The next day, Odette and I headed to the hideout of the wielder of the Beast King (Lord of=) Beast.
　The place is in the northwest of Torrius territory, in the forest near the border. In the forest near the border.
　There, in the remnants of an old building, the wielder of the Beast King's Horseman - Felipe Gerast was said to be living in hiding.

　In order to investigate his hideout, Count Torrius formed an investigation team.
　The members are several soldiers who are familiar with magic, me and Odette.
　We're going to arrive at our destination in about two days on foot.
　Of course Odette and I were going to walk with them, but...

'Take this carriage, sir. I'll try not to shake the carriage, but I'm in a hurry. Please forgive me.

　The captain of the survey team said.
　In front of me and Odette, there's a box carriage with a roof over our heads.
　He said that we were to ride in this.

I was going to walk.
So do I, sir. Along with the soldiers.
'No way!　You two are the benefactors of Torias territory!　It's very, very hard to make them walk!

　The captain shook his head frantically.
　It couldn't be helped, so me and Odette took Garum, the messenger, and got into the carriage.
　By the way, Dick the bat is on the roof.



　The Torrius territory is large.
　It seems that thanks to the Count family having served the royal family for a long time, they received a large territory near the border.
　That's why it takes about two days to reach our destination on foot.
　And...

I see you're passing by the old battlefield today.

　In the carriage, Odette said, looking at the map.

'The old battlefield?'
It's the site where three royal families fought in the old Eight-One War. It's written on the map and documents Ofelia gave me.

　Saying that, Odette handed me a map.
　The first one is a map of the area around Torrius territory. The destination is marked on it.
　The plain in the center of the map seems to be the site of an ancient battlefield.

We'll pass by the old battlefield in the evening. We'll spend the night in a village beyond that point.
Yes. I will be passing by the old battlefield in the early afternoon, sir.

　They must have heard us talking.
　The soldier sitting on the gohja stand was looking at us.

'That's where the demons tend to come out. After nightfall, no one passes through there. That's why we're flying our carriages like this so that we can pass through while the sun is high.
So it's demon-prone?
''During the era of the Eight Kings War, the death toll was in the thousands. Legend has it that a powerful ancient magic was used to make the place uninhabitable. I heard that if you dig, you can find bones, so no one wants to settle the area.
I've heard of it. "The three kings met together on the ancient battlefield of the Vale.
That's right. That's right, Your Highness, the Duke and Duchess of Surrey.

　With that, your soldier looked forward.
　It seems that the story is over.
　Well, I don't need to listen to the story, but if we wait, we will pass through the old battlefield.

　From the window of the carriage, we could see a large grassland.
The traces of the "War of the Eight Kings" are nowhere to be seen.
　This is because the Liestier royal family, who founded the current kingdom, rebuilt the continent after the war.
　I'm sure that the Gaiul Empire arose in the north of such a kingdom a few decades ago.

　When I was Dean Nosferatu, there was a different race living in the north.
　At the time, there was no magic, or even a culture, and they were looked down upon as barbarians.
　At the time, if I wasn't accepted by the Fira Village, I was going to drift off to their land.

　So, two hundred years later, they've built a powerful empire.
　Moreover, if the incidents involving the Armed Ogre and the Beast King's Horseman are also related to the Empire...

"The remnants of the 'Sanctuary Church' fled to the north and worked with the landed ones to create an empire...?
'I suppose that's what it's all about...'

　Me and Odette sighed.

　Afterwards we were chatting and looking out the window.
　After a short break, we had to take another carriage ride and then lunch.

　The place was a plain along the road.
　Odette and I were sitting around the fire drinking tea.

　It would take us a few more hours to get to the village where we would be staying today.
　We'll be passing through the "Ancient Battlefield of the Vernal" during that time.

"Garm. Hey, Dick. Can I have a moment?
'Wah wah. Goshujin.' 'What is it?'

　Garum the dog, who was curled up at my feet, looked up and Dick stayed on my shoulder.
　I gave them both the Myster Blood to strengthen them, and then

I'd like you two to go ahead and take a look at the old battlefield. You can't see it very well from the carriage window, so I want you two to go and check out the ancient battlefield for me. I want you two to go and check out the ancient battlefield for me.
"It's me, sir. ' 'It's okay.

　Garum and Dick started off towards the end of the road.

　Then, after a break of less than an hour, we were off again.
　We hurried our horses along the road to the northwest.

"Yuki, are you worried about the old battlefield?

　Suddenly, Odette, who was sitting across from me, said.
　He looks at me with his cheekbones and a probing gaze.

'It's very unusual for you to go out of your way to ask Mr. Dick and the others to 'come and take a look'.
'I can't just fly through the air with all these soldiers around, can I?
Well that's true, but...
"And since I wasn't alive when the world was in the 'War of the Eight Kings' I'd like to know what the 'Sanctuary Church' and the King did in what place after I died.

　I whispered to Odette, in a whisper.

'I'm literally curious. It's the human, childlike way of this age.
It's very rare to find a child who tries hard to be a child.
Do you have any materials on the Eight Kings War for children?
I'm sure the 'Magic Guild' library has at least a few history books.

　Then Odette clapped her hands together as if she had thought of something.

I remember that the 'Magic Guild' has an annual event where they go on a tour of the ancient battlefields. Though participation is on a voluntary basis. Do you want to participate?　Yuki.
That's a depressing tour. It.
It's a bit of a sight-seeing tour now.

　Odette broke her fingers and began to count.
'The Old Battlefield of the Vaal,' 'The Tragedy of Liveston,' 'The Decisive Battle of Dornton Valley.'
　It seems that there were battles taking place in various places during that era.

　I'll look into that area as well when we return to the "Magic Guild".

　While Odette and I were talking, time passed and the sun began to set...


　Soon, a wide plain came into view.



"That's the 'Ancient Battlefield of the Verral'...

　Your soldier said in a trembling voice.

　From the window of the carriage, he could see an empty, bare earth.
　Nothing grew on it, not even grass or trees.
　It stretched all the way to the horizon.
　The occasional black object was said to be an old soldier's weapon. Rusty swords, bows and arrows were found on the ground, but no one seemed to want to pick them up.

This is not good.......sorcerers.

　We looked and saw His Majesty's soldiers looking at us with their blue faces.

The road was worse than we expected and it took us a long time to get there. The sun will be gone before we reach the next village. The...demons...will come.
"The demon?
It's like I said before. As I told you before, when the sun goes down, there are dark wolves and dark hounds, both dog and wolf demons. At midnight, there are hordes of ghosts.
But don't worry!

　After the soldier playing the role of the driver said, I heard a voice from outside the carriage.
　When I looked, I saw that the soldiers of the survey team had begun to surround the carriage.
　All of them have shields and spears at the ready. I wonder if they wanted to protect us.

''Baroness Yuki, son of the baronial family, and Odette, daughter of the duke family, are our lord's guests!　I won't let a demon or anything else hurt you!
You two are important people who are willing to help us with our investigation team!
I will protect you with my life!

　The soldiers are fired up enough.
　Odette and I both said that we would fight if the demons appeared, but they wouldn't listen to us.
　The carriage continued on the road, and soon the sun went down and...


I'm back. I'm back.'' ''I've seen the old battlefield.


　The soldiers slipped through, and Galum and Dick came back.

'Welcome back. How was the old battlefield?
"It was a big, wide, dirt-filled place... and there were no ordinary creatures in it.
Dirt and no one around.
It's a creepy place, isn't it?

　Me and Odette nodded.

　Garum is desperately flapping his paws. He can't seem to communicate well.
　Dick the bat is on his back, craning his neck a little.

"And the magic is different.
''Your master's magic is soft and gentle. Wow.''
''But the magic power of this ancient battlefield is tense and crisp.......the air and magic power feels 'painful'!
''Duh. Wow.

Yeah, I know. Can you tell Odette what it is?
How could I possibly know? Even the 'Magic Guild' still hasn't figured out why this ancient battlefield has been left as a wasteland.
There must have been some kind of crazy 'ancient magic' going on here.
"...Do you know anything about the Empire...?

　Me and Odette sat down in the carriage seat and picked up Dick and Garm, respectively.
　Come to think of it, both Dick and Garm have dirty feet and claws. Should I wipe them down?

　I took a dry cloth from my pack.
　The carriage was rattling along at high speed.
　It seems that the survey team is planning to run through the side of this old battlefield in one fell swoop.

　So far, there have been no reports of demons attacking us.
　It would be better if nothing happened...

Well, my sorcerer.

　As I was thinking that, the captain unexpectedly tapped on the carriage window.

''.........Actually.......a demon has come out.......''
All right. I'll take him down in a minute.

　As I got up from my seat, Gosha shook his head.

''No, to be precise, the corpse of a demon was lying on the street...''
A dead demon?
''Yes. You fell from a high place - a 'dark hound' with a broken neck and a 'dark wolf' with sharp claws and fangs that slashed his limbs.
Where are the other demons?
They're so scared of the dead that they won't come near it.
Is there any problem with moving forward?
Not at all, sir.
I'm happy for you.
Well, my sorcerer.
What is this?
Did you guys do something to counteract the demons?

　The captain looks through the window at me and Odette.
　I look at Dick the bat and Garum the dog.
　Dick is on my lap and Garm is on Odette's back, with his eyes closed in a pleasant way, as Odette pats him on the back.
　Come to think of it, Galum has been powered up since he drank the crystal form of 'Armed Ogre'.
　Dick's level has increased since he's beaten up the "Beast King (Lord of) Beasts" with his magic.

　If the two of us work together, we can at least defeat the Dark Wolf and the Dark Hound.
　Probably, they were in the way of my scouting the ancient battlefield, right? Demons.

''My child seems to be sleeping, so I'll ask her later.
No, no!　Don't mind me!　Thank you!

　With that, the captain started to walk away again.

'Yuki. These kids........aren't they trying too hard?
'I just said, "Go check out the old battlefield."'
And now you've got a demon in your way.

　Odette is smiling.
　The soldiers walking around the carriage...

''I heard that the sorcerer Yuki-sama's messenger beat up the 'Beast King Rider'.
So.........you don't think we can take on ordinary demons?
I'm glad they're on our side...

　-I feel like I'm being a bit distant, but that's okay.


　An hour later, the carriage arrived at today's accommodation.
　And the next morning, we left without incident, and a few hours later...

We're here. This is the lair of his - the wielder of the Beast King's Horseman, Felippe Gerast.

　We found the remains of the old mansion before noon.