I looked up.
Despite the pain running through my body, I tightened my grip on my spear.
A man stood on top of the tree.
His eyes were black.
Not dark brown.
Not simply shadowed.
They were as black as the night.
He wore mud-colored clothing that blended almost perfectly with the swamp. A cloth covered the lower half of his face, while another piece of cloth concealed his hair.
Only his eyes were visible.
He stood there without moving.
No hostility.
No kindness.
Nothing.
Just a blank expression.
I was confused.
Normally, someone appearing alone in a place like this would make me think of bandits.
But this wasn't normal territory.
We were inside an area where a lizardman nest had recently been destroyed.
There was no reason for an ordinary bandit to be here.
My left hand was still bleeding.
My right hand held my spear tightly, but it was shaking slightly.
I slowly exhaled.
Then the man removed the cloth covering his mouth.
"Boy."
His voice was calm.
"Who are you?"
There was no emotion in his voice.
No suspicion.
No hostility.
He simply asked the question.
I slowly moved my left hand toward my belt.
I pulled out my Mercenary Office badge and showed it to him.
I didn't know whether he could recognize it from that distance.
But trusting him was my only option.
I couldn't survive another battle in my current condition.
The man looked at the badge.
Then he looked at me.
He didn't say anything.
Then—
He disappeared.
My Sensory Field wasn't detecting anything unusual from him.
I moved my head slightly.
Left.
Then right.
Nothing.
My eyes widened.
A moment later, he was standing directly in front of me.
Now he was standing right beside Rusty.
He hadn't splashed the water.
There wasn't even a ripple.
How did he move without making a sound?
He looked directly into my eyes.
"What unit were you assigned to?"
I swallowed.
"I was part of Commander Azpen's cavalry unit."
"We attacked the lizardmen."
"I became separated from them afterward."
"I don't know what happened to the others."
He listened without interrupting.
Not a single question.
He simply waited until I finished.
"Okay."
That was all he said.
Then he looked at me again.
"I am a scout of House Branadle."
House Branadle.
I had heard the name before.
One of the powerful Northern noble houses.
I looked at him carefully.
A scout from House Branadle...
That explained his movements.
If even their scouts were trained like this...
I didn't want to imagine what their knights were capable of.
"Can you tell me what's happening?"
I asked.
The scout nodded.
"The lizardmen have slowed their march toward the nest."
"They likely discovered that the nest has fallen."
"We already saw their perimeter scouts."
"They're preparing for the approaching force."
I listened carefully.
"The good news is..."
"As far as we know, they don't realize the Northern Knights are coming."
"They've slowed their march and begun reorganizing."
"However, we're not giving them the chance to rest."
"Our scouts are harassing their marching column."
"Not like Commander Azpen."
He paused.
"Azpen's attacks reduced their numbers."
"Our attacks are different."
"We strike at night."
"Randomly."
"Then disappear."
"They never know where the next attack will come from."
He glanced toward the distant forest.
"They're already trying to track us."
"But you've been fortunate."
"They haven't discovered your position."
He looked at me again.
I remained silent.
Then he continued.
"There's something else."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small orange-colored crystal.
He held it between his fingers.
"We've been using these."
I stared at the strange crystal.
"Fill it with your aura or mana."
He tossed it lightly in his hand.
"Then throw it."
"When it breaks, the energy inside it will react with the crystal's nature."
He paused.
"If you fill it with fire mana..."
"It will produce fire."
"Water mana..."
"Water."
"The same principle works with other elements."
My eyes narrowed.
So they're using these crystals as weapons.
I tightened my grip on the spear.
"So what are you going to do?"
He looked at me for several seconds.
Then he spoke.
"Kid."
"I'll give you two choices."
He pointed toward the forest.
"Come with me."
Then he pointed in the opposite direction.
"Or stay here."
"You don't have any healing potions left, do you?"
I remained silent.
He continued.
"I have one."
"But I don't want to waste it on you right now."
"You're injured, but you're still alive."
"If you use it now, we may need it later."
His expression remained emotionless.
"Besides..."
"I have my own mission."
"I can't stay here and protect you."
He looked toward the left.
Movement.
Several lizardmen were approaching through the swamp.
The scout calmly reached for his weapon.
"I'll take care of them."
"That's my responsibility."
He looked back at me.
"So..."
"Your choice is yours."
Then he vanished again.
I was left sitting on Rusty's back.
The water around me was completely still.
I stared at the place where he had disappeared.
I had no idea what to do.