Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

Across the continent, there were numerous places referred to as ‘demon realms’.

Most notably, the snowy mountains in the northeastern border of the Granier Empire, the southern sea, and the Sky Mountain in the central region were such places.

Furthermore, mysterious ancient structures from a bygone era known as the forgotten age, along with the labyrinths and dungeons within them, were also revered and feared as ‘demon realms’.

These dangers consistently provoked human ambition for conquest, and even now, many from various locations on the continent challenged these demon realms.

However, conversely, there were those who were conquering these places to survive.

The very epitome of this resolute spirit was the Worden County, steadfastly standing in the western demon realm of the continent, amidst the barren lands of the Rangar region.

***

“Count, this is the place.”

Following the scout who had taken the role of guiding him was a man named Roberto Worden, whose eyes shone with a sharp glint.

His blonde hair, due to extensive external activities, was roughly tied, and his beard grew patchily because he hadn’t had the chance to shave.

Though he was nearing fifty, his appearance and physique retained youthful vigor and ambition comparable to a young man.

Beside him were individuals armed with extraordinary weapons and aura.

These were elite knights, the pillar and actual force of the Worden family, in formation with veteran mages from the Logia Magic Tower, keeping watch around them.

Even though there were only about fifteen in the contingent, they were the core force of the punitive squad, deterring monsters from daring to approach.

Despite this, the group instinctively perceived the looming threat, eyeing the place the scout indicated, ready to engage in battle at any moment.

The area seemed unremarkable compared to its surroundings, but for those who could sense mana, a strangely familiar yet peculiar space unfolded before their eyes.

Watching this, Count Worden cautiously asked the scout, “How did you discover this place?”

“Well, it just felt strange. It was as if I felt pressured just approaching the area, almost as if it were a horde of monsters. I wanted to investigate further, but something told me I shouldn’t…”

“You have sharp instincts. Did you discern the flow of mana and sense the threat intuitively?”

A scout’s fundamental duty was to detect monsters early or find traces to guide others safely to their destination.

However, this young scout hadn’t located a monster or found evidence but merely felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, which led to a hasty report.

Delivering such vague information wasn’t ideal for a scout, but in a perilous frontline where life hung in the balance, instinct could not be entirely dismissed.

Hence, Count Worden, commander of the punitive squad, moved warily to the suspicious spot, accompanied by elite forces despite the scout’s unclear explanation.

Unlike the scout, Count Worden comprehended precisely what the scout referred to, recognizing the place’s identity and danger.

“Sir Tanato. I assume this is the habitat of a demon beast, am I correct?”

“Indeed. It appears to be a nest.”

In response to Count Worden’s query, a middle-aged man emerged from among the knights’ protection to answer. This was Tanato Ruben, the head mage responsible for the Rangar branch of the Logia Magic Tower. The Rangar region was populated by many monsters, leading to frequent occurrences of demon beasts.

“Is there even a habitat for demon beasts?” the scout asked quietly to the mage who stood admiring beside him.

However, the surroundings were so silent that even his whisper was audible to Count Worden, who took the initiative to educate the scout.

“Unlike monsters, you know that demon beasts are inherently born with mana, right?”

“Ah, yes. I am aware.”

While their appearance could change — their fur might color shift, or their claws and teeth might become significantly sharper due to mana — their forms didn’t drastically differ from their original species.

However, since it could instinctively manipulate mana, it was stronger than ordinary monsters, requiring caution when confronting it.

“The place where you felt a sense of familiarity is called a Nest.”

“Then, could this be the home where demon beasts reside…?”

“You could say so, but it will be different from the demon beasts you know.”

Ordinary demon beasts differed from the nest-type demon beasts.

While demon beasts were born from transformed living beings, nest-type demon beasts were mutated through corrupted mana. Due to mana, their very existence was altered, transforming them into unpredictable beings.

Therefore, the place where a nest-type demon beast settled transformed into an unpredictable state similar to a ‘demon realm’.

Since it was where the mana that transformed the demon beasts was concentrated, the surrounding flora and fauna had already been corrupted. Approaching it without a mana tool to block the corrupted mana would lead to being consumed by it.

Even if the knights could circulate the mana within their bodies to block the corrupted mana naturally, the soldiers could not.

Most importantly, the concentration of mana surrounding this nest before their eyes was so intense that it resonated within their chests, indirectly indicating that the power of the demon beast was not ordinary.

“Well, for these reasons, the monster and demon beast you know will have altered quite a bit. It’s best to steel your resolve.”

“Hmm.”

Count Worden, having completed his explanation, looked at the scout who was sensitively reacting to his emitted mana and asked.

“By the way, what is your affiliation and name?”

“Yes, I am Eric Percival, belonging to the 3rd External Scouting Unit, First-Class Soldier.”

“Lady Laura, once we return, assign Eric Percival to the apprentice knight rank.”

“As you wish, count.”

To become a knight, one had to pass through the roles of a trainee and an apprentice knight.

In the case of trainees, numerous criteria such as mana sensitivity, physical abilities, loyalty to their family, and number of participation in punitive forces were tested periodically.

Only the top-performing trainees with excellent results in these tests could advance to apprentice knights. Therefore, it was extremely rare to skip the trainee stage and be assigned directly to an apprentice knight.

It was a measure taken because Count Worden had directly confirmed the remarkable mana sensitivity of the young scout Eric Percival.

“I’m an apprentice knight…?”

“You stand back for now.”

“Oh, yes, yes!”

While Eric Percival stood dumbfounded by his unexpected fortune, Count Worden gave a small smile and gently nudged his back.

Catching onto his surroundings soon after, Eric Percival quickly bowed and hastily took his place at the back of the group.

Watching him, Count Worden composed his expression.

‘If he survives, he could become a great knight.’

In the adverse condition of needing to enter the place where the demon beast’s power peaked and subdue it, it was unpredictable how many could survive.

‘No, perhaps this might be a good opportunity for everyone.’

Noticing his worries, Tanato placed a hand on Count Worden’s shoulder.

“Just in case, count. With our current capabilities, it’s a risk. We should retreat now.”

“Is it a risk?”

Tanato suggested a retreat to Count Worden, who was conflicted over the demon beasts’ habitat.

Even though their gathered forces were strong, it was deemed insufficient to breakthrough the unknown battlefield hiding potential dangers.

“You see, we’re exhausted from a rather long expedition. Supplies are low, and we need our rest.”

“Hmm.”

Tanato calmly explained the risks to Count Worden as if soothing a child. Despite being the head of a branch himself, his tone was overly disrespectful to a family head.

However, none of the knights of the Count’s house pointed out this disrespect. This was because Tanato Ruben was someone who had long ties with the former Count of the Count’s house, having significantly exceeded eighty in age, although he appeared young.

‘If we could claim it, the gains would surely be abundant.’

It had already been over a month spent in a monster subjugation effort.

Moreover, it was not a large-scale subjugation mobilizing all the forces of the territories living in the Rangar region but a small-scale one using only the forces of Count Worden’s house.

Though the scale was minimal, the cumulative fatigue was considerable, so immediately setting out for monster suppression could result in great setbacks. Although Count Worden was well aware of this fact, he couldn’t help but be troubled.

“Laura, how many people can participate in this upcoming battle?”

Laura, his deputy and close aide, briefly calculated Count Worden’s question and then sighed softly before speaking.

“If you only gather the forces capable of proper combat, it would likely be around 30% of the total. Moreover, many of the monster extermination equipment require repair and replenishment, and almost all the potions are depleted.”

“It would be unreasonable.”

“Yes, it would be.”

Count Worden subtly nodded at the calm words of Laura.

But he still seemed regretful, as his gaze didn’t wander from the location of the monsters.

“It’s truly disappointing to have to turn away with a treasure chest right before us, but that treasure chest isn’t going anywhere, is it? Don’t be hasty.”

Tanato Ruben laughed openly as he spoke at Count Worden’s demeanor.

Nest-type monsters, unlike typical monsters, rarely leave the nest they were born in.

As Tanato Ruben said, nest-type monsters would be the gatekeepers of treasures or treasures themselves, repelling intruders.

“You are right. Isn’t that a treasure chest shared only between Count Worden and the Rangar branch?”

Count Worden slightly smiled and nodded his head.

“Let’s head back. Once we thoroughly prepare and return, we’ll be able to open that chest and see what emerges.”

“…… Hopefully, it won’t be an empty box.”

Despite the hardships to open the treasure chest, often nothing was acquired. Count Worden worried yet held hopes for the treasure.

“With this level of mana, we can reasonably expect valuable treasures.”

A treasure inside the box called an abnormal monster. Spirit Stone (靈石).

This treasure, with a value incomparable to mana stones, was a precious material beyond rare, utterly invaluable in the history of humanity.

Most spirit stones were possessed by spiritual beings, but they were occasionally discovered in demon and anomalous monsters.

Although the probability was excessively low, there was ample reason to carry out the subjugation.

“Record the location meticulously and keep this matter absolutely confidential. Understood?”

“Yes!”

Everyone nodded in agreement at the Count’s command.

The knights and soldiers of the subjugation unit were allies of the Count’s house, so maintaining secrecy was feasible, and the external mages from the Logia Magic Tower would be silenced by Tanato Ruben. Such confidence was firm.

“Alright, let’s return. There’ll be a lot to tell the children when I get home.”

“Children…”

“Why does your complexion seem unsatisfied?”

“Well, I just hope they’re not fighting.”

Understanding Count Worden’s deep sigh, Tanato Ruben patted Count’s back sympathetically.

The sentiment of not wanting to return home was entirely relatable for a patriarch.