Meanwhile, the staff gathered quickly, bowing respectfully as Lucy stepped forward. A man in his late forties spoke up, his clothes neat but worn from long use, posture straight despite exhaustion that sat deep in his eyes.
There was no doubt. He was the leader among them, the one who had held things together in her absence.
"Madam," he said, voice steady but heavy, "please allow me to report."
Lucy nodded. "Go ahead."
The man inhaled, choosing his words carefully. "Madam… things aren't looking good."
The sentence alone carried crushing weight.
"One of the mutant beasts, a boar, collapsed earlier today. At first we suspected mana exhaustion, but upon closer inspection…" He hesitated briefly before continuing. "We discovered it was infected by a microscopic mutant parasite."
Sophie's gaze sharpened slightly.
