“I told you, this is all because you said something weird! So why did you suddenly… Hey, what’s wrong?”
Ruite, who had been rubbing his scraped knee from the fall, tilted his head in confusion.
Chester’s silence was unusual, and his expression was dead serious.
Just as Ruite was about to ask what was happening, he froze.
A strangely unpleasant sensation washed over the forest.
Instinctively, Ruite sharpened his mana detection.
“Is this… the energy of a demonic beast?”
“Correct.”
Ruite stood up, following Chester’s lead.
He noticed that Chester had detected the presence incredibly fast—his reaction speed was on an entirely different level.
“Ruite, for now—”
Before Chester could finish his sentence, screams echoed from deeper within the mountain.
Ruite suddenly remembered that this mountain was low in altitude and popular for foraging; villagers from the nearby town frequented these woods.
Chester bolted toward the sound immediately, and Ruite followed.
Although he couldn’t keep pace with Chester’s superior speed, he ran toward the source of the demonic mana.
When they broke through the thicket and reached the mountainside, a massive beast was thrashing threateningly.
It looked like a giant spider, swinging its long, jagged legs at a group of terrified people.
“Aaaah!”
“P-please, save us…!”
Their screams pierced the air.
Ruite and Chester moved simultaneously.
Ruite deployed a protective shield over the villagers, though it almost wasn’t necessary—Chester had already severed one of the beast’s sharp legs in a flash.
The sound of crackling electricity filled the clearing.
The beast scurried backward, warily eyeing Chester.
It seemed to recognize a predator by instinct; just as humans sense demonic mana, beasts sense the strength of their opponents.
“Ruite, take care of those people.”
“Ah, right.”
Ruite turned to the group behind him.
Judging by their clothes and baskets, they were indeed villagers out gathering herbs.
“Please leave this area. I’ll escort you to the entrance.”
“U-um… excuse me…”
The villagers looked back and forth between Ruite and Chester, who was engaged with the beast.
“The man fighting over there is a knight from the Ferwin Knight Order. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, a knight from Ferwin!”
The villagers’ faces brightened instantly.
Ruite felt the sheer weight of the security the name “Ferwin Knight Order” provided.
The terror vanished, replaced by relief; their ragged breathing steadied as the realization that they were safe took hold.
It was striking—how the mere presence of a stranger, whose name or face they didn’t even know, could grant such profound peace to others.
Ruite quickly escorted the group down to the mountain entrance.
Fortunately, he sensed no other beasts, and he was able to lead them back to the village safely.
“Please tell that knight thank you!” the villagers called out as Ruite turned back to run up the trail.
The beast was a Class 3, but it was a dangerous one—large and equipped with legs strong enough to pierce human flesh easily.
It was a combat-specialized type, making it one of the toughest among its class.
While Ruite didn’t think Chester would lose, a small “what if” nagged at his mind.
“Chester…!”
Thump!
As Ruite returned to the clearing and called out, the beast—which had been fighting so fiercely moments ago—went limp and crashed to the ground.
A massive cloud of dust billowed up.
Ruite instinctively closed his eyes and turned away.
When the air cleared, he opened them to see the beast’s body, charred black by Chester’s lightning magic.
“Ruite.”
Chester gave his hand a light flick.
The sword enveloped in blue sparks seemed to be sucked back into his palm, vanishing into thin air.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Isn’t that my line?”
Ruite tilted his head.
All Ruite had done was protect the villagers; Chester had done all the heavy lifting.
He had rushed back out of worry, but Chester had finished the job faster than expected.
Chester meticulously checked Ruite for any injuries.
“The people?”
“I sent them back to the village. They asked me to tell you thank you.”
“I see.”
“But what do we do about that thing?”
“We have to call for support.”
Chester reached into his uniform and pulled out a small, portable crystal ball.
After channeling a bit of mana into it and tapping it a few times, the crystal glowed to life.
— This is the Ferwin Knight Order Headquarters Situation Room.
A stiff voice came through the device.
It was a crystal designed for long-distance communication.
“This is Knight Commander Chester of the Ferwin Headquarters.”
— Commander Chester? Aren’t you on vacation? What is the situation?
“I am… but I encountered a beast while out. It appeared on the mountain near the outskirts of the capital. I have completed the subjugation.”
The rank of “Knight Commander” was directly below the Vice-Captain.
Ruite watched Chester communicate with a slight sense of awkwardness, then slowly wandered over to the beast’s carcass.
Looking closely at the dead creature, Ruite noticed several large, round holes near the base of its tail.
“The beast is a high-tier Class 3 with a large frame. We’ll need a support team for post-processing.”
— Understood. We will track your location via the crystal and send a team immediately.
While Chester was finishing the call, Ruite picked up a leaf from the ground and held it near one of the holes.
Seeing the reaction, he nodded to himself and began to move in earnest.
“Understood. I’ll wait here.”
Chester tucked the crystal back into his coat.
He looked around for Ruite, who had been by his side just a moment ago.
“Did they say they’re coming?”
Ruite walked back toward Chester, dusting off his palms.
He had been lingering by the carcass.
“Yeah, they’ll be here soon.”
A beast subjugation didn’t end with the kill. Post-processing was just as vital.
Beast remains could only be handled by official institutions like the Knight Order or Whitmore Academy.
They had to retrieve the body, check for civilian damages, and—most importantly—purify the area.
The mana emitted by a beast’s body could linger in the air and become toxic to humans.
“Chester!”
Soon, the sound of multiple footsteps approached, and several people in Ferwin uniforms appeared.
They had arrived incredibly fast.
“Vice-Captain Vilter.”
Chester gave a polite salute to the man leading the group.
“Why did you come personally, Vice-Captain?”
“Ah, we’re a bit short-handed at the base. You know the Research Department is always understaffed. So, is this the one you took down?”
“Yes.”
Vilter laughed and looked at the beast.
“You did well taking down such a big one alone.”
He gestured to the knights behind him.
They moved toward the carcass to begin their work, and Vilter followed.
“Is that the ‘post-processing’ everyone talks about?” Ruite whispered.
Chester nodded. First, the Research Department checked for any anomalies.
If everything was normal, they would transport the body.
Sometimes, if the body was useless or too damaged, they would incinerate it on the spot.
Simultaneously, mages specialized in purification would cleanse the surrounding atmosphere.
Ruite stood beside Chester, watching the knights bustle about.
“Who is that?” Ruite pointed at Vilter.
“The Vice-Captain of the Research Department.”
That made him the effective head of the research wing.
Usually, the Order consisted of one Grand Commander (or Knight Captain), two Vice-Captains below them, and then Knight Commanders like Chester.
Vilter examined the beast’s body, looking for anything unusual.
Remembering a specific trait of this species, he gathered a few sturdy branches and moved toward the tail.
“Huh?” Vilter tilted his head.
A branch was already jammed into the hole—and it had been infused with mana.
He turned to his subordinates and asked if they had done it, but they all shook their heads.
“Chester,” Vilter called out as he walked back.
“Yes?”
“There’s a branch stuck in the hole near the tail. Did you do that?”
“A branch?” Chester looked confused.
Ruite flinched.
“It wasn’t me,” Chester added.
“Really? Then who did it?”
“Um…”
As Vilter scratched his chin in thought, Ruite tentatively raised his hand.
“I did that… Is there a problem with it?”
