Kumodesu

After we arrived, Charlot immediately ordered the camp to be set up so everyone could rest. Then she sent Team Two along with a dozen others southwest to support the Commander's group.

"You're not going?" I asked.

"Someone needs to stay and command here."

I didn't expect her to be this concerned. Compared to what I had thought, she truly cared about others.

After chatting with her for a bit, I returned to the research team's tent. My mission was basically complete at this point, so I could start preparing to return.

I found Seryl inside the tent, reading a book.

"Miss Seryl."

She looked up and smiled.

"Back already?"

Even though she smiled, I couldn't shake the sense of danger coming from her somehow.

I sat down and recounted what had happened, of course leaving out the personal conversations I had with Charlot.

"You've had a rough time," Seryl said, not questioning why I had such strong combat skills—she just encouraged me.

Was this what it felt like to find the right person?

We chatted until evening, when the support team returned along with the Commander's group. They had looked so valiant when they left, but now they were a mess, and their numbers had dropped significantly.

They held another meeting, but thankfully I wasn't summoned this time. So I stayed in the tent talking to Seryl.

A little while later, Charlot entered.

The moment she and Seryl locked eyes, I felt the atmosphere become unbearably tense.

Charlot had come to inform me about the meeting.

"The Commander's group lost over a hundred people, and the support team we sent lost more than half."

That meant the total losses were close to what we suffered in the previous battle. Not to brag, but this time I did very well—my side had lost less than ten people.

"Why did the Commander want to split us into two groups?"

I had been wondering about this for a while, so I took the chance to ask.

Charlot didn't answer right away. She glanced at Seryl, then sighed.

"Some freeloaders wanted merit without lifting a finger, so the Commander decided to give them that chance."

I knew she was referring to those useless noble heirs, but something about it didn't sit right.

"So... did it work?"

"Those idiots were forced to fight when pushed to the brink. Clumsy as they were, they've been trained since birth and have plenty of skills."

So I guess you could say it was a success.

"What's the next step?" I asked.

"We'll rest for a few days first, then start planning how to cross the valley," Charlot replied before bidding farewell and leaving.

"Miss Seryl."

I waited until Charlot had left before speaking up.

"What is it?"

"The road ahead is dangerous."

"I know."

I didn't know what else to say. I wanted to tell her I'd protect her, but the words got caught in my throat.

"Will you protect me?" Seryl suddenly asked.

I used all the resolve I had to answer that I would.

"I'll protect you too."

Her response confused me a little.

"Let's go eat."

Before I could even process what she said, Seryl had already made the suggestion, so I had no choice but to follow her.

After dinner, I returned to my own tent to learn more about the valley. All I knew was that it was a valley, but I had no idea about the details. I thought about asking Charlot, but it was too late at night, so I had to figure it out myself.

I searched through some documents I had brought along for the journey.

Ah, here it is.

There wasn't much information on the valley.

It had no official name, but it was one of the largest valleys in the Lubberia region. If one wanted to go from the capital to the Great Dungeon of Ebrinat, they had to pass through it.

The valley stretched over 50 miles and was divided into three main segments.

The first segment posed no real danger and had a fairly wide path, but in the second segment, the path narrowed, and beneath the valley walls lived a species known as Scutigera. Normally, they stayed hidden in the dark, but when prey approached, they attacked.

This would be our first obstacle.

Scutigera were multi-legged, venomous creatures that lived in the dark. Their skin was poisonous, and they could produce silk from their tails to drag prey downward.

A bizarre biological structure, really.

They were a major hassle.

Because the path would be narrow and we had so many people, it would be difficult to navigate through without issues. Then came the third segment, which was also the shortest—only about ten miles—but by far the most dangerous.

It was a cursed zone.

No one knew why, but creatures passing through it risked having all their life force drained if they weren't careful.

Staying within the designated path kept you safe from the curse, but the safe zone was narrow, so nothing was guaranteed.

Earlier, when talking with Charlot, I came to a realization: not everyone was expected to return from this journey. Some wouldn't make it through.

This had to be King Arsorl's doing—using the expedition to quietly purge some of the more ambitious noble heirs and restrain their influence, while at the same time fostering talents like Alger and Charlot.

A truly insidious plan.

I had to be more careful myself.

I sat and thought through possible strategies for the upcoming journey, but before I knew it, it was already midnight. I hadn't come up with anything useful. There were just too many people—anything could happen in the chaos.

I stepped out of the tent. By now, only a few soldiers on night watch remained awake—most were resting in preparation for the journey.

"Can't sleep?"

A voice startled me slightly.

"You act like a thief sneaking around."

"You're not sleeping either?"

Charlot walked over to me, holding a cup of wine.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Stashed it before the trip."

Then she pulled another bottle from her bag and handed it to me.

"This has to be against regulations," I said, accepting the bottle but not drinking right away.

"What's there to worry about? I just shared a few rounds with the Commander."

"You…"

I hadn't expected the Commander to be so carefree.

"Everyone's been too tense. They need something to calm their nerves."

"You don't look that tense to me."

Finally feeling relaxed, I uncorked the bottle and took a long swig.

Truthfully, I'd been on edge too.

Charlot downed her drink and poured another, repeating the process several times before finally speaking:

"People with nothing to lose aren't afraid of death."

I watched her drink and wasn't sure what to say. Every noble family has its own internal power struggles, and hers was no exception.

She had joined the army to escape that, and she rarely ever mentioned her family.

It was as if she had already accepted her own death.

"If you're unhappy, just push others out of the way. Why hurt yourself?"

That's all I could manage to say, but Charlot laughed.

"If only it were that easy…"

We sat under a tree and finished a few bottles, but we both had high tolerance and were still very much sober. We drank in silence, staring at the night sky, though the moon tonight was hidden.

"Hey, what do you think would've happened if I had accepted your offer back then?"

I paused to remember what she meant.

Ah!

Back when we first met, I had found her interesting and casually asked her to join me. Her response was to throw a sword straight at my head.

"Looks like you've changed."

Looking at her now, I realized just how much she had changed. Someone who always drank alone in gloomy silence… yet after some time, she had grown in ways that surprised even me.

"Actually, I hesitated back then," she continued. "I hit you not because I rejected the idea, but because I was afraid I might say yes if you kept talking…"

I stared at her in surprise.

"I knew you were joking, but if you'd kept going, I might've agreed. So I had to shut you up."

So she hadn't changed after all.

I thought I understood this friend of mine, but in reality, I didn't know her at all. Thinking back to what I said earlier, I felt embarrassed.

"You're still hesitating, aren't you?"

Charlot didn't answer. She just stared at the sky.

I stayed quiet, waiting for her reply.

I knew she was struggling with herself, and interrupting wouldn't help.

"How much do you value your life?" she finally asked.

"When there's someone I want to protect," I said calmly.

"I see…"

As an assassin, I had come close to death many times, but I hadn't cared. Like Charlot said—if you have nothing to lose, death isn't frightening.

But now… I had something I couldn't afford to lose.

"Would you die for that person?"

I didn't answer. I simply nodded.

"Then I guess I have to try harder," Charlot said, then stood and walked away.

I watched her back as she left, not knowing what to do.

She was probably the first real friend I'd ever had, so I wanted to help her. But what imprisoned her was her own ideals—something only she could work through.

…

Two days later.

I was summoned to attend the meeting before entering the valley.

The same familiar faces filled the room, but half of them were wrapped in bandages, while the other half were perfectly intact.

What an awkward sight…

"This time, it won't be complicated since there's only one route. Still, I want to confirm a few things first."

As usual, the Commander was the first to speak.

I stood silently beside the Vice Director . Honestly, even though I had been right last time, the danger this time was far greater, so I had no intention of making suggestions.

I sighed quietly and prayed they wouldn't drag me into this.

"Everyone should already be familiar with the valley, so I'll keep this brief," the Commander began. "Regarding the Scutigera, they'll be a nuisance if we don't deal with them properly, so I think we need a strategy. Any suggestions?"

No one answered.

"Vice Director , what are your thoughts?"

The Vice Director merely stayed silent in thought.

"If nothing goes wrong, it'll be manageable," he finally said. "But we haven't properly scouted the area, so it's difficult to predict."

He wasn't helping at all. I knew full well he just didn't want to get involved. When it came to research, though, no one was more serious than him.

"Loyral, what do you think?"

Being called on so suddenly, I was a little caught off guard.

Why did it have to be my turn so soon?

I pushed aside all emotion and focused. This was my first time at the valley, so I wasn't familiar with the Scutigera.

Then I remembered—a past mission where I had briefly passed through this area. One of the members back then had explained the Scutigera's weakness to us for safety.

"They're blind!"

I blurted it out before I could stop myself.

"And what's your basis for that?"

I tried to recall exactly what that person had said back then...

"Scutigera hunt using their sense of hearing and smell. They use their ears to detect sound, and their noses to identify prey. If it's something they can eat, they'll attack. If not, they'll just try to scare it off their territory."

"So what kind of creatures do they not eat?"

"Venomous Serpents!"

"Why?"

"Because Scutigera and Venomous Serpents are natural enemies in this forest. They once fought over territory and the Scutigera lost, which is why they were forced to live in the valley."

"If Venomous Serpents consider eating Scutigera a mark of pride, then Scutigera would rather die than eat their enemy's flesh. So if we mask our scent with that of a serpent, we can pass safely."

"But if we encounter a mutated Scutigera, that trick might not work. Their senses are far stronger than the regular ones."

Yes, that was it.

I recalled the whole conversation and recited it word for word.

Everyone fell silent, processing the sudden information. It was all a bit too convenient, and understandably difficult to believe.

I simply stood and waited. I'd already said everything I knew.

"Getting the scent of the Venomous Serpents won't be easy," the Commander finally said.

"But is this information even reliable? Where'd you hear it from?" someone asked suspiciously—it was the captain of Squad Four, Marg.

"From the 'Bestiary of Sage Valltilas,'" I lied without hesitation.

He said nothing further.

"If it's from that, we can verify it. Let's not debate that point anymore," someone else chimed in.

"The main issues now," the Commander continued, "are: obtaining the serpent's scent and scouting for mutated Scutigera."

"We'll need a large number of serpents, and causing that much commotion will attract other dangerous creatures."

"I can help," a voice called out.

It was Alger.

Everyone turned toward him.

"I have a skill that lets me teleport objects—but only within a 50-mile radius. I can be in charge of retrieving the serpent corpses."

Oh, now that was convenient. He really should've mentioned that earlier.

"Good. Then the Vice Commander and I will head to the serpent nest."

"Uh, I'll need to set coordinates at both locations in order to teleport…" Alger added.

So it wasn't going to be that easy after all.

"Then we'll bring you along… and you too," the Commander said, pointing at me.

Oh, come on. I'm just a researcher…

"Alright, that settles that issue. Next, we need to determine whether any mutated Scutigera are present. I don't think I need to say much more?"

"Yes, sir," the scouting squad's captain replied, his face pale. Clearly, he was under a lot of pressure too.

Being a grunt like us really is rough.

After the meeting, I returned to inform Seryl.

"You have to go again?" she asked, her voice full of reluctance.

"Sorry. I'll try to return as quickly as I can."

Right now, I could only offer meaningless reassurances. I wanted to hug her but didn't dare.

"Be careful. I'll be here waiting for you."

Before I could react, Seryl stepped forward and hugged me.

"I'll definitely come back!" I returned her hug tightly.

The next day, we departed before the sun reached its peak—this was when most creatures were still asleep, making travel easier.

The Commander led the way, followed by Charlot and me, with Alger taking up the rear. Alger seemed to be struggling to keep up with the fast pace.

I could match Charlot's speed but not the Commander's. I guess I was wrong to think Charlot was the fastest.

This Commander… I felt I needed to be extra cautious around him.

After a day's journey, we reached the Venomous Serpents' territory. We encountered some combat along the way, but since we focused on defense and retreat, we avoided serious injuries.

"Alger, set up the coordinates," the Commander ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Alger performed some action, and a glowing ring appeared.

"As long as you place things in here, I can teleport them to the other side. But this ring only lasts two hours, and I'll need a full day to reuse it."

The Commander nodded, then turned to me. "You and Charlot take the left. I'll go right. Alger, collect the serpent corpses."

We quickly split up according to the plan. The left side had the largest nest, along with dozens of smaller ones nearby. There were likely over a hundred serpents here.

"This might be the first time we've fought together," Charlot said, catching me slightly off guard.

"Right? Try not to slow me down."

"Look who's talking," she replied, drawing her sword.

I took out two chains and my dagger, activating stealth mode.

"Be careful—there's a mutated one here. Let's clear the smaller ones first."

I nodded, and we launched into battle.

Charlot had a defensive skill, so she led from the front while I covered the rear and sides.

We worked well together. The smaller serpents went down in one hit, so we cut through them quickly—over a hundred were slain in no time.

From afar, Alger was collecting and teleporting the remains. Even without fighting, the constant running had left him visibly exhausted.

"The mutated one is here."

As Charlot said that, a massive serpent appeared, its body covered in scars.

"I recognize it. That's the same mutated one that fought in the previous battle. The captain smashed its head in," she added childishly.

"Should we kill it?"

"Killing it would be worth a hundred normal ones—but it's much more dangerous. Your call."

"The faster option."

"Then let's do it."

Charlot activated her barrier and charged the serpent at high speed. I threw two chains to bind its neck and launched my dagger at its head from another angle.

The serpent, restrained, released a cloud of poisonous gas, but it vanished on contact with Charlot's barrier. She swung her sword and slashed deep into its body, while my dagger missed the mark, hitting only its eye.

"Keep going," Charlot said.

Her sword lit up with a blue flame as she continued hacking away, while the serpent struggled against my chains.

Trying to break free, huh?

Seeing the chains weaken, I added two more—now four in total. I could manage up to eight, but it consumed a lot of SP, so I usually stuck to two unless necessary.

The extra chains locked the serpent in place, leaving it helpless against Charlot's strikes. Finally, she ended it with a slash to the head, then kicked the corpse toward Alger and resumed fighting the smaller ones.

"You should rest. You've used up too much."

Using that flaming sword had clearly drained a lot of her SP and MP—her face was pale.

"Then I'll leave the rest to you."

Charlot didn't argue and moved back to guard me. I pushed my speed to the limit and cleared out the rest.

After an hour, the job was done. I looked just like Charlot earlier—covered in cuts and bruises.

Charlot stepped in to catch me as I nearly collapsed. We didn't say a word—just leaned on each other and returned to our starting point, leaving Alger to collect the remains.

As we arrived, we saw the Commander approaching from another direction. He was wounded too, but still in better shape than us. None of us spoke—we simply sat down to rest while Alger finished his task.

We recovered until near dawn, then retraced our steps, returning at the same time as before.

This short trip had taken nearly three days.

Back at camp, everyone had already begun preparing for the assault.

We skinned the serpents and used their hides to mask ourselves with their scent. Some refused because of how filthy it was, but naturally, no one cared about their complaints.

"Any scouting updates?" the Commander asked upon returning.

"We've identified two mutated Scutigera. The rest are still unconfirmed."

That hit us like a hammer. One mutated creature was bad enough—now we had two, and that was just what we'd confirmed.

"We can't stay here forever. We need to scout again," the Commander said.

"You mean… you want someone to scout ahead…?"

Everyone here wasn't stupid. They understood immediately—someone had to volunteer for a potential suicide mission.

The noble brats went pale with fear.

"I'll go," Charlot said suddenly.

"Hmm. With your speed, you'll be fine—but we'll need more people."

Her volunteering eased the tension, but when the Commander said we needed more, everyone clammed up again.

"I'll go too," said the captain of Squad Five, who was also in charge of the scouting this time.

Naturally, he had to go.

Charlot then glanced at me.

I knew why she wanted to go—but why drag me along?

Still, I couldn't refuse.

I raised my hand.

The Commander, as if expecting this all along, confirmed the three of us for the task.