Iris was terrified.
Not of the monsters before her.
But of the man standing at the vanguard, facing the monsters head-on—
Carl Marcus.
She was utterly terrified of him.
[Hiiiiiik────]
[Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared.]
[Don't come any closer...]
Her ether trembled, whispering warnings over and over again.
It was inevitable.
The ether swirling around Carl Marcus felt as if it could devour her at any moment.
'What… is that?'
Of course, Ark had many powerful ether-compatibles.
Buteven when she saw Colonel Belova, a Level-5 Ether Adept, it wasn't like this.
'No, this is more like…'
Iris had felt this before.
The problem was—
It wasn't from a human.
'…A Demon.'
And not just any Demon.
This was the presence of a high-ranking Demon, at least Grade-2 or higher.
And Iris already knew of a one type among high-ranking Demons that took human form.
'…A Doppelgänger.'
Of course, it couldn't be.
No—
It was more likely that it wasn't.
No matter what, Carl Marcus was a mercenary officially recognized by Ark.
She, a mere Private, had no right to question that fact.
Besides, right now, Carl Marcus was single-handedly slaughtering the monsters.
Because of his overwhelming presence, the expedition team—who should have already been dead—was still managing to hold their ground.
But what if he wasn't who he claimed to be?
What if this entire performance was part of a plan?
What if he had another purpose?
'This mission…'
Iris' already pale face turned ghostly white.
What terrified her even more was that she couldn't tell anyone.
If anyone carelessly revealed their suspicions to Carl Marcus, there was no telling what might happen.
'…Carl Marcus.'
Her gaze never left him.
* * *
"Huff, huff…!"
"DIEEE!!!"
The fierce battle was reaching its climax.
The entire expedition team had suffered minor wounds, but none were injured severely enough to endanger their lives or hinder their movements.
'They're holding up pretty well.'
Of course, I had stepped in whenever things got dangerous. But considering that these were fresh recruits who had just become privates, their performance was impressive.
'And Kalakin did far better than I expected.'
Kalakin was not someone particularly skilled at leading others.
However, that was only true in large-scale warfare, like the battles at Ark's frontlines. In small-scale squad combat like this, Kalakin's abilities shone.
'For large-scale command, Dmitri would be a much better fit than Kalakin.'
Right now, Dmitri might seem like an arrogant fool, but his potential as a commander was undeniable.
More importantly, as a noble from the Red Line, he was the perfect candidate for rising through the ranks.
'Well, putting that aside…'
The others were nearing their limit. It was time to end this battle.
'Esther.'
["Yes?"]
'Let's wrap this up.'
["Bored already?"]
Esther chuckled.
This battle hadn't even been close to a threat to me.
Not after fighting in the middle of a Wave just a few days ago. There was no way I'd be scared of mere Grade 8 to Grade 10 Beasts.
["Come here…"]
[Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.]
With Esther's ether storm raging, the remaining Beasts were sucked into a single spot.
The sheer force of it was on par with a Level 4 ether storm.
[Kyaaaak!]
[Kieeek!]
Cries of shock erupted from the expedition team.
"What the hell?!"
"That's insane!"
Ignoring them, I pulled out my BLT-47 Plasma Launcher and swept it across the clustered Beasts.
Ziiing—!
That was the end of the battle.
Thud, thud, thud—!
Chunks of what used to be Beasts rained down in the Plasma Launcher's wake.
The team stared in stunned silence.
"What… was that…?"
"Was a plasma weapon always that powerful?"
"..."
As they processed what had just happened, their gazes darted around.
"Is… is it over?"
"…Looks like it."
"Hah…"
One by one, the expedition members, including Dmitri, collapsed onto the ground.
Even Dmitri—who normally obsessed over keeping up appearances—was lying flat on the dirt, showing just how intense the battle had been.
"Good work, everyone."
"…Don't act like our leader, barbarian."
"Wasn't planning to."
"But… if it weren't for you, we'd all be dead. I'll give you that."
At those unexpected words, Hildegard blinked.
"Huh? Is that really Dmitri talking?"
"What?"
"I mean… That's not really like you, is it? You're usually more arrogant, smug, you know?"
"Shut up."
"Well, since you're still talking, I guess you're not too injured."
"Ha, you don't see this blood? I'm dying here."
"Quit whining."
Dmitri grumbled, but his injuries weren't serious.
'No need to waste the Life Water from my canteen on this.'
If anyone had suffered grave injuries, I would have used it, but these wounds were manageable with basic first aid.
"Carl Marcus, we owe you our lives."
Kalakin bowed his head to me.
Having fought at the very front, his condition was worse than the others.
"You should get treated first."
"…Understood."
While his injuries weren't life-threatening yet, they weren't minor enough to ignore.
"Kalakin! Over here!"
The expedition members began administering first aid—injecting painkillers, disinfecting wounds, and stapling torn flesh back together.
For Ark soldiers, this level of medical skill was essential.
"Agh! Be gentle, damn it!"
"Oh? Can't a noble like you handle this?"
"Are you mocking my family? Step outside! You'll pay for that insult!"
"Big words for someone whining."
Hildegard smirked and tightened Dmitri's bandages.
"Agh! You wanna go?!"
"Shut up."
Amid the lighthearted bickering, Iris quietly approached me.
She carried a set of medical supplies in her hands.
"Are… are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Protected by Janus, there was no way I'd get hurt by such low-tier Beasts.
Even without Janus, my baseline abilities made it impossible for them to even scratch me.
"…I see."
Iris's reaction seemed a little off, but considering the intensity of the battle, I figured she was just exhausted.
["She's scared. Poor thing."]
'That's strange. Even if Iris is weak in her current state, she wouldn't be the type to get scared from a battle of this level.'
["No, Master. She's scared of you."]
'Me? Why?'
["You should know the answer to that better than anyone."]
'Hmm…'
Well, thinking about it…
Just earlier, she had nearly been swept away by the ether storm that had gone out of control because of Janus.
And Iris was one of the few playable characters with high ether compatibility.
"I apologize for earlier. I seem to have made a mistake."
"N-No! I-I'm the one who should be sorry."
Despite her words, she looked like a frightened mouse.
There was no point in prolonging the conversation, so I said:
"Finish your treatment. I'll keep watch."
"A-Alright…"
Meanwhile—
"Kalakin! You can't move yet!"
"…I'm fine."
Kalakin staggered to his feet and walked toward me.
The blood seeping through his bandages told the story of the brutal battle he had just endured.
"You should rest."
"…I can endure it."
"This isn't for you—it's for Ark and this mission."
Of course, keeping Kalakin uninjured was also beneficial for the mission.
"In this state, you're far from fine."
His body was covered in wounds.
It was a miracle he was still standing.
Even for Kalakin, pushing himself this hard wasn't a good idea.
"I'm fine."
Even so, Kalakin was stubborn.
Honestly, I wished he would just collapse and get some rest, but he seemed determined.
"Do you have something to say?"
"…I'd like to hear the real reason now."
"What do you mean?"
"The real reason we had to fight these Beasts right now."
Oh?
"I already told you—the more blood you shed out here, the more lives in Ark are saved."
"If that were the only reason, you could have handled the Beasts alone."
"I don't know what you're implying. Do I seem that strong to you?"
"Are you saying you aren't?"
There was certainty in Kalakin's voice.
It meant that from the battle earlier, he had gotten a read on me.
'As expected of Kalakin.'
He wasn't wrong.
The real reason I had them fight wasn't just to reduce the number of Beasts before the next Wave.
It was to help them grow.
Of course, there was no reason for me to admit that.
"You're mistaken. Go rest. The battle isn't over yet—we still have work to do."
"…Understood."
Kalakin looked like he had more to say but eventually turned back without pressing further.
["…I don't like him. He feels off."]
'That's natural for you.'
["What do you mean?"]
'You'll understand someday.'
For Esther, a spectral entity, Kalakin—who wielded the Moonlight Blade—was practically her natural enemy.
Of course, being a melee weapon user, Kalakin wouldn't be able to do much if Esther decided to flee. But her discomfort was justified.
Kalakin had actually been the one to destroy Esther once before.
'No need to tell her that.'
If Esther, the embodiment of self-preservation, found out, she'd throw a fit and refuse to go anywhere near him.
"It's best if we rest for about ten minutes before we move out."
"T-Ten minutes?! But…"
"A Wave is coming."
Hildegard, who was about to argue, immediately shut up.
Even Dmitri, who always complained, as well as Iris and Kalakin, tensed up.
They knew exactly what it meant to face a Wave in an open plain.
"We'll reach a canyon soon. We'll camp there."
"A… Alright!"
Rather than pushing ahead recklessly, it was better to secure a safe spot before the Wave hit.
["You said you wouldn't lead them… but look at you, ordering everyone around. What was the point of stepping down "]
'Well…'
["Just saying."]
After a short but much-needed break, we resumed our long march.
Even though Ark soldiers were trained for extreme conditions, fatigue was clear on their faces.
"Huff… Huff…!"
"Huup… Huup…!"
Even Dmitri, who had been grumbling the entire way, was now too exhausted to complain.
We walked for what felt like forever.
"Look! Over there!"
Hildegard's cracked voice rang out.
Everyone turned their gaze upward.
The canyon we were aiming for had finally come into view.
"…Huh?"
"What is that?"
"No way…"
But no one could celebrate.
Because—
[Screeeech…!]
[Grrk! Grrk!]
Hundreds of flying creatures darkened the sky above the canyon.
And from beyond the horizon, a massive black wave of monsters was surging toward us.
'Tch.'
The Wave hadn't fully started yet.
But out here—so far from Ark—even the signs of a Wave were dangerous enough.
"W-What do we do now?"
Everyone turned to me.
Even Kalakin looked uncertain for once.
This wasn't a full-blown Wave, but crossing this open plain under these conditions would be like begging for death.
Even for Ark's soldiers.
'The team… They aren't in any condition to fight again.'
There were no severely wounded, but they were still exhausted.
Throwing them into another battle against even more Beasts and monsters was too risky.
If I pushed them too far, someone would die.
'No choice, then.'
I turned to Kalakin.
"Kalakin, take the team and head to Point 115, about 18 kilometers from here. There's a split cliff inside the canyon—hide there."
"…What about you?"
The answer was obvious.
Someone had to stay behind and buy time.
"I'll hold them off."