Waiting for Aldis to return, Ted and the rest of 'Byakuya's Bright Star' leave Tria.

I didn't know they even had a carriage ready for them: ......

　Ardis murmured in a tone that could be described as either impressed or appalled.

　It is true that rescues are always time-sensitive, especially if the place to search is the Caucasus Forest. It is even more so if the place you are searching for is the Caucasus Forest.
　If they left Trier in the morning, Aldis and his team could reach the entrance to the forest before dusk, but then they would need to be safe.

　But then they would have to spend the night outside the forest to be safe, and the search would begin the next day.
　That would make their chances of survival even lower, so it was decided that they would ride to the forest entrance in a carriage arranged by the school.

　A carriage is not a cheap thing. Even if they were only to be rented, it's not an amount of money that ordinary people or mercenaries could easily afford.
　The fact that he was willing to give out that money without sparing any of it made me feel that the client was serious.
　As Norris said, there might be a nobleman's children among the students.

''Whatever the case, it would be helpful to get into the forest today. Besides, it would be nice to sleep on the road.''

　The carriage is faster than even just walking.
　Moreover, the carriage that Aldis and the others rode in was running on the city streets at a fast pace.
　It's not even if it's only for a short period of time, but a long period of fast walking puts a lot of strain on the horse.
　If the horse is not careful, it could crush the horse's legs, but they were in a hurry knowing that.

'Hey. Don't sleep yet, Aldis. We have things to discuss beforehand.

　It's a good thing that you're able to get the best out of this.

"Since you're doing this for me, I'd like to do something to help the students. ......

　Ted muddled the last of his words.

　Thanks to the carriage's haste, they would be able to reach the forest in the early afternoon.
　At least half a day earlier than they could reach it on foot, they could begin their search. That's a big difference.

　On the other hand, the forest is huge. It is possible to guess the point at which the students entered the forest, but even if they were to search a large forest without any particular destination, they would not be able to find it in two or three days.

"Well, how do we find them?

　In the midst of the rattling and shaking carriage, Ted cut him off.

'As I recall, you're having a party with just the students, right?

Yeah, I've heard they're all five seniors.

''Totally, you're half a man getting carried away ....... Don't join the forest without knowing your own abilities.

That being said, Ted, all five of them are the best students in the school. It seems that all five of them are outstanding students in their own right. They're young, and I think they had to grow a nose.

Hmph. I don't care how good you are, you're a chick. A bad chick, an average chick, and one who can do a little better than the rest, but that doesn't make a difference.

Well, you're right.

　I don't think he really intends to defend his students. Norris laughed and agreed with him.
　This is the opposite of Ted's concern for the students, even though he swears about what he's doing.

''Orphelia, can't you use your magic to find them?

'That's easy for you to say. No one would have a hard time with such useful magic. Hey, Aldis.

If those ...... students are still alive, I might be able to find them.

　Orphelia squeezes out her voice, her cheeks twitching at Aldis' response.

'.................. doesn't surprise me anymore. By the way, can you tell me how to find it?

All the creatures in this forest, except for the small ones, do not form groups. They would be a mating pair at best. If a magical search of the surrounding area reveals five human-sized clusters, it's most likely a party of mercenaries or students. Of course, that's assuming all the students are still alive.

　However, there was another problem.
　In order to conduct a magical power probe, it was necessary to spread a thin film of magical power to the area to be explored.

　An ordinary human would not notice this change, but a beast or demon sensitive to magic power had the possibility of sniffing out the change.
　In some cases, it was conceivable that they could attract the surrounding beasts and demons.

(Most importantly, in that case, should they just return fire? There's not much strength in this forest anyway)

　Aldis explained the possibility in passing, but surprisingly, Ted and the others didn't care much about it.

'It's better to be able to explore a large area at once, even if it's a bit risky, than to search around in the dark without a clue. If we attract a demon, then that's when it's time.

You know, you just have to hit them back.

　Orphelia expressed her opinion, and Ted got in on it.

'By the way, Ardis. How big of an area can you explore at one time?

　Norris asks as a confirmation.

'I haven't measured it, but I think I can probably get a radius of about five hundred meters.

Yeah, right. I'm finally starting to understand why you're not a good surprise.

　Ted said with a dry laugh.

''Hmmm, so let's say I have Aldis do a magic probe as soon as we arrive in the forest: ....... The question is, where do we start looking?

　No matter how much Aldis can explore a radius of five hundred meters, it's only a small area considering the size of the forest. Without a certain amount of visibility, there is little chance of finding them.

''You do know the point at which they invaded the forest, right?

I'm just not sure.

　In response to Aldis's question, Norris provided the information he had acquired in Trier.

'It seems the students have been gathering information about the forest in Thoria as well. I've heard that some of the mercenaries have been asked to sell their maps.'

　Apparently they were prepared enough to gather information and get a map beforehand.

And no one stopped them? Totally.

I heard that they all tried to stop it, but the leader boy didn't listen to them. Well, even if I give them advice, they are on their own after all.

　Norris was right, all the paths the mercenaries choose are laid on the foundation of self-responsibility.
　The fact that they are students may have given them some advice, but no one has the right to stop them from doing what they say they are going to do.

And here's the map they say they sold to the students.

　Norris took a sheet of paper from his pocket and spread it out on the back of the carriage.

'The purpose of the students is ostensibly to 'train', but in reality it's probably more of a 'foil'.

　Ardis has no objection to that.

　In the first place, there is no need to go to Causas Forest if it's just for training.
　Even in the vicinity of the royal capital, there are plenty of places where wild beasts and demons live, and there's no need for an expedition to Tria.
　Even veteran mercenaries can't guarantee their lives, they just want a track record of 'training in a dangerous place and coming back alive'.

(It's beyond ridiculous.)

　It was something that a boxed boy and girl who grew up in the interior of the school, where safety was guaranteed, without coming into contact with danger, could come up with.

''If that's the case, it wouldn't be satisfying to just fight on the perimeter of the forest, so I guess we'll head straight to the back of the forest from the start, right?''

　Norris' finger traced over the map.
　He started at the closest point from the Trier and slid his finger directly into the center of the forest.

'What do you think, Orphelia?'

'Yes, ....... First of all, assuming they haven't been wiped out, they won't be in the outer periphery at least. As long as they're fighting the 'Twin Swords Beasts' in the outer periphery, whether they win or lose, they won't feel the need to stay in the outer periphery.

　The double-sworded beasts are about eighty centimeters long and are widely distributed in the forests of the continent, including the Caucasus.
　It has six legs, and when attacking an enemy, it uses its two fangs, which are as large as a third of its body length.
　These tusks look like two scimitar swords, which is why it is said to be called a double-sworded beast.

　Its two fangs are so strong that it can easily cut off a human's foot.
　They also have a high resistance to blows, as their entire body is covered with a hard, black outer layer of skin.

　However, for a carnivorous beast, they are relatively calm, and as long as you don't approach them unnecessarily, you won't be attacked, and as a full-fledged mercenary, you won't have much trouble with them.

　Of course, it would still be a powerful enemy for new mercenaries.
　In other words, it could be said to be a good indicator of a newbie's strength.
　In order to operate in the forest, one must be at least capable of lightly defending the twin-sworded beasts.

　After closing her red eyes and pondering for a while, Orphelia began to speak.

''A possible case could be that he became so confident after winning against the outer perimeter beasts that he advanced deeper into the forest, but encountered a strong enemy there and was unable to return. Or maybe they went deeper into the forest without encountering the beasts on the periphery. Or something like that?

　Aldis agrees with that.

'Right. Isn't that the route on this map, the route you see on this map, the one you take to avoid the beast's territory?　It's convenient for going deeper into the forest to avoid troublesome zakos, but if you follow this route, don't go into 'lacter' territory without running into a fragile beast.

"You're going to blow away the swordsmen and the clouds and all of a sudden it's Ractor?　That's a terrible story for a bunch of chicks.

Well, we'll just have to assume he's lucky to be alive. In that case, let's take the search route. How about Aldis doing a magic search at intervals and discussing what to do after we get into Ractor's territory?

　They all agreed with Norris's suggestion.

'Well, then, when we found the chicks--'

　Ted's body sways unnaturally as he opens his mouth to discuss more details.

'What the hell?'

　Before they had time to turn their heads at the unexpected turn of events, the horses whinnied and everyone's bodies leaned toward the front of the carriage.
　The carriage came to an abrupt stop.