislain led an overwhelming force into the forest, the guards couldn’t let their guard down.
The newcomers to the forest were no different. Though monsters appeared less frequently than the rumors suggested, their size and menacing forms left a lasting impression. If such creatures had appeared in greater numbers, the situation would have been dire.
Only Kaor and the hunters seemed genuinely thrilled. They were starting to grow dismissive of the Forest of Beasts altogether.
“What’s with this place? There are fewer monsters here than in the Shadow Mountains. Barely a challenge!”
“Was this forest really that terrifying? I can’t believe no one bothered to clear it before now.”
“Even if this area was wiped clean before, this is still too dull. Where’s the fun in hunting like this?”
In the Shadow Mountains, monsters returned almost immediately after being cleared. The sheer number of creatures there was overwhelming. While the monsters in the forest might have been individually stronger, there simply weren’t enough of them to keep things exciting.
But as they continued their idle banter, a true threat finally emerged.
Ssssssk...
The first to notice it was a soldier on perimeter watch. He froze as he caught sight of a massive form moving between the trees. Then he shouted in alarm.
“M-Monsters! Monsters incoming!”
The soldiers, already wary, snapped to attention at the cry. Weapons were drawn, and formations were hastily prepared. But as the monsters emerged, everyone was taken aback.
“What the—?! Why are they so big?”
“Fall back! Quickly, form ranks!”
“Call the mages! We need the mages here now!”
The creatures were Giant Mantises—towering, insect-like predators with serrated forelimbs capable of slicing through steel as if it were paper.
One Giant Mantis was enough to dismember dozens of soldiers. But there weren’t just one or two of them. A swarm of fifty had appeared, each large enough to decimate an entire battalion.
“Group up! Quickly, gather together!”
“Raise your shields! Hold the line!”
“Workers, retreat immediately!”
Chaos erupted as soldiers scrambled to assemble. Unlike the scattered encounters earlier, this was an overwhelming force of monsters.
The workers abandoned their tasks and withdrew, while the soldiers stood tensely, staring at the advancing swarm.
“There’s not a single small one in the lot...” someone murmured, and those nearby nodded grimly.
Typically, Giant Mantises were only slightly larger than humans, but these specimens were at least twice that size. Whatever they had been feeding on, it had clearly worked wonders.
Even a normal Giant Mantis could easily slash through a heavy infantry shield. These monsters, with their sheer size and power, were an entirely different level.
Ssssssk...
The mantises moved cautiously, likely unnerved by the number of opponents before them. But unlike the bear earlier, they weren’t retreating.
Giant Mantises were known for their lack of fear. Though they noticed they were outnumbered, the sight of smaller, weaker-looking humans seemed to bolster their confidence. Slowly, they raised their deadly forelimbs and advanced.
The soldiers tightened their grip on their shields, their faces etched with tension. Not only the soldiers, but the knights, hunters, elves, and mages all braced themselves.
No one truly believed the creatures would overwhelm them, but the reputation of monsters from the Forest of Beasts preceded them. These creatures were far more powerful than their counterparts outside the forest.
Any misstep here could result in significant losses, and losing soldiers at this early stage of the expedition was unacceptable.
Vanessa approached the soldiers, her hands glowing with gathering mana.
“Everyone, stay prepared.”
Giant Mantises were also renowned for their speed. It was impossible to predict how quickly they might strike, so Vanessa was ready to launch a preemptive attack to reduce their numbers.
As the mages began chanting their spells, Ghislain spoke up.
“Oh, so these things are still around? I thought we cleared this area. Looks like the ones we missed managed to reproduce.”
Gillian stepped forward, hefting his axe.
“I’ll take care of them again.”
“Hey, old man. Don’t hog all the glory. This time, I’ll take down more than you,” Kaor said with a swagger as he joined him.
Gordon cracked his knuckles, his muscles flexing as he followed.
“These bastards killed a lot of my friends last time. I nearly lost my gains back then, too.”
Several knights armed themselves and stepped forward as well, muttering to each other with a mix of nostalgia and determination.
“It’s all a memory now.”
“They used to terrify us back then.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll handle it this time. Keep working.”
Among them were veterans who had fought and survived countless battles against the Forest of Beasts’ monsters.
Leading the charge were Gillian, Kaor, and the knights—seasoned mercenaries who had lived through the forest’s horrors and come out alive. Their grim determination was matched by their confidence.
The Giant Mantises didn’t know it yet, but they were about to face warriors who had once stared death in the face and survived.
