The commander left alone to solve the request.
The moment the members learned of this fact was right after Commander Hans left Lionheart Fortress at dawn. As soon as Hans left, Helia sensed it immediately.
Naturally, the other members soon found out as well. Thanks to that, Cluna ended up taking the blame all by herself. That was why an unexpected hearing was held from early dawn.
Of course, the attendee was Cluna. Clara tried to defend Cluna, but Cluna rejected it. Because she had her reasons. Cluna smiled and said.
“I told you, didn’t I? You shouldn’t follow me.”
“Why would I follow you, someone who’s not even the commander?”
Her mouth was smiling, but her crimson eyes were burning with anger. Helia’s fierce momentum was enough to startle even Cluna. But she understood.
Over the past two months, while working here, she naturally learned how precious Commander Hans was to Helia. Family… no, perhaps even more than that.
It was a form of obsession that surpassed love. The twisted affection of a child who lost their way due to war. Now, she was somehow suppressing that feeling…
But when the day comes that those feelings erupt like a volcano, who could possibly bear the burden of that suppressed heart? Cluna shook her head. This wasn’t the time to be indulging in thoughts.
“This is also an order from the commander.”
“An order from the commander…?”
“Yes, the commander clearly stated he would solve it by himself.”
“That’s nonsense! The Royal Knights have a basic principle of at least two people working in pairs!”
“Ruby, don’t you already know why the commander made that choice?”
“……”
In fact, everyone here already knew. Why did the commander choose to go alone? No matter how political the issues were, could he really eliminate the demons by himself?
There was no way that was possible. Even if two people handled the request, pushing any further would endanger even the Dwarf Republic.
Yet still, the commander chose to go alone. Was it really because of the content written in the request? Or was the problem with us? The answer was already apparent.
“Clara and Ruby, you already know without me having to say it, right?”
“Th-that’s… but…”
“……”
They had both seen Commander Hans’s skills at least once. Clara in the forest, Ruby in the duel with Bayard. Naturally, it was a level of skill beyond their reach.
Helia couldn’t speak either. She already realized she was the farthest behind here. Even though she had received direct instruction from her teacher, she had never been able to win.
Of course, while her achievements were excellent for her age, she was still completely unsatisfied. After all, she felt she wasn’t helping her teacher at all.
“Um, um… I…?”
“Oh, of course, Bayard is strong enough. In close combat, he’s at my level.”
“T-thank you.”
Bayard’s voice shrank even more due to the surprisingly harsh evaluation. But it wasn’t just flattery. In terms of close combat, she was indeed a formidable opponent on par with him.
“But you’re still in an unstable state. Your past wounds haven’t fully healed, have they?”
“……Embarrassingly enough….”
“If you were in perfect shape, it would be a different story. But right now, you could actually become a hindrance to the commander.”
“……”
“Is there anyone else who wants to say something?”
Cluna spoke gently while lightly clapping her hands, but no one dared to retort. They had just painfully realized their position through her words.
You wouldn’t be able to help at all.
That’s what she was indirectly saying. The first to move was Helia. Her red hair waved fiercely.
“I understand what you mean.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“But I have one request.”
“A request?”
“I want to spar with you.”
Helia was definitely smiling. It wasn’t just a mouth smile, it was a dazzlingly beautiful smile that could blind you. Plus, her tone was undeniably polite.
But to Cluna, it sounded like this.
What makes you think you can talk so boldly?
“Shall I teach you a thing or two about fighting, human?”
With a boldness characteristic of a young girl, Cluna nodded in response.
*
Lionheart Fortress was located on the frontline.
And if you had to name the country closest to the fortress, it would surely be the Human Kingdom and the Dwarf Republic. Next would be the Elven Forest, and there were countless others if you kept listing.
In terms of distance, the Dwarf Republic was closer than the Human Kingdom. After all, both the Human Kingdom and the Dwarf Republic had roles as shields on the frontline.
Naturally, the damage suffered by the kingdom and the republic was incomparable to that of other nations or races. However, since the kingdom was weak, it had no choice but to remain silent.
On the other hand, the Dwarf Republic always actively expressed its discontent. That quirky nature was helpful at times like this. Furthermore, the technological proficiency of the Dwarf Republic was astonishing.
Other nations couldn’t just sit and keep silent. Strictly speaking, the ones who suffered the most were the humans, but in the end, the louder voices reaped more benefits.
“I finally arrived.”
The request from the Dwarf Republic was to investigate a village located on the outskirts of the republic. There had been continuous reports of dwarves going missing from that village.
Naturally, the Dwarf Republic had sent several investigating teams, and even dispatched military forces, but regrettably, not a single person had returned alive.
And that’s why I was observing the village from a distance. Because it was terrifying. A village where people go missing? It’s only natural to feel scared.
“Maybe I should have just come here with someone. Damn.”
Honestly, I had no particular thoughts. I could cover things with Time Stop if I was alone. After all, the Dwarf Republic told me to go alone too. That was all.
I never thought I would crumble at the entrance like this. I rubbed my eyes and took another slow look around the village. No matter how many times I looked, it just seemed like an ordinary village.
But I couldn’t judge just based on appearances. So, I had no choice but to turn my head and enter the village. The village streets were also perfectly normal.
Dwarves that looked like they were only children were wandering around doing their tasks. I could hear the sound of a flute as if a celebration was going on, and the smell of meat grilling filled the air.
“It’s been a long time since a human visited this village! Are you here to enjoy the feast as well?”
It was a dwarf man with green hair and quite a few wrinkles. He was still the size of an elementary school student, but except for the wrinkles, he could easily pass off as a young man.
“Ah, yes. I came for a similar reason.”
“That’s great! The dwarf meat is grilled to perfection today! Would you like to give it a try?”
The old man handed me a skewer. I took it. It looked like an ordinary skewer after all. It even had plenty of seasoning and looked delicious.
“Then, I’ll gratefully enjoy it, sir.”
“Yes, yes! Don’t hold back, eat as much as you want!”
However, just as I was about to put the skewer in my mouth without a second thought, everything around me suddenly turned gray. Time had stopped. What? Why did it stop suddenly?
At first, I didn’t know the reason. But soon, I realized what it was. It was because of the skewer in my hand. What only moments ago seemed like a normal skewer now looked monstrous.
You wouldn’t call something with a severed finger stuck on the skewer a “skewered dish,” would you?
“W-what is this…?!”
I gasped in shock and dropped the finger skewer. Just a moment ago it had looked like an ordinary dish. Only now was I able to thoroughly assess the situation in the village.
The dwarf man who had handed me the skewer was grotesquely twisted at various points. Especially where his arms should be, there were dwarf legs and another head, while a multitude of arms sprouted from his legs.
He wasn’t the only one. Every dwarf in this place looked the same. It was as if a mannequin had been grotesquely cobbled together.
Calm down. Stay calm.
Though I felt an incipient cognitive dissonance from the sudden change, I desperately tried to gather my thoughts. Thankfully, thanks to Time Stop, absolute safety was secured.
If it hadn’t been for that, I would have been completely thrown into chaos and messed everything up. Anyway, confirming that this village was abnormal, I ran outside without looking back.
The current situation was too unfavorable for me.
So, I should pull back, regroup, and then return.
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