Chapter 11:First Encounter (1)

A kingdom located in the southeastern part of the continent. Arkenia.  

King Leopoldus was troubled these days.  

It was due to the recent poor harvests plaguing the kingdom.  

“…You’re saying an entire village has turned into a band of thieves?”  

“Yes. We immediately dispatched an investigation team, but they had already taken refuge in the nearby hills, making capture impossible. I apologize.”  

“How could that be your fault? It’s the disaster’s doing.”  

The king furrowed his brows.  

His distress was evident.  

“But still, sigh…”  

‘As if dealing with Valentia’s strange movements wasn’t enough…’  

What came to his mind was Arkenia’s neighboring kingdom Valentia.  

A nation that had recently begun showing signs of preparing for war.  

‘They’re at war with the Kaiser Empire. They shouldn’t have the luxury to invade us…’  

“This is maddening.”  

Valentia had no reason to declare war.  

They were too busy holding back the ambitions of the Kaiser Empire, a military powerhouse to their north.  

Logically, there was no need for concern.  

But reality was never that simple.  

As king, he knew all too well.  

Valentia secretly coveted his lands.  

They wished to devour Arkenia and rise as a dominant force in the eastern continent.  

Hadn’t they marched their troops toward Arkenia just a few years ago, only to make absurd excuses?  

“This is not a military campaign, but a reconnaissance of the Milleas Great Forest. We have no intention of turning against our ally, Arkenia.”  

‘Utter nonsense. As if that place hasn’t been swarming with monsters since the beginning of time.’  

With a sigh, the king’s thoughts drifted to the Milleas Great Forest.  

A vast woodland at the heart of the continent, so overrun with monsters that it was called the Demon Realm.  

Bordering four nations, including Arkenia, it was an enormous landmass.  

No country had ever dared to develop it.  

The monsters were a problem, of course, but attempting to claim the land could be seen as a military threat by the other nations.  

And yet, Valentia suddenly wanted to scout the area?  

Requested passage as an allied nation?  

It was far too suspicious.  

The king had no choice but to question their true intentions.  

“War.”  

The word clung to his mind and refused to leave.  

“If only provisions could just appear out of thin air.”  

He desperately wished for an end to this nightmare of a poor harvest.  

For barley and wheat to rain from the heavens, so his soldiers would not go hungry.  

So he could rebuild his army and defend his kingdom from Valentia.  

Arkenia was in such a dire situation that he found himself hoping for a miracle.  

“Haa…”  

‘I must be exhausted, to be thinking of such nonsense…’  

—Bang!!  

“Your Majesty!! Something unbelievable has happened in the Great Forest!!”  

“…?”  

—Never in his wildest dreams did he expect it to be real.  

King Leopoldus blinked in disbelief.  

This was unbelievable.  

“Are you telling me the monsters in Milleas have finally begun their rampage? After nearly twenty years of silence, are they invading?”  

“No, Your Majesty!”  

“Then what in the world happened for you to come running like this? You are the commander of the Royal Knights, after all.”  

Leaning forward on his throne, the king focused on his vassal’s words.  

“A new nation has appeared in Milleas!!”  

“…What?”  

His concentration crumbled into a hollow laugh.  

With the tension draining from his body, the king let out a deep sigh.  

“A nation? In the middle of that forsaken forest? Even for you, that’s a bit much.”  

“I am not joking, Your Majesty!”  

“Then tell me—what country could possibly claim Milleas overnight? Valentia? Belarus? Or perhaps Normare?”  

If this were true, which nation had managed to seize the Milleas Great Forest in a single night?  

“We are the ones closest to the forest, yet we noticed nothing? Even the Kaiser Empire wouldn’t be capable of something like that…”  

“It is a nation of monsters and non-human races!”  

“…What?!!”  

The revelation was beyond imagination.  

A kingdom formed by monsters and non-humans?  

The king’s expression grew grave.  

Had his trusted knight lost her mind?  

“My friend… have you been overworked? Do you wish for me to grant you retirement?”  

“No, Your Majesty! This is the absolute truth!”  

“Hah. I’ll summon a priest at once. I’ll grant you a week’s leave—get some rest and recover…”  

“Please, look at this!!”  

The knight commander, unwilling to be dismissed as a lunatic, swiftly pulled a bundle of parchment from inside her armor.  

Recognizing its sensitive nature, she had carried the report personally.  

Her thoroughness intrigued even the king.  

“Let’s see… A report from the tenant farmers. ‘One day, the forest suddenly vanished’? When they approached, ‘orcs were plowing fields, and goblins were planting seeds’?”  

“When the farmers got closer, the monsters waved at them and even shared food with the hungry?”  

“And there’s a structure inside the forest that resembles a magic tower? Hah…”  

Even hearing it from a report, he couldn’t accept it so easily.  

How could a forest disappear overnight, replaced by farmland?  

Orcs and goblins predator and prey cooperating to build a civilization?  

Instead of attacking humans, they were offering food?  

It was an utterly absurd tale.  

No one in their right mind would believe such a report.  

Unless, of course, the knight commander had completely lost her sanity.  

And yet…  

“Your eyes… you’re serious, aren’t you?”  

But the king chose to believe it.  

Because before she was his vassal, the knight commander had been his childhood friend.  

And at this moment, her eyes shone with unwavering conviction.  

“Yes, Your Majesty. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“I will believe you. How many people are aware of this?”  

“The lord of the southwesternmost territory of Arkenia, his people, the messenger he dispatched, and myself. I have ensured their silence.”  

“You mean to say you visited the site yourself?”  

“I thought it might be the work of an evil necromancer using illusions, so I had to confirm it firsthand.”  

“You did well. The fact that monsters are distributing food is too bizarre—we should keep this under wraps for now.”  

A sharp glint returned to the king’s eyes.  

Arkenia was the nation closest to the Milleas Great Forest.  

If something had changed within the forest, the kingdom would inevitably face significant consequences.  

The weary man who had once wished for wheat to fall from the sky was gone.  

In his place, a ruler stood once more, prepared to act in this crisis.  

“Dispatch the knight order immediately.”  

“Are you ordering a subjugation force?”  

“No. If we move troops carelessly, Valentia may see it as an opportunity to invade. Take only an elite squad and conduct reconnaissance.”  

“Understood. We will avoid combat whenever possible and gather intelligence on this new—”  

“They are not a ‘nation.’ They are an unidentified group of non-human races.”  

“…That was a slip of the tongue. I will prioritize gathering information on this group of non-humans.”  

The knight commander bowed deeply.  

Personally taking responsibility for assembling the investigation team.  

It had only been three weeks since the barrier protecting the lands of the Millenia Federation had shattered.

*        *       *

Seras, Captain of the Royal Knights of Arkenia.  

Her investigation team was rather modest.  

Including the squires, their total number barely reached thirty, so it was only natural.  

“Captain, what’s going on? Why are we heading out personally?”  

“With this many people, we could probably take down a dragon.”  

Despite their small numbers, their average combat prowess was exceptionally high.  

They were the elites of the royal knights—most of them were nobles or individuals of similar standing.  

Seras hadn’t handpicked them for nothing.  

“…I suppose it’s time to explain. An anomaly has occurred in the Milleas Great Forest.”  

“An anomaly? What, did another Chaos Ogre appear?”  

“If only it were that simple. Overnight, the forest disappeared, and farmland took its place.”  

“…Excuse me?”  

“And the ones working that land are orcs and goblins. They’re reportedly friendly toward humans and have even donated food to tenant farmers.”  

“……?”  

Even these seasoned knights tilted their heads at that.  

They blinked in confusion.  

Some of them, standing behind Seras, tapped their temples with their fingers and shrugged—  

 “Our captain’s lost it.”  

“…….”  

“I get that it’s hard to believe, but that’s insolent. When we return, consider yourselves scheduled for fully armored laps around the training grounds.”  

Thus, disciplinary training disguised as punishment was set in motion.  

But their relaxed banter didn’t last much longer.  

The knights fell silent as they neared Milleas.  

“We should be seeing the forest soon… huh?”  

“……What the hell is that?”  

A breath of disbelief escaped their lips.  

All eyes turned toward the southwest of Arkenia.

If things were as they should be, the dense expanse of the Milleas Great Forest should have been visible…  

But what lay before them?  

The forest was nowhere to be seen. Instead, vast fields stretched endlessly.  

Even as she looked, it was hard to believe.  

“What in the world… Could this be the work of some evil black magic?”  

“This isn’t some mere illusion spell. I know because I went straight to the high priest as soon as I saw it.”  

“Then you’re saying this is real? That scene of orcs plowing the fields?”  

“Our mission is to find out. Let’s move.”  

But Seras couldn’t stop thinking.  

Investigating this strange phenomenon was the very order given to her by the king.  

No matter how bizarre it seemed, she had to approach.  

And soon…  

— She realized something was off.  

— Halt.  

“Wait. The orcs… they’re different from last time.”  

Her eyes scanned beyond the stone wall.  

The last time she had visited, the orcs and goblins had greeted her with cheerful waves.  

But now…..  

They were drenched in cold sweat.  

As if they were prey standing before an absolute predator.  

For a moment, she misunderstood.  

Perhaps they were terrified because of the knights?  

But then—  

“Greetings, knights of the Kingdom of Arkenia.”  

“….!!!?”  

Her misunderstanding didn’t last long.  

It was because of the green-haired woman who had suddenly appeared.  

— Shiiing!!!  

“Prepare for battle!! It’s a monster!!!”  

“When did she—?!”  

Seras’ instincts screamed.  

That thing looked human, but it wasn’t.  

It was a being far stronger than any creature she had ever fought.  

A monster so powerful, she wasn’t even sure if she could survive.  

“I’ll buy us time. Prepare to retreat—”  

“There’s no need for that. We have no intention of fighting.”  

“……What?”  

“Wait… what did she just say?”  

Then, she noticed something else unsettling.  

That woman—who could likely slaughter several knights with a single strike—  

Wasn’t exuding any hostility.  

Instead, she simply raised her hands, as if to calm them down.  

And then…  

— Rumble… Clank.  

“You came to investigate the Milleas Great Forest, correct? Let me guide you.”  

“…A carriage?”  

Roots rose from the ground, intertwining to form a carriage.  

Not just one—but enough for all of them to ride.  

Seras swallowed hard, tension gripping her.  

She couldn’t understand what was happening.  

“She has intelligence… and no intention to fight, at least for now. Good. We retreat for now and……”

— A small smile.  

“Leaving already? That’s fine. But if you do, Belarus will be the one to meet with us first.”  

“….”  

But why…?  

For some reason, her feet refused to step back.  

Beyond the green-haired woman, the vast farmland stretched endlessly, lingering in her vision.  

“Commander, we should retreat! That thing is a monster!!”  

“It’s way stronger than a Chaos Ogre!!!”  

“……No. We proceed with the investigation.”  

“Commander!!?”  

With a light step, she vaulted over the stone wall.  

Her heavy magic armor left a firm imprint on foreign soil.  

The green-haired woman Aurelia smiled.

“Hehe. Welcome to the Federated Nation of Millenia.”

*       *       *

A moment later.  

“W-Wait, an orc is writing!?”  

“This is impossible!!!”  

A wave of culture shock swept over the knights.