It's Not Like I Want to Play the Role of a Misunderstood, Good-for-Nothing Prince in a Villainess Story! - Chapter 30 – Monster Subjugation

“It went that way!”

“Don’t get too far forward, surround it!”

About ten days had passed since coming to the northern part of Ribauto marquis territory together with the knight order.

The story was that monsters had spawned in large numbers, and it was certainly incredible.

Just confirming, there were Donboscos against whom swords hardly worked, hunter Lark Coyotes that ran across treetops like plains while targeting prey in groups, Earth Trents that camouflaged with surroundings and attacked when people came, Dandelion Bears that looked cute with dandelions growing on their heads but brought down strongmen with those sharp claws and physical strength, Totem Breaths using various breaths, and so on.

They attacked in groups of 10 or 20.

The relief request made total sense at this level.

Furthermore, regarding the subjugation force Marquis Ribauto employed.

There were almost no mages.

Though I’d vaguely sensed it, perhaps this world doesn’t have very many mages.

There were quite a few around me.

My parents can use simple ones, and among family like my younger brother Tigos, Misty, Rubert, there were quite a few, but for example in the capital knight order, not one person can use magic.

Not just the 100 who came this time, but even gathering all knight order members scattered throughout the kingdom, there wasn’t anyone who could use magic.

Yes, I’d misunderstood.

Magic can’t be used without aptitude, and furthermore without teachers to instruct even if you had that, in the end it can’t be used.

In the game, romance targets could generally use magic, but that wasn’t natural—they received such compensation.

Thinking that way, Donboscos and such were quite tough to defeat, right?

Incidentally, Larba couldn’t use magic.

But looking at the future, he’s a character who becomes overwhelmingly strong with swords, so probably he doesn’t need it.

“Larba, you’re pressed on the right!”

“I know! Hey, Zeke! Look forward!”

“Huh? Whoa!”

I hastily used left-hand darkness magic to evade and swung my sword.

The knight order had split into several groups for action, and I was in the same group as Larba.

And though we should have been speaking politely at first, fighting together constantly in the same group, perhaps because our ages were close, before we knew it mutual polite speech had disappeared.

Or rather, one reason was it’s more efficient to communicate in short words than using polite speech during combat.

Of course we’d fix our speech in public settings, but we decided right now it was fine without polite speech between us.

That day too, after fighting considerably, we headed to camp.

“Young master, Prince, good work.”

Welcoming us was Shinter, captain of the force employed by the Ribauto marquis house.

A well-built old man, probably strong, but now watching the camp so monsters wouldn’t attack.

Because the Ribauto house’s force had extremely many injured.

Many tents were pitched here, but nearly half had injured resting in them.

Until the capital knight order came, they’d been fighting with just them, but fighting guys like Donboscos where swords didn’t work with a force without mages was apparently quite harsh.

And from partway through, too many injured appeared and situations of only defending continued apparently.

Now it had become a field hospital, but having them cook meals as rear guard forces and handle other miscellaneous duties was helpful.

In any case, we who returned from battle bathed in a nearby river to wash off sweat before eating meals.

Today’s food was grain and bean porridge. Soup with vegetables and dried meat.

The soldiers here also used to be considerate about eating together with me at first, but after repeatedly telling them, they stopped minding.

Being overly considerate is troublesome too.

As I was eating, Larba came beside me belatedly.

“Zeke, what was that earlier?”

“What do you mean?”

“You took your eyes off the target too much. When looking around, only with your eyes, and finish it in an instant.”

Though this battle was Larba’s first, did he quickly adapt? His field of vision is quite wide.

That’s why he’s been complaining to me lately.

“If I defeated it, isn’t it fine?”

“What if you got injured? You’re the next king.”

“I have a younger brother, so it’s fine.”

“That’s not the point.”

He’s surprisingly a nagging guy.

Just playing the game, I didn’t know he had this personality.

“That aside, how was it? When I defeated the Donbosco.”

“Mm…”

I fought a Donbosco for the first time today.

At first the sword didn’t work.

However, like Rubert did in Belze, by making blood crawl on the sword to add darkness attribute to the sword, I somehow succeeded in defeating it.

“Mm… that was good. My sword attacks hardly worked.”

While drinking soup, Larba muttered frustratedly.

He seemed a bit down, but personally I didn’t think there was anything to worry about.

As I said before, future Larba becomes an amazing swordsman called Mighty Sword, unable to cut nothing.

“Man, I’m tired.”

“Hmph. I want to sleep quickly.”

Familiar voices.

Turning around, Debut and Garim were walking over.

“Good work.”

“Zeke-sama! Good work.”

“Hmph. Good work.”

When the two made eye contact with Larba, they greeted Larba too while sitting in front.

“How was it there?”

“We’re doing well. Reduced the numbers considerably too. How about you guys, Debut?”

“Hmph. Since Captain Beldiha is here. He pushed forward relentlessly, so we’re exhausted.”

“But if Sir Beldiha stood at the front, you defeated considerable numbers, right?”

“That’s right, so we’re exhausted.”

Debut returned the response to Larba with a truly exhausted face.

I’d seen Beldiha fighting just once.

That had quit being human.

Usually a red-faced, useless captain always drinking sake, but once on the battlefield, worth a thousand.

Cutting Donbosco skin like butter, bisecting Lark Coyotes, making firewood of Earth Trents, thinking nothing of Dandelion Bears’ thick meat, and furthermore even cutting Totem Breath’s breath with his sword.

Honestly speaking, a monster.

Despite being like that usually, everyone in the knight order acknowledged him probably because he’s overwhelmingly strong and reliable.

Hmm, that gap is unfair.

Even I who was half-exasperated seeing usual Beldiha was a bit captivated.

While talking about such things, assembly was called.

Immediately swallowing what we were eating and heading over, Beldiha stood in front with Tarsen standing by at his side.

Wondering if there was some problem, Tarsen stepped forward one step while clearing his throat.

“Everyone, good work. Thanks to everyone dividing up and continuing to defeat monsters, monsters in this area have considerably decreased. Therefore, if you work hard for a few more days, we’ll withdraw.”

Sparse applause arose.

“Well then, what remains is the final cleanup battle. Let’s avoid injuries and deaths. Captain, do you have anything to say?”

“Nope.”

When Tarsen turned around, Beldiha said just one word and shook his head.

And just like that, we were dismissed.

I was nervously expecting a boss to appear from here, but that didn’t happen.

Within a few days after that, monsters were completely swept away, and leaving behind the Ribauto marquis house’s force to monitor the situation for a while, the capital knight order returned to Afkad.