Finishing the preparation after two days, the Grinder subjugation team had departed from the town of Thoria. The territorial army is leading while the hired mercenaries follow behind.

   It seems that Lord Thoria had invested about two company worth of soldiers in the operation this time. It was about one third of the entire Thoria regiment, it just shows how serious the lord is taking the matter as this time.

   But in truth, the one who proposed a quick response and to send this much military power, is the one who controls the entire Thoria regiment, the General.

   The Lord of Thoria is not in anyway incapable, but it can be said that he’s a little dense in military affairs. That’s why, when incidents like this happens, it will mostly be handled by the general.

   The general appointed one of the soldiers as the operation commander and split the two company into squads of four spearmen, two heavy soldiers, and three archers. For each of the squads, a single veteran soldier acts as the leader.

   A total of thirty-eight squads is formed by the territorial army, together with nine mercenary parties that had been hired, the total power of the subjugation team was made of a total forty-seven squads.

   Since the territory is participating with two company which is formed from two commanders and eight corps. As one of the Corps Commander, Decken was given the authority to command five of the squads. Riding on horses, one of the front lines of the territorial army called out to Decken from the side.

「Corps Commander Decken. It’s an honor to be in an operation together with you. 」

   The voice came from above the horse which is running parallel to Decken’s.

「Corps Commander Dreis huh. It’s the first time for me to be participating in a battle together with you. 」

「Yes, it’s really reassuring for us to have the Thoria’s best swordsman Corps Commander Decken together with us. 」

   Anyone with a higher position than a Corps Commander is given the privilege to ride on a horse in the territorial army. Since Dreis is a Corps Commander, he is also riding a horse at the front.

   The front has two company commander, and the vice commander, then Decken and Dreis, and a total of six other Corps Commander are riding together.

   Decken and Dreis have the same position. But since Dreis was only recently promoted from a squad leader two months ago, and he’s also the youngest amongst the Corps, he must treat Decken and the other Corps commander humbly.

「With this much military prowess, even a demonic being would be dealt with swiftly. 」

   Decken and the others, or even the territorial army didn’t seem to have a lot of information about Grinders. For Grinders who normally lives in the Canobis Valley in the far west, it’s out of the norm for them to appear in Thoria’s grasslands.

   Even for mercenaries who explores all around the continent, the people who willingly climbs Canobis Valley is only a few. Thus, naturally, there’re less people who has experience fighting with a Grinder.

   There’re records about Grinders in Thoria’s archives as well. But other than being described as a strong monster, there wasn’t any further details regarding it.

「Yeah, that’s right. With this much soldiers, a Grinder would just be a trivial opponent. There were some mercenaries who wouldn’t send out their troops, such disappointing people. Getting so worked up over just a single demonic being. 」

   It’s exactly because that the strength of a Grinder is not clear, that’s why the General had arranged this much combat power go subjugate it.

   That in itself is not wrong if considered from a military strategy perspective. But Decken himself had thought such worry is not needed. If they had this much money to spend, wouldn’t it be better if they used it to improve on the army’s equipment rather than hiring mercenaries, is what he’d thought. Because of that, he felt frustrated in his heart.

「Seriously. Even giving them compensation for just tagging along, and he’s being so stingy about our own army. Well, in the end, he’s just a person blinded by money and only know how to swing a sword roughly. 」

「It’s not like we had any expectations for the mercenaries in the first place. Just that at the very least, it’ll be good if they can contribute even a little in scouting. 」

   To spend that much for just participating compensation, Decken himself was not convinced in any way. But if looking from the perspective for the sake of the territory, there’s a different view.

   Mercenaries are troublesome existence. Since they are stronger than average people in the first place, if they go down the wrong road, they would become the likes of bandits and thieves, a violent thug that harm the society.

   To avoid such things happening, the territory would give mercenaries some extent of work, and the result will be indirectly preventing the degradation of security.

   Rascals like that, why not chase them out of the town as soon as possible. Although he didn’t voice it out, it’s something Decken had thought frequently.

   Decken recalled the mercenary woman that he faced ten days ago. She was barbaric with no honor nor ethics, only good for her strength.

   Certainly, it’s true her Aliceblue hair was pretty, and her sky colored eyes gave off a deep impression, he didn’t have a choice but to acknowledge her beauty. But her insolence towards the Lord and themselves the army is in no way forgivable.

   He wanted to beat that woman down from her high horses, but instead he lost miserably. And the general had to show that pathetic scene in front of the lord.

   It was a challenge to the woman to regain the honor of the army but, the result was in the shape of even more disgrace falling on Decken himself.

   Decken who was called the best in the entire army was lightly taken care of by the mercenary woman, and knocked out on the floor. It’s not like anyone had ridiculed him directly, but he couldn’t know what people are thinking and saying behind his back.

   The subjugation order he had gotten this time as well, it’s probably telling him indirectly to cleanse his dirtied name. So, he must have some results on this Grinder subjugation no matter what.

「Something like the strength of mercenaries is unneeded. 」

   While monologuing, Decken grasped the reins of his horse tightly.