"Hiyah!"
The air was filled with a rhythmic crack-crunch as the bandits led by Bills set about shattering bones.
They didn't need to grind everything into dust; as long as the remains were broken enough, they wouldn't be able to resurrect.
"Looks like we're just about finished on this side. Saias seems like he'll be a while longer, though."
While Saias and his men were processing the corpses at a respectable pace, a few monsters still remained in his sector. He was currently barking orders at his subordinates, looking thoroughly irritated.
"Hey, Saias, aren't you going to use your magic?" I asked.
"My magic is not some cheap parlor trick to be squandered in a place like this!"
He just snapped at me and turned away in a huff.
Hmph. I’d been hoping to finally see the Bloodline Magic of House Revenant in action. What a disappointment.
Eventually, the Saias Squad finished their task.
"W-what incredible speed... At this rate, we can keep the resurrections to a minimum! Let us move on to the next site immediately!"
Led by one of Cruse's unit members, we set off for the next location.
By the time we had processed several thousand monster corpses, the remains we encountered were becoming fresher and fresher. Before long, we had actually caught up with the Cruse Squad.
Cruse, having just finished a skirmish, called out to us.
"Hm? If it isn't Lloyd. And Saias too. Whatever brings you out here?"
"The fallen monsters were rising again as undead, so we mages were sent out to clean them up," I explained.
"What? Now that you mention it, I did think there were an unusual number of undead-type monsters. But that is a problem. If they keep coming back, there will be no end to the fighting."
"Excuse me for a moment, y’know."
Tao cut into the conversation. She stared intently at Cruse and her soldiers, as if measuring their worth.
"Hmm, I see. As expected of Lloyd’s sister, you’ve been trained to an incredible degree. If it’s you, it might just work..."
"Hoh? And who might you be?"
"Ah, forgive my late introduction, y'know. I'm Tao Yuifa, just a simple adventurer from a foreign land. I came along with Lloyd because I was curious about you."
Cruse blinked in surprise for a second, then burst into a booming laugh.
"Hahahaha! Curious about me, are you? You’re an amusing girl! ...Hmm, I see you can use Ki. And judging by your stance, you’re quite the master?"
"Yeah. I even know techniques you don't, y'know. Like a way to kill the undying."
"Is that so?"
In response to Cruse’s intrigued gaze, Tao stomped her foot down hard beside a giant bull that had fallen nearby.
Boom! The shockwave sent the bull sailing into the air.
The eyes of the bull—which should have been dead—glowed with a sinister crimson light.
"Hey! That monster is turning into an undead!"
"Bwaaaaaagh!"
The berserk undead bull let out a roar as it plummeted back toward Tao.
Then—thud! A heavy impact echoed as a cloud of dust billowed up.
When the dust settled, the bull was pinned to the ground, its movements completely halted. It didn't even twitch.
"Ooh! To take down that resilient undead in a single blow! What a magnificent technique!"
"Hundred Flowers Fist, Soul Strike. If you channel Ki directly into the Soul's Vessel within the physical body and destroy it, the undead will never rise again, y'know."
Necromancy Magic works by infusing mana into a corpse to manipulate it at will. Conceptually, it should work as long as there is a body, but there are cases where the spell simply fails to take hold. Among mages, it’s often said the soul is too damaged for the vessel to hold... I see, so that's the Soul's Vessel. That makes perfect sense.
"The Soul's Vessel, eh? Hmm... indeed, if I focus my awareness, I can see something. I see. Like this... hyah!"
With a casual motion, Cruse thrust her sword into a monster's corpse.
I could feel that "something" which had been lingering inside the monster vanish the moment her Ki-infused strike connected.
"Ooh, that definitely felt like I erased something. So that was the Soul's Vessel?"
"...I'm shocked, y'know," Tao said, her eyes wide. "Soul Strike isn't that hard once you have the basics down, but finding the Soul's Vessel requires the Mind's Eye. To pull it off just by watching me once!"
Cruse threw her head back and laughed.
"Hahahaha! Well, I am a genius, after all! All right, you lot! I want to see you finish off every monster here with Soul Strike. You saw how it's done, so I expect results!"
"Uwaaaaagh!"
On her command, the Cruse Squad began attacking the monster corpses.
Naturally, no one succeeded on their first try, but as they struck again and again, success stories began to pop up.
"Oh! I felt it just now!"
"I’ve got the hang of it too!"
"Me too! Me too!"
In less than an hour, every soldier present had mastered the Soul Strike.
Impressive. As expected of the Cruse Squad, they were all elite warriors. While none of them could pinpoint the Soul's Vessel in a single hit like Tao or Cruse, Cruse nodded with immense satisfaction as she watched them work.
"Mm-hmm, that is exactly what I expect from my finest. Excellent! Our worries about the rear are gone. A few of you head back and teach the others the Soul Strike. Those who are still learning, keep practicing while you march. Now then, men, it's time to earn our keep! All forces, charge! Annihilate the enemy to your heart's content!"
"Uwoaaaaaaaagh!"
Their roar was like a tremor in the earth. Their spirit was overwhelming as the Cruse Squad advanced, trampling the monsters in their path.
"Tao, was it? You have my thanks. When this war is over, name whatever reward you desire."
"I'll look forward to it, y'know."
"Hahahaha! You should!"
With that final boast, Cruse charged back into the thick of her unit.
Tao watched her go and let out a long, appreciative sigh.
"She’s a remarkably bold woman, y’know."
"Cruse-neesan is famous for being incredibly generous," I said. "I'm sure she’d give you a hundred gold coins or anything else you asked for."
This was one of the reasons the Cruse Squad’s morale was so sky-high. The Second Squad took more risks than any other part of the army, but they were rewarded handsomely for their deeds. The civil officials were always complaining about the budget, but Cruse simply used her authority as a princess to ignore them.
Tao thought for a moment and then murmured softly.
"...You're right. In that case, if I asked for a duel, I wonder if she’d accept?"
"Wait, what!?"
Seeing my shock, Tao giggled.
"Ahaha, what's with that face? What do you think I am, y'know?"
I almost said "the embodiment of worldly desire," but I managed to bite my tongue. Usually, she’d be asking for a tea party with the handsome guys in the squad or a pile of treasure.
"I-I'm sure she'd be happy to, but... what’s with the sudden change of heart?"
"Since coming to this continent, I've realized just how much of a frog in a well I was, y'know. That's why I went into the mountains to train. But as I get stronger, I only realize more how immature I still am. Lady Cruse is probably the most powerful master I've ever met. If she coaches me, I know I can get much, much stronger."
Tao spoke with her gaze fixed firmly on the horizon.
I grabbed Tao's hand and shook it enthusiastically.
"I had no idea you were so serious about your training, Tao... I'm moved! If there's anything I can do to help, just say the word! I can even be a target for any new techniques you learn!"
"Really, y'know?"
Tao looked delighted, and I felt the same.
Ki was truly a deep subject. If I fought Tao after she had been polished by Cruse’s training, I’d surely be able to learn new Ki techniques even more efficiently. Yes, this was perfect.
"By the way," Bills said, scratching his head as he watched the royal siblings, "why is royalty out here on the front lines anyway? Especially a princess."
It was a bit late to be asking, but his question was perfectly reasonable.
"Saloom’s education policy focuses on developing individual strengths," I explained. "So as long as we fulfill our duties, we're given a fair amount of freedom."
Both Shneider and Cruse were doing exactly what was required of them as heirs to the Right of Succession. It just so happened that "what was required" looked like this.
Yikes. They really are a terrifying bunch.