IYAMD: Episode 132

Jaha had been cutting down remnants of the monsters for several days, reducing his sleeping time in the process. He sent knights to nearby villages to assess the situation, causing their group to fluctuate in size as members came and went.

However, Sasha remained by Jaha’s side the entire time. He had received strict orders from Marsilia never to leave him.

It had already been three weeks since they had departed from the capital. Having cleared out most of the surrounding villages, they had gathered in one of the larger territories to rest for a day.

The place was small enough to be called a hamlet, lacking proper accommodations. As a result, Jaha and the knights decided to stay at the village chief’s house for the night.

The weather was a bit too chilly for camping, and the knights needed a chance to rest properly. After enjoying a warm meal for the first time in a while, Jaha went out for a short walk.

He sighed at the sound of Sasha following behind but didn’t stop him. If it was his duty, there was nothing to be done about it.

Jaha climbed a nearby hill and gazed at the darkening sky. The deep blue expanse was streaked with a band of dark orange, with stars beginning to emerge above it. As he took in the sight, he asked Sasha, who stood behind him,

“Sasha, how do people in small villages like this survive?”

The village seemed to have nothing. There weren’t any vast plains, just a few small fields. A dense forest stretched around the village, making it likely that monster attacks were frequent.

And yet, the village had a peaceful atmosphere. The people wore simple, ragged clothes, but their faces were bright and they looked healthy.

“It’s surprising that they’re doing fine despite being so close to the forest.”

“The soldiers likely patrol from the lord’s castle to the mountains daily. In particularly rough terrain or deep forests, they sometimes form ranger patrols. Every few years, His Majesty personally leads a large-scale monster subjugation as well.”

Since this area didn’t have difficult terrain, regular subjugations kept the monster population low, making the forest relatively safe to enter.

But then, where were all the monsters coming from? Jaha interrupted Sasha’s explanation with another question.

“Even with all those subjugations, do monsters keep appearing?”

“Smaller monsters have extremely high reproductive rates. Like rats or rabbits, their numbers multiply within months. The weaker ones also tend to burrow underground or hide in cliffside caves. To be honest, if we were determined to eradicate them completely, it wouldn’t be impossible… But His Majesty is too busy, and the number of knights keeps decreasing, so it’s not as easy as it sounds. Especially with such a vast territory.”

Sasha returned to his previous explanation, adding that smaller villages didn’t require as much food to sustain themselves. He smiled slightly.

“This village is small enough that the fields they have are sufficient. Still, they need money, so they sell firewood to the lord’s castle or trade harvested potatoes and wheat. The women also make lace.”

Since there was some commerce near the lord’s castle, survival didn’t seem too difficult.

“What about the place you lived, Sasha? Was it a big city or a small village like this?”

“I lived near the academy.”

“I heard it’s quite difficult for commoners to become knights.”

“Yes, it’s nearly impossible.”

When Jaha turned to look at him, Sasha noticed his intent and let out an awkward chuckle.

“I was a street kid. I survived by pickpocketing since I was light and quick.”

One day, he happened to steal from a swordsmanship instructor, and that incident led him to become the man’s student.

“I was lucky.”

Jaha observed him in silence before shifting his gaze to the horizon, where the sun had fully set. The sky had grown dark, filled with countless stars. The midday moon had already vanished, leaving only the brilliant starlight.

“When we return to the capital, I’m going to look for a way for commoners to become knights.”

“…What?”

Jaha, still staring at the sky, spoke of something he had been contemplating for days.

“I’ve heard we’ll need a lot of skilled people in the future. But something seemed odd. No one even considers looking for talent among commoners.”

Even Marsilia, despite stressing the urgency of training knights, hadn’t thought of it.

Yet there were far more commoners than nobles. And Marsilia himself had Sasha—a commoner knight with exceptional skills—by his side.

So why hadn’t he considered commoners? Was there a reason?

Jaha would find out once he returned to the palace, but for now, this was his thought: If commoners were given a path to knighthood, the chronic shortage of knights could be resolved.

With more people, competition would naturally intensify. And in such an environment, martial prowess would thrive.

That way, Marsilia’s burden might be lightened. Of course, it would take time.

“It won’t be as easy as you think, Lord Jaha.”

Sasha’s words were met with nothing more than a quiet smile from Jaha.

“It’ll be fine.”

After all, didn’t he have Marsilia as an ally? Jaha had a feeling that convincing him wouldn’t be too difficult. He also had faith that Marsilia would always be on his side.

Surely, Marsilia would listen to Jaha’s ideas until the very end and give them careful consideration.

With the Emperor as his ally, what was there to fear? Besides, Jaha was confident that his sword alone was enough to silence any opposition. Even if the nobles strongly resisted, he wasn’t afraid.

Seeing Jaha’s confident expression, Sasha frowned, his face reflecting a mix of emotions. After a short sigh, he brought his fist to his chest.

“I may not be of great strength, but I can serve as your hands and feet. If it is your command, I will carry out anything you ask of me.”

Honestly, Jaha doubted he would need Sasha’s help, but he decided to accept the sentiment anyway. When he nodded, Sasha’s face relaxed slightly as he turned his gaze upward to the sky.

Jaha also looked up for a while before finally heading back to their lodging as the cold dew began to settle.

A sigh escaped him as his thoughts turned to the man left behind at the palace. He had wanted to return as soon as possible, yet it had already been three weeks. Would he be able to go back before a full month passed?

Was he eating well? Sleeping properly? The thought of it made him anxious. If Marsilia looked exhausted when he returned, Jaha would make sure to scold him.

Determined, Jaha quickened his weary steps toward their lodging. After all, if he was going to reprimand Marsilia, he needed to take care of his own health first.

The next day, as Jaha’s group set out for another village, they advanced while clearing out scattered remnants of monsters. Some time later, after regrouping, one of the knights reported to Jaha.

“It seems there’s a goblin settlement not far from here. Young goblins usually don’t stray too far from their lairs, but I spotted quite a few on my way here. It’s likely they’ve made a home somewhere in the nearby forest.”

“Then should we take care of it before moving on?”

When Jaha sought the others’ opinions, concerns were raised about how difficult it would be to locate the settlement.

“We’d have to search for caves or burrows, which won’t be easy. If we go into the mountains, we’ll need to leave our horses behind, but there aren’t enough people to guard them.”

After a brief moment of thought, Jaha turned to Joshua.

“Can you handle things without me?”

“You mean to go alone?”

“No, I’ll take Sasha with me. I don’t know the terrain, so I’d be useless on my own. If I went alone, I’d probably never make it back to the palace.”

“We can handle a few goblin squads ourselves, but Lord Jaha, it’ll be exhausting for you.”

“It’s fine.”

Cutting the conversation short, Jaha swiftly divided the group.

“I know you’ll all do well, but make sure we meet again safely. Don’t get hurt, and don’t die. If anything happens to you, I won’t be able to face Marsilia. Joshua, I’m counting on you to look after everyone.”

At Jaha’s words, the remaining knights placed their hands over their chests and responded in unison.

“We will return safely.”

As Jaha parted ways with them, a thought crossed his mind—this expedition might take longer than expected. And, as always, his premonition proved correct.

…

Back at the palace, the Emperor’s expression darkened as he read the letter that had arrived. Serez, already aware of the general contents, cautiously watched him before speaking.

“He has already cleared out two goblin settlements. Perhaps next spring will be a little more peaceful?”

Jaha, who had originally planned to return within a month, had now been away for over a month and a half. The Emperor, unaware of just how much this absence was wearing him down, sighed after every breath he took.

Still, from Serez’s perspective, there was no choice but to support Jaha. After all, with only ten men, he was carving out a legend.

Rumors had already spread across the empire—Jaha, the Emperor’s consort, was wiping out monster strongholds that even the Emperor himself had been unable to deal with because he cannot leave the capital for too long.

Jaha had strayed far beyond the Thornton Territory, where he had first started, and was now heading toward an orc settlement near Doton Territory. There, Baron Odette Hill was waiting to join him.

Despite the fact that most territories were focusing on monster subjugation as the autumn harvest neared its end and the Harvest Festival was just days away, Jaha remained on the move.

Serez silently observed the Emperor’s troubled expression before swallowing back a sigh.

Once this campaign was over, he would have to send a message urging Jaha to return soon.

The Emperor, who would normally have at least said something, kept his mouth shut, which only made Serez more uneasy.

Still, one fortunate thing was that the Emperor, after reading every letter from Jaha, had wordlessly immersed himself in work.

And thanks to his intense focus, Serez’s workload had significantly decreased. That, at least, was a relief.