The story of the black silk female knight

Upon seeing Tia, who clearly seemed to be the leader, the squad leader breathed a sigh of relief. Melody's unreasonable and irrational behavior had really been a bit much for him.

"That's right, young master."

The squad leader didn't recognize Tia, but he could tell she was of noble birth, so he quickly bowed.

"The area within 200 kilometers ahead has been temporarily designated as a blockade zone, prohibiting civilians from passing through. We are ordered to stop merchants and travelers who wish to proceed."

"The area ahead has been sealed off?"

Tia's brows furrowed immediately:

"Why? This is the main road from Suli City to the capital!"

"This...I'm sorry."

The squad leader hesitated for a few seconds, then shook his head and refused.

"This matter is a military secret, and even if you are candidates for the War Academy, you have no right to know it."

"Military secrets..."

Tia hesitated for a moment, then looked at her teammates beside her, and finally sighed helplessly:

"Then there's nothing we can do..."

"It's so good that you understand... oh?"

The squad leader thought Tia had accepted reality and was preparing to return the way she came, but unexpectedly, Tia's aura suddenly became even stronger.

The squad leader, who had personally been to the front lines of the battlefield, was no stranger to this kind of aura. This was definitely not the aura that an ordinary young nobleman would have... He even had a moment of daze, thinking that he had met the commander.

Tia took two more steps forward, but her hands were busy as she walked.

The first step she took was to untie the cloak and the belt of her men's brocade robe.

The second step she took out was a card with a picture of a gorgeous black dress on its surface.

Then the card shone with a dazzling light, and Tia's image changed drastically in the light, transforming from a handsome and dashing nobleman into a hot and charming beautiful spellcaster.

"My name is Tia Britannia, daughter of the chief strategist of the Kingdom of Fran, and the first in line to the throne of the Britannia family!"

Tia took another step forward as she spoke, reaching the peak of her aura:

"Now, do I have the right to know the truth?"

"...Of course, it is my honor to report to you."

The squad leader remained silent for several seconds before recovering from his shock, and quickly bowed and clasped his hands in greeting:

"The reason why the area ahead has been temporarily designated as a blockade zone is because traces of the Wild Beast Clan have been discovered. Currently, several scouts and holy knights are engaged in the encirclement and suppression. Once the Wild Beast Clan member is defeated, the blockade will be lifted, and the official road will be reopened to traffic."

"The Wild Beast Clan... Speaking of which, a while ago, an elite Wild Beast Clan squad broke through the blockade and entered the kingdom's interior in a reckless manner."

Tia nodded thoughtfully, then asked:

"How many people were in that beastman squad? They actually needed to seal off an area of ​​200 kilometers?"

"...There is only one."

The squad leader said with a wry smile.

Tia.jpg

Chapter 100 Two Women Have Different Opinions

"Only one enemy? Yet they've blocked off 200 kilometers?"

Tia frowned again:

"Could that beastman be a Radiant-Rank expert? But that's impossible... There are far fewer Radiant-Rank experts among the beastmen than among us humans. They are mostly core members of the clan... How could they possibly participate in a mission that is absolutely certain to result in death?"

"Radiant Rank... it shouldn't be yet, because none of the elite soldiers and paladins involved in the encirclement were Radiant Rank."

The squad leader shook his head:

"But intelligence indicates that the beastman has a special ability to easily take civilians hostage... It was the only survivor of the last raid because it grabbed a few civilians as hostages at the last moment."

"The elite soldiers and paladins learned from the previous experience, which is why they sealed off the surrounding area and prohibited all civilians from entering before launching the encirclement."

"...I see. Then there's nothing we can do."

Tia pondered for a moment, then abandoned her plan to force her way in using her identity.

She wouldn't be afraid if her team consisted only of test takers.

With only one enemy below the Shining rank, even if it's a peak Lighthouse, the entire squad can definitely put up a fight... At the very least, they can protect themselves and hold out until reinforcements arrive.

However, in addition to the examinees, the convoy also included beast tamers and loaders from the Gourmet Association, who were all personnel with little combat ability, which would be extremely dangerous in that situation.

Therefore, it's best to avoid this cordoned-off area.

"We'll have to take a slightly longer route."

After making the decision, Tia quickly took Valensa back to the Arcane Carriage and summoned all the team members and the steward of the Gourmet Association.

Valensa and the Three Musketeers, who already knew her true identity, were fine, but the others who witnessed the noble young man transform into a beautiful girl were still a bit stunned.

For example, Luca just stood there dumbfounded, his eyes wide with amazement, which made Asashi so angry that she stomped her feet and finally just left him there and ignored him.

Tia offered no explanation for why she was disguised as a man; instead, she went straight to serious mode, took out a map of the Kingdom of Fran, and began marking it with a pen as she spoke:

"This is Suri, a transportation hub in the northeast. This is the royal capital, Fran, located on the southernmost coast in the central region."

We've only just left Suli City, but the main road has been blocked by military forces. There are three ways to continue to the capital.

After pointing out their current location, Tia traced the path they had come from with her pen:

"The first option is to return to Suli City by the same route and bypass this blockade area from the north... This route is also mainly on the official road, which is relatively safe, but it will take about 5 more days."

"Five days...that's probably too long."

The head of the food association frowned first:

"We're nearing the critical point of our sealing spell on the safe. If we encounter any more trouble along the way, we'll be in a very passive position."

"Yes, this has taken a bit too long."

Melody chimed in, agreeing:

"It originally took about 10 days to travel from Suli City to the capital, and with these 5 days added... our time for the third assessment will be very tight."

"That's right, time is the most precious thing, so this plan is only a last resort."

Tia nodded to herself, chuckling as she continued:

"So what I really want to ask for everyone's opinion on is... the next two options. Both options will take about an extra day, and their safety levels are about the same."

"What plan?" Valensa asked at the opportune moment.

"The first route is to retreat about 30 kilometers, change course at the previous intersection, head south to Giro Port, and then take a boat from Giro Port to the capital."

Tia first drew a route heading south with her pen:

"The land routes in this plan are mostly official roads, so there's not much to worry about in terms of safety. But once we get to the unpredictable sea..."

"Is it possible that the unknown... or even dangers we are completely powerless to resist, could arise?"

Valensa frowned, then shrugged:

"Of course, it's also possible that everything goes smoothly all the way to the finish line... but I don't like that option because I've never been very confident in my luck."

"I think this plan is quite good."

Melody raised a different opinion:

"Although the deep sea is indeed very dangerous, even powerful experts at the Shining Rank can perish there, the waters near the mainland are relatively safe... My family has a fleet that frequently trades with the Four Islands Alliance, and according to statistics, the probability of encountering a shipwreck is not high."

"Probability... never mind, let's hear about another option first."

Valensa smiled noncommittally at Meludy, then looked at Tia again, waiting for her to continue.

"The third option... is actually to take the official road to the north as a detour."

As Tia spoke, she drew a line north on the map with her pen:

“But instead of going back the way we came and detouring through Suli City, we will go directly through about 90 kilometers of wilderness from here… There are no human roads or settlements along these 90 kilometers, and the number and strength of monsters are much higher than near the official road, making the dangers equally unpredictable.”

"Crossing through a real wilderness... I think that's a good idea."

Valensa was the first to state her position:

“There are indeed many monsters in places without official roads and human settlements, but it is rare to find powerful monsters of the Radiant Rank or above... Those powerful monsters mostly live in the Misty Mountains and the Witch Forest.”

But the ocean is a different story. The underwater ecosystem is too chaotic, and you never know when a Moon-class sea monster might pass by and swallow us like a snack.

"That's incredibly unlucky!"

It was Melody who raised a different opinion:

"Anyway, I still think it's better to take a boat from Kiro Port... Compared to the number of people who die in shipwrecks, the number of people who die from monsters in the wild each year is more than ten times that!"

Because while there's a chance of encountering danger when traveling by boat, you're guaranteed to be attacked by monsters in the wild!

"If there's a monster attack, why not just kill or repel it?"

Valensa argued her case logically:

"I have nearly three years of adventurer experience. Most monsters in the wild aren't that strong. Even Pearl-level monsters usually have their own territories. With our strength, what do we have to be afraid of?"

"Isn't that just some rich girl's childish adventure experience?"

Melody immediately snorted disdainfully:

"You probably won't feel threatened by monsters if you only go to familiar places... but can an adventurer who only does quests in familiar areas still be called an adventurer? Do you know the ecological environment and monster distribution along this 90-kilometer route as well as you do the areas you usually frequent? Hmm?"

Chapter 101 Secret Technique: The Fate of an Encounter

"This……"

Valensa truly had no idea what monsters might exist along the 90-kilometer journey, but that didn't stop her from sticking to her opinion:

"Even if everyone is unfamiliar with this road, the most we'll be facing are just lone Lighthouse-level monsters, which we should be able to handle."

But what about the ocean? What if you really encounter an insurmountable sea monster?

"I……"

Melody was speechless; she truly didn't know what to do.

But she didn't change her mind:

"But that's a low-probability event! I think it's better to take a boat from the south!"

The two women's meaning was clear.

Heading north requires traversing a 90-kilometer stretch of wilderness, where you will inevitably encounter various monsters and engage in battles, but the monsters will not be ridiculously strong.

Heading south to the port to board a ship, the entire land route is an official road with no worries, and statistically speaking, the sea voyage is also likely to be uneventful, but there is a very small chance of encountering an irresistible shipwreck.

The other members of the team had similar opinions, with some supporting Valensa and others supporting Melody. They quickly split into two factions and started arguing, finding it difficult to convince each other.

"Stop arguing!"

In crucial moments, it's still up to Tia, as the team leader, to make the decisions.

She looked directly at Valencia, the leader of the Northern faction, and smiled gently:

"The reason you don't approve of taking a boat is because you're worried we might encounter an unavoidable shipwreck, right? What if we could eliminate that possibility? Would you agree then?"

"Is that even a question? Of course!"

Valensa nodded vigorously:

"As long as the safety issue can be resolved, isn't sunbathing and fishing on the deck much more comfortable than fighting various monsters in the wild?"

"That'll be easy."

Snapped.

Tia snapped her fingers, her slightly raised face radiating confidence:

"I can solve this problem... I can know in advance whether we will encounter danger!"

"To know in advance whether we will encounter danger..."