As a member of the Knights, monster hunting is inevitable. Therefore, it is a rule that in the first year of joining any squad, one must participate in monster hunting.
Today, Fabian and I will join the Sixth Knights, who specialize in monster hunting.
Even though we train with swords every day, we are still first-year members without any combat experience. The main purpose today is to observe the senior knights' tactics, and we are not supposed to join the battle unless absolutely necessary.
There are five squads of 20 members each, and Fabian and I will join the third squad. The location is the "Starfall Forest" to the north of the capital, about an hour's ride away.
As I rode at the back of the third squad, I couldn't suppress a sense of nostalgia. Although the town has changed over 300 years, the forest remains the same. "Starfall Forest" is the closest forest to the capital, and I used to visit it occasionally in my previous life.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the forest, we split into squads and received instructions from the squad leaders. At that time, each of us was given a small vial containing a glittering liquid. It was a healing potion.
The roles were divided as follows: 10 members would fight the monsters, 5 would guard the holy maidens, 2 would scout, and 3 would patrol the surroundings. Fabian and I were assigned to the patrol.
Yes, the holy maidens are also joining us today. In a sense, they are my colleagues.
I had never met a holy maiden in this life, so I was very excited to meet them.
However, even after the preparations were complete and the instructions were given, the holy maidens were nowhere to be seen. Instead, all the knights stood in formation, waiting for something.
...Hmm. Are we waiting for the holy maidens?
After waiting for about 30 more minutes, five carriages arrived at the entrance of the forest. From the carriages, 15 women in white robes emerged.
The deputy leader of the knights, Guy, hurried to greet the women. The other knights, upon seeing the women, formed a fist with their right hand and placed it on their left shoulder, then bowed. It was the knight's salute. I hurriedly followed their lead.
"Welcome, holy maidens. I am Guy, the deputy leader of the Sixth Knights. Thank you for joining us today."
The holy maidens nodded calmly and walked slowly ahead of Guy.
Then, three holy maidens were assigned to each squad.
The three holy maidens assigned to the third squad were in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, respectively.
It seems that the names of the holy maidens are generally not disclosed, and they are all addressed as "Holy Maiden." However, the top 10 holy maidens, who have the highest abilities, are numbered according to their abilities, and their names are widely known.
"Shall we proceed, Holy Maidens?"
Hector, the leader of the third squad, asked the holy maidens for their opinion.
The three holy maidens were wearing white robes that reached their ankles and boots with laces. They each held a staff with an embedded magic stone. Without a word, they nodded and handed their staffs to nearby knights.
...Hmm, are they entrusting their important staffs to the knights because they trust them so much? Or is it because the staffs are heavy and they want the knights to carry them?
Two options flashed through my mind, but seeing the holy maidens not even making eye contact with the knights and not saying a word, I was certain.
...Yeah, it's the latter. They're heavy, so they want the knights to carry them.
Then, we split into squads and entered the forest. The knights guarding the holy maidens seemed to have a tough job.
In the forest, the branches and leaves of the trees grew freely. The knights guarding the holy maidens had to cut away the branches and leaves with axes to prevent them from touching the holy maidens' faces and hands. They had to clear all the branches and leaves in the holy maidens' path!
The holy maidens then walked down the cleared path as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ah, yeah. It's been 300 years, so I understand that values have changed. I'm not childish enough to expect everything to stay the same. But...
"Here they come!"
The knights at the front called out. It seemed they had encountered a monster.
The monster that appeared was a violet boar, a pig-like creature nearly two meters long and very aggressive. It was currently baring its fangs and snorting.
However, these were active knights. They quickly formed a circle around the violet boar, with some acting as decoys and others attacking, systematically taking down the monster.
The knights gradually cornered the violet boar, but then something strange happened. The holy maidens slowly walked away from the battle and sat down on a nearby rock.
...Huh?
As I watched in surprise, the holy maidens started chatting among themselves while sitting down.
They were laughing and talking, clearly focused on something other than the battle. The five knights guarding them stood around them, continuing to protect the holy maidens.
...Hmm, what should I do? I'm starting to get confused.
Aren't holy maidens supposed to participate in the battle and heal injured knights on the spot? Am I missing something?
While I was staring at the holy maidens in confusion, the battle had already ended. One knight who was injured stepped forward in front of the holy maidens.
The three holy maidens placed their hands on the injury and muttered what sounded like a spell. After about 30 seconds, the injured area began to glow faintly. When the holy maidens removed their hands, the wound, which had been inflicted by the monster's fangs, was healed.
...Hmm. Yes, the knight was indeed injured by the monster's fangs, and the wound had penetrated his arm.
...But, the injury was quite minor. It didn't even require a spell, and it could have been healed instantly.
Ah, what the heck?!
I had heard that the holy maidens had weakened, but this much?!
Thank you for reading.
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