The Knight Order’s training grounds, located just outside the city.

Though it is called a training ground, it’s not just that—there are also barracks and warehouses built here. This time, the barracks are being used as the main camp.

The doors are wide open, and people are coming and going frequently, but there’s no sign of confusion.

Several soldiers, likely messengers, are stationed in front of the entrance.

If I’m going to land, that would be the best spot.

“Good work.”

“!? Vice Captain Sera!”

A surprised voice called out as I descended from above.

It happens every time, but arriving at night always seems to startle people…

“I came ahead of the others. Is the Captain inside? I’ll go in.”

I gave the soldiers a small wave in greeting and stepped into the main camp. Inside, August and the others were gathered around a table, holding documents and giving rapid-fire instructions to the messengers.

Everyone was busy, so no one noticed me entering.

Since they were clearly occupied, I decided to move to the wall and wait until things settled down a bit before greeting them.

There probably wasn’t much time to relax, but… well, there was still time before Zighart and Teresa arrived.

“Vice Captain Sera. Are you alone?”

Despite my efforts to be considerate, August quickly noticed me and called out.

“Thanks for your hard work. I came ahead of the others. Zighart and Teresa are preparing the troops and horses before heading out.”

They were both acting as commanding officers, meaning they had to lead their subordinates.

Unlike me, who was free to move around on my own, they had heavier responsibilities.

“I see. Come here. I’ll explain the situation first.”

At his words, the people gathered around the table stepped aside, making space for me.

Even though they were busy, they were taking the time to brief me.

When I approached, August pointed to a map.

It depicted the outskirts of the demon-infested region, including the First Forest, with numerous white and black pieces placed on it.

The black pieces were scattered throughout the forest—likely representing groups of monsters.

“We can hear the noise from here as well. You probably saw it from above, but the number of monsters emerging from the forest is increasing. Until now, they weren’t particularly strong, so we handled them by deploying our forces in a wide formation, but…”

August picked up several black pieces and moved them from the forest toward the territory capital.

The movement was a straight line, without consideration for roads.

Well, they’re just monsters, after all.

“So, even the monsters from deeper in the forest have started coming out?”

The messengers had already mentioned it.

The stronger monsters from within had begun emerging.

“Exactly. Despite still having plenty of forces left, the enemy has chosen to act early. This boss is quite intelligent.”

“I see…”

A piecemeal deployment of troops is generally a bad strategy.

They’re probably aiming to turn this into a chaotic melee where sheer numbers give them an advantage.

Just as August said, this enemy was quite clever.

“Zighart and Teresa will be in charge of commanding the troops, while Vice Captain Sera will handle messenger duties, distributing potions, and providing support through blessings as usual. If you notice any weak points in the battle lines, you’re free to act at your discretion, but… ideally, I’d like you to focus on the southern side. What do you think?”

August paused his explanation.

“Yeah, no problem.”

I’m not suited for commanding troops.

Delivering supplies, providing blessings, and jumping into combat when needed—that’s my role.

The southern side, unlike the northern plains where horses could run freely, had forests, rivers, and other obstacles.

It was a better fit for me.

No complaints there.

Hearing my response, August nodded and continued.

“The adventurers are operating under the Warrior Corps’ command, but I’d like you to assist them as well. Once Zighart arrives, he’ll take charge of that side, so if anyone asks, let them know.”

“Got it, got it.”

He continued explaining for another ten minutes, detailing the responsibilities of the Knight Order, adventurers, and unit leaders.

◇

My first task was to deliver the message about Zighart’s arrival to the unit stationed at the farthest end of the front lines.

This location was about a kilometer south of the territory capital, separated by a forest that blocked visibility.

This made it hard to detect changes in the situation.

However, the group stationed here belonged to a well-regarded adventurer clan from the capital.

They were all highly skilled, and more importantly, their numbers were large.

The group was divided into combat teams and reserves, with the combat teams further split into multiple parties.

Since they were all from the same clan, their coordination was excellent, making them reliable for this role.

By the time I arrived, they were still in the middle of battle, but they were handling the monster horde with ease.

“Good work, everyone!”

I called out as I descended, timing my approach to when the battle had just ended.

The combat team retreated, while the reserve team stepped forward to drag the monster corpses into a pile.

Neglecting this step could lead to serious accidents during future battles.

“…Oh. If you’re here, that means Zighart is deploying too?”

A middle-aged man, clearly a leader of the group, looked up and responded.

Judging by his presence, he was one of the strongest members here, but his weapon remained sheathed.

Still conserving energy, I see.

“Yep. I’m just the messenger. Is everything alright on your end?”

“No problems here. We’ve got enough people and potions.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. I’ll be patrolling the southern side, so if anything comes up, call for me. Do you have a signal whistle?”

“Yeah. Hey!”

The man turned to someone on watch and mimed blowing a whistle.

Noticing this, the person retrieved a whistle from his chest and held it up.

“Nice, nice. Looks like you’re well-prepared.”

“Of course. Pass my regards to the higher-ups.”

“Will do.”

With that, I finished my check-in.

Just to be safe, I cast 【Prayer】 on them before taking off again.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・15 cards

Seriana・【Area Identification】・【】・33 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards