The sudden crack startled the group of teenagers.
Grey cursed his rotten luck three times before he even saw the enemy. He had just decided to retreat, worried about possible traps, but he never expected karma to be such a bitch and force him to run into an enemy right now.
"What are you idiots sitting around for? Formation! Get your weapons ready!" he shouted at his subordinates, who were still frozen in place.
It was as if Grey's voice carried magic. The teenagers immediately snapped out of their daze, grabbed their artifacts, and took up defensive positions, ready to charge into battle at the first command.
Their faces were full of caution, and their hands trembled slightly. Until now, they had never been forced into a fight without preparation.
But as they remembered how many enemies they had defeated over the past two weeks, the fear slowly faded away, and a faint fighting spirit flashed across their eyes.
A figure slowly emerged from the trees.
It was nothing more than an ordinary guard, about eighteen or twenty years old. He was alone, dressed in a standard patrol uniform. There was nothing remarkable about him except for his youth and the trace of innocence that had not yet disappeared.
Dave had only recently joined the patrol unit and was eager to climb the ranks. Right then, an order came down from above. Part of the city guard was sent to survey the surrounding area in preparation for the winter tide of magical beasts.
Hoping to stand out and earn the favor of his superiors, he volunteered without hesitation.
The assignment was not particularly dangerous. It was only the middle of autumn, and magical beasts were neither very active nor especially aggressive at this time of year. So Dave wandered through the forest at an easy pace, searching for beast dens and returning to base from time to time.
When he caught the smell of roasted meat, he assumed another squad of city guards had stopped nearby to rest and decided to join them.
He never expected to find a group of fierce-looking teenagers armed to the teeth, staring at him as if they were ready to devour him the moment he took another step.
When Grey saw that only one person had appeared, and that he was wearing the uniform of an ordinary guard rather than the black robes typical of cultists, he relaxed considerably and signaled his subordinates to stand down.
Then he subtly winked at Achilles, telling him to play the role of the leader and invite the soldier to join them for dinner.
Achilles caught Grey's signal and stepped forward.
"Friend, you really gave us a scare... You shouldn't have sneaked up so quietly. This is Thorn's Tabernacles, after all. Wild beasts roam these woods. I'm sure you understand why we're being so cautious."
"Hehe, you're right... Sorry, little friends. I smelled roasting meat and thought another patrol had stopped here to rest. I didn't mean to startle you," Dave said with an awkward laugh as he turned to leave. He had no desire to get himself into trouble.
The group of teenagers seemed strange, and he immediately realized he would not be able to deal with them if they turned hostile.
Seeing that the guard had already walked several meters away, Grey flicked a small pebble at Achilles and gave him another signal.
Achilles finally understood what Grey wanted and hurried to stop the unexpected guest.
"Wait. Since you're hungry, why not join us? We still have some meat left. It would be rude not to share."
"No need. The regulations forbid us from eating other people's food while we're on duty. I need to get back to work, or my captain will skin me alive."
Achilles hesitated and glanced at Grey once more. He was not sure whether he should keep insisting. After all, the city guards were not their enemies, and there was no point in provoking an unnecessary conflict.
But Grey remained firm. One look from him was enough to tell Achilles that he would not accept a refusal.
Achilles reluctantly obeyed.
"Come on, friend. I insist. Your captain isn't here, so no one will ever know. Sit down and take a break. It can't be easy spending the whole day protecting weaklings like us. I'd feel terrible if we let you leave without showing even a little hospitality."
Dave was caught off guard.
He had already made it clear that he did not want any trouble, so why were these teenagers still insisting? Maybe they really did just want to treat him to a meal. If that was the case, then accepting would be the polite thing to do. It would be far ruder to keep refusing their goodwill.
"In that case, I won't be polite anymore."
He quickly found an empty spot and accepted a portion of meat from another teenager. Without a second thought, Dave took a bite. The rabbit meat was a little tough and bland, but even that tasted far better than the standard rations.
The teenagers relaxed and returned to their seats, quietly whispering among themselves. They did not dare speak loudly or discuss anything related to their mission, but they no longer felt threatened.
Grey did not want to draw attention to himself. Their group was already conspicuous enough in this forest, and it would be easy to connect them to the people who had escaped from the cultists. Who knew what kind of trouble he would bring upon himself and everyone at Venus's Embrace if someone recognized him later as one of them.
So he whispered a few words into Achilles' ear, then walked off to the far end of the camp with Cheryl, Lily, Hope, and Sunny, praying that no one would pay them any attention. Their group was large enough that an ordinary guard was unlikely to remember every face, let alone every name.
"So, what brings you to Thorn's Tabernacles? I always thought the guards were only responsible for protecting the city walls and collecting taxes. You don't have to answer if it's classified," Achilles asked with a chuckle.
He sounded completely natural, as if he were casually chatting with an old friend.
"Hehe, you're not entirely wrong," Dave replied with a laugh. His guard was down now that the teenagers were no longer acting hostile. "But winter is almost here. You know how magical beasts become incredibly fierce during this season and often attack human settlements. The city lord is very concerned about it, so he sent part of the guard to clear them out. That way we can reduce the damage in advance. It was a very wise decision on his part."
"Really?" Achilles raised an eyebrow. Even he was surprised to hear how thoroughly the City Lord was preparing for the winter months.
Thorn's Cloaca was far from a pleasant place. The city's nickname, widely used by commoners, said enough about it. No one except refugees and slave traders would ever choose to live there. That made it even stranger to hear how diligently the City Lord was carrying out his duties.
"Yep. The other guards reacted pretty much the same way. Hahaha," Dave laughed. "I was born and raised in Thorn's Cloaca, but I've never heard of a patrol unit hunting magical beasts before winter."
"Then why such a drastic change this year?"
"Who knows? My superior said Lord Orpheus has been getting worried about the growing influence of his ninth concubine, Megan. Maybe he desperately needs to improve his reputation, so he finally decided to get serious." As soon as he finished speaking, Dave quickly shook his head and waved his hands.
"But don't ever bring this up in the city. And never tell anyone I was the one who said it. I'm just a lowly guard, and I don't want any trouble. Please promise me, little friend! Otherwise, I can kiss my promotion goodbye."
"Relax. Who would I even tell? I'm just as far removed from the city's politics as you are from becoming a noble," Achilles assured him with a laugh.
"Then I can rest easy," Dave said with a sigh of relief.
"And how many guards did the City Lord send? I don't think a handful of people can handle a task like this. They have an enormous area to cover."
"Don't worry. Baron Orpheus is going all out this time. He sent almost half the garrison. The barracks are practically empty. Even mercenaries from the Adventurers' Guild and mages from the city's Magic Tower joined us. With preparations like these, this winter should be the safest we've had in years," Dave said proudly.
He truly enjoyed working for the sake of the common people. That was the very reason he had joined the guard. Whatever motives the baron himself might have had were not something an ordinary guard like him needed to worry about. His job was to give his family a better future.
Achilles let out an impressed whistle.
"Sorry, but we don't have any wine to raise a toast in your honor. You'll have to settle for this humble meal as our thanks."
"Hahaha, that's all right. I'm just happy I got to grab a bite while I was out working. Thank you very much for your hospitality."
Dave stood up and held out his hand to Achilles.
It had been nice talking to such a pleasant fellow, but he could not keep avoiding his duties forever. His superiors would expect a detailed report, and if he failed to inspect the area assigned to him on time, his pay would be docked, not to mention any bonuses or promotion.
Achilles did not stand on ceremony. He gladly shook his new acquaintance's hand and even offered him a few kind words before they parted.
At that very moment, Grey abruptly stood up.
"Not so fast! Raise your hands. Slowly put your sword on the ground and let my people search you."
A fully drawn bow was already in his hands, its arrow aimed straight at the guard's head. At such close range, even a Saint would have a hard time dodging the shot.
Grey's face was ice-cold, and his gaze was terrifying. It was obvious he was not joking.
The moment the others saw Grey move, every teenager reached for their weapon. They knew their commander never acted without thinking things through, so they obeyed his orders without question. If he had turned hostile, then the guard had to be a threat.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Dave asked in panic.
He truly was bewildered.
Just a minute ago they had been chatting like friends, and now he was surrounded and ordered to surrender. What was going on?
Achilles was just as shocked, but there was nothing he could do. He simply spread his hands helplessly and apologized with complete sincerity.
"I'm sorry, friend, but I'm not the one in charge here. If you want to stay alive, you'd better do as he says."
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