“Lately, the forest has been noisy.”
Bringing his subordinates along and weaving between the trees, the man muttered.
“Yes. The number of beasts is increasing. Yesterday too, they had a big haul, and the village men all turned out to butcher it.”
Clearly, something was going on.
That was something everyone in the Outer-Rim Security Force felt.
Compared to a normal year, animals like deer, boar, and raccoon dogs were seen more often within their patrol area.
And it felt like there were many sights they did not usually see—males with their nerves on edge, or mothers with young.
“I hope it isn’t bad news...”
“We’ve been sending reports up, so some sort of investigation will probably come in...”
Still, it did not feel like a problem on the scale of a frenzy.
It was like their territories were shifting little by little from deep in the forest toward the front.
“Did some kind of monster frenzy stampede start deeper in the forest...?”
“If it were a stampede, it feels like it would be more frantic.”
Slowly, but certainly, the forest ecosystem was changing.
For now, the impact was only at the level of, “There’s more game around the village, so the hunters are happy.”
If it was temporary, there was no problem.
Before long, population levels would settle, and it would return to normal.
But if, for example, animals kept increasing like this—
Large beasts and monsters might also come closer to the village, drawn by those animals.
If it was only a small number, the Security Force’s strength could handle it, but—
“Really, I hope nothing happens.”
His term was about three weeks more. Once that passed, he would enjoy leave in the city for a while, then move to a new posting.
In other words, for at least three weeks, it was desirable that nothing at all happen.
“...Captain. That.”
A sharp-eyed member spotted something and called to the captain.
“Hm. ...A Dia Deer, is it? Not a monster you see around here often.”
In the direction of their gaze was a large Dia Deer moving at an unhurried pace. It looked like a herbivore, but once monsterized, a Dia Deer was omnivorous. Of course, if you put your hands on it carelessly, you would take a painful counterattack.
“Let’s do it. It’s too close to the village hunting grounds. At this rate, we’ll run into it sooner or later.”
“Yeah. All right—take your bows. At this distance, I’ll do it.”
The captain unshouldered the bow on his back and drew an arrow from the quiver at his hip.
The subordinates followed suit.
If the captain missed the first shot, they would continue with a second, a third.
That said, with the captain’s skill, he would not miss in the first place.
“I’m shooting.”
He nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring back with a creak. He took a deep breath and held it.
His movement stopped dead.
The aim was perfect.
He opened his fingers and loosed the arrow.
The slight magic power imbued within transformed so as to suppress deviation in its trajectory and minimize deceleration from air resistance.
The released arrow did not miss—piercing into the target, the Dia Deer’s head.
“One shot.”
“Splendid work, Captain.”
With a heavy thud, the Dia Deer’s body collapsed, losing all strength.
“A Dia Deer doesn’t herd, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue, but... We may need to strengthen patrols around here for a while.”
Monsters almost never appeared at the outer edge.
Because the Security Force hunted them down.
Any monster careless enough to wander into the Security Force’s patrol range—in other words, into the territory of the Forest Kingdom of Levresta—had already gone extinct, and monsters that had not gone extinct did not come near.
On extremely rare occasions, a monster might come as if being pushed out from deeper inside, but at the very least, not a Dia Deer. A Dia Deer had a strong sense of territory, so it rarely changed its territory without good reason.
Still, “rare” did not mean “never.”
This time, that rare case had simply happened to occur.
If that was all, it would be fine, but—
“For now, we’re bringing the game back. Patrol ends here for today. We’ll continue tomorrow.”
“Understood, Captain.”
*****
“The equipment attrition numbers for the Outer-Rim Security Force are rising.”
La Alyuntara, the person in charge of the department managing Security Force supplies, placed the incoming equipment requisition forms on her desk and let out a sigh.
“Alyuntara, what’s wrong?”
Her superior, noticing that sigh, asked.
“Teaderada... Well, the number of equipment requisitions from the outer-edge units is increasing, and the requested quantities are larger, too. If this continues, we’ll run out of this year’s budget in no time.”
“...Suddenly, since this month?”
Ri Teaderada Jarls frowned at her report.
Of course, budgets were requested based on experience for what was needed. For it to look like they might hit bottom before half a year had even passed was not something to take calmly.
“It’s sudden. Up until last month, it was the usual. Look at this... The same unit: the start of this month, and today. Normally it’s about once every half year, right? At most, three months. And it isn’t just this unit. There are several others, too. For now, we’ll draw from stockpiles, but if next month is like this, we’ll run dry.”
“I see... ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Today is the day the regular shipment comes in. Which means, at the start of the month, the requisitions were also heavy?”
“Hm... Now that you mention it, it might have been more than usual. But still, there’s no way you can predict this from that. I think it was about a ten percent increase from normal.”
“I see... Well, you can’t really tell from that. If you say it’s the usual, it is the usual. All right, understood. I’ll report it to Rabiarede myself. Alyuntara, sorry, but can you produce the numbers for the increase and the forecast? Though either way, just fulfilling this round of requisitions will leave this year’s budget totally empty.”
After giving that instruction to their subordinate, Teaderada immediately stood up. Even if it was uncertain, this kind of information was better consulted on quickly. Rather than suddenly presenting numbers, you first conveyed at least the information verbally.
“Understood. I’ll have it compiled by evening.”
“Thanks. You always help me out. All right, I’m going to Rabiarede.”
“Please go ahead.”
*****
“Signs of a monster frenzy stampede?”
“We still don’t know. It gives an impression of being calmer than a stampede. And that is a ‘frenzy.’ There has never been any confirmed sign for it.”
After receiving a report of increasing monsters from a subordinate, Ri Plediuga Elemes folded their arms.
As far as they knew, there was no matching phenomenon.
At the outer edge of the forest, monster sighting cases were increasing.
Along with that, the number of monster subjugations was increasing, and the Security Force’s equipment attrition rate was also increasing.
Since there were no human casualties, it was not an urgent problem, but—
However, if equipment replenishment could not keep up, it would only be a matter of time.
“Reserve manpower can move right away, but equipment, equipment... Hm. Has there been peace for too long? The quality of equipment has improved, but the budget is cut accordingly...”
“Stockpiling unused equipment in warehouses gets criticized first, after all. Still, I thought we had them prepared sufficiently...”
The Security Force was an indispensable unit for protecting the territory of the Forest Kingdom of Levresta.
They hunted the monsters that appeared from the direction of the <Demon Forest>, protecting the homeland as homeland.
To hammer into the monsters that this was the territory of the Forest Kingdom of Levresta, they had continued their patrols for hundreds of years.
“It can’t be helped. The next Elders’ Council Meeting is in three days. We’ll have it taken up as an emergency agenda item. I don’t know whether it will become a Ministry of National Defense matter or an execution of an emergency budget, but we can take measures. We may end up negotiating with those badgers in their holes...”
“I’ve heard they acquired new liquor through trade, too, so won’t it be comparatively easier?”
“Yeah, well. It’s harsh stuff for us, but for them it’ll be just right. It may be providence.”
Most of their equipment procurement was carried out through trade with a certain nation in the northeast of the Forest Kingdom of Levresta.
Due to their constitution, Levrestans were poor at using metal processing tools.
For that reason, they outsourced production to the Rock Country of Dradia, where many metal experts lived.
Economically, they were strongly tied together, but the citizens did not get along very well. Still, since they had continued dealing with each other for hundreds of years in that state, perhaps there was a kind of trust relationship.
“In any case, it depends on the outcome of the Elders’ Circle. Fortunately, this time Tiariada has returned. I hear there’s an important report on that side as well, but it can’t be heavier than our problem. This is a matter of maintaining the homeland of our Forest Kingdom of Levresta, after all.”
