It wasn’t because they were underwater; Linart’s thoughts had reached him a few times.

Verbal expressions and inner thoughts had different nuances. Words were heard, but thoughts felt transmitted.

‘Am I not a dependable person?’

‘I wanted to help you, not the punitive force.’

Yes, those weren’t words Linart had spoken; they were his thoughts conveyed.

Then why hadn’t Rosebelia’s thoughts, with whom he had spent more time, reached him?

‘Did Rosebelia not think anything?’

Ian, tilting his head, reluctantly took a step as Nathan urged him on.

“I really want to see who it is, even just the face.”

“It’d be great if they were with the punitive force.”

“Definitely a skilled person. Maybe even a Swordmaster.”

Gathering after the search was done, everyone was busy speculating about the person who killed the beast.

I glanced at Pierre, who seemed unusually excited, and sat on a flat rock.

Since finding the clear spring three days ago, we had gotten much closer to the middle of the mountain. More beast corpses were being found.

Someone was killing beasts ahead of the punitive force, making the expedition much easier. No one had been seriously hurt yet.

‘Rosebelia, isn’t this a footprint?’

‘Yes, it’s a footprint.’

On the day we found the clear spring, Vanessa and I went back before dawn and found it again.

The footprints we discovered were not toward the punitive force camp but in the opposite direction. There were only a few in the mud around the spring, so we couldn’t track them back to their hiding place.

It wasn’t far from the punitive force camp to the spring, so if they wanted, they could easily show themselves.

The fact that they hadn’t meant they posed no threat to the punitive force.

“Why go out of your way to do good for the punitive force…”

They killed beasts ahead of the punitive force but never showed themselves.

And they had a reason to be there.

Two days ago, I had sneaked out and saw a freshly killed beast near the punitive force camp.

They were definitely around. How could we not run into each other unless they were deliberately hiding?

Lost in thought, the sky suddenly darkened. The night was here, illuminated only by the moonlight. Except for those on watch, everyone had returned to their tents.
It was a cramped temporary tent that could barely fit two people lying down. I glanced at Vanessa, who was sound asleep, and looked for an opportunity to leave.

“Pierre, wake up.”

“Is it a big deal if I catch a little more sleep? No horses are showing up anyway.”

“Quit slacking and do your job.”

It seemed Pierre and Lucas were on guard duty together tonight.

As their voices created a moderate noise, I hid myself in the bushes.

Until I could confirm the identity of another swordmaster on this mountain, whether it was Ian or not, I couldn’t stop.

If it’s really you who’s here.

If you’re the one lurking near the extermination squad.

“You’ll show up.”

I moved a little away from the extermination squad’s camp and slumped down under a large tree, leaning against its trunk.

I won’t move an inch from here until you appear before me.

With that firm resolve, I gently closed my eyelids. After a while, a somewhat chilly wind came along, scattering my hair.

The rustling noise gradually grew closer. It seemed to be at a consistent pace—likely the sound of a person walking.

Who could it be? Ian, is it really you here?

My heart began to pound for some reason. A mix of anticipation and a strange anxiety filled me.

Then, the footsteps approaching me stopped. I quickly clenched my fists.

“Caught you.”

“Ugh! Why, why are you doing this?”

Wait, that’s not Ian’s voice.

I immediately stood up and examined the man’s face.

Impossible. I blinked rapidly, but the man’s face remained the same even as I slightly lowered my head to look.

The person who had appeared before me was not Ian. Nor was it a face that remained in Rosebelia’s memory.

“Who are you?”

“I, I’m Nathan.”