Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 40: Monster Hunting (2)

"Your Highness, an urgent matter has arisen."

"What is it?"

"...It seems that monsters from the Alps have invaded a nearby village."

The Alps were mountains located not far from the capital of Krapos.

It was a vast range known for being home to a large number of monsters.

"...That shouldn’t be the case. Aren’t the monsters in the Alps generally quiet?"

"Scholars speculate that it’s due to their reproduction. With no room left, they’ve been forced out."

The monsters, driven out by overpopulation, had rushed into the village.

But something felt off.

"There hasn’t been any news of monsters descending from the Alps for hundreds of years. Their ecosystem is intricate. It should be self-regulating..."

A kill-or-be-killed ecosystem.

The Alps had a well-established ecological balance.

Proof of this was that no monster had come down from the mountains in centuries.

"It seems like something has gone wrong, but as you know, it’s an exceedingly dangerous place. It’s vast, and sending an investigation team is difficult. Moreover, with the war approaching—"

"So you're saying we should handle the urgent matters first."

"Exactly."

It wasn’t all that unusual.

In mountain ranges without a stable ecosystem, monster invasions occurred periodically even now.

Since immediate damage was being inflicted, they had to be dealt with to some extent.

Luel issued his order.

"The monsters in the Alps are of a high level. To minimize casualties, dispatching the Royal Knights would be the better choice."

"Your Highness, if I may, could I make a request?"

When a suggestion was made for something not particularly complex, Luel tilted his head in curiosity but nodded.

Sebastian wasn’t one to say unnecessary things.

"Go ahead. What is it?"

"Why not send the cadets as well?"

"The cadets?"

"Yes. Isn’t there already a plan to include monster hunts in their training curriculum?"

What mattered most in war was real combat experience.

The battlefield's unique atmosphere of life and death was something one had to experience firsthand.

But, of course, it wasn’t feasible to have them kill actual people.

Even those discarded by the Aristocratic Faction were precious to Krapos in its current state.

Thus, monster hunting was devised.

While not identical, it was the closest alternative.

The final stage of training at Torze Officer Academy involved monster hunting.

Sebastian proposed moving it forward.

"That’s a good idea. However, there will certainly be casualties. The Alps are not easy to handle."

This was the reason why, despite having monster-infested forests near the capital, they had not been eradicated.

The monsters of the Alps were simply too strong and numerous to handle.

Sending inexperienced cadets to such a mountain would put many lives in jeopardy.

"Then send the Royal Knights alongside them. It would be like a field trip. The higher the risk, the greater the experience they’ll gain."

"Ah, so you’re suggesting we show some generosity since we’re deploying forces anyway."

"Yes."

"As expected, my aide is exceptional."

"You flatter me."

"But will they be able to endure it?"

Luel chuckled softly.

"The Royal Knights are rough. Especially in real combat. I remember getting scolded a lot when I was younger."

Krapos placed a strong emphasis on actual combat.

As the Crown Prince, he had once accompanied the Royal Knights to the field.

Naturally, as it was his first time, he was clumsy and didn’t perform well.

However, the knights had cursed at Crown Prince Luel.

"I still remember. They called me a moron, didn’t they? Oh, and a brat too."

"Yet you seem to like those knights."

"Haha! If I didn’t like them, I would’ve replaced them all. Their skills are top-notch. What’s most important for a knight is ability, not flattery."

"You’re wise, Your Highness. Your judgment has been Krapos’ salvation."

Knights were incredibly sensitive in the field.

One wrong move could result in death, so it was only natural.

Especially during monster hunts, a single person’s mistake could lead to significant damage.

Still, cursing at one’s country’s Crown Prince was excessive.

That was just how rough the Royal Knights were.

They were selected solely based on skill.

Luel appreciated that.

"I wonder if they’ll be able to endure. The Aristocratic Faction has its pride."

"...Well."

Sebastian gave a subtle smile.

"They’ll figure it out on their own."

"Hahaha, true. There’s no need for us to be considerate. Very well, I permit the deployment of both the Royal Knights and the cadets of Torze Academy."

"By your command."

**

Beatrice stood in formation with a bright expression.

Her mana reserves were full, so she felt great.

"Argos. Good morning."

"……."

‘What a sulky man.’

Argos still seemed shaken from the game the other day.

He looked visibly dejected and even ignored her, despite usually being the first to initiate conversation.

"You seem pretty upset about losing."

"...!"

"Don’t take it too hard. After all, your opponent was me."

[You’re merciless, young Beatrice. That’s not something you say to the defeated.]

‘It’s amusing, though.’

[You’re truly a devil.]

"I-I didn’t lose."

Beatrice clenched her fists, cheering for Argos.

"Sure, keep your spirits up."

His face flushed red.

But he couldn’t say much, as she was entirely correct.

Yesterday, his lackluster skills and leadership had been exposed.

At least, that’s what Argos believed.

In reality, Beatrice had simply been overwhelmingly superior.

Monster Hunting (3)

-Thump.

Inside the swaying carriage, Beatrice pondered.

‘Are the monsters here the same as those I’ve encountered before?’

She had spent her entire life hunting monsters.

Sometimes for profit, sometimes for survival.

As a result, there wasn’t a species she didn’t know.

‘I hope they’re the same.’

Information was always crucial.

Especially with monsters.

Even low-ranking monsters could kill you if you didn’t know how to deal with them.

Since she had yet to regain enough strength to crush everything, she hoped they weren’t too different.

At the same time, she thought—

‘Well, if they’re entirely new, that could be fun too.’

A certain amount of tension made everything more enjoyable.

"Beatrice."

There were four people in the carriage.

Argos, Tar, Beatrice, and Seria.

Argos, sitting across from her, spoke up.

"What?"

"May I ask you something?"

She nodded.

‘He’s probably going to ask why I chose him.’

She thought that might be the case, but it wasn’t.

Argos asked something else.

“…At the very last moment, were you really fine?”

“The mock war?”

“Yes.”

“You saw it yourself, didn’t you? I could barely lift a sword.”

“How…?”

Argos clenched his fists tightly.

“How was that even possible? The situation was already over. You didn’t need to take such a dangerous approach.”

“What, are you upset?”

“…Not exactly. It’s my own fault for lacking the necessary skills. But I’m just curious. How could you step up in that situation?”

Beatrice answered simply.

“That’s the reason.”

“…What?”

“Because no one would understand why I did it even after it happened. That’s why it caught you off guard. There’s no better tactic than that.”

Argos was deeply shocked and stared at Beatrice.

She massaged the back of her neck and then spoke to Seria, who was sitting beside her.

“My neck’s a bit stiff. Use some healing magic on me.”

Seria looked at her in disbelief and said, “You want me to use one of my five daily spells on muscle pain?”

“Forget it, then,” Beatrice replied.

‘Looking at her like this, she seems like an ordinary noblewoman.’

Argos stared blankly at her.

He couldn’t understand her at all.

Where did her strength come from?

Argos didn’t notice.

Beatrice wasn’t using the power of a Spirit.

Nor was she suppressing her opponents with overwhelming mana.

She relied solely on her pure strength and intelligence to dominate.

With those slender arms, she crushed cadets who were considerably larger.

Even though she had barely enough strength to hold a sword, she moved forward, trusting only her strategies.

Argos suddenly became curious.

‘Monsters possess strength that cannot be compared to humans.’

‘Simple strategy and physical power alone have their limits.’

‘Will she be able to display her overwhelming skills again this time?’

Monsters naturally had physical capabilities far beyond humans.

Against such creatures, strategies were often meaningless.

The only way to confront them was through mana and the power of Spirits.

He wondered how she would handle it.

Argos couldn’t help but be curious.

-Neigh!

At that moment, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, accompanied by the harsh neighing of horses.

“There’s a monster ahead!”

‘So, it’s finally starting.’

It seemed they had reached the entrance to the Alps.

Argos equipped his unique gauntlets and glanced at Beatrice.

-Swish.

Beatrice drew a sword that, at first glance, looked like an excellent weapon.

“What, what—!”

She kicked open the carriage door and stepped out.

**

-Clatter, clatter.

Several carriages and mounted knights surrounded the area as they rode.

This was the entrance to the Alps.

The terrain was rough, so they all began slowing down gradually.

Falcon, one of the knights, glanced at the carriages following behind and muttered.

“Damn it, those noble brats have it easy.”

Reiser, riding alongside him, frowned and said, “Watch your language, Falcon.”

“Hey, Captain, are you serious? Bringing those rookies to the Alps?”

“It’s the Crown Prince’s command. Shut up and follow.”

“Tch.”

Falcon had a lot of complaints about this monster hunt.

The Alps were already a dangerous place.

And now, they were supposed to clean up the area while dragging along those rookies?

It felt like running with weights tied to their ankles. It was endlessly irritating.

“We should see the village soon.”

There was a village near the entrance to the mountain range.

Although the Alps belonged to Krapos, it was such a dangerous area that no noble wanted to manage it.

The royal family was no different.

Thus, the village consisted entirely of slash-and-burn farmers.

According to the report Reiser had received, the village had been annihilated.

“Stay alert! We’re at the entrance to the mountain range. There will surely be monsters nearby.”

“Yes, sir!”

Reiser shouted loudly.

Although talking while riding was usually foolish, these were the Royal Knights.

Among knights, they were the most elite.

They could even eat while riding a galloping horse.

Then, Reiser noticed something.

“Stop!”

Reiser raised a fist and gave the signal to halt.

Seeing the signal, the knights repeated the command down the line.

“Stop!”

“Stop!”

-Neigh!

The abrupt halt kicked up a cloud of dust.

“Captain, what did you see to make you stop so suddenly?”

-Reiser tilted his head slightly forward in silence, focusing his gaze ahead.

Falcon followed Reiser’s line of sight.

“…What’s that?”

“It’s a goblin.”

Ahead, through the swirling dust, a small, green-skinned creature with a bald head came into view.

It was a goblin.

“Hah! Did you really stop us just for a goblin? Captain, even if the rookies are with us, this is overkill.”

Falcon chuckled nervously, as if embarrassed by his earlier tension.

No wonder he hadn’t sensed any presence—it was because the creature was too insignificant.

Among monsters, goblins were among the lowest of the low.

Even an average serf with a pickaxe could handle one.

As a knight, Falcon had no reason to care about such a trivial being.

“…But.”

However, Reiser’s expression was serious.

“Does that look like an ordinary goblin to you?”

“…A goblin is just a goblin, isn’t it?”

Sensing that something was off about Reiser’s expression, Falcon looked at the goblin again.

And then.

He saw something unbelievable.

“…Aura?”

-Whoosh.

The goblin, leaning stylishly against a tree, held a crude spear it had somehow acquired.

And.

That spear was enveloped in a clear aura.

Falcon’s eyes widened in disbelief at the astonishing sight.

At the same time.

-Thud.

Beatrice burst out of the carriage.

**

Her eyes sparkled as she surveyed her surroundings.

A monster had appeared.

She couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Cadet Beatrice! What are you doing? Get back inside immediately. It’s dangerous.”

Reiser jumped off his horse and tried to stop her.

But Beatrice ignored him and focused on observing the monster.

‘A goblin.’

It was a creature she was familiar with.

‘So, the monsters here are the same.’

That was undoubtedly good news.

But—

‘Does that mean goblins here can use aura as well?’

There was something slightly different about it.

Goblins, the weakest of the weak.

The most troublesome thing about them was their intelligence, which allowed them to form colonies and employ underhanded tactics.

That was the kind of goblin Beatrice knew.

But the goblin ahead was wielding an aura.

-Step.

It even began approaching.

Despite the presence of so many people.

This was not behavior typical of goblins, who were notorious for their cowardice.

Beatrice, with an intrigued expression, raised her sword.

“Reiser, I can handle that, right?”

“…Cadet, we can’t know what dangers might arise. It’s better if cadets only act once the situation is somewhat secure…”

-Swish!

No further words were necessary.

Beatrice was curious about how strong that goblin was.

So, she immediately threw the sword she was holding.

The sound of Beatrice’s sword cutting through the air was sharp and menacing as it flew toward the goblin.

Reiser’s eyes widened.

The goblin was quite far away.

It was at a distance barely discernible to the naked eye.

Yet—

-Thwack!

Beatrice’s sword struck the goblin squarely in the forehead.

The goblin, hit by the sword, fell flat on its back.

“Wow.”

-Clap, clap.

Falcon, who witnessed the scene, got off his horse and applauded.

“Nice shot. I’ve never seen such a perfect sword throw in my life. Impressive, young lady.”

Unlike the other surprised knights, Beatrice’s expression remained indifferent.

Crossing her arms, she thought to herself.

‘Disappointing.’

She had expected the goblins here to be stronger.

But no. A goblin was just a goblin.

She lost interest. There was no need for her to get involved with such trivialities.

Just as she was about to head back to the carriage—

“Captain! That goblin is still alive!”

A knight’s urgent voice rang out.

‘…Still alive?’

Beatrice had seen her sword penetrate halfway through the goblin’s forehead.

No living being could survive with its brain pierced.

But then, …what was going on?

[That…?]

‘Do you know what’s happening?’

The goblin slowly grabbed Beatrice’s sword.

It pulled the blade out of its forehead.

Even from afar, the massive amount of blood loss was evident.

Yet, as if nothing had happened, it stood upright.

The goblin contracted its muscles, pulling the sword back—

And hurled it straight toward Beatrice.

[It’s black magic.]

“…!”

Beatrice’s eyes widened.

That posture, the way it channeled mana—

It was identical to what she had done earlier.

-Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sword, now enveloped in dark energy, hurtled toward her at a terrifying speed.

The menacing aura emanating from it froze Beatrice momentarily.

“This is bad.”

Reiser quickly drew his sword.

-Bzzt!

Electric blue currents crackled along its blade.

The weapon exuded an unmistakable and dangerous energy.

Reiser was ready to block the sword with his full strength.

“Step aside.”

“W-What are you…!”

But Beatrice, her gaze icy, stepped forward.

As if she didn’t need Reiser’s help at all.

It looked reckless.

After all, Beatrice was barehanded.

She wasn’t even wearing armor, just a uniform made of cloth.

She appeared utterly defenseless.

Beatrice extended her hand.

It seemed like a suicidal move.

Catching a sword spinning toward her at such speed with her bare hands was impossible.

Realizing this, Reiser tried to move forward again to intercept the blade—

‘…Her expression.’

But her intensely serious expression froze him in place.

For some reason, he felt that stepping in to deflect the sword would insult Beatrice.

Beatrice reached out her hand.

The sword, spinning violently, came closer and closer.

In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of her.

Beatrice snatched the sword mid-air.

What Reiser feared did not happen.

Beatrice had caught the sword by its hilt, perfectly.

However—

-Screech.

The sheer force of the spinning sword pushed Beatrice backward significantly.

A long trail was left on the ground where she slid.

She spat on the ground in irritation, blood tinged in her spit.

“…How dare you.”

Her eyes turned cold and murderous.

The knights around her felt the hair on their bodies stand on end at the killing intent she radiated.

It was the scent of a predator.

An indescribably domineering aura filled the air.

“A mere lowly creature dares to imitate me?”

Beatrice’s golden eyes gleamed ominously.