-Emperors Kingdom’s 1st Knight’s Commander’s POV-


    We receive a report saying the 5th knight order is doing well.


    The knights of the entire castle are shouting with joy.


    My office is quiet.


    The only sound that can be heard is papers being flipped.


    Then, someone announced their arrival at the entrance of my room.


    -0-


    The person who came into my room was my friend, themander of the 4th knight order.


    And a subordinate of mine.


    These two looked somewhat relieved.


    -0-


    I gather the documents I’ve been processing.


    As usual, these documents are requests from viges.


    Lately, inquiries from those viges have piled up. They are asking for exnations.


    It’s all about the unidentifiable light in the sky.


    At first, they didn’t think anything of it but as days go by, their anxiety has been stirred.


    They have been seeing those lights several times a day.


    I supposed it can’t be helped.


    I wouldn’t mind exining it to them but even I don’t know what it is.


    We’ve confirmed that it’s affecting the magic stone but that’s it.


    -0-


    I feel like something is slowly breaking down.


    「Commander, have you heard?」


    「Yeah.」


    They made it to the forest as nned.


    Even though they entered the forest, they were able to move on without being attacked by light.


    I think there’s something wrong with that.


    「You don’t seem to be happy about it.」


    My vicemander doesn’t seem to like how I act.


    「If it were the 4th knight order, I’m sure they didn’t have any problem at this point too.」


    「Ah, no. We were attacked at this point.」


    「Attack? What do you mean?」


    「Eh?….I mean by the light.」


    「Did anyone die or get hurt in that attack?」


    「…….」


    My vicemander looks unhappy but I ignore him.


    My friend seems to be a little confused.


    「You say you were attacked by the light but no one was hurt or killed. It’s just that the ves escaped.」


    「That’s….」


    「No damage. It means it’s a warning.」


    Something that only the absolute strong can afford to do.


    It means it can afford to warn us.


    If it were threatened, it would have attacked right away.


    It might be a warning from someone with absolute power or perhaps not.


    「Butmander, if the 5th knight….」


    「What’s next after warning?」


    「Eh?….warning….attack」


    「That’s right. This country has given it a chance to attack us.」


    No one has ever been killed from the attack from the forest.


    The mages only lost their memories. They were killed but not by the forest but by this country.


    Yes, the forest hasn’t killed anyone yet.


    I don’t know what happened to the escaped ves though.


    -0-


    So, let’s say that the 5th knight order invaded the forest this time and attacked.


    How would the forest react?


    「It will fully recognize them as the enemy. And if the warning has already been given, the next step is to attack.」


    My friend and my vicemander gasped.


    The 5th knight order was able to enter the forest. That’s it.


    We have no idea who the enemy is or how powerful it is.


    What’s the point of being able to enter the forest?


    It would only bring the wrath of the forest down on us.


    「But the forest needs to be controlled….」


    My vicemander didn’t understand anything at all.


    He doesn’t know how powerful the enemy we’re dealing with.


    It is difficult for a knight to admit the reality that there’s an opponent that he couldn’t face with sword alone in this world.


    However, as amander, it is my duty to guide my subordinates.


    I have a duty to not let them die in vain.


    「Vicemander!」


    As soon as I called my vicemander, something heavy hit my whole body.


    The entire room, or rather, the entire building made a creaking sound.


    I couldn’t speak.


    I couldn’t look up and felt as if I was being mmed against the desk I was sitting at.


    My body screams.


    It’s as if something horrible is forcibly holding me down from above.


    Invisible and intimidating.


    I have a feeling that my insides are being crushed.


    No, it’s not just a feeling, that’s exactly what’s happening….


    「Hah, hah, hah, hah」


    I repeatedly breathe.


    The intimidation was gone in an instant.


    I raised my screaming body and looked towards where my friend and my vicemander were.


    My vicemander’s arm is bent in a strange way.


    He seems to be alive but unconscious.


    My friend is conscious but he’s in a state simr to mine.


    -0-


    The wrath of the king of the world has finally crossed the forest.