NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 109: Volte Claus
Volte Claus served as the vice-captain of the Tiant Territory Knights.
At twenty-five, he was the same age as the territory's lord, Slack Tiant, and had been his close childhood friend. Their bond was so strong that Volte had enrolled in the capital's academy as Slack’s personal guard.
Though he did not consider himself old enough to reminisce fondly about those days, Volte couldn't help but feel that things had undeniably changed since then.
Once, Slack was not the kind of man who would be persuaded by the Second Prince to invade the beastmen’s territories.
Nor would the old Slack have paid woodcutters to carve a path through the Forest of Demons to facilitate military movement. There were far more pressing matters to attend to.
Yet, despite his reservations, Volte issued orders to his knights, directing them to move the felled trees to the side of the makeshift road and clear the obstructive undergrowth to widen the path for their march. The realization that he was capable of such actions marked a departure from his former self.
“Vice-Captain, the scouts have returned.”
Acknowledging the report with a nod, Volte replied, “Send them in.” As he absentmindedly rubbed his stubbled cheek with his thick fingers, he pondered how many days it had been since he last returned home.
Before he could count, the scout appeared before him, kneeling.
“Report. About half a day’s march straight ahead, the forest ends.”
Finally, Volte exhaled quietly.
It had been two months since they began cutting through the forest. The so-called “Saint of Healing” invited by Lord Slack and the infamous "Prodigal Prince" Blitz, occasionally visited to check their progress but largely remained at Slack’s mansion. They were likely just as troubled by this venture.
Was it fortunate that the expedition had faced no problems thus far, or would a complication have been more advantageous? Volte was conflicted about the impending invasion of the beastmen’s territory. He wasn’t alone; likely, half of the knights shared his reluctance.
The Tiant Territory—and by extension, the Kingdom of Louisse—had enjoyed relative peace for decades, except for the occasional skirmish with demons in Escard. As a result, their knights had not engaged in real battle for a long time. Volte himself hadn’t fought in the last demon war on the borders of Escard.
Some knights, consequently, were eager for action.
With the support of the "Prodigal Prince" and the justification that a girl from the Aelv clan had been harmed, the knights had a pretext to deploy their forces into beastmen territory to prevent any incursions.
Ultimately, it was just an excuse to invade under a guise of legitimacy.
However, that was their duty. Doing undesirable tasks was part of the job.
When had he started thinking this way? It didn’t matter now.
“Did you scout the beastmen’s territory?”
Volte pushed aside his uneasy thoughts and focused on the scout.
“No, sir. The beastmen were encamped outside the forest, as if anticipating our invasion. They were set up a short distance from the forest’s edge.”
“Were you noticed?”
“It's uncertain, but I believe we weren’t detected.”
“Understood. Stand down and rest. Further orders will follow.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the scout saluted and departed, Volte released a sigh of mixed frustration and admiration.
This was within their expectations.
Not Slack’s—but the "Prodigal Prince" Blitz’s predictions had considered this scenario.
In this situation, the beastmen had likely been scouting them. Their encampment suggested they were preparing for an anticipated attack. The small camp was probably just a part of their forces, with the main body not far off.
In his mind's eye, Volte envisioned Blitz—a striking man with flowing silver hair and a cryptic smile that was equal parts condescension, mockery, delight, and disguised boredom. It was an inscrutable expression of a psychopath.
Volte ruffled his short-cropped red hair and issued orders to his nearby subordinates.
“Inform the woodcutters to clear a space about half a day's march further where we’ll establish our camp. Send a messenger to notify the captain. Remember, we’re close to beastmen territory. Be prepared for an attack at any moment.”
It took three days to establish the camp.
From this point, it was roughly three-quarters of a day's march to the edge of the beastmen's territory. Mobilizing the entire expeditionary force would take about half a day if they maintained a steady pace.
The camp was set, the night passed, and by morning, Volte used water provided by the mages to wash his face. He considered shaving but decided against it.
That day, scouts confirmed once again that the beastmen's encampment remained near the forest's exit.
By midday, the main force, including the knight captain, arrived. Engineers began constructing temporary shelters from the lumber provided by the woodcutters.
The knights would mostly use tents, akin to roughing it. However, the temporary shelters were for the "Prodigal Prince" and the "Saint of Healing."
“Ah, Vice-Captain Volte, I commend you on your tireless efforts in this arduous task.”
Prince Blitz appeared casually, offering his praise.
Volte, despite his current ragged appearance, knelt and lowered his gaze as soon as he recognized the Second Prince. He had attended the academy in the capital, accompanying Slack, and knew proper decorum.
“Oh, come now. I may have to resign myself to this formality, but I do not enjoy it, especially from capable individuals like you.”
With a sweet smile, Blitz raised Volte to his feet.
Naturally, Volte couldn't completely drop his formalities. When a prince commanded respect, even a small gesture like a nod had to suffice.
“Ha, that’s a reasonable compromise. Honestly, Volte, I value you more than the knight captain. I intend for you to lead the command during the invasion.”
“Me, Your Highness?”
“Yes. We will have a strategy meeting soon. Let’s show those barbaric beastmen, who harmed that beautiful Aelv woman, the strength of humanity.”
The largest tent in the camp served as the meeting room, furnished with simple chairs.
Present were the captain of the Tiant Territory Knights, several company commanders, the Aelv woman who had been attacked by beastmen, two guards accompanying the "Saint of Healing," a nobleman acting as their guide, and Prince Blitz Orse Louisse, seated beside the captain. The only remaining seat was next to Blitz, so Volte reluctantly took it.
“The situation has been reported,” began the captain.
Although Volte did not fully agree with Prince Blitz, he recognized the captain’s mediocrity. The captain wasn't incompetent, but he resembled an overbearing bureaucrat more than a leader of knights.
Unlike Volte, who wore a dirt-streaked armor and sported unshaven stubble, the captain was impeccably clean, his armor polished, and his beard neatly trimmed. Compared to Volte’s lean, hardened physique, the captain's middle-aged body showed signs of 'softening'.
The plan was straightforward.
Volte would lead the knights out of the forest and engage the waiting beastmen. They would establish a foothold in the beastmen’s territory, using the attack on Aelv woman Mariel San Foresight and the theft of the "Sacred Gemstone" as a pretext.
If the beastmen resisted, they would engage and subdue them. The question remained whether they could achieve this.
"The beastmen typically operate in packs rather than organized armies. Even when gathered under the Beast King, he can command a force of no more than two hundred," Mariel explained.
Volte had heard this several times. He knew her story of traversing the beastmen's territory to reach human lands from the depths of the enchanted forest. However, he wasn’t sure when this dusky-skinned Aelv had started residing in Tiant territory.
A year ago, she wasn’t around, he thought. Maybe he simply hadn’t noticed her. At the very least, by the time Prince Blitz began his stay a few months ago, Mariel San Foresight had already become a guest at the Tiant estate.
"In other words, our knight order has no reason to lose the initial battle," the captain declared with confidence, though it was Volte and his men who would bear the brunt of the fight. If the captain’s armor ever got dirty, it would signal a dire situation indeed.
Volte, masking his resignation, nodded and saluted in agreement.
"Understood. We will assemble our forces and enter the beastmen's territory at dawn."
"If I may," interrupted a nobleman escorting the "Saint of Healing," raising his hand lazily. Volte hadn’t been introduced to him, but the man gave off an impression of shadiness with his large, unsettling eyes.
"Our 'Saint of Healing,' Mizetta, won’t be sent to the frontlines. Her primary task of healing Mariel is complete, so we’re here mainly at Prince Blitz’s personal request."
"That’s perfectly fine. We’ll bring any wounded back here for treatment. Additionally, if you could lend us the hero of the demon wars once, it would be appreciated," Prince Blitz replied.
Neither the captain nor Volte commented. After all, it was strange that the second prince of the Louisse Kingdom had come all this way without any high-ranking nobles from Tiant accompanying him. The captain’s rank was equivalent to a viscount, and Volte’s was akin to a baronet, both insufficient for the prince’s station.
"Well, since it’s a prince’s request, I’ll agree to one outing. But remember, I’m here to protect Mizetta. If anything happens to her while I’m away, there will be consequences," the young swordsman accompanying the saint chimed in, his disrespectful tone betraying his inexperience.
Despite his insolence, the boy’s lack of malice prevented him from coming off as completely unmanageable. Prince Blitz merely smiled, seemingly pleased.
As he had mentioned, the prince didn’t enjoy excessive formality, and perhaps he found the boy's attitude refreshing.
"Very well, I’ll accompany you. I wish to deal with the beastmen personally," Mariel San Foresight said, her eyes narrowing.
Volte understood that both the young swordsman and the Aelv woman were formidable warriors. The boy exuded a sword aura that was palpable, and his magical power was unusually strong for a human.
Ideally, extraneous elements would not be included in military operations. However, given the nature of this mission, Volte found it hardly mattered.
"Understood. I’ll go issue orders to my men," Volte said, saluting before rising to leave. He glanced briefly at the "Saint of Healing," who had remained silent throughout the meeting. She seemed delicate, lacking the noble air of aristocracy or the self-importance of a sorcerer. Her appearance was neat, and her demeanor more refined than that of a maidservant.
Yet, Volte felt a sense of empathy for her. Perhaps she, too, was wondering:
—What am I doing here?
For Volte, there was an additional question:
—What is Slack trying to accomplish?
Of course, there was no way to know. He had long ceased to understand his childhood friend.