How to Use the Lord's Future Diary

Chapter 173

Everyone worked together to gather information.Starting with the Lion Tribe, the Cat Tribe and the Ape Tribe also dispatched scouts into Gnoll territory.

The Cat Tribe gathered the most intelligence.

Even I found that surprising.

The Cat Tribe, who were usually the most reluctant to fight, took reconnaissance incredibly seriously.

Like true alley cats, they infiltrated Gnoll territory and returned with a wealth of valuable information.

Even if they hated fighting, Beastmen were still Beastmen.

They had absolutely no intention of becoming easy prey for the Gnolls.

"How troublesome."

After compiling all the information, Leon and I reviewed the situation.

The other commanders were busy reorganizing their forces, leaving him as the only person I could really discuss strategy with.

This cheeky brat was smart enough to point out things I overlooked.

His true worth shone brightest during times of crisis.

When it came to coming up with devious schemes, he was far better than I was.

"Based on confirmed sightings alone, there are at least five thousand Gnolls... and no fewer than three Champion-class individuals."

"If there are already five thousand just moving around the outskirts of their territory, how many Gnolls have gathered in total? And if there are at least three Champions..."

"I think we have to accept that a higher-ranking individual has appeared."

"That's bad."

A Gnoll Champion was the leader of a single pack.

If three Gnoll Champions belonged to the same group, that meant another higher-ranking individual existed above them, controlling them all.

More importantly, five thousand was far beyond the number a single Gnoll Champion could command.

The Gnoll Champion that had attacked our territory in the past had only led around two thousand Gnolls.

"A normal Gnoll is around Class 5. Elite Gnolls are Class 3. A Gnoll Champion is Class 1. In that case, the higher-ranking individual..."

"It might be an Out-of-Class Monster. No... it's almost certain. At the very least, a Calamity-Class Monster."

"Probably. Of course, even a Gnoll Champion isn't truly equal to a Class 1 Monster in terms of combat ability, so the same probably applies here."

"The leaders of pack monsters can't be judged by combat strength alone."

"No matter how you look at it, this is becoming a headache."

If there really was a superior existence above the Gnoll Champions, it would probably be something like a Gnoll Lord or a Gnoll King.

Whatever it was, it was undoubtedly an Out-of-Class Monster.

To command Class 1 Monsters like Gnoll Champions, it naturally had to be ranked even higher.

Even the weakest Out-of-Class Monster—a Calamity-Class Monster—possessed military strength comparable to an entire major territory.

It was common knowledge in this era that defeating one required multiple Masters.

Facing such a monster head-on was already difficult enough.

Now add at least three Class 1 Gnoll Champions to the equation.

That made the situation far worse.

After all, even a Class 1 Monster possessed strength comparable to a single Master.

"There's no way we can gather all the Beastmen's forces in one place, is there?"

"No. We're not the only territory that needs protecting."

If we really could unite all the Beastmen's forces, we'd have a fighting chance.

But that wasn't possible.

We weren't the only territory bordering the Monster Mountains.

Nor was there any guarantee that Johnson Territory would be the Gnolls' final objective.

Unlike previous Gnoll hordes, which immediately charged south the moment they gathered, this new Gnoll army continually dispatched scouts to investigate every direction.

"Twice near Henil. Three times near the Northern Fortress. Three more near Rotsy. Once each in the Cat Tribe's and Ape Tribe's territories."

"That's only the scouts we managed to detect and eliminate. They've probably sent out many more."

"Creatures this cunning aren't guaranteed to simply slam into the Northern Fortress like before."

"So we'll definitely have to split our forces."

"Why are these bastards suddenly doing things they've never done before...?"

The Gnolls were already difficult enough to deal with.

Now they kept behaving in completely unexpected ways.

Since they were operating entirely differently from before, past records were practically useless.

"Honestly, I'd rather just gather an army and march straight into their territory."

"That would at least prevent us from splitting our forces."

"Though half our army would probably die during the march."

"Just imagining leading an army into the Monster Mountains during winter makes me want to throw up."

"Honestly... it'd be suicide. That's their home turf."

Launching an offensive into the Monster Mountains ourselves would truly be the worst possible decision.

It was an incredibly frustrating situation.

"We'll leave Henil to the Dog Tribe and gather as much strength as possible from the Horse Tribe and the Cow Tribe, since they don't border the Monster Mountains."

"That's our best option for now."

"Our highest priority for reinforcements should still be the Ape Tribe and the Cat Tribe. They're practically incapable of defending themselves."

"I don't think either the Ape Tribe or the Cat Tribe will become the main target. The roads are incredibly narrow, and there's nothing much to gain there."

"I still think our territory will be their primary objective."

"That's definitely the most logical choice."

Breaking through Johnson Territory and sweeping southward.

From the Gnolls' perspective, it was the route with the greatest amount of food.

There weren't many Beastmen.

To the Gnolls, they were simply troublesome enemies.

Once they broke through here and entered the Levelium Region and the Rubina Region...

They'd find enough prey to hold a feast.

Monsters instinctively sensed where large human populations gathered.

That made it highly likely that humans were their ultimate target.

The problem was that we couldn't abandon the other Beastman tribes based on mere probability.

We couldn't gamble with the survival of entire tribes.

If we did, the Beastman Alliance, which had only just begun to unite, would immediately fall apart again.

"Let's squeeze every last bit of manpower we can and divide our forces as much as possible."

"We'll worry about everything afterward."

"Understood. I'll think about it too."

Would this brat come up with another brilliant solution this time?

I did have one idea myself.

But it was something I'd only consider as an absolute last resort.

I really hoped there was some clever strategy that could drive away the Gnolls while minimizing casualties.

It was around that time that strange news arrived from Haken Territory.

"A monster hunt? You mean... 'Jupitelio of Thunder'?"

-That's right. It suddenly started rampaging.

"That's strange. Hasn't it stayed inside its own territory for years?"

-It has. I have no idea what's gotten into it this time.

A Calamity-Class Monster had left its territory and attacked a human settlement.

Considering it had remained inside its domain for over ten years, something was clearly wrong.

Normally, once an Out-of-Class Monster established its territory, it stayed there unless something extraordinary happened.

If Out-of-Class Monsters routinely left their territories to hunt humans, nobody would have survived the Great Cataclysm.

Haken.

New Level.

Vines.

Every one of them would have been reduced to dust.

'At least it's only a Calamity-Class Monster. They should be able to kill it somehow.'

But...

Could Haken defeat a Calamity-Class Monster with its own strength?

-To be honest, the Great Lords have agreed to cooperate. Vines and New Level are each dispatching Masters as well.

"...I see."

-After all, Mount Roticle, Jupitelio's territory, sits right at the border of all three major territories. Since we don't know where it'll go, we have no choice but to work together.

"Well... that's true, but..."

It was true that Jupitelio's territory overlapped the spheres of influence of all three major territories.

Likewise, it was only natural that everyone should cooperate when hunting an Out-of-Class Monster.

In fact, similar situations in the past had always been handled through joint operations.

Wasn't that one of the reasons the Lord's Council had been established?

'But that was a long time ago. Considering the current atmosphere...'

These days, it felt more likely that they'd laugh at each other's misfortune while looking for opportunities to stab one another in the back.

-Even so, monsters are different, aren't they? This is a matter of survival.

'That's certainly the logical way to think.'

'But humans aren't exactly logical creatures.'

-Surely it isn't that bad... Besides, if that thing goes berserk, all three territories will suffer.

'That's true. This is the correct decision.'

Feeling rather conflicted, I asked the Lord of Haken why he had contacted me.

Whether they hunted an Out-of-Class Monster in the south or not wasn't really my concern.

So if he'd gone out of his way to tell me...

-I'd like to borrow some of your strength. Our situation isn't particularly good.

"I see."

The Lord of Haken wanted our assistance.

Johnson Territory was one of Haken's few genuine allies.

On top of that, we possessed two Masters and several top-tier Knights, making us a valuable military asset.

Especially the Masters.

When fighting an Out-of-Class Monster, no matter how many Knights you had, they didn't matter much.

Unless someone was a Master, they couldn't inflict meaningful damage on an Out-of-Class Monster.

The problem was...

Our own situation wasn't exactly favorable either.

We had to focus on defending our own territory.

'Still... things over there worry me too. It doesn't feel right just ignoring it.'

If something unexpected happened in the south, it wouldn't benefit us either.

'The one fortunate thing is that the three Great Lords possess roughly equal strength.'

'It's impossible for any one of them to gain a one-sided advantage.'

-Besides, it'd be difficult for any two factions to join forces. Especially given the current political climate.

'Exactly.'

'If I were the Lord of Vines, I wouldn't join hands with New Level just to crush Haken.'

If Vines and New Level fought one-on-one, New Level held the advantage.

Their Knight force was stronger.

On the other hand, if things dragged on, Vines might ultimately come out ahead.

Vines still possessed the greatest influence throughout the Levelium Region.

Although the entire region was currently weakened, once it recovered, Vines' power would naturally grow as well.

'Something feels suspicious... but it's also not a situation where I can simply distrust them.'

'Ignoring it doesn't sit right either.'

Neither Leisha nor I could possibly leave the territory.

Still, simply doing nothing left me uneasy.

If there was someone who could observe the situation in my place while supporting the Lord of Haken...

'Irene is the only choice.'

Irene.

And the Crimson Comet.

If the defense proceeded normally, the Crimson Comet's role as a shock assault unit would become somewhat awkward.

Of course, they were skilled Knights who could perform well in any position.

But unlike the Black Lion Warriors, they weren't an absolutely indispensable force.

'If the operation against the Calamity-Class Monster proceeds normally, it'll also be a valuable experience for Irene.'

Irene was only one step away from becoming a Master.

She was also one of the rare Knights capable of using an elemental Aura.

Even though she wasn't yet a Master, she possessed enough strength to wound a Calamity-Class Monster.

Perhaps this experience would allow her to take another step forward.

Fighting a Calamity-Class Monster was priceless experience that money couldn't buy.

'Of course, we'll be fighting a Calamity-Class Monster ourselves eventually.'

'But I doubt Irene will even get the chance.'

'At best, she'll probably only end up fighting a Gnoll Champion.'

-And since it'll be during a defensive battle, she won't even be able to fight freely.

'That's true.'

A Gnoll Champion certainly wasn't weak.

But if given the choice, fighting something even stronger would be far more beneficial.

'Watching other Masters fight is valuable experience too.'

'The more I think about it, sending Irene south would benefit her the most.'

-Even that stingy male would be pleased.

'Well... that's part of it too.'

No matter how I thought about it, sending Irene to the south seemed like the right decision.

If the Diary hadn't suddenly appeared and begun glowing crimson...

I would have made that decision immediately.