Chapter 7

Having been traveling through the forest for over two hours since their departure, they occasionally encountered monsters, but so far, nothing had become a difficult situation to handle.

Though he had no intention of lowering his guard, what was on his mind was not the state of the forest but something else.

(Something must have happened, no doubt about it.)

Rondo smiled slyly to himself. The Einherjar, an S-rank party, was heading to the Andra Great Forest on a survey mission.

The Andra Great Forest is a vast forest located in the southwest of the empire. Due to its humid and stable climate, the Eclarius Empire boasts fertile land.

Because of the high rainfall in this region, the trees in the great forest grow robustly, and their large branches stretch out, blocking the sun. Despite it being a bright time of day, the forest was dim.

Beyond the great forest lies the industrial city of Dodomanka, which specializes in alchemy, forging, and refining. Dodomanka's weapons and armor are of high quality and are extremely popular among adventurers. The city, enriched by advanced infrastructure, is one of the vibrant and bustling metropolises.

The road to Dodomanka is well-maintained, and the monsters near the road are regularly thinned out, so nothing out of the ordinary usually happens. However, recently, there has been a sudden increase in reports of powerful monsters, which typically live deep in the forest and do not venture near the road.

Due to the risk of encountering dangerous monsters, the survey mission in the Andra Great Forest was assigned to the S-rank party, the Einherjar.

For the survey mission, the focus is on confirming the current situation and reporting it, rather than extermination. If they discover dangerous monsters, they are to return to the guild and report it. In that sense, it is a relatively easy mission.

Depending on the monsters discovered, a large-scale extermination team might be organized, but that would be a matter for others. They could consider it if a new extermination request came in.

He shifted his gaze subtly.

Something was off about Creis and Hinoka.

They weren't talking about anything other than what was necessary. A tense atmosphere, which he had never seen before, emanated from the two of them.

(It might be time to use this.)

It was one of the preparations Rondo had made for just such an occasion. He gently touched the small vial hidden in his loincloth, ready to be taken out at any time.

While cutting through the obstructive grass with his sword, he waited for the right moment.

They would need to take a break soon.

He would leave the watch duty to those two.

Given their current state, the tension might snap.

The operation would take place tonight.