Chapter 34: Edge of the Dominion

The public order is a mess. Even when traveling between Direct Dominions.

“Sssss.”

“Ssshh.”

Monsters have appeared. Orcs. And not just any orcs—these are wanderers exiled from their tribe. Their numbers aren’t small. Around twenty.

‘Were they aiming for the chieftain’s title and got kicked out?’

Unable to withstand their hunger, the orcs charged at us.

Kuuuuung-

Even as wandering orcs, the force with which they crashed into the Knight’s shield was not weak.

Only because it was a Knight were we able to block them so easily. If twenty orcs appeared in a village, that would be a catastrophe. For ordinary people, monsters are nothing but disasters.

Right now they may be wanderers, but we have to take them down before they find footing and form a new tribe.

“Blocked!”

Puh-urk. Puk. Puh-urk.

The elite soldiers also raised their shields and blocked the attack.

Kwachik-

One shield, struck head-on by an orc’s axe, was dented and shattered. A crisis. Their protection has been reduced.

But there’s a reason they’re called elites. Even as mere soldiers, their formation was flawless.

Puk- Pu-uk- Puk-

Without hesitation, they stabbed steel into the orcs’ bodies. Sword edges and spears ripped through tough hides. After tearing through, blood spurted out powerfully.

“Chiiiik!”

An orc’s vitality was tenacious. A single stab wouldn’t kill them. Their tough muscles were harder than old oak and could keep moving even when stabbed.

This is why Ma Beop Sa are necessary in this world.

Ma Beop Sa possess the destructive force needed to burn through the stubborn vitality of monsters. That’s something I have as well.

Gedren shouted urgently.

“Young Lord! Now’s the time!”

“I’ve been waiting. Fire Arrow. Stack.”

Fwaaaah- Fwah-

In an instant, more than ten Fire Arrows flared up, brightening the dark night. Swaaaang— of course, these were Fire Arrows charged with rotation.

“Pierce them!”

Puh-urk- Puh-urk- Puk-

“Chiiiiik!”

“Kkeeeek.”

The Fire Arrows danced through the air and drove straight into the orcs.

‘The weakest spot is always the most painful.’

The heart is protected by ribs. The brain by the skull. Monsters and humans alike have ways to protect themselves.

But there are always spots that aren’t fully guarded. That’s exactly where I’m striking now.

Pwoooosh-

The Fire Arrow exploded in the orcs’ eyes, burning them out completely. Even one hit was enough.

Puh-ung- Puh-ung-

The explosive force contained within the Fire Arrow spread to the remaining eye, causing it to burst.

Kuuung. Kuuung. About five orcs collapsed instantly.

“Chyeeeek!”

Whoosh— An orc who survived by luck swung its massive axe. The force was impressive. Thud. But it was blocked cleanly. Gedren. As a Knight, he was on a different level from the soldiers.

“Die.”

Paaah-

A hint of aura gathered on his blade. Just a hint was enough. As Gedren sliced through, the orc’s neck split open.

Kuuung-

The most aggressive orc fell. The momentum had shifted to our side.

“Take them down! Don’t let any escape! If even one flees, we’ll have bigger problems!”

“Yes, sir!”

It was time to deal with the rest.

The east may be more fertile than the north, but that doesn’t mean it’s free of monsters.

Rather, because the east is the granary region, monsters often target the crops, and their numbers are high.

“Any losses?”

“Thanks to you, Young Lord, we didn’t let a single one get away.”

“Even if I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have let them escape, would you?”

“Haha. Perhaps not.”

“You’re not denying it, I see.”

Gedren belonged to the Order of Knights stationed in the eastern territories. As a seasoned veteran, he never let orcs get away.

Though he smiled as he spoke to me, his eyes never stopped scanning the surroundings. He was probably looking out for any ambushes.

Around him, other Knights and soldiers busily rummaged through the orcs’ corpses.

Orc hide, teeth, and bones— depending on how they’re used, these are precious materials.

One of the orcs this time had a massive glaive.

A glaive, a huge double-headed axe, isn’t something orcs craft. Their forging skills aren’t advanced enough to produce such sturdy glaives.

But monsters have a few innate abilities.

Even without anyone teaching them, they can use a bit of magic to craft their own weapons.

Like how goblins or kobolds manage to produce daggers, orcs get glaives in a similar fashion.

Ma Beop Sa say it’s a form of alchemy using magic, closer to magical research.

They gather the surrounding metals and naturally form weapons, but so far, no human has succeeded in replicating this.

‘In any case, what a talent.’

It’s one of the unique traits monsters in this world possess.

At any rate, securing the glaive will fetch quite a price. Metal forged in that way is nearly pure iron and, when refined, can become a superior weapon.

In conclusion, the haul wasn’t bad. The problem lay elsewhere.

“The Direct Dominion isn’t over yet, right? But why does it feel like the monsters are only increasing?”

“It’s probably because the time of Harvest is approaching. Monsters are at their most numerous during this period.”

“Even so, there are too many.”

“Once this wave of activity passes, their numbers will drop again. It’s an inevitable cycle.”

“Inevitable, huh…….”

Until the monsters are completely eradicated, this cycle will continue.

Gedren spoke as if it were nothing, but it bothered me considerably.

‘As expected, everyone needs to grow stronger.’

My family’s domain is my domain. I cannot tolerate monsters rampaging in my territory, which is more than just a matter of kin.

If I can gain overwhelming strength, at least within my own territory, I should be able to drive out the monsters.

And to make that possible—

‘First, my plan has to succeed.’

It all depends on how well this project of mine goes.

“Especially as we get closer to the Village of Villad, this can’t be helped. Look, do you see over there?”

“Is that it?”

“Yes. We’ll arrive soon!”

Village of Villad. A village at the very edge of our family’s Direct Dominion.

This village wasn’t developed for agriculture. The Village of Villad had grown around a dungeon.

‘As expected. The magic here is thick.’

The concentration of magic in the Village of Villad was much higher than elsewhere.

That’s because of Wald Mountain next to the Village of Villad. Special mountains tend to gather dense magic, and Wald Mountain was just such a place.

Where magic concentrates, monsters naturally begin to swarm.

The monsters dig into the ground to reach the heart of the magic. That’s how natural dungeons are formed.

‘Different from artificial dungeons made by Ma Beop Sa.’

Natural dungeons are distinctly different from those created by Ma Beop Sa or for special purposes.

Until the core of magic disappears, monsters will be drawn to it endlessly.

That’s why, even on the way to the Village of Villad, my party could not avoid running into monsters now and then.

If I didn’t have my Space Device, there would have been too many corpses for us to collect.

In a place like the Village of Villad, where monsters are rampant, the community has developed by adapting to this environment.

“The north side is where most of the inns are. Because it’s closest to the dungeon. To the east, you can sell corpses. The south is where most of the villagers live.”

“What about the west?”

“Ahh… That’s something you don’t need to know just yet, Young Lord. Haha.”

“I can guess.”

“Ahem…”

Mercenaries who come to hunt rampaging monsters, and the various conveniences provided for them— that’s how this village took shape.

‘Mutual aid, I suppose. Hard to say.’

The dungeon in Wald Mountain had long been dug all the way to the edge, but the magic was still thick, so monsters kept coming.

That’s how the village has continued its existence.

“It’s bright here.”

“That’s usually how such villages are. Do you dislike it, Young Lord?”

“No. I like it, in fact.”

Despite monsters running rampant, the village was lively.

“Hey! Come with us!”

“Brand-new iron swords for sale! Brought straight from the Count of Ophern’s personal forge!”

“Oh my. New customers? Please, come this way.”

To avoid notice, we hadn’t marked the family crest on our carriage.

But anyone could tell at a glance. Even Gedren beside me, under his armor, wore clothes of fabric far too fine for a commoner.

Even so, many boldly called out to solicit us. Ignoring such people, we pressed forward.

“I’ve already sent word ahead to the Bailiff.”

“Bailiff? Shouldn’t we avoid notifying the Bailiff? Officially, I’m here for inspection.”

“That’s true, but… I heard you needed something, Young Lord. Heh heh. The Count was being considerate.”

“Ah, I see.”

Officially, my trip here was for my role as an inspector. But that was just the official reason.

‘It was all for the plan.’

I’d already asked my father for something more to support my plan.

The inspection would proceed as planned, but I’d said I’d also look for certain supplies. Magical items, to be specific.

Procuring magical items was the most convincing excuse for my plan. But it seems my father interpreted things differently.

“The Count said, if you wish to rest, you should rest well. You can stay at the Bailiff’s house.”

“Is that so? So this will be my lodging.”

“Yes. He’s satisfied with your achievements as an agricultural officer. He just said to return before the Harvest Festival.”

“Considering the Harvest Festival, I still have about half a month.”

“Indeed. Shall I summon the Bailiff?”

He seemed to think I should use this as an opportunity to rest rather than focus on inspection work.

Well, I’d achieved unexpected results as an agricultural officer, so some relaxation was understandable.

With my father half-indulging me, it meant I didn’t have to focus immediately on inspector duties.

But.

“If there’s anything you need, just say the word. I’ll haggle for everything.”

“No, it’s fine.”

I needed more than just magical items, as my father assumed.

This trip was, above all, part of my plan to slowly reveal my power. Therefore—

“I’ll get them myself.”

“You need to look at things yourself? Well, that makes sense if they’re important. I can guide you. Or the Bailiff can…”

“Don’t worry. I can handle it alone.”

“Excuse me?”

For this moment, I’d already slipped out of the carriage.

‘I’ve confirmed I’ll be staying here.’

No one would expect me to move like this—perfect.

“Jump.”

Whooosh! Thud!

My body shot up in an instant. Without revealing my Mugong to avoid exposure, my speed was still blinding.

“Ugh!”

“I need to get them myself! See you soon!”

“Young Lord!”

I was so fast that even the Knights couldn’t react in time.