Intermission 2 — Lingering Traces and Vanished Drakes

The efforts of both the royal army under General Pujol and the Gaziel March’s army under Xavier Gaziel were showing their worth as the soldiers worked steadily towards ensuring the safety of the salt road.

They were arrayed around a hill in a semicircle—one hunter’s advice was that this was likely to be the den of the large swarm raptor—and gradually tightening their formation.

It was easier said than done, of course. Each step from the road was a step into unexplored territory. The dense foliage meant they couldn’t even take ten steps in a straight line, while the chest-high weeds would bite into any exposed skin. The vines crawling between the trees were tougher than they looked as they blocked the soldiers’ path. Insects lurking in the undergrowth had stung multiple soldiers as well.

It was due to these obstacles that the men were wearing clothes they sweltered in: long sleeves and pants along with leather boots and gloves—similar to work gloves from Earth—as they silently swung their sickles.

It went without saying that Capua was hot. While it was better at this time of year now that the hottest months had passed, the midday highs were still above thirty degrees. Under those conditions, with the only bare skin being their faces, even the highly trained soldiers grew fatigued from the endless hours of manual labor.

The repetitive cutting motion forced them to stay in a half-stooped posture and was harder work than anyone who hadn’t experienced it could imagine. The heavy clothing meant that the sweat built up and soaked the material as well, which after an hour was several times its original weight.

The sweat must have also irritated their skin, as the soldiers frequently clawed at areas of their bodies with their free hands. Unfortunately, the thick clothes and gloved hands meant that scratching didn’t relieve the itching in the slightest.

Normally, such simple labor would have been aided by one of the best methods: singing. Singing as they worked would have kept them working to a rhythm and allowed them to—at least somewhat—forget the pain of their endeavor. However, with noise posing a risk, no singing was allowed here. After all, they were not tending plants—they were hunting. The true target of their blades was not the greenery, but the swarm raptor infestation. If they came together in song, the raptors, along with other aggressive drakes, could attack without their approach being noticed.

Thus, the only avenue they had to vent their stress as they were covered in sweat, mud, and plant matter was to quietly complain.

They were about halfway to their original target thanks to the mud-stained soldiers’ efforts when it happened.

“What was that? Repeat yourself,” General Pujol Guillén demanded of a pale-faced, bearded hunter with a glare.

The hunter could only manage a strangled gasp. The general had not intended any harm, but the hunter couldn’t cope. After all, there was no one in Capua who did not know that man was both at the head of the country’s army and the head of one of the leading noble families. He was also close to two meters tall, and his trained body weighed easily over a hundred kilos. One could hardly call fear in the face of a man—who held both the right and strength to kill you if the whim took him—glaring at you “cowardice.”

Fortunately, the general understood the expression on the hunter’s face.

“Mph...”

He could feel his brow start to furrow in displeasure but realized that such an expression would only worsen the situation, so he kept his face neutral before calling to the young noble behind him.

“Lord Xavier! I believe this man is one of your subordinates. Listen to what he has to say and then report to me.”

You could perhaps call it an admission of defeat, but Pujol knew that the scared man in front of him wouldn’t be able to calm down. It was hardly surprising... However friendly a lion appeared, a deer or rabbit would never let their guard down.

“Understood, sir!” Xavier responded immediately and easily, having grown used to acting as the general’s subordinate.

Later, General Pujol heard the hunter’s report via Xavier Gaziel within their temporary command tent. The area had been a relatively clear section they had found while their hunt progressed and had been flattened via earth manipulation, with walls formed in the same way to create the tent, meaning the available space was very limited.

The room was packed with four people: Pujol, his adjutant, Xavier, and Knight Josep. Naturally, Pujol took up twice the space of the others.

“Give your report. Lord Xavier, you have information on the man from earlier?”

Xavier came to attention as Pujol questioned him from a chair formed through earth manipulation magic.

“Yes, sir. I managed to calm him down and get him to talk.”

While the general was seated, the margrave-to-be was standing at attention. Somewhat sadly, their eyeline was still almost at the same level.

The general gave an almost rueful smile at Xavier’s reply. “My apologies. I know that I put people ill at ease. I used to try to make things better, but I’ve long since given up now.”

The general had features that could certainly be called handsome, but his face was a hard military man’s without a hint of sweetness to those features. It meant that he had very few avenues through which to put his conversational partners at ease, and it was ultimately an area he struggled with.

Xavier cast around for a reply to the hero’s complaints. “Ah, um, not at all. Everyone has their weaknesses.”

The general noticed that his complaints were troubling the promising young man and immediately continued the conversation as if he had said nothing. “Then let us hear the report. What was his information?”

Xavier straightened once more and began to speak with a serious expression. “He relayed that there is a strong possibility the swarm raptors have already left the area.”

The bearded hunter was highly skilled, and Xavier had brought him along from his own lands. There was no one else around who had more experience with wild drakes, including swarm raptors.

General Pujol was no fool, and he would not dismiss a specialist’s judgment easily. “I wonder whether this would count as expected or unexpected.”

Considering the general’s murmur, it was clear that even a layman like him had felt that something was out of place. When they had begun their hunt, they had encountered the swarm raptors relatively frequently. Recently, however, they had barely come across them.

A small amount of consideration revealed the strangeness of the situation. Their hunt was continuing by closing the semicircle formation. If there were raptors in the area they were encircling, it was strange for the encounter rate to drop, as it should have been easier to find them.

Xavier continued his explanation. “The feces, leftover food, claw marks, and footprints confirm that there were several hundred raptors in the area. There are anomalously large traces as well, so we can assume that the giant raptor was also hidden here. However, the encounter rate is dropping as we narrow the search area. In fact, we haven’t encountered a single one in the last three days. The hunter states that this is due to them having abandoned the mountain.”

Naturally, beasts would flee when cornered. Since the soldiers had been using a semicircle, it left an escape route, as it was difficult to completely encircle the area, but also because the bearded hunter had said that it would cause no issues. If that same hunter had been in the room with them, the general would likely have questioned him with such a sharp gaze that the man would have had a heart attack.

“Explain. As far as I was aware, there are very few areas that can support such a large amount of raptors with both sufficient food and space and they would therefore refuse to abandon their territory unless something extreme occurred. Was that incorrect?”

This was the main reason they had compromised and chosen a semicircle formation. The logic was obvious in retrospect. Unexplored lands for humanity would naturally be full of many creatures, leading to vicious fights throughout the area. Feeding grounds, watering holes, and somewhere to lay eggs safely. Any area that fulfilled those conditions would inevitably be ruled over by strong drakes.

While the swarm raptors were both unusually strong for their kind and hunted in great numbers, they were not apex predators. There were creatures like brawn drakes, great drakes, and fang drakes, which the swarm raptors would never win against in a normal fight. Therefore, they would normally hang on to their territory to the bitter end, even when hunted by humans. They knew that fleeing into the trees would be no guarantee of survival.

Xavier swallowed nervously at the general’s tone but managed to keep any tremors from his voice as he replied. “No, sir. According to him, it is extremely rare, but swarm raptors will sometimes abandon both their food and water sources. If a creature they could never win against, such as an ancient wyvern or savage wyvern, were to lay claim to their territory, they would seek out new lands rather than fight an unwinnable battle.”

Even Pujol’s eyebrow rose at that. “You mean to say that a creature on the same level as an ancient or savage wyvern is in the area?”

That would be an extreme emergency, even more so than their current mission to subjugate the swarm raptors.

But Xavier shook his head. “No, he said that was impossible. The feces, tracks, claw marks, and leftover food indicate that the only carnivorous drakes around here are the swarm raptors.”

“Hmm...” Pujol mused, putting his chin in his hand.

Swarm raptors would rarely abandon their territory, and yet they had done exactly that. The examples given were if a more powerful creature came to take the territory for themselves. However, the only carnivorous drakes in the area seemed to be the swarm raptors themselves.

All the information was there, so the general came quickly to the correct conclusion. “In other words, that huge swarm raptor has evaluated us as unbeatable and fled?”

Xavier nodded. “Indeed. He said that while he cannot say that with certainty, he cannot think of another conclusion.”

The swarm raptors had initially treated the humans as prey, but after a harsh reprisal had abandoned their feeding grounds and fled. It could certainly be described as a beast’s response, but it was also far from the usual behavior of the raptors. But it was, perhaps, inevitable with them losing the battle here.

“Awfully decisive and quick to act. It would pass as one of my subordinates.”

Foes were more difficult when they knew to cut their losses and run.

Xavier, agreeing with the general’s evaluation, continued. “If we finish the hunt and find no more swarm raptors, then I think we will have to assume they have abandoned their territory. If that is the case, can we not call our duty fulfilled?”

“True, our role is not to eradicate the raptors but to ensure the road’s safety. If the swarm raptors are no longer encroaching on the salt road, that would certainly be a valid interpretation. Would there truly be no issues later, though? Would they not attempt to return once we leave?”

Xavier had assumed that Pujol would express that concern and had asked the hunter for his opinion on it, so he was able to answer immediately. “The possibility is there. However, there is a greater problem. Such invasions of territory could well cause the entire forest to riot.”

“Riot?” the general parroted.

“Indeed, territorial disputes do not always end between the invader and invaded. If the losing party dies, that’s all very well, but if not and they flee, it can cause another dispute elsewhere. If the same thing happens once more and the losing group does not die and travels to yet another location... This forms a chain and can continue endlessly.”

“We cannot deal with such a problem alone,” the general said with an irritated shrug of his wide shoulders.

With the possibility of the raptors’ return, Pujol’s group couldn’t leave. If the fleeing raptors could cause the fighting to spread throughout the forest, they would have to report it to Aura. If the disruption were confined to the forest, that would be manageable, but if the unrest could spread to settlements, then it would become a grave concern.

Xavier’s earlier statement about it being their duty to make the salt road safe was not incorrect. Yet, General Pujol was aware that as the highest-ranked general in the royal army, he was a pillar of Capua. With that in mind, he knew that fulfilling the letter of his duty was not the be-all and end-all of his role.

His thoughts whirled, and the veteran quickly settled on a conclusion. His gaze—sharp to begin with—grew all the more so as he spoke. “First, we will conclude our hunt as planned. It is not because I doubt your specialists, but this is not a minor enough situation to make a decision without absolute proof. So, Lord Xavier?”

“Yes, sir!”

“You are to take the hunter to the capital. You should be able to use your name to secure a direct audience with Her Majesty. Speak frankly and ask for her guidance.”

Even Xavier, wise for his age, couldn’t hide his confusion at the unexpected order. “Yes, sir...but directly to the capital? A report would get there quicker via wyvern from a fort and my subordinates—”

“A wyvern would not work. The information is too complex, and it could lead to confusion. Passing on the information by word of mouth would also be a disadvantage. Her Majesty must hear it directly from the hunter. She is willing to compromise on matters such as this. As for your subordinates, leave them to your knight, Josep.”

Xavier could tell from the man’s tone that this was not up for debate, and after a glance of mutual understanding with Josep at his side, he straightened and gave a salute.

“Understood, sir. I shall leave as soon as the hunt is complete.”

Pujol shook his head. “No, you should leave immediately. It is a race against time. Once the hunt is complete, we will return to the fortress in the crownlands and send a wyvern. Considering the relative speeds of wyverns and dash drakes, it should arrive at approximately the same time. Naturally, I will mention your goal in the letter. It may arrive slightly before or after you, so make adjustments as necessary,” the general said.

Xavier understood that the “race against time” was no mere metaphor and once more saluted with a determined expression. “Understood, sir! I will leave at once!”

As if to underscore those words, he immediately departed the tent with quick steps.