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It was a small hill where a grassy clearing spread out about thirty meters in every direction.

Located roughly five kilometers from the forest’s entrance, it was already within what was called the middle layer of the forest. And yet, Demonic Beast never entered this hill. Within the Amukham Forest, it was perhaps the only place that could truly be called a safe zone.

There had been a fair number of Demonic Beast attacks along the way to reach it. But among the knights, no one would fall behind the beasts in a region like this. It could be said they had progressed through the first day’s journey without trouble.

“Oh! So this is the famous ‘Hero’s Hill’!”

Tony Easton, leader of the Third Squad, cried out in excitement the moment he stepped onto the hill. His face was overflowing with joy, the very expression a boy might show upon meeting the hero he had admired since childhood.

The tale of the heroes was a fairytale story every person in this kingdom had heard countless times growing up. Tony Easton was no exception. He had spent his childhood enthralled by the legends of the heroes.

Most of those who joined the knight order had likely felt the same excitement at some point in their lives. Everyone of them now looked around with shining eyes.

“This place ain’t anything as grand as a name like that suggests.”

A rough, blunt voice suddenly called out from behind Tony.

Startled, Tony turned around to see a large man standing there with a massive battle-axe slung over his shoulder. The man idly tugged at his carrot-orange beard streaked with white, scratching at it with his left hand while calmly sweeping his gaze across the hill. The powerful body beneath his leather breastplate, bulging with muscle as he carried that enormous axe, was hardly what one would expect of a man approaching seventy. Everyone present could feel the overwhelming fighting spirit radiating from him.

The man standing there was Conrad Brook, former head of the Brook family, one of Amukham’s twelve houses.

Overwhelmed by Conrad’s presence, Tony instinctively swallowed and nearly forgot to breathe.

“Ah… well, still! I heard this is the place where the Hero once appeared…”
“It ain’t some sacred spot like that!”

Tony had only meant to say that many people knew the name of this place, that countless people, himself included, admired it. He wanted to make clear that he meant no disrespect. But Conrad’s sudden, sharp tone cut him off before he could continue.

“Enough, Conrad.”

Howard placed a hand on Conrad’s shoulder. Conrad clicked his tongue and looked away before speaking again, almost as if to no one in particular.

“This place… It’s nothing special. Just a spot where a single girl once wished with all her heart to go home… to see her family again. That’s all that happened here a long time ago. Don’t go calling it by some grand name like that.”

With that, Conrad turned away and walked toward Gilbert, who had just set down the large pack he had been carrying.

“My apologies, Commander Meyers. Please don’t mind him,” Howard said.
“No, sir! The fault is mine for not considering how you all might feel. I sincerely apologize.”

Howard and Cedric Meyers exchanged apologies for the discourtesy of their respective companions.

“Still, please understand this, Commander Meyers,” Howard continued. “This place holds meaning for the people of Amukham. Some may feel uneasy about outsiders using it.”
“Even so, we are deeply grateful for the privilege. We will treat this place with the utmost respect.”

Meyers’ stiff reply made Howard smile slightly.

“That said, there’s no need to hold back. Use it like any other campsite. Conrad may look like that, but he’s really just a soft-hearted fellow. He’s probably feeling awkward about it already. I’ll have him come help with setting up camp later.”
“Yes, thank you very much, Lord Cloud.”

Meyers accepted the offer with a smile, understanding Howard’s intention of giving Conrad a chance to mend the impression he had made.

◇◇◇◇◇

“G-Good heavens… What kind of place is this…? What kind of place is this?!”

Connor Clarke muttered, his face pale.

The journey from the Royal Capital to Amukham had been comfortable along well-maintained roads. Even so, once they left human settlements behind, they had still encountered their share of Demonic Beasts.

For Clarke, who had only ever known life in the capital, the first time seeing such creatures had been terrifying. Mountain dogs with red eyes. Monkey-like beasts that attacked while screeching wildly. Boars as large as calves. There had even been an encounter with a group of Goblins.

For ordinary people like them, encountering even a single Demonic Beast would almost certainly mean death.

And yet the knights had cut down such terrifying creatures one after another, sometimes with only one or two men. Watching them, Clarke had convinced himself that the knight order truly was the strongest. Being protected by such warriors meant that he himself must be someone special. At the same time, it reassured him that this journey would be safe.

But what about now, in this forest? They had only been in the forest for half a day, yet the abnormality of this place was unmistakable.

It was nothing like the road they had traveled before. The knights were not struggling, but the frequency of Demonic Beast appearances was different. In just half a day, how many Demonic Beasts had attacked them?

And inside this forest, there were no protective carriages like before. What in the world was that gigantic scorpion? He had never seen a gray wolf that large! And that enormous serpent, with two heads! If even one of those creatures slipped through the knights’ encirclement… Just imagining it made cold sweat run down his back.

This forest was a demonic realm far beyond anything he had imagined. After only half a day, Clarke was already beginning to regret joining this expedition.

“…Lord Clarke, could you please confirm this?”

Two subordinates, brought along under the pretext of assisting him, spoke up. In their hands was a cylindrical device engraved with magic sigils, with a crystal sphere attached to it. It was a magic tool capable of recording images when a small amount of mana was channeled into it.

“What?! Handle such things yourselves! Don’t trouble me with every little matter!”
“M-My apologies, Lord Clarke… b-but we cannot store the record without your authorization…”

Recording the expedition was the very reason they had accompanied the knights. Even Clarke could not simply ignore their primary duty.

“Tch! Fine, give it here!”

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Clarke roughly snatched the recording device from the official’s hands. Clarke continued reading the recordings from the device, but none of the contents actually registered in his mind. His thoughts were consumed entirely with one thing. How could he survive the next few days and return alive? As the images of Demonic Beasts played again through the recording device, Connor Clarke’s survival instincts screamed in terror.

(If it comes to it… I’ll have to use these people as shields just to survive. The most important thing is my life!)

Tormented by rising panic, he glanced at the two clerks beside him with bloodshot eyes.

After only half a day, just half a day spent passing through the Amukham Forest, Connor Clarke’s mind had already begun to crack under the strain.