A Knightly Task
Nearly a month had passed since my assignment to Curtis Village, and in that time, the only occasion I had to wield my sword in real combat was against the demon wolf.
Well, I still trained regularly, practicing my swordsmanship thoroughly. Though we used practice blades, Elina and I often engaged in sparring sessions that mimicked real battles. Additionally, I had been teaching swordsmanship to Parker and other children in the village who were interested. Through that, I had gained new insights into my own skills from a different perspective. I really should be grateful to Parker for asking to become my apprentice and giving me this opportunity.
So, while it was true that I had been away from real combat, I was making every effort to stay sharp. Because of that, both Elina and I felt confident that we could handle whatever "knightly work" Lord Doyle had in mind.
Lord Doyle spread out a map on the table in the outpost.
"There’s a large lake here," he said, pointing to a location. "A traveling merchant who visits our estate claimed to have seen a large monster there. Not just once, but several times. It seems to have made its home in the area."
"A large monster, huh?"
This was definitely the kind of task knights often undertook. I had handled similar missions before, traveling to different locations to deal with threats. Elina, who had been in the same unit as me, had plenty of experience as well.
"If it’s in a lake, it must be an aquatic monster.”
Elina noted.
"That’s likely. But we don’t have enough information yet. Lord Doyle, did the merchant mention any specific details about the monster?"
"Not much, aside from the fact that it stays underwater."
I nodded.
If it remained submerged, it was almost certainly an aquatic-type monster. I had fought large squid-like and crab-like creatures in the ocean before, but I had never encountered a monster that lived in a lake.
The possibilities were a giant fish, a turtle, or a frog. I had also heard of snakes that moved underwater. We would need to go there and investigate further.
However, that raised one concern.
"If both Elina and I leave, there will be no one left to guard the village."
"The lake isn’t too far from here. I’ll inform Village Chief Ganun to set off the emergency signal fireworks if anything happens."
"Understood."
We still didn’t know what kind of monster we were dealing with, but if it was an amphibious creature that could move on land, there was a risk it might start preying on the village’s livestock.
I had helped out at Santos’ ranch before, and it was grueling work—hauling feed, cleaning the stables, and more. The thought of those carefully raised animals becoming monster prey was unbearable.
"Lord Doyle, we will make sure to eliminate the monster."
"I’m counting on you. But don’t take unnecessary risks. There are people waiting for you to return."
His gaze shifted to the outpost window.
Following his line of sight, Elina and I turned to look—
"Ah… those kids…"
Parker and the other village children were pressed against the window, clearly eavesdropping.
It seemed they had been listening the whole time.
"You still have more to teach them, don’t you?"
"Yeah… that means no matter what, we have to come back alive.”
Elina responded.
"Definitely."
We exchanged a small smile.
Had Lord Doyle intentionally let the children listen to reinforce this idea in our minds?
—That was entirely possible. He had an eye for such things.
"Alright, we’ll prepare today and head to the lake at first light tomorrow. Elina and I will bring Lindel along as well."
"Got it. I’m counting on you."
Now, what kind of monster awaited us?
I’d better take extra care in sharpening my sword tonight.
What do you think about this chapter?
