Ch.174Reconnaissance++

# 174. Reconnaissance++

“…Huh?”

After hearing my answer, the commander blinked for a moment, opening and closing his mouth. It was clearly a reaction of someone who hadn’t expected this at all.

Perhaps it was like, “How dare a lowborn adventurer talk back to someone of my noble status?”

As the commander exhaled sharply, unable to say anything, the officer beside him, who appeared to be his adjutant, twisted his face in displeasure.

“Your insolence reaches the heavens! The reconnaissance captain himself has graciously offered you advice, and you dare to refuse?”

“I answered that I won’t choose either option.”

“…Are you deliberately insulting us!”

Oh. So this is what elite nobles in a class-based society are like?

I merely answered a question, yet their behavior is so “noble” that I don’t know how to react.

“Wouldn’t it be better for both of us if you just ignored us? We both have missions to accomplish, and engaging in unnecessary arguments in this situation seems wasteful in many ways.”

“Are you… lecturing me? A mere adventurer?”

Wow.

I decided that I’m not talking to a person but to a wall. A wall that produces human sounds. I had to think of it that way. It was too blatant and expected, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t irritating.

Give it a rest, people. We know we’re parachuted in, and we know you’re annoyed about it, but you should separate personal feelings from duty.

“How could I lecture you? I’m simply expressing our thoughts. As I have a mission from the Vice Commander, I can’t just back down here… you understand that, don’t you?”

If you’re so annoyed, maybe you should have become the Vice Commander yourself.

I pulled out the paper the Vice Commander had given me. The wind that happened to blow made the paper flutter slightly, as if taunting them. I didn’t wave it intentionally, but it seemed to infuriate the commander and his adjutant.

But what could I do?

Even though this reconnaissance route had an extremely low probability of encountering monsters, it was still a highly unsuitable place to “show off skills.”

Besides, even if we were parachuted in, we were the Vice Commander’s parachutes. If the Vice Commander had a bad reputation, his protection would have been useless, but even in our brief time here, we could feel the Vice Commander’s overwhelming presence.

Therefore, their reaction was predictable.

“Krevin. Enough. Ignore them.”

“But—”

“Krevin.”

“…Understood, Reconnaissance Captain. Let’s go!”

The hostile atmosphere dissipated instantly. The reconnaissance team departed again without giving us a second glance. If we had been inside the fortress rather than outside, they might have responded differently, but unfortunately, we were outside. We simply watched their backs and followed them once they had moved a suitable distance away.

Seyeon, who was beside me, asked worriedly:

“Captain. Those people are annoying, but shouldn’t we stay closer to them?”

“We just need to familiarize ourselves with the reconnaissance route. Those guys have experience, so they probably don’t really need us. And we don’t particularly need their military strength either. Even though they acted like that, they probably won’t completely abandon us because that would make them uncomfortable too.”

“Ah, I see…”

“The reconnaissance team is on the track to receive the most merits, and this is an extremely important situation, so they won’t do anything foolish. We can just tag along and conserve our energy.”

“Wouldn’t it have been better to humor them if that’s the case?”

Subin, who had been listening quietly, asked. I shook my head and answered:

“They were already full of hostility toward us before we even did anything. If we had time to build trust by running around like in a game, maybe, but now? I doubt it.”

“If that’s your judgment.”

After that, we fell silent. This was a place where monsters could appear from anywhere at any time, and we hadn’t forgotten Lord Delton’s teachings.

– Path. Detour. Excessive.

– Doubt. Negative. Continue. Forward.

The reconnaissance team ahead moved in such S-shaped and U-shaped patterns that I doubted whether we were going the right way, but they managed to avoid monsters in Zone 2 with remarkable skill.

Unlike Zone 1, we did occasionally spot monsters in Zone 2, and each time, the team would chant something or spray something into the air. It looked like they were performing some kind of Indian rain dance while spraying insect repellent, but it worked, so I couldn’t complain.

And amazingly, there wasn’t a single battle until we passed through Zone 2. Even now, when the number of monsters had increased dramatically due to the “accident.”

‘They definitely have skills. That’s probably why our presence irritates them more.’

Knowing all too well that fighting ability isn’t everything, I still found it hard to believe that a reconnaissance team with such skills had made a “mistake” severe enough to crack the seal. Even accounting for individual differences.

– Feeling. Negative. Good.

– Caution.

– Vanguard. Stop.

A new milestone appeared. It seemed to be the boundary between Zones 2 and 3, but unlike the previous milestone, it was so damaged that it was difficult to recognize at a glance.

It gave an eerie, chilling feeling, like looking at an abandoned house.

Not only Yuri with her good intuition, but all of us, including myself, felt the ominousness and were on high alert. The reconnaissance team, which had gone a little way into Zone 3, suddenly made a U-turn and approached us.

I thought they might be coming to pick another obvious fight, but…

– Main force. Withdraw.

– Reason. Provide. Please.

– Advance. Impossible. Danger. Level. High.

– Detour. Suggest.

– Impossible. Main force. Withdraw.

The reconnaissance team’s hand signals indicating that we couldn’t go forward, couldn’t detour, and that they were suddenly returning to the fortress because it was dangerous were unexpected. For a moment, I wondered if these bastards were trying to mess with us, but that didn’t seem to be the case—one wrong move or foolish action could get everyone killed. They also seemed competent, regardless of their personalities.

Given the abilities they had shown so far, their claim that they couldn’t proceed likely meant that they genuinely couldn’t advance as we had been doing.

– Seal site. Map. Please.

– Impossible. Classified.

– Reconnaissance. Continue. Map. Please.

The commander’s eyebrows twitched. His expression said, “What crazy nonsense is this lowborn adventurer spouting?”

– Main force. Withdraw.

– Detailed. Explanation. Please.

– Obligation. Negative.

– Independent. Action.

You’re withdrawing because it’s dangerous? Then at least give us a map so we can continue the reconnaissance.

The map is classified so you can’t give it to us? Then at least explain in detail why you’re withdrawing. For reference.

You have no obligation to do that? Fine, I’ll act independently then.

The commander’s expression, which had been consistently arrogant, became completely distorted. He formed a hand sign in the air and approached me, trying to grab my collar.

“You crazy—”

“Yuri.”

I raised my hand to stop Yuri, who was rushing forward immediately. The commander flinched momentarily at Yuri’s fierce aura, but when I stopped her, he grabbed my collar and growled in a whisper:

“You inexperienced greenhorn. You seem to have made a name for yourself as an adventurer and lost your fear, but just because we haven’t encountered monsters so far, do you think this place is easy?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“A reconnaissance team member questioning the reconnaissance captain’s orders—that would be unthinkable, but since you’re just a lowborn adventurer, I’ll do you the favor of explaining. Listen carefully. The area ahead is extremely dangerous. Not only is the demonic energy thicker than usual, but enemies of a scale that our reconnaissance team cannot resist were detected just 150 paces away. Of course, the monsters in Zone 3 are stronger than those in Zones 1 and 2. Will you still spout nonsense about acting independently?”

“I understand the reason. But wasn’t the reconnaissance target the seal site?”

“You fool! Can’t you understand that approach is impossible?”

“The methods we’ve been using until now won’t work?”

“If they would, we wouldn’t have stopped… Wait, are you doubting me?”

“No. I don’t have the mindset for that. I understand why you made that decision. But how are you planning to report if you just retreat from here?”

“That… is none of your concern.”

I know.

We must look like real lunatics, insisting on entering a dangerous place. But what can we do? It’s not like I want to go in there.

Whether my suspicions were right or wrong, I needed to check the situation at the seal site directly at least once.

“I’m not asking you to come with us. At least lend us the map.”

“The reconnaissance route map is a top-secret document of the fortress. Do you think you’re something special just because the Vice Commander granted you independent action rights?”

“I’m not special, but I received a request from the Vice Commander. And I also need to avenge Lord Delton’s drinking buddy.”

“…Ha. Listen, adventurer. Why go to such lengths when you’re not even part of the fortress? A request? Revenge? Aren’t you adventurers the type who don’t properly do your jobs after getting what you want, and don’t show your faces when there’s nothing to gain?”

Beside me, Subin tapped her left wrist with her finger. Probably meaning that the sound barrier was becoming precarious.

“So what am I trying to gain by crawling all the way here? This mere adventurer.”

I swallowed a sigh and answered:

“For the safety and peace of the continent. What we want is the same as what you want. If the continent falls, we won’t be able to travel around it, will we?”

The commander’s expression changed strangely.