Chapter 31

The Baroan Forest has yet to be covered in snow.

However, the bone-chilling cold seems to have already affected the ground, and when I step on the forest floor, it sounds like I’m stepping on gravel. It’s frost.

I can’t say it out loud, but my boots are custom-made.

While the exterior is disguised to look like something you could buy anywhere, the inside is close to modern boots. They don’t get cold when I step on frost, and they don’t let water in. They’re very comfortable.

However, among those of us who have entered this forest, there is one person whose equipment is far from comfortable...

"Be on guard and search for any monsters as you walk."

"Understood."

In the end, Bridget has been in her armor since we entered the forest.

Even though her greaves must not make walking easy, she moves forward with Gorilliana without showing any signs of discomfort.

Right behind them are Sheena and the middle guard group. Sheena holds an arrow and walks while being on guard. ...From what I can sense, there doesn’t seem to be anything around.

"Ah, this is that thing..."

"Hmm... yeah."

Lina and Ulrika nod at each other as if they understand something.

I usually want to ask "What what~?" and get involved, but today I’ll just stick to the shadows. It’s best not to stand out.

We walk silently. We walk tirelessly.

The sound of eight people stepping on frost and the occasional sound of equipment catching on branches echo uselessly in the quiet forest.

We continued like this for about two hours. The pace was slow, and there were no breaks. It was clearly an inefficient march.

...It’s boring. Among the various dull tasks, this one is particularly tasteless, like chewing gum with no flavor.

But Bridget must be having a harder time than me.

She, clad in full armor, is already visibly shivering from the cold.

Moreover, since Sheena is always on guard, she can’t even relax for a moment.

...I wish someone would tell her to take off that armor.

I’m not good with nobles and don’t want to get involved, but she looks so cold, I can’t just watch...

"Let's take this path."

Sheena changes our direction, pointing with an arrow.

In the winter forest, we can only see small flagbirds (inedible) and mud rats (inedible).

"...Mongrel-senpai, this. There are footprints here."

"Huh?"

Lina whispered to me in a low voice, pointing to the faint... visible? Yes, visible footprints.

Indeed, thanks to the frost, they are somewhat clear...? Maybe. But honestly, I can’t really tell.

"Big charge deer. Probably went in the direction we were heading before we changed course."

"...Did Sheena see this and avoid the prey?"

"Yes, it’s hard to tell how old the footprints are, but probably. Sheena is really good at scouting."

...Wow. She’s looking at the footprints and deliberately steering us away from where the monsters are.

Or, is it the arrow...?

She holds the arrow between her fingers, as if searching for the direction the arrowhead points.

...Maybe it’s some kind of skill or gift.

In any case, it seems to be some kind of detection ability...

No, she’s really thorough. In a forest where we hardly encounter any monsters, if she does this, we’ll almost certainly end up empty-handed. Bridget is trying her best...

"What’s wrong, Bridget? You don’t look well."

"...N-no. I’m still..."

Finally, Sheena spoke up.

I knew she didn’t look well from the start... but now, Bridget looks like even taking a step is a struggle.

"Be honest. If you collapse here, it will be a burden on everyone."

"...It’s very hard."

Sheena stopped the march and took a deep breath. The air feels heavy.

"Take off that armor."

"What... but..."

"I brought extra clothes. Take off the armor and put them on over it. You must be freezing in that full armor."

"...I’m sorry."

Bridget, looking uncomfortable, started to take off her armor with unaccustomed hands.

Jonah helped her undress, and Sheena put on the extra clothes over her. ...And what about the armor she took off?

"Hey. Can you tie this armor to your luggage with a rope? It’s heavy, so it might be unstable, but be careful not to drop it."

It seems I’ll be the one carrying it.

...But it’s full armor. It’s pretty heavy, right? And while it’s not that heavy when you’re wearing it, carrying a bulky item without it is quite tiring...

I thought, but it felt like this whole situation was orchestrated, so I obediently followed.

Bridget’s full armor seems to be high-quality, as it feels lighter than it looks. Maybe the material is different, or something. Probably, it’s not a metal that exists in the world I came from.

"I’m sorry... I’ve caused trouble..."

"...It’s okay."

Bridget apologizes, looking ashamed, but I might have come off as a bit gruff because I didn’t want to continue the conversation.

What should I do? I can’t bear to see this girl suffer.

"Since one of our melee fighters is carrying luggage, we need to focus even more as we move forward."

...A boring task. A march that’s exhausting even if it’s self-inflicted. The burden I’m causing others...

Is this my first mission... Is this hell? I’d probably have a trauma if I were in this situation.

The way Artemis members don’t use overly encouraging words suggests they’re really trying to crush Bridget’s motivation...

"We’ll take a break after walking a bit more, then turn back. That will be the end of today’s investigation."

"...Understood."

When we started walking, Bridget had her hand on the hilt of her longsword, on guard for monsters, but now she looks like she’s struggling just to walk. She probably doesn’t think there are any monsters around anymore.

Her white breath is larger than anyone else’s.

We gather around a fire, having collected firewood in the forest.

Sheena must have brought some not-so-tasty dried meat for this day, as the atmosphere during the meal is rather somber.

The atmosphere? It’s the worst. But this is our mission.

To prevent Bridget from pursuing the path of a guild member, this was the perfect setup.

"...I was supposed to... in the spring..."

Staring at the fire, Bridget began to speak with a vacant look.

"I was supposed to go to the capital... and take a job. But I didn’t like that job, so I decided to become a swordsman and joined the guild... but..."

When I opened the lid, it was such a mess.

"I don’t understand. What... should I do...?"

Ah, she’s about to cry. Stop, stop. I’m weak for this kind of thing. It’s really troublesome.

"Everyone has jobs they’re suited for and jobs they’re not."

"...Suitable, not suitable..."

"Your desired job may not be the one you’re suited for. If you found today’s mission difficult, Bridget, you should reconsider becoming a guild member."

"...I appreciate it."

I’m reminded of a rejection email. My heart hurts.

It’s not like... Bridget, we can’t tell if you’re suited for being a guild member or not. Actually, we’re the ones crushing that dream.

Thinking about it, I feel... really guilty... my heart is dying...

"Alright, let’s end the break. Let’s head back to Regal."

On the way back, our formation was stretched out.

In the front, Sheena and Bridget were talking, and they seemed to be keeping a distance from the rest of us.

Well, we also had things we didn’t want Bridget to hear, so we were whispering at the back.

"Terrible mission, huh?"

"...Bad taste, isn’t it?"

"Yeah... I guess we just have to accept it since it’s a request from a baron..."

The skill to crush someone’s dream of becoming a guild member right from the start.

Artemis is a party that can skillfully achieve such delicate results.

Honestly... I’m impressed. No sarcasm.

Even now, Sheena is holding an arrow and skillfully guiding us in a safe direction, maintaining a peaceful mission where nothing happens.

Bridget, exhausted and cold, can only nod and accept our words.

"Even with lightweight magic alloy, it’s impressive that you can carry so much luggage. You’re just as I expected, Mongrel."

"...Nastasha, did you call me here for this from the beginning?"

Turning around, I saw Nastasha grinning maliciously.

"Well, but with Bridget as our escort, it’s true that having only Gorilliana as a front-liner would be a concern in an emergency."

"Sheena’s scouting ability isn’t perfect, then?"

"Hmm... you noticed. I don’t dislike intelligent men."

"To be honest, I wasn’t sure, but you’re definitely doing something."

If the arrow has the power to point in the direction of the enemy... it might explain Sheena’s nickname, "Successive Arrow." It’s just a hypothesis, though.

Nastasha’s smile deepened.

"...Sheena is an excellent archer when it comes to avoiding danger. I possess a similar ability."

"That’s..."

"It’s a ‘Gift.’ ...There’s no need to hide it. You have one too, don’t you, Mongrel?"

...!

My Gift was exposed...?

Where? Where did she see it? No, it’s probably a bluff. I haven’t shown it to anyone, and I haven’t used it in a place where it could be seen.

I can’t let it show on my face. If I’m found out, it’ll definitely be a hassle.

"I know, Mongrel."

What does she know? Stop it. No, she can’t have seen it, right? If she had, her reaction wouldn’t be like this, right?

"Your enhanced magic power... that’s your Gift, isn’t it?"

"..."

Ah... phew! Good, it’s a misunderstanding!

Phew... I see, that’s it! The body enhancement side!

Ah, ah, okay. That’s fine!

Cough. ...No, that’s not fine. I have to maintain the act that I was hiding it.

...Okay, fine. Then I’ll just keep denying it. That should be the least suspicious.

"...What are you talking about?"

"Mongrel. We, Artemis, can help you maximize your power. We can handle difficult noble clients and avoid dangerous monsters. Sheena is asking for your joining. The treatment won’t be bad."

Recruitment, huh. ...Well, the bath is a nice perk. It’s really tempting.

But I don’t want Nastasha, who controls the bath, to have a hold over me.

"If you join us, we can protect the secret of your Gift..."

"Nastasha-san, that’s not okay."

"...Lina?"

At that moment, Lina put a stop to the recruitment.

"That kind of approach is... unfair. It feels like you’re holding something over someone... I don’t like that kind of thing."

"...Is that so? Is my approach... wrong?"

"Yes, it’s not okay."

"...I see."

When Lina said that, Nastasha, who had never shown such a flustered reaction, fell silent.

It’s not that Lina has a strong voice in the party.

But to me, Nastasha looked like a bad adult who had been properly scolded by a child.

"It’s better to invite someone normally. And... it’s better not to rush, Mongrel-senpai."

"Hmm, yeah, you’re right."

Joining the party.

Well, if the clan house has a bath, it’s not something I can ignore.

But the freedom to move around on my own is more important than the freedom to take a bath.

What, I’ve been able to endure for years with a bucket of water. Endure...

"Anyway, I’m going to take a bath today."

"Ahahaha, you’re coming to our bath with this flow."

"Of course. It’s a fair reward."

"...Hmm. Understood... well, whenever you’re ready. Think about it."

"Yeah, I’ll consider it positively."

"...That sounds like a half-hearted response, doesn’t it?"

"Hey, Lina, you’re getting to know me well."

"No, I’m not happy about that."

The sun began to set, the sky gradually darkened, and finally, the city of Regal came into view.

In the end, it was a boring task where we didn’t fight anything and just carried luggage back and forth... but I was oddly impressed by how professional skills can be applied even to such a job.