Kurilta, who had been holding on through sheer willpower, slowly closed his eyes.
Hildegard flinched and quickly checked Kurilta's vitals.
"...He's just asleep. I almost thought..."
"Might as well curse him out while you're at it."
"Huh?"
Hildegard looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, as if she couldn't believe I was making a joke at a time like this.
I felt a bit awkward.
"Carl Marcus."
Lieutenant Imosha looked at me.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"Yeah. It's a mission I have to do anyway, isn't it?"
"...Understood."
Lieutenant Imosha didn't say anything more.
There wasn't a better option at this point anyway.
She turned her gaze and spoke in a loud, commanding voice.
"Recruit Hildegard!"
"Y-Yes?"
"Complete the mission alongside Carl Marcus. Dmitri and I will return to Ark with the injured."
Hildegard blinked for a moment, then saluted with a determined expression.
"...Recruit Hildegard! I will complete the mission without fail!"
But I couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied.
Just when I thought I'd finally get to move alone, Lieutenant Imosha stuck me with the most troublesome burden.
"I can handle it alone."
"No. I'm already asking too much of you, but at least let me maintain some semblance of duty."
It sounded reasonable, but the truth was that they couldn't fully trust my report, so they wanted an Ark soldier to accompany me.
They were still suspicious of me.
'Well, it can't be helped.'
The reason they had readily agreed to my request for honorary citizenship was likely to monitor me from within rather than let me roam outside freely.
'Of course, I have no intention of moving according to their plan.'
Honorary citizenship is a right.
Since it comes without obligations, there's no rule that says I must live within Ark just because I have honorary citizenship.
"Fine. Let's move out right away."
"Yes, we will do that."
Two severely injured men.
Two people to move them.
Since they had to move both injured at once, Lieutenant Imosha and Dmitri had no choice but to modify the stretchers to accommodate both men at once.
Fortunately, the stretchers had wheels, but carrying the weight of two people wouldn't make the journey easy.
"Carl Marcus, there's something I need to tell you."
While Dmitri and Hildegard were modifying the stretchers, I had the chance to hear the detailed mission briefing from Lieutenant Imosha.
Until now, they hadn't revealed the specifics, but since the mission had essentially shifted entirely to me, they had no choice but to explain.
The investigation team's mission had three objectives.
The first was to determine the current location or status of the Beyond Grade Colossal Monster, Ouroboros.
The second was to investigate traces of the Skull Turncoat that had confronted Ouroboros.
And the third was to examine the unsettling elements occurring in the area.
Just as I expected, Ark had identified me as the Skull Turncoat known as Turncoat Pawn and designated me as a dangerous monster.
'Turncoat Pawn... Seriously?'
I knew that Ark gave named Skull Turncoats chess piece names.
But Turncoat Pawn was originally supposed to appear only after the mid-stage, and now I had accidentally taken that name.
'Well, that doesn't matter now.'
I glanced at Lieutenant Imosha, who had finished her preparations.
"Then... I'll leave the mission to you."
"Understood."
There was no need for parting words.
We just exchanged brief glances, understanding each other.
And so, we split into two groups.
Those returning to Ark with the injured, and those continuing the mission.
Naturally, we belonged to the latter.
"Let's go."
"Ah... Y-Yes! Let's go."
Now that it was just the two of us, Hildegard seemed visibly tense.
I'm not that scary, am I?
["You're lucky, huh? Going on a trip alone with a pretty girl."]
'What trip? This is life or death.'
What kind of journey in the world involves risking your life at every turn?
"Um..."
"What is it?"
"N-Nothing... You just keep staring at me so intensely."
It was only then that I realized Esther was standing between me and Hildegard.
["Hmph, feeling jealous?"]
I lost my words for a moment, then shook my head.
If I said I was talking to a ghost here, I'd be labeled a lunatic.
"...It's nothing. Let's move."
I ignored Hildegard's puzzled gaze and began walking.
The mission continued.
*
Despite the investigation team shrinking from six members to just two, the mission went on.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
Even though I was used to navigating the outside of Ark alone, the fact that we now had two people made everything much more complicated.
"Stop. Monster pack ahead."
If I had been alone, I would've just ignored them and declared Ankelenth's territory to make them back off.
But now, every time we encountered a pack of monsters, I had to make a choice.
Whether to fight the monster pack or hide and wait.
Most of the time, I chose the latter.
Fighting one monster pack could easily attract others—it wasn't uncommon outside of Ark.
Grrr...
Bark! Bark!
A Hellhound pack led by a Skull Hound passed right by us as we stayed hidden under camouflage.
At my current level, I could easily subdue the Skull Hound and Hellhound pack with just a handgun.
But as I mentioned, engaging in battles with monsters outside Ark wasn't wise.
Avoiding unnecessary fights was the smartest choice.
"...Are they gone?"
"Yeah."
Of course, we didn't avoid every monster encounter.
If avoiding wasn't an option or it wasn't necessary, I didn't shy away from fighting.
"There's no way back from here. We'll fight."
Fortunately, the situation was manageable since it was right after a wave.
Perhaps because of that, our movement speed wasn't as fast as I expected.
If I were alone, I would have already reached the destination.
But keeping pace with Hildegard was another story.
"Huff... Huff..."
"You look exhausted. Let's take a break."
"N-No, it's fine... Let's keep going."
"Moving while exhausted will only slow us down. It's better to rest for ten minutes."
"I'm sorry... It's because of me..."
Hildegard gritted her teeth as if truly frustrated, drenched in sweat.
Whether it was sweat or tears streaming down her face, I couldn't tell.
But it was inevitable.
Right now, Hildegard was nothing more than a rookie recruit who had barely survived three waves.
Meanwhile, I had not only physical reinforcement from my strength abilities but also the supportive abilities from Janus.
There was a fundamental difference between us—more than just a disparity in physical strength and endurance.
'Should I just carry her?'
That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I quickly shook my head.
These experiences would one day serve as a driving force for Hildegard's growth.
'Though just a recruit now, Hildegard will one day become a central figure in Ark.'
Her Insight Eye alone was valuable enough, but beyond that, her latent potential was also exceptional.
'If this opportunity helps accelerate her growth, it'll be worthwhile.'
After avoiding monster packs and pushing through a forced march, dawn eventually broke, and night fell once again.
Hildegard's condition was clearly worsening, and even I was feeling a bit tired.
It seemed wise to rest for a while.
"We'll make camp here."
"What about keeping watch...?"
"It's best to take turns, but without a CD-type tent, it's unnecessary."
I grabbed my folding spade and dug a shallow hole, then set up a camouflage cover over it.
Sleeping bags placed between the camouflage layers would do for now.
Though not the most comfortable setup, it was concealed enough not to require a guard.
Strictly speaking, even if a monster pack found us, Esther would wake me up.
'Still, it's a bit disappointing.'
The single-person CC-type tent I used in the hideout could accommodate up to four people if cramped.
It was sufficient for sleeping, but not ideal for long-term living.
On the other hand, the CD-type tent was designed for at least twelve people, providing a comfortable indoor environment even in the field.
While it lacked a shower facility, it had most of the essential functions needed for field operations.
'We'll just have to make do without it.'
As I laid down a sleeping bag between the doubled camouflage layers and settled in, I noticed Hildegard hesitating.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing..."
She timidly laid down a sleeping bag next to mine and crawled in slowly.
With the two sleeping bags side by side, it felt a bit cramped but not unbearable.
"Um..."
"Be quiet from now on. The soundproofing of a Level-4 camouflage net is decent, but night monsters can still sense it."
"Ah, yes..."
Esther whispered sarcastically.
["Wow, you're a real idiot, aren't you?"]
Night deepened.
* * *
Hildegard couldn't fall asleep easily.
The presence of someone sleeping so close that she could feel his breath was unsettling.
'...Isn't this way too close?'
Yet, seeing Carl Marcus already asleep, breathing softly, she couldn't help but think it was impressive.
Despite the situation, he was sleeping so soundly without a single guard up.
'Was I wrong about him?'
When she closed her eyes, memories from that day flashed vividly in her mind.
During the mission to retrieve Experimental Round GHOST-157, they had encountered a Skull Turncoat.
Despite subduing the entire recovery team, the Turncoat left without killing anyone, walking away leisurely.
The howls of monsters from all directions and the sense of despair that had gripped her.
And the countless holes among the monster corpses scattered throughout Opacum's Swamp.
The first time she saw Carl Marcus, she couldn't help but think of that Skull Turncoat.
Now dubbed "Turncoat Pawn" by Ark.
To be honest, at first, she was suspicious of him—his actions, his words, everything.
But after spending time with him, she began to understand how Carl Marcus had managed to survive in the harsh environment outside Ark.
He was cautious in everything he did.
He never moved recklessly, and if something seemed suspicious, he would choose to retreat without hesitation.
But that didn't mean he was a coward who feared combat.
If he judged a fight to be necessary, he would pull the trigger without a second thought.
His skills were remarkable enough to defeat the Grade-2 Named Skull Turncoat, Turncoat Knight, without question.
'What on earth is his identity?'
Even with her Insight Eye, she couldn't read much about Carl Marcus.
If anything, it made him resemble a Skull Turncoat even more, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a groundless assumption.
He was no ordinary person.
If he were, he would have died long ago.
Still, there was one thing Hildegard was certain about.
'Carl Marcus is not a Skull Turncoat.'
A Skull Turncoat is a being where a bone parasite has completely taken control of a human host.
Though they might mimic human language to some extent, they could never fully replicate it.
'His identity remains dubious... but since Kurilta vouched for him, I guess I don't need to worry too much.'
Hildegard trusted Kurilta.
Kurilta wasn't someone sly enough to deceive others, nor was he the type to bother trying.
As her thoughts wandered, her eyes slowly closed, and sleep finally overtook her.
The next day, the relentless journey continued.
And finally, when they reached their destination, the Snake Cave, Hildegard couldn't believe what she saw.
"Is this the place?"
"Y-Yes. According to the information we received, it should be around here..."
"It's collapsed."
"...Yeah."
The Snake Cave, located far west from Ark, had completely collapsed, as if something had burst out from within.
The meaning was clear.
"Whatever was inside... it woke up. That's the most reasonable conclusion."
Should they check it out?
As Hildegard pondered over it, I interrupted her thoughts.
"Stop."
"Huh?"
"It's best not to go any further."
Carl Marcus warned.
Although Hildegard didn't understand why, she soon realized.
"What do you mean—"
Just as Hildegard showed a puzzled expression—
KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
A horrifying screech echoed from deep within the collapsed Snake Cave, as if it had been waiting for this moment.