The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 84

The tax collector had managed to return in just a day and a half by changing horses at relay stations located every 5 to 10 kilometers.

However, Si-on and the Peregrine Division couldn’t move that quickly.

This was mainly because the entire division was mounted on gaus instead of horses, and gaus were slower than horses.

Why were they riding the slower gaus?

While gaus were slower and less agile than horses, they had greater strength and endurance.

Moreover, despite being highly sensitive and easily frightened, horses were not ideal for hunting monsters.

Gaus, on the other hand, were docile creatures, but not easily scared.

In fact, they could charge fearlessly even at wild boars, bears, or lions, displaying remarkable toughness.

This made gaus far more useful when facing monsters.

Small, bipedal monsters like goblins or kobolds?

They avoided even wild herds of gaus, rarely daring to engage them.

With plenty of easier prey like deer or goats, which were easier to hunt and tastier, there was no reason for them to target gaus, which had thick fat layers, solid muscles, and deadly horns that could easily cause severe injuries.

It was easier and safer for monsters to raid villages for livestock.

And when it came to larger monsters?

The situation wasn’t much different.

While a lone or isolated gau might be vulnerable, even a family of 3-4 trolls would think twice before attacking a herd of gaus, carefully weighing the risks.

Si-on had once witnessed a young, inexperienced troll attack a herd of gaus and get gored and trampled to a pulp.

Although the troll had regenerative abilities and was able to stagger away after about 10 minutes, it had clearly learned its lesson.

If wild gaus were that formidable, imagine the power of gaus raised by elves and trained as war beasts.

These creatures were practically living weapons.

Fed well and trained for combat, the domesticated gaus were 1.2 to 1.5 times larger than their wild counterparts.

Their horns were meticulously sharpened, making their charges lethal.

Elven-raised war gaus typically weighed between 1,000 and 1,300 kilograms.

Picture a mid-sized car with three or four 50-80 cm blades attached to the bumper, charging at 50 kilometers per hour—that’s what it would be like when a war gau rammed into something.

Adult male trolls weighed about 700-800 kilograms, while ogres were slightly larger.

In short, a direct hit from a full-speed war gau could shatter a troll or ogre’s body, sending them flying.

Of course, this required an open field and a particularly slow-witted troll or ogre, but in monster hunting, gaus were the obvious choice for the Peregrine Division.

However, these powerful war gaus did have one downside.

They ate a lot.

Not just a little—but an absurd amount.

Luckily, they weren’t picky eaters and would graze on anything, otherwise, it would have been impossible to raise them as war mounts.

Even now, during a break after a couple of hours of travel, the gaus were scattered across the fields, heads down, voraciously tearing up grass.

Of course, as they ate, they also defecated generously.

“These guys are great, but they eat and poop way too much. Look at that one, making a big deposit,” Miska said, sticking his tongue out in amazement as he watched the brown gau he had just met today.

Despite being newly acquainted, it had already warmed up to him like a loyal dog of ten years.

“Yes. That’s why they struggle to survive in the wild outside of where we elves live. No one else can raise them either,” Stella explained, prompting Miska to instinctively wrinkle his nose toward her.

It wasn’t just Stella; all the elf female warriors exuded a scent of flowers or fruits, which was overwhelming for a young man who had spent his life sweating among mercenaries.

However, neither Miska nor any of the soldiers or mercenaries dared to be disrespectful toward the elven female warriors.

– Anyone caught messing with a fellow division member will lose their… you know.

That was what Si-on had said with a smile.

Considering the power display he had shown on the first day, everyone knew it wasn’t just a warning but a promise of what would actually happen.

“Did you raise the gau you’re riding yourself, Sister Stella?”

Miska asked.

“Yes, I brought her from the ranch when she was a calf and raised her myself. Watch this! Takeoff!”

Stella whistled, and the gau, which had been grazing, immediately raised its head and happily trotted over to her.

Gooo.

The gau licked Stella’s face with its huge tongue, causing Miska to mutter, “Maybe being a gau wouldn’t be so bad,” before speaking again.

“By the way, her name is cool—‘Takeoff.’ Does it mean to fly into the sky?”

“No. It’s short for ‘emergency food.’”

“…What?”

“‘Emergency food.’ I just shortened it to ‘Takeoff.’ But I tell people who don’t know any better that it means what you just thought.”

“Oh… So you actually think of her as emergency food?”

“Yes. gau meat is tough and not very tasty, but as you know, in a survival situation, you can’t be picky.”

“I-I see…”

As Miska, looking a bit horrified, tried to edge away, another elven female warrior stepped in to prevent any hasty generalizations about elves.

“Not all elves are like Stella. She’s a bit unusual.”

“I agree,” Stella said.

“See? Even Stella knows. While it’s true that elves aren’t strictly vegetarian, we don’t eat the gaus we ride.”

“Right? Heh, by the way, what’s your name, beautiful and kind Sister? I’m Miska,” he said.

“I’m Camilla Gosan. As you can tell, I’m also from Gosan, like Stella. It’s nice to meet you, .”

“No, just Miska.”

“Ah! So ‘imda’ is a suffix you use. Got it, Miska.”

Camilla, though a bit odd like most elves, was quite expressive for one. Her bright smile caused Miska to melt on the spot, along with the other soldiers nearby who had been observing.

“I’m Bogar from the northern region of Chetton…”

“I’m Kapel, Miss Camilla.”

“My name’s Dubra. I’m an axe specialist. Let’s get along.”

The soldiers introduced themselves one after another.

“Nice to meet you, Bogar. Your name’s making me crave a hamburger. Hello to you too, Kapel. It feels like we’re close since we both have ‘Ka’ in our names. As for you, Dubra, I think axes are a bit too brutish, so I prefer daggers. Yes, hello to all of you.”

Although her responses were a bit off, Camilla smiled warmly and greeted the soldiers who looked like bandits, one after another.

This sparked a chain reaction. The soldiers, who had been watching from the sidelines, began introducing themselves to the few elven female warriors.

Not all of the warriors were as friendly as Camilla, but they still responded to the soldiers’ greetings with the same polite (though formal) demeanor and the soft voices characteristic of elves (no one minded that their politeness was purely professional).

When the break ended, and they mounted their gaus to continue the journey, most of the soldiers shared the same thought:

‘They’re so sweet, cute, and innocent!’

‘There’s no way we can let such lovely girls fight monsters alongside someone like Stelman!’

‘We can’t let their beautiful faces be splattered with monster blood!’

‘I have to protect them.’

‘I’ll protect Miss Ayla!’

The former Janstrick Mercenaries, the Black Eagle Regiment soldiers, and the rest of the division burned with determination.

They knew the elf female warriors weren’t pushovers.

But now, after learning how beautiful and sweet their personalities were, they felt the need to protect them.

If they fought harder and took the lead, these women would be safer!

-Bring it on, you damn monsters!

Their protective instincts, fueled by admiration for the elf women, ignited a fiery resolve.

That resolve only grew stronger as they approached the southern part of the duchy three days later.

During that time, the polite (professional) and diligent (just doing the bare minimum) behavior of the elven female warriors only intensified the men’s determination.

Finally, the Peregrine Division encountered a group of monsters about 10 kilometers outside the city of Rozin.

Gooo!

The men’s fighting spirits burned quietly within.

But that fiery determination vanished moments later.

A hundred or so kobolds and gnolls were making their way across a field toward the Brandin Mountains.

The first to spot them were the Namsan Elf Rangers that Si-on had sent ahead as scouts.

“Everyone, move at a fast pace.”

The war gaus, trained for combat, moved in perfect formation at a brisk trot (about 10 kilometers per hour), keeping up with the lead.

“If we cross that hill, we’ll see them,” one of the scouts said, and Si-on, riding Blackie, quickly moved ahead to the top of the hill.

In the distance, 700-800 meters away, a disorganized mob of kobolds and gnolls

were moving in clusters, dragging along livestock and humans tied to ropes.

Si-on’s gaze turned icy.

The wind blew from the mountains, meaning the monsters wouldn’t be able to catch their scent.

Si-on returned to the division and signaled orders to the company commanders.

“First Company to the right! Second Company to the left! Rangers take the center!”

The warriors who had served as rangers in the three elven tribes swiftly followed Si-on’s gestures and moved into position behind him.

In no time, the Peregrine Division was lined up on the hill, looking down at the monsters below.

The monsters, still far enough away, hadn’t noticed the division and continued moving.

“Charge at full speed!”

When Piotr raised the spear bearing the division’s flag, 70 gaus charged down the hill in unison.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

The ground shook with a thunderous roar, causing the monsters to halt in confusion and look around in bewilderment.

When they finally spotted the Peregrine Division, the monsters began shrieking and yelling.

With intelligence equivalent to that of a 5 or 6-year-old human, the creatures had their own crude language.

But kobolds and gnolls were nocturnal, and their eyesight wasn’t great.

While they could see well enough up close, they struggled to identify objects more than 100 meters away. They couldn’t distinguish whether what was coming at them was a cow, a horse, or a deer.

So, they thought it was just a herd of wild gaus charging at them and began fleeing to one side.

After all, wild gaus rarely attacked unless provoked.

“First Company, block their retreat toward the mountains! Second Company, cut off their escape route!”

Piotr moved the division’s flag skillfully.

First Company Commander Stelman and Second Company Commander Friel led their units to change direction.

The war gaus, trained for battle, followed their leaders’ movements without needing direct commands, turning in formation.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

It was only then that the monsters realized something was wrong, screaming in terror as they grabbed their crude weapons and scattered.

But it was too late.

The monsters, slower than humans, had no chance of outrunning the armored gaus, which had transitioned from a trot to a gallop (about 50 kilometers per hour—the gau’s top speed).

Si-on, leading 10 or so elven rangers (coincidentally, all the elven female warriors were included), crashed into the monster horde.

“Kya-ha-ha-ha!”

“Keeeeeek!”

The entire Peregrine Division witnessed it.

Those sweet, polite, and graceful (apart from their beauty, this was all a misconception) elven female warriors transformed into ferocious demons, cutting down monsters without mercy.