TS Duchess Eliza’s Internal Affairs

Chapter 16

Clanetta's Monster Extermination — Part 2

Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV

Back from the hot springs, it was winter. It was a dry winter, which is unusual for Rynegard, which averages rainfall throughout the year. Fearing that a fire might break out, we were running around in the dying trees teaching fire drills to the cities and villages in our territory. Due to this thoroughness, there were only minor fire disturbances in the residential areas of the fiefdom, but there were places where fires were so large that they were unmanageable.

◆

「Forest fire? Any villages nearby?」

「There is one. Fortunately, the fire did not spread. However…」

It was November when the estate received a report of a forest fire in the southeastern part of Clanetta territory, which is located at the eastern end of the Belguim Mountains, not far from Count Jungk’s territory. Although I was relieved that the fire did not reach the village, I rolled my eyes at Emily’s next words.

「After the fire, they say a monster emerged from the woods.」

「A monster?」

Upon hearing more details, it turned out to be a story that could not be overlooked. The stables shared by the village had been attacked by the monster. Late at night, the villagers heard the screams of livestock, and when they went to check on them, they saw the stables, one corner of the mud wall completely collapsed, and a huge black shadow dragging a motionless horse into the forest with the nape of its neck in its mouth.

「I wonder if it’s a bear. Seems pretty big.」

「I fear that it was like that…」

「How are the hunters in the village doing?」

「Unfortunately, it seems it was out of their control.」

It was said that it appeared again later, and the hunters who were waiting shot arrows at the monster, but it dredged up the livestock again, paying no heed to the arrows that pierced it. In response to the dire plea that they would not be able to make it through the winter, I decided to dispatch a team of knights to accompany them to the area to assess the damage.

◆

The damage to the village by the monster was beyond imagination. Most of the livestock that had been fattened up for the winter had been taken away by the monster, and only one cow was huddled in the corner of the repaired corral.

「It no longer want to move from that spot. It must have seen the other livestock being killed up close.」

When we arrived at the village, the village head explained the devastation. It seems that the cows have already experienced so much fear that they have given up on life, and they have hardly eaten any food.

「Some fields have been trampled and have to be plowed again to make them usable. Although…」

Since they have already converted their farming equipment to heavy wheeled harrows, they have no use for them now that there are no cart animals to tow them. Perhaps from the stress of this situation, the village chief, who must have just entered old age, looked gaunt and aged beyond his years. His hair is also more white. To reassure him, I took the village chief’s stringy hand and promise to take care of the situation.

「I understand your difficulties. Let Clanetta fulfill her duty as a fighter in the name of her eldest daughter, Elizabeth!」

「Ohh, thank you very much…」

I ordered the knights to prepare to intercept the village chief as he continued to bow his head.

◆

Red bonfires are erected throughout the village, dispelling the darkness of the remote night. It was bright as a festival day, but the doors of the houses were closed and the silence was like a stifled breath.

After that, I asked the village chief about the movements of the monster—— which seemed to be a big bear—— and he told me that it appeared once every few days, and he predicted that it might appear again today. So, half of the 20 knights were assigned to guard the villagers, and the other half were stationed downwind, a short distance away from the livestock pavilion, where Emily and I were also stationed. Even when they had lights around the livestock pavilion, they were attacked, so they added more bonfires to make it a little easier for the knights to fight.

Wearing body-round armor that protects their abdomens, the knights hold large bows and long spears in their hands, waiting for the monster to appear.

I was also wearing a discreet black dress and breastplate, and had my Albarett in my hand, which I use when I hunt. With my weak body, I cannot use a bow or spear, but I can handle a crossbow, which shoots an arrow with a single pull. Since it is left to others to pull the strings, I kept two other strings on the ground as spares, in addition to the one I hold in my hand, so that I can fire continuously. Emily, who was standing aside, opened her mouth, frowning a little at my unladylike outfit.

「Princess. You don’t have to do this yourself…」

「I appreciate your concern. But I am a fighter and a member of the Clanetta family who stands above others. If I don’t do my duty, no one will follow me. No, I’m good with crossbows, and if I’m in the way, I’ll back off like an adult.」

「Please. The Princess is the crown jewel of Clanetta.」

Emily also wore a breastplate over her maid’s uniform. She wears a saber at her waist instead of a bow. She has been under the tutelage of her father, Marcel, since she was a child, and has mastered the art of swordsmanship beyond the reach of any ordinary knight. When Marcel, who had just returned to his duties after the debacle at the age of two, advised me to have Emily serve as my escort, many of them laughed at him. However, after seeing Emily’s dagger handling in action, none of them continued to laugh. As her body and skills have grown, her weapon has changed from a dagger to a saber with a long blade.

I accepted Emily’s concern and promises to step back in case of an emergency. Then, Bernhardt, the knight who had been assigned to this mission as platoon leader, approached us.

「It’s not coming. I think the monster must be on the lookout for us if we’re this physical.」

Although his tone of voice is rough, he keeps a watchful eye on his surroundings and remains alert when speaking to me.

「Un, if it doesn’t show up today, let’s dim the lights in the corral.」

He is not only a man of military skills. He has the calmness to make the right decisions at key moments, which is why he became a platoon leader at an exceptionally fast pace. He is a promising young knight, along with his colleague Platoon Commander Gregory, who has a reputation as a mediator with his mild personality. They are also good friends and work well together as a platoon. It was in recognition of this that the two were selected for this mission. Bernhardt’s platoon is guarding the corral, and Gregory’s platoon is protecting the village. If the bear appears on either side, they are ready to come to the rescue.

「No, that doesn’t seem to be necessary.」

A black shadow slipped out of the woods near the livestock pavilion at the sharp end of Bernhardt’s gaze.

「Hey, is this real…」

One of the knights muttered in a voice laced with tremors. No one there could laugh at him for being a coward. So much so that it was extraordinary.

It was a bear with dark fur. Its color was no different from that of other bears that haunt the area on occasion. But its size was unusual. It’s thick paws were the size of an adult man’s torso, stomping heavily on the earth. A large mouth that could swallow a small person like me in one gulp. Moreover, inside them peeked out white fangs, each one as sharp as a knife. It was truly a monster as it emerged from the trees, shaking the branches of the trees with its huge, mountain-like body. The branch that has caught on its back has lost all its dead leaves and is now completely bare. The monster approaches the livestock barn with ease, paying no attention to the chilly branches.

「Princess, please step back. That thing is dangerous.」

Emily stepped forward to cover for me. At the same time, Bernhardt blew his whistle and called for Gregory’s team to come to the rescue. The monster seemed to notice us at the sound of the whistle, but soon lost interest and turned back to the livestock barn.

「To the Princess, Emily! Spears, ready! All archers, shoot at the same time! Keep that away from the shed!」

Bernhardt sends out instructions to the platoon in a loud voice that could not have come from his lithe frame. The knights were momentarily stunned by the sheer size of the enemy, but thanks to their daily training, they were in position to intercept in the blink of an eye.

「Spear unit, ready… Throw now!!」

Three projectiles were fired at once, piercing the monster’s torso. But when the monster shook itself noisily, all of them fell to the ground.

「What a monster! Keep shooting, don’t cower! Spearmen, follow me!!」

Bernhardt and the rest of the knights rushed at the monster. The arrows were ignored by the monster, but it did not miss the knights in the quintessence. It turned its eyes from the livestock barn to us and lets out an earth-shaking yell. With a single roar, the knights who were about to thrust their tips into the ground stiffened slightly.

It was not a monster that would miss that opportunity. It swings its powerful arm sideways with such force that the sound of wind can be heard, knocking the spears off the knights’ hands in one fell swoop. Except for Bernhardt’s spear, which he drew after seeing the movement, the wooden hilts were all snapped off.

「Take this!!」

Bernhardt immediately counterattacked, thrusting his spear into the body, but the tip of the spear did not sink in. The thick leather and strong muscles restrained the force of the spear. However, even though the wound was not fatal, the fact that he bled seemed surprising to the monster.

Perhaps wary of Bernhardt, the monster moved away from him with agility that did not match its huge body, and the two faced each other again. As we watched it in the air that made our skin crawl, the monster’s dark black eyes caught ours.

「Oh no! Protect the Princess!」

Bernhardt shouted, and the knights, who had switched from spears to swords, tried to cut at it, but could not reach the monster, which was already running toward them. To support the archers who were firing arrows to stop the momentum, I too set up my Albarett and pulled the trigger toward the monster.

The first shot hits the shoulder. But it doesn’t seem to be intimidated at all.

The second shot is aimed at the forehead, but the monster ducks down and avoids it.

And when the third arrow was placed on the last Albarett with the string pulled, the monster was right in front of us.

「Princess!!!」

Emily drew her saber and stood between me and the monster. But its back was thin, and when we collided, the result seemed obvious.

「Emily—!!!」

Just as the monster was about to leap at Emily, another large shadow slammed into her from the side, shifting her trajectory.

「Gregory!!」

「OHHHHHHH!!」

Platoon leader Gregory broke in between, swinging an all-iron mallet. The power of his muscles, which were two times larger than those of the other knights, was carried by the mallet, frightening the monster.

「You made it, Gregory!」

「Sorry, Bernhardt! I was late!」

「Not really, you came at the right time!」

Gregory, who had broken in, and Bernhardt, who had caught up with him, called out to each other and pinched the monster. The knights of both units were beginning to gather around them. The monster, perhaps seeing the situation as unfavorable, let out an exasperated yell, and fled, flinging away the knights who were closing in on the encirclement.

◆

My face cleared slightly when they informed me that the monster had been repelled once at the village chief’s house, but my face was clouded again by the words of Bernhardt and the other two knights that followed.

「A mere bow or spear will not work against that monster. In order to completely defeat them without missing a single shot, it is necessary to have ten times as many men as this time with all-iron spears and the Albarett that was used by the Princess. Still, they won’t be spared from the damage.」

「Although not life-threatening, the injuries sustained by the knights who were hit by the escaping knight were not light. Besides sending them back, we will have to return to Amyn to expand our manpower and equipment.」

「T–Then what will become of us?! The monster could come again tomorrow!」

The village chief, panicked by our advice to temporarily retreat, turns to me and asks for help.

「Of course, I will not abandon you. But I will ask you to evacuate temporarily.」

Even after I told him this, the village head’s expression was gloomy. The longer the village is vacant, the longer it will take to rebuild. And now it is winter, and if things continue to be delayed, they will have no choice but to abandon their village.

「Bernhardt. How long will it take for the preparation that you just mentioned?」

「The personnel and spears, anyway, have not been in battle for a long time, so there are not enough crossbows to use. Even if we gathered up all the materials, we would probably only be able to produce 30 at most. If we were to make more, it would take a month, or even half a month.」

The chief’s face turned even paler as he realized that it was too late. It was necessary to complete the defeat quickly.

We cannot defeat the monster with the weapons we have. We can’t save the village if we keep it in order. And there was even the possibility of human death when it was put in place. All involved in this situation were tormented by anguish.

And I had one more choice to make. To help the village or not to help the village. The question is whether or not I should use certain methods to help. The necessary materials are available. If I combined them, I would be able to defeat the monster with only 30 crossbows. But knowing the impact it would have later, I still couldn’t make up my mind.

「Princess.」

My thoughts were going round and round in circles when a warm feeling enveloped me and gently caressed my head. Emily was holding me close.

「Emily…」

「Princess. I will follow the path of the Princess. Whatever that may be, I will always be with you.」

I look at Emily’s face. Emily smiles softly, perhaps to calm me down. A shiver ran through my body for a moment as I remembered that I was about to lose not only the villagers and the knights, but even my loved one. And when it settled down and I removed myself from her, my mind was already set.

「Gregory! Bernhardt!」

「Hah!」

I directed both knights who replied at the same time.

「Gregory, unite the platoon and escort the wounded knights and villagers to Amyn! The departure is tomorrow!」

「Affirmative!」

「Bernhardt rush to Sparling and carry what I am about to tell you to Amyn!」

「Leave it to me.」

「Emily and I will go ahead and return to Amyn to lead the preparations for the operation! The selection of the herald and accompanying knight to Amyn is left to me. Make haste!」

I approach the village chief, who is taken aback by the knights’ hurried movements, and I make my promise again.

「Village chief. We will finish this monster extermination within a month. And I need your help to do it.」

「W–We will do whatever we can to help.」

「Thank you. So let me first ask you to tell me about the topography of this area…」

We began to move as one to defeat a powerful enemy.