DAR Vol. 4 Chapter 14 Part 4

Eileen slowly opened her eyes.

Pitch-black darkness. Something was draped over her body as she lay there.

She thought it might be a blanket, but it was cold, hard, and heavy like stiff fabric. 

Searching her memory, she finally realized it was the canvas used for tents.

The tent must have collapsed and was now covering her. But why? What happened?

“What…?”

As she murmured, she became aware of the strange noises around her: running footsteps, human shouting, and the neighing of horses.

“Ah…”

She remembered waking up once already.

There had been an incredible sound that jolted her awake. Immediately after that, she was struck by something and lost consciousness.

What was that sound? And the impact?

“Lady Eileen!”

A pained voice called out, and the canvas was pulled away.

Dusty air rushed in, and her vision cleared. A magical light was shining somewhere, momentarily blinding her.

“Are you alright!? Are you hurt?”

The voice belonged to Evelyn.

Usually composed and knightly, her refined features were now twisted with worry, making her seem almost childlike.

“I’m fine. What happened?”

“It appears to have been a monster attack. Something suddenly fell from the sky, shaking the ground and throwing up wind and dust. The impact caused the tent to collapse.”

Once she finished explaining, Evelyn embraced Eileen.

Normally, such behavior would be unacceptable. But Eileen accepted the gentle hug with a soft smile.

She had taken a combat drug before sleeping; being in such a life-threatening environment had nearly crushed her with anxiety.

Thanks to the drug, her fear was dulled. Smiling for a concerned subordinate was easy enough.

“I’m so glad you’re alright.”

Eileen found comfort in Evelyn’s soft whisper by her ear.

Their relationship was that of captain and subordinate in the Nemophila Knights, but also close to sisters in private.

Evelyn was the overprotective, responsible older sister, while Eileen was the delicate younger one. They had been together since the founding of the knights, sharing a bond deeper than with any of the other members.

They loosened their arms and looked into each other’s faces.

“What kind of face are you making?”

Eileen laughed at Evelyn’s tearful expression.

“But—”

“Would you like some sweets? They help calm your nerves. I always want you to stay composed, Evelyn.”

The person by the protagonist’s side must always be calm.

Sometimes, a fool is cast in that role, but not in the kind of story Eileen liked.

It was the capable ones supporting each other that made the protagonist shine all the brighter.

“That candy is too good for me…”

Evelyn politely declined the combat drug.

She didn’t seem to be fond of it and rarely took it unless absolutely necessary.

It made one feel happy… Eileen furrowed her brow slightly.

Evelyn was in charge of procuring it and knew just how valuable it was. That’s probably why she refrained from using it herself.

“I see. Well, take it if you ever need it.”

Not wanting to push too hard and risk alienating her, Eileen left it at that.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Are the other knights alright?”

“Yes, no issues. They’ve split up to guard this area and the carriage. This place is dangerous. The carriage is intact, so we should move.”

Evelyn answered simply.

By “knights,” she meant the women of the Nemophila Knights.

The Citadel Dungeon Investigation Team had no casualties, but there were many injured. 

Evelyn hadn’t even checked, but judging by the chaos around them, it was obvious.

Still, as the team leader, Eileen gave no thought to them.

The soldiers were irrelevant to her; neither here nor there, mere background extras.

As long as her people were safe, that was all that mattered.

“Then let’s move to the carriage.”

“Yes.”

With that, the two of them headed toward Eileen’s private carriage.

Unconcerned with what happened to the attacking monster or the aftermath.

𑁋

Dawn broke.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities among the investigation team.

Though there were injuries, Roa’s healing potions had restored everyone completely.

With the exception of the soldier who had been taken by the gryphons, there was no real human loss.

However, the team was deeply shaken.

At every sound, they paled and looked up at the sky.

Most hadn’t even seen the gryphons, but after everything they’d been through, their spirits were broken.

They could no longer function as soldiers.

Material losses were also significant.

The carriage stationed near the impact zone had overturned and was unusable.

Many supplies were damaged by scattered debris.

Even salvaging parts for repairs would reduce their transport capacity further.

Between this and the incident at the Rabbit Forest, more than half of their carriages were already gone.

They couldn’t transport people or goods effectively anymore.

The Citadel Dungeon Investigation Team could no longer continue their mission.

It was a disaster, but at least they had confirmed the gryphons’ presence.
Their objective was fulfilled. There was no need to go further.

In that sense, they could consider it a small blessing amid misfortune.

Though no official order had yet been given by Eileen, the de facto leader of the team, it was obvious to everyone that retreat was the only option left.

𑁋 

<Now then! Let’s go!! We march!>

In the middle of all this, one person—no, one creature—remained in high spirits.

It was Uncle Gry.

He was delighted to finally have a valid excuse to head for the Citadel Dungeon—

to rescue the soldier taken by the gryphons.

The soldiers, terrified of his upbeat movements, frantically tried to keep their distance.

𑁋 

Kristoff muttered to himself, still unconvinced.

“…How did it end up like this?”

He had done everything he could; he had even warned Uncle Gry sternly to stop them from heading toward the dangerous inner areas.

And now this.

No, there was no way this would sit right with him.

“That’s way too convenient. This isn’t all some elaborate setup by that scheming gryphon, right? You didn’t get other gryphons to cooperate just to drag us over there or anything…? We’re not getting played, are we?”

Though Kristoff’s remark was dripping with suspicion, it seemed to bounce right off the cheerful Uncle Gry’s ears.

Truthfully, Roa had also considered the possibility. After all, there had been that staged attack in the Rabbit Forest. It was hard not to suspect something, especially with the nagging feeling that Uncle Gry might be plotting something again. But the way he reacted during last night’s gryphon ambush wasn’t an act. When that giant chunk of ice came down, he had clearly panicked. If it had been premeditated, he wouldn’t have cast a spell in a fit of anger where others might hear the chant. That attack had been genuine; the gryphons had truly come to kill them.

Roa decided to trust him.

“…Uncle Gry, I believe you, okay?”

<Indeed! Leave it to me! I shall whip you brats into shape out there! There’s no shortage of sparring partners!>

At Uncle Gry’s wildly off-target reply, Roa could only give a wry smile.

It seemed Uncle Gry had been eager to go to the Citadel Dungeon so he could train Roa, the twins, and Nostalgia. Sure, diving into a dungeon swarming with monsters would certainly build strength, but treating it like a training ground was a problem in itself.

“Are you really going through with this?”

The voice came from Joel, who, as the acting head of the investigation team, wasn’t showing fear but his eyes were still red from yesterday’s emotional outburst.

“I’ve been thinking more about it since then… What if the one who was taken has already been eaten? Isn’t chasing after them just a waste of time?”

He had supposedly given up on convincing Roa last night, and yet here he was again, trying.

<What a tiresome fanatic. They clearly said, “We’ve taken a hostage,” remember? And they also said, “If you want to save them, come after us.” Sure, they might accidentally kill the hostage, but odds are they’re still alive.>

Apparently, Uncle Gry had officially decided Joel was one of Roa’s fanatical followers based on the way he stared with reverence. And he was quick to dismiss Joel’s warning.

Uncle Gry had communicated directly with the two gryphons at the time. Roa had checked with the twin magic wolves afterward, and they had nodded firmly, confirming that such a conversation had taken place.

Beasts couldn’t speak human languages, but intelligent magic beasts could understand one another. Naturally, the twins had heard it all. If it had just been Uncle Gry’s word, Roa might have been doubtful, but if the twins backed it, then it was likely true.

“We’ll go and see. If it looks impossible, we’ll turn back. We value our lives too.”

At Roa’s answer, Joel frowned deeply. He clearly still wanted to protest, and Roa, sensing that, averted his eyes as if to say he wasn’t dealing with that right now.

<Hey, sleepyhead. You’re part of the cult too, so say something to this guy! Stop letting him cling to the kid—he’s a damn nuisance!>

With that, Uncle Gry nudged Dietrich forward with the tip of his wing, pushing him toward Joel.

“What do you mean, cult?”

<Are you not? Would a normal person follow someone all the way out here?>

“…Because he’s a comrade worth protecting…”

Dietrich faltered even as he replied. Apparently, even he saw some truth in what was being implied.

<If anything, you’re more like a dog that’s been spoiled rotten. I was being polite using the term ‘cultist’—you should be grateful!>

“Shut the hell up! Like you’re one to talk! You’re the one who’s actually been tamed!”

<I have not been tamed. It is only natural for a contractor to provide for their familiar. That’s a legitimate part of the contract. Unlike you, who just barges in uninvited and freeloads meals.>

Uncle Gry gave a smug little snort, acting proud of something he should probably be embarrassed by. He declared his total dependence on Roa like it was a badge of honor.

“You bastard! I’ll slay you right here and now!!”

<Hah! You’ve finally learned to tell jokes. But I’ve got better things to do. I don’t have time to spar with weaklings.>

“Who’re you calling weak!?”

<Don’t bark, clown. You can’t do anything but cling to the kid. I’ll entertain you after dinner—now sit and wait.>

“I’LL KILL YOU!!”

Their noses—beak and human—were practically touching as Uncle Gry and Dietrich glared at each other, both wearing vicious grins. The tension in the air was practically visible.

“Okay, okay. Both of you, cool it. You’re making Joel nervous.”

The calm voice came from Roa.

Despite the heated atmosphere, Roa was smiling. He’d seen this kind of thing from these two more than once. Honestly, his only thought was, They sure get along as usual.

“Eep…”

Joel flinched and shrank back as if he’d been struck.

He couldn’t hear Uncle Gry’s voice. So from his perspective, Dietrich had suddenly snapped and started yelling at a gryphon, and now the gryphon was glaring back.

The fact that Roa could casually keep the gryphon under control shocked him, but what terrified him even more was that someone would actually pick a fight with a gryphon at all. It looked like a battle could break out at any moment, so Joel was doing his best to make himself invisible.

When Roa addressed them and both Uncle Gry and Dietrich turned their attention toward him, Joel paled and shook his head frantically, trying to signal he had nothing to do with any of it.

A cold silence fell.

“Tch…”

<How boring.>

Having their moment ruined, both Dietrich and Uncle Gry snorted and turned away from each other.

“…Alright, let’s head out!”

With Roa’s cue, the rest of Nostalgia began to move as well.

After being caught between those two’s explosive personalities, Joel had no more energy left to try and stop them.

They were already fully packed and ready to go. Traveling by wagon would take too long, so they’d be riding on horseback. The two horses that had been pulling Nostalgia’s wagon had suffered minor injuries, but Roa’s healing potion had taken care of that.

Roa would ride on the twins’ back, while the rest of the party could pair up on the two horses. They were sturdy beasts bred for wagons, and with some magic enhancement from Roa’s potions, they’d be able to handle the speed and weight just fine.

<Let’s move!>

Uncle Gry was already ahead, unable to contain his excitement.

By foot, the trip to the Citadel Dungeon would take about two days. On horseback, they could make it in half a day.

Once they arrived, battle after battle would surely await.

Staring ahead at the towering layers of fortress walls and the central spire looming in the distance, Roa took a deep breath and steeled himself.