October 13, Imperial Year 664.
An unprecedented outbreak of spore-type monsters swept across the western forest.
It was entirely thanks to a monster that Mona had begun suspecting the second Imperial classified report might contain an error.
The previous night.
Following the trail of blood left by the serpent, Mona’s party had ventured deep into the dark cavern.
Tracking the beast offered the chance of discovering a safe, swift shortcut into the demonic realm.
The path the Twin Head Drake had carved out was narrow and winding, but its structure was straightforward, free of branching tunnels.
After a considerable hike, they found the exit the serpent had used.
Dominic clicked his tongue as he peered up at the ceiling, pierced almost vertically above them.
Mona muttered under her breath, gazing up at the faint moonlight pouring down through the round shaft.
Pushing up her thick spectacles, she continued.
“…”
No sooner had Mona finished speaking than her whole body hitched with a fit of coughing.
Keeping pace with knights of extraordinary stamina had evidently taken its toll, leaving her voice raw, hoarse, and strained.
“…”
As Rihart quietly studied her, Dominic walked over from scouting the area.
Having ordered the retreat, Rihart glanced up at the hole where the serpent had vanished and abruptly halted in his tracks.
His voice sank to a low murmur as he added:
Entrusting Mona’s escort and the dispatch to Dominic, Rihart drew a stiletto from his coat and a folding knife from his pocket.
To scale that vertical shaft, a pocketknife and a single dagger were more than enough for him.
Reaching upward with his right arm, Rihart leapt as high as he could.
Crack!
Coated in mana, the stiletto bit into the rock wall as effortlessly as slicing through cake.
Next, he extended his left arm, driving the folding knife into the stone.
Alternating between the two blades glowing with pure white mana in each hand, Rihart pulled his upper body upward.
Water trickled down the damp rock face, drenching his shirt in moments, but he paid it no heed.
Ascending rapidly through the narrow shaft the serpent had taken, he hauled his body cleanly out through the opening.
In an instant, the clammy, suffocating air of the cavern vanished, replaced by a gentle breeze brushing across his face.
“…”
During his climb, the blue light of dawn had settled over the woods. Rihart took in the surrounding landscape with a measured gaze.
The forest before his eyes was entirely peaceful.
Leaves stirred lightly on the wind, and in the distance came only the soft murmur of running water.
Just in case, Rihart extended his senses to their sharpest peak, scanning the surroundings.
Yet nowhere was there any trace of the chaotic demonic energy that a berserk black dragon or monstrous bird would unleash.
‘My impression is that the spore monsters never rampaged at all.’
Her intuition had been spot on.
“Ha…”
A brief scoff escaped Rihart’s lips.
Why had the Imperial classified report contained faulty intelligence?
A mere mistake?
To brush it off as an administrative oversight sat ill with his instincts.
The Imperial court was a tangled web of countless conflicting interests.
Once the expedition into the demonic realm concluded, he would have to thoroughly grill the officials who drafted the classified documents.
***
Encircled by members of the investigation team, Mona gave a brief account of the previous night’s events.
The moment she finished, questions began flying at her from all sides.
Unaccustomed to having everyone hang on her words regarding monster ecology, Mona steadied her fluttering breath before continuing.
When she concluded her explanation, a murmur rippled through the gathered crowd.
To personally accompany a monster subjugation and expose a blunder in an Imperial report—
The bold conduct of a monster scholar who had seemed so timid and quiet left the investigators thoroughly astonished.
Even more shocking was that Rihart, an untouchable hero, had trusted this unknown scholar’s word enough to scout the sealed territory himself.
Seeing the Bellose daughter win the confidence of a commander known for his icy detachment, some swallowed back jealousy and envy.
And for others, it became the moment the name Mona Bellose was etched firmly into their minds.
***
Once the commotion settled, Rihart issued new instructions.
His eyes swept across the investigators.
Inwardly, Rihart considered this turn of events a blessing in disguise.
From the start, he had never been fond of setting up base camp in an open plot entangled with the local lord’s interests.
‘An empty patch of ground is far preferable to dealing with freeloaders.’
Moreover, shifting to the upper boundary allowed a direct straight-line advance toward the peak of Mount Kirki rather than a diagonal route, drastically cutting the travel distance.
Not only would it compress the expedition schedule, but it also reduced the number of footholds required inside the demonic realm.
Taking the shortest possible route was advantageous in every conceivable way.
Following Rihart’s decision, the investigation team packed their gear once more to seek out a new campsite.
***
Mona’s eyes flew wide as she furtively slipped peanuts into the slime’s pouch.
She had only followed along because she was far more worried about the monster than the humans. Confessing that outright would get her branded a witch.
“…”
Most noble ladies learned horsemanship from childhood, but Mona had spent her early years glued to her grandmother’s side studying monsters.
Even after her parents returned from abroad, she had rarely ridden, possessing barely enough skill to manage the basics.
Natasha offered the suggestion with utter nonchalance.
‘…Doesn’t she hate physical contact?’
Still, Mona could hardly bring that up to her face, so she merely nodded.
An hour later.
Clop, clop, clop.
‘S-save me…’
Led by Rihart, the elite of the Black Knights took off across the hills at a speed Mona could scarcely endure.
Gripping the saddle with clammy hands and clamping her legs tight, Mona renewed a thoroughly pointless resolution.
She really needed to train her core.
Natasha asked from behind. Loath to become a burden, Mona forced out a reply.
On second thought, perhaps being a burden wouldn't have been so bad.
