/
“Haa…”
Radis suppressed a groan.
It would be best to let those crazy scoundrels die, as the rest of the squad said.
‘They’re an investigation team dispatched by the imperial family. If they die, the responsibility will fall onto our—no, it’ll fall on Robert’s shoulders!’
If so, the imperial family might try to rescind the seal from Robert, even when he went all the way to the capital just to retrieve it.
It would be as though he went there just to receive it for but a moment, yet the seal would be taken right away. It would be an unbearable disgrace for Robert.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Radis opened her lips.
“Divide yourselves into three groups and move at once. The scouting group will move as fast as possible along the traces of the investigation team, and the two other groups of the squad will follow with vigilance against any monster attack. Our goal is not to hunt, but to search for the investigation team. Move fast and avoid close combat.”
Before leaving, Robert left a few words for her.
‘I trust you, Dee.’
Robert said this as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘You’re the only person I can count on. I’ll leave the squad in your hands. And…’
‘……?’
‘There’s something I want to tell you.’
‘Please go ahead, Captain.’
‘No… After I return. I’ll tell you when I come back.’
She was curious about what he was going to say, but that wasn’t something she dwelled on.
Robert had given her full power and responsibility over the squad.
Radis adjusted her helm, then she sheathed her sword into its scabbard.
‘Captain. I don’t know if I can do it, but I’ll do my best.’
* * *
“Miss Radis?”
As Allen called out to her, Radis was pulled out of her reverie.
“Yes?”
“Just as I thought, you’re still exhausted. I think it’s better if we stop here today.”
“I’m not tired…”
Radis was disappointed, but she soon changed her mind.
“Then alright, let’s continue next time.”
Rather than her body being tired, it was her mind that was in a complicated knot.
In this case, it would be better if she were to move her body than to stay seated.
Radis smiled.
When Allen saw this, he also smiled back, not knowing why she had such a bright expression.
* * *
Ooooong.
The familiar resonance shook her heart, and hot energy spread throughout her body.
Radis maneuvered a large wooden barrel closer to her with her foot, then she kicked it roughly towards the wooden fence.
Baang!
That wooden fence was like a farce of a fence as it came up to only about the waist, with no consideration of what exactly it was keeping out of bounds. And under the wooden barrel, the fence shattered.
Behind it, short monsters holding rugged weapons poured out.
“Vicious little punks.”
With a cheap iron sword in hand, one that she had nabbed from Marquis Russell’s weaponry, Radis instilled her weapon with her energy.
Mana blazed out and wrapped over the rusty, blunt iron sword.
When she swung it twice, five goblins screamed quite a bit and retreated.
Goblins were low-ranked monsters, but they were so greedy and cruel that they were still feared by villagers who were residing near the forest.
Other low-ranked monsters were afraid of fire, so they could be warded by just lighting up torches around the village. However goblins, which know how to use tools, weren’t afraid of fire.
Apart from that, villagers feared them more than bandits because they often stole human weapons.
This place also looked like an outhouse that was attacked like that.
A salty smell wafted as she saw an arrow rushing in.
Goblins even knew how to use poison.
Most of them crudely applied their weapons with poisonous herbs that could be found in Monsterwood. While the poison they used wasn’t fatal, it wouldn’t be wise to be hit by a poisoned weapon while in close combat.
Radis swung her sword and struck down two more arrows. She ran forward and jumped up.
Then, her sword promptly pierced through the chest of the monster that was shooting poisonous arrows atop a branch of a short tree.