The Tale of the Nation That Banished the Saint - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Monster Extermination Squad

“Charge!”

I lightly kicked the flank of my mounted horse and urged it forward. Responding to my command, the horse picked up speed.

Furthermore, I leaned forward and urged it to accelerate.

“Follow me!”

Behind me, twenty cavalrymen with spears were in hot pursuit.

Our target was a group of monsters that had been ravaging the fields of the villages in this area.

The request for monster extermination had reached me, the lord of this land, five days ago. I had arrived with my unit three days ago as reinforcements. We spent two days assessing the enemy’s strength and planning the extermination.

And today, we were conducting a sweep operation to eradicate the monsters.

The appearance of the monsters varied within the group.

The group we were exterminating this time consisted of green humanoid monsters. They ranged in size from child-sized to as large as three meters.

The total number of monsters ravaging this area was approximately two hundred and thirty.

We had been gradually reducing their numbers over the past two days.

The unit I led consisted of twenty cavalry, twenty archers, fifty infantry, and a hundred rear support troops such as engineers and transport.

By the way, in this world, there are no mages who use offensive magic in combat.

On the final day, we set up a makeshift defensive position on top of a small hill and provoked the remaining group of monsters to lure them in. We used obstacles such as fences and trenches to impede the enemy’s advance while providing support with archers from the rear.

While drawing their attention there, a separate raiding party led by me launched an assault.

And that’s how we annihilated the group of monsters.

“Ares, you’re too far forward.”

“Yes, Your Highness. If something were to happen—”

As I rested in the tent after defeating the monsters, my personal guards, the female knights Leila and Lienne, came to me with their admonitions.

They were probably referring to leading the charge.

Since this was nothing new, I casually brushed off their words and went outside.

Outside, the female warriors Miranda and Miliza, along with the archer Sheen, who had participated in this extermination, were waiting. They had come to check on my well-being.

It was understandable that they were worried.

After all, I was the first prince of this country.

The first in line for succession to the throne, the prince, was fighting on the front lines. Moreover, if I were to take a prominent position in battle, it would be unprecedented.

My father, the king, had indirectly advised me to refrain from such actions. But given the current political situation, I couldn’t easily back down, and it seemed like I was pushing myself too hard.

In this country, I was the only child of the legitimate wife.

If something were to happen to me, the next person in line for succession would become king.

The order was determined based on the ranking of children from high-ranking concubines.

In that case, there would be disputes even though the order was decided, and it could even lead to civil war. The prevailing opinion was that they wanted me to stay in a safe place.

However, I couldn’t afford to do so.

I had to go out and fight.

It was necessary.

The cleanup of the battlefield was also aided by the surrounding villagers, who helped gather the corpses of the monsters and set them on fire.

In the soldiers’ tent, the medical unit was treating the wounded from the battle.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities in this expedition.

The soldiers, including myself, were leveling up every time we engaged in battle.

Compared to when the unit was formed, we were definitely stronger.

The fences used by the archers to impede the enemy’s advance and the stakes were being collected by the transport unit for reuse if they were still usable.

It seemed a bit stingy, but our budget was limited, so there was no other choice.

We cooked meals together, and for dinner, we ate and drank with the nearby villagers, making merry.

It was a small victory celebration.

The members of the transport unit belonging to the Information Guild were among the villagers, spreading tales of my exploits. I had requested the Information Guild to spread the word about me fighting on the battlefield and exterminating monsters.

The lords who had requested the monster extermination and the village chiefs from the surrounding areas came to express their gratitude and greet me.

One by one, the lords praised my bravery.

However, they didn’t forget to add remarks such as “But if the Saint were here, we wouldn’t have had to go through such hardships…”

It had been three years since the expulsion of Saint Roselia.

From the first year, the harvest had gradually decreased, and although small-scale, monsters began to appear. Among the nobles of the Leesragd Kingdom, rumors began to spread that perhaps Roselia, who had been expelled at that time, was actually a saint.

Now, as we entered the third year since her expulsion, there were even people openly criticizing the king as “the incompetent king who expelled the saint.”

The story of mistakenly expelling the saint was spreading among the people

.

Father and Dalforn must be feeling uneasy.

With the monster extermination mission completed, we began our journey back.

As I rode in the middle of the marching column, a messenger on a fast horse came galloping from the front.

—Has something happened?

The messenger, upon spotting me, brought his horse to a sudden stop.

“Excuse me for the urgent message while on horseback! There are signs of rebellion from Duke Zopondot. He is gathering troops and planning to march towards the capital!”

It seemed that after dealing with the monsters, we would have to face a rebel army next.