Chapter 99

That night, while we, the guard team, took turns getting some rest, we kept watch over the carriage where Kyle and Mina were staying, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.

In the morning, the campsite began to bustle with activity.

Reifan and Marilyn were preparing the soldiers' breakfast.

The menu was a large amount of congee.

Rice is the second most widely consumed grain after wheat, especially suitable for feeding large groups of people, making it a familiar staple in the military.

Of course, adventurers also rely on it heavily.

Carrying enough bread for a large group would be quite a challenge, as rice is less prone to spoilage compared to bread.

If this vast wetland could be cultivated, it would yield an incredible amount of rice.

Currently, the priority is to rescue Zayed, but the original goal was to secure this wetland.

I also want to build a new village for the lizardmen as soon as possible.

The Kingdom of Maugaria has a relatively good supply of food, but it's still not abundant.

Thanks to the mass production of Craft Wheat (tears) in Golden Dawn, there should be a considerable amount of wheat available, but it's still not enough to satisfy the entire kingdom's population.

However, if the cultivation here is successful, the kingdom's food situation will improve dramatically, the lives of the people will get better, the economy will develop, and the human race will have more leeway.

This will be a significant step towards the human dream of expanding our living space.

That's why the extermination of the monsters in this wetland is the top priority.

The soldiers seem to understand this well, and their morale is incredibly high.

As I watched the soldiers eating breakfast with such smiles, Kyle came out of the carriage.

"Craft, good morning."

"Hey, good morning."

Mina, who was attached to Kyle's back, greeted me in a barely audible voice.

"Hey."

"Hey, good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"..."

Mina nodded slightly.

I see. I thought she might have trouble sleeping in this environment, but it seems she's fine.

No, wait. Mina has been involved in this development project from the beginning. The carriage journey to Old Golden Dawn must have been a tremendous hardship for a noble child.

But thinking about it now, Mina has never complained much.

Perhaps Mina, despite her appearance and attitude, is incredibly tough... or maybe she's just very competitive.

I must have been staring at Mina while thinking about this, as she blushed slightly and turned away.

I was being rude to a lady.

"Craft, I'm going to patrol the camp. Please take care of Mina while I'm gone."

"Sure, leave it to me."

"Mina, stay here with Craft and eat breakfast quietly, okay?"

"..."

Mina nodded slightly in response to Kyle's gentle reprimand.

"Kyle, aren't you going to eat?"

"I've already eaten."

Kyle smiled and left with Alphard, Van, Reifan, and Mr. Javir.

As Mina's guard, the five of us remaining are me, the Casper sisters, and Jitaro.

Since I had the early shift last night, I decided to have a slightly late breakfast.

I'm eating with Mina.

Most of the soldiers have finished their breakfast, so to avoid getting in the way of the cleanup, Mina and I moved to a corner to eat.

I was eating a large bowl of congee, but Mina had only eaten about half of her bowl.

I always wonder how she can move around with so little food.

"Is it good?"

"..."

"If the cultivation of this wetland is successful, the people of the country will be able to eat as much rice as they want."

"..."

As usual, Mina nodded slightly, but I sensed that she wanted to say something.

"What is it?"

After thinking for a moment, Mina whispered softly.

"...I'll try my best."

As soon as she said that, she stood up and started walking with her finished dishes.

The soldiers, who were holding back, were surprised.

One of the soldiers was taking care of Mina.

The soldier hurried to take Mina's dishes, but I stopped him.

"Mr. Craft?"

"I understand your role, but can you let Mina do it?"

"But..."

"I'll tell Kyle, don't worry."

"...Understood."

Mina slowly walked to where the soldiers were washing dishes and surprised them again.

After handing over her dishes, Mina returned to us, looking satisfied.

She puffed out her chest and looked up at me with a small, heavy breath.

I patted Mina's head affectionately.

That's right.

Mina is also a member of this development team.

Mina, who tries her best in whatever she can do, is indeed Kyle's twin sister, I realized with renewed admiration.

"...Oh, it's almost time to connect with Raidock. Mina, can you wait a moment?"

"..."

I sat Mina down and activated the magical communication device.

At that exact moment,

A loud explosion was heard from the center of the wetland, where the mangrove forests are dense.

◆

I am Zayed Gandal Baillor.

Why must I, of all people, be covered in mud and running for my life!

At first, things were going well in the wetland. The plants were mostly grass, so we had a clear view and could deal with approaching hydras early on. However, as we encountered more and more plants with tangled, branch-like roots, the rate of hydra extermination began to slow down.

Absolutely! Despite giving everyone the precious Stamina Potion, they are still so weak!

"You guys! The advance is slowing down! At this rate, we'll never be able to exterminate the monsters!"

When I urged them, the squad leader suddenly bowed his head.

"Lord Zayed! I have a suggestion! We should retreat!"

"...What?"

I thought it was a joke, but the squad leader's expression was serious, even somber.

"We have already used more than half of the Healing Potions given by Mr. Javir! However, the number of monsters is increasing as we move forward! We might be wiped out if we continue! Please, please give the order to retreat!"

It seems the squad leader is serious.

I thought they were weak despite not being fatigued from the Stamina Potion, but then I had a sudden realization about their low morale.

There is a saying, "The commander leads from the front."

While I think it's foolish, it does make sense in terms of morale.

If I lead from the front, the morale will soar to the heavens.

I was about to draw my famous sword from my waist but stopped to think.

This is me, Zayed, wielding a sword. A bit of drama is needed.

Alright.

"No, we must move forward! We will head deeper into the wetland!"

"Sir! Deeper into the wetland!? That place is even avoided by the adventurers of Golden Dawn!"

The squad leader cried out, but I didn't understand what he was saying.

"That's why we must go! Are you saying you are inferior to the adventurers under Kyle's rule!?"

"Ugh... That's not it..."

"The point is to do what Kyle couldn't! Move forward!"

The squad leader closed his eyes for a moment and then slowly opened them.

"Understood. ...Everyone, move forward!"

Thus, we headed towards the center of the wetland.

As the squad leader predicted, the frequency of hydra appearances increased dramatically.

Fog also began to form, making visibility even worse.

Finally, we encountered a particularly powerful group of hydras, putting the soldiers in a dangerous situation.

(Alright, as planned.)

I stepped forward in front of the soldiers who were barely maintaining the battle line, flipping my cloak.

"Lord Zayed!? You can't go forward!"

The squad leader cried out, but I ignored him and drew the famous sword given to me by my father.

"Have no fear! My elite soldiers! Rally! Grip your swords! Raise your spears! I am here!"

The magical glow beautifully traced my magnificent sword strokes.

"Oh, oh!"

"Lord Zayed!"

I struck the hydra with my sword... but its massive body was not defeated with a single blow.

I followed up with a second and third strike.

Hmph. The sword instructor said that human combat techniques don't work on monsters, but it seems to be effective.

Or perhaps it's just my talent!

The squad leader was muttering something under his breath, but I couldn't hear what he was saying over the sounds of battle.

(I must... make a decision. If I don't retreat from Lord Zayed, I must absolutely protect him! If he dies, what will happen to my family! If I desert, my entire family could be executed! I must die honorably as a soldier to protect my family!)

As I swung my sword with a good feeling, the squad leader was repeatedly thrown back.

He had been moving around in front of me, so it wasn't a problem.

The squad leader continued to mutter to himself.

(Damn! Lord Zayed is too strong, which is a problem! He's stronger than me, so he always stands out! But he can't defeat a hydra alone! I must absolutely protect him!)

Every time the squad leader was thrown back and covered in blood, he was healed with a Healing Potion and returned to my line of sight.

I was about to complain, but I finished off the group of hydras first.

The soldiers looked at me with stunned expressions.

That's it.

They must be looking at me with admiration.

"How is that! I wield the sword! I have no fear!"

Silence.

Everyone just stood there with their mouths open.

What?

Are they too moved to speak?

Then, the squad leader stepped forward.

His expression seemed to show determination.

"...Listen! Who are we! We are soldiers who have sworn to serve Lord Zayed!"

The soldiers tensed up as the squad leader spoke.

"We are the honored soldiers of Lord Zayed! What is our honor! To protect Lord Zayed! To be his sword!"

Well, that's a good point.

"We will now fight an honorable battle with Lord Zayed! Listen, all of you! Everyone, make your decision!"

The soldiers all changed their expressions.

They looked like men who had made a decision.

"Let's go! To return alive!"

Hmph. They should have been motivated from the beginning.

With the soldiers' morale boosted, I stepped into the center of the wetland...

But that was a mistake.

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