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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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During my five-plus years as an adventurer in Tillasden, I’d had a few close calls with positions of responsibility.
Each time, I politely declined, citing my lack of experience and general immaturity.
But the truth was, even back then, my quick-witted mind had already grasped a fundamental truth: leadership roles were more trouble than they were worth.
And now, I was experiencing that truth firsthand, again.
“Damn it all.”
Trudging through the night, I muttered a curse under my breath, quiet enough not to be heard by the soldiers walking beside me.
Even with my post-transformation reduced need for sleep, I wasn’t thrilled about wandering aimlessly for hours in the dead of night.
I’d much rather be curled up in bed, drifting off to sleep.
But thanks to this temporary title of “Adventurer Representative” hanging around my neck, I was stuck.
Dragged along like a dog on a leash, forced to join the patrol.
If it weren’t for this makeshift badge of authority, I would have slipped away and found a nice, quiet corner to hide in…
‘I miss Guinness. I miss her warm embrace.’
Thinking of my lizard-woman, off on some far-flung expedition, I dabbed at the corners of my eyes, which, of course, just meant wiping the cloth covering them.
“Adventurer Representative, are you alright?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m fine.”
A soldier, noticing my melancholic expression and furtive wiping, asked with concern.
Normally, soldiers and adventurers treated each other as equals, no formalities needed.
But with this representative title, I was suddenly receiving deferential treatment.
Perhaps this young soldier was simply new and unfamiliar with the usual dynamic…
Regardless, this was the problem.
This armband, this symbol of authority, was making everything awkward.
“We should be reaching the next village soon.”
“We’re staying there tonight, right?”
“Yes. The village chief should have arranged accommodations for us. You must be tired. Let’s get there quickly so you can rest.”
This was the third village we’d visited since leaving Begalo Vegas, patrolling under the guise of a relief force.
This next village was a bit further from the two deserted villages, not far from Begalo Vegas itself, and relatively safe…
Probably nothing to worry about.
Probably.
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“Welcome. You must be weary from your journey.”
As midnight approached, we arrived at the village.
The village chief, who had been waiting for us, greeted us warmly, though his expression was heavy with sleep.
He kindly led us to an empty house.
Traces of recent habitation suggested it belonged to one of the village families, lent to the patrol for the night.
The soldiers and I entered, surveying the house before settling at the dining table.
“Now, let’s decide the watch rotation… Anyone volunteer for the first shift?”
The first and last shifts were always the most desirable.
As expected, one of the soldiers immediately claimed the first watch.
The second shift was also quickly filled, but after that, enthusiasm waned.
These guys… they were all aiming for the last shift, hesitant to volunteer for anything else.
In situations like this, it was always best to step up.
“I’ll take the third shift.”
I didn’t need much sleep, thanks to my… condition.
So, the timing of the shift didn’t really matter to me.
Back in Wagner’s party, I’d always volunteered for the awkward, less desirable shifts.
It was a good way to earn brownie points and secure some personal time during the night.
“Then we’ll be heading to bed.”
The soldiers, except for the two on the first watch, filed off to their rooms.
I, as the Adventurer Representative, had been given a private room.
A small perk of the title.
Entering my assigned room, I lay down on the bed and rummaged through my bag.
Pulling out bundles of twine, I hummed contentedly.
‘Nothing like a bit of crafting to pass the time.’
Using a custom-made tool, I began weaving the twine, humming a tune.
Tonight, I would finish the project I’d started earlier.
And so, the night slowly passed.
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Nikolai Tobias slowly flipped through the reports.
Strange occurrences in various villages.
The only commonality was the disappearance of every single villager.
The locations of the villages varied, as did the presumed locations where the villagers had vanished.
If, as they suspected, this was the work of something… otherworldly… then the motive remained a mystery.
“Are they being offered as living sacrifices?”
Some folktales featuring “demons” mentioned such rituals.
Living humans, offered as sacrifices to fuel demonic magic and summonings.
However, such tales were relatively recent additions to the folklore, and the Feiler family generally dismissed them as fabrications.
Of course, until recently, they had also dismissed the existence of demons altogether…
‘But with sightings increasing, we can no longer ignore the possibility.’
Setting the reports aside, Nikolai rubbed her eyes.
“I’m tired.”
She hadn’t mentioned it to the other adventurers, but both she and Müller had been participating in the patrols.
Patrolling all day, then reviewing reports at night… even a knight like Nikolai felt the strain.
She tried to refocus on the reports, but sleepiness continued to creep in.
Her head began to nod, and just as she was about to drift off, a sharp prickle jolted her awake.
“Ow…”
A small bead of blood welled up on her finger.
She had dozed off and accidentally pricked herself with the tip of her pen.
Wrapping the injured finger in a cloth, Nikolai stood up.
The pen nib had broken, so she needed to get a new one.
“Is anyone there?”
Silence.
She should have heard a response from the soldiers stationed outside her door, but only silence greeted her.
A sense of unease settled over Nikolai as she rose from her chair.
The soldiers under her command were loyal and wouldn’t leave their posts without reporting.
The door creaked open, revealing a darkened house.
The two soldiers on watch should have been stationed in the living area…
But they were nowhere to be seen.
Nor could she sense the presence of the other soldiers, presumably asleep in their rooms.
Slowly, Nikolai surveyed the empty house, her hand moving to her hip.
With a soft metallic whisper, her sword gleamed in the moonlight.
Drawing her blade, Nikolai moved cautiously, her back against the wall, her eyes scanning the darkened rooms.
But the house was eerily silent, devoid of any trace of human habitation.
“What’s this…?”
Reaching the living area, Nikolai noticed something amiss.
The front door was wide open, swinging gently in the night breeze.
The soldiers wouldn’t have left the door open…
Nikolai stepped outside.
The village, shrouded in darkness, was deathly silent.
A chillingly familiar silence.
The same silence she had encountered in the deserted villages.
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Her eyes narrowed, scanning the village.
Moving silently, she began to search.
She soon spotted a figure moving in the distance.
But Nikolai didn’t approach.
Instead, she concealed herself behind some bushes and observed.
Slow, measured steps, each stride identical.
An unnatural gait.
The villager was heading towards the village square.
Cautiously, Nikolai followed.
And there, she saw them.
A large group of villagers, gathered in the square.
Standing motionless, staring blankly ahead.
Like lifeless dolls.
Nikolai frowned at the unsettling sight.
But her frown soon deepened, her eyes widening in disbelief.
In the center of the square, perched atop a small stone statue, sat a figure.
Long, wavy white hair framed a pale, lifeless face.
Humanoid, but distinctly inhuman.
He held a sharp, bone-like object, twirling it like a dagger, his gaze sweeping over the villagers.
He wasn’t one of them.
Human in form, but not human in essence.
An aura of otherworldly malice emanated from him.
Instinctively, Nikolai knew what he was.
And in that moment, his eyes snapped open, locking onto hers.
Eyes with reversed colors, white irises and black sclera.
Inhuman eyes.
“A little rat has crept in.”
A sinister smile spread across his face as he spotted Nikolai.
His unnatural eyes gleamed.
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[This has the same vibes as the beggining of the chimera ant arc in HxH… iykyk]
