TFR 405

Ho__y Maiden Bias [Part 2]

The army turned sluggish in their march upon taking in the tragic spectacle.

...that being said, in reality, nothing was burning.

Burnt fields and whatnot didn't exist anywhere.

The Barony of Skyte's forest remained lush with green trees, just as it was before the arrival of the Fire Fox.

The Empire’s 'sly and dirty, but effective' plan to ensure their side would suffer no losses fell apart as soon as it began. The Imperial Army didn’t really grasp what a country without magicians for over thirty years was like. They completely underestimated it.

Unlike the Empire's barrier, the barrier of the Kingdom with no magicians had never been restored or strengthened and only continued to deteriorate. And that meant the appearance rate of monsters couldn't be compared with the Empire.

Especially, fluctuations had frequently occurred on the barrier in the Barony of Skyte in recent years. Whenever the barrier fluctuated, new monsters would appear.

The Empire's magic circle was installed very close to the barrier, someplace that couldn't be easily discovered. It was a perfect location in the sense that no Kingdom people would ever set foot in there, but there was also a wise reason why people would never go there.

When the Imperial Army teleported, a Rainbow Raccoon was also present there. Most monsters that appeared in the Barony of Skyte were of the psychic-attacking type. It wouldn't be strange at all if new Rainbow Raccoons spawned when fluctuations occurred.

However, much to the Imperial Army's bad luck, they locked eyes with one the moment they arrived in the Kingdom through the magic circle. From that moment on, in this forest thick with trees, the Imperial Army fell under the Rainbow Raccoon's illusions.

Rainbow Raccoons could amplify humans' fear and cause them to hallucinate.

And the hallucinations worked.

The fear that stemmed from the Fire Fox's rampage before it was teleported away hadn't subsided from the Imperial soldiers' hearts. As a result, they were easily entrapped by the Rainbow Raccoon's hallucinations.

The Imperial soldiers, who were walking in what looked like a burnt field but in reality a lush forest, got hit on the head by a mere tree branch.

"Eek!"

The Imperial soldiers, who were walking in what looked like a burnt field but in reality a lush forest, stumbled over mere grass.

"Woah—!"

The Imperial soldiers, who were walking in what looked like a burnt field but in reality a lush forest, stepped on the carcasses of monsters the King slayed during his "Woo-hoo!" berserk and slipped.

"Ahhh!"

Those who hit their heads halted to get first aid, those who stumbled stopped in their tracks to retie their shoelaces, while those who slipped and fell paused to check what they just stepped on. And just like this, the soldiers who strayed a little from their ranks became prey to the monsters lurking in the forest, including Rainbow Raccoons.

Their comrades who said they would be back in a jiffy never returned. Even when they looked for their comrades, they were nowhere to be seen.

When it became so, they became even more overwhelmed by anxiety and fear.

As the number of Imperial Army soldiers was cut down bit by bit, so was their morale.

"Chief Delegate, Sir! Please look over there!"

Amid such a situation, a soldier at the vanguard stopped in their tracks and reported to the Chief Delegate, the commander of this operation.

"What is it?"

The Chief Delegate answered while huffing and puffing. He was unable to use the palanquin he brought and was forced to walk on his two feet because the whole surrounding (which appeared to them like a) burnt field had a poor footing.

"We've spotted a Kingdom citizen!"

Not the first villager, but the first Kingdom citizen.

Even while entrapped by the Rainbow Raccoon's hallucinations, these elite Imperial troops still somehow succeeded in going through the forest and reaching the campsite.

"We caught sight of people who appeared to be knights and hunters, but there were also some young children among them. Chief Delegate, it most likely hit the mark."

They received intel from the magician who infiltrated the Royal Capital ahead of them that the academy's extracurricular lesson would be held in the Barony of Skyte.

The soldier said "hit the mark" because they had heard that the King had also participated in extracurricular lessons in recent years. During the extracurricular lesson, the Royal Guards, hunters, and academy students were the only ones protecting the King. In contrast, their side was an army consisting of elites.

"God is on our side, it seems."

"Indeed. Sir Chief Delegate, you can see the whole scenery from over there. I kindly seek your confirmation and further guidance," reported a soldier as he cleared the path for the Chief Delegate.