"You think you've won??"That sentence kept ringing in my ears.
Damn it... even though I stayed calm back then, knowing someone is still out for your life—it makes you feel uneasy.
My thoughts were broken by murmurs coming from downstairs.
As I walked down, I saw my sister, Anna, speaking about her mission—probably discussing the incident from last night. After the farce that took place, we had no choice but to tighten security and conduct regular checkups for the soldiers. That means more food and labor costs, both of which we're already short on.
The breach shook a lot of people. In a place already falling apart—where every day feels like a punishment between the threat of monsters and the pressure from nearby towns—this was just one more crack in the dam.
But worse than that... was the guard's final words. "This isn't the end. "That line meant someone else was still lurking in the dark. Watching. Waiting.
Even though security is tighter now, we're juggling too much. Ghouls crawling near the southern border. Reports of humans skulking around in places they shouldn't be.
To be honest... we've done nothing yet. And if this keeps going, things are going to get a whole lot worse.
I got down the stairs and saw Anna deep in conversation — probably about her mission… or maybe even yesterday's events.
"Roy, you're up early!" she said, glancing over. "I heard about last night. Quite the mastermind," she added, ruffling my hair.
Even though she said that, her face looked tired, and her breathing was uneven. She was injured — I just couldn't tell where.
"Anna, what happened?" I asked, more directly than usual.
She blinked, caught off guard. For just a second, I saw something flash in her eyes — a glint of loneliness, maybe even longing. A distant, painful kind of ache that made me feel cold.
It vanished just as quickly as it came.
She smiled.
"Aah, look at our boy, all grown up now, huh? Stop worrying about me," she said, her voice light but strained. "Your sister's just tired now that she's back from the mission. Let me reintroduce myself to that beautiful thing called sleep and I'll—"
"Anna," I cut in. "I heard from Father that if you're feeling burdened… it's better to let your worries out to someone."
I paused.
"I know I'm not that dependable. And yeah, I'm still a kid. But I really don't want to see you like that."
I couldn't fathom what was running through her mind — Anna was as expressionless as always. Still, I paid it no heed and finished a few discussions with Father and Uncle Jon.
I was angry. No… I was frustrated.
WHY?
Every goddamn problem just keeps coming at me. One after the other. It's pathetic.
The Ghoul was one thing — but now, the threats just won't stop. And when I say they need to be dealt with, I mean effectively and immediately.
So, what can I do right now?
Be the surveyor. The plotter.
Nara was still busy dealing with Neandth. I didn't have time to bother her. So, my next best options?
Jack and Klein.
After my daily training with Alice, I headed to where Jack was staying.
KNOCK.
"Phew… no. Not again—"
"I'll make sure you get a few days of rest from training."
"No."
"Tasty food?"
"Who cares."
"A good dagger."
"Tempting, but no thank you."
"Chocolates."
">…>."
'Fuck me. This kid is too much.'
"BLOODY FINE! What do you want then?! A GODDAMN CAT?!"
...
...
...
'Ah… got you, bitch.'
"A big juicy plumpy white—"
"Orange."
"…Orange cat. There. You. Go."
"Deal. Where are we going and what are we doing?"
"You'll know when we get there. For now, let's go call Klein."
"Okay. Nero and Alice?"
-_-
"Yeah, got it. It's dangerous for our queen."
"A bald cat might look nice no—"
"I see you"
I called in Klein and gathered them outside the inn.
"Klein. Jack. In light of recent events, I think I want to take a look at the Neandth border in the south. We'll just patrol — nothing heavy. I just need to check a few things about the land."
"What have you observed?" Klein asked, eyes narrowing slightly. "Roy… anything odd?"
"Hmm. Odd? Perhaps. But I'm not sure if my guess is right. "Let's just go there."
Klein nodded and swiftly arranged two horses. He rode one himself — and made us ride the other.
{budget issues}
Of course, I made sure Jack rode the horse. Because priorities.
We reached the target site quickly and tied the horses somewhere safe — hidden, but reachable.
I jumped down first and scanned the area.
This was definitely the southern part of the slums, but not where the usual patrols happened. We'd gone a bit off-site.
The land was dry. Very dry. But don't get me wrong — this wasn't a desert. It was a forest. A dying one. Covered in dense trees with barely any leaves, as if the place had been drained.
The ground itself was sandy. Dry and cracked like something had sucked the moisture from beneath. And the smell…
It smelled like leaves… but rotten. Not moldy, not earthy. Something worse. I honestly don't know how to describe it right — but it felt wrong.
Regardless, I gave Klein a simple order:
"Inspect the area. Be stealthy. Check every little thing — even if it feels pointless."
While Klein was away, I gestured for Jack to follow me.
"Be ready to draw your weapon. Anytime," I whispered.
Staying vigilant, we moved through the area — slowly, quietly — examining the soil, the trees, anything out of place.
Even though this zone had likely been patrolled before, I still trusted my instincts. Sometimes, if you take a second look at a place you've already seen… you might notice something you missed.
Even something small could be a clue.
As I examined the parched earth, the first thing I noticed was the sting in my eyes. It burned slightly. Like sulfur.
But that didn't make sense. Why would there be sulfur here?
From what I remembered in the library, sulfur was often mixed with hydrangium petals and troll blood to create a venomous hallucinogen.
I didn't fully understand the exact chemistry — but I remembered the effect: It dulls your senses over time. Slowly. Quietly. Like fog bleeding into your brain.
That kind of toxin is only useful when you're trying to infiltrate somewhere guarded. Not… here.
Not in the middle of a dying forest near the edge of a slum.
I didn't get it.
"This doesn't make sense," Jack muttered beside me, his tone unusually sharp. "They're planning something."
He paused, looking around.
"We should check the other side of the area."
As I thought… this kid has sharp senses. He noticed it too.
It's always good to bring people with more intellect in situations like this. Keeps me from walking into my own blind spots.
First things first — we need to regroup with Klein. We'll compare findings and figure out what the hell is actually going on here.
Because whatever this is…it's not random.