episode_0408

“My goodness. Is the person I’m seeing right now really that person? It feels like there’s someone here who shouldn’t be.”

“Yes, Your Highness. You are indeed looking at the right person.”

Seemingly unable to believe my sudden appearance alongside Chechen, the princess made a joke, and Chechen received it with a smile.

The princess rose from where she was sitting on a rock and approached me closely, placing both hands on my shoulders and patting me up and down.

“What are the chances of a monster transforming into someone we know?”

“I have already confirmed that.”

“…When did you confirm that, Chechen?”

“Well, I couldn’t help it. The Contaminated Zone is an unpredictable place.”

Although a bit flustered, it seemed that I had managed to avoid suspicion by not being attacked.

Chechen’s unusually warm welcome seemed odd, indicating that she had been secretly worried about me.

“I never imagined I would meet you here. How did you manage to come all the way through this fog? You always exceed expectations.”

“Your skills are truly remarkable,” Mona admired.

It wasn’t my abilities that brought me here but rather the powers taken from a man along the way.

“I had no idea I would end up here myself.”

“Was His Majesty very angry?”

“He is currently concerned.”

While he was currently concerned, it implied that if the delay continued, he would become angry.

“Tsk! I didn’t expect such chaos in what should have been a perfect ending just because of the fog.”

“Isn’t it precisely because of the Crown Prince?”

“How do you know that?”

In response to the surprised princess’s question, Chechen replied, “I heard you met the Crown Prince on your way here.”

“You saw something unnecessary.”

It seemed that Princess Mona didn’t want others to know that she had been deceived by the Crown Prince.

With the retaliation ignored, the most crucial matter had been twisted, causing considerable damage to her pride.

“The Crown Prince seems to be lost in the fog. I doubt he can easily escape from here with his own strength.”

“I won’t bother about him. If he appears before me, I might just take his life myself.”

Her voice was dripping with determination.

It was evident that there was no trace of falsehood in her words.

“He came with a guide. Now you can return without further wandering, Your Highness.”

Perhaps wanting to calm the princess’s anger, Chechen immediately delivered the good news.

“Finally, an end to the wandering. It was frustrating not being able to leave here just because of the fog…”

“It’s natural to get lost in the fog. It doesn’t just obstruct the view ahead.”

“Was it not an ordinary fog after all?”

“No. It intentionally distorts your sense of direction, making you lose your way. Without someone skilled in handling the fog, finding the Subjugation Team would have taken much longer.”

Wandering around lost in the fog poses the greatest danger of monster attacks.

The man manipulating the fog guided me to evade monsters using information provided by the fog.

Honestly, it was easy to avoid monsters because they couldn’t see us due to the fog; the man’s guidance wasn’t particularly skillful or comfortable.

“I want to return to the Empire as soon as possible. I’m sure everyone feels the same way.”

The princess seemed eager to hurry back to the Empire, even if it meant pushing herself.

However, she couldn’t ignore the fatigue accumulating among the soldiers as they continued to move.

“The soldiers seem tired. Let them rest before we continue.”

“Should we do that?”

“At the moment, it’s necessary. They need to eat as well.”

Chechen advised the impatient princess to take a rest and explained the reasons why she should do so.

Suddenly, a man who had been quiet and reserved all this time interjected, “We can’t afford to waste any more time. The fog is getting thicker. It’s becoming more dangerous as time passes!”

For a man to speak up in front of the princess required tremendous courage.

Mona, the princess, asked if the thickening fog posed a threat.

“The information conveyed by the fog is eerie. You may not believe this, but it claims that we will all die while laughing gleefully.”

“To say we’ll die while laughing….”

One wrong move could make him seem like a ghost.

Was that why his complexion had been pale since earlier?

“It’s extreme malice. Even the fog seems to have been tainted by corruption.”

When Chechen and I didn’t react strangely to the man’s words, Princess Mona asked, “Am I the only one who doesn’t understand what’s being said?”

“He’s an adept at manipulating the fog, able to receive information from it. He tried to dispel the fog, but it simply wouldn’t listen.”

“Really? How intriguing.”

The fog manipulator seemed unsure how to handle Princess Mona’s interest.

“I’m not lying! Can you see the goosebumps on my body? I’ve been like this since we arrived here.”

“Does this place look very dangerous?”

“I’m not sure. I just feel we need to move as quickly as possible.”

Ignoring the intuition of an awakened individual was not advisable.

Princess Mona and I were well aware of this fact.

“It hasn’t been long since we rested; if we move again so soon, we’ll complain of fatigue.”

Despite hearing the man’s words, Chechen opposed leaving immediately.

The princess, pondering carefully, asked, “If we leave here, will the threat completely disappear?”

“No. Eventually, it will overwhelm us.”

The man, now visibly anxious, bit his lip nervously, trembling and sweating coldly.

“So, a decision must be made. Either postpone facing the attack by leaving or stay here to relax and prepare for the enemy’s assault.”

It was a sound judgment, and Princess Mona and Chechen decided on the latter after discussion.

“We will prepare for battle.”

Thinking they would choose to leave, the man timidly grabbed my sleeve and asked, “Isn’t it better to just run away? I-I can guide you well.”

“It’s safer to stay here and prepare for an attack rather than being ambushed while moving. Protecting someone in a situation with limited visibility during a monster attack is not easy.”

“Gasp!”

Realizing he was the one needing protection, the man was shocked.

Despite the fear urging him to flee, staying put was the most comfortable way to protect himself and prevent sudden incidents.

“To safely return to the capital, we need you. Don’t you also need a team that can protect you? I want to minimize the risks in this environment as much as possible.”

“Of course, that’s how it should be. I’ll keep quiet and behave.”

Understanding that his uninformed insistence could endanger himself, he closed his mouth obediently.

Thanks to the man’s cooperative attitude, we were able to promptly prepare for battle.

“Avoid using wide-range attacks. With the dense fog, there’s a risk of causing harm to allies.”

“Familiarize yourself with the terrain to prevent issues. Due to the fog, securing visibility is not easy.”

“Rather, the urgent task is to establish a serious defense first. Although we won’t be surrounded with the river behind us, it’s necessary to create an escape route.”

Those advising the princess gathered around her, offering various suggestions as she prepared for battle.

The situation of having to fight without clear visibility was enough to put the punitive force on edge.

Nevertheless, the meticulous construction to stop the monsters by the punitive force was skillful and thorough.

I approached a man who seemed absentmindedly sitting after adding some touches to the serious construction site.

“Done!”

Before I could speak to him, he suddenly clenched his fist and cheered out loud.

Curious about his reaction, I asked, “What do you mean by ‘done’?”

“Ah! Y-you startled me. How long have you been there?”

“I just arrived. You seem in good spirits. Have you achieved something?”

I said this, thinking he might remember my advice to use difficulty as a stepping stone to enhance his abilities.

He wasn’t an SSR character, and considering his age, how much could his skills improve just by trying hard?

So, I wasn’t expecting much.

“Yes!”

It was a polite inquiry before starting a conversation, but I received an unexpected response.

“Is it really an achievement?”

Surprised, I asked, and the man excitedly explained, “Yes!! I did it! It’s a small area, but I was able to clear some fog. Of course, it’s nothing significant. Just a little.”

The man’s achievement wasn’t really noteworthy.

It was just being able to clear a bit of fog.

But if I casually dismissed it, his determination might waver.

“How is that just a little? It’s a great accomplishment. Initially, you couldn’t even touch it. In just a few hours, being able to clear the fog shows tremendous growth.”

“Haha! Thank you so much. If I hadn’t heard your advice to use it as a stepping stone for growth, I would have continued to feel frustrated.”

The man’s ability wouldn’t immediately help us significantly.

However, being able to do something he couldn’t before was quite encouraging.

If he practiced more diligently, perhaps he could at least help clear the fog blocking our path.

“Unfortunately, this immediate growth may not be very helpful to the punitive force. The amount of fog cleared is too small, and new fog will likely form soon.”

“If you keep trying, when you break through, maybe you can clear the fog right in front of you?”

In response to my suggestion, the man replied with a determined expression, “I’ll do my best.”

“That will be incredibly helpful. Moving in situations where you can’t see ahead demands more than double the usual effort.”

Even being able to see just what’s under his feet could be a huge help to the punitive force.

The man seemed very willing to contribute to the punitive force, whether due to his own foggy situation or the potential help he could provide.

“If there’s any progress, I’ll let you know.”

The man said enthusiastically, and I patted his shoulder, offering words of encouragement.