“They’re just stupid moving rocks. No need to be afraid.”

“……”

Charlie looked up at Hector.

Yes, it’s probably nothing. For Hector, who could blow away the empire, what were these monsters?

But Charlie knew that Hector was in a position where he had to hide his strength.

And wasn’t this still before the start of the original story?

Was there any content about being attacked during the expedition? Would Kieran die here? Was there no other solution?

While Charlie was racking her brain, it happened.

“Leon.”

Hector looked at Leon with a languid expression.

Leon’s eyes lit up like a child waiting for a prize.

From his twitching lips to his carefully clasped hands, he was unmistakably full of anticipation.

As Leon’s nerves were fraying, Hector snorted and said.

“Go play.”

“……!”

When Hector’s permission fell, Leon’s lips split into a grin.

“Yes, Your Grace!”

Leon drew his sword.

Then, red flames rose from the sword tip pointed towards the sky and crossed the air.

Bang–!

In an instant, Charlie’s eyes widened.

As someone who had possessed this body, Charlie knew very well what this meant.

This was clearly the attack signal of the Hunt Knights.

“……!”

The entire expedition turned around at once.

Cedric, Noel, and everyone’s gaze focused on Hector.

The Hunt family moving… this was unbelievable even after seeing it.

Originally, the Hunt Knights were a veiled organization.

Their swordsmanship or the way they used aura was secondary.

Like Kaisis’s personal guard, their origins, actions, even the names of the knights were mysterious.

The only certain thing was that they were all top-class experts.

But since no one had seen them directly, there were only wild rumors, like riding dragons like horses or using legendary black magic to control monsters.

“It’s been a while since we’ve stretched our muscles.”

Percy said, his lips curling.

Luke and the other knights also began to smile.

“……?”

Smiling? Smiling in this life-or-death situation?!

Not only Charlie, but everyone watching couldn’t hide their shock at this sight.

“It was worth sharpening my sword.”

Shing–

One by one, as the sharp sword tips emerged from their scabbards, a fierce aura enveloped them.

Soon, the aura spread and surrounded the knights’ entire bodies.

“……!”

While only Sword Masters could barely wrap aura around their swords, to cover the entire body…

The mouths of those watching opened involuntarily.

Hector, looking around as if surveying them, said.

“Finish it quickly.”

“Of course. We’ll take care of it swiftly so Miss Charlie doesn’t get hungry.”

“……”

Leon answered jokingly, fully immersed in the excitement.

On the other hand, Charlie wore an expression of disgust.

* * *

Noel’s surprised eyes fixed on Charlie.

The knights moving wasn’t simply a superficial matter.

It could have a significant impact on Hector.

Right now, he and the imperial army had just learned that all members of the Hunt Knights could use aura.

If they faced the trolls, the knights’ specialties and weaknesses would be fully exposed.

In other words, Kaisis would find out.

He had noticed earlier that the woman in the robe was unusual.

But Noel never thought she would step forward in front of so many people, that they would reveal the power they had kept hidden for so long.

“Boys.”

At that moment, Leon raised his voice, blocking Noel’s gaze.

Simultaneously, he turned the grip of his sword held in one hand sideways instead of forward.

“……!”

This was not a sword technique for facing an opponent with both hands, exerting force.

Slaughter.

It was literally a sword technique for quickly killing opponents weaker than oneself.

Moreover, not just Leon, but all of the Hunt Knights were taking the same stance as if following him.

The sight of them advancing with beast-like glares, shaking their heads with a grinding sound, was chilling.

“Whoever gets injured is on carrot duty today.”

Leon smirked towards the knights.

Carrots? The carrots we know?!

As the expedition members’ heads tilted in confusion, it happened.

Bang–!!

Finally, Cedric’s barrier crumbled, and the giant trolls appeared.

The trolls were breathing heavily, as if angered by the previous obstruction.

Their snorting was so grand that the expedition’s flags fluttered.

Charlie instinctively gripped Hector’s arm tightly.

On the other hand, Leon was smiling brightly, looking even more excited by the sight.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!!”

In the blink of an eye, the Hunt Knights charged fiercely.

Before they knew it, Leon and the knights were no longer visible, and only an empty sandstorm blew in their wake.

“……”

Dry saliva slid down Charlie’s throat.

Leon, the poor lamb always bullied by that devil spawn Tanner.

The knights always engaging in silly joke competitions.

Right.

So she had forgotten for a moment.

That the Hunt Knights were crazy bastards capable of wiping out the entire empire.

The scene unfolding before her eyes was truly a horrific slaughter.

The Hunt Knights who charged forward leaped vertically off the ground.

With just one jump, they reached the chest level of the giant trolls; it would be more appropriate to say they flew.

In the blink of an eye, their fierce blade tips precisely carved out the trolls’ hearts.

There was no need for defense or evasion.

Charging fiercely and attacking the enemy’s vital point — that was the Hunt Knights’ specialty.

{Ugh…?}

Not knowing what had passed by, the troll’s head tilted.

How much time had passed?

With slow movements, it looked down at its empty chest.

Its dull movements even made it look stupid, as Hector had said.

To the point where one might doubt if this was really the being that had terrified the entire expedition just moments ago.

{Uuuh…}

Before it could even realize its heart had been removed, Leon was already striking down another troll’s heart.

“Farewell, friend.”

Leaving a friendly goodbye as if the troll was a cute puppy, Leon soared again.

Thud-!

“Eek!”

Liam, the youngest knight of the Edwards family, was startled by the giant troll falling in front of him and tumbled backward.

The blue heart that fell with a thud was still pulsating and beating.

Moreover, the flesh cut while avoiding the arteries was chillingly clean.

His hair stood on end, and his trembling legs wouldn’t support him.

The nausea that washed over him soon rose to Liam’s throat.

“Mmph…”

Liam covered his mouth with both hands.

He was afraid.

More than the troll charging with rough breaths, but at Leon who’s smiling with murderous intent in his eyes.

Rather than the one-hit magic that could pierce through armor, Liam felt more afraid of the Hunt Knights enjoying the slaughter.

Moreover, everyone knew that the imperial family and the Hunt family were hostile to each other.

He knew that the moment this precarious peace crumbled, it would be his heart that would be carved out.

Finally, the panting Liam couldn’t hold it anymore and vomited.

“Urgh-!”

“Liam!”

Logan, who spotted him, hurriedly gestured to the knights as if to cover him.

He was worried that Cedric might see.

But he was already watching Liam vomit.

“Commander-in-chief. Liam is still young…”

“Enough.”

Cedric turned his gaze and looked around.

Among the blue-green giants, the red aura rising here and there was reminiscent of a festival.

They were full of excitement. It must be like a festival for the Hunt Knights.

And among them, the most noticeable was undoubtedly Leon with his flaming red hair.

“Sir Leon…”

The green eyes followed Leon while muttering softly.

* * *

It wasn’t just Liam who was terrified.

The imperial army, forgetting even the fact that they should be attacking the trolls, shuddered in fear.

This was because pieces of troll flesh and hearts were scattering through the air, creating a gruesome scene.

The sight that tore through their vision was beyond the word cruel.

Who indeed were the monsters?

Leon, particularly, was laughing amidst the spurting blood. He was truly enjoying it.

Not only that, the knights were even casually chatting.

“Should we pull out a tooth as a souvenir?”

At Gerard’s words, Percy stared at the troll.

{Uuuh…}

“……”

The troll’s mouth, opening wide as if about to devour them immediately, was ferocious.

But Percy nonchalantly thrust his sword into the troll’s chest.

Stab-!

“Trolls have bad breath, so no. And look how yellow its teeth are.”

A dark red aura flashed over the blue-green skin.

Then, with a grinding sound, the blue heart fell out.

“Brush your teeth, man.”

Gerard chuckled, seemingly deaf to the terrified screams from all around.

“How can it brush its teeth when it’s dead?”

“Anyway, if we bring this back, Miss Emma will faint.”

“I think Miss Emma would faint no matter what we bring her.”

“True.”

Wasn’t Emma the one who turned pale just at the word ‘orc’?

Just then, Leon approached the chattering members.

“Where’s Luke?”

“I think he was near the Wilkins family.”

In an instant, the smile disappeared from Leon’s face.

The area where the trolls were concentrated was at the vanguard of the expedition where the imperial army was.

Moreover, with Noel holding the line for the Wilkins family, there was no need for Luke to join in.