Investigation
Around early lunchtime.
I arrived at the Astra Trading Company, the same place I'd visited before.
"You're here."
"Yes, it's been a while."
This time, unusually, Lorentz was waiting right there on the first floor.
All his subordinates were armed and on standby as well.
...Are these guys really some kind of secret organization?
Well, if it were truly covert, they wouldn't have gotten royal permission for that sewer investigation last time.
Guess it's only secret on the surface.
"Pin this to your coat."
Lorentz handed me a badge the moment he saw me. It looked quite luxurious, emblazoned with the emblem of an eye wearing a monocle.
"This is...?"
"It's to distinguish us from the other investigation teams heading into the mountains."
"Ah, got it."
"And since you're here as my assistant this time, act accordingly if we run into any other teams."
This time, as Lorentz had put it, I wasn't coming as Rowell's proxy but as Lorentz's personal assistant.
Apparently, Lorentz's side had requested it that way.
Assistant, huh... Well, it just means doing what Lorentz says, same as always.
Given his personality, he won't give pointless orders or demands anyway.
After that, once I'd pinned the badge to my coat, Lorentz handed me an outer layer.
"A hood from the trading company. It'll help with the mountain trek."
He slipped one on over his suit as he spoke.
A glance back showed his subordinates already wearing theirs.
I nodded and pulled mine on too.
"Then let's go."
And just like that, hooded and badged, we slipped out the back door and headed straight for the mountains.
"What kind of investigation are we doing, exactly?"
On the now-familiar path to the Kaine Mountain Range.
As we walked the eerily quiet roads—sealed off and deserted—I asked.
"We're searching the middle zone for traces of Demon Worshippers."
"I see. So the high zone...?"
"The knight orders will handle that."
"Ah."
Makes sense—even with Lorentz here, if a horde of mutated high-grade monsters swarmed us, it'd be tough to handle.
With our current force, better to poke around the middle zone.
Still, that orc champion had been in the middle zone too.
No matter how capable Lorentz was, I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
With the blockade in place, we ascended the utterly deserted foothills of the range.
"Do you come to the Kaine Mountain Range often?"
"Ah, I've been a few times."
"No need for explanations, then."
Lorentz pulled out a map, took a pen, and pointed to several spots.
"This is the sector we're scouting today."
"Pretty deep in."
True to what I'd heard, it was middle zone, but skirting dangerously close to the high zone boundary in places.
This could get risky.
"That's why I hired you."
"Guess I'll be earning my keep."
"I'll pay handsomely, so give it your all."
Pay, huh...
Something like this buff coat I'm wearing would be nice.
It's been damn useful alongside Garret's sword.
Anyway, with that, we began our proper sweep of the middle zone.
First up: an area thick with rocky hills even by middle zone standards.
"This is rock wolf territory... but nothing seems off."
"Yeah. They look a bit disorganized, though."
"Looks like the leader that rallied them recently is gone."
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah, but a new one will pop up eventually."
I had a pretty good idea which leader that was.
That alpha wolf bastard—must've rounded up every wolf in sight in its pack form.
Makes sense; the thing that tore through high-grade monsters up top could've easily done it.
"Next, the nearby rock spider habitat."
"Around here?"
"Yes, down the base of this hill."
Rock wolves followed by rock spiders.
Really drove home how monster-infested the Kaine Mountain Range was.
Compared to trolls and ogres higher up, this was tame, though.
We passed the rock wolf grounds and descended the hillside.
A damp, musty stench hit immediately.
"Definitely rock spider territory."
"You think?"
"Yes. Probably breeding season lately, so they'll be on edge."
Lorentz pointed to a cave at the base of the hill.
"Let's scout that."
He extended his hand, manifesting a magic circle.
Like in the sewers, blue lines snaked along the ground, delving into the cave.
"...Pretty spacious."
"Is it?"
"Yes. And suspiciously devoid of presence."
Lorentz kept probing with magic, then frowned.
"People inside."
"...Demon Worshippers?"
"Can't say for sure—detection isn't my specialty. But definitely multiple living humans."
He pondered briefly, then called his subordinates.
"Fan out and fetch the nearest team."
"Yes, sir."
They scattered at his word.
"You and I guard the entrance."
"Understood."
Figured he'd play it safe and wait for backup rather than rush in.
Cautious as ever.
If those signals were captured mercenaries, time was critical—but the odds favored Demon Worshippers or mutants, so this was the smart call.
So we stood watch with Lorentz until the other team arrived.
"We've brought them."
His subordinates returned with a group of ten.
They wore thick coats blending gray-white and deep gray, mountain boots, and silver epaulets emblazoned with the Adel Kingdom's crest.
From their gear, they screamed specialist mountain scouts.
"Royal mountain search unit?"
"Yes, Search Squad Two."
Sure enough, a man stepped forward at Lorentz's question.
Short hair, sharp features scarred around the left eye—likely the squad leader, given how he took point.
His aura felt no joke either.
"Where's Squad One?"
"With the Royal Knights, up in the high zone."
"I see."
Lorentz conferred briefly with the man, then pointed into the cave.
"Multiple human signals detected inside."
"Heading in right away?"
"Yes. From our side: me, my assistant, and our combat specialists."
Assistant— that's me, huh?
Guess I'm going in too.
Wouldn't have hired me otherwise.
"From ours: me, the squad leader, and two tracking experts."
"The rest?"
"Scouting the perimeter, ambushing any potential attackers."
"Pair them with our leftovers."
With roles divvied up in seconds, they pointed into the cave.
"Then we're going in."
"Yes."
We all filed into the dim tunnel.
The man who'd called himself squad leader pulled a lantern from his coat and aimed it ahead.
Whoosh—
Light flooded the vast interior in an instant.
"That's..."
"Special lantern from the Mage Tower. Borrowed for this op."
"Good."
Lorentz eyed it with interest before pointing ahead again.
"Let's move."
The lantern lit everything it touched brilliantly, but shadows clung everywhere else.
I drew my sword early, ready for ambushes, as we pressed deeper.
Squelch. Squelch.
Sticky footsteps echoed in the dark, humid cave as we delved further.
"Hold."
Some ways in, Lorentz cast another detection spell.
"Close now. Right nearby."
Something caught his eye; he pointed ahead.
"Got it."
We readied weapons at his words.
The lantern pierced deeper.
Gray strands began appearing on the walls and ceiling.
"This is..."
"Rock spider webs."
Gray camouflage, I guess?
Not that it mattered in pitch black.
"Scout ahead."
"On it."
I moved forward at Lorentz's order.
The lantern bathed the surroundings in light, but beyond...
I pierced the lingering darkness with Track.
It revealed everything the light missed.
"I see people—bound and hanging from lines."
Just as Lorentz's detection had said.
"Anything else?"
"...Yeah."
And then...
In the shadowed dead zone just beyond the light.
Crouched, rock-like lumps clustered thick.
Not rocks—thin, long appendages dangling...
"Fuck."
Realization hit; curses flew.
What I'd mistaken for rocks?
Giant spiders, curled tight, legs tucked—camouflaged as stone.
"Battle stations."
Chills raced down my spine.
Ao, you said people only.
Never trusting Lorentz's detection again.