On the way to the forest: Joining up with the Knights
・Unexpected Rendezvous
When Ferno and the others arrived at the third relay point on the road to the Great Elf Forest, a journey that had taken them half a day, they encountered a unit of the Knights Order. The knights were fully equipped and had set up a temporary base outside the town.
“We have been waiting for you, Hero-dono, and your companions.”
“…Shouldn’t our rendezvous be later?”
“The situation has changed, so we have decided to join up with you earlier. Please take a look at this for the details; it summarizes the important points.”
Due to the obviously unusual situation, Ferno’s carriage pulled up, and Ferno got out and approached. A middle-aged man, who seemed to be the leader, came forward and bowed. Ferno was puzzled because the rendezvous was supposed to be at the next relay point, and the next day at noon. The man explained that the situation had changed and handed Ferno a bundle of papers.
“…So, they’re waiting for us over there?”
“That’s correct. We’ve been sending support units in shifts, but it seems they somehow learned that Hero-dono was coming. The unit we sent ahead was turned back, and we received this message saying that we should all gather and come together after meeting with you.”
“…I understand the situation. What about the knights who went in first?”
“They were all expelled, except for a squad of about a dozen. We have received encrypted messages in their own handwriting reporting that they are safe, so we believe they are unharmed.”
“I see… What’s the state of the forest?”
“It’s silent. It’s hard to believe that monsters are supposed to be living there.”
“Understood. I’ll explain the plan ahead of time. Is the conference room ready?”
“Of course, it’s over there.”
“Understood. Select a few people from your unit who can command and have them gather first.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, and I’ll have the carriage parked there.”
“Yes, that’s fine. Shall we have the horses taken care of as well?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’ll leave it to you.”
Ferno read through the documents he had been given, asked the man questions, and after hearing the answers, immediately decided to share the sub-plan.
He judged that there was no need to rush based on the report, but a move he had wanted to make in advance had been thwarted. Therefore, Ferno decided to share the sub-plan at this point, which he had planned to share with the Knights Order just before the operation, without them knowing the full picture.
・Hero’s Plan (Sub-Plan for the Great Forest Capture Operation)
Inside one of the tents set up by the Knights Order, a space with a map of the area near the Great Forest, the status of supplies, support, and other documents laid out on a table.
There, Ferno and his five companions, along with the middle-aged man who had greeted them and four other knights, sat in chairs around the table.
“Now then, I think you’re aware of the Disaster Classification subjugation operation for the Great Forest that we were originally planning to carry out as the top priority of the Knights Order, but I’ll explain it again.”
Ferno spent about ten minutes explaining the situation and why he had decided that this was the right course of action. Then, he verbally explained the planned route for the subjugation.
To put it simply, the plan was to join up with the Knights Order, move to the Elf settlement inside the Great Forest, and prepare for battle.
They would share information with the Elves, and when a Disaster Classification Monster was discovered, Ferno and his group would lead the battle.
Meanwhile, the Knights Order would clear out the small fry and search the surrounding area to find the cause of the Disaster Classification Monster’s repeated attacks.
Once the cause was found, Ferno would unleash a full-power attack on the cause, and the operation would be over.
That was the original plan. After much consideration, he had realized that it would be most efficient for Ferno to go on a rampage while suppressing the Elves’ intervention.
Since they had been informed in advance, there were no questions from the side, and the explanation ended.
“That was the original plan, but after gathering various information, it’s assumed that the abnormalities occurring inside the Great Forest are not visible from the outside.
Therefore, while building on the original plan, I want to execute a different plan that I devised on my own.”
There were no objections.
Fana and the others, who had heard a vague outline of the plan beforehand, were not surprised, and the four knights who had been gathered did not try to voice any objections either.
“We’ll divide the unit, which was originally planned to move as one, into three.
One unit will make contact with the Elves from the front as originally planned, appearing to be a legitimate rescue unit. One unit will monitor the Great Forest from the outside without entering, securing any humans or Elves who try to enter. And the last unit will be an individual who will enter the Great Forest from a different location, independent of the other units, and carry out the subjugation of the Disaster Classification Monster and any related entities. Those are the three units.”
“May I ask a question?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Regarding the securing of humans and Elves who try to enter, there have been no reports of any humans or Elves from outside being seen inside the Great Forest since the discovery of the Disaster Classification Monster.”
“There have been sightings. An agitated Elf was seen moving towards the Great Forest, and an Elf with a determined look on their face was seen purchasing large amounts of flammable materials and heading towards the Great Forest… These sightings have been reported in the towns and villages we passed through on our way here.”
“I see… What about humans?”
“About 10% of the Adventurers who accepted requests inside the Great Forest have gone missing. The Adventurers who went to search inside found only what were presumed to be their belongings, and no bodies were found. It’s unknown where they went.”
“…Is that true?”
“It is the truth.”
The unit was to be divided into three, and the second unit, the monitoring unit, was the subject of the question. They had sent support many times, and rotated personnel in and out, so was there a need to be wary of intruders other than themselves, who had not been reported?
The answer was a truth that the Knights Order was not aware of. It was not a large-scale intrusion, but information that only a few individuals had seen. The Elves restricted the thorough exploration of the interior, which was why they were unaware of the intruders.
Naturally, the four knights present could not hide their surprise at this fact.
“The fact that we are unaware of them means that they are being hidden from the inside. If you ask who, there is no one other than the Elves, which is why we need a monitoring unit.
The important thing is to restrict entry from the outside. And to confirm the purpose of those who try to enter.”
“…What should we do if the information we obtain at that time is close to a certainty?”
“Deliver it to the Knight Commander or the Knight Captain. And also include that you are requesting preparations to mobilize the maximum force, assuming the worst.”
“I see… Then, who is the individual?”
“As you know, I will be in charge.”
That was the only possibility.
The knights asked what they already knew in their hearts, and nodded in agreement to the answer they already knew.
“First, Fana will be in charge of the overall coordination of the unit that will enter from the front, using her rarely used position as a Holy Knight as a front.
On top of that, the Knights Order’s unit will be divided into two from the inside. I’ll leave that to you, but what’s needed is one unit that is prepared for monsters and one that is prepared for Elves.”
“…I see. Will we select the personnel here?”
“Yes. Just let Fana know which unit is prepared for which before you make contact.”
“Understood.”
“As for my role, I will enter from a different location on my own before you start making contact and operate from the inside. If the Elves make contact and try to restrain me, I plan not to resist.”
“…I see. So, you’ll be infiltrating the interior where we can’t see you?”
“That’s right. Of course, when you make contact, you might be asked if there are any others, but you must deny everything and deny any involvement with me. Don’t talk about it when we’re gathered together either.”
“Understood. We will inform all the knights of this and make sure they understand.”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Having finished the explanation, Ferno looked around to see if there were any other questions, waited for a little less than a minute to confirm that there were none, and then announced his final action.
“We will all head to the next relay point together, where we will divide the unit into three. Then, I will first head to the town on the other side of the Great Forest and infiltrate the Great Forest from that direction. It will take about one or two days.”
“…So, the active unit will make contact with the Elves first?”
“No, that’s not right. What you need to do before I infiltrate is to deploy the monitoring unit. Place the personnel so that the Elves don’t realize they are being monitored.
The active unit will enter the interior after I infiltrate… Depart five days after arriving at the next relay point and enter the interior to make contact with the Elves.”
“I see… Understood.”
“Yes. I’ve already told Fana the details, and I’ll tell others from now on. If you have any concerns before entering the interior, ask me individually.”
“Understood.”
“That’s all… The time is also tight, so we’ll depart early tomorrow morning.”
“Understood. What are your plans for lodging?”
“I was planning to set up in the city… but will you lend me a space?”
“Yes, of course. They’re just simple tents, and we only have two guest tents, so you’ll have to split into two groups.”
“Then, I’ll take you up on that. That’s not a problem, I could even manage with just one.”
“No, that’s not a problem. I’ll have them prepared right away.”
“I see. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Please leave it to me.”