* * *

“Speed up!”

“We must get to Pavel Estate before the end of the night! Let’s go without a break!”

“Keep your guard up!”

The Ambrosia Knights quickly climbed the rugged mountain path, creating dust. There were many people near the capital, so they showed a relaxed movement, but now it was different. As they entered the sparsely populated mountain road, the originally planned speed was picking up.

“……”

Ethan quietly lifted his legs, waiting for Sarah to arrive soon. It was the only time Sarah could take off her robe and relax before joining the party that the Third Prince would lead. With the mobility of the Knights of Ambrosia, they would soon be able to reach Pavel Estate. He had wished she had come before that, but her farewell to Claude didn’t seem easy.

“Countess Millen is late.”

Jade talked to Ethan over the window of the carriage.

“Belluna’s gone over there, so she’ll be here soon.”

“As we enter the mountain road, the sun seems to set quickly.”

Jade looked around with anxious eyes. There were several ways to go out of the capital, and there were many well-maintained roads as they were near the capital of the Empire. Ambrosia was deliberately moving on a more rugged and deserted road.

“It’s not strange for them to show up now.”

“Tsk.” 

At Jade’s words, Ethan said, rising from the carriage.

“Now that the time has come for the monsters to be active, abandon the carriage.”

“Yes!”

Monsters.

It was a word that could not be heard near the capital city, the center of the Crombell Empire. It should have been like that originally. Jade continued to report alongside Ethan, who was transferred from the carriage to horseback.

“According to an informant, they gathered here to avoid crowded places. They must have been starving, so it’s going to be hard to put up with them.”

“The sachet that attracts monsters?”

“The whole Knights Order are wearing one.”

“Good.”

Relatively recently, a large number of monsters had been leaving Alton Estate. Casualties were also reported in the estates located near the Alton Estate. However, the monsters were somehow frightened, and they were trying their best to get as far away from the Alton Estate as possible, so the amount of damage was not that great.

“In the end, they crawl to near the capital. Was the Empire’s security only this much?”

“The Emperor’s declaring abdication and temporarily stepping down from the front line seems to have had an effect.”

“The princes must have had their eyes on the throne, so they didn’t even know there was a hole in the security like this.”

“As it was the time when the succession to the throne was to take place, it also seemed to affect the rest of the estate’s lords.”

Ethan sighed heavily and drove the horse a little faster. During the time of succession to the throne, the lords of each estate were often burned to the ground. Which prince would they support? Also, would they be chosen by the prince who is likely to succeed to the throne? They were extremely reluctant to cause problems in their own estates because the future of their estates was at stake.

“How many monsters did we deal with on the way?”

“It’s three.”

“It’s not a lot.”

Ethan’s eyes, with a small tongue clicking, were cold. Even though they knew that the monsters were gradually heading towards the capital, the lords of each estate did not report it, so it had become like this. It soon meant that a great hole had been opened in the Empire.

“I’ve sent the Knights Order to take care of it, but it’s still this much.”

It had been a while since they left the capital, and there were three monsters they encountered. Considering the number of people that one monster could harm, it was by no means a small number.

“As all kinds of people flock to the capital this time, it seems that a lot of monsters have also gathered here.”

“They have to settle in a place with a lot of food.”

In fact, if Sarah was there, there was no need to join the Third Prince and move slowly. If they went to Alton Estate with teleportation magic, they could get things done very quickly and easily. But the reason they didn’t do that was to clean up the monsters that had spread from the Alton Estate to this place.

“It’s the killing intent. Pull out your swords, everyone.”

“Yes!”

At Ethan’s command, the Knights slowly slowed down their horses and pulled out the swords at their waists. The sharp swords shone sharply in the darkened mountains.

“……Coming.”

Simultaneously with the words of the leading knight, the bright yellow eyes slowly flashed in front of them and began to appear one by one.

Grrr.

The cries of non-human and beast-like monsters spewing out their flesh resounded eerily.

“One, two, three, four…… um.”

Jade, who had been counting the number of the flashing eyes, said in a voice of frustration.

“It looks like they’re all gathered here.”

“Tsk.”

When Ethan clicked his tongue and made a simple gesture, the knights all dismounted from their horses and took an attacking stance. Numbers were no longer countable with fingers.

“At least thirty or more.”

A member of the Knights Order, who recognized the presence of the monsters in the front, reported to Ethan.

“The presence of such a number here means that the entire mountain range has become a den of monsters.”

“……That’s right.”

Ethan sighed quietly at the thought of being a nuisance.

“The Knights Order of Ambrosia listen.”

“Yes!”

“The Third Prince will also pass this way, and one day the people of the Empire of Crombell will also pass.” 

“……”

“Are you going to leave the monsters on the road?”

“No, sir!”

The momentum of the Knights of Ambrosia was raised at once. The swords they drew shone with a strong will, and their gaze on the side of the monsters was full of killing intent. Although the road to Alton Estate was urgent, it was an honor for them to always follow the orders of their Lord who made the choice for the Empire. 

Grrr, grroang.

In line with the spirit of the Ambrosia Knights, the monsters also slowly emerged from the darkness, boosting their momentum. Sharp claws and teeth, big as houses, tough skin reminiscent of hard armor. All the figures of the monsters made one think that they could crush humans with only one arm.

“I’ll take the lead!”

“No, I will!”

“Please send me!”

However, each one of the Ambrosia Knights wanted to be the leader as they were impatient because they could not rush in first. All they had in mind was to raise the honor of Ambrosia by dealing with those monsters.

“Now now everyone, calm down and take it easy……”

When Jade calmed them down and looked at Ethan as if in trouble, he could realize that his Lord’s eyes were not on the monsters, but above them.

“My Lord?”

He followed Ethan’s gaze and stared into the air above the heads of the monsters.

“Um?”

And in a strange feeling, he tilted his head to the side and expressed his doubts.

“It feels like the wind is gathering……”

“……?”

The Ambrosia Knights, who were vying for the lead at Jade’s murmur, also began to look into space one by one.

“Huh?”

“Uh uh……!”

Unlike Jade, the more powerful knights exclaimed when they realized that something was moving above the heads of the monsters. The flow of air was spinning as it gathered in one place. And they were used to it.

“She’s here.”

At that moment, along with Ethan’s words, which showed a slight smile, a brilliant light began to come out from above the monsters’ heads.

“Kereung?”

“Kkeeuh?”

The monsters didn’t know what was going on above their heads, so they forgot about the killing intent, and raised their heads briefly to look up. And at the same time, a strong wind swept over them.

“Kkuueok!!”

“Uh uh!”

The small monsters could not withstand the wind and were thrown around, and even the monsters with a certain strength stood there with their feet stuck in the ground. However, it didn’t take long before the monsters retreated back and forth and let out a vigilant cry. And.

“Hello, everyone! Am I too late?”

A soft and pleasant voice came from the light flowing through the wind. At the same time, a presence emerged that would end all this at once.