A mere black tool.

Hearing those words from the aide, Ernant fell silent.

Taking advantage of the pause, the aide continued speaking.

“Of course, Sir Schnesterun is a good sword. An excellent knight. But in the end, he’s a tool.”

“……”

“Would you enter danger yourself just because you’ve lost a valuable tool? Please reconsider.”

Ernant moved his lips as if to say something in response.

However, only a single murmur escaped those lips.

“A tool……”

There was nothing wrong with the aide’s words.

Ernant himself had directly called Yulia a ‘sword’, and a sword was merely a tool, nothing more.

Tools were things that could be replaced if broken or lost.

As the aide said, it was unthinkable to personally enter beyond the rift for the sake of a mere tool.

However.

“…I don’t want to lose it. I will retrieve it.”

Despite it being just a tool, Ernant could not accept the loss of Yulia.

It felt like his heart was crumpling like a piece of paper.

It felt like all the blood in his body was surging and bursting out.

“So I will go into the rift-”

“Your Majesty, how about deploying the remaining Imperial Guards beyond the rift?”

Ernant hesitated for a moment at the aide’s hastily spoken words.

The Emperor’s Imperial Guards, composed entirely of Awakened.

Some of them had died at Martin’s hands this time, but the rest were still on standby in the palace.

Of course, their role was originally to guard the Emperor, not to exterminate monsters beyond the rift.

Even so, since they were Awakened with magical power, they would be able to survive beyond the rift.

While Ernant pondered for a moment, the aide quickly continued speaking.

“As they are well-trained, they should certainly be able to rescue Sir Schnesterun. There’s no need for Your Majesty to go personally. For the sake of the Empire as well, please make use of them.”

Ernant had invested considerable money and time to fill the entire Imperial Guard with Awakened.

Each member was that precious a talent, and a powerful asset.

If they disappeared, it would also be a great danger to lose the means to keep other forces in check.

However-

“……”

When he closed his eyes quietly, the image of Yulia that occasionally came to mind was even more vivid in his head today than usual.

A body with fine lines. Transparently shining hair. Eyes holding violets.

He wanted to reclaim all of it. No matter the cost.

“Very well. Deploy the Imperial Guard.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will summon them right away. Please rest easy and wait without worry.”

Sending a letter would be too slow.

The aide hurriedly moved towards the villa to summon the Imperial Guard via communication item.

After he left, only Ernant, the guards, and Willich remained near the rift.

Ernant’s green eyes, which had held warmth while recalling Yulia, suddenly sank into coldness.

“Willich.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Though sensing something ominous, Willich bowed his head deeply as he replied to Ernant’s call.

Ernant opened his lips while still staring at the bowing Willich with cold eyes.

“I trusted you. You had never disappointed me until now. But this time… I’m so disappointed I can hardly bear it.”

“…I have no excuses. I will gladly accept whatever punishment you mete out.”

Hearing that answer, Ernant heaved a deep sigh.

Then he passed by Willich’s side without any further words.

When Willich was hoping that perhaps this would be quietly overlooked since losing Yulia was just a mistake,

One coldly uttered sentence from Ernant shattered such hope.

“Cut off your right leg.”

“Y-Your Majesty…!!”

Even hearing the anguished call, Ernant did not take back his words.

With eyes and voice devoid of compassion, he merely said this:

“Is there any need to keep attaching such a slow leg that couldn’t even chase a woman with sealed abilities?”

“Your Majesty! Please… please withdraw your order! Without my leg, I…! Your Majesty…!!”

Though he pleaded desperately, in the end it was in vain.

Willich’s pleas merely scattered emptily, with no one to answer them.

“Ugh, my ankle…”

I quickly examined my throbbing ankle.

Though not visible on the outside yet, judging by the pain I felt, it would surely swell up soon.

To sprain my ankle because I couldn’t even land properly.

No matter how dark the cave was, making such a basic mistake was my fault.

“Tsk.”

While massaging the affected area, I swiftly surveyed my surroundings.

I was currently in a small “room” located in the middle of a passage dug by monsters.

This monster den was shaped like an ant colony magnified tens of thousands of times, with large rooms like this scattered throughout.

Perhaps each room had a different use, as some rooms were piled with unidentifiable lumps of meat, while others contained monster eggs and such.

The place where I was now seemed to be used as a food storage room.

Judging by the pile of carcasses of other monsters.

I hid behind a suitable carcass while rubbing my ankle.

To injure my ankle when I didn’t even have a potion, I really had terrible luck.

My already slow movement speed would become even slower.

I had no choice but to hide here for now and observe the condition of my ankle further, but unfortunately, it seemed today was a day of rotten luck.

Kiiiiiii…

The unpleasant cry of a monster suddenly began to be heard from far away.

Of course, if the owner of this burrow was an insect-type monster as I expected, it wouldn’t be a difficult opponent.

I could easily deal with it using just a sword, without needing to use abilities.

The problem was that I didn’t even have a twig, let alone a sword, right now.

Moreover, I had just injured my ankle from landing badly.

So I had to hide for now. No other option came to mind.

As soon as I made this decision, I began smearing the juices flowing from nearby monster carcasses all over my body.

I wasn’t doing this to look more appetizing to the approaching monster.

Monsters that dig burrows in the ground usually have an extremely keen sense of smell.

Their eyes had atrophied from living in dark places, but their sense of smell had developed that much in return.

So I had to hide the human scent emanating from my body, even if it meant applying carcass juices like this.

After quickly applying the juices to my body, I crouched down and hid among the carcasses.

Almost simultaneously, three monsters shaped like giant ants entered the room.

Kigigik.

Kiiiiiik.

Kigik.

They made disgusting cries in succession, as if having a conversation.

I reduced my breathing even more, praying that they wouldn’t notice my scent.

They seemed to have come to get food, as they began picking up and moving some nearby carcasses with their strong jaws.

That’s when it happened.

Kigigik…?

One of the ants that had been loitering around me suddenly raised its head and began looking around.

As if it had caught a whiff of something suspicious.

I hoped it hadn’t noticed me, but it started moving closer and closer towards me.

Kigigik.

Kigik.

Even as it approached, I still didn’t have even a twig in my hand, so I clenched my fist for now.

Thump. Thump.

Strangely, it felt like my heart was beating much more roughly and quickly than usual.

It was similar to when I had stood in front of the rift while being chased by Willich.

What kind of symptom is this? Do I have some illness?

Such an ominous thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I shook it off and focused on the present.

“……”

One step. Two steps.

While I held my breath, it drew closer and closer.

I waited for it to come even closer, erasing all traces of my presence.

When the ant came right in front of the pile of carcasses where I was hiding like that.

Thwack-!

Kieeeeek…!!

I immediately drove my tightly clenched fist into the ant’s eyeball.

Then I quickly formed a knife hand and struck down at the nape of its neck.

Unlike the back or head covered in hard exoskeleton, the neck area was relatively weak, so I could easily sever it like this.

After tearing off the head of one ant with my bare hands like that, I immediately pounced on the second one.

Kieeeeek-!!

Having witnessed its companion perish right in front of it, the second one didn’t go down easily.

It swung its front legs, sharp as the grim reaper’s scythe, towards me.

With darkness preventing me from seeing properly in front of me, and my leg injured on top of that.

Because of this, I ended up with a long wound below my collarbone from an attack I could have easily dodged normally.