Chapter 17: Chapter 17 - Hidden Item (1)
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"This is my mistake," Count Reed muttered with a stern expression upon receiving the report.
He had obviously rushed over immediately after getting the urgent message, appearing disheveled in his usually well-organized attire. He wore only a thin coat over his loose clothes.
"Surely a troll came in. But how..."
"No one would have thought that the mountain ranger really saw a troll. Neither did your subordinates. How can you attribute this to your own mistake?" Russ quickly interjected on behalf of the Count.
"Even so, responsibility is responsibility. As a lord, I have an obligation to ensure the safety of the people. That said, I fell into a shallow prejudice and ended up losing the lives of three precious soldiers. How can I excuse this?" The Count sighed heavily.
"I will identify the fallen soldiers and provide generous compensation to their families. Moreover, if the victim was the head of the family and the remaining members are in distress, I will take responsibility in my name and guarantee their livelihood. If any child from the affected families chooses to become a subordinate for my household, they will be given the highest priority in the Knights Order or Magus Corps review process. The deacon will implement this immediately at dawn tomorrow."
"I will do as you command," Hudson, who stood behind the Count, immediately replied, bowing his head respectfully.
"Russ, Laurel. You both went through a lot. It's undeniably tragic that we suffered casualties, but in a way, it's thanks to your efforts that we managed to contain the situation as much as we did. It's horrifying to even imagine what might have happened.
The entire corps will receive a bounty and a week's holiday. Particularly those who valiantly faced the trolls on the front line will receive additional rewards, as will both of you. If you have any requests, don't hesitate to let me know. Your bravery won't go unnoticed."
"I'm embarrassed, Count."
"It's embarrassing."
Laurel and Russ bowed their heads upon hearing the Count's praise. A broad smile started to spread across Laurel's face at the mention of 'compensation', prompting Russ to discreetly slap her arm.
"Now, let's cease our discussions. Laurel, did you notice anything unusual about the troll?" the Count inquired.
"Yes, My Lord," Laurel responded promptly, her expression shifting to seriousness as she straightened her posture.
She, then, proceeded to describe in detail what she had observed and felt. The troll was about half the size of the average troll, possessed a remarkable resistance to mana, and most significantly, its eyes glowed ominously in a bright shade of red. As she concluded her account, the Count's expression grew even more grave.
"Red eyes... Does that imply they could have come from the cursed land? But that doesn't make sense. The monsters that inhabit the Forbidden Land would have to traverse wilderness and various border villages to reach this area. There should be eyewitness accounts. It should have been spotted earlier," the Count pondered aloud.
"We can't be certain. If the troll was mutated under the influence of demonic mana, its intelligence might have increased accordingly, allowing it to move stealthily without detection."
"There's something else peculiar," Russ continued, picking up where Laurel left off, "After the extermination, we examined its body and found numerous wounds on its stomach and back. Some were still fresh, clearly distinct from the wounds we inflicted.
A search along the canyon had also uncovered signs of the troll's burrowing. Sokha thinks that, for some reason, a wounded troll had fled from its original habitat and sought refuge here. It had likely dug a hole to hide and heal its wounds. This explains why it remained unnoticed for a period, even after leaving footprints.
It wouldn't have moved in the burrowing until its wounds had somewhat healed, and the traces of its burrowing might have been washed away by a recent heavy rain. It was not easy to search the rugged mountainside terrain, so even if someone had passed by, they likely missed the trail.
And, there's no guarantee it came from the forbidden land. Despite its near nonexistence now, there are still places in the West Continent where demonic mana lingers. It's plausible that these creatures were inadvertently influenced by such forces, leading to further mutations."
"In any case, it seems we can't be certain about anything at the moment. First, dispatch people to various villages in the east to inquire if anyone has spotted a troll. Also, set up additional guard posts in strategic locations across each region. That's what we should focus on for now."
After hearing Russ' report, the Count said lamentably.
"Well, the soldiers are tired, and it's already late. Let's call it a day. The specifics can be discussed in our next meeting. Laurel, Russ, once again, thank you for your hard work."
The Count gave them a light pat on the shoulder, and Laurel and Russ bowed to the Count. The two immediately left the barracks and tried to disperse the soldiers, but they sensed that the Count still had something on his mind.
Gradually realizing this, they watched as the Count awkwardly cleared his throat a couple of times before finally addressing the topic that had piqued his curiosity that day, "Oh, by the way, how was Edwin today?"
* * *
"Arrghh!"
The morning arrived with aching muscles, a cruel reminder of the previous day's ordeal. What am I supposed to do with this weak body?
Yesterday, after the extermination was over, Russ sent me back to the mansion first. By the time I arrived, it was well past midnight, and my father had already departed after receiving a report.
Adele, my younger sister, was sound asleep. Overwhelmed by fatigue, I collapsed into bed, surrendering to sleep without even cleaning up. That was my last memory of yesterday.
This morning, my unwashed body felt uncomfortable, so I decided to take a bath first before eating, and then trudged toward the bathroom; as if the maids had prepared it in advance, warm water filled the room, shrouding everything in a hazy mist.
Stepping into the bath, I let my body soak, staying still; however, the memories of the previous day's horrors resurfaced, unbidden and vivid.
The first images that invaded my mind were those of the troll's victims. The gruesome scenes played out in my thoughts – soldiers with broken necks, limbs torn asunder, their bodies fluttering around, torn in half, their organs savagely devoured by the monstrous creature.
Thinking back on that disgusting sight, I could feel my whole body tremble even though I was soaking in a warm bath.
In the stillness of the bath, I wrestled with my thoughts, struggling to banish the haunting images of the soldiers' gruesome fate from my mind.
'But still... there is nothing gained.'
I wasn't able to do anything in the troll subjugation battle because I still lacked skills. Strangely, I found a glimmer of positivity in this ordeal. Mastering the unsettling sensation of taking a life, as macabre as it sounded, came with an unexpected reward – a deep understanding. If I continue like this, will there ever come a day when I will be calm?
When I suddenly turned my head and looked in the mirror, there was a reflection of my face and upper body except the lower half obscured by the bathwater.
Adjusting my diet, circulating mana on a regular basis, and continuing to train to see if there were any results, now I have lost a bit of weight to the extent that I could feel it.
'But it's still a long way off.'
However, it was at the level of 'there was a little achievement, and there were still a lot of mountains to overcome to reach the place I was aiming for'. Despite the progress, I still grappled with severe obesity.
Wouldn't it be possible to lose weight in a natural way without having to resort to extreme measures? I had thought about it, but after a certain point, the progress had slowed considerably, and the conclusion I came to was that I couldn't become fit in time to return to school in this way.
Now that the suspension was less than two months away, it was even more pressing.
And until then, I have to find a way to treat mana sclerosis somehow.
'Then should I really try that method…'
There was a method prepared for this case, but in order to achieve what I had in mind, I had to go to the forbidden region of the East Continent.
And what I needed to get to that place that was consumed by demonic mana was holy water, an item I anxiously awaited.
'Perhaps a message will come today or tomorrow.'
—Knock!
"Master. The Count has invited you to have lunch together today. The meal will be ready soon, so I think it would be a good idea to finish the ceremony a little early."
"Really? Very well. I'll be out soon."
My father was always busy, so we rarely ate breakfast together, but it was no big deal. Did he deliberately take the time to hear about yesterday? Actually, I didn't do much... Still, if he wants to hear it, he has no choice but to listen.
I left the bathhouse and started putting on my clothes.
* * *
As anticipated, my father inquired about yesterday's monster extermination the moment I settled at the table.
He had already heard it from Laurel and Russ, but he seemed to want to hear it from me as well.
At first, he repeatedly apologized, expressing regret for putting me in harm's way due to his error. But he seemed to have calmed down a bit as I continued to reassure him of my well-being.
Trying to be as calm as possible, I recounted the events of the previous day to my father, describing the encounter with ratmen, goblins, and the eventual subduing of the troll.
When I finished talking, I looked at my father, who was nodding his head with a pleased expression.
"Hmm. Well done, Edwin. Truly commendable. Not to mention that you successfully subdued Ratmen and Goblins, and even unexpectedly faced a troll — that takes resolve! Clearly, you're my son!"
"Father, you embarrass me further by saying that. The Goblins and Ratmen were manageable, but for the trolls, I was merely observing..."
"Uh-huh, but watching it like that is a valuable experience at your age! You might not realize it yet. Our family's knights and mages are highly skilled and yet, subduing a troll is no easy feat. Aside from its physical strength, the troll's emergency cries are akin to a mental assault for the untrained. Pants leaking is a common occurrence, and sometimes people even lose consciousness due to sheer fright. Think about it, 'Wasn't that the case yesterday too?'"
In truth, my father's words rang true. While knights and mages with mental fortitude were largely unaffected, several soldiers accompanying me had succumbed to the troll's terror.
"But I heard that you, who have never received any special training, remained steadfast and resolute even in such a situation. How could I, as your father, not be immensely proud? You can have more confidence."
I guess I'd been persuaded by my father's words before I knew it, and I felt a little flattered.
But did some of the fallen soldiers peed? When I thought about it, I felt pitiful. This kind of teasing would last a lifetime... Maybe I should say I'm glad I didn't lose my mind.
"Whoa... whoa..."
Adele watched in wide-eyed surprise as my father and I conversed. How can that child look so cute even when she's surprised? I felt like my heart, devastated by yesterday's events, had healed a little.
"Big brother... you're amazing..."
I smiled lightly and patted Adele's head.
"If Adele grows up later, she'll be able to easily catch goblins, right?"
"Eh," Hearing my words, Adele frowned, "I hate goblins...I hate trolls too...Adele won't do that..."
Adele, being young and a girl, understandably detested such grotesque creatures. I continued stroking her hair, returning my attention to my father. Through his words, I learned of Russ and Laurel's report.
A red-eyed troll... If it was influenced by demonic mana, it could foretell a significant invasion in the future. In the original work, it wasn't explicitly labeled as a troll, but there were descriptions of subtle omens preceding invasions due to the fluctuating magical energies.
Fortunately, my father assured us of a thorough inspection of the entire territory and an increase in guards and defenses. With these measures in place, even if a similar incident occurred again, we would be somewhat prepared.
"Father, now that the extermination is done, I plan to search for a solution to the wheat issue in our territory that I mentioned earlier. I still have a bit of travel ahead, so I thought I'd rest today and set out tomorrow. Is that alright?" I asked my father, conveying my intentions.
He looked at me, concern etched on his face. "My child, are you sure you're up for it? Can't you take it easy and move more slowly?"
"I'll be fine. I didn't exert too much strength, and I believe my muscles will recover better if I keep moving," I reassured him.
Despite my reassurances, he seemed troubled, likely due to the recent troll encounter.
After several rounds of convincing him that I would avoid any risky situations and only travel during the daylight hours, my father reluctantly agreed, seemingly unable to argue further.
Anyway, I had no plans to venture into remote areas, and considering monsters were active at night, moving during the day minimized the chances of encountering problems.
The remainder of the day was spent with Adele, waiting for the arrival of the holy water.
Reading fairy tales and playing with dolls made it feel like we've grown closer.
Unexpectedly, Adele really liked my chubby belly. In her own words, she liked it because it felt soft like a teddy bear; when I read a story, Adele always put her hands on my stomach and rubbed it gently.
What about Adele? That belly fat might disappear after this outing...
"Master. Someone from the church has arrived. They said they brought the items you ordered, what should we do?"
"Ask them to come in, and make sure to record the transaction amount in the ledger," I instructed.
The next morning, after a lengthy wait, the long-awaited holy water arrived from the church.
My heart raced with anticipation. The moment had arrived to venture into the forbidden region.
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