[Emilia's POV]
The Cataluna Plain—a fertile region nestled between the Montana mountains and the vast Mazovia Forest. Before the Empire was formed, this plain was constantly contested by the various tribes inhabiting the area.
After the Empire expanded and conquered these lands 200 years ago, they appointed my great-grandfather, Vicente—who served as an Imperial General at the time—to be responsible for the region. He was granted the title of Marquis, taking the name Vicente de Cataluna after the plain itself.
Those who receive the title of Marquis are usually entrusted with the border regions of a nation. They control between 10,000 and 20,000 troops, depending on the nation's strength. In the military world, troop mobilization is a crucial factor for victory. For this reason, besides being a bulwark against the Empire's enemies attempting to attack from the surrounding borders, the Margraviate of Cataluna also serves as the nation's spearhead for offensive strikes against neighboring countries.
The Margraviate of Cataluna consists of one Fortress City which serves as the region's hub, two small towns, and eight villages with a total population of approximately 70.000 people. This number is relatively small compared to the territory of a Count, a noble rank just below a Marquis. This is because a Marquis rules the fringes of a nation, far from the centers of government and economy, making the location less attractive for Imperial citizens to settle.
Currently, the Margraviate of Cataluna is experiencing a crisis due to increased monster activity and several other cases. My father, along with other officials, is still discussing eradication efforts and increasing patrol activities in the area. Additionally, we have invited adventurers here as supplementary support.
After graduation, I obeyed my father's request to help him govern here following my defeat in the first round of last year's year-end tournament. Initially, I deeply regretted not being able to achieve my dream of joining the Calvatra Knight Order. However, seeing my hometown in a state of crisis, it is best for me to stay here until things stabilize.
Right now, I am walking through the center of the Fortress City of Cataluna toward my residence after finishing a patrol. I also received word that the academy students participating in the field work practice are scheduled to arrive today.
"Good afternoon, Lady Emilia!"
"You look as beautiful as ever, Young Lady!"
The merchants and residents here smile as they greet me. Despite the difficult conditions, they still seem spirited in living their lives. As those responsible for protecting them, we must work even harder to make this region safe and peaceful.
Upon arriving at the Cataluna family castle, the soldiers saluted me—not because of my skill as a soldier, but because I am the child of the region's ruler. I suppose that is only natural since I rarely interacted with them before. Father was right about the soldiers not acknowledging me when I eventually inherit this territory if I am rarely present.
In the castle courtyard, I could see the academy students who had just arrived. I wanted to greet and speak with them, but I received a summons from my father to report to his office immediately. Arriving at his workspace, I knocked on the door. Not long after, the door opened, and I entered.
"Ah, Emilia, you've finally arrived," Father greeted me.
I did not return his greeting; my focus was entirely fixed on the black-haired man present in the room.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Senior Emilia," the black-haired man greeted me.
"What are you doing here, Raul de Garcia...?"
Yes... the black-haired man standing here was the junior who defeated me in the academy tournament—the man who shattered my dreams and the Lancer club I once led.
***
[Ariel's POV]
After a long journey from the capital to the Margraviate of Cataluna in the northeastern borderlands, we have finally arrived and are resting at the residence of Marquis Fran de Cataluna.
"Finally, we can rest..." remarked a brown-haired woman carrying a bow. She is Viera Regnan, an Archer from the Disciplinary Committee. During the journey here, she often struck up conversations; her friendly attitude makes me feel comfortable around her.
"But we'll have a mountain of work after this, won't we?" said a short-statured man. If I recall correctly, his name is Piers Morgan. He was quite talkative during the trip. Despite that, I don't mind his company.
"I saw so many soldiers when we entered the city. Are all Fortress Cities like this?" asked a small-framed woman. She is Tianna Lovecraft. Despite her small stature, she was very brave in fighting off the monsters that attacked us during our journey. She uses a rapier that suits her small build perfectly.
In truth, everyone in the Disciplinary Committee led by Raul has their own unique traits. There is one man who incessantly adores the women here; during the journey, he constantly tried crazy things just to get my attention. However, he was often mocked by another man who seemed to harbor a deep-seated hatred for women, insulting him for being willing to act like a slave to them.
Even though everyone has different backgrounds and personalities, Raul, as the leader, is still able to control them. They all highly respect Raul because he was the one who raised their status from students with bad reputations to the respected figures they are now.
Speaking of the black-haired man, he is currently in the Marquis's office to discuss our living arrangements, assignments, and the current situation of the Margraviate. He has been in there for nearly an hour... I wonder what he is discussing with the Marquis?
***
[Raul's POV]
Marquis Fran and I chatted about our journey from the capital, but we haven't touched upon our group's placement yet. The Marquis said he wanted to wait for his daughter, Emilia, to return and discuss the matter with her.
- Knock! Knock! Knock!
Hearing the knock, the Marquis's aide opened the door. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a military uniform appeared. She is the daughter of Marquis Fran—Emilia de Cataluna—the senior I defeated during the academy tournament.
"Ah, you've finally arrived, Emilia," Marquis Fran greeted his daughter.
However, Emilia did not return her father's greeting and instead fixed me with a sharp gaze.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Senior Emilia," I greeted her to keep the atmosphere from becoming awkward.
"What are you doing here, Raul de Garcia?" Emilia asked coldly.
"He is here as the leader of the academy student group undergoing their field work in our territory, Emilia," Marquis Fran answered for his daughter. "You will be working with him on various matters regarding their activities during their three months here."
Emilia still didn't respond to her father. It seems she still harbors a deep grudge against me for her defeat.
"I know you two have a bad history, but try to cooperate for the greater good," the Marquis said, holding a piece of paper. "Let us begin discussing your group's placement."
Emilia merely gave a silent nod in response, as did I. I simply wanted to get this over with and rest after the long journey.
"We will station two of the three Priestesses you brought to assist the Temples in two villages that are short-staffed," Marquis Fran explained. "We will also borrow two of your mages for a monster nest raid scheduled in a few days."
That means for this month, we will only rely on 16 people for patrols or missions.
"For the remaining 16, you can join the patrol teams under my daughter's command for now," Marquis Fran stated. "However, you must be ready if we need your strength during an emergency."
The students of Grunbelt Academy are from the best school in the nation. Though they are young, their value is far greater than that of ordinary soldiers or mages. This is why even 20 students are a significant addition to the forces in this border region.
"Emilia will notify you if we have specific missions for you; she is responsible for the students assisting here."
After explaining the details, Marquis Fran assigned us to a cadet barracks as our living quarters for the next three months—except for the Priestesses, who would stay at the Temple.
Emilia and I left the Marquis's office and headed to the area where the students were resting to explain what the Marquis had conveyed.
"Captain Raul, are there any holidays during this activity?" Piers asked, raising his hand.
"There are no holidays, but there is rest time between patrol shifts or guard duty," Emilia answered Piers's question.
"Just to be certain, are you part of our group's command structure, Senior Emilia?" I asked her.
I didn't want her interfering with my decisions in managing the members during missions. That would derail many of the plans I've laid out.
"No. My job is only to relay tasks, record the steps you take to complete a mission, and receive your patrol reports," Emilia replied flatly.
Starting tomorrow, we begin.
In the game Path of Destiny, a horde of demons will arrive searching for Brian. They appear here and establish a base of operations. However, I lack specific knowledge of their hideout location because those details weren't explained in the game. Brian's placement for his field work is in the Duchy of Grenaut, specifically at Alcantara Fortress—one of the Inquisitor bases in the Empire. That location is about 50 km southwest of the Fortress City of Cataluna.
This means if the demons are left unchecked, they will be able to track Brian's location. If I recall correctly, they awaken Syrax—a powerful Magical Beast—to wreak havoc in this area. Their goal is to lure out the Hero and kill him once they confirm his identity.
This region will fall into chaos due to the demons' actions. Even if I told the Marquis, he wouldn't necessarily believe me since Brian's status as the Hero hasn't been announced by the Empire yet. I have no proof of their arrival other than my knowledge from the game.
Beyond the Brian issue, I must also ensure Ariel is chosen as a Saint on the Night of Blessing. I suspect these three months will feel very long, given the problems looming on the horizon.
***
[Vilmore's POV]
It has been several days since my subordinates and I arrived in this world—the world where our ancestors originated before they were cast out by that wretched Goddess.
"Ahhh... I truly miss the fresh blood of humans..."
I will bring them to our world as livestock to produce a supply of fresh blood once this mission is complete. For now, I must focus on finding the Hero. We demons can track the Mana the Hero possesses from a distance. The more Mana the Hero exerts, the stronger we can track him.
It seems I must stir up some chaos around here to lure him out.
"Nuna! Yuna!" I called out to two of my subordinates who had come here.
Not long after, two bats flew toward me and transformed into two female vampires before me.
"Your loyal servants are ready to carry out your commands, Lord Vilmore."
"Is there a task you wish for us to perform, My Lord?"
They are both True Vampires, the youngest generation of pure-blooded vampires. "Pure-blood" refers to vampires born from the wombs of the descendants of the Vampire Progenitors, rather than created through bites like ordinary vampires.
"Find a better place for us than this cave," I commanded them. "Additionally, contact our human worshippers to monitor the movements of that wretched Goddess's followers."
"Your command shall be executed, My Lord," both replied, bowing their heads.
"Do not draw too much attention while carrying out this mission until we know the Hero's identity, understood?"
They both nodded, transformed back into bats, and flew out of the cave.