Chapter 121. Survivor (3)
“What’s going on? Why did we suddenly stop?”
“Oh seriously, hurry up. We need to get into the rankings.”
Baron Bolvita had asked every player in the barracks for their willingness to participate.
About a hundred players were tempted by this.
This was roughly 80% of those staying in the barracks.
The baron nodded his head at the number of participants for the mission.
He seemed to think it might slightly fill the vacancies left by the knights.
After all, every player was a force capable of wielding mana or using elemental magic.
Soon after, the 4th battalion started their march.
But after about four hours into their journey, the vanguard suddenly stopped.
The reason became apparent quickly.
“A blue flag… isn’t that a courier’s mark?”
“Did some news come from the main unit?”
“We could just use the homepage through a priest, so why a courier?”
Though they were not fully aware of the details, it seemed there was a message from the main unit.
There would be no further movement until the command verified the content.
Indeed, the signal to halt the march soon went up.
‘Good timing.’
I slyly left the formation to confirm something strange I had spotted earlier.
“Hyung?”
“Huh? Oh, were you calling for K?”
Kim Yul and Yang Taeho, standing beside me, showed signs of confusion.
But instead of answering, I crouched down low.
The 4th battalion had emerged from a rugged, rocky valley region about two hours earlier.
Due to the characteristics of the terrain being a stony mountain, there were still many rocks around, yet the green with trees and shrubs had increased.
However, the environment around didn’t merit what caught my eye.
“What are you doing this time?”
Yang Taeho approached and crouched beside me as I tilted my head upward, speaking.
“Have you seen a fruit-bearing tree while coming here?”
“Huh?”
I hadn’t. The trees I saw were all just green.
Even after thoroughly scanning due to curiosity, there were no signs of fruit around.
‘But why is this here?’
I didn’t know the type or name, but this thing on the ground was unquestionably a fruit.
It was mostly orange with spots of green, clearly indicating it was unripe.
The part that touched the ground was mushy, but the upper part seemed surprisingly fresh.
This meant that it hadn’t fallen long ago.
I picked up the fruit that was less than half the size of my hand.
‘Did a beast bring it here? Or a monster? Do they eat fruits? Could it have been dropped by the vanguard?’
Considering the mushy bottom, it seemed unlikely.
Moreover, it had many bruises from impacts.
It looked like it had fallen from a great height.
‘No need to rack my brains about it.’
I tried to deduce why this mysteriously unknown fruit was here but then stopped myself, remembering I had ways to easily confirm it now.
“Kim Yul.”
“Yup?”
Kim Yul, waiting a step back from Yang Taeho, responded quickly to my call.
“What’s up?”
“How much is your mastery with the ‘Tracker’ trait?”
“28 percent. I’ve been practicing whenever I get a chance…….”
Clink, scanning downwards, he caught sight of the small fruit in my hand.
After taking a look around, he crouched down.
“Hang on a bit.”
He then picked up the fruit from my hand.
‘Clever one.’
Without needing extensive explanation, he swiftly deduced my intentions.
I was quite pleased by his rapid and intuitive actions.
Shortly, a faint golden ring appeared at the corner of Kim Yul’s eyes as he took a deep breath.
His gaze then moved past the fruit that was near mush to upwards.
Following his line of sight, I caught a glimpse of what seemed like leaves extending from the top of a clifflike area.
It appeared that there was a forest even at the top of the cliff.
“There are palm prints. And traces of fruit juice on the cliff as well…… looks like it fell from above.”
“Hmm.”
“No tracks or other signs leading here. We’ll have to go up there to know more.”
“If you’re going to climb, you should inform the squad leader before heading up.”
Yang Taeho, the only one among us with military experience, added that moving without saying anything could lead to problems, turning to look at me.
Kim Yul also watched me, waiting for my decision.
I stood up and scanned the halted battalion.
‘Seems like they won’t move immediately.’
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check this while we had the time.
It shouldn’t take long to climb up and return.
‘They said there are quite a lot of Demi-humans who sided with them.’
There could be spies monitoring the troop’s movement path.
‘Checking it will ease my mind.’
After a brief hesitation, I made a decision and spoke.
“Wait a moment, I’ll get permission from the squad leader.”
“Okay.”
“Go come back.”
The players were distributed into various squads based on party lines as additional members.
I was part of a squad as well, and I went to seek permission from the squad leader to act independently.
“Traces?”
“Yes, since there’s the possibility of espionage, it would be better to check it out before proceeding, don’t you think?”
The squad leader, who was already aware of the potential issue, didn’t have trouble granting permission.
Of course, it wasn’t like they left everything to me alone.
The squad leader seemed to report to their superiors and a formal search team was assembled.
And then, some players from Finelpenia, watching the situation, volunteered.
As a result, nearly thirty people started climbing the cliff.
I used a barrier to reach the top of the cliff faster than the others.
What greeted me there was a scenery teeming with greenery.
There wasn’t any orange fruit in sight.
‘This doesn’t mean it was a coincidental fall of some fruit from nearby.’
While I looked around, Kim Yul, who followed and had reached the top, immediately began searching.
Yang Taeho, the next to arrive on the cliff, seemed impressed as he spoke.
“Wow, just how did you spot that tiny thing?”
“It was just visible.”
Chuckling at the effortless reply, Yang Taeho gazed at me and said.
“I remember thinking this back then as well, your observation skills are phenomenal.”
I’d never really pondered much on my observational skills.
I’ve often had experiences like this since old times.
A stain beside a sign that my friends passed by without noticing.
The positioning of a stray cat’s feeding bowl that nobody cared about.
Parents loading luggage into a trunk with a stroller rolling away.
Even snacks dropped by a kid passing by on a scooter.
The situations and objects varied, but I typically paid close attention to my surroundings.
As a result, I was sensitive to changes around me.
‘It’s ambiguous whether it’s just a habit or a defense mechanism.’
Though unclear of the reason, it inevitably led to more things catching my eye.
Given my fairly good memory, quite a lot stuck in my head too.
To me, it felt natural and ordinary, so I had never much considered how these things appeared to others.
It seemed quite fascinating to Yang Taeho nonetheless.
“I know a detective, and you’re just like him! Perhaps you were in the police…… um.”
Yang Taeho broke off mid-sentence, catching my eye and clearing his throat.
“I’m not trying to pry into your private matters; just said it because I found it interesting, so don’t mind.”
Amused by his half-apologetic, half-explanatory words, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
‘He’s insightful indeed.’
Having realized my sensitivity regarding personal information, he’d started exercising caution on his own.
Often he’d stop himself in surprise, leaving many questions unasked.
With both my party members being considerate and perceptive, it made things easier for me.
This heightened my fondness and trust toward the two.
Thus, I decided to respond to the unfinished question of Yang Taeho.
‘It’s not really something that needs hiding.’
Provided my personal information remains secure, I’m open to sharing my past.
I lightly answered to Yang Taeho, who had left his question hanging mid-way.
“Well, I wanted to pursue a career in law.”
“Huh?”
“I couldn’t due to circumstances, though.”
Perhaps when the twins become independent someday, I’ll study again.
‘I’ve heard being older makes it harder to get into law school, but…….’
The age restrictions aren’t that severe for the police service exam.
If becoming a prosecutor is unrealistic, becoming a police officer could still be an option.
Though it’s just a plan. A dream I’ve not shared with even the younger ones.
Yang Taeho seemed a bit surprised that I’d answered at all.
However, he soon laughed heartily, draping an arm over my shoulder.
“Then you can start now! You’re still young…….”
“Hyung, here!”
At that moment, Kim Yul, who was focused on searching, called out for me.
‘Quick as ever.’
It seemed like he’d already found traces.
“These are footprints. There seem to be knee and palm marks too…… guess they fell.”
Probably dropping the fruit during a fall, which then rolled off the cliff.
Explaining meticulously, Kim Yul suddenly tilted his head, murmuring.
“But they seem a bit small.”
“What?”
“Um…… hold on.”
He advanced, following things invisible to me, and knelt near a tree with a puzzled expression.
“Three already…….”
As soon as he muttered that, a player approaching from another direction froze upon spotting us.
The symbol above his head displayed Finelpenia.
It seemed he’d been following tracks as Kim Yul had.
Upon making eye contact with an unfamiliar player, Kim Yul grunted and called for me.
“Ugh, hyung!”
Why was he straining his voice like that?
I looked down to see what Kim Yul was doing.
And discovered that instead of a familiar blond head, there was just a backside.
He had wedged his upper body into the ground, resulting in his rear being raised high.
“…… What are you doing?”
Upon closer inspection, there was a hole at the tree’s base.
It was a small opening, challenging for an adult to squeeze into.
Kim Yul was struggling to fit himself inside it.
“Are there small beings in Bihar? Like dwarfs or hobbits?”
“What?”
“No! No matter how you look, the footprints are too small…… ah!”
The panic was clear in Kim Yul’s voice as he interrupted himself with a squeal.
“Wh-Why is it stuck? Why won’t it come out?”
He was stuck.
“He got stuck.”
As soon as the obvious fact became verbal by Yang Taeho, crack, the root section of the tree broke off.
Kim Yul, determined, had yanked off part of the tree’s roots and managed to pull himself free.
He shot an irritated glance at Yang Taeho and continued to explain.
“The footprints I found near the cliff, and the ones around here, they all seem to lead inside here?”
I stooped down to peer into the tree’s base where Kim Yul was pointing.
He had practically ripped apart the roots, revealing a tunnel within.
“I can see at least five individuals, but holy, these footprints are just this small.”
Covering half his hand, Kim Yul kept on explaining while I racked my mind for any familiar knowledge.
“I’ve heard about a dwarf race…….”
While I hadn’t met them personally, I had heard of a dwarf race among Demi-humans known for their skills and small stature.
Currently, in the entire Demi-human race, they are considered one of the most cautious about their safety.
‘All surviving dwarves should be managing resource production in the empire.’
It seemed unlikely they’d be here.
There could be those possibly unable to retreat to the rear though.
With my brow slightly furrowed in thought, I glanced over to a player hesitant to approach and spoke.
“Did you find any fruit trees?”
“Excuse me? Ah, yes. It looked like persimmons growing on a bush…… the footprints there led towards here.”
Though I hadn’t seen it myself, it seemed certain that someone was coming and going through this tunnel to collect fruit.
Their identity remained a mystery.
‘Footprints are small…….’
Currently, all mana signals on the map were from the scouting party.
Meaning those unidentified had to be outside my range of Mana Detection.
‘Well, getting closer should do the trick.’
I signaled Yang Taeho and gathered players from the earth element among us.
Damned System
TL’s Corner:
K planning to be a police officer.