221. Reason for the signal flare (1)
After setting up camp, the first thing we did was, of course, keep watch and stay overnight.
The first batters were those who were in relatively good physical condition.
So it’s me and Milton.
Benatio was fine, but I have to prepare for when Milton and I fall asleep later.
It’s better to leave at least one trustworthy guy behind.
“It’s cold.”
“Weren’t you from the North?”
“The mountains are just cold, you know?”
“That’s true.”
Even though I said that, I didn’t feel particularly cold.
“You’re fine. You don’t even seem to be using magic.”
“I know.”
“Do you happen to have any ancestors from the North? I don’t know if this is rude.”
“I don’t know about that, and I’m not particularly curious about it.”
What should I say when it’s not like it has any magical power on the outside?
Should I just say that it’s because of the magical power that runs throughout my body?
“It’s really amazing, a guy like you.”
In the midst of all this, I chuckled at what Milton said.
“okay?”
“It’s amazing. Not only is he so strong at that age, but he’s already known throughout the empire… … .”
Then Milton asked,
“What are your goals? I guess you have some grand plan.”
“It’s a grand plan.”
I answered simply, looking at the expectant look.
“Yes. A grand plan.”
“Can you tell me?”
“Living comfortably. With family and friends.”
The eyes that were hoping to conquer the world were doused with cold water. What can I do? It really is like that.
“To live comfortably… … Then there must be many things involved in that process.”
It’s a look in his eyes that seems to be asking him to please say so.
There is a grand plan involved in the process.
For example, joining the Knights Templar and becoming famous and achieving something great.
“Yes. It includes many things.”
“I knew it. As expected, I got the highest score in this camp and joined the Knights… … .”
“I go on adventures with my friends, enjoy my academy life, help my sisters with inventions and research, and spar with my father.”
“… … .”
I thought about saying I wasn’t interested in joining the Knights Templar, but I thought I’d be really disappointed, so I decided not to.
This side is desperate, so I can’t just leisurely say I’m not interested.
Even the northern team has not come under me just now.
Even if it is revealed later, it is more important to lead without getting tired now.
“You are truly unique.”
You said it was amazing before, but now you say it’s unusual.
“If I were the eldest son of the Count of Sogress… … I would have done something different.”
“That could be the case.”
Well, then I’d be a common noble boy. But that doesn’t mean I’m pursuing something uncommon.
I just want to do something that I find fun.
“And yet, you’re famous… … Honestly, I’m jealous. As the second son, there were so many things I couldn’t even try.”
Then, all of a sudden, he started to giggle.
“Well, even if I was the eldest son, I don’t think I could have done what you did. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
If I tell you all sorts of things, you’ll probably look at me with suspicion rather than surprise.
Well, it’s not like I’m asking anyone to believe me.
It doesn’t matter anyway.
“Anyway, I’m going to do well in this camp… … and if possible, I won’t go back to the North. Not right now.”
“If I join the Knights, when will I return?”
“If I succeed, I’ll at least join the Imperial Knights and secure a place for myself. Then the family won’t treat me as they used to. Of course, since I’ve joined the Imperial Knights, my deep ties with the North will be severed.”
As far as I know, northerners are usually born in the North, grow up in the North, and die in the North.
To be more specific, I live for the North.
No, to put it bluntly… … .
I don’t like being associated with the royal family.
To put it simply, it is a confrontation.
Should I call it pride?
“Anyway… … since I came here, it’s almost like I’ve decided to cut ties with the North.”
They are virtually on the edge of a cliff.
If I go back to the North like this, I won’t be treated as a ‘Northerner’.
That’s the kind of place the North is.
A place with great loyalty to the empire, but strangely, its relationship with the royal family and other regions is not very good.
And yet, when it comes to protecting the empire, they step forward in any way they can… … Should we say that they are essentially another country?
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I’ll be shocked the moment I say it out loud.
“It doesn’t matter if we are used politically. We just feel resentful that we can’t spread our wings and just rot away in the North.”
For example, does it mean a ‘traitor’ born in the North?
Well, I guess it’s fine.
“I just wanted to talk.”
“Yeah. I see.”
“You’re so bland. I’ve never told anyone else this story except those guys.”
I tilted my head at that.
“That doesn’t matter to me, does it?”
“… … Now that I think about it, that’s true. I thought there must be a reason for helping us.”
“It’s not about helping, it’s about being together. It’s about the right time.”
Milton, momentarily dazed, quietly mulls over my words.
“Since we’re doing it together… … That’s a good point.”
Meanwhile, I stared blankly at the place where the flare had gone off earlier.
What’s going on?
There probably won’t be any reason to set off a flare.
Even if it doesn’t seem like it, most of the guys who come here are desperate.
So, it probably wasn’t an easy decision to send out a signal that effectively meant ‘elimination’.
“By the way, Dane, what was that flare just now?”
Milton seems to think the same as me.
“well.”
A trap perhaps prepared by the Knights?
Or internal division?
Or a forced signal flare due to checks between different teams?
I’m not sure.
It takes about half a day to get to the top.
If I wake up in the morning and start climbing the mountain, I’ll arrive just after noon.
There will probably be food when we arrive… … .
“If you eat your fill, you won’t have any cravings.”
As Milton just said, if there really was food, it could be done.
But what I’m thinking about now is a different matter.
This is the mysterious entity I captured earlier when I went to collect Mornit.
If it’s just a simple monster, then it doesn’t matter.
It’s as natural for monsters to live in the mountains as it is for trees to grow.
But more importantly, I don’t leave my seat and focus on ‘camp’.
Even at this moment, the Knights Templar will be watching.
Like two people hiding in the grass not far away.
“What are you looking at?”
“No. Nothing.”
You probably don’t know.
Surely, I never thought I would be detected from this distance.
But it’s better to pretend not to know and let it slide than to pretend to know.
In the same sense… … .
There is no need to escape from the situation.
Unless it’s a dangerous situation.
“Let’s just think about reaching the summit tomorrow.”
“That’s right. By the way, if four days of training are like this… I can’t even imagine what the other trainings are like.”
The night was deepening amidst Milton’s banter. * * *
The next day came, and nothing much happened during the night.
After checking our personal condition, we started hiking, and everyone’s steps were noticeably lighter.
I ate a few of the mornits I picked last night for breakfast, and I hardly heard anyone complaining about being hungry.
Anyway, now all that’s left is to get to the top.
However, the two gazes that I felt until last night are no longer detected.
Did they withdraw as they got closer to the top?
Well, I’m not sure, but I don’t think they would do that.
What exactly is going on?
But then it happened.
Phew!
It must have been about 30 minutes since we set off.
This time, a signal flare went off not too far away.
At that moment, everyone’s footsteps stopped as if they had made a promise.
Two teams have already been eliminated.
“Milton.”
Milton immediately heard my call and shouted to the Northerners.
“Keep moving!”
There’s no point in being agitated now.
All that matters is going up.
I checked the situation periodically by looking back while moving ahead.
Just in case something happens.
And here’s one more.
“Benatio.”
“Yes, senior.”
“Take charge of the rear.”
“All right.”
The rear is the most vulnerable to surprise attacks.
So as I was deploying Venatio, Milton came up to me and asked,
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
“Preparing for the unexpected.”
“What if something unexpected happens?”
Milton looks clueless.
But if we consider the cases of me and my friends, who have always had problems whenever we did something… … .
It can’t hurt to be prepared.
It’s been like that for two hours.
A situation where one is taking a short break.
“Whew. There really isn’t much left now.”
I quickly got up from the situation where Milton was wiping the sweat.
and-
“Get down.”
As he spoke to Milton, he picked up a stone from the floor and threw it with all his might.
The sound that followed was not the sound of a stone falling feebly into the grass.
Phew!
The sound of something hitting the ground in the grass.
To be exact, it was the sound of something passing through the grass-
“Huh!”
A scream erupted.
It’s a human scream.
“Prepare for battle!”
Amidst Milton’s shouts and everyone’s weapons drawn, I kicked the ground and jumped into the grass.
Then I saw a blade reaching out towards me.
Kaang!
I pulled out my sword and slashed the blade to the right, then ran towards him and kicked the ‘guy’.
“Ugh!”
Another scream, accompanied by the feeling of something catching on the soles of my feet.
And what was revealed was that it was a person.
However, he is not at all the knight who was watching us until yesterday.
The guy was wearing clothes I recognized.
That too, the clothes I saw in my past life.
“What are you doing?”
I asked.
But not in Alteon, but in a language other than Alteon.
Then the bastard’s pupils start shaking seriously.
Why?
That guy is wearing something that normally wouldn’t be seen here.
And what I just said is the language used in places where that outfit is mainly worn.
Look at this.
Things did blow up, but it was kind of funny.
“Surround them!”
The rest of the guys who came in the meantime.
But then, when the bastard flinched his hand-
Phew!
Smoke billowed everywhere.
“Kelok! Kelok!”
“It’s so spicy!”
“It’s a smoke screen!”
Amidst the screams, I caught sight of the thing trying to move.
“Milton, lead the rest to the top. I’ll go after him alone.”
“Kellogg, Kellogg! What, what did you say? By yourself?”
“Benatio.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“Dane, shit!”
There was no time for Milton to answer any further.
I chased after him through the smoke.
What on earth could it be?
A kind of ‘interference’ prepared by the Knights?
no.
“It’s a bit annoying for something like that.”
Are you trying to put in a ‘Draenic Ranger outfit’ obstacle?
I guess… … .
It seems that a third party has intruded into this camp.
person.
And something passed through the grass.
So, even though I could have stopped the smokescreen from exploding, I deliberately chose to ‘follow’ the guy.
If the guy wasn’t wearing Draenic’s ranger outfit, I would have subdued him a long time ago… … .
It makes me interested.
Suddenly, my past life comes to mind.
Knock!
I kicked the ground hard.
The corners of my lips curl up with increasing curiosity.
