## Chapter 604 – Scent of Spring

Guards, seemingly acting as escorts, rushed from behind. The young lady, still smiling, raised her hand to stop them and said to me,

“Anyway, it’s perfect that we need skilled people! Coming all the way here means you’re definitely going to participate in the Drake subjugation!”

Of course, that was my intention.

“Of course! I, Priest Kim Kat, rushed here as soon as I heard that monster hordes were threatening the safety of the people! To slaughter all the drakes!”
“Very good spirit and attitude!! Truly a manly mindset!!!!!”

As I answered powerfully in a stiff attention stance, Lady Isvant pounded my shoulder, almost shouting.

—Thud! Thud!

As expected of a noble, she had a condescending attitude ingrained in her.

More than that, my shoulder felt like it was about to break.

This woman was also a physical warrior. Even though she was hitting my shoulder blade with her bare hands, the impact felt like it was being transmitted directly.

“Good! Barbarian warrior! Then let’s get to the point!”
“To the point, you say! Yes!!”
“Join the strike team! A great reward is promised!”

Strike team?

“Strike team, you say?”

She mentioned needing skilled people, and now a strike team? Was she planning to draft me into some kind of special operations force?

As I asked for an explanation, the young lady began to give a rough outline.

“The full-scale subjugation will be carried out as soon as the drakes move! We have a defensive line set up along their current path! If the fed drakes start moving, a battle will begin immediately!”

Apparently, they had deployed soldiers along the drakes’ path.

The large horde wasn’t constantly moving. Even monsters needed rest and time to feed. While the drake horde had been stopped in one place for the past few days, the soldiers had completed their deployment.

Now, they were just monitoring the drakes’ movements and waiting for battle.

“We plan to send the main strike team to the flank while the drake hordes clash with the infantry line! If we do that, the subjugation will be simple! That’s why I want you to join the strike team! We need a lot of skilled people!”
“Oh, is that so!!!”

I shouted as if I was moved.

In other words, the soldiers’ infantry line would block the drakes’ large-scale movement head-on, and then the young lady’s main strike team would attack the flank. After crushing them like that, the adventurers would finish off the drakes that were trying to scatter in all directions—a simple operation.

—Hammer and anvil tactics.

Monsters didn’t have strategy, so if executed, it would be extremely effective. The only thing monsters could do when their flanks were attacked was to run away.

The moment the tactic worked, they could break their morale.

“T-To think such a genius operation exists in the real world!!!! If we do that, killing those drakes like maggots will be a piece of cake!!”

—To think such a tactic could exist in reality!!!!

“Aaaagh!!”

I clutched my head and acted moved.

“That’s right!!!! As expected of a capable warrior, you have a high understanding of tactics!! The strike team is the main force of the subjugation team! If you participate, you can get a great reward!”
“I understand!!! I’m grateful just to be able to enter such a glorious position!! Loyalty to the young lady!!!”
“I knew you’d accept! O~hohohohohot!!”

As soon as I agreed, the young lady covered her mouth with the back of her hand and burst into a high-pitched laugh.

“Hehehe!!”

I also laughed and congratulated myself.

Participating directly in anything was the way to get a bigger reward. Since I was participating in the mission to hit the open flank, it was obvious that I could kill more drakes.

And after it was all over, I could receive additional rewards based on my contribution.

The adventurers’ role was to catch the guys fleeing in all directions after the flank was breached. Originally, I would have been playing there too. With my skills, I would have definitely gotten my share there, but being in the strike team would allow me to get a bigger share.

“We’ve set up a temporary strike team headquarters in the central square, so if you go there and say you were recommended by me, you’ll be immediately assigned to the strike team! The strike team consists of my direct soldiers and skilled civilians drafted from the field, so there shouldn’t be any major problems working together!”
“I understand! I’ll go find it right away!”
“Do so!!”

—Thud! Thud!

The young lady pounded my shoulder again as if she was in a good mood.

“Ugh…!”

I desperately suppressed the scream that was about to come out.

“I’d like to talk a little more, but I don’t think I can because I’m currently busy! Then I’ll see you again at the subjugation! I look forward to your performance!!”
“Yes! I understand!!”

The young lady, who had rushed in like a storm, left.

At the same time as the young lady left, a man who looked like a guard standing behind her approached and handed me a document.

“Take this. If you take this to the strike team headquarters, you’ll be assigned.”
“Thank you.”

I read the paper I received.

It was roughly a document stating that I was attending the strike team in the name of Lady Isvant. Anyway, fighting together was more efficient than hunting alone.

A party was better than being alone. And an army was more reliable than a party, right?

If I just showed them that I could fight well, the impressed young lady would definitely give me a reward.

I immediately asked the soldier for the detailed location and headed to the temporary strike team headquarters. Well, there was a tent set up in the central square, so it was easy to find.

I went right in and greeted them.

“Hello. I was ordered by Lady Isvant to join the strike team.”
“You must be a skilled adventurer. Come this way.”

Was he a recruiter?

I approached him as he was working and handed him the document. After reading it, he began to explain.

“We’ve set up a temporary barracks a little away from the village, in the middle of the monsters’ path, and we’re preparing for battle. If you’re assigned to the strike team, you’ll have to go there and live there until the battle is over, but is that okay?”

Damn it, I rented a room for 20 coppers, and now I have to cancel it.

“Of course.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Oh, you’ll get a basic salary, but if you complete the subjugation, you won’t even notice the basic salary. Read this contract.”

He took a contract out of the drawer and handed it to me.

When I read it, it was literally a simple contract. It stated what kind of work I would do in the strike team and how the distribution would be done.

There was nothing particularly problematic.

“Listen as you read. Once you go there, you have to listen to the orders of the field commander until the subjugation is over. Is that okay?”
“That’s okay. I don’t think they’ll order me to do anything weird.”
“Of course, we won’t order you to do anything weird. I’m glad you understand quickly.”

Lady Isvant directly drafted skilled civilians, so what crazy person would act up?

The subjugation team consisted of the young lady’s soldiers and skilled people like me.

The soldiers would be at the front, and we would follow behind them and perform auxiliary combat.

It seemed like the people at the front would be better at earning achievements, but that was the soldiers’ share, so let’s give up on that. Anyway, even if I’m in the back, I’m hitting the flank, so there’s nothing particularly problematic.

It’s just a matter of adding a spoon to what the soldiers are doing. I can think of it as an opportunity to make a lot of money easily.

“But wasn’t the strike team supposed to be directly commanded by the young lady?”
“The strike team will be operated in four groups. The young lady will directly command one of them. But that group is made up of elite soldiers, so give up on that.”
“Hehehe, I was going to stand out and get a reward, but it’s a shame.”
“Take care of yourself. Anyway, if the operation is carried out, all the strike team members will make a lot of money.”

After finishing the story, I took a copy of the contract and came out of the tent. I was told to prepare from now on and report to the barracks on the field before sunset.

It was a bit lax.

It was just that the soldiers were doing everything and the adventurers were assisting. I went straight back to the accommodation, took a shower, took a nap to recover my strength, packed my bags, and came outside.

I didn’t know it would turn out like this as soon as I arrived.

Originally, my plan was to go into the forest like the adventurers living in this village, kill enough drakes that had strayed from the group, and then return.

But now that I was going to join the strike team right away, I didn’t have to do such troublesome things.

It was just a matter of starting the battle and slaughtering them all.

So I headed to the temporary barracks.

* * *

It was a little far from the village, but it wasn’t difficult to find.

I could see the soldiers’ barracks from afar. Soldiers were lined up in a defensive line, tents were set up, and even smoke was rising from cooking.

It was a real battlefield.

I went straight down there, grabbed a soldier, asked him, and headed to the strike team barracks. It was well organized, so I was able to find it quickly.

“Oh, so you’re D-class adventurer and priest Kat. Is that equipment the Battle Priest Equipment Set? It’s really cool. Can I touch it?”

When I greeted the field commander and revealed my personal information, he showed interest in my armor.

“Hehehe, go ahead and touch it. It’s very good armor.”
“Indeed… As expected of church-issued equipment, the quality is very good. I’m glad we have such a reliable force.”

As expected of a soldier, he had an eye for equipment. After a brief conversation, I listened to the explanation.

“The 1st Strike Team will be directly commanded by the young lady. You will be assigned to the 2nd Strike Team, which I command. We’ll have a training session with the assembled forces before sunset, so please follow the instructions well at that time.”

Apparently, they trained more than once every day.

“There’s a 2nd Strike Team barracks in the back, so go there and ask the person next to you how to get along. Oh, it’s also in the contract, but if you go outside without permission from now on, it’s desertion, so be careful.”
“Hehehe, I understand.”

I listened to all the precautions and came out.

I felt like I was at a reserve forces mobilization training. It was actually that relaxed atmosphere.

I immediately found the 2nd Strike Team tent in the back.
Apparently, the tents for soldiers and civilian forces were separated.

“Oh, shit.”

As soon as I saw the tent, I cursed. It looked like a 24-person tent.

People lived in a place like this?

Surprisingly, as soon as I entered, my imagination became reality.

“Hmm.”
“Another person has come.”
“Is he a barbarian? His equipment level looks decent.”
“He looks fierce… I guess we can trust him.”

People were sprawled out like reservists.

People in comfortable clothes were lying side by side with their gear organized at their heads. Some men were reading books, some were sleeping, and some were throwing words at me as they looked at me.

Everyone had clear muscles, so they seemed to be at least decent.

At first glance, they were D-class veterans mixed with C-class.

Anyway, I greeted them appropriately and took a seat.

I was told to take a seat in order, so I sat next to the last person. If I had any questions, I could ask the person next to me.

—Swish, swish.

The person lying next to me was a brown-haired young man who was blankly trimming a blade while crossing his legs.

After briefly introducing myself to him, I asked him to tell me if he knew anything.

“There’s nothing special. They just give us food at meal times, so eat. If you want to wash, the soldier sitting in front of the entrance will control it, so take turns going to the stream in the back. If you want to go outside the barracks, report it and go. And if they say let’s train, then train. Tell the same thing to the person next to you when they come.”
“Thank you.”

The army was the army, so it was organized to some extent. I was just supposed to hang out here and act according to the control of the soldier in charge here.

“Hmm… But you look like you have some strength, barbarian. When the drakes attack, we’ll line up in order of our seats. You’re next to me. Well, it’s the first time we’ve met, but I hope we can help each other fight.”
“Hehehe, of course.”