I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 68: Into the Forest

A week after leaving the royal capital, most of the subordinates were assigned to various territories along the forest, and finally, here at the Poliniac Viscountcy, Vice Captain Orel’s squad remained.

In case of emergencies to make reinforcements decisions, and because without someone to coordinate, the Third Knight Order would collapse if wiped out. The Poliniac Viscountcy was located southeast, squeezed between two small territories from the Taleraan Border Marquisate.

“Hey hey, are we going into the forest today?”

“Yeah, because entering the forest from this territory is the most efficient way to reach our destination.”

Jest was back on my back since yesterday. That’s because the saint’s supply of sweets had run out. And apparently, I found it annoying to keep talking all the time. Usually, we talk when we’re in my room, but we don’t interfere with each other too much.

If Jest were a female, we might have gotten along, but there’s also the possibility that he’s just a talkative type regardless of gender. Dragons are often portrayed as silent characters.

“Alright, Captain, we’ll stay here.”

“Yeah, if by any chance there’s an impact strong enough to make the atmosphere tremble, come pick up our bones later.”

I recalled a description of a battle with a dragon where the atmosphere trembled, and it somehow stuck in my memory as cool. When I jokingly said it to Orel, who looked worried, he raised his eyebrows in a stern manner.

“Don’t say such ominous things! Please don’t even joke about that! I don’t have confidence in controlling those brats!”

“Oh, really? We’re seen as brats by our vice-captain?”

“Isn’t that harsh? We’ve been pretty good lately, haven’t we?”

Arnault and Simon grinned as they heard Orel’s words, deliberately making their conversation audible to us.

“Ahem, anyway, we’ll be waiting, trusting that you’ll return safely!”

After clearing his throat as if to cover up, Orel bid us farewell again.

“Haha, got it. Make sure not to cause Orel any trouble, you guys. We’ll get reports from each squad leader when we return, okay?”

As I glanced at Orel’s subordinates standing behind him, their spines straightened noticeably. These guys… were they planning to slack off as soon as I was gone? Now I’m worried about the subordinates I left in other territories.

“Captain Justin, we’re ready!”

Appearing with those words was the Saint, riding together with the leader of the Holy Knights. After several discussions along the way, it was decided that the carriage would be entrusted to Viscount Poliniac due to decreased mobility. The Saint, unable to ride a horse, seemed to have decided to ride with the leader of the Holy Knights.

“Oh, Eleanor’s here! Shall we depart?”

Even though Jest had been calling her “saint” until recently, it seemed he’d been taught her name while being fed in the carriage.

“Yeah, let’s hope we can meet Jest’s mother soon.”

“Yeah!”

“Then let’s head into the forest from here! Maintain formation! Report immediately if anything happens!”

We had just entered the forest, and only small monsters appeared, so we decided to bring some food for the future. Until now, we had passed through the territories, and with advance notice, we had no problems eating in each territory.

In other words, we’re camping from here. Meals for us in the Third Knight Order and the Holy Knights are prepared separately. I think there’s no need to worry if the Saint cooks, but the problem is whether the Holy Knights will make her cook. They seem to hold the Saint in higher regard than necessary, so they might say it’s too much for her to cook.

But it would be counterproductive to feed them bad food. That worry became a reality that evening.

“The sun is starting to set. It’s about time we decide on a campsite. It seems clear ahead, so should we go there?”

With fewer people, the distance between me and Axel, the leader of the Holy Knights, was close enough for easy conversation with just a slightly raised voice. Axel nodded when he heard my voice, and relayed the message to the Holy Knights behind.

“Elliot’s team will prepare the tents, and Justin’s team will prepare the meals.”

For the Third Knight Order, camping was almost routine, but for the Holy Knights, it would be unfamiliar. Some of them might have never camped before. I can quickly start a fire with my magic, so I briskly prepared everything.

And as expected, the Holy Knights’ workmanship was clearly lacking.

We’ve already finished setting up the tents and are about to finish cooking, but it seems like they haven’t even made it halfway through their process.

“Elliot, it’ll take a bit longer for cooking here. In the meantime, could you lend a hand to those over there? It doesn’t seem right to let the saint handle everything while we eat without helping.”

“Yeah… Well, you have a point. Alright, let’s go.”

With his subordinates giving somewhat discontented responses, Elliot went to help the Holy Knights. As I watched them go, Simon quietly approached me.

“Captain, captain, since we’re already in the forest, can we have some of the sweets Jest ate after dinner?”

“I want some too!”

He asked knowing that Jest was listening!? But since it was actually a promised thing, I agreed to provide the cheesecake after dinner.