The forest at dusk was almost shrouded in darkness due to the trees covering the sky.
Amidst the sunken ground and protruding tree roots, however, the Urklow rescue team, led by a soldier of the bear-like “Majū” race with brown fur, who had excellent night vision, walked without hesitation.
“Everyone, I take it you don’t need a break yet?”
“Mm. No problem.”
Naturally, I replied. Swan and I, being a military doctor with little experience in military operations and having some physical limitations, were carried by the Zombie Soldier and Zombie Thief, so we had no issues.
“How far have we come so far?”
“We’re about at the line where we were originally supposed to establish a base.”
“Then we are already in enemy territory. It wouldn’t be strange if we encountered elves at any moment.”
“That’s true. We must be cautious. However—”
The bear-like soldier sniffed and made a slight snorting sound, then said,
“There’s no fresh scent of elves nearby. You can relax.”
The Majū are nocturnal and have highly sensitive noses. They are the best choice for this covert rescue mission.
“By the way, with that sense of smell, can you track Urklow’s steps directly?”
“Actually, we’ve already been doing that. However… the way that person is rampaging is quite something.”
The Majū soldier pointed to a large tree nearby, where deep claw marks stained with blood were visible.
“This is clearly Urklow’s claw mark, but that person has been charging across the frontlines in a wide area, causing a ruckus. It’s likely that similar marks can be found across this entire forest.”
“…So the scent is scattered all over, making it hard to pinpoint?”
“Exactly. Even so, we can narrow down the general location. We’ll track the scent as best we can, but—”
He was about to continue when the Majū soldier suddenly stopped and began sniffing the air frantically.
“Everyone, stop.”
“An elf?”
“No, it’s the scent of a comrade approaching from upwind. It’s not Urklow’s, but… it seems like they’re injured.”
In other words, there’s the scent of blood?
“How should we make contact?”
“I’ll give the signal.”
At that moment, a dark, backpack-like bundle that had been attached to the back of the Majū soldier shifted. It wasn’t luggage, but rather a small soldier of the Vampire Beast race.
The soldier spread his large wings and flew up to hover above the Majū soldier’s head.
“That woman—Swan the medic. If it’s too loud, close your ears.”
“Huh?”
The Vampire Beast soldier suddenly opened his mouth wide, revealing sharp fangs.
“────”
“Yikes…!?”
Swan, startled, covered her ears, and the Majū soldier grimaced in discomfort, doing the same. I couldn’t hear anything, and Shes, who stood next to me, tilted her head, puzzled by the reactions of the two magical soldiers.
…I see.
“You’re emitting ultrasonic waves, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The Majū soldier nodded with a somewhat pained expression, as though suppressing a headache.
“Being a magical beast race, we have highly developed senses. We can detect sounds that humans and demi-humans cannot hear. On the frontlines, we use this ability for communication among magical beasts, transmitting general operational messages.”
“A short-range communication network, impressive.”
While we were talking, the small soldier of the Rat Beast race, likely having detected the high-frequency sound, staggered toward us. The cause of his condition seemed to be a deep wound on his back, caused by holy magic.
I immediately cast Dark Heal to treat him. While continuing the treatment, the Majū soldier and the injured comrade exchanged information about the unit’s status.
“What!? The three rescue squads have been wiped out!?”
It’s no surprise that the Majū soldier’s expression darkened upon hearing this.
From the information provided, twelve elves had been confirmed. This meant that an enemy force equivalent to two brigades of demons had gathered in this limited area.
“So they’re serious about capturing Urklow.”
“…We should retreat and come up with a better plan.”
The Majū soldier said with a grimace, as if chewing on something bitter.
“At this rate… the difference in strength is too large.”
The Vampire Beast and Rat Beast soldiers nodded in agreement.
“At this point, it would be like walking to our deaths.”
“Yes. It might be quicker to confront the elves with our full force, rather than continuing with stealth, in order to reach Urklow.”
It seemed that the consensus was forming to retreat. Oh, what could have happened?
“I still think we can make it.”
My words, the only objection, caused the group to fall silent.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Should I say something else?
“I actually think it’s a chance.”
Now, everyone stood there, mouths agape.
The Majū and Vampire Beast soldiers exchanged a glance.
“Ah, could you be communicating with ultrasonic waves?”
“No, no, that’s not it…”
The Majū soldier cleared his throat and said with a small cough.
“…Alaya-sama, may I ask what you mean by ‘chance’?”
“It’s simple. A major battle occurred, and three squads were wiped out, right? Urklow would have noticed that. If it’s her… no, if it’s that magic-wolf race, she would surely come to check on the situation. Am I wrong?”
“!”
The magic-wolf race… a rare and exceptional species. Their senses of smell and hearing are extraordinary, and they also have a keen wild instinct, often referred to as a sixth sense. Their hunting intelligence is unparalleled, and they excel in hide-and-kill tactics.
…I have some knowledge of wolves from the kingdom, where nobles kept Devil Wolves. Those wolves don’t get close to people, are highly cautious, and are skilled at hiding, which made them a handful when we had to care for them at the clinic.
“Urklow must have realized that rescue is on the way. If that’s the case, she’s likely hiding near the battlefield, close to the elves, even if it’s risky.”
“That’s true… Alaya-sama, what you say makes sense.”
“Hmm. So, do you have an objection?”
“Even after analyzing the situation, if we continue toward Urklow’s rescue… it means we’ll have to get closer to the elves. In other words, the danger level is much higher than when we were avoiding them.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Essentially, it means we might accidentally step into an elf’s shadow.
“But that’s not a problem. We’ve already walked through a minefield earlier. I’m used to it by now.”
And it’s not necessarily such a bad gamble.
The sun was almost completely set, and night was now ruling over the forest.
It was the time when magical beasts roamed freely.
