The monster hunt took place in the forest attached to the annex.
Although it was called a small forest, the scale of the Rodbel Duchy was so vast that it was difficult to find your way out if you got lost, so the servants called it the "Maze Forest."
Perhaps because the day was gloomy, the atmosphere of the forest felt even more sinister.
As I was staring at the forest, Revil, misunderstanding, approached me and said,
"You don't have to be so afraid. Lower-level monsters are so weak that even children with swords can catch them. More than anything!"
Thud!
Revil Weed struck his armor hard.
"I, Revil, will protect you no matter what happens, so you don't have to worry at all! Hahaha!"
With that, Revil Weed laughed heartily.
I looked at the forest with a nonchalant expression.
'Who said I was scared?'
The Maze Forest, rarely visited, was a good place for servants to do secret things.
For example, bullying someone they didn't like and abandoning them in the forest.
'Miss, did you know? They say scary monsters and ferocious beasts live in this forest.'
'Miss, my foot! You're in a position where you don't know when you'll be abandoned.'
'Puhaha! Then try to escape!'
The servants who brought me into the forest in a cart left me alone in the forest and returned to the main building.
Thinking about it now, they tormented me with great care.
'It was scary.'
The forest was so dark and gloomy that it felt like a monster or beast would pop out and devour me at any moment, just like the servants who abandoned me said.
'I don't like it.'
I don't want to die.
I want to go back.
Father...
I imagined my father coming to find me, but as the sun began to set, the imagination turned into delusion.
In the end, I was the only one who could save myself.
Fortunately, the servants didn't abandon me deep in the forest, so I was able to find the nearby annex by relying on the faint light coming from afar.
With the help of a servant who was cleaning the place and about to return, I barely made it back to the main building.
But what awaited me was repeated harassment.
The servants abandoned me in the Maze Forest several times, and as I became more familiar with the forest, I even explored it alone.
'But that seemed to earn me more hatred.'
After that, the servants who lost interest no longer abandoned me in the Maze Forest.
It was the first time I'd been here since then, so it had been a very long time.
But well...
'It's still the same.'
The Maze Forest I met again was exactly as I remembered it.
Perhaps that's why I felt strangely glad, and that gladness was a little bitter, so I chuckled softly.
However, the only difference from then was.
'There's a monster in there, right?'
As Revil said, lower-level monsters are so weak that they can be easily caught even without great abilities. They also have no intelligence.
However, that's only for lower-level monsters, and from the intermediate level, they become so strong that a separate subjugation team must be formed, and their intelligence also increases.
There are records of an advanced monster destroying an entire village, so its power is self-explanatory.
And...
I turned my gaze to the highest seat, where Aen stood guarding the Duke.
Feeling my gaze, he looked at me and smiled.
Over his face, I saw the overlapping face of a pale complexion drained of blood.
'...Aen lost his life because he was surrounded by advanced monsters.'
A large number of intermediate to advanced monsters surrounded Aen's subjugation team.
They had gone out after receiving a report that there were three or four intermediate monsters, so the forces formed were not very large.
Aen's subjugation team was made up of elites specially selected from the Rodbel Knights, so they barely managed to hold on, but that was it.
There was a limit to how long they could hold on, and it was obvious that they would be annihilated if they continued as they were.
At that time, Aen made a decision.
To sacrifice himself.
Aen was the only one who could buy time for the villagers and the subjugation team to escape.
After that, the subjugation team, who had evacuated the villagers, risked their lives and jumped in, barely managing to retrieve Aen's body, but if they hadn't, they wouldn't have been able to retrieve the body at all.
That's how terrifying the destructive power of intermediate-level monsters and above is.
I lowered my gaze.
'A monster will appear this time too, right?'
Rodbel has had the duty to exterminate monsters since the first head of the family.
The reason why they came to bear such a duty is shrouded in mystery, but there is a theory that a secret agreement was made between the first imperial family and the head of the family.
It is not even known where the monsters originate or how they appear.
All that is known is that they appear like disasters and spread calamity.
However, what is certain is that monsters will appear in five years, and Aen will die there.
'I will never let that happen.'
I will prevent Aen's death no matter what it takes.
As I clenched my fist with that determination,
"This is the horse assigned to you this time, Miss."
Revil approached me, leading a horse.
It was a young horse, a little bigger than a pony, with intense black fur and a long mane.
Just then, the sound of horses neighing came from behind me.
When I turned around, it was Banshees and Miracle's horses.
Their horses were brown and white.
My horse was black.
Then Revil whispered cautiously.
"Um... how about changing horses?"
"Why?"
When I asked with a puzzled expression, Revil's expression soured.
"Well... it'll be uncomfortable for you, Miss..."
Revil didn't say any more, but I felt like I knew what he really wanted to say.
'It'll look ridiculous, right?'
To those sitting high up, watching the competition.
There may be those who laugh at me inwardly, as Revil wants to say.
That black things ride black things.
That they can't even tell what's a horse and what's a person.
So what?
'If it had been the old me, I might have done as Revil wanted.'
Because I didn't want to stand out like a crow on a white snowy field.
I would have been ashamed of my black hair and red eyes and tried to hide my appearance somehow.
But.
"No."
I stepped on the saddle and got on the black horse.
"Uh-oh?"
And I said to Revil, who was flustered,
"I like this horse."
Because I knew how meaningless it was to struggle to avoid being noticed.
Because I also knew very well that my struggle was nothing more than a ridiculous writhing to them.
So I'll just calmly show myself.
I'll just be myself, like that.
"But..."
However, Revil Weed's thoughts seemed to be different.
"If it's difficult for you to request, Miss, I-"
"Sir Weed."
I called him by name in a firm voice.
Then Revil Weed flinched slightly and looked at me.
His face turned red.
"I'll decide which horse I ride."
"...Yes, I understand."
After answering with a disgruntled expression, Revil turned away coldly.
He mumbled as he got on his horse.
"Who does she think I'm doing this for? I'm embarrassed, she said. Damn, dirty bastard..."
It was a small voice, but it wasn't an attempt to hide it.
It meant it was okay to hear.
'Well, it doesn't matter, though.'
Because I don't get hurt by such attitudes anymore.
I won't take issue with the attitude either.
'Unnecessary conflict is not good.'
It's best to pass the test perfectly without any noise right now.
After checking that the spear on my back was in place, I also checked the condition of the horse.
'It seems okay.'
It wasn't in the best condition, but it was fine to ride and hunt.
It was a little awkward because it wasn't a horse for riding practice.
"...Take care of me."
As I whispered while stroking the black mane, the horse neighed softly as if it understood.
Soon, all preparations were completed, and the monster hunt began in earnest.
We rode our horses to the Duke.
The Duke, who stood up from his seat, looked at us and said.
"Prove the spirit of Rodbel."
"Yes!"
We answered in loud voices.
In particular, Banshees' spirit was amazing.
Just before departure, I turned my head.
I made eye contact with Aen, who was standing next to the Duke.
Then Aen clenched his fist and moved his lips.
'Don't be nervous.'
"Puhah..."
I couldn't help but laugh because his appearance felt cute.
I felt Revil glance at me, but I didn't care.
'Who's telling who not to be nervous?'
He's the one who looks more nervous right now.
But that was so Aen-like that it completely relieved my tension.
Then suddenly, Leegrin, who was standing behind Aen, stepped forward.
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