Chapter 97

The Knights Order’s Circumstances
“Mother, are you really going?”

“Hardt, don’t be so persistent. I said I’m going, so I’m going.”

“We’ll have to walk through the Great Forest, you know. There’ll be Cocottes, One-Horned Rabbits, Silver Wolves, and Bears too.”

“I’m going no matter who tries to stop me.”

What do we do, Brother Gerald?
Give up? We have no choice but to go. You could say we should’ve seen this coming…

Just as things were settling down with the beastkin and I thought we’d have a relaxing time before heading to the World Tree, Mother suddenly announced she was going into the Great Forest.
And not just to the clearing—she wanted to go all the way to the mid-mountain fortress.
Everyone tried to stop her, but that only made her more stubborn.

“You all are unfair, going without me.” She said.

When she puts it like that, there’s nothing we can say.
Father just shook his head and was no help at all.

“When the Cocotte and One-Horned Rabbit leap at me, I can just swat them away like this.” Mother said cheerfully.

She even joined in on the subjugation, except for the female Cocottes. Maybe she was letting off some steam?
And she’s quite skilled at it.
I learned an unexpected side of her.

Right now, we’re taking a break in the clearing of the Great Forest.
Mother’s companions are Brother Gerald, me, Captain Kyle’s unit—the usual group.

“Mother, Hardt, from here on we’ll be encountering Wolves, Bears, Orcs, and the like. As we get closer to the mid-mountain fortress, we’ll run into even higher-ranked monsters, so don’t let your guard down. From now on, prioritize your own safety.”

I nodded at Brother Gerald’s words.
Up until now, we hadn’t encountered much thanks to Fiamma and Vendaval’s protection.

“Water Cutter.”

Thud—Black Bear’s head flew off.
Mother took it down.
She’s been steadily subjugating Brown Bears, Brown Wolves, Orcs, and more.

Was Mother always this strong? I had no idea.
Apparently, neither did Brother Gerald.
Everyone’s too scared to ask.
The knights silently pack away the defeated monsters into magic bags.
Well, I guess no one can really say anything. She *is* the lord’s wife.

Thanks to Mother’s exploits, we made it to the mid-mountain fortress. We’ll be staying here tonight.

“Oh my, Lady Violetta. Fancy seeing you in a place like this.” Said a brunette female knight who looked about the same age as Mother.

“Oh, Elma. It’s been a while. Having a child and still being assigned to a mid-mountain subjugation squad—the Knights Order is too demanding. If you can’t protest, I’ll do it for you.”

“No, no, it’s not like that. If I don’t come here now and then, I’ll get rusty. I come about once every six months. Today, I’m here as an escort to train the younger ones.” Elma replied, and they started chatting like old friends.

“Meyer, are there a lot of female knights?”

“Compared to other territories, probably yes. Many women with strong mana are active as knights or magicians.”

Apparently, in Westland, women can continue working even after marriage, thanks to a more flexible employment system.
There’s even a maternity leave policy, making it a comfortable work environment, which adds to its popularity.
So marriages between knights or between knights and magicians are also common.

The Knights Order oversees a broad range, including the Great Forest and patrols across the wide territory.
Adventurers mainly focus on dungeons, and only C-rank or higher adventurers are allowed into the Great Forest.
Due to constant staff shortages, the fact that women can continue working in the Knights Order even after marriage is likely thanks to the nature of Westland.

Workplace marriages, huh.
Surely it’s easier to marry someone who understands the nature of your work.
Knights and magicians are generally high earners, so they’re popular as marriage partners, but I’ve heard the divorce rate is also high.
I hope things are working out well in Westland.

We were told we could look around the fortress until dinner, so I went up to the rooftop.
We usually just pass through here when heading to the World Tree, so it’s almost like we’re skipping it.
There’s a barrier set up around the fortress, so it’s supposed to be relatively safe.
But in the Great Forest, there’s no such thing as completely safe—that’s the scary part.

To Meyer, who came along with me, I said,
“You can see pretty far from here,” though all that’s visible are trees...

“Because the subjugation happens deeper than the mid-mountain area, the layout allows for quick response if anything happens to our comrades.”

“Where’s the dragon supposed to be?”

“I’ve heard they’re near that distant mountain range.”

Apparently, getting to the mountain range would take a week on foot, as we’d be subjugating monsters along the way.
That’s... really far.

Just as I was about to leave the rooftop, I thought I saw something oval-shaped clinging to the edge of the fortress wall.
But when I looked again to confirm—it was gone.
Must’ve been my imagination... The barrier is active, after all.

What do you think about this chapter?