Even though Lieutenant Colonel Banol had expelled me from the Ark, I didn't particularly resent him.
If I were in his position, I would have made the same choice.
"Carl Marcus."
"Glad to see you. Even better to see you safe."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol, who rarely showed his emotions, gave a faint smile.
Of course, I knew.
That smile was nothing more than a carefully crafted expression.
"There's a lot to discuss. Let's not do it standing here."
As Banol said, the area outside the Ark was still filled with dense, smoky air from the ongoing disposal of beast and monster corpses.
Given the situation, it was impractical to keep the gate open like this.
That is, if I even had the clearance to enter the Ark.
"Am I allowed to go in?"
"Of course."
Whether it was because the mission involved honorary citizenship or not, Banol easily permitted me entry to the Ark.
Maybe it was because they now considered me part of the family.
Or maybe it was a trap.
But that seemed unlikely.
There wasn't enough evidence for the Ark to regard me as an enemy.
Not that I was, anyway.
Still, whether they believed me or not was another matter.
I knew just how hostile the Ark could be toward outsiders.
One of the main reasons the Black Line fell was due to a Grade-2 Phantasmal Monster, a Doppelgänger, infiltrating it.
That's why the Ark was so cautious.
Despite that, they still took the risk of accepting outsiders because the manpower shortage inside the Ark was that dire.
'I'll know when I get there.'
Even in the worst-case scenario, I was confident I could make it out.
Following Banol's lead, I took my first official step inside the Ark since arriving in this world.
'Janus, suppress your presence completely from here on out.'
In response to my command, Janus moved without a sound.
To pass through the Red Line gate, I had to undergo a precise scan, and in Janus's current state, it would be detected.
I needed to completely suppress its presence.
Srrrr─
The bone tendrils that were protecting me from within the armor retracted and merged with the energy source of the protective suit.
Janus itself also slipped into a dormant state.
Now, instead of bone armor, it was just a standard Level-5 protective suit.
Even the Ark's scanning technology wouldn't be able to detect it.
'Though if a Skull Knight sees me, that's a different story.'
Fortunately, officially active Skull Knights within the Red Line were almost nonexistent, so there wasn't much to worry about.
It was similar to why they shunned Ether soldiers in the Red Line and other rear lines.
'They still think they're perfectly safe.'
Considering the price the Ark paid when the Black Line fell long ago, it was almost laughable.
If the Ark lost even one more line, it would be catastrophic.
I had witnessed countless instances where such arrogance led to the Ark's downfall.
'This is just the first step.'
By now, I had already formed a number of connections within the Ark.
Starting with Tatiana Belov, the Special Mobile Strike Officer of the Navy Line and a member of the Belov family.
Then there was Lieutenant Colonel Maybell Pilgrim, the head of the Special Purpose Weapons Lab.
I also built rapport with practical personnel like Quartermaster Gedwin and Lieutenant Imosha.
And, of course, promising soldiers like Kurilta, who would soon stand out.
'Even if it's small now, these connections will definitely be crucial when the time comes.'
I stepped further inside the gate.
Ziiiiing─
A green light scanned both me and Hildegard.
It was a standard procedure before entering the Ark.
[Scan complete.]
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's eyebrow twitched slightly.
The scan had shown that my Ether response was significantly stronger than before.
Given that Esther was with me, it probably indicated an Ether compatibility level of at least Grade-4.
"This way."
Despite his slight reaction, Banol maintained his usual calm demeanor.
Even noticing that subtle change required knowing Banol for a long time.
And then...
The sprawling landscape of the Ark greeted me.
Normally, the outer areas of each line were occupied by the Ark's regular military camps, making them distinct from the true interior.
However, the towering buildings concealed behind the fortress walls made it clear that I was now inside the Ark.
"Welcome to the Ark."
"Thanks for the warm welcome."
"You've earned it."
Coming from the man who had expelled me from the Ark, he sure knew how to talk.
As we passed by, soldiers saluted, and Banol gave them a slight nod in acknowledgment before moving forward.
"You probably already know, but just to clarify—both Kurilta and Clint are safe. Kurilta will be back on duty within a week, and Clint in about two weeks."
It might sound like minor injuries, but considering how advanced the Ark's medical technology was, it meant they both narrowly escaped death.
"That's good to hear."
"It's thanks to you. Had you not intervened, both of them would have likely died."
Something about his statement felt off.
According to Banol, if I hadn't intervened, they would have pushed the mission forward, even if it meant sacrificing soldiers.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't mean to say their lives are insignificant. It just shows how crucial this mission was."
In other words, the Ark was that focused on the emergence of Ouroboros and the Turncoat Pawn.
To the point where they would have accepted casualties if necessary.
'I figured they'd be cautious... but it really is seen as a regional boss monster.'
In The Defense, regional boss monsters were considered stage bosses, powerful enough to wipe out the Ark.
It made sense for the Ark to be overly cautious.
'But there's more to it than just that.'
Since they couldn't fathom that I might be imitating a monster, they wouldn't directly suspect me as the Turncoat Pawn.
But they might still suspect something else.
'The most obvious connection would be to the remnants of the Kronos Union.'
By now, the remnants of Kronos would be moving to form the Kronos Union.
This was my chance to completely sever any perceived connection with them.
"Come in."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's office door opened.
At a glance, it looked like a simple door, but in reality, it involved retinal scanning, fingerprint recognition, and even verifying the device on his wrist.
Hildegard, Lieutenant Imosha, and I followed him inside.
"Anything to drink?"
"I'll take a coffee."
Even though coffee was a luxury item within the Ark, Banol had no trouble offering it as a courtesy.
"How about you two?"
Banol's gaze shifted to Hildegard and Lieutenant Imosha in turn.
"I-I'm fine with just water."
"I'm fine."
Since Lieutenant Colonel Banol wasn't the type to ask twice, he nodded and manipulated the device on the desk.
Vrrrmmmmm...
The table we were sitting at lowered four small holes, just the size to fit cups, and then rose again with drinks in place.
It was a device that condensed Ark's technological prowess, but it felt like a waste somehow—it wasn't just my imagination.
"Now, I'd like to hear the mission report. What did you see there?"
"I detected signs of a beast estimated to be at least Grade-1 or higher. It would have been nice to investigate further, but it was too dangerous to approach, so I only confirmed its presence."
"Grade-1 or higher... So, it could be classified as a Beyond Grade beast?"
"That would be appropriate. Just the roar alone was enough to completely freeze Hildegard's body."
"...I see."
Naturally, Lieutenant Colonel Banol's gaze shifted to Hildegard.
"...I have no excuse. I displayed disgraceful conduct as a soldier of Ark."
"I'm not blaming you. If it was that kind of beast, it couldn't be helped. What I want to confirm is whether Carl Marcus's statement was true. Was it?"
Hildegard gave a small nod.
"Yes. I saw it myself."
"I see."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's expression stiffened, knowing well what Hildegard meant by 'saw.'
Unlike me, an outsider, Hildegard was undeniably a citizen and soldier of Ark, whose identity was thoroughly verified.
It meant that Lieutenant Colonel Banol's trust in us differed inevitably.
"What about the second mission?"
"The ground itself in that area had completely collapsed, so I couldn't find any particular traces."
"...I see. Well, that makes sense."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol couldn't hide his disappointment, but since I hadn't lied, he seemed convinced.
"Did you detect any suspicious movements in the area?"
"I found a village southwest of the collapsed cave that seemed to be a branch of the Church of Morte. It was located below a cliff."
"The Church of Morte... troublesome folks. What do you think we should do about them?"
This was a test.
Regardless of how I answered here, Ark's judgment wouldn't change.
Therefore, the only answer I could give was the plain truth.
"It's better not to provoke them."
"Why? Aren't they Ark's enemies? If we didn't know about them, that's one thing, but now that we do, there's no reason to leave them be."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's face looked oddly amused as he asked.
"Ark isn't the only one hostile to the Church of Morte."
What if I had said to wipe them all out right here?
Lieutenant Colonel Banol would have labeled me as one of two things:
An agent of the Kronos Union trying to drain Ark's resources.
Or a fool who didn't grasp the consequences of Ark's mobilization.
Either way, Lieutenant Colonel Banol's judgment of me would have lowered, so I had no reason to lie.
"I see."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol acted nonchalant as if he hadn't planned to move the troops in the first place.
"That's all for the mission report. Is there anything else you want to know?"
Lieutenant Colonel Banol shook his head.
"Not entirely, but I'll ask Recruit Hildegard separately about that matter."
He opened a drawer and handed me a small card.
I knew what it was.
"It's the promised honorary citizenship of Ark. This is your ID. Originally, we'd have to take your photo, but I figured you wouldn't want the hassle, so I made it using the entry records. If you don't like it, we can retake it."
"I'll just use it."
"I thought you would."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol stood up and extended his hand to me.
"Welcome to Ark as a citizen, Carl Marcus."
I clasped his hand.
"I accept it gratefully."
"On that note... would you consider becoming a soldier of Ark? The Red Line desperately needs someone of your caliber."
It was a proposal I had expected.
In fact, it was a natural progression, given that an outsider to Ark had gained citizenship.
"I'll decline."
Of course, I had no intention of accepting.
The biggest difference between ordinary citizens and honorary citizens of Ark was the absence of obligations.
Having obtained honorary citizenship without any duties, why would I willingly choose hardship?
"...I see. That's unfortunate."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol didn't push the matter further.
He hadn't genuinely expected me to accept in the first place.
"If you ever change your mind, come find me anytime. There will always be a place for someone like you."
"Understood."
"You don't have a place to stay, do you? I'll arrange accommodations at the officer's quarters. Normally, it's a privilege for Ark's soldiers, but consider it a reward for your mission."
"I'll gladly accept."
I had been thinking it would be nice to have a place within Ark, but I didn't expect Lieutenant Colonel Banol to be this considerate.
'Of course, the real reason is probably to keep me under watch.'
Regardless of his true intentions, it wasn't a bad outcome for me.
[Mission in Ark completed.]
[Ark's trust in you has deepened significantly.]
[You have obtained honorary citizenship of Ark!]
[Access rights to Ark have been granted.]
[As an honorary citizen of Ark, you may assert and exercise certain rights.]
Finally, I had acquired legitimate rights to enter Ark.
It also meant the number of tasks ahead of me had multiplied.
As I was organizing my thoughts on future plans—
Vrrrrrrrrrmmm!
Red lights flickered on everywhere.
The faint yet unmistakable sound of sirens echoed through the air.
"This is..."
"Everyone, move!"
The meaning was clear.
["Grade-1 danger situation detected! I repeat, Grade-1 danger situation detected!"]
A Grade-1 danger situation.
In other words, the fourth wave.
'Has time passed that quickly?'
It meant the investigation team's mission had taken longer than expected.
'Maybe this is convenient.'
Though the heavy weapons were still in the hideout, I didn't mind.
There were even greater weapons lying around here in Ark.
'Time to head out.'
To the front lines.