episode_0131

Everyone shook their heads at Cedric’s words.

“Good. Then let’s depart.”

Under Cedric’s lead, the group left the fortress and moved towards their assigned sector.

Their speed was exceptionally fast.

As every squad member was practically a superhuman, even their cautious movement speed matched a normal person’s full sprint.

In just one hour, we spotted a village of about 100 households in the distance.

As we approached closer to the village, an old man with white hair, who seemed to have come out to greet us, and a middle-aged man, who appeared to be the village’s guard captain, approached us.

“You’ve arrived just in time, Knight.”

“Pleased to meet you, Village Chief. But has something happened? The atmosphere in the village seems strange.”

Looking around, all the villagers were whispering with grim faces.

To one side, women were comforting a drooping, dispirited little girl.

The Village Chief gestured, and they quickly brought her over to us.

“The truth is, sir. A few days ago, this child’s uncle went to the mountains to pick mushrooms and disappeared. He hasn’t returned yet.”

“Disappeared, you say? Surely he didn’t go to a place where monsters reside?”

“No, that can’t be. Jimmy is a local. There’s no way he wouldn’t know.”

Uncle Jimmy, niece Amy.

The Village Chief introduced Amy, explaining that she had lost her parents and was living solely dependent on her uncle, trying to evoke sympathy.

He added that Jimmy had gone to the mountains to pick mushrooms even for Amy’s sake.

Perhaps his ploy worked, as Cedric, who had been listening intently, asked for our opinion.

“Everyone. It seems we should search the mountain. This matter appears urgent, too pressing to return to the fortress and report. Is there anyone who objects?”

How many people could object at a time like this? Even if they had complaints inwardly, it would be very difficult to express them in front of a child grieving the loss of her uncle.

However, a slightly unexpected situation occurred here.

“Let’s go right away. Let’s find her uncle.”

It was none other than Regina Solias who was the first to agree.

This made Cedric feel more at ease.

“Really? Thank you, Imperial Prin—”

“Quiet. Are you planning to make a ruckus? Just be still.”

Regina, having clamped shut Cedric’s mouth as he was about to reveal her identity, turned her head to gaze at Amy intently, then knelt down to lower herself.

“More importantly, you’re Amy, right? Are you… worried about your uncle?”

What kind of idiotic question was this?

There was no one who wouldn’t be worried when their only remaining kin had vanished without a trace.

Especially if it was a child as young as nine.

However, strangely, Amy didn’t nod but merely stared up at her.

Facing those hollow, empty eyes, Regina curled the corners of her mouth into a smirk.

“You’re not, are you? I knew it. There’s no need to say it. Alright. From now on, I’ll make sure you have nothing to worry about.”

Regina, muttering incomprehensible words, straightened her body by unbending her knees.

And just as she was about to turn her back.

“How do you know, Unnie?”

Amy’s heavily sealed lips opened.

Regina paused for a moment, then faced her again, casually spitting out, “Just because.”

“…Just because?”

“Yes. I just know.”

It seemed like an insincere answer.

But for Amy, it seemed to be enough, as she nodded with a faint smile.

Thus, we moved towards the mountain without even stepping foot inside the village.

“Squad Leader. Do monsters often come down to the village?”

“…No. Almost never. The situation is a bit different these days because it’s harvest season, which is why we’re searching even more thoroughly. Most importantly, if it truly were the work of a monster, they should have already raided the village by now.”

“That makes sense.”

Isis understood Cedric’s explanation.

I listened to the series of conversations, subtly glancing at Regina from the corner of my eye.

‘What could it be, I wonder?’

Given how she interacted with Amy earlier, she clearly knew something, but I couldn’t for the life of me guess what it was.

And asking would hurt my pride.

If asked what kind of pride this was for, I’d be at a loss for words, but that’s how it was.

Besides, I didn’t even think Regina would readily answer if I asked.

‘Oh well, I don’t know.’

Anyway, while searching, some clues were bound to emerge. It wouldn’t be too late to think about it then.

I roughly shook off my stray thoughts.

And while I was doing that, we had already arrived at the mountain’s edge where Jimmy was last said to have gone.

“From now on, you must be extremely careful. We don’t know when a monster might jump out. So first, let’s go to the spot the Village Chief told us about.”

They hadn’t simply neglected the village.

Based on the information provided by the Village Chief, Cedric reached the spot where Jimmy’s tracks disappeared.

“Indeed, he suddenly vanished here. …Imperial Princess. Can you track him?”

“Wait. I’m looking.”

Regina, who had been meticulously examining the ground, furrowed her brow and then looked up at the sky.

More precisely, she stared at the thick trees overhead, then suddenly leaped onto a tree branch.

She skillfully balanced on the thin branch, stretching her long legs to move across the treetops, and a strange light shone in her eyes.

“Found it. Follow me.”

And then, without hesitation, she began moving by leaping from tree to tree.

We hastily followed behind her.

A moment later, Regina descended in front of a hole about 1 meter in diameter, located in the middle of a clearing.

“The tracks completely vanish here.”

“No, why is this here?”

Seeing the hole, Cedric made a dismayed expression, as if he knew what it was.

“Squad Leader. What is this hole?”

“…This is a trace of movement from a Steel Mole, a creature that inhabits the demonic realm. It seems they’ve secretly burrowed all the way here from underground tunnels. To not be detected by detection magic… what could have happened? This is serious.”

This meant Jimmy was ultimately dragged away by Steel Moles.

Isis, puzzled, immediately posed a question.

“Squad Leader. If I’m not mistaken, Steel Moles primarily operate underground, correct? Definitely not up in trees.”

“That’s right. Which makes it even stranger. Imperial Princess. Is it true that Jimmy’s tracks continued through the trees?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“That means something other than a Steel Mole was involved.”

Cedric fell into thought.

He was probably assessing whether they should continue the pursuit without reporting the current situation of a monster infiltrating beyond the fortress.

In the worst case, if they pushed the pursuit and we were defeated, the Western Front could suffer significant damage from monsters without even knowing.

Soon, he made a decision.

“I apologize to you all, but can we continue the pursuit? Though the chances are slim, Jimmy might still be alive. Imperial Princess. May I ask this of you?”

“…You don’t need to beg like that. I wasn’t planning on stopping anyway. Let’s hurry then. I have a rough idea of where it leads.”

Regina lightly stepped around the hole, discerned the direction from the slight sinking of the ground, and ran.

It wasn’t long before they found a much larger pit than the one they had seen before.

Dried bloodstains were visible at the entrance.

“It’s inside here. Seems like a nest, doesn’t it?”

“This blood… it’s about three days old.”

“…Three days matches the time Jimmy disappeared.”

“Yes. It seems he was devoured here.”

The group, sensing Jimmy’s death, all darkened their faces.

Except for Regina.

‘What is it, really?’

Just as doubt resurfaced.

“Dodge!”

Regina sent a warning to everyone, and almost simultaneously, Isis pulled me.

*Thud!*

My face was buried in her chest.

A suffocating tightness and a feeling of happiness coexisted as my breathing was cut off. As I instinctively flailed my hands, Isis pushed her chest against me with more force, wrapping her free hand around my waist and leaping backward.

*Slash slash!*

By a hair’s breadth, steel-like claws burst from the ground and violently slashed at the spot.

I struggled to pull my face away from her chest and turned my head, seeing three other extras hanging from Cedric’s and Regina’s hands.

After a brief airborne moment, Isis landed on the ground and released me.

“Ruan! Stick close to your Noona!”

“Yes. I understand.”

Anyway, in terms of formation, Isis and I were almost always close together. There was no big problem in maintaining our current positions.

Similarly, Cedric, who had set down the extras, immediately drew his sword and shouted.

“Everyone, form a defensive perimeter! We don’t know when they’ll attack!”

As soon as we hastily gathered in the center at his cry, the ground began to tremble.

*Rustle rustle—*

It looked like earthworms wriggling underground.

Five Steel Moles, encircling us, spun around, looking for an opening.

A brief standoff ensued.

*Whoosh!*

Like a flying fish soaring above the water, a Steel Mole burst from the ground and charged, its sharp claws leading the way.

*Clang!*

“Ugh!”

The claws harshly scraped against Abel’s shield, which had been interposed.

The Steel Mole submerged into the ground again.

The creatures repeatedly struck and retreated, intending to thoroughly exhaust our stamina in that manner.

It was then, as everyone clicked their tongues in frustration.

“Isis. Send all of them flying. You can do it, right?”

“Yes. Please finish them off.”

Isis exchanged an unknown signal with Regina, then thrust her spear forcefully into the ground.

[For Victory!]

*Boom!*

Her unique skill activated, spreading a wave of silver light that sent all the Steel Moles within its area flying into the sky.

Immediately after, Regina shot an arrow.

The flaming arrow, released from the bowstring, split into five strands midway, embedded itself into the Steel Moles, and caused an explosion.

*Explosions!*

With that powerful force, the creatures were roasted to a crisp and plummeted to the ground.

A strong meaty aroma stung their noses.

“Huh!? Th-this is…”

Cedric, who had been steeling his resolve, revealed his dismay at the battle that ended in an instant.

Isis bowed her head to him.

“I apologize for acting on my own, Squad Leader.”

“Oh, no! That was amazing. Truly befitting of the Student Council President. It’s an incredible skill. You’re quite dependable!”

Cedric smiled brightly.

Whether he was genuinely happy or simply found it more natural to move on like this, thanks to him, the atmosphere didn’t become awkward.

He checked to ensure the Steel Moles were definitely dead, then pointed at the pit.

“Then let’s check inside first. Be careful, as there might still be some left.”

Under Cedric’s command, we slowly entered, maintaining our formation.

Fortunately, however, there were no remaining stragglers.

Only gnawed and discarded bone fragments remained inside.

Cedric picked up an ordinary leather watch from among the bones.

“Hmm… this seems to be Jimmy’s. We should at least take this with us.”

We began to collect the remains.

Even as everyone carefully placed the bones into a sack, Regina casually tossed them in.

With Jimmy’s remains and belongings, the group returned to the village.