I checked Janus.
I wanted to see what changes had occurred after subduing the Turncoat Knight.
[Viewing information on 'Bone Armor (Lv.5) (Janus)'...]
[Due to exceeding a certain length, part of the description for 'Bone Armor (Lv.5) (Janus)' has been moved to the "View Details" section.]
Description reduced...
'Well, it was getting a bit long.'
It made sense. Janus's growth so far was nothing short of remarkable.
If I had lived as an ordinary soldier inside Ark, I would never have achieved such progress.
Surviving outside Ark had allowed for growth that would have been impossible otherwise.
It was no wonder the description had become long.
'Well, anyway...'
I shifted my gaze to Janus.
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[Bone Armor (Lv.5)] [Janus] [★★★★★★★★★★ (10 Stars)]
— A defensive armor that combines the standard officer-grade protective suit (Lv.5) of Ark with a domesticated bone parasite as an energy source.
— It has been given the name: Janus.
— Current Ankelenth's Fang Absorption Rate: 28.4%
— Subjugated the Grade-2 Named Skull Turncoat, 'Turncoat Knight.'
— Able to determine the Turncoat Knight's location and issue commands.
"View Details"
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Just by glancing at it, I could tell the description had been significantly streamlined.
Tracking its location was one thing, but being able to issue commands too...
As a test, I looked at the Turncoat Knight and gave an order.
"Sit."
However, the Turncoat Knight just stared at me blankly without reacting.
"...What the hell?"
As I stood there feeling puzzled...
[Kik!]
When Janus barked something, only then did the Turncoat Knight cautiously kneel on one knee and sit down.
'...Ah, so that's how it works.'
The one the Turncoat Knight obeyed wasn't me, but Janus.
Since Janus was my possession, it amounted to the same thing, but there was still a clear distinction.
'It's like how a major outranks a captain, but the company commander has authority over the company.'
It felt like a weird analogy, but it wasn't really important right now.
'If commands have to go through Janus, it'll be hard to give precise instructions during battle.'
But for larger decisions, it wasn't an issue since I could still use Janus to give commands.
'Now then... the real issue is something else entirely.'
What should I do with the Turncoat Knight from now on?
The option of taking it with me was out of the question.
People in Ark already looked at me with suspicion.
If I were to walk around with the Turncoat Knight, they'd immediately label me as a monster or an anti-Ark operative and attempt to eliminate me.
'Even if that happened, I could manage to survive, but there's no point in making trouble for myself.'
More importantly, I wasn't Ark's enemy; I needed to maintain a positive and cooperative relationship with them.
There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
'In that case...'
The conclusion was clear.
"Go."
Subjugating the Turncoat Knight was an unexpected gain, but taking it along with me right now wasn't feasible.
But there was no need to feel regretful.
Since the Turncoat Knight had become Janus's subordinate, I could summon it anytime I wanted.
[Kik!]
After I spoke, Janus repeated my words like a parrot, and only then did the Turncoat Knight slowly rise to its feet.
[If... I go... will... you... be... okay?]
Thanks to my increased understanding of bone parasites, I could somewhat grasp what the Turncoat Knight was saying, even if not completely.
'Tell it I'm fine.'
[Kik, Kigit!]
Of course, this only applied to the Turncoat Knight, which could communicate to some extent; Janus's words still sounded like nothing but screeches.
[Understood...]
The Turncoat Knight nodded, then turned away without saying anything unnecessary.
Just before it took a step forward, it spoke one last time.
[Be... careful...]
The Turncoat Knight, having nearly exhausted its power, seemed to have regained some strength after receiving Janus's Mark of Subjugation and disappeared swiftly into the darkness.
As I watched it leave, I asked.
"Can you still feel where it went?"
[Kik!]
Janus pointed a bone tendril in the direction the Turncoat Knight had gone.
Shortly after, when I focused my mind, I could sense the Turncoat Knight's location through Janus.
'Feels like I planted a GPS on it.'
From what I knew, bone parasites shouldn't have this ability.
Maybe it was because Janus had consumed so much that it developed this trait, or it was something that had always been there, and I just didn't know.
'Whatever the case, it's a good thing.'
["Isn't it?"]
Esther's voice sounded far more cheerful than before.
Not only that, but she had also materialized beside me, bouncing around with uncharacteristic playfulness.
["As expected of our master. I knew you wouldn't recklessly kill such a cute little thing. What a waste that would be."]
'You sure know how to talk.'
["That's just one of my charms, isn't it?"]
It seemed that Esther was genuinely delighted that I hadn't killed the Turncoat Knight.
But there was no point in indulging her any further, as doing so would only give me a headache.
After confirming that the Turncoat Knight had completely vanished into the darkness, I turned around.
It was time to head back.
'There shouldn't be any issues, but... if something happened to the investigation team, it'd be a big problem.'
Among them were people who would likely maintain a favorable relationship with me in the future, like Kurilta, as well as valuable talents necessary for Ark, such as Hildegard and Dmitri.
Moreover, this mission was directly tied to acquiring Ark's honorary citizenship.
If something were to happen to them, it would be a significant loss not only for me but also for Ark.
'Time to head back.'
I quickly moved in the direction of the campsite.
Since they wouldn't have lit a fire in the camp, the injured were likely being treated inside a CD-type tent with Level-4 camouflage, which completely blocked light.
'No matter how urgent the situation, they wouldn't leave a dangerous area without setting up a watch... Dmitri's probably on guard.'
Thanks to running at full speed, I arrived near the campsite in no time.
'There.'
A familiar silhouette.
As expected, it was Dmitri standing guard, relatively unscathed.
"Who's there?"
"It's Carl Marcus."
Dmitri pointed his gun at me with a wary expression, but after confirming it was me, he slowly lowered it.
"...You're back."
"What about the injured?"
"They're alive."
Without even asking about the Turncoat Knight, Dmitri simply jerked his chin to indicate the CD-type tent.
I gave a small nod and stepped inside the tent.
Talking about unnecessary things would only waste time—seeing the situation myself would be faster.
"Urgh...!"
The first thing that greeted me upon entering the soundproof tent was the groaning of those in pain.
Clint and Kurilta.
Due to the Turncoat Knight's attack, two out of the six members of the investigation team had suffered serious injuries.
"...You're here."
Lieutenant Imosha, whose left leg was splinted, bowed her head as she greeted me.
When I had gone after the Turncoat Knight, she had vanished, and I'd been quietly worried, but it seemed she hadn't suffered any major injuries.
"...I'm ashamed. I lost consciousness and couldn't..."
"Don't worry about it. The enemy was a Grade-2 Named Monster. Given that, this level of damage is relatively minor."
It wasn't meant as mere consolation.
Grade-2 monsters were extremely dangerous, as proven during the fierce battle with Sart of the Shadows.
Even Sart of the Shadows had easily eluded the strike force led by Major Tatiana Belov of the Navy Line's reconnaissance team.
The reason we managed to subdue the Turncoat Knight so easily this time was only because it didn't immediately display hostility toward us.
If it had attacked us relentlessly from the start, I might have had no choice but to reveal Janus's true nature.
"No... It's my fault that they ended up like this. If only I had been stronger..."
Lieutenant Imosha's gaze turned toward the two injured lying on the beds.
Clint and Kurilta had only barely managed to stop the bleeding with temporary measures like medical skin staplers, but their condition was visibly severe.
Kurilta, being naturally resilient, seemed to be enduring somehow, but Clint's condition looked particularly dire.
"Lieutenant, Clint's condition is critical. We need to return to Ark immediately for proper treatment."
Hildegard, her voice trembling, spoke up, covered in blood—whether her own or someone else's, it was hard to tell.
Clint shook his head weakly.
"I'm... fine... Ugh! The mission..."
"Shut up!"
Hildegard's voice grew louder.
"If you stay like this, you'll die!"
"But... the mission..."
"That's the wrong way of thinking, Clint."
All eyes turned to Lieutenant Imosha as he spoke calmly.
"A soldier's life is more important than this mission."
It wasn't a minor injury—two of the team members were seriously wounded.
Even Kurilta, known for his incredible endurance, was hurt badly enough that moving around seemed impossible for the foreseeable future.
Just as Hildegard said, it was clear that continuing the mission was no longer feasible.
"...We'll return to Ark."
With a firm expression, Lieutenant Imosha made his decision.
Clint looked devastated, but the decision had already been made and couldn't be undone.
But to me, this situation was anything but favorable.
'This is a problem.'
This investigation mission held several important meanings for me.
First, it was a golden opportunity to obtain Ark's honorary citizenship.
Second, it was a chance to eliminate any traces of myself that might be left in the Snake Cave or around Uroboros.
'Opportunities like this don't come often.'
Even though I had joined as a mercenary this time, there was no guarantee that Ark would hire me again later.
In the worst-case scenario, I could be accused of colluding with the Turncoat Knight and deemed an enemy of Ark.
Technically speaking, it wouldn't be entirely untrue, but that didn't mean it was fair, and it would definitely put me in a tough spot.
'I guess I have no choice.'
Just as I was about to say something to Lieutenant Imosha—
"Carl... Carl..."
Kurilta, who had been groaning in pain, barely managed to squeeze out my name.
"Speak."
"The mission... I entrust it... to you..."
"You sure about that?"
"If it's you... you can do it... I'm not... worried..."
Kurilta showed a bloody grin despite his injuries.
I gave him a small smile in return.
"Got it, Kurilta."