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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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Chapter 26 - First Mission! (3)
“Here we are! It’s on the edge of the campground, so it’s nice and quiet and it’s close to the washroom too. The nightly rate is 4 Mega per person. If you add 1 Mega more, we offer a
simple breakfast of bread and milk, so I highly recommend it.”
The group started unpacking inside the tent and getting ready to rest.
Copse quietly sidled up to Clyden.
“Payment’s upfront.”
“You offer a military discount, right?”
“……”
After spending the night at the campground, the group hit the road early the next morning.
Just like the day before, the journey was filled with cheerful jabs, bickering, and good old-fashioned roasting.
By evening, they finally arrived at Farid City.
“Gyaaaaah, finally here!”
Clyden stretched long and wide as he climbed down from the cart.
Farid City was one of the empire’s oldest cities, rivaling the capital in history.
Its military gate functioned as a semi-militarized zone, commonly used by soldiers for both missions and leave.
“Ugh, I feel stiff. Lying down all day is more tiring. Let’s just hit an inn and call it a night.”
“What are you saying? Don’t forget our mission! We’re heading straight to the gate and
transferring east immediately!”
“Don’t be so uptight. It’s not like we’re in a rush or anything…”
“Excuse me? Is that what a soldier of the Empire should be saying?! Mission first, always!”
“Hmm… Lieutenant, we’ve been on the move all day. Everyone’s exhausted. Why don’t we rest at the inn tonight and head out early tomorrow morning?”
“Hmm… If Eres thinks so… fine! We’ll do that.”
“Woooow, so my suggestions get tossed out the window, but if your little brother says it, you just melt. Someone’s got a brother complex! ”
“What?! Sergeant! Don’t you dare label me with some weird term I’ve never even heard of!”
“Relax, it’s a joke. Let’s see… sis-con? Bro-con? Nah, sounds weird. What is the English word for siblings?”
“Stop it! I’m not a bro-con!”
“Then why do you ignore me but fall head over heels for whatever Eres says?”
“I do not! I was just agreeing with the sergeant’s suggestion to rest today, that’s all!”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah!”
“Well, let’s head to the inn then.”
Clyden strolled off in search of accommodations.
Lydis scowled as if the situation hadn’t gone the way she wanted.
Eres and Kaysis trailed behind, sighing in unison.
After debating which of the many inns to stay at, Clyden took charge and led them straight into the Parimont Hotel.
One of the finest luxury inns in all of Farid City.
“Uh… this place is…”
“What? We’ve got plenty of travel funds, don’t we?”
“Yeah, but still…”
“Let’s just drop our stuff and eat something nice. When else am I gonna get the chance to try real food?”
The group unpacked after securing a room for four and a single room.
They freshened up and headed down to the first-floor restaurant for dinner.
“Hoo boy! What’s all this gibberish? I can’t make heads or tails of it.”
Clyden unfolded the menu at the table and scowled.
Baffled by the fancy names, he handed it toward Eres.
“Just order something good and decent quality. You’ve eaten this kind of stuff before, right? You’ll know what’s good.”
After thinking it over, Eres decided on a safe choice that would suit everyone’s taste, four orders of steak.
As Clyden, Eres, and Kaysis waited at the table.
Lydis entered the restaurant in casual wear.
The moment she stepped inside, the restaurant fell quiet.
Lydis flushed cheeks hinted she had just bathed, and her still-wet hair shimmered under the
lights.
Her stunning figure and elegance drew every gaze in the room.
Lydis sat down calmly but frowned slightly under Clyden’s stare.
“What are you staring at?”
“Ah—no, it’s just... what’s taking the food so long?”
Clyden cleared his throat and grumbled about the food to cover his embarrassment.
Lydis glanced at him briefly then turned away with a disinterested hum.
When the food came out, the group began eating with the grace expected of noble families.
Everyone except one person, that is Clyden.
He frowned at the 5 or 6 pieces of cutlery arranged before him.
“What’s with all these forks? How many ways are there to stab a piece of meat?”
“Hmph! How undignified.”
Lydis daintily dabbed her lips with a napkin as she spoke, causing Clyden to scowl.
“Well, nobles have the luxury of worrying about manners. Folks like me are just trying to eat enough to get by.”
“Hmph.”
Lydis finished her meal with a haughty expression.
Eres and Kaysis quietly ate their meals, keeping a close eye on Clyden’s mood.
Once the plates were cleared and dessert was served, Clyden tilted his head.
“Something wrong?”
Noticing the odd expression on Clyden’s face, Eres asked curiously.
“I dunno…there’d be flies buzzing around.”
“Flies?”
“Well, I hate to admit it but our leader does look pretty. But there aren’t any people fighting for her, right?”
Lydis raised her chin proudly and answered in a haughty tone:
“Hmph! That sort of thing only happens in shady taverns. You wouldn’t find that kind of people in a refined place like this.”
“Excuse me…”
At that moment, a man with a face that was not as handsome as Eres’s but who was clearly dressed in luxurious clothes approached them with a smile.
“Told you.”
Lydis ignored Clyden completely like she hadn’t heard him.
“Who are you?”
“Ah! I am Yurian du Branin, Viscount and heir of Count Branin. I couldn’t let this evening pass without greeting such a stunning lady.”
“Oh my, the heir to House Branin! I’m Lydis of the Iron Ducal House.”
Lydis’s soft and graceful voice made Clyden visibly wince in distaste.
She briefly frowned at his reaction then quickly recovered with a pleasant smile.
“Ah! The Flower of the South! What an honor it is to finally meet the famed Lady Lydis in person!”
Yurian exclaimed dramatically, drawing murmurs and gazes from across the restaurant.
“She really is the Flower of the South.”
“That beauty and elegance… No wonder the Iron House is held in such high regard.”
The patrons murmured in admiration, clearly jealous of Yurian for making the first move.
Yurian smoothly slid into an empty chair, inserting himself into their group.
“Judging by appearances, you’re not ordinary folks either. May I have the honor of an introduction?”
“Of course. This is my younger brother, Eres Hugh Iron.”
“Oh! Lord Eres! I’ve heard so much about your prowess and reputation!”
Yurian bowed his head respectfully.
Eres simply returned a small nod of acknowledgment.
Clyden’s gaze darkened even more.
“This is Kaysis Hugh Deviron, the third son of the Duke of Deviron.”
“Ah! The northern sword itself! Meeting a member of House Deviron today truly is a day of
Blessings!”
Yurian continued to gush, while Clyden’s patience wore thinner with each word.
Eres and Kaysis watched Clyden nervously, anticipating his next outburst.
“Ah, and who is this gentleman?”
Yurian finally noticed Clyden and asked but Lydis simply frowned slightly..
“Hoho, just someone not worth remembering.”
“…I… see.”
Yurian responded with an awkward smile, unsure of how to proceed.
Eres and Kaysis turned pale, barely stopping Clyden from standing up and flipping the table.
“Well, even if one’s not worth remembering, proper introductions are the polite thing to do,
wouldn’t you say? Haha! A pleasure to meet you!”
Trying to save face and show off his broad-mindedness to Lydis, Yurian extended a friendly greeting.
Clyden suppressing his rising irritation, introduced himself stiffly.
“Ahem… Nice to meet you. I am Sergeant Clyden Von Rondell, Imperial Special Forces. The unit name is classified—thank you for understanding.”
The restaurant fell completely silent. The previously bustling air was replaced by murmurs.
“Wait, that’s the Clyden? The Mad Dog?”
“I thought he looked familiar! I saw him chewing out knights from a noble house at the South
Gate!”
“I heard he’s close with the Iron House—guess that’s true after all…”
Patrons began quietly slipping away, afraid that Clyden might explode and drag them into the chaos.
Even Yurian turned pale, forcing a nervous smile as he spoke.
“Ahahaha… It’s… It’s such an honor to meet the famed Sergeant Clyden. I, uh… just
remembered something urgent. I should be going now…”
People vanished in an instant.
The once-crowded restaurant was now empty, save for the waiters and Clyden’s group.
Clyden staring blankly at the sudden emptiness, let out a small chuckle.
“Hah! Gotta love this popularity of mine.”
Eres and Kaysis both screamed internally.
[PR\N: >.<]
“How in the world is that popularity?!”
Lydis sat there and frowning deeply, clearly displeased for some reason.
At that moment, Lieutenant Bayron, the officer on duty at the Imperial Special Command and Control Center was lounging in his chair, idly flipping through a magazine to kill time.
“Ugh, so boring! Another long sleepless night. What am I supposed to do to survive this shift…”
He eventually tossed the magazine aside, clearly bored out of his mind.
Humming an unidentifiable melody, he stared blankly up at the ceiling.
Suddenly, the communicator beeped loudly, spitting out a single sheet of paper.
“Is it already time for the hourly report? Hey, bring that over.”
Bayron reached for the document delivered by a comms officer.
He began decoding the message with the help of a cipher sheet and immediately fell out of his chair in shock.
“Ack—emergency! This is a damn emergency!”
The operations staff who had been watching him with pity moments before now froze in confusion.
Bayron shouted as he thumped his chest in frustration.
“Damn it! Where’s the Commander?”
“He went home for the day, sir.”
“Hell no! This is a crisis! Sound the highest-level alert! Recall everyone, I don’t care if they’re on leave or sleeping!”
Bayron bolted out of the command center, yelling at the top of his lungs.
No one had any idea what was going on but the expression on his face was enough to know it wasn’t good.
Those who picked up the paper he dropped turned pale as they read the contents and immediately burst into motion.
TOP PRIORITY REPORT
Urgent Situation Broadcast – Requesting Level-One Emergency Status Across All Units
Sender: Ziras Mountain Range Surveillance Unit, Imperial Special Guerilla Battalion
Recipient: All Military Units with Emergency Communication Clearance
Contents:
- Unusual activity detected in the Ziras Mountain Range
-Sudden surge in monster movements
-Massive landslide reported in the mountain’s central region
-Highly probable awakening of Alphaid Drenus, the Green Dragon, dormant for 500 years
-Observation post and nearby village (Aizu Village) have been evacuated
-Civilian relocation in progress
-Awaiting further orders
Most people know elves as a race of breathtaking beauty and forest-dwelling peace lovers.
Just as humans are divided into many tribes.
The humanoid Elves, High Elves, Dark Elves, and countless other subspecies exist.
The word elf itself is believed to be a corruption of the ancient term Erbihue which refers to any intelligent creature that lives in the forest.
From ≪Thoughts on Elves≫
Unlike the usual leisurely times, the command and control room at the Imperial Army Headquarters was now ablaze with light and frantic activity.
“The evacuation of all civilians in the Ziras range is underway! The Intron Ducal House has already provided space for a refugee camp and promised ongoing support!”
“That's good to hear. Logistics officer?”
“Yes, sir! The Ziras Mountain detachment stationed in Aizu Village, part of the guerilla battalion is executing emergency evacuation protocol. All supplies have been abandoned to ensure swift withdrawal.”
“Hmm… Operations officer?”
“Yes, sir. The evacuation of imperial and royal key figures is currently underway, led by the
Special Forces Protection Battalion. However…”
“However?”
“There’s resistance from the Royal Guard.”
“In emergencies, the Protection Battalion has full authority over key personnel security. Ignore them and push forward.”
“Yes, sir!”
Just then, the intelligence officer burst into the command center.
“Commander!”
“Where the hell have you been during a crisis like this?”
“I went to verify something after hearing about Aizu village.”
“Aizu Village… Now that you mention it, that does sound familiar…”
“Sir, it's the site of the first official deployment of the C.A.S.F.”
The command center fell deadly silent.
The commander’s expression hardened in an instant.
“Damn it all! Get them back immediately! Send a communication!”
“S-sir! The awakening of the dragon has caused a mana disruption! All magical
communications are down!”
“Then send a damn messenger—NOW!”
As the commander shouted, a soldier came flying into the room.
“Urgent report from Farid City! During the night gate operation, a sudden mana surge
triggered the emergency failsafe circuit! All those using the gate at the time have
vanished—location unknown!”
“What? Don’t tell me—!”
“The gate use application states that there are three people including Lieutenant Lydis of the Civilian Assitance Unit.”
“Wha—!”
The commander clutched his forehead and stumbled backward, collapsing as staff rushed to catch him.
“Find them! Contact the Mage Tower, deploy the Magus Corps, the Search Division—no, mobilize the entire Imperial Army if you have to! Find them now!”
Everyone in the command center wore the same horrified expression.
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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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