I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 70: Smoke in the Mountains

“Captain, isn’t that smoke over there?”

Marius, who had moved a bit away from the group to relieve himself during the break, pointed to the sky as soon as he returned. Faintly, but surely… no, there were two streams of smoke rising.

It had been about ten days since we entered the forest. Relying on Jest’s senses, we had been advancing, but seeing nothing but forest and mountains had become tiresome. So, any change was welcome.

“Indeed… There wasn’t any information about mountain tribes, but… Maybe they didn’t come all the way to investigate in the depths of this forest.”

“I sense Jest’s mother in the direction of that smoke.”

Wrapped in my mantle, sitting on my beloved horse Eleanor, Jest pointed toward the smoke.

“What!?”

“What’s wrong? Did Jest say something?”

“Yeah, it seems Jest’s mother is in the direction of that smoke.”

“Eeeehhh!?”

Several of the subordinates who happened to overhear my conversation with Marius shouted loudly.

“What’s going on!?”

Hearing the voices of the subordinates, Axel, the commander of the Holy Knights, rushed over.

“You see that smoke over there? Jest’s mother seems to be in that direction.”

“Smoke…? Um, can everyone else see it?”

Axel looked in the direction I pointed, squinting, but apparently, he couldn’t see the smoke. Perplexed, he asked the third knight who was nearby, and they all nodded.

Perhaps because we were always on expeditions, our eyesight might be sharper. Conversely, the Holy Knights, while occasionally escorting pilgrimages, usually stayed near the royal capital and spent most of their time in the Great Temple, so their eyesight might not be as keen as ours. They likely had a lot of paperwork to deal with, too.

“Is something happening?”

The tired-looking saint arrived late.

“Saint, can you see that smoke? Jest’s mother seems to be in that direction. Whether it’s Jest’s nest or a mountain tribe, I don’t know. If it’s a mountain tribe, we might be able to get some decent rest if we’re lucky.”

“………! Then we’re almost there! At this distance, we might arrive by the end of today. Let’s do our best!!”

It seemed to take her a few seconds to understand, perhaps due to exhaustion, but the saint clearly regained her sparkle in her eyes. Since coming from the village to the Great Temple, she had been sleeping on a soft bed all along. Being forced into this camping life when she had gotten used to that lifestyle, it was only natural that she would long for a bed.

“Ah… The saint can see it too…”

One man here seemed to be taking quite a hit.

“We often go on expeditions, and the saint seems to have grown up in the mountains, so her eyesight must be good. It’s natural for people to have their own strengths and weaknesses, not just in cooking, but in everything.”

In the end, it was decided that the saint, seeing the Holy Knights struggling with their cooking during their first meal, would take charge. However, it was risky to cook here, as there were some troublesome monsters that might show up if we cooked or boiled anything, so we mostly relied on portable food and pre-made meals.

“Then I’ll ask the Third Knight Order, who can still see the smoke ahead, to lead the way. Even if there’s no dragon at the location of the smoke, we might be able to gather some information.”

“That’s true. The real issue is whether the people there are friendly towards us.”

If they were legendary elves, they probably wouldn’t even tolerate us entering their territory. They have a strong sense of kinship and seem to avoid interacting with other races.

“There shouldn’t be any unfriendliness with the presence of the saint.”

“But I doubt the teachings of the temple reach as far as the depths of the mountains. While it’s good to have hope, it’s advisable to anticipate the worst in unfamiliar territory and be prepared. Optimism alone won’t protect the saint.”

“……! I appreciate the advice.”

I thought he might resist, but he seemed to prioritize protecting the saint above all else. I wish some supposed crown prince somewhere would learn from him.

With the break over, we headed towards the location of the smoke. Jest occasionally muttered about meeting her mother, anxious to reunite.

We probably came close enough that day, but since the sun was setting, we decided to camp. The Holy Knights had become efficient at setting up tents on their own, and we no longer needed assistance. That night, as usual, I slept with Jest. But suddenly, Jest sat up.

“What’s wrong, Jest? Can’t sleep? Let’s hope you can see your mother tomorrow.”

Half asleep, I stroked Jest. Jest, as usual, nuzzled against my hand affectionately and chuckled.

“I’ve already seen her.”

“Is that so? You’ve already seen her…? Wait, what?”

Even in my drowsy state, I realized I was saying something strange—or rather, it took me a moment to realize. Startled, I sat up, and there stood a mature woman in loose clothing.

“Hehe, it seems my child is being well taken care of. I had thought to kill everyone who took my child from me, but it seems things are different.”

“Yeah! Justin helped me and even gave me a name! And then, he made delicious sweets for me! There are still some left, so does Mom want some? You can have mine; Justin will make more for me!”

From Jest’s words, it was clear that Jest had no intention of leaving my side now that she had reunited with her mother. Delighted, I gently stroked Jest’s head with my fingers.

“I see. Then I’ll wait for you at the dwarven village down the road. If you leave in the morning, you will be there by noon. Thank you, Justin, for rescuing my boy.”

Jest’s mother said and left the tent.

I followed her with Jest, barefoot, and suddenly the moonlight was shadowing us.

I looked up at the night sky and under the moonlight I saw a beautiful blue dragon flying in the direction of the smoke I had seen during the day.