Illusion Sword Master

＜ Punishment Squad (1) ﹥

─ Whoa!

Black Thunder’s thick blade first struck the wolf-like demonic beast’s head, crushing it.

For almost a year, I had been training in magic while simultaneously honing my physical body through rigorous exercise.

As a result, I could wield a massive great sword with ease, relying solely on my pure physical strength.

Even if my opponent had a body reinforced with dark magic, like the demonic beast, they wouldn’t be able to withstand the swordsmanship of a seasoned warrior.

Every time the wolves and deer collided with Black Thunder’s blade, their necks and bodies would separate, scattering into the air.

It was the rabbit-like demonic beasts that were more troublesome.

“Kieeek!”

The small, horned rabbits, taking advantage of their compact bodies, cautiously approached me, letting out an eerie cry as they charged from all directions.

Their massive horns, like giant awls, attempted to pierce my body.

I slammed Black Thunder into the ground, activating the defensive magic I had learned from Roem.

A half-moon-shaped barrier unfolded around me, repelling the charging rabbits.

Next, I activated my internal energy, channeling it into the swords at my waist.

The four swords simultaneously unsheathed, firing towards the remaining demonic beasts. The swords, moving with aerial swordsmanship, pierced the beasts’ bodies, flying freely.

A one-sided massacre ensued, and soon, not a single living demonic beast remained.

It seemed my training had paid off, as I had effortlessly annihilated the demonic beasts.

If only the situation could have ended there…

Bang! Bang!

─ Grrraaah!

The ground trembled, and the beasts’ enraged roars assaulted my ears.

As if awakened from a deep sleep, another beast revealed itself from a distance.

A wild boar.

It was an enormous wild boar.

Its bristling fur resembled armor made of thorns, and its massive body rivaled that of a small cottage.

“Hasn’t even reached the front lines yet, and already this kind of monster appears?”

The future of the empire was truly worrisome.

My own safety, which was already at risk for the sake of the empire, was even more precarious.

The demonic beast glared at me with its bloodshot, red eyes, its gaze piercing as it charged towards me.

Soon, it would close in on me, its massive, accelerating body crushing the small trees between us.

As I prepared to dodge its attack…

“Inspector!”

Olek suddenly charged towards the demonic beast.

“Wait!”

I hastily tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The wild boar, distracted by Olek, changed direction and charged towards him, and Olek fearlessly confronted it head-on.

── Whoa!

No unexpected outcome occurred.

Olek, who was tackled by the wild boar, was sent flying like a truck had hit him, unable to even swing his black sword.

Thud!

Olek’s body, which had been suspended in mid-air for a moment, crashed to the ground.

“Ah, why did you have to go and do that?”

Now, who’s going to pull the carriage and who’s going to cook the meal?

Instead of blaming his recklessness, I prayed for his soul.

“I’ll say that Olek died honorably.”

Although he met a foolish death, he was a loyal attendant, wasn’t he?

But…

“You wicked beast! This won’t break my loyalty!”

Huh?

I doubted my own eyes at the continued spectacle.

Despite receiving a shock that could break his limbs and internal organs, Olek got up as if nothing had happened and charged at the wild boar again.

The result was the same as before.

Olek’s body flew through the air again and crashed to the ground.

“You bastard! If you’re going to target the Inspector, take care of me first!”

And then he got up again and charged.

“For the Empire!”

“The Goddess and the Emperor will protect me, and the Inspector will watch over me!”

This bizarre scene repeated itself about five times, and I finally regained my senses and attacked the wild boar.

Four swords pierced the wild boar’s body, which had been possessed by Olek’s spirit.

“Groaar!”

The beast spewed blood and targeted me again.

I held Black Thunder with both hands, raised my arms high, and took a stance.

And when it got close enough, I unleashed a lightning spell on the swords lodged in its body.

— Zzt!

The electricity released from the swords flowed through its body, slowing down the beast. I poured more mana into the electricity.

Thanks to Serah’s teaching me the family’s magic after she saved my life, my lightning magic skills had greatly improved over the past year.

For instance, I could do something like this.

— Zzziip!

The electricity flowing from the four swords connected, forming a lightning chain.

The beast’s body stiffened and stopped in front of me.

I didn’t miss the opportunity, compressing mana into Black Thunder and unleashing a shockwave slash.

Whoosh! The sword pierced the wild boar’s head and ended its life.

The situation had finally come to an end.

As I shook off the blood on my sword, Olek approached me.

“You truly are an excellent warrior, just as rumored. It was an honor to fight alongside the Inspector.”

His clothes were tattered, but his body was barely injured, making me wonder if he was even human, made of flesh and bone like me.

“Your performance was impressive. Do you have some special training method?”

“It’s an exaggeration. I didn’t train separately, but my body has been special since I was young.”

Ollec said calmly.

No, it’s not that strong, is it?

Whatever.

I put my hand on Ollec’s shoulder and spoke seriously.

“It’s fortunate to meet a subordinate like you. I’ll rely on you from now on, just like this.”

“Yes! I’ll stake my life to serve you, Inspector!”

Ollec replied with an emotional face, as if he was deeply respectful.

I thought to myself, “It’s great to have a reliable tank who can buy me time in a crisis situation.”

Of course, I didn’t express this thought outwardly, which would have destroyed his excitement.

#

After that, we moved without any issues and safely arrived at the 6th Army Corps headquarters in the western front.

The commander of the 6th Army Corps, Krenek, welcomed me in a large tent used as a temporary headquarters after the fall of the city of Umber.

“Welcome to the 6th Army Corps.”

Krenek, the commander of the 6th Army Corps, had just returned from an intense battle, and his armor was still stained with blood and green flesh.

“Damn, I never thought I’d be happy to see an inspector.”

He muttered to himself.

Inspectors were originally unwelcome guests. A proud commander like Krenek would consider an inspector’s visit a shame.

“I owe you one from last time. Thanks to you, I was able to receive the help of the Zephyr family.”

He expressed gratitude, seemingly still grateful for protecting Sera Zephyr from the orc attack. I humbly declined, as always.

“It’s nothing. She was my colleague before being the lady of the Zephyr family. I just did what was right.”

“I’m glad you think that way. I’ll have to ask for your help again this time.”

“Please, speak freely. I’m here to help the Empire.”

Commander Krenek took a puff of his pipe and continued.

“I’m sure you’ve already heard, but there’s a unit under the 6th Army Corps that’s not under proper control.”

He spoke roughly, as if the very mention of it was humiliating.

I listened attentively, maintaining a calm expression to avoid offending him.

“Especially that damn Punishment Battalion is a problem. We gave them a chance to atone for their crimes and serve the Empire, but they keep ignoring orders and causing trouble!”

I recalled the information about the Punishment Battalion.

It was a unit composed of prisoners who replaced the lacking manpower, organized into three medium-sized units and monitored by a separate detachment.

From Krenek’s words, it seemed that the soldiers there were disobedient.

“I’d like to go there myself and hang them all, but as you can see, it’s difficult for me to leave my post.”

Krenek brushed off the flesh stuck to his armor. As the commander, he had to be on the front lines, so no further explanation was needed.

“So, I want you to go there, set an example, and get the unit back in line. Don’t kill too many, at least until we retake Umber. We need to keep them alive for now.”

Krenek extinguished his pipe and lit a new one.

“Do you want one?”

It was a polite offer, but his face showed that he wanted to be alone, even if only for a moment.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Then let’s go. I’m looking forward to some good news.”

The curtain fell.

I didn’t want to stay in this uncomfortable seat for long, so I stood up without a word.

#

The 13th Battalion, officially known as the 6th Army’s Punishment Battalion, was a half-day’s horseback ride from the command center.

“Olek, do you know much about the 13th Battalion?”

“I don’t know much, but I’ve heard that there have been a series of incidents.”

“For example?”

“Well, recently, a company commander died in combat, and there’s a rumor that it was a case of fragging.”

Fragging a superior officer. If that’s true, the severity of the crime is grave.

“Do you know the details of the situation?”

“Yes, but they haven’t found any evidence of the soldiers’ involvement.”

Many things happen on the front lines, and many things get buried.

If veteran soldiers on the front lines want to hide something, it’s almost impossible to uncover the truth.

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on.

It seemed I was heading into a real mess. On the other hand, it was exactly the kind of place that needed an inspector.

“In my opinion…”

Olek trailed off, then added, “I think it’s because of a lack of loyalty. If they realized how valuable the opportunity to sacrifice themselves for the empire was, these problems wouldn’t arise.”

His words were so empty that I felt like rolling my eyes.

“Then, Inspector’s visit will be a great opportunity for the 13th Battalion. If you tell them about your heroic deeds and instill loyalty in them, everything will be resolved!”

I half-listened to Olek’s words as we approached the 13th Battalion.

The people waiting at the entrance came to greet me.

“Glory to the Empire! I’m Yelrina, the commander of the 13th Battalion’s Independent Regiment.”

“I’m Inspector Edan.”

A woman with brown hair and freckles greeted me with a formal imperial salute.

‘She’s too young.’

It was hard to believe she was a high-ranking officer, especially considering the special nature of the punishment battalion.

Even without the rumors about the punishment battalion, I could sense that she didn’t receive enough respect from her fellow soldiers.

‘Things might get more complicated than I thought.’

This concern was quickly confirmed.

“What a coincidence that the hero of the western front has arrived! It’s truly fortunate. It’s a blessing that I’ve been praying for all night!”

Yelrina’s face lit up as she looked at me, as if she had met her savior. She welcomed me with genuine sincerity, without a hint of insincerity.

It wasn’t the reaction a low-ranking officer should have towards an inspector.

My unease grew.

“What’s the current situation with the battalion?”

I asked as we walked inside.

“It’s… um…”

Yelrina hesitated, trailing off.

“Be prepared to answer your superior’s questions clearly.”

I felt anxious, so I urged her on.

“I apologize.”

“So, what’s the situation with the unit?”

“…… It’s like this.”

When I entered the unit, I understood why she couldn’t easily answer my questions.

The reality of the 13th unit was too horrific to be explained in a few words.

In the center of the training ground, soldiers were gathered, and on top of the makeshift altar, a man was tied up.

“Damn it! Whether we live or die, it’s all the same!”

One soldier was waving a torch in the air, cursing.

“That’s right! That’s right! We can’t just die like this!”

“If we’re going to be driven to death, at least give us some booze and cigarettes!”

The surrounding soldiers echoed in agreement, shouting.

“What kind of apocalyptic scene is this?”

Seeing a situation even more severe than I had imagined, I was frozen in shock. Yelina spoke in a voice that was almost tearful.

“There was a riot among the soldiers an hour ago.”

“Is that so. Who’s the man tied up over there?”

“…… It’s the unit commander.”

Hmm.

“I want to go home.”

My temples were throbbing with a headache.

＜ Punishment Unit (1) ﹥ End