On that day, we decided to stay overnight in Miniger and begin our exploration anew the following morning.
While the interior of Redelia was relatively safe, it was too risky to camp out with children while kidnappers were lurking around.
And the next day.
Amidst the thin mist, we received a send-off from Domild-san and departed from Miniger.
“You’re our only hope, Redelia.”
‘Oh dear… Is it really alright to acknowledge such effects in a dumpster like me…?’
As usual, Redelia was fully negative.
But her detection abilities were reliable.
She sensed the slightest presence and followed it as we proceeded along the path.
We navigated through animal trails, weaving between the trees, and crossed dry rocky areas.
With Redelia’s endurance, rough paths were no issue, but I wanted to avoid drawing too much attention, so I cautiously advanced the iron wagon.
Before we knew it, the morning fog had completely cleared.
On the driver’s seat, I sat alongside Fiole, vigilantly observing our surroundings.
The children remained inside, waiting quietly.
We didn’t have a meal outside either.
It was tough for them, but it couldn’t be helped.
After about two hours of travel, the presence detected by Redelia grew increasingly stronger.
At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared ahead.
We both let out an “Ah…”
Yes, the ones who had mocked us in the town of Miniger were those adventurers.
Fiole’s wariness was fully displayed.
I was more concerned about their current state than the insults from yesterday.
“What happened to you all? What’s with that appearance?”
They were in tatters.
It looked like they had fled in a disheveled state.
Ignoring my tense expression, they openly clicked their tongues and shot me provocative glances.
“Hmph. It’s a different world when you can relax and picnic in such a fine carriage without a tag.”
“This isn’t a time to be flaunting yourself.”
As I was taken aback by their cheap provocation, Fiole leaned forward and snapped back.
“Look at you, all torn up! I don’t know what happened, but if you really need it, I wouldn’t mind giving you a ride.”
Hey, hold on there.
Just because you’re angry doesn’t mean you should retaliate. This will complicate things.
As expected, the adventurers’ faces turned red with rage.
“What did you say, you brat?!”
Fiole let out a “Hmph,” displaying her usual bold nature.
“Come on, come on. It’s quite comfortable here, isn’t it? Still waiting for your ‘I’m sorry’?”
“Fiole, that’s enough.”
As I pinched my cheeks in annoyance, I turned to the adventurers.
“We have the same goal. If there was an ambush, we need to know that information. What happened?”
“Hah! I don’t need to be worried by a half-baked guy like you!”
…He sure barks a lot.
However, perhaps due to their wounds, their bravado didn’t last long.
“Well, we were just a bit careless. If we were at our best, we would have crushed those ruffians completely.”
“Ruffians?”
“There’s an old fortress surrounded by swamps up ahead. I don’t know where they came from, but a bunch of shabby men were loitering there. Well, they seemed to be decent fighters, though.”
“Could that be the group responsible for the kidnapping of the children…?”
“How should I know! We’re here to resolve a much bigger incident—the disappearance of adventurers. Searching for a bunch of country brats is a trivial matter; it’s not our concern! It’s not an incident we should be dealing with; it’s utterly ridiculous!”
How can he say that?
Looking down at me with satisfaction at my twisted expression, the Citrine-grade adventurer said,
“Well, it’s the perfect job for a bunch of washed-up adventurers like you. If you’re so concerned, why don’t you go help them? You’ll just make a fool of yourself. Good luck with that! Hahaha!”
As they laughed loudly and limped away, they looked utterly ridiculous.
Well, that’s beside the point.
I had obtained important information.
There’s a hideout of suspected kidnappers ahead.
“Redelia’s instincts were indeed correct. The children are ahead. Let’s tighten up and move on.”
“Yes.”
‘Yay! I’ve been praised by Master. Huh, could it be the ultimate storm tomorrow…?!’
“Next time, it’s my turn to be praised, Redelia-chan.”
Hey now, don’t compete.
◆◇◆
“Damn it! Those bastards are infuriating!”
“Shut up. It’s all your fault that we ended up in this pathetic situation.”
“What did you say? Say it again!”
After parting ways with Isto and the others—
The Citrine-grade adventurers, who were in a strategic retreat—essentially fleeing—were starting to argue among themselves.
Everyone present was shifting the blame for this failure onto someone else.
Before long, swords were drawn, and the situation was escalating.
At that moment—
“Huh?”
One of them noticed a rustling in the grass.
The remaining members frowned.
“What’s going on?”
“Why is it so quiet—”
Suddenly, from the shadows, a gigantic “mouth” lunged at the adventurers.
“Huh?”
The one who had been loudly disparaging Isto was caught off guard.
He couldn’t move a step as he was devoured by the mysterious mouth.
“Waaah?! What the—?!”
His vision went dark, and he felt himself falling.
He must have been about three stories high. He slammed onto a hard floor, groaning as sweat broke out.
As he lifted his head, he found himself in a bizarre space.
A square room with no visible door or seam. The floor and walls were smooth. It was dim and chilly.
“What the… is this…?”
Being alone, the adventurer was suddenly gripped by fear.
His response came in a form other than words.
From the floor and walls, multiple hard spikes shot up like spears.
“Damn it, it’s a trap. But this much—?”
The adventurer tilted his head.
His lower half wasn’t moving.
In fact, he just realized he had no sensation at all.
Fearfully, he turned around.
His legs had been pierced by another protrusion coming out of the floor.
From the surface of the protrusion oozed an unidentifiable silvery liquid that covered his wounds.
He realized this was what was dulling his sense of pain.
Considering that his legs wouldn’t move at all, he intuitively understood the damage was far worse than it appeared.
This is—dangerous. This is bad. This is bad!
He realized it, panicked, and strained his body.
But it was no use. From the neck down, he felt like a puppet.
At the point of not being able to move, it was already too late.
Only now did he finally grasp that fact.
The Citrine-grade adventurer turned pale. His teeth chattered. His fingertips trembled.
In a situation where there was no one to laugh at his “pathetic” state, his composure shattered into pieces.
The protrusions advanced like tentacles.
Just like bringing a knife and fork toward meat.
“Stop!”
The tip of the protrusion stabbed into the adventurer’s arm. It tore through the skin. Blood gushed out. Flesh was split apart.
And yet, there was no pain.
Fear multiplied exponentially.
It filled his brain.
Before long, it surpassed a critical point.
“Stop. Stop. Stop! Gyaaaaah!!!”
The adventurer’s scream echoed through the cold, square space.
