The More Competent, The Harder They're Worked
The more competent the talent, the harder they're worked. The subjugation force advanced relentlessly. With a massive army of 1,500 troops, most monsters fled the moment they were spotted. Monsters already displaced from their territories by the War Ants realized two major powers were clashing and quietly held their breath. Both forces held significant domains in the North. The monsters decided to lie low like mice for the time being, knowing the outcome of this battle could reshape the region.
"Wood gores spotted ahead. What are your orders?"
"Leave them. The War Ants are our priority."
Ignoring the monsters' reactions, the force cut through the forest. Their destination wasn't far. After walking through the woods for a while, a barren mountain stripped of soil and rock came into view. Thousands of War Ants swarmed across its surface. The grotesque sight made me furrow my brow without realizing it.
"They carved out the entire mountain."
"It's the opposite. They gathered soil from the forest to build the mountain."
"They built a mountain?"
"Yes~ Worker units may not be good for much else, but their stamina and strength are excellent."
Owen's explanation left me with a horrified expression. That meant the mountain had been constructed to build a nest. As we drew closer to the nest, Owen's nose twitched again.
"They built the nest in a hurry. Aside from a faint trace of another realm, there's no scent at all."
"If it's another realm, I know about it. I heard it prevents terrain collapse caused by external forces."
"That's what makes monsters with domains so troublesome. They reshape the environment to suit themselves."
"Is the scent from the front lines still there?"
"It's even clearer now that we're close. The core units in that nest are from the front lines."
This was going to be a difficult fight. Owen's confident words made the atmosphere around us grow tense. Front-line monsters were on an entirely different level. Even ordinary War Ants from the front lines would be several tiers above the northern variety. The mention of powerful entities inside the nest filled the adventurers' faces with anticipation.
"Front-line monsters, huh? Just imagining it gets my blood pumping."
"I've always wanted to fight on the front lines someday. Today's going to be a great experience."
"A battle that doesn't kill me only makes me stronger."
To warriors obsessed with growth, front-line monsters weren't a source of fear. If anything, they looked restless, eager to fight before anyone else. I let out a dry laugh at the sight.
"I really am lacking in northern sensibilities."
"Kiiit."
"No? You're saying they're the weird ones?"
"Kiiit!"
"Hmm. Maybe so."
Rata, who had emerged from my pocket after a long time, shook his head as if exasperated by the adventurers' behavior. Relieved that I wasn't the strange one, I looked up at the sky.
Kirururuk!
A bird of moderate size was flying overhead. Watching the creatures circling the War Ant colony, I quietly closed my eyes. I hadn't expected to get caught up in something like this on the way back from a request. In exchange, I'd slaughtered War Ants and racked up experience points. In a world where monsters weren't infinite like in a game, experience was precious—and War Ants made for an excellent source.
"I'll do the scouting, so please cover me."
"Don't worry. I'm here."
Hearing the closed-eyes man say that made me feel incredibly uneasy. I swallowed the words rising in my throat and activated the newly unlocked skill.
"Eagle Eye."
It was a Pathfinder-class skill that allowed me to share vision with animals I'd bonded with—a useful reconnaissance ability. Even though I wasn't a Pathfinder by class and couldn't use Eagle Eye at full power, its effect was still clear. My vision had already shifted to the bird soaring through the sky. The aerial perspective was incredibly useful. After thoroughly mapping the nest's structure by circling above it, I severed the connection.
When I opened my eyes, the staff officers were gathered around me.
"......?"
The fact that people who should have been busy planning operations at headquarters were here made me instinctively look at Owen. He was grinning, fists clenched in a fighting pose. He must have told the staff officers about my useful scouting skill. The officers approached and asked,
"How does it look? Is the nest's layout unusual?"
"Tell us everything you know about the entrance locations and troop placements."
"Paper and a pen, please. I'll write it all down."
Thanks to my past life's education system, memorization wasn't an issue. Perhaps because awakening mana had sharpened my mind, I even drew a map for them. The staff officers' eyes lit up.
"My word. Such a high level of completion."
"You marked clear landmarks and made it easy to understand. This is the kind of thing you'd only see from a seasoned ranger."
"To think we'd have such talent."
The importance of information in large-scale battles went without saying. After huddling over the map, the officers patted my shoulder.
"That was excellent intelligence. I'll be sure to mention your help to the commander."
"It's been a while since we've had such clear information. Thanks to you, planning the infiltration route will be much easier."
"Come to think of it, you mentioned having other detection abilities besides this one."
The way the staff officers looked at me was unsettling. It reminded me of a professor who'd just found a promising graduate student candidate. I felt the same sensation I'd had when someone casually suggested grad school was a good idea during break time. Sensing that staying quiet would lead to disaster, I forced an awkward smile and changed the subject.
"Alright, alright. Now that you have the map, you should head back and prepare for the operation."
"Hmm. You're right. We've come this far, so it's a race against time now."
"The situation is urgent, so we have no choice. Let's grab a meal together when we have time later."
Once the staff officers, who couldn't hide their disappointment, had left, Owen—who had been quietly slipping away—threw an arm around my shoulder.
"Congratulations. You made quite an impression on the staff officers."
"They looked desperate to turn me into an all-purpose scout."
"That's a good thing."
I wasn't so sure. No matter how I looked at it, their eyes had screamed that they wanted to work me to death. Thanks to investing the experience points I'd accumulated without holding back, I'd unlocked and strengthened several skills in preparation for this battle. Even so, if I got involved with the staff officers, I'd probably be squeezed to my limits. Of course, that would guarantee growth, but thanks to my past-life memories, I wasn't so blindly obsessed with growth that I'd willingly throw myself into danger. The thought of what would happen if they found out I'd gained new skills besides Eagle Eye made me shudder.
But I didn't know. From the moment I'd caught the staff officers' attention, quietly slipping away was no longer an option. Their informants had already extracted information from Arash, Goro, and Owen.
"The members of the nest infiltration team are Owen, Clorin, Grid, and Argo. Your role is to assassinate the queen."
"What? Me too?"
When my name came up during the final operation planning in front of the nest, I couldn't help but ask. The inside of the War Ant nest was entirely the ants' domain. Not only were there countless ants, but higher species appeared frequently, and the deepest parts were lined with the highest-ranking entities created to protect the queen. That was why I understood having Gold and Silver ranks and senior knights on the team, but I couldn't accept being included myself. However, the staff officers smiled gently at me.
"We've already assessed your abilities."
"Summoning, combat, reconnaissance—you can't do anything, can you?"
"The inside of the nest is a space completely isolated from the outside. Since you won't receive external support, your ability to find even the most complex paths is desperately needed."
"You'll be joining as a guide, but don't worry. We'll prepare thoroughly for your safety in return."
The staff officers' skill in navigating environments created by the North's bizarre monsters and exploiting their weaknesses was remarkable.
"Wait, why the clothes all of a sudden?"
"Just put them on."
"It's given with good intentions, so you don't need to refuse."
Before I could resist after grasping the situation, they called for attendants and changed my equipment from head to toe. A uniform with a silver base that glowed white, decorated with a gradient from light sky blue to deep navy. The coat draped over my shoulders had an aquamarine-like liquid forming mysterious patterns as it "flowed." The outfit, beautiful enough to resemble ceremonial wear rather than combat gear, was so stunning it hardly looked like armor at all.
"What is this?"
"It's clothing woven by a Silver Fairy artisan using Kiorg's thread. They added drops of Elaid's essence and crystal fragments from a Crystal Spider as materials."
Wait, what? The more I heard, the more speechless I became at the combination of materials. Kiorg, Elaid, and Crystal Spider were all high-ranking monsters that possessed domains and could manipulate the environment. I was shocked to learn that materials from monsters that stood proudly at the level of high-ranking entities like Nepentula had been used, and stared at the clothes in disbelief. Rohan laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively.
"Kiorg's thread is on a similar level to the thread from the Nepentula you caught, and the Elaid and Crystal Spider materials are just leftover scraps. Don't feel burdened."
How could I not feel burdened? Even if only trace amounts were used, these materials were equipment I couldn't obtain at my level. Of course, the stylish clothes made from Nepentula thread were also hard to come by at Bronze rank, but they didn't compare to this. This was something even a Silver-class adventurer would wear.
"This is far too extravagant for me to wear. No, where did you even prepare something like this in the first place?"
"Considering your role, it's only natural that we give you this armor. And this armor is equipment I prepared as a spare when I was younger."
Don't worry—it's never been worn. Rohan's words only made me feel more pressured. That meant it was armor the still-active commander had kept from his younger days until now because it was still useful. Feeling burdened, I awkwardly examined the clothes, and Rohan smiled contentedly.
"It feels like I'm looking at my younger self. The clothes suit you perfectly."
"No matter how I look at it, that guy over there is more handsome."
"Quiet. You should focus on preparing for the infiltration."
At Clorin's words from beside us, Rohan shamelessly used his rank to shut her down.