Chapter 270 (1/2)

The first thing Lumon saw when he hurried into the medical office was his suffering men. They were grotesquely injured, with parts of their body hacked off in some places. There were two medical officers desperately using healing magic to help them recover, but it seemed that it would take a long time before everyone was healed. Since warfare is not the main purpose of the Lulugal base, and there are not many people stationed there in the first place, the number of medical officers was very low.

「…Did you send a request for more help?」

「Y-yes. We already have a messenger heading towards a nearby unit to seek help!」

As Lumon stood silent with anger, the man guarding the front of the medical office answered him in a high-pitched voice. After nodding to this, Lumon approached one of the unit members sitting down in the office. The unit member seemed to have recovered to the point where we could somewhat move again. When he noticed Lumon, he saluted him despite his groans of pain.

「It’s ok, you don’t have to move. But more importantly, could you please explain the situation to me?」

「…The forest suddenly attacked us. That’s really the only way I can explain it…」

He said the same thing that had been reported to Lumon. Maybe the report had come from him.

「Was it the Maju?」

「…I don’t know. All of a sudden, the tree branches around us grew longer and began to attack us, and vines came out of the ground to stop our movements… I’ve never seen anything like it.」

Hearing that, Lumon began to think. If that really were the Maju, it would have to had been massive. It would be a completely different story from a couple of ringils or other plants transforming. Maju formation is a phenomenon that results when a tree accumulates magic energy in an environment with high magic levels, and normally, there would be some indication that precedes it, such as the grass transforming. And it would be difficult to think that the rest of the patrol just failed to notice it.

So, if that’s the case… There was only one possibility that Lumon could think of.

「I see… I understand.」

「Sorry for not being much help…」

「That’s not true. Please, just relax and get some rest.」

Smiling, Lumon left the medical office.

It wasn’t the Maju, and it wasn’t some sort of transformation. If that’s the case, it can only be the result of the power to grow and take control of plants, [Magic Eye of Green]. It also had to have been at a very high rank. As far as Lumon knew, the only person to have such a powerful [Magic Eye of Green] was the maid knight serving the Demon King Vermudol, Nino… But there’s no way she would do such a thing.

Furthermore, an attack on the Lulugal forest unit would only be done by someone who directly opposes Vermudol. However, there’s no way a normal Mazoku would so something like that. Which means that it isn’t a “normal Mazoku.” The only being that Lumon could think of was some existence similar to his own. It must be the doing of some Alva that fused with the remains of a Mazoku somewhere.

However, if that’s the case, it would be a bad idea to send out the scouting team. Trying to confront an enemy with [Magic Eye of Green] in the middle of the forest would be suicide. The enemy would be able to use everything surrounding them as a weapon.

「Well, then…」

There aren’t many options to approach. They were stuck between staying back and blowing the entire forest up or gathering the small numbers they have to try to defeat the enemy.

First, having the entire forest blown up was completely out of the question. Lulugal forest was a valuable area that they had plans to use for many different things such as tourism and forestry. Lumon wanted there to be as little damage as possible. Also, even if they did blow away the forest, there’s still a chance that their enemy makes it out unscathed, which would be even worse.

The only option they had left was to gather a small group of fighters and head into battle… But there weren’t many people Lumon knew that were good enough to stand a chance in a fight against a powerful [Magic Eye of Green] user…

Furthermore, the enemy’s motivation for attacking Lulugal forest could be a problem in itself. If the attacker was somebody who somehow knew about Lumon’s true state, and if their goal was to expose his betrayal… If that happens, their existence would be nothing but a hindrance to him.

He would need to quickly take them out before they say anything that could cause trouble.

「…Okay.」

He had no other choice but to go by himself. Upon coming to that decision, Lumon let out a small breath.

Sometimes he thought that it’d be a lot easier to just spill out the truth, but there was no knowing how everyone around him would react. But more than anything, he was worried about the effect that it would have on Hoolie if she found out that he wasn’t really “Lumon.” She may not realize it herself, but a large part of Hoolie depends on Lumon’s existence. The thought that “Lumon is alive” brings great comfort to her heart, and if she were to know the truth, she would undoubtedly be destroyed.

Lumon loved her too much to even consider letting that happen.

He gently touched the sword hanging at his waist. This sword—Black Sword Velgan—was the weapon that took “Lumon’s” life. If this Lumon really was the “Lumon” of the past, there’s no way that he would even think of wielding it.

「Captain Lumon! The scouting team is ready to depart!」

After taking a quick glance at the unit member who came to report this, Lumon announced his orders with a clear voice.

「I will go ahead to scout. Please stay on standby until I give you orders. If I don’t come back in time, listen to the co-captain’s orders.」

「What!? Wait, but!」

The unit members were shaken by Lumon’s words. In an attempt to calm them down, Lumon gave them his usual smile.