On that day, Rest had taken a leave of absence from his classes at the academy to travel to the Count Valery Territory in the northern reaches of the kingdom.
His mission was to assist his future father-in-law, Albert Rosemary, with his official duties. Specifically, they were there to exterminate a species of monster known as "Locust Imps," which plagued the region nearly every year.
Locust Imps were the bane of every farmer’s existence. Appearing just before the harvest, they would swarm the fields and devour the crops, leaving devastating losses in their wake. Because the Count Valery Territory contained vast granaries vital to the kingdom, these annual outbreaks were a serious matter. Consequently, the Count regularly sought aid from the Marquis Rosemary House, which held a neighboring territory and maintained a large force of mages.
"In exchange for wiping out the Locust Imps, we’re allowed to purchase grain at a discount. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement," Albert had explained during the journey.
And so, after filing the necessary paperwork for an official leave, Rest had accompanied Albert and Dieble to the northern territory. It was not uncommon for students at the academy—many of whom were the children of high-ranking nobles—to take leaves of absence for family or territorial matters. The faculty was well-accustomed to the practice; as long as the request was submitted in advance, the absence was excused, and the kinder instructors would even provide handouts summarizing the missed lectures.
"Fire!"
At Albert’s command, the mages lying in wait within the bushes unleashed a coordinated magical barrage.
There were just under twenty of them in total—private mages belonging to the Marquis Rosemary House. Though they were usually stationed within the Marquis’s own lands, they were mobilized under Albert’s direct command whenever an emergency arose.
"Gyagyaaa!"
"Good, keep that momentum! We’re wiping them out right here!"
"Yes, sir!"
Following Albert’s lead, the mages sprang from their cover. They unleashed spell after spell, cutting down the Locust Imps that had been ravaging the fields. Though the monsters had been devouring the wheat in a massive swarm, the sudden magical ambush sent them scattering in a desperate attempt to flee.
"Rest-kun! Go on ahead!"
"Understood... Physical Enhancement, Accelerator!"
Rest reinforced his body with magic and dove into the fray. With his leg strength bolstered exponentially by the stacking of two enhancement spells, he kicked off the ground and closed the distance to the retreating monsters in a heartbeat.
"Gya—"
"Wind Wear!"
Before the lead imp could even let out a death rattle, Rest’s knife-hand strike severed its head. His hands, wreathed in compressed air to grant them cutting power, possessed the lethality of a razor-sharp blade. The monster was dead before it hit the ground.
"Hmph! Ha!"
He took down a second, a third, and a fourth in rapid succession. Soon, his allies caught up, and the field became a chaotic melee of swirling spells and screeching monsters.
"Wind Cutter!"
"Earth Thorn!"
Battles erupted across the vast farmland as the Marquis Rosemary mages intercepted the fleeing imps. While the Locust Imps possessed low individual combat capability and posed little threat of a counterattack, they were incredibly prolific. If even a few were allowed to escape, it would only lead to another massive outbreak in the future.
"Life Search, Amplification."
Rest cast a spell to detect the presence of living things, pushing the amplification to its limits until his sensory range expanded to a radius of nearly three hundred meters. Filtering through the flood of information—pushing his brain’s processing capacity to the brink—he pinpointed the imps trying to slip past the mages' line.
"Over there...!"
"Gyagya!?"
He intercepted an imp crouching low in the tall grass and took its head. He continued to hunt down the stragglers one by one, giving them no chance to hide.
In less than an hour, the fighting drew to a close. The vast majority of the Locust Imps had been eradicated, and a heavy silence returned to the fields.
"Alright... the operation is over. Good work, everyone!"
Albert clapped his hands, commending his men. Sighs of relief echoed through the air as the mages began to gather around their commander.
"Phew... well, that’s that."
"The numbers were high this year, so I wasn't sure how it would go... but that was surprisingly smooth."
"The fact that we caught almost all of them without letting any escape is thanks to the young master-in-law, isn't it? As expected of Dieble-san’s disciple."
Several of the mages walked up to Rest, clapping him on the shoulder with friendly grins.
"When we heard the young ladies had suddenly chosen a fiancé, I wondered what kind of man he’d be... but you’ve got real talent. Well done."
"Thank you very much," Rest replied with a humble bow to the veteran mage.
One of the reasons Rest had been brought along was to introduce him to these men. The Marquis Rosemary House maintained estates in both the royal capital and their primary territory. Viola and Primula lived in the capital, which was where Rest had worked as a butler apprentice. The territory itself was managed by a magistrate, with Albert or his wife, Eilische, visiting periodically to oversee affairs. Because the mages present were private soldiers stationed permanently in the territory, Rest had never had the opportunity to meet them before today.
"Hmph... even if he is just a commoner."
While most of the mages were full of praise, a few wore sour expressions. These were mostly the younger mages, closer to Rest in age. They clearly didn't enjoy seeing a newcomer outperform them and clicked their tongues in annoyance.
"Well then... you all did a fine job. This concludes the Locust Imp extermination for the year. Thanks to your efforts, I’ve fulfilled my obligation to my ally, Count Valery. You have my gratitude."
Albert clapped his hands again to get the attention of his subordinates. Standing ready at his side, as if he had been there all along, was the middle-aged man in a butler uniform—Dieble.
"Dieble and I will be paying our respects to Count Valery before returning to the Marquis Rosemary Territory. I want the rest of you to head back ahead of us. Your rewards will be distributed later, so rest easy. Naturally, I’ll cover your carriage fare... though if you want to save the gold, you’re more than welcome to run back using Physical Enhancement."
A ripple of laughter went through the mages. Despite being a matrilocal husband who had married into the family, it was clear that Albert was deeply respected by his men.
"I'll see you all later. Dismissed!"
With the work finished, Rest felt a sense of accomplishment. He had successfully made another contribution to the Marquis Rosemary House. Letting out a long, weary sigh of relief, he prepared to follow Albert’s instructions and head back toward the Marquis's lands.