Chapter 10
The spears, lined up as if to pierce the sky, are brought down all at once. The soldiers shout in unison, thrust their spears forward, and advance. When they reach the edge of the training ground, they turn about and repeat the same exercise.
At the training ground built right beside Karulus Fortress, the assembled recruits were undergoing training.
They had already finished their basic training and physical conditioning, so at least they looked the part.
However, there were no veterans with actual combat experience, and their training consisted of nothing more than rote drills. It was impossible to know how well they would perform in real combat.
The lack of archers was another problem, since they could only fight at close range. None of the recruits had ever used a bow, so there was not enough time to train them to handle one properly. I wanted to assess their aptitudes and train them accordingly in the future.
Speaking of aptitudes, I also wanted to test their aptitude for magic.
Few people possessed a magical aptitude, and it was said that finding even one in a hundred was fortunate. Perhaps there was at least one among these recruits.
I had a catalyst for testing their aptitude on hand.
It was a powder called magic paint, which changed its properties in response to magical power.
When it was clenched in a hand and then placed in a fire, it changed the color of the flames, revealing the holder's magical power.
The test could be performed at any time, but the item was expensive and, above all, difficult to obtain. I only had what the Serra Trading Company had procured for me. There was barely enough for about twenty people, so I could not use it casually on recruits whose combat abilities remained unknown.
Another problem was the lack of healers. A fortress was supposed to have at least one mage and two healers stationed there at all times, but after the Demon King's army appeared, mages and healers had been called up from all over the country. Both positions were currently vacant.
The absence of a mage was unavoidable, but having no healer to treat injuries was a serious problem. Casualties were inevitable in battle, and even training produced injuries. We needed to secure at least one healer as soon as possible, but that was impossible for now as well.
The endless list of things we lacked gave me a headache, but for now, I had no choice but to make do with what we had.
"Al, how are things going?"
There were no ranks or hierarchy among the recruits. For the time being, I had appointed the spirited Al as their provisional leader.
"As you can see, everything is perfect."
It was an overconfident statement, but I did not point that out for now. I would leave him as captain until he failed at the job.
"That's good to hear. Then training ends today. A report just came in. Apparently, monsters have appeared in a village about two days' journey south."
A villager who had entered the mountains had reported encountering ten small monsters.
Monsters were wild animals that had been transformed and made ferocious for some reason.
Until now, monsters had only been reported from time to time, but Demon King Zelgis had somehow succeeded in creating them at will.
Moreover, the monsters created by Zelgis apparently possessed the power to turn other animals into monsters. The monsters released by the Demon King's army had multiplied in various places, becoming a calamity that was gnawing away at the entire country.
"The monsters created by the Demon King's army are especially ferocious. They are hostile toward humans and attack indiscriminately. If we leave them alone, it will only be a matter of time before the village is attacked."
The villagers had apparently avoided entering the mountains since their encounter with the monsters and focused on defending themselves, but eventually the monsters would descend from the mountains and attack the settlement. We needed to exterminate them before that happened.
"All right, you lot. It's time for real combat!"
Al bellowed enthusiastically. Several soldiers were swept up by his energy and shouted as well. He was brash, but that spiritedness might prove useful.
The next day, as promised, I left the fortress with the soldiers.
Three of us, myself included, rode horses, while a supply wagon loaded with food brought up the rear.
Before our departure, Nanny Kairo tried repeatedly to hold me back, but I could not afford to let that stop me.
We made good time on the march. Because there were only twenty of us, we advanced briskly. Besides, some of the soldiers had been blinded by the promise of rewards and seemed eager to defeat the enemy as soon as possible.
Their morale seemed fairly high, but I could not rely on it too much. It was merely a temporary thing created by money and a sense of duty, a show of bravado that might vanish at the slightest breeze. All I could do was hope that it would not be blown away in actual combat.
As I rode alongside the soldiers, I noticed that the one riding directly beside me was looking at me.
His name was Ray.
He was a freckle-faced young man with a youthful air. His pale skin, skinny body, and lanky stature made him look like a radish grown in a place that never saw the sun. He was slightly older than me, but his face made him look even younger.
"What is it?"
"Oh, no. I just thought you were good at riding."
Perhaps because he had not expected me to speak to him, Ray answered haltingly.
"I had opportunities to ride while traveling with the prince."
We traveled mostly on foot, but sometimes we borrowed horses to get around. I had been a poor rider at first, but some plains nomads I met during our journey taught me horsemanship. By the end, I had become the best rider among the five of us.
People would probably consider it unseemly for a woman to ride, but I had no intention of becoming a burden.
"I like horses. I can handle carriages as well. When I traveled through the snow-covered frozen wastelands of the north, I even handled a dog sled."
I liked animals. Horses in particular were beautiful creatures.
"That's impressive."
As Ray offered that flattering remark, I heard a whistle from beside me.
"Exactly. A real wild child."
Al was riding beside Ray, wearing a smug grin.
Ray quietly admonished Al, but Al acted as if he had not heard. I did not reprimand him either.
"Why can you two ride horses? You were farmers, weren't you?"
It was unusual for farmers to know how to ride horses.
"Yeah. I'm brave, so I used to ride farm horses."
Al said it proudly, but he was probably mistaking recklessness for bravery. That said, recklessness was also a necessary quality for a soldier.
Still, the fact that he owned a farm horse suggested that he might have been a fairly prosperous farmer.
"Um, I'm not a farmer. I grew up in a church orphanage."
Ray quietly corrected him.
"Oh, I see. So that's why you can read, write, and do arithmetic."
In addition to riding, Ray could read and write and perform simple calculations.
At a time when people even said that it was enough for a farmer to be able to write his own name, I had thought his education unusually thorough. Now I understood why.
"Did you help at the church?"
"Yes. The priest who served as my father figure knew about medicinal herbs, so he acted as a doctor for the surrounding area. He often went out to various villages, but whenever someone arrived needing urgent care, I had to ride out and fetch him."
"That's wonderful."
If he had learned those skills in order to help people, he deserved to be praised.
When I praised him sincerely, Ray lowered his head and scratched his nose. Apparently, he was not used to receiving praise.
Al nudged Ray, and the two began arguing. How very friendly.
Nevertheless, I had high hopes for both of them.
Al was brash, but he was well-built and respected by the other recruits. He was currently their provisional captain, but if he did not fail, I wanted to make him their official captain. Ray was too timid for a soldier, but because he could read and write, I hoped to entrust him with several administrative duties in time.
They each had their flaws, but for now, I wanted to rely on their strengths.