The Kingdom's logging camp.
A work facility located near the Forest of Darkness.
If described like that, it feels no different from any other ordinary logging site.
But strangely, this logging camp near the Forest of Darkness was managed not by anyone else but the officers and knights of the Kingdom.
The reason was simple.
This place was extremely dangerous.
The name 'Forest of Darkness' came from the rumour that an entrance to the Demon World was located nearby.
And the demons occasionally emerging from the Demon World were literally like disasters.
Not only that, but the monsters roaming here and there in the forest were also a big problem.
Since they always had to work close to the forest, there was a risk of being annihilated if something went wrong.
Nevertheless, they couldn't give up on the Forest of Darkness.
The vast pine-cone forests of the Forest of Darkness were, quite literally, the most valuable resources for humans.
As such, they had no choice but to keep operating a logging camp near the Forest of Darkness, taking the risk.
And to guard it, the Kingdom's army was stationed there.
Nevertheless, the logging camp near the Forest of Darkness remained hazardous.
Unsurprisingly, no one volunteered to work in such a perilous location.
If that's the case, what should they do?
Someone came up with an idea.
If they didn't come willingly, then just force them in, right?
In other words, the concept of forced labour camps emerge.
When this place was first established, the first ones to enter were said to be prisoners.
Prisoners from various kingdoms.
Those whose deaths or injuries wouldn't be a problem.
The proposal for this initiative at the Kingdom's union meeting was met with enthusiastic support from numerous kingdom leaders.
From their perspective, it was a situation where there was nothing to lose.
Maintaining prisons to incarcerate the kingdom's criminals came with enormous operating costs.
However, by adopting this proposal, they could drastically cut the expenses required to run the prisons.
Moreover, by selling the kingdom's criminals to the logging camp, they could generate a substantial secondary income.
For them, it was like an unexpected windfall landing right in their laps.
As a result, they agreed without hesitation to the proposal related to the operation of the logging camp.
The logging camp was run by the Kingdom's army and staffed by criminals from various kingdoms, which is how it ultimately became a success.
Naturally, in the early days, countless lives were lost like insects.
Yet, through the sacrifice of those countless, insect-like lives, the logging camp succeeded in felling the vast Forest of Darkness and supplying timber to all the kingdoms. Even the once-sceptical rulers, seeing the results, decided to offer full support for the camp's continued operation.
As a result, countless more lives were lost at this logging camp.
But, as time passed kingdoms were no longer able to replenish the workers needed with criminals.
However, the Kingdom could not abandon the logging camp, which had now turned into a goldmine.
So, they started searching for sacrificial lambs to replace the dwindling number of criminals.
And they discovered it.
Those who would work for them instead of the criminals.
It's a simple story.
Humans were abundant in this world.
The disappearance of a few hardly mattered.
Yes, what if those targets were the vagrants on the streets?
Or the beggars? The unemployed drifting aimlessly after losing their homes?
What if they were dissidents who often voiced their discontent with society?
Those deemed unnecessary by society all gathered here.
And after being told, they were working for the world and humanity, they were forcibly put into labour.
It was nothing short of exploitation.
After the labour, what awaited them was another despair.
Shabby lodgings.
And food that was like animal feed.
That's not all.
The most disrespectful thing was the mere three copper coins placed in their hands.
A pittance that couldn't buy even rotten bread in the market.
For them, it represented a lifeline of hope.
They had to find a way to preserve it.
Somehow, they needed to gather enough to pay their ransom and escape from this place.
That's how they held on from one day to the next.
It was a nightmare.
Yet, this place existed.
Calling it an unavoidable sacrifice for the sake of saving many, a sacrifice for the greater good.
That's why those gathered here called this logging camp hell.
And now Alain was inside that hell.
*
"Don't be ridiculous."
'Thud', he punched on a nearby tree stump and muttered.
He tries to calm his pounding heart.
As he thought.
'How ridiculous...'
Having reached this point, he decided he wouldn't care about means and methods anymore.
He would use any means necessary to escape from the camp.
Thinking so, Alain began to rack his brain.
And the conclusion he finally came to was,
"...Magic"
Clenching and unclenching his reddened fist, Alain looked at his hand.
Magic.
But, With only a small amount of dark magic left in his body, he found it impossible to escape this situation. Moreover, magic itself had its limitations.
According to his calculations, he could use about five or six spells, and that would be it.
He would become a headless chicken after that.
That's why, he had to find a way out.
'What should he do?'
'What is the most efficient method?'
Using attack magic is out of the question.
There's no way such novice magic could defeat a golem.
If that's the case, then there's only one option, using stealth magic or body enhancement magic to forge an escape route.
However, with the current magic power, he couldn't use high-level stealth magic, and even with body enhancement, it would still be difficult to escape without confirming the presence of traps.
So, is there no other method?
A thought flashed through his mind. It was none other than the spells of illusion, charm, or binding.
Using that to make a powerful person hear his slave and arrange an escape route.
However, this too was an absurd idea.
Illusion and binding spells require a long preparation time.
Therefore, an environment where they can be alone and have enough time to proceed with the spell.
There was no way a mere worker like him could create such a situation.
To begin with, he didn't even know the hierarchy of the Kingdom's army.
As such, he didn't even know who had the power to save him right now.
So this method was also unusable-
"...Wait."
"But he paused for a moment, reevaluating his options.
At that moment, a flash of insight struck Alain.
The girl who had greeted him earlier, wasn't her name Seria?"
The figure that came to mind was Seria and the woman walking with her. That woman had blonde hair, and she was probably called Karen if he remembered correctly.
They wore a white top paired with black bottoms, featuring black collars and sleeves adorned with gold embroidery.
There was no mistake.
The distinctive uniform was something he had heard about from the old man.
The uniform was worn only by the 'knights' belonging to the Kingdom's union army.
"...So that's it..."
Recalling that, a sly smile appeared on Alain's lips.
The greatest military force in this world consisted of the golems.
There was no doubt that the elite soldiers operating these golems, known as 'knights,' held significant power.
If he could manage to bring one of those knights under his control, extracting someone like himself, a mere worker boy, would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?
Alain's mind began to spin rapidly.
The spells he knew.
And the plan based on that.
After reviewing everything, he nodded.
'It could be done.'
This had the highest possibility.
Feeling a sense of excitement, Alain began organizing his future actions. The knights he knew were those two.
Seria and Karen.
If that's the case, who would be the first target?
"...It would be the red-haired one named Seria."
Karen hated him at first glance.
He didn't know why, though.
On the other hand, Seria, for some reason, showed goodwill toward him.
Of course, he didn't like her behaviour, but for the sake of his goal, he could endure that much.
If that's the case, the problem is how to create an opportunity.
For now, there was nothing he could do.
If so, he had no choice but to wait for her to approach first.
She had definitely said it.
She promised they would meet again.
Clinging to that belief, he knew he had to prepare a plan.
Resolute, Alain muttered to himself as he began to craft a detailed strategy.
At some point, a fierce smile spread across his face.