Three weeks have passed since that worst birthday.
Thanks to the potion, my injuries have somehow healed, and now I’m walking along a beast trail deep in the overgrown Strark Great Forest, scouting ahead of a territorial army squad.
Normally, I’m confined to the detached building of the Gradov territory, living under house arrest.
However, as part of the duties of a margrave family, I’m forced to participate in the territorial army’s expeditions and training exercises in the Strark Great Forest.
These expeditions mainly consist of scouting to guard against another invasion from the Vida Kingdom, as well as subjugation missions to thin out the monsters around Gradov territory.
I’m only allowed to leave during these expeditions and training sessions. Otherwise, I spend my time training alone in the annex.
And every so often, as if on a whim, my father or brother summons me and beats me under some pretext.
Since I was fourteen, I’ve spent three years living this bleak cycle, going back and forth between a monster-infested forest and an annex that can hardly be called safe.
In the Ganadia Kingdom, except during emergencies like wartime, people under fifteen are generally not allowed to enlist in the national or territorial army. Even in the abnormal Gradov territory, that rule still holds.
And yet, the reason I was forced to enlist at such a young age… was Igor.
It has nothing to do with me, since I’ve been under house arrest since the appraisal ceremony at age ten, but normally, children of noble families enroll in the noble academy at fifteen for three years.
Igor, who was born a year before me, entered the academy when I turned fourteen.
While attending, students leave their territories and live in the royal capital, only returning home during summer and winter breaks. That means they spend most of the year in the capital.
My relationship with Igor was bad to begin with. He bullied me since childhood. After my appraisal ceremony, the bullying escalated into violence, making things even worse.
So when my detestable older brother entered the academy, I was overjoyed at the thought of not seeing him for three years…
But that relief didn’t last long.
It’s already been four years since I was confined to the annex.
Given how I’m usually treated, I never expected to be called to see Igor off when he left for the academy. So the moment I was made to attend, I had a bad feeling about it.
And that bad feeling turned out to be right.
Just before boarding the carriage to the academy, Igor dropped a bombshell.
“I’m worried that I won’t be able to look after my dear little brother while I’m away at the academy. Father, so that Demitri may grow into a warrior worthy of the Gradov name… please allow him to serve in the territorial army and gain experience until I graduate and return to Gradov.”
“Igor…! Very well. You heard him, Demitri! Prepare yourself!”
I still haven’t forgotten the evil grin on Igor’s face behind father’s back as he readily agreed to that request and shouted at me.
This expedition is being led by my brother. I need to stay sharp.
The very brother who caused me to be beaten half to death by father the other day had recently returned to Gradov territory after finishing his three years at the academy.
Those who graduate from the noble academy and especially the heirs are expected to act as a stand-in lord, gaining experience and building achievements worthy of becoming the head of the house.
Igor was no exception, and this expedition into the Strark Great Forest is part of building his record as acting lord.
The objective of this expedition is to eliminate a monster nest that a separate scouting unit discovered beforehand.
At the time it was found, only a small number of goblins had just begun building the nest, posing almost no real threat to the territory.
Still, a monster nest is a monster nest.
Even if this expedition was arranged as a staged opportunity to build the achievement that “the next lord eradicated a monster nest for the sake of his people”, subjugation expeditions themselves are one of the Gradov family’s key duties.
The objective is to destroy an unfinished goblin nest and eliminate the goblins. A prior survey has already been conducted, and the planned route has been secured.
A full squad is clearly overkill… Assigning me as a scout despite that is probably just harassment.
To begin with, even though I was forced into the territorial army, I’m not treated like a regular soldier. I don’t belong to any fixed unit….instead, I’ve been placed in what my father described as a “unit of incompetents who can’t be trusted in battle”. A roaming unit
It may be called a roaming unit, but in reality, the tasks we’re given are mostly scouting.
Reckless solo reconnaissance, setting up camps, hauling supplies, and other miscellaneous chores.
It’s essentially a group of people deemed unfit even to serve as ordinary soldiers, gathered together and conveniently used up by different units.
For this expedition, Igor personally assigned me as a scout, so I’m temporarily attached to the squad under his command.
For my brother, this mission is killing two birds with one stone…earning merit as the next head of the family while also getting the chance to bully his useless younger brother.
If I fail to detect monsters in time, or if they reach the squad before I can report back, I’ll be punished. Stay focused.
Unless it’s deep within the Strark Great Forest, there aren’t many dangerous monsters or magical beasts within a few days’ march.
On top of that, a group of this size trampling through the outer forest seems unusual even to the monsters. Perhaps they’re wary, because I haven’t sensed any presence nearby.
Occasionally, I spot small magical beasts in the distance like Timber Rats or Weld Rabbits, far weaker than the goblins we’re here to eliminate. But the moment they notice us, they scatter and flee.
There’s virtually no danger, yet the pressure of not being allowed even the slightest mistake wore me down as I continued scouting with excessive caution. After several hours, I arrived at an open campsite with a small stream running through it.
There’s no sign of monsters around… I should head back and report.
As evening sets in, the sunlight is blocked by the trees surrounding the campsite, leaving the area already dim.
I wasn’t eager to rejoin the squad, but I had no choice.
Feeling somewhat heavier than when I was cautiously making my way through the forest on alert for monsters and magical beasts, I retraced my steps.
***
“That concludes my report.”
After rejoining the squad, I briefly reported that the campsite had been confirmed safe and that, based on cross-checking with the advance team’s findings, there were no irregularities along the route to the site.
“Good work, Demitri. Having such a capable younger brother makes this expedition much easier.”
A wave of laughter erupted from the squad.
Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve gone through this. He never seems to get tired of it…
“…I’m honored.”
“You’re too stiff, Demitri. We’re brothers…you can be a bit more at ease with me, you know?”
Easy for him to say when he’s always ready to nitpick anything I say.
I met my brother’s sadistic gaze without looking away and silently endured it.
“…Well, enough of that. Thanks to my brave and fearless brother Demitri carving the way forward, we’ve made it here safely! Everyone, prepare the camp and get some rest for tomorrow’s subjugation!”
At his call, the soldiers dispersed.
As I started to leave as well, my brother called out to me.
“I’m sorry, Demitri. There’s something I forgot to tell you.”
“…What is it?”
“Since returning from the academy, I’ve been discussing various matters about the future with Father. There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell my dear little brother as soon as possible.”
Whatever he was about to say must have been immensely amusing to him. My brother continued, his lips curling into a crescent and his cheeks flushed.
“Once we return to the Gradov territory from this expedition, you’ll be officially assigned to my unit, Demitri! Not the skirmish squad…a proper unit assignment. From now on, we’ll always be together! Not just on expeditions; I’ll even be able to decide the details of your training myself.”
He spoke with an excited expression, as if merely imagining the future to come was enough to send him into ecstasy.
“Let’s make up for the time we lost as brothers while I was away at the academy… I’m looking forward to it, Demitri.”
No way…
“I’m so glad you’re speechless with joy! Let’s wrap up this expedition quickly so we can return to the territory as soon as possible.”
Leaving me frozen in shock at what he had just declared, my brother walked off with a satisfied look, almost skipping as he went.
After that, I stood there in a daze without moving until a soldier, fed up with the fact that I, a member of the squad, was not helping to set up camp, finally lost his temper and shouted at me.
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