It was expected to take about 3 days to reach the Argon Territory, the destination of this mission.
Since the group included important figures such as a saint and a cardinal from the Celestial Church, the use of the warp gate was initially considered, but the idea was rejected at the request of the Celestial Church.
Of course, the superficial reason was that the budget was too high and it was extravagant, and there were difficulties in adjusting the timing of the meeting with the later troops…
"Wow! Cardinal Malleus, look at that! The autumn leaves on the mountain are so beautiful!"
"Oh, that's right. It's really nice to see! This area usually has a grand festival every year around this time."
In my opinion, it seemed like the elders of the church just wanted to show the young and narrow-minded Ophelia the world.
Since she was born a commoner and had never been outside the village, and after being rescued by me from the battlefield, she would have been confined to the convent, it was only natural for her to react like a child.
I chuckled and shook my head at the peaceful sight of her granddaughter and grandfather chatting away in the large carriage.
"She's just like a child on a picnic."
No matter what, it was a mission to purify a territory, so why was she so nervous?
Well, considering the group's fighting ability, it was an acceptable attitude.
All she had to do was properly carry out her assigned mission. The mission hadn't even started yet, so it wouldn't have been bad to enjoy a somewhat relaxed atmosphere while moving.
"Captain! There's a strangely shaped cloud passing by in the sky. It's fluffy... It looks like it has a tail. Doesn't it look like a cat?"
But I didn't know that Agnes would show such a girlish appearance.
I already knew that, despite her sharp impression, she was surprisingly sensitive, but it felt different when she was on horseback, fully armed, pointing her finger at the sky.
"Pooha…!"
Agnes's behavior was cute, but somehow awkward, and I couldn't help but laugh.
—Poohihihing!
And on top of that, the huge black horse I was riding on was also making a mocking noise at that perfect moment.
"Ah, ahhhh…"
Agnes let out a sound as if she was groaning and her face turned bright red like a ripe tomato.
"Pooha…! It's okay. Our position is at the front of the line, so my subordinates probably didn't see it."
"You, you're going too far… Why are you laughing like that…!"
"Why are you laughing? It's because you're so cute."
She looked so lovely that I wanted to pat her head right away, but it was just too bad that she was in the middle of a mission.
Agnes pouts and glances at me with her eyes wide open, then takes out her watch, takes a look at it, and changes the subject.
"Ah, ah. It's almost afternoon now, so it'll get dark soon. Doesn't the sun set early in the mountains? I think we should start preparing for camp."
"Yes. I understand. Let's just get over this pass and rest."
"Yes. Then I'll relay the instructions to the rear ranks."
I gave her an order and carefully examined the surrounding terrain to check the current situation again.
According to a letter from the Knight Commander of the Ropes, who is in charge of this area, the raid that occurred in the Argon Territory has currently calmed down.
It is true that the territory and the surrounding mountain range have been occupied by monsters, but thanks to the quick initial response, the damage is significantly less than the scale of the situation.
In the first place, it was a mountain village-level territory, so there was no particular financial damage, and the refugees were already accepted into nearby territories and were doing well.
'This is only pitiful for the lord. It's really unfortunate."
Of course, it must have been heartbreaking for the lord, Baron Argon, but this was just bad luck.
It was reported several times a year that small territories were completely destroyed by monsters. Even though the era of humanity had arrived, the monsters' resistance had not completely stopped.
Still, since such a large force was going to reclaim the territory, there would be significant results.
"Chief! The scouting party has returned. According to the results of the scouting, no high-risk monsters or unusual circumstances were observed in the surrounding area."
After passing a peak with a gentle ridge and reaching a flat terrain with a small stream flowing nearby, the scouting party that had been sent to check the surroundings also returned.
"Yes. "You worked hard."
Anyway, since we had no reason to stay up all night and march, we decided to camp here as planned.
"Everyone, let's prepare for camping here today!"
"Yes!"
There are a few villages nearby, but it's a shame that there aren't any villages large enough to accommodate this many people.
Still, given the level of the group, it might be better to camp than rest in a shabby lodging.
The Empire's camping culture underwent a groundbreaking change a few months ago due to the newly invented magic tools.
"The great man who invented this great thing should be awarded the Solarium 1st Class Medal."
"No. I should be thanking the captain for this. Since we won the competition, we've been supplied with these things and are using them. How many gold coins would it cost to buy this? Oh my... "
—Paaat!
If you roughly cut down some wood to make a frame and then activate the magic tool, you can complete a nearly perfect accommodation without having to bother pitching a tent.
It is still very expensive because we haven't yet achieved a mass production system, but it is definitely worth the price.
'If only there had been something like this during the war...'
When the war was in full swing, everyone, whether commander or low-ranking soldier, would just pick up fallen leaves and set up a tent on the mud or gravel ground and sleep there.
I don't know who invented it, but if they had invented it 5~6 years earlier, wouldn't it have been a little easier?
I can feel that the world is becoming a much better place.
"Hey."
—Dudududuk!
With that thought, I pulled out a few large, moderately tall trees to prepare wood. Since I didn't really have anything to do anyway, I wanted to make my men's lives easier.
"That tree... isn't it about 15 meters tall? The circumference is thicker than the torso of a bull… "
"Every time I see something like that, I wonder if the leader is really a human like us."
"No, is it possible to become like that by training mana?"
"You're the leader… I don't think the main office would be particularly surprised if the leader suddenly pulled out a mountain."
However, for some reason, the surroundings are a bit noisy.
My subordinates think that whatever I do now just works out, but the members of the Cheonshin Church are staring at me with their mouths wide open in disbelief.
"Oh, my God."
"That's ridiculous. How could you… without the blessing of the heavens?"
Damn, I didn't do it to show off my power. I feel a little embarrassed for some reason.
There's a reason why they say that it's better for superiors to just stay still until a critical situation arises.
Still, since it's come to this, I guess it's better to make a good impression on the priests.
I smiled casually and approached the Cheonshin Church campsite.
As expected of a wealthy church, they had also finished preparing for camping using the same magic tools we use.
"Nice to meet you, priests. Are you having any inconveniences while staying? If the campsite is too small, I can expand it a little."
"No, it's fine. Haha..."
"I see. If something unexpected happens at night, please let me know."
"Yes. Thank you for your concern. Wolfgang."
After making myself look at the priests, I returned to our side and checked the guard posture.
The night watch was to be taken in turns by both sides, and since it was our turn on the first night, I needed to give more definite instructions.
We couldn't let even the slightest mishap happen to the group with the saint in it.
"Ha! This is worth seeing."
After walking around so diligently, the surroundings became completely dark before I knew it, and the stars were twinkling in the sky.
I looked around, sat down on a rock at the edge of the campsite, and looked up at the sky.
The crescent moon shining brightly was so beautiful. Whenever I see the silvery moon, I always think of Alicia. Her soft silver hair always reminds me of moonlight.
'It's been a long time. Come to think of it, the day I first met Alicia, there was a crescent moon.'
It was a thought I shouldn't have had during a mission, but I couldn't help but feel sentimental when I spent the night in the mountains like this.
Honestly, up until now, it felt more like I was going out to play with my subordinates somewhere far away rather than carrying out an operation.
Still, it felt good because my head, which had been dizzy for the past few days, felt a little clearer.
There were already many things to worry about, so if this mission went smoothly like today, it would be really great.
As I thought that and tried to get up,
"Oh, mister!"
"Hmm?"
From behind the rock, Ophelia poked her head out, her face looking a little uneasy for some reason.
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