A plateau located in the highlands of the Kaine Mountain Range.
This area serves as the base camp for the current Adel Kingdom Mountain Investigation Unit, bustling with many tents and people.
Among them is a tent reserved exclusively for the mountain search team.
Upon entering, the team members, dressed casually and waiting, come into view.
“Hey, Rain~ Finished resting?”
“Yes, I had a good break.”
It’s been some time since I joined Team 1, and I’m now familiar with these people.
Though relaxed before the mission, these are seasoned veterans, forged through relentless experience.
Having fought alongside them, I know firsthand how skilled they are.
Moreover, having faced life-and-death situations together, we’ve grown fairly close.
Among them, one stands out the most…
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I rested well.”
I’ve grown especially close to Locke, who was originally the squad leader of Team 2.
Since we’ve been together from the start of the survey, we’ve even dropped formalities with each other.
Though there’s quite an age gap between Locke and me, he’s surprisingly laid-back about it.
“I’ll give you a quick briefing on the operation, so memorize it before we head out.”
Anyway, now that we’re at the mountain reconnaissance tent, the first priority is to hear the upcoming operation briefing.
“You know we’ll be working with the Royal Knights for this mission, right?”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
“They’ll be bringing a considerable number of soldiers with them.”
It’s been quite some time since the military was deployed for the mountain survey.
The more we investigate, the clearer it becomes that the number of hidden devil worshippers and mutated monsters in the area has reached an alarming level.
With the reconnaissance team and knights alone being insufficient, elite city soldiers have also been stationed here on the plateau.
In fact, the tents we’re using were set up by those very soldiers.
“In addition, the magic support unit has arrived, so we’ll be…”
The operation plan Locke explained was a straightforward one.
In summary: reconnaissance first, then splitting the assault team into a vanguard and a main force to strike key points.
It’s a standard subjugation strategy relying on overwhelming firepower.
Our reconnaissance team, being small in number and well-versed in the mountain terrain, is naturally assigned the scouting role.
After hearing the operation details, I was organizing my gear when a commotion broke out outside the tent.
“Let’s head out.”
“Yes, understood.”
Since we need to reach the target point ahead of the main force, we quickly exited the tent.
Outside, soldiers filled the plateau.
Though their armor was slightly lighter to accommodate mountain terrain, their disciplined demeanor made it clear they were elite troops.
“All units, prepare for today’s operation!”
In front of these soldiers stood knights clad in resplendent silver armor.
Not only were the Royal 3rd Knight Order present, but there were knights from other orders as well.
Having witnessed the knights’ combat prowess before, I felt reassured to be operating alongside them.
“Orders have been given. Let’s move out.”
Following the reconnaissance leader’s command, we departed the plateau ahead of the main force.
“Rain, you said you rested well.”
“Yes, captain.”
As we made our way toward the target point, the leader of the mountain search team, Asran, struck up a conversation with me.
“You’re pretty casual with Locke, but why so formal with me?”
“Locke’s just another squadmate now, isn’t he?”
“Even when he was squad leader, you were informal with him.”
“…He’s closer in age to me.”
“You realize the age gap between you and Locke is bigger than mine and Locke, right?”
Asran, a veteran reconnaissance leader in her 40s, is a tall woman, just slightly shorter than me.
Rumor has it she’s been navigating the Kaine Mountain Range for over 20 years.
She’s so experienced that she can traverse the mountains without a map.
“You’re aware the knight commander is here this time, right?”
“Yes, I heard.”
“You didn’t get a proper look earlier, did you? If you get the chance, observe him closely. He’s an Aura Master.”
“Understood…”
Aura Master.
The stage beyond a skilled Aura user—someone who has gained unique insights into Aura, transcending basic techniques.
“It’s not every day you get to see an Aura Master. There are only a handful of them across the continent.”
“…Understood.”
Of course, one of those few is Lowell.
A monstrous old man.
Could I ever become an Aura Master?
Even seasoned Aura users who have mastered the basics often train for decades without ever achieving mastery.
I’m confident in my talent, but as for enlightenment… I’m not so sure.
Well, in any case.
We continued crossing the mountain with the reconnaissance team.
“Here, I think.”
Soon, we arrived at the designated target point.
“It’s huge.”
“Yeah, looks like a prime spot for those devil worshippers to swarm.”
We stood before the entrance of a massive cave complex located deep within the Kaine Mountain Range.
It’s somewhat downhill from the highlands, quite far from the capital of the Adel Kingdom.
If we were to cross the next mountain from here, we’d reach the Lunaria Grasslands, right?
This place was so far removed from our original point that it made sense to set up a base camp on the plateau.
“For now, I don’t sense much around here.”
As Asran spoke, she stood before the giant entrance of the cave complex. Peering inside, the cavern seemed to extend downward into the depths.
I can’t even begin to guess how deep it goes.
“If anything’s here, it’ll be down there, right?”
“Yes, it looks like a perfect hiding spot for devil worshippers.”
“They say a dragon once lived here. Seems like the perfect place for those shady bastards to work their schemes.”
Asran pulled out her signature lantern and shone it inside.
A dazzlingly bright light descended into the cave but revealed nothing beyond endlessly extending walls.
“Ugh, just thinking about going in is exhausting. Kale, what’s the main force saying?”
Asran let out a long sigh and pointed at one of the team members behind her.
Kale, a graduate of the Royal Magic Academy, specializes in basic magic use and decoding magic circles.
“Uh, yes, I’m checking now.”
Kale held a large crystal orb in his hands, which allowed communication with the magic support unit back at the main force.
“Um… They said they’ll send support, but for now, we should go in first and confirm the target point.”
“Ugh, of course, we’re the ones who have to take the hits first.”
Grimacing in displeasure, Asran began preparing her equipment.
“Alright, let’s get ready to go down.”
“Are we really going in?”
“Of course. We’ll make sure the retreat is secure and then head down.”
With that, she tossed a rope onto the ground.
“Tie it to the entrance.”
“Captain, isn’t the rope a bit short for the size of the cave?”
“We’re not going in any deeper than this.”
Since the cave slopes downward, we decided to tie the rope at the entrance for safety before descending.
There’s always the chance the ground could give way suddenly.
“Kale, can you scan the area?”
“Yes, I can.”
Once the rope was secured, Kale stepped forward and cast a detection spell.
A blue magic circle glowed in his hands as lines of light flowed down into the cave—a basic detection spell I’d seen many times before.
Even though I’ve seen it before, the precision and glow of the magic circle are unimpressive.
I suppose even basic detection spells vary greatly depending on the caster’s skill.
Am I just spoiled from seeing Lorenz’s spells?
Still, I’ve only ever seen two people cast detection spells in front of me: Lorenz and Kael.
“For now, I’m only detecting small creatures.”
“Yeah, as usual.”
We always perform detection spells out of formality, but everyone knows they’re practically useless for finding devil worshippers.
Even Lorenz failed to detect them before, and it’s unlikely the mages in the support unit could do any better.
That’s why we end up sending people in instead.
The silver lining is that the enemy’s remaining forces are now minimal.
Initially, their prolonged guerrilla warfare was only possible due to the mutated monsters they’d created.
Recently, they’ve only been using monsters to engage us in battles before ambushing survivors afterward.
The leadership likely concluded that their strength was depleted, which is why they devised this kind of subjugation operation.
Anyway.
After completing all preparations, we waited until the reinforcements from the main force arrived.
“Pleased to work with you.”
“Ah, yes. The knights have arrived.”
The reinforcements consisted of only three individuals.
However, each one was an outstanding Aura user and a knight of the Royal Knight Order.
They really sent us the best.
With this, we should be able to get out alive no matter what happens inside.
“Alright, everyone, secure the ropes so no one gets lost. Let’s head down.”
Once even the knights tied ropes around themselves, we stood properly at the cave entrance.
“Let’s move out.”
Thus, we stepped into the massive entrance for the full-scale reconnaissance.
“The ground is slippery, so be careful.”
We entered the cave in a single file, keeping some distance between us. Asran, the search leader and an Aura user, led the way.
Locke, meanwhile, took up the rear to cover the team’s back. I was positioned in the middle, ready to support either side.
This time, each knight reinforcement took a spot at the front, center, and rear for additional support.
“Pleased to work with you.”
“Understood.”
A stoic knight was assigned to my side as well.
More than that, isn’t that silver armor clinking noisily with every step uncomfortable?
Well, as Aura users, they probably know how to manage it.
We proceeded through the wide and drafty cave entrance.
“It keeps going down!”
As Asran noted from the front, the cave continued to slope downward.
If we were to engage in battle here, we’d have to be mindful of the incline.
The path was slick in some places due to moisture, making it a challenging terrain for combat.
A place like this feels even more like the heart of the devil worshippers’ base.
Weaker forces tend to prefer terrain that complicates matters for their opponents.
With that in mind, we descended cautiously, staying alert in case of an ambush.
“Fall back!”
Suddenly, Asran’s booming voice echoed from the front.
“Fall back! Fall back!”
Hearing the same command relayed by the team members ahead, I immediately stopped descending and began retreating.
And soon enough—
“Hurry! Run faster!”
Asran appeared from the front, pulling team members back with her as she hurriedly retreated.
“Why are we retreating?”
After confirming the team members had started falling back, I asked, and Asran pointed behind her.
“Damn it, there’s a mutated ogre with three heads up ahead.”
“Ah, I see.”
So this is their main base.
No wonder the knight who had gone ahead with Asran was sweating bullets as he retreated.
Then—
GROOOOAAARRRRR!
The deafening roar filled the cave, and without a second thought, I bolted toward the entrance without looking back.
