[Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop...]
[Run away, you must...!]
[It's awake. It's awake. It's awake. It's awake. It's awake. It's awake. It's awake. It's awake. It's awake. It's awake.]
[Don't do it, don't...]
The ether stirred violently.
It was reacting to Ouroboros.
Of course, that wasn't the only thing reacting.
"Ah... Ahh..."
The roar of a beast had the power to paralyze a human.
Normally, the willpower stat would help resist that, but Hildegard didn't have the ability to withstand it yet.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-Yes... I'm... fine..."
"There's no need to push yourself."
I knew this would happen.
After all, I was the one who woke Ouroboros from its slumber.
'That should do it.'
Esther, who had appeared beside me, pouted her lips.
["You really make me do the strangest things..."]
'Did you find any traces of me?'
["Like anything would be left behind. It all collapsed."]
'Fair point.'
Before we arrived at the Snake Cave, I had instructed Esther to deliberately provoke Ouroboros just a little.
I didn't want to risk fully awakening it by investigating inside the cave, so I had her subtly reveal its presence to Hildegard instead.
'That should be enough.'
Now Hildegard would report everything she saw and heard back to Ark.
With her Insight Eye, she would surely be able to sense Ouroboros's presence within the collapsed cave.
As long as we made it back safely, the first and second mission objectives would practically be accomplished.
The first objective was to confirm the current location and status of the Beyond-Grade beast species, Ouroboros, and that was done just now.
The second objective was to investigate Turncoat Pawn, but of course, no trace of it would be left, so that was no issue.
'Besides, the presence of Ouroboros will likely drive away the nearby monsters, killing two birds with one stone.'
Now all that remained was to conduct a brief investigation for the third and final mission and then return to Ark.
'The third objective was... investigating the disturbances occurring on the western front, right?'
Frankly, this third objective was more of a secondary priority, meant to be addressed if it came up while completing the other tasks.
I intended to do just the bare minimum to make it seem like we checked it out, so Hildegard wouldn't feel suspicious.
'If there's any suspicious activity around here at this time... it would be that.'
Since there was no need to stay here any longer, I urged Hildegard.
"Let's go."
"Ah, um..."
"Can't walk?"
"...I-I'm sorry."
Her legs had completely given out, and she couldn't even take a step.
With no other choice, I hoisted Hildegard over my left shoulder.
"Kya!"
She squealed in surprise.
"P-Put me down!"
"This is the most practical way right now."
Hildegard seemed like she wanted to protest but just lowered her head.
"I... I'm sorry."
"Forget it. We're moving now."
I began to walk away from the old Snake Cave.
["...Seriously? Of all the ways to carry her, you had to do it like that? You're really something, in a weird way."]
'This way, I can still use one hand if needed.'
["Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."]
Amid Esther's sarcastic tone, Hildegard spoke up.
"...Are we going back?"
"Not yet. There's still a mission to complete."
"A mission..."
"It's simple. Just a quick sweep of the area. A slight detour."
"...I see."
Ark already regarded me with suspicion.
Given the importance of the reward, it was better to be thorough with the mission.
'This is the smarter choice.'
Although it was inconvenient to have an extra burden on my shoulder, it also meant I could move at full speed without worrying about matching her pace.
'Let's go.'
I set off, adding one more weight to my shoulder.
*
The journey continued.
There were several instances where we almost ran into packs of beasts, but thanks to quick maneuvering, we managed to avoid major battles.
"Pl-please... put me... down..."
"We're almost there."
"Huh?"
Only then did Hildegard lift her head with difficulty.
And as she looked down at the scenery beneath the cliff, her mouth dropped open.
A village sprawling across the landscape, looking like it could house thousands of people.
A massive temple standing proudly at the center.
And a symbol that was all too familiar.
"What... is that...?"
Her shock was understandable.
She never would have expected a village of this size to still exist outside of Ark.
"It's the Church of Morte."
"The Church of Morte... You mean that fanatic group?"
"Exactly. To be precise, this is one of their branches."
Although the Church of Morte hadn't yet started full-scale activities, their notorious reputation was already widespread, even within Ark.
To be exact, it was part of the standard education for Ark soldiers, as one of Ark's known enemies.
["...To think you'd know about this place. It's not easy to find by normal means."]
As Esther pointed out, the Gaishara Branch of the Church of Morte was protected by one of their three holy relics, making it incredibly difficult to locate.
The Western Gaishara Branch was considered one of the largest and most influential branches within the church.
Of course, that didn't matter if you already knew its location, like I did.
"Let's head back."
"...Are we just leaving like this?"
"Would you rather call in an airstrike on them?"
"That's not what I meant..."
It wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea.
After all, the Church of Morte was indeed an enemy of Ark and would pose a threat in the future.
However, the various factions in this world were intricately linked, and even the Church of Morte didn't always play the role of a pure antagonist.
Simply by existing, they served to suppress other hostile forces that might threaten Ark.
'Especially the Gaishara Branch here. Its location makes it even more significant.'
To the east of Ark, factions like the Shadow Order and remnants of the old Kronos Union held sway, making it difficult for smaller forces to rise.
But the western region was different—a literal lawless zone.
Especially now, with minor factions still unorganized, it was even more chaotic.
'Even if Hildegard reports this to Ark, they're unlikely to take any significant action.'
As mentioned earlier, the Gaishara Branch itself helped keep the local forces in check.
Of course, if the branch were to grow larger in the mid-to-late stages, the situation might change, but that would be dealt with then.
"It seems like potential threats around here are limited to this place."
"...I guess so."
"Let's go back. If we take too long, we might get caught by a wave."
"Ah, um..."
Hildegard's face flushed bright red, like a ripe tomato.
"...I'll walk from here."
"Understood."
I set Hildegard down.
Whether it was due to being carried for so long or the effects of OOuroboros wearing off, she seemed steadier now.
"Let's move."
"Y-yes!"
With that, all the investigation missions were completed.
It was time to head back.
* * *
As the journey continued, Hildegard became convinced.
Carl Marcus was not an enemy of Ark.
She became certain of it.
* * *
The way back was smooth.
Although we encountered quite a few beast packs along the way, we avoided what we could and fought when necessary.
"A pack of Grade-7 beasts. No need to avoid them."
"...Grade-7 packs?"
For someone around Red Line level, Grade-7 beasts and monsters could be tricky to handle.
But for me, they were nothing.
"No need to worry."
For those who approached, I used A-985 explosive rounds.
For those who swarmed, I used grenades.
That was my way of dealing with beasts and monsters.
After a few rounds of combat, Hildegard's ammo eventually ran dry.
"...I'm out of bullets!"
"Then just stand back and watch."
"But..."
"I can handle it alone."
I briefly wondered how my seemingly endless stream of bullets might look to her, but I couldn't afford to worry about that now.
After enduring battle after battle, the familiar sight of the city finally appeared on the horizon.
"Ark."
Beyond the horizon, I could see Ark, still engulfed in flames.
It seemed that the eradication of beasts and monsters was still ongoing.
Despite the sense of accomplishment from completing the mission, Hildegard's condition was far from good.
"Huff... Huff..."
Even though I had adjusted the pace for her, she looked almost like a corpse, barely hanging on.
It was understandable.
Since the mission had started, we had barely rested for over a week, constantly moving and fighting.
Even the toughest soldier would be exhausted.
'But despite all that, she never gave up. As expected from an Ark soldier, even just a trainee.'
One way or another, Hildegard had undoubtedly grown stronger from this mission.
And Ark's soldiers growing stronger was naturally beneficial to me, as long as those guns didn't end up pointed my way.
With these thoughts in mind, we finally reached the Red Line's Red-7 Gate.
["Halt."]
Hearing the mechanical voice from the speaker, Hildegard composed herself and stepped forward.
"...Trainee Hildegard of Red-106 Training Battalion, Company 3, Platoon 4. Returning from Ark external investigation mission."
["Please wait a moment."]
How long did we wait?
Finally, the massive gate of Ark began to lower.
[Investigation mission complete!]
[Achievement points accumulated.]
[+5,000 Achievement points]
[Current Achievement points: 32,145]
I thought the Achievement points were less than expected, but considering that the rewards for the third to fourth wave were barely 2,000, it was like earning the equivalent of two waves.
The reason I found it lacking was simply that I usually earned more Achievement points during waves.
'Well, it can't be helped.'
The real reward of this mission wasn't the Achievement points anyway.
Thud, thud, thud...
Once the gate was fully lowered, I saw a familiar face running over.
It was Lieutenant Imosha.
"...You're safe!"
Lieutenant Imosha's voice was unusually loud, betraying his relief.
His tired eyes made it clear that leaving us behind had weighed heavily on him.
"What about Kurilta?"
"They're safe. Thanks to you."
"Let's save the catching up for later... Who's that?"
When I subtly pointed behind him, Imosha hastily stepped aside.
"...Ah, my apologies."
"No need."
The man standing behind Lieutenant Imosha stepped forward to face me.
It was a face I knew well.
Or rather, a face I couldn't possibly forget.
"This is our first time meeting in person, Carl Marcus. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Banol, Commander of the Eastern Front Defense Force at Red Line."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol.
The very man who once drove me out of Ark.
Now, after all that time, I was finally standing face to face with him.