Chapter 112
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Burden of Risk
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A risk had emerged.
But the pay increased accordingly.
It couldn't have been more perfect for me.
Meanwhile, the porters were glancing warily at one another.
Getting here was one thing, but apparently accidents weren't uncommon during the actual expedition work.
Of course, the chatty dwarf who'd spilled the beans was the first to raise his hand.
He had two kids back home, he said, and if he wanted to put food on the table, he had to take jobs like this.
They needed two or three more volunteers, and since there was no reason to turn it down, Luna and I stepped up.
"Lady Misha, please stay here at the camp."
"But my duty is to—"
"We have somewhere to go, just the two of us. And... after looking around yesterday, this place gives me an uneasy feeling. If anything happens and it gets dangerous here... please protect everyone."
They were a cheerful bunch, full of heart. Rough around the edges, sure, but not a bad soul in the lot.
It'd be great if it was just my imagination, but the nagging sense that something could go wrong and turn my dreams restless was hard to shake.
"I'm just a mere head maid."
"I've never met a mere maid who can draw out sword aura so effortlessly."
She flinched at my words, narrowing her eyes with a strangely sullen expression.
"Understood."
Misha the head maid didn't argue further.
After that, we each shouldered massive backpacks stuffed with supplies for the expedition team's battles.
Normally, some of the team would carry the gear, but with everyone itching to fight, it made sense that a couple had to play porter and tag along.
Once the bulk of the expedition team—minus the porters and minimal camp guards—finished prepping, we slowly advanced deeper into the heart of the dense, violet mist.
The moment we fully entered the fog, the air itself shifted, as if announcing we'd reached the true depths.
"Be careful. We'll protect you, but if you panic and lose control, even we can't guarantee your safety."
The chatty dwarf chuckled at Rebecca's warning.
"Don't worry about us. This ain't our first rodeo. Besides, these young folks have guts to spare—they won't bat an eye at much."
"True... those folks were a bit unusual themselves."
At the same moment, a chilling current prickled through my body.
It's here somewhere. The magic core.
I'd found what I was after.
Shouldering the massive packs, we followed the expedition team.
The mood was more restrained and tense than before as the delve continued.
Unlike earlier, every member's face was etched with tension.
Sure enough, right after entering the violet mist zone, the monsters' presence felt off—far more menacing.
"Don't let your guard down. From here on, even I can't protect you perfectly."
No such thing as a 100% safe zone.
The girl called Rebecca and her rear guard were likely stragglers—either latecomers or those not yet ready for the front lines, hanging back for training purposes.
If picking off escaped monsters from the main group while shielding porters counted as practice, it made sense for their lineup.
Kwarrr rumble!!!
"Rebecca!! Three in the rear!!"
At the mercenary leader Albion's shout, Rebecca immediately readied for battle.
As if on cue, flames erupted around her, surging from the ground to incinerate the massive larvae charging in ambush.
"Everyone, stay in formation—no matter what!"
The rear guard, including Rebecca, lacked the vanguard's polish but fought valiantly, picking off the monsters targeting their backs one by one.
Still, their inexperience showed—they were definitely the backups.
Whatever her spirit arts prowess, her situational awareness was lacking.
-Kiririk...
That's when a mole-like monster burst silently through the ground behind the chatty dwarf, stealthily aiming for Rebecca.
The rear guard, oblivious to its sneakiness, was too focused on the foes in front of them.
Leave it like this, and someone's dying.
Irritating as his chatter could be, I couldn't just let a friendly face get killed.
The thing locked eyes with me and froze. Instinctively cowering, it hesitated, gauging me.
Sharp instincts for a monster.
-Kiek?
"What're you looking at."
Don't dawdle.
Thwack!!!
I kicked it soundlessly, and its head exploded.
Glancing back, I saw the chatty dwarf staring wide-eyed at me.
"Y-You..."
He was too stunned to speak.
The thing I'd one-shot wasn't rear-guard fodder—it was the same type the vanguard needed a few guys to take down.
Its speed, stealth, and razor claws were enough to chill most fighters to the bone.
Compared to krakens or 7th-circle liches I'd tangled with, it didn't seem that tough, honestly.
"Shh."
I raised a finger to my lips, signaling silence where no one else could see, then stood there blankly like nothing happened.
Once that wave cleared, the Heracles mercenaries slumped to the ground, exhausted, catching their breath or groaning in pain.
"Ughhh... gonna die for real."
"Quit whining. Loot's been trash from the start anyway."
Frustrated faces all around—plenty of monsters, but all low-value, no payoff for the effort.
The types varied, but not always the good stuff.
The mole I'd pulped? Turns out it was a jackpot.
Right on the verge of forming a usable magic core—such a shame to waste it.
Left alone, it'd take months to mature, so I pocketed it to finish the job myself.
Magic core: check. Now just play it cool, find Luna's ring, and we're done.
"Nice work, Rebecca. You're really pulling your weight in the rear now."
"Hehe, lots of training paid off."
Sweat-drenched Rebecca beamed, soaking up praise from her senior mercenaries.
Mercenaries, huh...
Not all rough commoner stock—plenty of fallen nobles mixed in, from the feel of it.
Mages, clerics too—not your typical brute squad.
"Whoa, that's brutal."
Then an officer-type spotted the mole's headless corpse beside me and whistled.
"Rebecca, your kill too?"
"Huh? Wait, when did this one show up?"
Of course she wouldn't know.
I played dumb with a grin.
"Impressive, Heracles Mercenary Corps."
"Haha, yeah. We're more guild-level than mercs these days—gotta deliver."
Guilds had that pro edge over merc bands.
Starting small and scaling up like this proved their chops.
"Anyone hurt among you three?"
"Heh, I'm fine."
"Same here."
The leader smiled warmly at my reply.
"But that lady..."
"She's just anxious about something. Don't mind her."
Luna's face was paler than before.
"What's wrong?"
"Direction changed again... back to square one."
This is getting annoying.
One thing was clear, at least.
Spatial transfers were happening intermittently inside this rift.
"What now?"
That's when I overheard the Heracles crew conferring nearby.
"At this rate, we won't even break even. Need a big score."
"Yeah, expedition costs weren't cheap..."
"Barely trained the rookies too."
Situation wasn't panning out as hoped.
I subtly pulsed commander mana like a sonar wave, then reeled it back. Got the picture.
Way fewer monsters than expected—those from earlier were most of 'em.
Probably a scout reporting back.
"Captain, no choice. Hit the boss."
"Too risky."
"But pulling out now screws us for real."
"Hah, Cap! Why hesitate? After all that brutal training? We got this!"
Young hotheads versus seasoned vets.
The old guard hesitated from experience; the kids pushed with youthful fire.
"Cap, we're ready. Can't go back empty-handed, right?"
"It's not just us. We brought porters 'cause we didn't plan for this. Can't ignore their say."
A young elf male smirked at that.
"Then just ask 'em."
The chatty dwarf approached them for a huddle, then came back to us, frowning thoughtfully.
"Hey, you folks up for extra pay?"
Pay wasn't my thing, but all eyes turned our way—including the other mercs'.
Other factors might hold them back, but if we said yes, odds were they'd push on.
I spread commander mana stealthily ahead on their path.
Couldn't map precisely, but... bad vibes.
That subtle unease from scouting the swamp with Luna yesterday.
Something there, but nothing when you look.
Plus the ring's position jumping—spatial shifts.
This...
They shouldn't go.
"Not the best choice. No prior planning, right?"
A few young mercs scowled at my words.
Could come off as calling them reckless and unprepared.
Which they were.
My instincts weren't wrong.
"Hey, porter! What do you know—"
"Repel! Watch your mouth!"
"Grr..."
The hothead averted his gaze.
"Sorry. Kids get heated. My apologies."
Captain of a big merc group, yet polite to a lowly porter. I liked him.