Anomaly

After leaving the Royal Capital, we headed toward the destination of this subjugation mission. Our target was Radia, a bustling commercial city. It isn’t particularly far from the capital; if all goes well, we should arrive by this evening or tonight. The actual mission site is the majestic forest located within the Radia territory.

“Master Vim, have you had a chance to review the subjugation plan?” Grand Master Camille asked.

“Yes, I’ve read it. It seems perfectly fine to me.”

The plan was straightforward. Vim and the mages would handle the slimes, which are immune to physical attacks. Meanwhile, the Knights would deal with any ordinary magical beasts that appeared.

“Understood. If anything happens along the way, we will take care of it.”

In this world, safe places are few and far between. Security is relatively maintained within cities and on properly paved roads thanks to patrolling guards, but once you step off those paths, you’re on your own.

“I hope the journey remains uneventful,” Vim remarked.

“That would be ideal,” Camille replied.

The carriages continued their steady advance. We passed through two towns without incident. Part of it was due to choosing a relatively safe route, but it’s also true that bandits aren’t stupid enough to pick a fight with a convoy of Knight Order carriages. As for magical beasts, they could appear at any time, but as long as we remained vigilant, we could handle them.

“It looks like we’re in the clear for this trip,” Vim said as we entered the Radia territory.

“It seems so. I wonder… was that rumor true after all?” Grand Master Camille placed a hand on his chin, his expression turning contemplative.

“What rumor would that be?”

“Actually, reports have been coming in from various parts of the country saying that the number of magical beasts is decreasing.”

“Is that not simply because the Knight Order has been thinning them out?” Vim asked.

The primary reason for the Knights’ subjugation missions is to cull magical beasts that have grown too numerous. With six different Knight Orders in Leoria traveling across the nation to carry out these tasks, it’s only natural for the overall numbers to drop.

“No,” Aaron, the Representative of the Head Mage, answered. “In some areas, the number of beasts is skyrocketing, while in others, they are abnormally absent. That is the current situation.”

That was certainly strange. Normally, as long as mana exists in the atmosphere, magical beasts will spawn indefinitely. If they aren’t appearing, it could mean some kind of anomaly is occurring in the world.

“That is odd. Is the cause unknown?”

“We have no idea. Both the Knights and the Mages are at a total loss,” Grand Master Camille said, clutching his head.

If the nation’s top organizations couldn’t figure it out, it must be a considerably difficult problem.

“Would you mind if I looked into it as well? I know someone who is quite knowledgeable about such things.”

“By all means, we would appreciate the help.”

While talking with Camille and the others, we arrived at the city of Radia. True to its reputation as a commercial hub, it appeared remarkably prosperous. The carriage carrying Vim and the others wound through the main street and eventually came to a stop in front of a certain mansion.