Chapter : 56

What in the world was this nonsense? Was he saying the Count, who had taken knights and mercenaries with him, had lost?

It seemed I wasn't the only one who found it absurd.

“Meeeeeh-! What nonsense is this. Mer!”

“He went out with that army and lost? That's taking a joke too far, human-!”

“Hahaha, the Count must be playing a prank for some amusement….”

But the messenger wasn't lying.

“We didn’t lose to the bandits, but.... while His Lordship the Count was chasing the fleeing bandits, he, he suddenly disappeared in the forest.”

“Disappeared?”

“Yes, he suddenly vanished right before our eyes. That's why we were so startled and came to request support….”

“????”

“What in the world?”

This was an even more bewildering story. To request support because he suddenly disappeared in the forest.

And right before their eyes?

But the messenger before them was too serious and desperate for it to be a prank.

Then, Baron Bardou, who had been listening quietly, let out a scream.

“Aack-! D-don't tell me he went into the forbidden forest!”

“The forbidden forest…?”

“Meeeeeh-! What's that now.”

“The name alone sounds like a suspicious forest. Hahaha.”

“There… is a forbidden black forest that has been passed down in my family for generations. It is a forest where one cannot find their bearings upon entering, and where one eventually dies inside because the sunlight cannot be seen. It was forbidden to approach because of a rumor that it was cursed.”

Baron Bardou said, sweating profusely. Listening quietly, I nodded.

It made sense.

“Hmm.... Then the bandits must have fled to that very place to escape the Count's army?”

“Hmph. What bad luck.”

“Meeeeeh~. What do we do. Mer.”

The people murmured.

To think the Count, who was expected to finish things easily and return, had entered a forest and gone missing.

There was no greater disgrace. But no matter how much they tried to deny it, the fact was that the Count and his army had disappeared in the forest.

Someone had to step up and do something.... but everyone in the banquet hall was avoiding it, glancing at me.

They didn't want to suffer any losses, so they were asking me, a great noble with a high reputation, to step up.

‘Ugh….’

Well, it was someone else's problem, so who would want to get involved?

And a forbidden forest?

Just hearing the story made it sound like a dangerous place where one could really get cursed.

If I went in unnecessarily and got cursed, I would lose money, my army, and my life—it would be the worst possible outcome-!

“I will go. I have a reliable ally, the great sage of the forest, by my side, so I should be able to return safely even from a cursed forest.”

“Ooooh-! Indeed. You are truly faithful.”

“As expected, there is no one but you, Margrave.”

As soon as I spoke, they all showered me with praise as if they had been prepared. These rotten humans.... If you're going to be this quick, be a little quicker to help-!

‘Better to die than to suffer.’

I grumbled inwardly, put down my wine glass, and looked to the side.

“Magician Agpiel. Would you be able to help?”

“Hahaha. Of course I have to help. What is this little thing. Let's go. Count Bozen must be desperately looking for us in the forest.”

“That fellow can suffer a little.”

Honestly, how many people have to suffer because of one noble whose ambition gets the better of him. I grumbled and quickly rose from my seat.

Since I had Magician Agpiel, the great sage of the forest, with me, it shouldn't be a big problem.

Unless something goes seriously wrong, we should be able to rescue him easily.

* * *

I immediately led my elite soldiers and dwarf mercenaries to the forbidden forest that Baron Bardou had mentioned.

There were indeed corpses dressed in rags, who appeared to be bandits, scattered all along the way, so it was clear they had fled in this direction.

-Heeeeigh!

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. Calm down.”

The closer we got to the forest, the more my horse neighed, as if it sensed fear. Seeing this, it did seem like there was something here....

“Hmm, what do you think? Magician Agpiel.”

“I can't tell just by looking at the outside.... It looks like an ordinary forest.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But a mystery is something you have to experience to know. If it has been forbidden for generations, there must be a reason.”

“Isn't it just a superstition? It's easy to lose your way in such a dense forest.”

Such bizarre spots as cursed forests from which one can never escape were common even in the modern era.

Just next door, in Japan, they would talk about not being able to escape from areas of dense primeval forest.

The stories were even similar.

Compasses don't work, you can't see the sun, you lose your sense of direction, and so on.

In short, it was familiar to me and not particularly strange.

Of course, Magician Agpiel was both pleased and worried by my attitude.

“It is a good habit to seek reason and not believe in superstitions, but.... sometimes, ignoring clear superstitions is not a wise method.”

“Hmm….”

I wanted to say something, but I held my tongue for now. As Magician Agpiel had said, [Pangea Universalise] was a place where mystery and magic were alive and breathing.

So, sometimes, even superstitions might have their own reasons, right?

Thinking so, I nodded.

“Understood. I will be careful.”

“Hahaha. Very good.”

“Then shall we go in for a bit? I need to feel for myself what this forest is like.”

“Good. If any problems arise, I will step in, so don't worry too much.”

“Understood. Now-! Everyone, advance! It is time to go and help our brothers in faith who are in trouble-!”

“Ooooh!!! In the name of God!”

As soon as the order was given, the soldiers advanced towards the forbidden black forest.

I stayed at the very back, and only after confirming that all the soldiers had entered without any problems did I enter the forest last.

Then, the forest stirred, and the atmosphere changed.

-Caw caw caw!

Unlike how it looked from the outside, the forest was very gloomy. I could see why they were afraid of it, calling it a cursed forest.

‘I really am losing my sense of direction.’

Usually, when you walk, you have a sense of heading towards a certain point.

But here, that sense was completely cut off. I was definitely walking straight ahead, but I felt like I was going in circles.

And why was there no sunlight?

The already dreary forest scenery, combined with the cold air, created an eerie atmosphere.

“How can we find the Count? Magician Agpiel.”

“Hmm, the mystery that has fallen upon the forest has hidden all traces of the Count. I can't tell what it is. But perhaps….”

Magician Agpiel frowned with a grim expression.

“Hah. Does that mean you can't find him?”

I was surprised and exclaimed.

If even the great sage of the forest, Agpiel, couldn't do it, didn't that mean this forest was truly dangerous? Then Magician Agpiel retorted as if he found it absurd.

“Don't make a fuss. You should listen to people until they're finished. I was about to say that I can probably find him.”

“Ah-! I thought so. My apologies. I was thinking of quickly withdrawing the soldiers if you couldn't find him.”

“Withdraw? Then what about the Count?”

“Isn't a person I have a connection with more precious than some Count from the next town over?”

“Hmph….”

This young noble certainly gave unexpected answers in unexpected places. Agpiel was unknowingly moved and twitched the corner of his mouth.

“Magician Agpiel…?”

“Ahem, no. It's nothing.”

As if realizing his own embarrassing behavior, Agpiel waved his hand and stood up straight on the ground.

And after chanting some incantation, he slammed down the staff he was holding.

“Now, forest-! Show me your truth!”

-Ruuuumble!

Then the earth shook, and wooden vines began to squirm from the ground.

Then, the densely packed trees that had formed a wall began to part, revealing hidden paths.

“Gasp-!”

“What in the world is this?”

“Oh, my God.”

The soldiers were startled and made the sign of the cross, calling upon God.

And for good reason. Corpses that hadn't been there a moment ago had suddenly popped out.

On the paths revealed by Magician Agpiel's magic, the bodies of bandits and soldiers were lying here and there.

“The battle seems to have been more intense than I thought?”

“Indeed. I didn't expect a knight to die, let alone a soldier.”

“We haven't gotten caught up in something else we don't know about, have we? Magician Agpiel.”

“Well, we'll know when we meet them, won't we. Let's put our curiosity aside for now and focus on finding them. There are bloodstains here, so we can follow them.”

My army and I put our curiosity aside for a moment and hastily followed the trail(?) left by Count Bozen.

“Ugh….”

It wasn't long before we found a group of straggling soldiers. They were all seriously injured and groaning on the ground.

“Your Excellency, some of them are so badly injured that they are beyond help.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, fortunately, there is a knight who seems to be a commander inside, so we can ask him, Your Excellency.”

A soldier who had gone ahead to check on the group said. I followed the soldier's guidance towards the knight, but then I suddenly felt something strange.

“Magician Agpiel, isn't this a bit strange?”

“What is?”

“The soldiers' wounds are too rough. Doesn't this feel like they were torn by a strong force rather than cut?”

“Ho, now that you mention it, you're right.”

“And this blackish energy on the cut armor, no matter how I look at it….”

It wasn't human.

If it were a duel between people, the traces would never be left so messy.

‘Could it be a monster?’

Looking at the blackish energy engraved on the torn armor, it seemed like there was some extremely sinister and evil being.

And the answer to this question came soon enough.

“Cough, cough.”

“Drat. Bring some healing medicine.”

“Ah, no, Your Excellency.... I am already finished.”

“Hmph, stop talking nonsense and drink this first before you speak.”

I said, giving the healing medicine to the flailing knight. The knight, who had been coughing up blood, seemed to calm down for a moment, then looked at me again and opened his mouth.

“Your Excellency, you must get out of this forest at once.”

“What are you talking about? Get out? And where is the Count?”

“M-monsters attacked. Count Bozen's army was scattered by them.... Aah-!”

“?”

‘So it really is a monster?’

I frowned at the knight's incoherent words. It felt like a job I thought would be easy was getting progressively harder.

“This knight must be delirious from his injuries. Help him up and calm his mind and body quickly.”

I clicked my tongue at the sobbing knight and rose from my seat. It was difficult to get any proper information like this.

But the knight, from where he got the strength, suddenly shot up and grabbed my arm.

“Your Excellency.... Flee at once-! They.... they are coming. The ones who do not die!!”

“They? The ones who do not die? What in the world does that mean? Speak clearly.”

I shouted in frustration.

But the answer to this came not from the knight, but from somewhere else.

-Grrrrrrr!

It was from between the densely packed trees that had once again blocked the path.

There.

-Kwaaaaaaak!

-Mortal...!

-I smell fresh meat! Kyahahak!

Living corpses of various shapes and sizes stood, holding weapons.

“It's the undead-!”

“Oh God, give me strength.”