Chapter 45 - Study Tour

  *** Isabella's POV

  "But Emilio said today was a rest day! Why are we running?"

  I couldn't help the complaint that escaped my lips as we jogged through the capital's predawn streets. Beside me, Celestine maintained an infuriatingly steady pace, her breathing controlled and even.

  Jane, running ahead with Leon, glanced back. "Active recovery, Your Highness. Running maintains conditioning without overstressing your body. You need blood flow to help those micro-fractures from yesterday's training heal properly."

  "Couldn't we do that by walking?" Katherine muttered from my other side, though she didn't sound particularly winded either.

  "Then I ask you this, Miss: Where's the fun in that?" Leon called back, not breaking stride.

  I had to admit, grudgingly, that the running itself wasn't difficult. A month ago, this pace would have left me gasping. Now, my body moved almost automatically, mana reinforcement flowing through my legs without conscious thought. The enhancement had become second nature.

  Kimberly ran beside her twin with the analytical expression she always wore when observing something new. "We're heading northeast. Toward the Tusk Plains?"

  "Correct, Miss Kimberly," Jane confirmed. "Today we will learn where the meat we eat comes from."

  Moon ranged ahead of our group, her tiger ears swiveling constantly as she scouted the road. Night brought up the rear, silent and watchful. Four soldiers from Milo's army flanked us, their expressions professionally neutral.

  Celestine finally broke her silence. "A field trip to a hunting operation?"

  "A study tour, Miss Celestine," Jane corrected. "You've been training for a while. Don’t you want to test your result?"

  The city gates appeared ahead, already open for the day's traffic. Guards snapped to attention when they recognized our group… or more specifically, when they recognized me as the royal family’s silver hair is easy to spot. Being the third princess had some advantages, even if I found the constant deference tiresome.

  Beyond the gates, the road stretched southeast across rolling plains. In the distance, I could see the fortified walls of what had to be Tuskwall Ranch.

  "How far?" I asked.

  "Soon, Your Highness," Leon said. "Around five laps of running."

  That was a weird way to tell distance but I could easily understand. I have been very intimate with the running course these last few weeks.

  Katherine perked up. "Finally, some real action!"

  "This isn't a glory hunt, Miss Katherine," Leon warned. "What you're about to see is work. Necessary, methodical, and unglamorous work."

  Something in his tone made me pay closer attention. This wasn't Leon the friendly instructor. This was Leon the veteran soldier, and he was trying to prepare us for something.

  ***

  Tuskwall Ranch revealed itself gradually as we approached. First came the outer walls: thick timber reinforced with earth magic, standing as tall as a house. Then the watchtowers, positioned at regular intervals with clear sightlines across the plains. Then the organized chaos of activity as workers moved between buildings with practiced efficiency.

  "This is not a ranch," I said, staring at the fortifications. "This is a fort."

  Jane nodded approvingly. "You are correct, Your Highness. For practical reasons, the ranch evolved this way. Out here, you're not just managing livestock. You're defending against constant monster incursions."

  We passed through the main gate, and the scale of operations became clear. To our left, a massive structure hummed with activity, the processing facility. Through open doors, I could see butchers working in assembly lines, each handling a specific cut. The efficiency was almost mechanical.

  To our right stood what looked like a tannery, the distinctive smell of leather treatment chemicals sharp in the morning air. Beyond that, a building where workers sorted bones and horns by size and quality.

  "Everything has their uses," Leon explained, gesturing broadly. "Meat for food, hides for leather, bones for weapons and tools, horns for decoration or grinding into powder for alchemy. Nothing goes to waste."

  We stopped at a smaller building labeled "Ammunition Factory." Inside, workers assembled arrows and javelins with assembly-line precision. Each arrow received a bone tip, carefully sharpened and fitted. The javelins were more substantial, with longer bone points and reinforced shafts.

  "As you can see Your Highness, all are self-made," Leon said with evident pride. "We supply ourselves completely. No dependence on external sources."

  Moon and Night had drifted toward a group of beastfolk workers near the tannery. I watched as they exchanged brief nods, silent recognition passing between them. The workers returned to their tasks without comment, but I noticed they stood a bit straighter afterward.

  Our final stop before leaving the ranch proper was the armory. Leon spoke with the quartermaster briefly, then turned to our group.

  "Everyone, grab five bags of javelin each."

  Katherine brightened. "Are we joining the hunt?"

  "That depends on how you perform, Miss Katherine," Leon said, already selecting weapons. "But you'll need these either way."

  I hefted one of the javelins experimentally. It was heavier than I expected, the bone tip wickedly sharp. "What exactly will we be doing with these?"

  Leon's slight smirk should have been a warning. "That's a surprise for later, Your Highness."

  ***

  The Forward Camp sat another five laps further north, positioned at the edge of a gradual slope that overlooked the Tusk Plains proper. As we approached, the defensive layout became startlingly clear.

  Jane walked us through each layer, her tone professional. "Outermost perimeter: pitfall traps. With how monsters swarm over, we don’t even need to put cover on it."

  I followed her pointing finger, tracing the open pits that ringed the camp's approach.

  "Second layer: staggered mounds. Designed to slow and divide the monster's momentum."

  "Third layer: funneling barricades. Not meant to stop a charge, just channel it toward the kill zone."

  She led us up a slope to where the real defenses began. "Defensive trench. Four spans wide, three deep. If you don’t know about spans then imagine it as a horned rabbit or a goblin tall. It is made to further slow down the monster to let the ranged attacker kill them. The trench are made this way so to not make the monster think it is impossible to reach our forces and run away"

  Jane also added “All of these defense setup could be made with manual labor and earth magic with little to no logistics needed. Less burden to the hauler and our coffer.”

  Beyond the trench rose an earthwork ramp, sloping upward at a forty-five degree angle. "This is where the shield wall forms. Veterans from my lord's army and hunter guild, stand guard with tower shields locked together. Anything that crosses the trench has to climb this ramp directly into interlocking shields."

  "Behind the shield wall?" Jane gestured to the second line. "Spearmen and mages, little as they are currently. The spears handle anything that breaks through or tries to go around. Mages provide ranged support and area control."

  "Third line: archers and javelin throwers. Sustained ranged damage while the front line holds."

  I could see that all the archers are equipped with Emilio’s ‘repeating arrow box’ module that turns a bow into something like a repeating crossbow with just minimum modification. I must admit that Emilio is very ingenious for this design.

  Finally, Jane pointed to a tower at the camp's center. "Command post. Spotters watch for priority targets and coordinate the defense."

  Katherine crossed her arms, frowning. "This feels... cowardly. Where's the honor in hiding behind walls and traps?"

  "Honor?" Jane's expression didn't change, but her voice grew colder. "Miss Katherine, honor is a luxury purchased with overwhelming strength. We don't have that luxury."

  Kimberly, ever analytical, studied the layered defenses. "It's tactical. Multiple redundancies. Even if one layer fails, three more remain. Minimum risk to our side, maximum damage to the enemy."

  "It's thorough," Celestine added quietly, her paladin training showing through.

  I found myself comparing this to royal army drills I'd observed. Those had been about formations and individual prowess, about commanders leading glorious charges. This... this was about making sure everyone went home alive.

  Moon had already scrambled up the watchtower with feline grace, her enhanced senses scanning the horizon. Night remained at ground level, positioning herself to watch our backs.

  A soldier approached, saluting Jane. "Spotters report movement. A herd has been lured by our baiter."

  "Priority targets?" Jane asked.

  "Jumping Goats confirmed. Blade Deer possible."

  Jane nodded, then turned to us. "Jumping Goats are human-sized four legged monsters and can jump over the outer traps. Blade Deer are even worse. With aggressive tendency and bladed antlers, they can leap the trench entirely. Those get targeted by ranged units first. Everything else, the defenses will handle."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  We then took positions along the second line. Leon told us to get the javelins that we bought before ready. I found myself between Celestine and Katherine, each of us holding a javelin with varying degrees of confidence.

  "Your Highness and ladies, watch and learn first," Leon instructed. "When I give the signal, you may throw. Aim for the larger targets like Boulder Cows or Shield Rams. They're slower and easier to hit."

  The plains ahead began to ripple with movement.

  ***

  The monsters came in waves.

  First were the Horned Rabbits, half human-sized and surprisingly fast. They hit the pitfall traps en masse, their panicked squeals cutting through the morning air. Most didn't survive the fall.

  Then came the Jumping Goats, each the size of an adult human, their powerful legs launching them over the outer traps entirely. Arrows met them mid-leap, precise shots from the archers that sent them tumbling.

  "Blade Deer, east flank!" Moon's shout from the tower rang clear.

  I turned to see three deer-like creatures, each bristling with bladed antlers that gleamed in the early sunlight. They moved with frightening speed, clearing the trench in single bounds.

  Mages responded immediately. Earth spikes erupted from the ramp, forcing the deer to dodge mid-air. Ice formations created slick patches that sent them tumbling. Lightning bolts that are considerably weaker than what Grandfather could manage, but effective to stun one long enough for spearmen to finish it.

  There was no glory here. No dramatic duels or heroic last stands. Just coordinated, methodical slaughter.

  Boulder Cows lumbered forward next, each the size of a carriage. They were too heavy to jump, too massive to be easily stopped. They hit the trench and simply... started climbing out, their bulk and strength overcoming the obstacle through sheer determination.

  "Shield wall, brace!" Leon's command rang out.

  The veterans locked their tower shields together, forming an impenetrable wall of wood and steel. When the first Boulder Cow reached them, it rammed headfirst into the formation.

  The shields held.

  Spears thrust through gaps in the wall, targeting eyes and joints. The cow bellowed and thrashed, but couldn't break through. Within seconds, it collapsed, bleeding from a dozen wounds.

  "This is just work," I whispered, finally understanding Leon's earlier words.

  Jane appeared beside me. "Your Highness and ladies, now it's time to use what you brought with you. Care to join in the culling?"

  Katherine needed no further encouragement. She stepped forward, wound up, and hurled her javelin with everything she had. It sailed through the air and punched through a Leaping Goat's flank. Not a clean kill, but the creature went down screaming.

  Kimberly took longer, calculating angle and wind. Her throw caught a Boulder Cow in the leg tendon, crippling it and making it an easy target for follow-up attacks.

  Celestine hesitated, her healer's instincts warring with necessity. Her first throw just grazed a boulder cow even when they were funneled into the kill zone. She grabbed another javelin, adjusted her stance, and tried again. This time she hit a Shield Ram in the shoulder. Not fatal, but enough to slow it.

  My turn.

  I picked my target: a Boulder Cow that had just emerged from the trench. I channeled mana reinforcement through my arm, feeling the familiar crackle of lightning along my skin. I threw it as hard as I could.

  The javelin hit the cow's shoulder, embedding deep. The creature stumbled but didn't fall.

  Frustration flared. That should have been fatal.

  "Everyone," Night's voice came from behind me, calm and instructive. "Don’t just throw with arm strength. Remember the basic martial art theory of using your whole body. Like this."

  She demonstrated the motion, her form perfect. Feet planted, hips rotating, shoulders following through, arm extending at the last moment. The javelin that left her hand punched completely through a Shield Ram's neck, dropping it instantly.

  "Try to kill them cleanly," Night added. "The carcass is worth more that way."

  I grabbed another javelin, adjusted my stance to match Night's instruction, and threw again. This time the Boulder Cow went down, the javelin buried in its chest cavity.

  Better.

  The culling continued. As the monster would come in waves, in the downtime when the monster numbers are low, along with the sound of a horn signal, a team called the harvester crew will run into the fields to kill or neutralize any monster still alive, collect the used arrows and javelins, clean and reset the traps and obstacles, and, if the could, retrieve the monster carcass to avoid further damage.

  Even the earth mages would help conjure a gentler slope to help the harvest crew retrieve the carcass faster. I used to think that the earth mages are inferior as they are less flashy and could not deal a lot of damage. But in a large-scale operation like this, they are indeed a godsent.

  Celestine even wanted to help the harvester crew in the down time but we were told to rest by Miss Jane. She said that we should not push ourselves so hard as today is our ‘rest day’. I smell lies in her words. It's probably more that we would just get in the way if we insist on helping. But I gladly take some rest as I don’t know how long this operation will go on.

  We also refilled our javelin bags multiple times with the help of the runners from the harvester crew. The work became almost meditative: spot target, adjust stance, throw, assess result, repeat. Then rest in the sporadic down time.

  No glory. No honor. Just necessary work.

  ***

  "Tier 2 Tusk Boar! Carriage-sized!"

  Moon's sudden warning shout from the tower cut through the rhythm of battle like a blade.

  I turned to see a massive shape charging across the plains. It dwarfed everything else we'd faced, easily the size of a carriage, with tusks as long as I was tall. Its hide looked thick enough to turn arrows, its momentum unstoppable.

  It crashed through the outer traps like they weren't there. Pitfalls collapsed under its weight but didn't slow it. Mounds and barricades broken by its charge.

  It reached the trench and didn't even pause, simply hurling itself across the gap. It landed on the earthwork ramp and charged straight toward the shield wall.

  "Brace!" Leon's command came sharp and clear.

  But he didn't join the shield wall. Instead, he stepped forward, one javelin in hand.

  The Tusk Boar thundered up the ramp, massive and terrifying. Leon waited, perfectly still, as it closed the distance.

  Twenty meters.

  Ten.

  Five.

  Leon's arm blurred.

  The javelin took the boar through its right eye, punching deep into its brain. The creature's legs gave out mid-charge, its own momentum carrying it forward in a tumbling crash that shook the ground when it hit.

  It slid down the ramp and came to rest at the bottom of the earthwork, dead before it stopped moving.

  Silence fell across the battlefield for a heartbeat.

  "I thought you were a sword specialist!" Katherine finally burst out.

  Leon turned back toward us, his expression calm. "Miss Katherine, this is the principle of ‘Master one weapon, be competent with three’. It is good to have many options for any situation in battle. Thorough preparation saves lives."

  Kimberly was already calculating, her eyes moving between the dead boar and Leon's position. "Compensating for charge velocity, targeting a moving weak point at that distance... That was an exceptional throw."

  "You can also do it if you keep practicing, Miss Kimberly," Leon corrected, but I could hear the satisfaction in his voice.

  Jane appeared carrying the fallen boar, letting us see it up close. "This is an example of a good kill. Clean brain death, minimal meat damage."

  I can’t focus on the giant boar because I noticed how strong this maid named Jane is to carry it without letting any single crease on her maid uniform. I heard from Emilio before that she is the strongest physically on his side and now I know that he is not lying.

  After a while, the monster wave finally died down. There’s only a trickle of monsters left in the field. The spotter declares that no more monsters spotted close by and Leon declares the culling as a success.

  I felt a sudden wave of powerlessness in my body after I heard that. Katherine just straight up lied down on the ground. How uncouth. I should scold her again after this.

  But not giving us the chance to take a break, Jane came to us as she looked up at our group and said. "Your Highness, ladies, pardon me but you still have training to do."

  "What now?" I asked, though part of me already suspected the answer.

  "Logistics. Help carry the carcass back."

  The butchers worked with frightening efficiency. Skinning it then reducing the massive Tusk Boar Leon killed before into manageable sections. Each quarter still weighed more than I did, massive slabs of muscle and bone wrapped in thick hide.

  Jane gestured to the divided carcass. "Your Highness, ladies, each of you takes one quarter back, if you please"

  Katherine's eyes widened. "You want us to carry these all the way back to the ranch?"

  "Yes."

  "That has to be the same as my body weight!" I protested.

  "Or maybe more," Kimberly corrected, ever analytical. "And even heavier for the hindquarters."

  Jane's expression didn't change. "Your Highness, ladies, this is a study tour of our hunting operation. Hunting only ends when you bring the meat back to base."

  I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it. She was right, of course. This is just another study session, after all. And having individual tasks to help us comprehend more of the subject is a given. I also started to question the food that I have been consuming after seeing this meat retrieving operation.

  Moon and Night stepped forward without complaint, each hefting two goats or deer carcasses onto their shoulders with casual strength. They made it look effortless, their beastfolk physiology giving them advantages in raw power.

  "I can carry more than that," I heard myself say, my pride flaring.

  "I believe I can manage an extra haunch," Celestine added, not to be outdone.

  Jane cut us both off. "It's still a rest day. No overexertion. This is weight training, not a competition." Her gaze swept across all of us. "You'll carry what you're assigned. No more, no less. Save your rivalry for the training ground."

  Katherine grumbled something uncomplimentary under her breath but moved to shoulder her assigned quarter. Kimberly helped position it properly, the two working together despite Katherine's complaints.

  I approached my quarter, a hindquarter, naturally the heaviest option. Using mana reinforcement, I managed to lift it onto my shoulder. The weight was immense, pressing down on me despite my enhancement.

  This was going to be a long walk back.

  Celestine struggled with hers as well. Personally, I can’t help but think that Emilio is just evil to force a royalty and a saintess for this kind of labor. But she accepted the task without complaining, her jaw set in determination.

  We began the trek back to Tuskwall, a sorry procession of overloaded trainees and amused escorts who also haul their own carcass.

  "Once again, my ladies. Hunting work only ends when you bring back the meat to our base," Jane repeated, walking alongside us while carrying four times the amount herself effortlessly. "The traps, the defenses, the actual killing, everything before this, that was just the beginning. The real work is getting the results home."

  My shoulders burned within the first lap length. My legs, already tired from the morning run, protested every step. The mana reinforcement helped, but I could feel my reserves draining to maintain it.

  I couldn't see Celestine behind me, but I heard her labored breathing. Katherine was cursing steadily in a low voice. Even Kimberly's analytical demeanor had cracked slightly, replaced by grim determination.

  Moon and Night ranged ahead with their double loads, not even breathing hard.

  Show-offs. But that should be normal. They are not participating physically in the culling after all.

  By the time Tuskwall's walls came into view, I was seriously reconsidering every meal I'd ever eaten. Each bite of meat now carried the weight of this labor, quite literally.

  We delivered the carcasses to the processing facility, where butchers immediately set to work breaking them down further. Jane led us to washing stations where we could clean up.

  I used the Clean spell Emilio had taught us, but somehow the imaginary smell of blood and exertion clung to me anyway. Like the experience had marked me in ways magic couldn't erase.

  "We can arrange horses for your return," Jane offered. "Or carriages if you prefer."

  I looked at Celestine. She looked back at me. Some unspoken understanding passed between us.

  "We'll run," I said.

  "Obviously," Celestine agreed.

  Jane's slight smile suggested she'd expected that answer. "Ah, and also, it occurs to me that your ladyships still haven't yet been formally introduced to Lord Milo's philosophy. With your permission, I'll ask him to speak with you about it tomorrow."

  We ran back to the capital in silence, each lost in our own thoughts.

  So much for a rest day.

  But it was indeed an interesting experience. And I felt I had learned a lot from it.

  The question was: what exactly had I learned?

  Oh, and Jane still forced us to enter a carriage when we reached the capital. Well, at least Emilio is still conscious about keeping our dignity in front of the masses.