The Mission is Over.
Now, all that's left is to return.
At one point, Kalakin and the rest of the investigation team had thought so.
But it didn't take them long to realize that was just an illusion.
"If this keeps up, we're going to get caught by another monster horde. Not that I'd mind another brawl."
"Why are you crawling on all fours? Stand up and walk properly. Bipedal movement allows for better maneuverability in emergencies and vastly improves your field of vision."
"You look like a damn slug."
In many ways, Carl Marcus was incredible.
Despite the distance being neither too long nor too short, he knew exactly how to push the team to their absolute limits in the most efficient way possible.
Creak, creak…
Even Hildegard, who had initially been one of Carl Marcus's biggest supporters, had started grinding her teeth.
Needless to say, the others felt the same.
"…Should've just died somewhere and saved us the trouble," Dmitri muttered.
Nobody disagreed.
"…Hang in there, everyone. We're almost at Ark," Kalakin offered, though it was far from comforting.
"There's no 'almost.' We're dead," someone groaned.
"Shut up with that bad luck talk, you lowly creature."
Iris shot Dmitri a venomous glare after his snide remark.
"You just jinxed us you bastard."
"W-What?"
Dmitri was briefly stunned. He never expected Iris of all people to say something like that.
Even amidst their bickering, their march continued.
No—endurance march would be the more accurate term.
'How is he not sweating at all?'
'Is he even human?'
'I don't get it… I just…'
The team members couldn't hide their shock as they glanced at Carl Marcus, who was following behind them, constantly pushing them forward.
Even as elite recruits of Ark, the investigation team was on the verge of collapse from the brutal pace.
Yet, not only was Carl Marcus leading the march, he looked completely unbothered.
'…This guy's a monster.'
Kalakin had already held Carl Marcus in high regard, but witnessing this, he could only click his tongue in disbelief.
At the same time, he realized something else.
'I don't know what Carl Marcus's real goal is… but Ark must never make an enemy of him.'
No—by this point, Ark couldn't even if it wanted to.
Carl Marcus's current standing had reached a level where even Ark would hesitate to act recklessly against him.
'A single misstep could turn the Kronos remnants against us.'
Of course, compared to Ark, the Kronos remnants were insignificant.
But if, as Lania had suggested, they truly succeeded in forming a union with the other mid-sized cities… the situation could change drastically.
'One way or another… this mission is going to send ripples throughout Ark.'
As Kalakin pondered this, someone suddenly cried out—
"Ah! It's Ark!"
"We finally made it…"
"We… we actually survived…"
At last, beyond the horizon, the towering walls of Ark—the sight they had all longed to see—came into view.
* * *
'Finally, we've arrived.'
It had been a long journey, far from a short one.
Leaving Ark before the Wave began, only to return long after it had ended—it was no wonder the trip felt arduous.
'It was a journey with plenty of gains.'
Beyond the original goal of gathering intelligence on the Kronos Union, there had been numerous other acquisitions, including the symbol of the Mot Church.
'I still don't fully understand the nature of the [Rift Space], but obtaining the inventory alone was a major success.'
And that wasn't the end of it.
One of the key objectives of this journey was the growth of the playable characters.
From what I could tell, that aspect had also been sufficiently met.
'They're definitely different now.'
Was it the aura they gave off?
Back when we first set out from Ark, the investigation team members were nothing more than rookies.
But now, they seemed at least somewhat capable.
'Well, they still have a long way to go.'
Of course, once they entered the Orange Line stage, they would be able to fulfill their roles properly.
Sloppiness was only tolerable up to the Red Line stage.
Beyond that, incompetence meant death.
Ziiing...
Whoosh—!
Just as we arrived at the Red-17 Gate, it opened almost instantly.
The usual identity verification process was skipped, a sign that Ark had been waiting eagerly for our return.
And as soon as the Red-17 Gate swung open, familiar faces greeted us from within.
Among them was Lieutenant Imosha, the gate's assigned officer, along with his subordinates and soldiers.
'I suppose it's only natural.'
Leaving aside the importance of the mission itself, Ark likely didn't have high expectations for its success.
Yet, seeing the investigation team return intact, it was no surprise they had rushed out to meet us.
"You've returned!"
Lieutenant Imosha's voice rang out, unusually loud for him.
"Yes."
"This is truly a relief."
"There's something I need to discuss regarding the mission. Is Lieutenant Colonel Banol in his office?"
"Ah... Yes, he is. Oh!"
Lieutenant Imosha quickly scanned the investigation team.
"Are there... any casualties?"
"As you can see, none."
"How is that even possible...?"
It wasn't unreasonable for him to react this way.
This was the kind of mission where casualties—even significant ones—wouldn't have been surprising.
Yet, not only was there no loss of life, but there weren't even any seriously injured. His shock was understandable.
"You all... really did an incredible job."
I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but I thought I saw a slight glimmer of moisture in Lieutenant Imosha's eyes as he spoke.
Well, that was just how happy he must have been.
'At the end of the day, all the soldiers except for Kalakin are still part of the Red Line.'
Anyway...
"You all did well. I'll handle the mission report, so go inside and rest. Oh, Kalakin, you're coming with me to see Lieutenant Colonel Banol."
"Understood."
Since I wasn't an official member of the investigation team but rather a mercenary, it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to handle the report alone.
Bringing Kalakin along was necessary.
'Not that it matters—Banol would have summoned Kalakin later anyway. It's better to get it done in one go.'
More importantly, given the nature of the conversation I was about to have, having Kalakin with me was essential.
Considering my position within Ark, my words alone might lack the necessary weight or credibility.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
Following Lieutenant Imosha's lead, Kalakin and I headed for Lieutenant Colonel Banol's office.
Knock knock—
"Come in."
Kalakin, Lieutenant Imosha, and I stepped into Lieutenant Colonel Banol's office.
"Despite the difficulty of the mission, I'm glad to see you all returned safely."
"You'll have to properly compensate me for my contract."
"Of course. Now then... I'd like to hear about the mission."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's steady gaze fixed on me.
I met his eyes and spoke.
"First, regarding the mission, we have identified the location of the remaining Kronos forces and their objective."
"...Is that true?"
Normally, Lieutenant Colonel Banol was not one to show his emotions.
But this time, even he couldn't hide a slight sense of excitement.
"Yes."
"...That's excellent news. Tell me everything."
"Before that, there's something I need to say."
"What is it?"
Now came the real discussion.
"I propose that Ark and Kronos establish diplomatic relations."
"...What?"
"Carl Marcus! That's—!"
Lieutenant Colonel Banol and Lieutenant Imosha both reacted with shock.
Given the gravity of what I had just said, their response was expected.
"...Are you saying this while fully aware of the current relationship between Ark and the remnants of Kronos?"
"Yes. I know."
"Then... is this a request from Kronos?"
It was a sharp question, fitting for someone like Banol.
"In a way, yes. But also, no."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"It's true that Kronos made such a request. However, this is also a request from Ark."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol narrowed his eyes.
"...That's strange. As far as I know, we've made no such request. The purpose of this mission was not to form an alliance with Kronos. It was to locate them and determine their goals. That was the investigation team's objective."
"Was that really all there was to it?"
"What are you trying to say?"
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's gaze weighed heavily on me.
"What does Kronos mean to Ark? A potential threat? Or something else?"
"If I had to choose, it would be the former."
"Exactly. This mission was also about gathering intelligence on Kronos because they could be a potential threat."
"So... you're saying that the true purpose of this mission suggests that Ark is actually interested in forging peace with Kronos?"
"Correct."
For a moment, Lieutenant Colonel Banol looked incredulous.
Then, he burst into laughter.
"You're overstepping your authority. You do realize that, don't you?"
"That's none of my concern. I'm just a mercenary. The responsibility falls on the soldiers here."
I gestured toward Kalakin, who gave a solemn nod.
"This is ridiculous. Fine, then—what exactly did you learn during this mission? What does Kronos want?"
"Before answering that, we should discuss the original objective of this mission—what Kronos is currently aiming for."
"And what is that?"
"The remaining Kronos forces are currently uniting the smaller city-states to form a new union."
There was a simple reason for revealing this information now.
Negotiations can only happen when both sides hold a degree of balance.
"...Is that true?"
"Yes."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol, who had already shown more emotion than usual today, stiffened.
He knew exactly what it meant for the Kronos remnants to be forming a new alliance.
"So... knowing that, you initiated talks with Kronos and encouraged them to seek peace with Ark?"
"That's right."
"I won't deny that it's a reasonable proposal. From Ark's perspective, keeping Kronos as a perpetual threat would be more dangerous than forming a peace agreement—especially if they're in the process of establishing a new power."
As expected of Banol, he immediately grasped my reasoning.
No surprises there.
"...But there's something odd. Why would Kronos trust you? And why should we trust Kronos?"
The conversation returned to its fundamental point.
Banol's doubts were valid.
Why had Kronos trusted us enough to negotiate?
And why should Ark trust them in return?
"You don't need to worry about that."
"...Sounds like you have something up your sleeve. Let's hear it. What are you relying on?"
"Do you know where I'm from?"
"Well, you're a refugee from Kronos..."
Banol trailed off, his eyes widening in realization.
"That's right. Technically, I was from a tribe on Kronos's outskirts, but that's not what matters."
"...Are you saying you had a personal connection on the Kronos side?"
"More than just a personal connection."
"...But that alone isn't enough reason to trust them."
"That may be true. But... let's just say, this 'connection' isn't a normal one."
Slowly, Lieutenant Colonel Banol and Lieutenant Imosha's faces filled with shock.