Chapter 316 – It Will Have to Stop Us (2)
Ghislain’s declaration ignited a fiery resolve among everyone except for one person.
Skovan raised his hand in a solemn salute.
“I wish you a safe return!”
Following his powerful voice, Ricardo and the rest of the Forest of Beasts garrison also saluted.
They all shared the same thought.
‘As long as we don’t have to go.’
‘Why does he keep stirring up danger in this place?’
‘Well, since it’s the Young Lord, he’ll figure it out somehow.’
They had no interest in risking their lives. The incidents they had survived so far were already more than enough to boast about for generations.
This was good. They were ready to enjoy a peaceful retirement.
But then Ghislain turned to Skovan and said:
“What are you talking about? You’re all coming with me.”
“Huh? Why?”
“The more hands we have, the better.”
“But we need to guard this place.”
“I’m clearing out the front. What’s there to guard?”
“…Can we not go?”
“No.”
Skovan crossed his arms and thought for a moment. After wracking his brain, he came up with a justification.
“I’m affiliated with Ferdium. I can’t act without the Lord’s permission.”
It was a protest asserting that his allegiance tied his hands. But Ghislain was not a man to care about such trivialities.
“With Father absent, I’m the Lord’s proxy as his heir.”
“…Isn’t the Chief Overseer acting as the Lord’s proxy?”
“Tskt… Don’t you want to avoid retirement?”
When the territory passed to Ghislain, Ferdium would also become his. Skovan would undoubtedly remain under his command until the day he died.
Skovan immediately turned to Ricardo.
“Hey… Get ready… Gather the guys…”
“W-We haven’t received official orders yet.”
“Try resisting if you want. Do you not know the Young Lord right here is scarier than the Chief Overseer that is far away at the moment?”
“…”
“We’re in this now. Might as well take a look inside. Let’s positively think of it.”
The Forest of Beasts garrison was a small group, but having even one more pair of hands was helpful.
Ghislain gave Skovan additional instructions.
“Leave just enough personnel to maintain minimum security in the territory. Mobilize all the reserve forces. Recruit laborers, and if anyone wants to join, bring them along. Pay will be generous.”
Skovan complied without protest. With the main forces already stationed at the Northern Fortress, there was no one left who could stop this reckless Young Lord.
Of course, Ghislain had no intention of waiting for reinforcements or laborers to arrive. Setting up a base camp as quickly as possible was his priority.
“Alright, let’s go in!”
Ghislain and the Fenris forces entered the Forest of Beasts via the path they had previously cleared.
The forest was still eerily quiet. The path, rarely used except for mining Runestones, showed no significant changes.
Though walls were erected along the trail, it was far from being a fully developed area. But Ghislain was determined to establish proper control over this domain.
“Tear everything down!”
Boom! Thud!
As the 3,000 soldiers and knights moved, the tall, sturdy palisades that had protected the path were reduced to rubble in an instant.
A vast clearing was created, and command tents were immediately set up. From this spot, a proper pioneering effort would begin.
“There aren’t many monsters near the entrance. Push forward as quickly as possible.”
The true heart of the forest, the domain of the Dirus Ent, was still some distance away. The area surrounding the trail had already been cleared in the past.
Without any significant threat of monster attacks, Ghislain mobilized the troops boldly. Within just three days, they secured enough space at the forest’s edge to fit two villages.
Of course, there weren’t zero monster encounters.
“Graaaaah!”
Something massive charged toward the soldiers felling trees.
The soldiers screamed in surprise at the sight.
“Waaah! What is that?!”
“A bear? That’s a bear?”
“How is it that big?!”
What appeared was a Grizzly Bear, nearly twice the size of a normal bear, its rough, patchy gray fur streaked with scars.
With its immense size, it was no longer just a wild animal it was practically a monster.
Judging by the many scars on its body, it had survived in this harsh forest against all odds. One of its eyes was deeply gouged, and its body was riddled with wounds.
Though driven to the forest outskirts by stronger creatures, it still had the strength to tear an ordinary human apart with ease.
The bear roared fiercely, as if to declare the area its territory.
“Graaaaah…?”
The bear, which had been ready to charge forward with ferocity, suddenly hesitated.
The amount of prey was overwhelming, almost to the point of no longer being prey at all.
The bear stopped and rolled its eyes around, scanning the area. Even a beast driven purely by instinct could grasp the situation to some extent.
“Grrrk, grrrk.”
After reaching its conclusion, the bear nodded a few times as if to say, “Go on with your business,” and turned away. However, the Fenris forces had no intention of letting it leave so easily.
Tense from the ominous rumors surrounding the Forest of Beasts, their anxiety translated into an overly aggressive reaction.
“Loose!”
Fwoosh!
At the command of the nearest infantry officer, hundreds of arrows rained down upon the bear. It was an utterly one-sided assault.
“Kwooooaaargh!”
Instantly transformed into a pincushion, the bear let out a final anguished cry before collapsing.
Seeing this, Kaor rushed over, shouting in frustration.
“Hey, hey! What the hell are you doing using that kind of attack on a creature like this? Now we can’t even use the hide!”
The hide of such a massive bear would have fetched a high price. But with countless holes puncturing it, it was now nothing more than trash.
The infantry officer stammered, trying to explain.
“Well, it’s just… It looked so terrifying for a monster…”
“Ugh, you idiots! That’s not a monster it’s just a deformed bear! Stop panicking; it’s nothing to be scared of.”
“…”
The infantry officer had no response. How could someone call such a grotesque beast “nothing to be scared of”?
Kaor, with an air of superiority, gave them a stern lecture.
“This isn’t my first time here, alright? I know this place like the back of my hand. So stop worrying and call me first if you encounter anything like that. Got it?”
Kaor had spent days skinning monsters and sending their hides back to the territory. His dedication to this craft was evident every piece of leather in his outfit had been upgraded to the finest quality.
Immediately, he rallied the hunters.
“When you find something with a usable hide, step up and handle it first! Got it?”
“Yes, sir!”
The command came from none other than the “Leather King of Ironcliff,” Kaor. The hunters replied with unwavering resolve.
Any monster or beast that could yield good hides was taken down by Kaor and his team. With their exceptional skills, they obtained flawless skins with precision.
Harvesting hides along the way was one of the small benefits of the expedition. Of course, the majority of creatures they encountered were far more grotesque than useful.
The monsters in the forest’s outskirts were sparse and posed little threat. Still, the group didn’t let their guard down completely.
The ominous atmosphere of the forest and the long-standing rumors about the Forest of Beasts kept nerves on edge.
Among all present, the garrison members from Ferdium felt the most conflicted.
“Numbers really are everything. Who would’ve thought we’d bulldoze through this forest like this?”
“You think any truly dangerous monsters will show up? This is still safe, right?”
“The Young Lord cleared this area out before. It’s got to be safe. It has to be.”
For the people of Ferdium, the Forest of Beasts had been a source of terror for generations. Even though Ghislain had previously succeeded in pioneering the forest, that fear hadn’t vanished.
The forest remained off-limits except for the paths used to mine Runestones, and guards were stationed at the entrance to prepare for any monster attacks.
So even as Ghislain led overwhelming forces to clear the forest, the garrison remained on edge.
Newcomers to the area were no different. Even though the monsters were less frequent than the rumors suggested, their size and appearance were intimidating enough.
If those monsters had appeared in large numbers, the situation could have been perilous.
The only ones who seemed to be enjoying themselves were Kaor and the hunters. They were beginning to underestimate the Forest of Beasts.
“Ha, what’s with this place? There are fewer monsters here than in the Shadow Mountains. This is nothing.”
“Was this place really so scary that people avoided developing it? What a joke.”
“Even if the Young Lord cleared it before, there’s no way it should be this empty. This is boring.”
In the Shadow Mountains, no matter how many monsters were exterminated, they would quickly reappear in droves. The sheer quantity was overwhelming.
While the monsters here might have been individually stronger, their numbers were far too low to provide the thrill of constant hunting.
As they bantered and let their guard down, the real threats began to emerge.
Ssshhh…
The first to notice it was a soldier on sentry duty at the outskirts.
The soldier caught sight of the monster emerging from between the trees and shouted in panic.
“M-Monster! Another monster has appeared!”
The soldiers, still on high alert, immediately assumed battle formations upon hearing the sentry’s alarm.
When they saw the monster that revealed itself moments later, they were shocked.
“W-What the hell? Why is it so huge?”
“Fall back! Quickly, form proper ranks!”
“Summon the mages! Call the mages now!”
The monster that appeared was a Giant Mantis.
The Giant Mantis was larger than a human, and its front legs were powerful enough to shred steel like paper.
Even a single one of these monsters could tear through dozens of soldiers. That was the terrifying nature of a Giant Mantis.
But now, over fifty of them had appeared. Such a number could easily wipe out hundreds of well-armed soldiers in an instant.
“Gather! Quickly, gather!”
“Raise your shields and form ranks!”
“Laborers, retreat at once!”
The area erupted into chaos as soldiers clustered together. Unlike the occasional appearances of one or two monsters, this was a full-scale invasion of dozens of them.
The laborers halted their work and moved back, while the soldiers nervously eyed the Giant Mantises.
“There’s not a single small one here, not a single one,” someone murmured, and the others nearby nodded subtly.
Typically, a Giant Mantis was only slightly larger than a human. However, the ones here seemed to have grown to twice their usual size, as though they had been feeding on something extraordinary.
Even an average-sized Giant Mantis could slice through a heavy infantryman’s shield with a swing of its front legs. How much more devastating would these oversized ones be?
Faced with the enemy’s overwhelming size, fear gripped everyone.
Sssssssk…
The Giant Mantises, perhaps wary of the soldiers’ numbers, moved cautiously, surveying their surroundings.
But these creatures were not the type to retreat like bears. Giant Mantises were notoriously fearless.
Despite being outnumbered, the sight of opponents smaller than themselves seemed to boost their confidence. They began to lift their front legs, inching closer.
The soldiers raised their shields, their faces tense. It wasn’t just the soldiers; knights, hunters, elves, and even mages shared the same expressions.
No one believed that the group here would be defeated outright. However, none had firsthand experience with just how strong these Giant Mantises were, and the tension was palpable.
After all, the monsters in the Forest of Beasts were known to be far stronger than those found outside.
A single mistake could lead to significant losses. Losing soldiers here, at the outskirts, was not an option.
Vanessa approached the soldiers, gathering mana as she spoke.
“Everyone, be ready.”
The Giant Mantises were also known for their exceptional speed. Since it was impossible to predict just how fast they might move, Vanessa prepared a preemptive strike.
Her plan was to attack first, reducing the enemy’s numbers before the soldiers suffered any blows.
As the mages chanted their spells in preparation for the attack, Ghislain spoke up.
“Oh, they’re still around? This area used to be their territory, right? I thought we’d wiped them out back then, but it seems the survivors have reproduced.”
Gillian hefted his axe and stepped forward.
“I’ll take care of them again.”
“Hey, old man, this time I’m going to kill more than you. Don’t act so high and mighty,” Kaor said as he swaggered forward. Gordon flexed his muscles and followed.
“A lot of my friends died to those things back then. I even lost a lot of muscle mass because of how tough it was.”
Several knights followed them, drawing their weapons. As they walked, some of them muttered to themselves, as if reminiscing.
“It’s all just memories now.”
“They were so terrifying back then.”
“Just focus on your work. We’ll handle this.”
Not everyone present was inexperienced with these monsters. Among them were those who had faced these creatures countless times.
Leading the charge were Gillian and Kaor, followed by the knights.
This group consisted of fifty mercenaries who had survived countless brutal battles in the Forest of Beasts.