The sun was setting when the expedition finally set up camp on a flat terrain surrounded by rocks. Some knights from the Order of the White Knights had gone out to scout the area while a simple meal was prepared.

I looked around at the gathered expedition. The tension had long since faded from the faces of the knights not from the Order of the White Knights.

Most of the magical beasts were concentrated near the red spring halfway up the mountain, so the early stages of the expedition were relatively easy…

It was too soon to let down one’s guard.

“Who do you think killed it?”

“A scorpion? Did the two fight and end up like that?”

“There were sword marks.”

Everyone gathered was heatedly discussing the corpse of the scorpion. I sat apart, pondering on my own.

Diagonal sword marks were visible on the corpse. And they weren’t on a relatively weak exoskeleton connecting the head and body.

To cleanly slice through a scorpion’s hard exoskeleton with an ordinary sword…

There was only one way.

Using aura.

“Who could it be…”

Since the expedition moved as a whole, it couldn’t have been one of us. That meant someone else in this mountain could wield a sword.

And they could feel aura emanating from the corpse; it was a Swordmaster, not an ordinary knight.

As far as I knew, the only Swordmaster in the empire was Rosebelia…

“No.”

There was one more. Just as I tried to recall that face, the sound of crunching gravel came from behind.

It sounded like footsteps.

I quickly rose from the log where I was sitting and scanned the surroundings.

“Rosebelia, you were here.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The person who approached without hiding his presence was Gabriel. He silently gestured for me to follow him behind a large rock.

How long had we followed Gabriel? Only when we reached a forest path obscured by rocks did Gabriel stop, stroking his beard.

“How did it look to you?”

“The corpse of the scorpion?”

“Yes.”

“It would have been impossible without aura. I felt a slight trace of aura too.”

“I suspected as much…”

Gabriel’s hand hesitated several times as he stroked his beard. A look of confusion floated over his face, seemingly lost in thought.

“That means someone else is on this mountain.”

“Exactly. But why would they kill a magical beast? Moreover, it’s hard to believe there’s another Swordmaster in the empire aside from you.”

There had been no other Swordmasters in the original work aside from Rosebelia and Ian. It was hard to conclude that it was Ian rashly.

If he wanted to join the expedition, he could have just joined. Why act alone?

Especially on this mountain teeming with magical beasts?

“I can’t even guess who or why this happened.”

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll split the expedition in half for the search. You go with Rinart. If we find another corpse, you should examine it carefully.”

“Understood.”

I left Gabriel, who said he would wait for the scout’s report, and returned to the expedition camp first. As I looked around for the long log where I had been sitting earlier, Rinart caught my eye.

“Knight Rosebelia.”

“Yes, Vice-Commander.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

Before I could answer, Rinart extended a silver bowl to me. What he passed was a piece of bread soaked in wine.

The bread we had brought for provisions was hard and tasteless, suitable only when soaked in wine or water. It was typical wartime rations, but at least it staved off hunger.

“Thank you. Aren’t you going to eat, Vice-Commander?”

“I’ve already eaten.”

“Then why not rest?”

I couldn’t find the log, so I sat on a relatively flat rock. Rinart naturally sat down beside me.

“I thought I’d keep you company while you eat.”
Would saying it’s burdensome hurt his feelings?

As I met his smiling face, I swallowed the words that were hovering in my mouth.

“Ah, yes. You, Team Leader, are very considerate.”

“Not really. Anyway, the knights of the White Order are definitely proficient in subjugation. Should I say their reaction speed is different? I was honestly impressed.”

“It’s probably because we’ve participated every year.”

“Even though I took classes about magical beasts, I was disoriented when I actually faced one.”

“In subjugation, keeping your guard up is the most important thing. Being caught off guard by a magical beast can happen in a flash.”

At least that’s what I remembered. Even on a regular forest path, one shouldn’t let their guard down, and one should always be cautious.

At least ten people were needed for night watch. It had to be enough to respond properly, even if a magical beast attacked suddenly.

“Indeed. I will strictly inform our knights as well.”

“Shall we get up?”

As we were about to get up after our meal, Rinat suddenly handed me a small pouch.

“Please take this.”

“What is this?”

Inside the pouch were dried cranberries. I heard he had brought jerky, but were there dried fruits in the combat rations?

“Daisy packed it for you.”

Daisy did?

“Then, Team Leader, you should have it.”

“I have my own. Consider this a token of goodwill.”