โMartina, itโs all thanks to you!โ
Leaving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Roland flashed a bright smile and gave Martina a friendly pat on the shoulder.
โIโm glad I could be of help,โ she replied.
โYeah, this time you really did well. Your memory is incredible. Well, itโs not just your memory, but your ability to effectively apply that memory is impressive.โ
โโฆDo you really think so?โ
โI do. Even if you remember everything, itโs useless if you donโt know how to use it. โฆAlright, letโs head to the Ministry of Finance next.โ
With those words, Roland walked off with enthusiasm. Martina watched his back for a moment, then smiled happily before running to catch up with him.
Thanks to their success in reducing the budget in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Martina and Roland were able to secure the necessary budget without any major issues from the Ministry of Finance. They returned to the Political Affairs Department with light steps.
Having finished their work earlier than expected, they began discussing which tasks to move forward with in the remaining time. But when they opened the door to the Political Affairs Department, they were met with an unexpected scene of chaos.
โWhatโs going on? Something happened?โ
Many clerks were running around the room, voices and papers flying everywhere. As they stepped inside, confused, a nearby male clerk stood up suddenly upon seeing Martina.
โAh, Martinaโs back!โ
โYou finally arrived! We were about to call for you!โ
โMinisterโฆ what happened?โ
Martina asked, turning to the Minister, who handed her a piece of paper.
It contained disturbing informationโabout a request for aid from the Cadour Countโs territory.
โโฆCould this be related to the miasma pool?โ Martina asked with a furrowed brow, her voice quiet.
The Minister nodded gravely. โYes, it seems highly likely. An unimaginable number of monsters have poured out of the forest, and one town has already been taken over. Theyโre considering sending the Second Knight Order, and since youโre familiar with the situation, theyโve decided to dispatch you as well. Also, knights from the First Knight Order, who usually operate in the royal territory, are being sent because they understand your abilities. There will also be eight light mages sent, although fewer than last time. And since this is an emergency expedition, Roland will accompany you to coordinate with other departments.โ
After hearing the Ministerโs explanation, both Martina and Roland stared at the letter from the King with serious expressions.
โTheyโre dispatching us tomorrowโฆ thatโs fast,โ Roland remarked.
โYes, so I need you to prepare immediately. The Cadour territory is three days away by horse. Youโll be riding with the knights, so make sure you rest well to avoid exhaustion,โ the Minister said.
โUnderstood.โ
โWeโll start preparing right away.โ
As they nodded and began to move, a man approached from the back of the room.
โMinister! Let me go to the site too!โ
It was Sylvan , a colleague of Martinaโs.
โAh, youโre from the Cadour family, right?โ
โYes. I should go, it would make things smoother on the ground!โ
โYou have a pointโฆ alright. Iโll let them know and include you in the team. Prepare yourself.โ
โThank you! I will!โ
Sylvan smiled and nodded at the Minister before turning to Martina, glaring at her with sharp eyes.
โDonโt get in my way.โ
โโฆIโll do my best to be helpful.โ
โSylvan , if you cause trouble, Iโll refuse to let you come along,โ Roland warned.
โMy apologies, I wonโt,โ Sylvan said, bowing his head before quickly turning and heading back into the depths of the Political Affairs Department, leaving the two behind.
The next morning, a group of knights gathered outside the royal palace gates, including Martina, Roland, Sylvan , and the eight light mages.
โMartina, come over here. You too,โ called Lambert, who greeted them with a friendly morning.
As they approached him, Lambert introduced two members of the First Knight Order. Martina would ride with Lambert, while Roland and Sylvan would travel with the other two knights to the destination.
โI apologize for any trouble I might cause. Please take care of things while weโre there,โ Martina said.
โNo problem, Iโm counting on you. Especially your knowledge, it will be useful at every stop,โ Lambert replied.
โYes, Iโll do my best. By the way, do we know what kind of monsters weโll be facing?โ
โNot exactly. The report said they were ant-type monsters, but there were also many monsters with unfamiliar colors, so no specific species were reported.โ
โUnfamiliar colors? That sounds like monsters that donโt belong in these forestsโฆ It could be desert-dwelling ant-type monsters, or swamp-dwelling ones. Or maybe even aquatic ones,โ Martina mused.
โIโll let you know their weaknesses and attack patterns once we see them in person,โ she added.
โGood. โฆMartina, do you think this aid request is caused by a miasma pool?โ
โYes, I believe so. After hearing about the unfamiliar monsters, Iโm more convinced itโs a miasma pool.โ
โI thought so. Letโs head to the site assuming itโs a miasma pool.โ
Martina nodded in agreement, and just as everyone finished their preparations, the leader of the Second Knight Order gave the signal to depart.