As I followed, I finally saw the glimpse of the bright soothing light that I felt like it was ages ago.
I was relieved that those painstaking and hard day's has long gone and finally a new life will come, but why do I have to reclaim a dangerous place like the shadevale valley which is near the winter pass. Is this also the start of a more painstaking and troublesome life?
Under the morning light was people wearing an metal armor and equipped with swords and spear, on the ground lying a few dead bodies of my soldiers and those invading monsters and some destroyed tent.
How did they even got here, the battlefield is just outside the camp, yet there is still many monster lying near my tent, never knew the monsters were capable of such sneak attacks.
At first, I was taken aback from seeing them reliving my past life trauma, but those monster in my past life has a black blood rather than being green like these dead bodies here. But even so, wasn't I suppose to fear them, why did i feel seething anger just by seeing, but such feeling can be easily refrained.
"lina, casualty report"
"yes, we lost 55 soldiers in this recent campaign and 10 civilians involved"
"how many are we really in this pioneering quest?"
"we originally has 2000 including few artisans and civilian to develop the place but those monster bandits in this canyon is constantly harassing us"
'what? Such a large number of people, when did felix gathers this many people?! But thinking how dangerous the place can be, then it must be a small army just to rebuild the city, the city is quite large I presume'
"what? Why did I bring a small number of people to reclaim such a dangerous place, didn't my brother and the prince helped me recruit people?"
"yes, but didn't you insist on starting the expedition earlier and the reinforcement will come soon, so don't worry milord I'm here to protect you, if something to happen before your brother's army came"
Protect who? Last time you couldn't even defend me and got injured in the head, the pain is still throbbing right now and how impatient am I to rush this expedition without much preparation, good thing my brother Evan will send some reinforcement but when will they arrive?
"Lina, you should worry about yourself, don't worry instead, I'll be the one to protect you"
"b-but, your weaker than me though"
I was quite taken aback about her statement, where's m pride as a man? I never knew felix was weaker than a woman. I shook my head and divert myself to the mysteries I haven't known yet.
Many questions entered my mind but what I'm more puzzled with was, even though I transmigrated into the world of medieval warfare, we're is my cheat system?! Is there really an activation requirement? Maybe I should wait... But I prefer that I would do these without the help of the system since I have strength to do so. But I be troubled whether or not I have? There's still a lot of stories about transmigration or reincarnation without a cheat so I should not trouble myself thinking about it, specially the system that I dislike in my previous life.
I look at the surrounding and notice a person wearing a pointy hat and a robe wielding a staff with a peculiar crystal on it.
"lina, who's that person? Why does she wore something like that?"
"my lord you don't know her? She's rizelle, a black mage you recruited from wizard tower association, she is currently an senior mage and will be responsible for building a mage troop"
Don't tell me this place is really a swords and magic one, not to tell why do I feel seeing monster like those goblin normal, it must be the effect of fighting similar creature for years on earth.
"black mage?" I asked.
"yes, a black mage is a mana user that specialise in harnessing the power of 4 elements and other destructive spells, my lord did you really forgot including your elementary studies?" she said with a worried face.
"if you properly defended me last time, did you think I would get an injured in my head and will still forgot? So don't talk nonesense"
"yes.... but my lord how should we deal with those ambushing bandits"
I look around and saw a human like dead body which doesn't really look like one of my men.
"we'll have to think about some strategy about it, these area seems to be prone in ambushes clearly by looking at a canyon sandwiching the way"
This place too much enclosed, like a walled road full of grass, coldgate canyon was very much close to the 2 forbidden mountains, it said that monster lair is still spotted camping on the lower part of the impassable mountain. And the lower part is connected to coldgate canyon which serves as a bridge to connect the two mountain's lower realm.
It must be because we camp near the exit of the canyon and since the upper part of the coldgate canyon, the cliff region is already the lower part of the impassable mountain, they might have jump up to initiate sneak attacks. I knew it, we should get out of this place and move forward deeper in the woods but it might be possible to retreat and gather the reinforcement and information for this reclaiming mission first. It's better to know in advance than regret it later.
[year 93 of gracian era, month 5, day 6, entry point of kiltrant forest.]
"you soldier, what's your name?" he pointed at a nearby soldier who was standing guard near the medical tent.
The soldier knelt and he spoke in a respectful manner.
"greetings, milord. I, Adrian reeves, captain from the scout company at your service"
Felix was dumbfounded that such modern military unit system was also in this fantasy like world.
'a captain of a company? Interesting, I guess I won't worry about the troop distribution anymore'
"get up, how many scouts are there under you"
"milord, about 60 scouts units, 2 platoons consist of 6 squads with 10 units each"
"very well, choose a single squad under you and scout the surrounding of the coldgate canyon then also send few squads to survey the kiltrant forest for any chance of irregularity or enemy movements"
"I will do as your lordship said"
The guarding scout leaves his post and gather the people in the scout company and the selected squad entered the canyon and a platoon of soldiers entered the forest, they have entered both of the places until there silhouette dissapeared.
After the soldiers leaved, he look around the dead bodies being cleaned up by soldiers, he was curious if one of these dead bodies is one of those artisans who got caught up in this fight.
"lina, that person... Is it one of the artisans?"
"that.. No, it was also people among those monster who came to ambush us, but don't worry my lord it's clearly not a human judging by the scales on there hands, and there clothes... This design is from a monster nation that located west from here, nation of Falmas, and that monster probably from magireon race"
"a kingdom? Why would they ambush us?"
"I'm not exactly sure but I heard they were worshipping one of the 4 demonic guardian of the 4 gate"
'could it be, they after felix' s ancestral sword.. Marcheon of time and space was it called, they must have know that the sword was the key to open up the barrier that blocks people from entering while sealing the pathway of the monster invasion, since it's been 12 years when the sealing barrier was activated, although even today no one can still enter the vicinity of shadevale valley but it's been a long time, it's energy must be depleting and might vanish next year!' felix' s thought.
"so this is why those monster keeps harassing us it's either they want to steal the sword in order to break the barrier or they might only want us to get away from there territory" felix murmurs worrying about the disaster if the barrier disappeared.
Lina didn't hear what felix murmured about but she knew he was worrying about something just by looking at his gloomy expression.
"lina can you bring me the map of this place?"
"sure, I'll get it"
Lina rush to felix's personal tent and took the map on the table besides a small dagger-sized sword, the map was old but the content was well-detailed no matter how crumple it is.
...
Extra info:
Kiltrant forest - it is an mysterious forest that devoid of wandering monsters, the forest weather was irregular itself since the weather has been fixated to warm and balanced temperature like it always been spring in this region, but prolonged stay here will get a negative effect like a curse that's why even monster didn't dare to settle in such dangerous place except for plant base ones, these curses will take effect after a month of stay in the forest vicinity.