After changing into combat attire, Saul examined himself in the mirror.
Rather than his face or hair, he focused on his clothing and weapons.
Trousers and a shirt made from the finest wool, along with a thin coat.
The outfit had relatively few decorations and was modest by a prince’s standards, but its luxurious quality was impossible to conceal.
It would be unsuitable for a prince to wear at a formal event, but it was perfectly acceptable for everyday use or travel.
However, these clothes were nothing so ordinary as a prince’s casual attire.
They were items worthy of being called ‘Magic Armor,’ crafted with the assistance of mages and alchemists.
Their weight and thickness were not much different from ordinary clothing, yet they offered protection comparable to respectable plate armor and could even resist magic to some degree.
Every piece was high-end equipment worth as much as an average mansion, the sort of thing Roland could never have dreamed of possessing in his previous life.
Once Saul had put on his combat attire and taken his Magic Sword in hand, it truly felt as though he were about to enter real combat.
After checking himself in the mirror once more, Saul fastened the sword at his waist and stepped out of the tent.
“Your Highness.”
Aina hurried over and bowed to Saul.
She wore leather armor just as she had when they first met.
As befitted the daughter of a noble house, Saul could sense a faint trace of magical power from Aina’s armor as well.
“That’s Magic Armor, isn’t it? Has its weight been reduced and its durability increased?”
“That is correct, Your Highness.”
Enhancing armor, weapons, or accessories through magic or alchemy was common.
Among such methods, reducing weight while increasing durability was one of the most basic forms of ‘Magical Enhancement.’
Magical Enhancement was expensive, so ordinary soldiers had little choice but to use conventional weapons and armor made by blacksmiths.
However, once someone reached the level of a unit commander, it was common to possess one or two magically enhanced pieces of equipment.
As the lord’s daughter, Aina naturally possessed some basic magical equipment of her own.
After leaving the tent, Saul looked toward the village a short distance away.
It was a small settlement with no more than twenty households.
Because their tent had been set up on elevated ground, Saul could clearly see not only the houses but also the wooden palisade that had been erected around the village as a defensive barrier.
It was a village, but its structure also made it something of a small fortress.
“Was that palisade built because of monsters?”
“That is correct, Your Highness. Bandits do not dare attack freely in areas where our authority reaches. But wild beasts and monsters do not fear retaliation from the Lord’s Army.”
“I see.”
Bandits, who feared future retaliation, usually robbed travelers rather than attacking villages and reducing them to ruins.
Monsters, however, did not fear the consequences and sometimes attacked villages outright, leaving them devastated.
For the inhabitants of a small village like this, monsters that might attack the settlement itself were inevitably a greater threat than bandits.
“Normally, hunting monsters is the responsibility of the Lord’s Army, correct?”
“Yes.”
“There should be kingdom troops stationed nearby as well. Do you not receive their assistance?”
“The kingdom’s forces are primarily focused on guarding the border.”
“I see.”
Autonomy was possible only when one possessed the power to maintain it.
In the end, dealing with monsters rampaging through the territory was the lord’s responsibility.
And today, a prince and the lord’s daughter had personally come to deal with those monsters.
Aina appeared to have done this sort of thing many times before.
She was not careless, but neither did she show the slightest fear.
Saul had also hunted monsters in his previous life.
Hunting monsters was different from fighting human enemies.
They were creatures closer to beasts, but far stronger than ordinary animals—literal ‘monsters.’
Moreover, monsters native to a particular region were usually intimately familiar with the local terrain.
That was why even highly skilled fighters could not afford to take monster hunting lightly.
And if a prince who had barely ever left the royal capital went monster hunting?
Anyone would naturally be concerned.
Unless, of course, that prince had someone who served simultaneously as his teacher, close retainer, and guard.
“…….”
Kastel quietly emerged from her own tent and stood behind Saul.
Just as she had when they first met, Aina greeted Kastel with open admiration in her eyes.
“Miss Kastel.”
Nod.
Kastel merely inclined her head without even replying.
For a commoner without a title, it was remarkably rude behavior toward the daughter of a noble house.
Yet no one present criticized Kastel’s discourtesy.
Everyone here knew exactly who she was.
With Kastel present, their fighting strength against the monsters was not merely sufficient. It was excessive.
If not for Kastel’s weakness, she could probably conduct the entire monster subjugation by herself from beginning to end without difficulty.
‘But it would be better if I fight as much as possible. And I want to see how skilled the lord’s daughter is....’
Having made his decision, Saul spoke.
“Teacher, please leave this monster subjugation to me.”
“Of course. Unless Your Highness’s life is endangered, I will not intervene.”
At times like this, Saul and Kastel understood each other remarkably well.
Aina, on the other hand, appeared uneasy.
“Will you truly be all right?”
“You should not underestimate my ability.”
“...Understood.”
Her expression suggested that she would have said something harsher if Saul had not been a prince.
Saul quietly laughed inwardly, but also steeled himself again.
After speaking so confidently, there could be no greater humiliation than failing.
Meanwhile, one of the Lord’s Army soldiers who had visited the village returned to report.
“My lady. There is reportedly a group of monsters in the nearby mountains.”
“What kind of monsters?”
“Goblins and the Hogs they raise.”
Goblins were smaller than humans but quick on their feet. They were not particularly intelligent, but they were cunning creatures.
Hogs were boar-like monsters that lived in a symbiotic relationship with goblins.
They were one and a half to twice the size of ordinary wild boars, carnivorous, and were known to have a particular taste for human flesh.
It was not uncommon for goblin groups accompanied by Hogs to raid or attack humans.
There had even been cases where such groups settled near villages, repeatedly attacked them, or wiped the settlements out entirely.
They had to be dealt with before such a tragedy occurred.
After hearing the report and assessing the situation, Aina asked Saul,
“What do you intend to do?”
Her tone and expression were courteous, but she did not seem to expect much from him.
She probably thought that no matter how excellent his teacher might be, Saul was still an inexperienced novice with no real combat experience.
If he gave a foolish answer, she would only see him as even more of a child.
Saul combined the memories of his previous life with the knowledge he had acquired in this one and found the textbook answer.
“Since we’ve come to subjugate them, we should wipe them out completely. Any monsters that survive the operation could continue causing trouble for a long time.”
“That is correct.”
“Wouldn’t it be best to use the troops we brought to surround the goblins so they cannot escape, while those of us with the necessary ability personally eliminate the group?”
Saul’s proposal was a proven strategy considered highly effective in small-scale monster subjugations like this one.
Aina looked momentarily surprised by his perfectly reasonable answer.
“I agree. However.... Will you be all right?”
Saul knew exactly what she was worried about.
Under the plan, Saul himself would be taking the dangerous role of fighting the monsters at the front.
Kastel stepped forward.
“I will protect His Highness.”
With Kastel saying that, neither Aina nor anyone else in the subjugation force could oppose Saul’s decision.
They soon began moving according to Saul’s plan.
Several dozen soldiers slowly advanced toward the goblin group.
The goblins had established themselves in a barren area not far from the village.
Seeing that they had even erected crude tents there, Aina muttered,
“To think they would dare settle this close to a village governed by our house....”
Aina glared angrily at the goblin encampment but did not neglect her responsibilities.
“Your Highness. The encirclement will soon be complete.”
“The goblins have eyes, ears, and enough intelligence to notice our movements. We should attack as soon as the encirclement is complete.”
Aina looked surprised yet again at Saul’s words.
It was probably because the supposedly inexperienced prince kept making sound suggestions.
Saul quietly smiled to himself.
He could take command of the operation all the way to the end if he wished.
He possessed enough ability and experience to be confident that he would not ruin it.
But standing out too much in his very first real battle could invite suspicion.
For now, this was enough.
Besides, he wanted to see Aina’s abilities as well.
“I’ll leave the rest to you, Aina.”
“...Yes, Your Highness.”
With Saul’s permission, Aina began commanding in earnest.
As expected, the encirclement was completed quickly.
A short while later, movement could be seen among the goblins.
Even at a glance, Saul could guess what had happened.
“They’ve noticed us, haven’t they?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
There was not the slightest trace of concern on Kastel’s face as she answered.
Did she trust her disciple’s abilities that much?
‘I can’t disgrace myself by needing Kastel’s help in my first real battle.’
Saul gripped his sword.
He held the sheathed Magic Sword upside down, assuming the stance used to wield it as a Magic Staff.
The gemstone set into the end of the Magic Sword’s hilt began to glow faintly.
Aina drew her weapons as well.
An axe in one hand.
A shield in the other.
The way she calmly and quickly drew her weapons and assumed a combat stance was enough to show how accustomed she was to actual battle.
“The encirclement is complete.”
“Understood.”
After receiving the report, Aina asked Saul,
“Then we will begin. Please be careful.”
“Yes. You too.”
“Thank you. Then.... Attack!”
At Aina’s command, the Lord’s Army immediately sprang into action.
The troops surrounding the goblin group raised their weapons and assumed defensive positions.
The soldiers beside Aina urged their horses forward, keeping close beside her as she charged.
Saul and Kastel also spurred their horses after them.
“SKREEE!”
A shrill cry erupted from the goblin group.
Having fought goblins several times in his previous life, Saul immediately understood what the cry meant.
‘Enemies! Fight them!’
That would be a rough translation.
Rather than panicking and scattering, they were signaling that they intended to fight back.
Aina, who had charged ahead toward the monsters, was the first to leap from her horse.
Half of the escort soldiers behind her dismounted as well, while the rest remained mounted and watched the situation.
If one could use neither magic nor mana, fighting from horseback could offer an advantage.
But for those capable of wielding magic or mana, a horse was often little more than a means of transportation.
Manipulating mana while standing firmly on the ground was far more stable and efficient.
Like most mages and warriors capable of using magic or mana, Aina dismounted and confronted the goblin group on foot.
The goblins, having no way of knowing that their opponent was the noble daughter of the territory’s lord, rushed at Aina with shrill cries.
Saul dismounted as well and prepared his magic.
He had intended to help if Aina found herself in danger, but there was no need.
“SQUEAL!”
One goblin thrust its spear at Aina with a pig-like shriek.
As though she did not even need her shield, Aina answered by swinging her axe.
The precisely aimed axe knocked the incoming spearhead aside.
Aina immediately lunged forward and swung her axe again.
The blade struck the goblin’s head, and it collapsed in a spray of blood.
‘She’s impressive for her age.’
Saul was genuinely impressed by Aina’s skill.
There was almost no possibility that she possessed memories from a previous life as he did, which meant this was entirely her own ability.
For a girl who had undergone her coming-of-age ceremony only a few months before Saul to already possess such skill required both considerable talent and tremendous effort.
Of course, Saul was not merely standing there watching.
He spotted goblins coming after him.
There were two in total.
One carried a sword in each hand, while the other wielded a spear.
The spear-wielding goblin hurled its weapon at Saul.
Saul cast the spell he had been preparing.