[Vol. 8] Chapter 23: The Disappearing Army
The next day.
In the end, the Holy Empire’s delegation gave up their hiding place and started moving along the mountain path, heading in the direction of Iron Ridge.
They were already near the border of the Austre Empire, so by moving quickly, they got very close to the war-torn fortress in less than half a day.
The sounds of explosions and loud fighting that had come from the battle had already stopped by last night, so it seemed like the fighting there was over. The result probably wasn’t surprising either.
As they got closer to the center of the battle, signs of war became more and more common along the way.
It looked like the Austre Empire’s army had been completely defeated. Many supplies and equipment left behind by retreating soldiers were scattered everywhere, broken armor, ruined mechanical gear, even the destroyed remains of giant [Graemes]. They also found a lot of discarded magic guns and other weapons, all damaged and unusable. The whole scene was quite shocking.
Most of the Sixteen Tribes from the buffer zone were people who had once lived inside what is now the Austre Empire. But as the Empire expanded, these people were forced to leave their homes and run for safety. With a hundred years of hatred built up, their rage had now exploded all at once. What they might have done to the Empire’s soldiers was almost too terrible to imagine.
And what they saw in front of them was the best proof of that hate made real.
“It seems like those tribal warriors are even stronger than we thought,” said Frederica, who was leading the group from the front. As she looked at the shattered remains of the Imperial forces, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy, even though she had already expected something bad. But then, she noticed something strange.
“The soldiers must’ve thrown away this gear while running away, but we’ve seen tons of equipment like this along the way, and not a single living person. Not even a single dead body. Isn’t that way too strange…?”
Everyone in the group looked at each other. They all felt the same way, but couldn’t come up with a good explanation. Then Miss Rene, who was always the least cautious, mumbled casually.
“What’s so strange about that? They were probably caught by the enemy. Aren’t those tribes called wild barbarians or something? I heard that in some uncivilized places, those kinds of people would invade other countries, capture civilians, and even cut them up to cook and eat. The Sixteen Tribes even include Behemoth people, right? It wouldn’t be surprising if they did stuff like that.”
“Pfft~”
Violet, who had been quietly listening, couldn’t help but laugh behind her hand. Even Leila shook her head with a helpless smile.
“I’ve told you before to stop reading all those strange pictures and novels. Eating people? Really… My dear little Rene, it's now the 1300s in the New Calendar! Even the wildest beastmen have built their own kingdoms now. Nobody does that kind of thing anymore. Where did you even hear such nonsense?”
“Eh… Is that so?”
Seeing the angel girl scratching her head in embarrassment, Frederica smiled and kindly explained.
“That’s right, Miss Rene. Maybe somewhere far away in the vast unknown lands, there might still be savage tribes like the ones you mentioned. But they would never be found in the buffer zone between our country and the Austre Empire, and definitely not among the Sixteen Tribes.”
“These tribes may be called ‘barbaric,’ but they’re not truly without order or culture. In fact, their traditions are older than you think, some have even existed since ancient times. If they were really as cruel and wild as you imagine, the Church would never allow them to roam so freely near its borders.”
“As for the Behemoth people you mentioned, yes, they are one of the most powerful groups among the Sixteen Tribes and are known for being wild. But that’s only in the sense of being brave and bold in battle. On the battlefield, they fight and kill their enemies, but they would never take bodies to cook and eat.”
As if remembering something, the Saintess hesitated for a moment, then added:
“I’ve met the current chieftain of the Behemoth people a few times. Honestly, not only is he the strongest warrior of his tribe, so strong that even I had trouble defeating him without using the Holy Sword, he’s also a truly outstanding leader. He’s calm, brave, and smart, so much that he doesn’t seem like a typical Behemoth at all. As long as he’s in charge, I don’t think his people would do anything too extreme.”
“How rare. It’s not often to hear Lady Frederica speak so highly of someone… That chieftain must really be something special. I wonder if we’ll get a chance to meet him this time.”
“In a military operation this large, the Behemoth chieftain will likely lead his people personally. I hope he’s doing well. I’m actually counting on him to help with our negotiations. If he has enough influence in this army, we should be able to leave this area safely.”
As Leila and Frederica continued talking nearby, Rene became a bit curious about the Behemoth chieftain they were discussing. At the same time, Violet couldn’t help but feel a strange chill as she remembered Rene’s earlier wild guess.
Captured soldiers… cooked and eaten?
Maybe, in a way, the girl wasn’t entirely wrong this time...
Just then, the captain of the Holy Knights suddenly rushed over.
“Saintess! We found a survivor from the Austre Empire’s army!”
“Oh?” The golden-haired girl’s eyes lit up immediately.
“Quick, bring him here!”
“Yes!”
The captain obeyed and soon returned, leading a man in dirty Imperial armor over to the Saintess.
The man was covered in dirt, with messy hair and an unclear face. But judging by his strong build and muscles, he seemed to be a capable soldier.
However, he looked badly hurt. There were many deep cuts from sharp weapons on his body, and the dried dark-red blood made him look especially scary. One of his legs also seemed broken and bent the wrong way. He could only move with the help of two Holy Knights supporting him on either side.
The Holy Knights under the Saintess were all veterans from the brutal Demon War, with lots of combat experience. The captain had already checked the soldier’s condition and now gave a report.
“We found this man not far ahead in a forest. He was lying hidden deep in the bushes, completely covered in mud and without any weapons or gear. That’s probably how he avoided being found. But later, his injuries made him faint, and that’s when our knights noticed him.”
“Your Holiness, it seems those troops who attacked Iron Ridge really were capturing Imperial soldiers on purpose. Something about this feels very strange…”