Chapter 58 – Promise (1)

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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A white signal flare dazzlingly embroidering the other side of the sky.

The first to react was Meursault.

“Your Excellency…!”

Meursault, turning pale, instinctively tried to run in that direction but hesitated and looked back at me.

The one currently in command of this team was me.

Without my permission, no team member could leave the ranks.

Meursault asked me with a face that barely managed to maintain composure.

“Lord Haydam, what will you do?”

Meursault had a face that looked as if he would run immediately to check on the commander’s safety even if I refused.

Before replying to Meursault, I raised my head and counted the number of white flares fired into the sky.

‘One, two… there seem to be more than six.’

A white signal flare is a flare fired when one large-class monster is discovered.

The fact that more than six flares went up meant that six of them had been discovered.

However, it was somewhat strange to say that they discovered and fired them during the search process.

First of all, several white flares went up simultaneously.

Since firing them all at once like that would cause the flares to overlap and make it difficult to determine the exact number, normally they would have fired them one by one with a time difference.

Yet, what was floating before our eyes was a messy overlap of signals.

‘It doesn’t look at all like something fired under normal circumstances.’

Looking at how they took on such a sporadic form, it was highly probable that the team members who suddenly encountered large-class monsters had hurriedly fired the white flares they each possessed.

Even so, if they were agitated to that extent, they probably hadn’t encountered just one or two, and it had to be assumed that at least three or more, if not six, were discovered in the center.

We are the team furthest away from the center.

Probably the other teams seeing that signal were also moving, and even if we ran now, there was a high probability we would arrive the latest, but ignoring the signal was problematic due to my status or Meursault.

‘And…’

If six of them had truly appeared simultaneously, the commander’s life could also be in danger.

No matter how much he had learned the method of discerning the location of a large-class monster’s gem with the naked eye, applying it immediately in real combat was no easy task.

Even more so if the number of monsters to deal with was large.

In the first place, large-class monsters didn’t roam in groups, so the fact that several of them popped out like that was strange to begin with.

Having finished my brief thoughts, I asked Meursault.

“How many bikes do we have right now?”

“Two.”

Snow bikes, which had a wide board instead of a wheel on the front so they could run without hesitation on the snowfield, had been brought along to transport heavy materials such as tents.

Being large, they weren’t originally used in subjugation battles, but were vehicles introduced this time as the number of people in the subjugation battle decreased.

I swept my gaze over the newly appointed officers once and spoke.

“Lucas, Bones. You two will follow Meursault and me to move to the center. The rest will wait here.”

“Yes, sir!”

Although it would be possible for everyone to move together if we used the cart connected to the bike, I decided to go to the center to check on the commander’s safety but take only some of my team members.

Since this place was confirmed to be free of monsters, it would be safe even with just the newly appointed officers, and it was also uncertain how much help these guys would be even if I took them to a region thought to have multiple monsters.

Meursault must have been of the same mind as me, as he immediately ordered the newly appointed officers to begin unloading the supplies loaded on the bikes.

Once the connected cart was detached and only firearms and ammunition were loaded, the bikes became considerably lighter.

“Are you going to drive?”

When Meursault, holding the bike key, asked Bones, Bones replied with a stiff expression.

“I don’t know how to drive a bike.”

Hah, just looking at his behavior, one would think he could ride a bike even while standing.

“I know how to.”

Unexpectedly, but fortunately, Lucas said he could drive a bike, so the bike key passed to Lucas.

The bike I would ride was naturally entrusted to Meursault to drive.

I also knew how to drive a bike, but my current physical condition was not in a state suitable for driving.

“Meursault and I will go first, so you guys follow at a distance.”

“Yes, sir.”

After giving instructions to the two guys, I approached the bike I was to ride, and Meursault was already sitting with a tense face.

‘Honestly, it’s correct to leave this fellow behind too, but…’

Originally, our plan was that the first day would be a search, and we would step-by-step subjugate the large-class monsters identified during the search starting from the second day.

Although we kept a few sudden situations in mind, we had not assumed that multiple monsters would pop out from the place where the commander of all people went out to search.

That is, normally Meursault should have been sitting in the operations room.

I didn’t know if Meursault would be of help in combat power, but this fellow was originally the commander’s adjutant.

Normally he should be assisting the commander, but because of the special situation of ‘me’, he was here.

Now that something might have happened to the commander, Meursault must be the most anxious.

“Meursault.”

“Yes, Lord Haydam.”

“I’m telling you just in case, but you must not go straight to the place where the flare went up. We dismount the bikes while keeping a distance and then move on foot.”

“…Understood.”

Judging by his expression, if I hadn’t told him in advance, he might have jumped in along with the bike.

Getting on behind Meursault and wrapping my arms around his waist, I pulled down the goggles I had pushed up onto my forehead and said.

“Let’s go and see. What on earth is happening.”

* * *

While running through the snowfield, we found several bikes that seemed to have arrived before us.

An appearance as if other teams had also selected personnel and rushed over in a hurry.

Getting off to inspect, footprints starting from the bikes were left messily on the snowfield.

Those footprints were all consistently heading in one direction, and perhaps because a quite considerable number of personnel had already participated in the subjugation, shouting and gunshots were heard not far away.

“Try the radio first.”

At my words, Meursault tried to radio, but there was no response.

Is it that they have no composure to receive the radio because they are dealing with monsters?

This is not a very good sign.

“We have no choice but to go…”

I was about to tell them to remain here since I would go and look first, but as if noticing my thoughts, Meursault took a step forward and said.

“I will go too.”

“Will you be okay?”

“Lord Haydam will tell me the location of the gems… and doesn’t Lord Haydam also know how much my shooting skills have improved.”

Perhaps embarrassed that he had left everything to me after going out to hunt for the first time, Meursault’s shooting skills had indeed improved as much as a decent hunter’s by now.

Since he wasn’t the type to bluff in this kind of situation, shall I trust him once?

Since we didn’t even know how many reinforcements had come out over there, it seemed better to fill the headcount.

As we parked the bikes and began to ready our armaments, Lucas and Bones, who parked their bike not far away, also approached with tense faces while armed.

“Are we plunging straight in?”

I nodded and directed the operation as briefly as possible.

“I will go at the very front, so all of you follow at a distance. If you go too close, you might get hit by bullets fired from over there.”

“Yes, sir.”

“When I discern the location of the gem, I will shoot first, so Meursault, shoot in turn. Lucas, Bones. You guys do not approach beyond a certain distance, and cover us by shooting toward the eyes of the monsters.”

“Understood.”

As I inspected the armaments of Lucas and Bones and turned my head, my eyes met Meursault’s, who was looking at me with a slightly fearful gaze.

“Why?”

“…I was thinking whether I could be this calm in this situation if I were Lord Haydam, that’s why.”

Whether it was because I gave instructions too skillfully despite the sudden situation, Meursault was looking at me with eyes that seemed to look at a complete stranger.

Actually, it didn’t seem different for Lucas or Bones either.

Because until just a moment ago, I thought Lucas or Bones being completely terrified was due to the sudden situation, but at what Meursault said, both nodded their heads in weak agreement.

Lucas said in a muttering way with a serious face.

“I knew from the beginning that you were an absurd person, but looking now, you really are an absurd person.”

‘Mmh…’

It seems these guys have gotten scared.

Since they are scared, I, who looks completely fine, suddenly started to look amazing to them.

Rather, it was a good thing.

Because trusting me and following behind would be more helpful than fleeing in terror.

As I said repeatedly, the current situation was indeed not a normal one.

I am simply nonchalant because I am a veteran of this game, but if faced with this situation, even experienced soldiers would easily make wrong decisions due to embarrassment.

These guys are also able to be this calm now precisely because they have no experience in subjugation battles.

Judging that it would be better to reassure them slightly here, I spoke.

“It’s troubling if you are like this already. Because I will show you even more absurd sights from now on.”

When I said so, Bones smirked.

“Seriously. If you are even more absurd than now, the team leader will be scarier than the monsters.”

“Bones! I told you not to speak in that tone to Lord Haydam anymore.”

Lucas immediately scolded Bones for his casual tone, but thanks to that, the fearful atmosphere was slightly diluted.

The reason I chose these two guys as the newly appointed officers to bring along was also because of this.

During the training simulation, these two knew how to make relatively cool-headed decisions, and they were guys who engaged with a sense of responsibility even when they thought it was a dangerous situation.

Especially Bones is a type who doesn’t lose his wit even when backed into a corner, and a guy like this will find his own way to survive even if driven into a tight spot.

Personally, I think Lucas has better qualities as a commander, but as a teammate, a guy like Bones is better.

These guys seem to match well, so I should keep an eye on them.

Anyway, now that the atmosphere is relaxed…

‘I should go right now.’

Looking at Meursault, Meursault also nodded as if ready, and I adjusted my grip on my firearm and pointed toward the other side with a chin gesture.

“Don’t forget what I said and follow me.”

After seeing the three guys nod, I began to run as if sliding over the snowfield.

As we went toward the center, there were sections where the snow was piled thick, so a short team member like me might occasionally step wrong and sink deep into the accumulated snow, but to a veteran like me, the safe path is clearly visible even if covered purely in white snow.

Since there were also guys who had run out ahead of us, the guys coming from behind seemed to follow me without difficulty.

How long did we run following the footprints left on the snow like that?

The first thing that entered my view was the head of a monster resembling a dinosaur.

A dinosaur with fluffy fur is a guy commonly seen even among large-class monsters, but I doubted my eyes.

Because the number of large-class monsters in my view alone easily exceeded six.

As I approached without reducing speed, a giant reptile fallen on the ground and human figures lying here and there on the snowfield without even a slight movement came into my view.

‘This is crazy.’

They hadn’t fired as many as six flares; they were only able to fire six.