With our preparations complete, we set out for the magical beast hunt the following day.
Albert led fifteen Royal Guards on horseback, each of them armed with the weapons I had enchanted. Albert rode at the head of the group, with me positioned by his side and Sylpha following closely behind.
"Now that I think about it, this is your first time outside the castle walls, isn't it, Lloyd? How does it feel? What do you think of the scenery?"
Actually, I snuck out quite often. More importantly, I’d lived a meager commoner’s life in my previous existence, so the sights of the world outside were hardly a novelty to me.
"Yes, there are so many different people; I don't think I could ever get tired of watching them."
Well, I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth. Besides, if I played the part of the delighted child, he’d be more likely to take me along again in the future. Just as I’d hoped, Albert nodded with a satisfied grin.
"Oh, look! It’s Master Albert! I wonder where they’re heading with such a large escort?"
"It must be a magical beast hunt! Ah, he looked this way!"
"Kyaaa! Master Albert!"
As we passed through the city streets, young women erupted in high-pitched cheers at the sight of my brother. He was certainly a heartthrob. No matter how you looked at him, Albert was the quintessential prince; it was only natural for the women of the world to swoon.
"By the way, who’s that little boy?"
"I've never seen him before. He’s dressed quite well, so he might be a younger prince."
"Hmm, he has a cute face, I suppose. But compared to Master Albert... well, you know."
It seemed their scrutiny had shifted toward me as well, though they didn't seem particularly impressed. As I mused over their reaction, I heard Sylpha let out a heavy, weary sigh. She then fixed the women with a sharp, piercing glare.
The women let out terrified shrieks and scrambled to vanish into the crowd.
"Good heavens... the women of this world simply have no eye for quality. To be sure, Master Albert is a magnificent individual, but Master Lloyd is no less exceptional. No, when one considers his future potential, he is a rare gem who will one day eclipse even Master Albert... How blind they are. As a fellow woman, I find it truly lamentable."
I wondered what she was muttering about. Her killing intent was leaking out so heavily it was actually starting to scare me. I decided to distance myself a little, kicking my horse's flanks to urge it forward.
After leaving the city, we headed straight for the forest.
The reports of the magical beast had come from a small village deep within the woods, specifically near a massive lake located further in. The lake had been the village’s vital water source since ancient times, but one day, the beast had suddenly appeared and claimed it.
The desperate villagers had initially petitioned the Adventurers' Guild for a subjugation, but the reward was a pittance. No adventurer wanted to trek all the way to the frontier to slay a magical beast for such low pay. In the end, the Guild had simply washed its hands of the matter and kicked it to the state. These sorts of public works were technically the kingdom’s responsibility, after all.
Incidentally, these hunts also served as live combat training for the troops and a form of entertainment for the nobility.
"Master Albert," Sylpha said, her voice dropping.
Sensing the sudden tension in her aura, Albert and the Royal Guards immediately realized something was wrong. They pulled their horses to a halt and drew their steel.
Of course, I had already noticed. I could feel a distinct, foul "Ki" emanating from the surroundings. Monsters were near.
The guards formed a defensive circle around Albert and me. Sylpha reached into the folds of her maid uniform's skirt and produced a single throwing knife. With a flick of her wrist, the blade vanished into the thicket. A dull thud followed—the sound of metal sinking into something soft.
"Aooooooh!?"
A cry of agony rang out. She’d hit her mark.
The bushes swayed violently as several humanoid monsters with canine faces emerged. If I remembered correctly, those were kobolds. They were forest-dwelling creatures that hunted in packs. Unlike goblins, kobolds were dexterous and proficient with tools; their combat prowess was on an entirely different level.
Furthermore, the ones before us were wielding steel swords. The expressions of the Royal Guards hardened instantly.
"Tsk, they’ve got decent gear..."
"Yeah, they likely looted them from adventurers. This might be a struggle."
When physical abilities are roughly equal, the difference in weapon quality often decides the battle. I watched with interest. Our numbers were nearly even; this was the perfect opportunity to see how my enchanted weapons performed in a real fight.
"Awoooooon!"
The kobolds let out a collective howl and lunged. The Royal Guards brandished their swords and met the charge. A kobold brought its steel sword down with a heavy blow, clashing directly against a guard's blade.
"...Eh?"
Both the guard and the kobold cried out in simultaneous shock.
The steel sword held by the kobold had snapped as if it were made of glass. Without losing an ounce of momentum, the guard’s blade followed through, catching the monster in the torso and slicing clean through its body.
"Guaaaaah!?"
Blood sprayed as the kobold collapsed. Elsewhere in the skirmish, the same scene played out repeatedly. The steel swords I had enchanted were shattering the kobolds' weapons as if they were dry twigs.
"Wh-What is this sharpness...?"
"So this is the power of enchantment...? To think it could cleave through a kobold’s hide—which is as tough as steel—with a single swing!"
The Royal Guards looked utterly stunned by the lethality of their own weapons. It seemed the enchantment magic was working exactly as intended. Armed with such overwhelming gear, the guards made short work of the pack, driving the remaining kobolds away in moments.
"Hahaha! Well, men? What did I tell you? This is the true power of my little brother! Be grateful! You’d better give him your best thanks later!"
Albert was laughing boastfully. Give me a break, Brother, I thought. I really didn't want to stand out this much. As I shot him a flat, unimpressed look, Albert flashed a brilliant smile and clapped me on the shoulders.
"That was magnificent, Lloyd! Not only was your success rate impressive, but the sharpness of those blades is simply terrifying. I’m honestly shocked you’ve mastered enchantment magic to this degree."
"U-Um... haha..."
This was bad. I had definitely overdone it. The results were far exceeding my own expectations. I’d assumed that since there were so few practitioners of the craft, I could afford to be a bit flashy, but that line of thinking was clearly backfiring.
While I was frantically trying to come up with an excuse, Albert continued.
"You were always such a bookworm, cooped up in your room all day. I knew you had to be working on something, but to think you’d reached these heights... You had Sylpha gather the materials for you, didn't you? You have a frightening amount of talent, Lloyd. Truly, I’m proud to call you my brother."
...It seemed I had been overthinking things. I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Y-Yes. It’s just as you said, Albert-niisan. It seems I have a bit of an aptitude for enchantment... ahaha."
"Yes, quite a bit, I'd say! ...Tell me, would you be willing to continue your work for us? I’ll see to it that you have all the materials and supplies you need. Just say the word."
"The materials!? Really!?"
"Of course!"
The tools I’d used so far were just the basics. True enchantment magic required a vast array of specialized components. If I could leverage Albert’s influence to source materials, the possibilities for my research would expand exponentially.
"Fufu, Lloyd has truly blossomed. Very few people have the chance to practice enchantment magic with such abundant funding at such a young age! At this rate, it wouldn't be impossible for him to become the greatest enchantment mage in the kingdom—no, the entire world!"
Albert was still muttering something to himself, but my mind was already racing, calculating all the different enchantment combinations I could finally try out.