Chapter 39

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: FusionX

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The commander set out alone to resolve the request.

The squad members only realized this fact immediately after Hans had left Lionheart Fortress at dawn.

As soon as Hans left, Helia sensed it right away.

Naturally, the other members also found out about it.

As a result, Cluna ended up taking all the blame.

That’s why an untimely hearing was held from the early morning.

The attendee was, of course, Cluna.

Clara tried to defend Cluna, but Cluna refused.

Because there was a reason.

Cluna said with a smile,

“I told you, didn’t I? That you shouldn’t follow him.”

“Is there any reason to obey your words when you’re not even the commander?”

Although she was smiling, her red eyes were blazing with anger.

Helia’s ferocious spirit was enough to startle even Cluna.

But it was understandable.

During the past two months, while working here, they naturally came to know.

How precious Commander Hans was to Helia.

Family… no, perhaps more than that.

It was a form close to an obsession that went beyond love.

The distorted heart of a child who had lost her place due to the war.

Now she was somehow suppressing that feeling, but…

If the day came when that heart erupted like an active volcano, who could handle that suppressed heart?

Cluna soon shook her head.

It wasn’t the time to leisurely reflect.

“This is also the commander’s order.”

“The commander’s order…?”

“Yes, the commander clearly said that he would directly resolve the matter alone and return.”

“That’s absurd! It’s a basic rule for the Royal Knights to operate in teams of at least two!”

“Miss Ruby, don’t you already know why the commander made that choice?”

“…”

In fact, everyone here already knew.

Why did the commander choose to go alone?

No matter how much of a political issue there was, to really slay a demon alone?

There was no way that was possible.

Even if they processed the request with two people, pushing it any further would not be safe even for the Dwarf Republic.

Because it was that kind of matter.

However, the commander still chose to go alone.

Was the reason really because of the contents written in the request?

Or was the problem with them?

The answer was already clear.

“Clara and Ruby, I don’t need to say it, do I?”

“That, that’s… but still…”

“…”

They had each seen the commander’s skills once before.

Clara in the forest, and Ruby in the confrontation with Bayard.

Naturally, their skills were not at a level where they could intervene.

Of course, Helia also couldn’t say anything.

She was already aware that she was the most lacking one here.

Even when directly taught by her teacher, she couldn’t win even once.

Although it was a splendid achievement, even too much for Helia’s age, she herself was not satisfied at all.

After all, she was of no help to her teacher.

“Um… what about me…?”

“Ah, of course, Miss Bayard, you are plenty strong. In close combat, you are on par with me.”

“Th-thank you.”

At the unexpectedly groundbreaking evaluation, Bayard’s voice became even smaller.

But it wasn’t just flattery.

When it came to close combat, she was a skilled fighter on par with Cluna.

“But you are still unstable. Your past wounds haven’t completely healed yet, right?”

“Sh-shamefully so…”

“If you were fully prepared, it would be different. But as you are now, you might rather be a hindrance to the commander.”

“…”

“Now, does anyone else have anything to say?”

Although Cluna spoke softly while clapping her hands lightly, no one dared to talk back to those words.

Because they had just painfully realized their position through her words.

You guys going would only be unhelpful.

That’s what she was saying.

Of course, in an indirect way.

The first to move was Helia.

Her red hair drew a rough curve.

“I understand what you mean.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“Instead, I have one request.”

“A request?”

“I want to spar with you.”

Helia was definitely smiling.

Not just smiling with her mouth, but a smile so beautiful that it dazzled the eyes.

Moreover, her tone was also clearly polite.

However, to Cluna, it sounded like this:

What makes you so great that you’re running your mouth like that?

“Shall I teach this human a lesson after a long time?”

Cluna responded to the brazen words of the young girl.

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Lionheart Fortress was a fortress located at the front lines.

And if you had to pick the closest countries to the fortress, it would definitely be the Human Kingdom and the Dwarf Republic.

Next was the Elven Forest.

In any case, the list goes on and on.

Anyway, in terms of distance, the Dwarf Republic was closer than the Human Kingdom.

In the first place, the Kingdom and the Republic were the ones playing the role of shields at the front lines.

Naturally, the damage suffered by the Kingdom and the Republic was incomparable to other countries or races.

Still, the Kingdom kept silent because it was weak, while the Dwarf Republic always actively expressed its dissatisfaction.

Their eccentric personality was rather helpful in this case.

Moreover, the technological prowess of the Dwarf Republic was tremendous.

Other countries couldn’t just keep their mouths shut either.

Strictly speaking, the humans suffered the most damage, but in the end, the ones with the loudest voices got more benefits.

“I finally arrived.”

The request from the Dwarf Republic was to investigate a village located on the outskirts of the republic.

Apparently, dwarves kept disappearing in that village.

Of course, the Dwarf Republic had dispatched investigation teams several times, and even the military, but unfortunately, not a single one of them returned alive.

And that’s why I was observing the village from a distance.

Because I was scared.

A village where people disappear if they enter?

Of course, it was scary.

“I should have brought someone with me, damn it.”

Honestly, I didn’t put much thought into it.

I just thought I could somehow cover it with time stop if I was alone.

The Dwarf Republic told me to go alone anyway.

That’s all it was.

I never imagined I would crumble like this at the entrance.

I rubbed my eyes and slowly examined the village once more.

No matter how many times I looked, it just seemed like an ordinary village.

Still, I couldn’t judge by appearances alone, so I had no choice but to turn my horse’s head and enter the village.

The village streets were also just ordinary streets with nothing special.

Dwarves who looked like young boys and girls at most were walking around the streets doing their work.

As if a festival was being held, the sound of flutes could be heard, and the smell of roasting meat was in full swing.

“It’s been a while since a human has visited this village! Are you here to enjoy the festival too?”

It was a dwarf man with green hair and quite a few wrinkles.

His height was still at the level of an elementary school student, but except for the wrinkles, he could pass for a young man.

“Ah, yes. I came for a similar reason.”

“That’s great! The meat happens to be artfully well-roasted! Why don’t you give it a try?”

The old man handed me a skewer.

I accepted it.

It looked like an ordinary skewer no matter how I looked at it.

It was even appetizing with plenty of seasoning.

“Then, thank you for the meal, sir.”

“Yes, yes! Don’t be shy and eat as much as you want!”

However, just as I was about to put the skewer in my mouth without a second thought, my surroundings suddenly turned gray.

Time had stopped.

What?

Why did it suddenly stop?

At first, I didn’t know the reason.

But I soon realized why.

It was because of the skewer in my hand.

Until a moment ago, it looked like an ordinary skewer.

But now that time had stopped, when I looked at it again, it wasn’t a skewer but something horrible.

You wouldn’t call a skewer with severed fingers on it roasted meat.

“What, what is this…?!”

I was so startled that I dropped the finger skewer.

It was just an ordinary skewer until a moment ago.

Only then could I properly assess the situation in the village.

The dwarf man who had handed me the skewer earlier had his body grotesquely twisted in various places.

Especially where there should have been arms, there were dwarf legs and other heads.

And on the legs, there were numerous arms attached.

It wasn’t just that man.

All the dwarves here looked like that.

It was like a mannequin weirdly assembled.

Stay calm. Stay calm.

Although the sudden change made me feel like I was going to have a cognitive dissonance, I desperately pulled myself together.

Fortunately, thanks to time stop, my safety was absolutely guaranteed.

If it weren’t for that, I would have been thrown into confusion and ruined everything.

Anyway, having confirmed that this village was not normal, I ran out of the village without looking back.

The current situation was too disadvantageous for me.

So, let’s retreat for now, regroup, and come back.

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