Chapter 197. Responsibility and Hope (2)

Enoch squad's solo mission to destroy the magical beast leader.

A moment of silence swept through the room as everyone realized the implications of those words.

Among them, a female freelancer with her hair tied in the middle, who had been watching the situation unfold blankly, muttered in a dazed tone.

“In a forest full of magical beasts with no information, even if it's the direct lineage’s squad, to go in alone….”

An operation with a slim chance of success, no matter who looked at it.

However, Shepherd continued without a care.

“To be honest, the chances of success are probably close to zero, but you are the one who must take responsibility for the defeat.”

“…….”

“In other words, a rather interesting stage has been set to use the rumored direct lineage of Elsyde as a powerful piece on the chessboard.”

Shepherd clenched the king and queen in his hand once and put them in his pocket, adding dryly.

“The Direct Lineage Member must be used to proving himself with his life on the line. I, too, will place my expectations on you.”

Exemption mission.

A proof with a 0 percent success rate, where the end was only the death of the one who undertook the mission.

To him, who had reminded me of a mission as desperate as the path I had walked, I slowly rose from my seat and replied.

“You’ve shown your true colors, Shepherd.”

“In the end, you have no right to refuse. You are the one who violated the pre-agreed command in the operation.”

Watching the slowly smiling Victoria colonel, I was inwardly impressed.

The reason Shepherd was bringing this up again, even though everyone in the room understood the fact.

It was surely to firmly establish his position and legitimacy in this place.

I tilted my head to the side.

“And if I refuse?”

“I will simply deal with you with the ultimate punishment according to military law, under the authority of an officer. It is also a fact that you have affected our Victoria army’s operation. As a justification, there is not much lacking.”

Ultimate punishment, in other words, the death penalty.

“What? You're kidding me—!”

“Colonel!!”

The moment Alicia and Sirocco flinched and reacted simultaneously from the side, Enoch spoke lowly in front of them.

“Now I think I get it.”

Enoch added, looking at Shepherd with his deep blue eyes.

“I was wondering why you came here in person, but it was for this from the beginning.”

Anyone who wasn't a fool could tell.

From the very beginning, the content of the mission Shepherd mentioned was full of malicious aspects.

A mission to throw Enoch and his squad alone into a forest teeming with magical beasts with no information, to find and kill the enemy commander.

“To impose this mission where annihilation must be assumed in case of failure.”

Enoch added, staring at him.

“Were you planning to publicly shift the reason for the loss of the Victoria infantry in this mission?”

If I were to question the reason, it might be that Shepherd was trying to shift the responsibility of virtually annihilating his subordinate infantry to me.

However, more importantly, in terms of justification, the part that Shepherd had put forward was certainly not wrong.

“Don't think too badly of it.”

The colonel, dressed in the uniform of the Victoria army and resting his cane, looked down at Enoch with a noble air and said.

“For us, who must endlessly prove ourselves in the Empire. This too is fate.”

Seeing Enoch rise from his seat, Shepherd added with a smile on his strong-looking jaw.

“Now that things have come to this, I can only hope that you, a member of the glorious Elsyde main house, will fulfill your responsibility.”

I could feel Sirocco, who was standing right beside me, looking at Enoch with a worried expression.

“Hey…….”

Of course, Enoch could also consider the special circumstance of the battlefield where communication was suddenly cut off.

But since the operation had already gone awry and there were casualties, it was also true that the result held more weight.

As a prime example, the freelancers were also unable to directly refute Shepherd’s words.

In other words, for Enoch, who was in the ambiguous position of being a dispatch from the Elsyde main house, it was a demand that he had no clear way to refuse.

“I'm warning you, I will follow the solo infiltration mission as you say.”

Enoch said nonchalantly to the towering Shepherd.

“But don't touch my squad.”

“Hoh, what a confident tone.”

“Of course. If that happens, since I’ve also faced several 10th-ranks until now.”

Enoch slowly lifted his head to look at Shepherd, his deep blue eyes shining calmly.

“This time, I’ll just have to face one more.”

“……Hmm.”

Meeting Enoch’s clearly shining deep blue eyes, Shepherd narrowed his eyes and gripped his cane.

At the same time, the dragoon soldiers, who felt an unusual premonition, all flinched and reacted.

Once again, their jet-black bombardment lances, wrapped in mana, were about to be aimed at Enoch in unison.

“Halt. Do not step forward and interrupt the conversation.”

However, Shepherd swung his cane at an angle once and restrained them with a disciplined gesture.

Then, as if stating the obvious, he shrugged his shoulders slightly and nodded his head.

“As you wish, Direct Lineage Member.”

Enoch looked at him and opened his mouth.

“One last question. You said the surviving soldiers of Victoria saw Indiviltal in person.”

“That is correct.”

“Then there must be eyewitness accounts among them who have seen Indiviltal directly. What does it look like?”

The moment he heard those words, Shepherd glanced back with a stern expression.

In that moment, Enoch realized that in his cold eyes, there was a hint of a somewhat complicated feeling.

“Unfortunately, Lord Enoch, the Direct Lineage Member, all of the surviving infantry were reluctant to talk about that magical beast.”

“Reluctant? What do you mean by that?”

“They said its appearance was indescribably bizarre. All those who encountered that terrifying creature showed symptoms of mental abnormality.”

“What……?”

At those words, Enoch narrowed his eyes.

If it’s mental abnormality, could it be magic related to the inner self or the subconscious?

But for a magical beast to be able to freely use complex magic that affects a person’s consciousness.

Only a powerful mage who had reached the rank of the previous Persona-class should have been able to handle magic of that level.

But before he could ask all of those questions.

Shepherd slowly turned his back and added.

“We will notify you of the time, place, and any data that may be of reference to the operation later. I wish you good luck.”

***

The rain still showed no signs of stopping and continued to pour.

After the meeting ended, the freelancer leaders of the outsourcing district parted ways and walked to their respective interim’s gathering places.

Enoch also came out of the barracks with Alicia and Sirocco, who had quietly followed behind.

“That colonel or whatever, I really hate him.”

Sirocco, who had been standing under the eaves of the barracks with a sullen expression for a while, added with sharp eyes.

“You know, I get a dangerous smell from that guy.”

Enoch also instinctively agreed with Sirocco’s blunt words.

But more important than that right now was to focus on the situation at hand.

“Instead of useless thoughts, get some rest for now, Sirocco. I’ll tell the other squad members myself.”

“…Hmph, I get it.”

Sirocco, still with one cheek puffed out, wagged her tail and sat down on a supply box in the barracks.

Watching her red tail swaying from side to side, Enoch turned his head to the side.

“What will you do? Alicia.”

“…….”

She briefly avoided his gaze.

In the end, the most important thing was whether Alicia would go with me in this squad.

She quietly muttered with her shoulders slumped in guilt.

“I’m sorry, Direct Lineage Member!”

“Sorry?”

She clenched her fists and, looking up at Enoch with wide eyes, cried out desperately.

“I-if I had been a little more active. If I had analyzed the battle situation more properly and told you, things might not have turned out this way…!!”

Enoch, who had been watching her trembling hands for a moment, shook his head.

“That’s not the answer to the question I asked.”

In the first place, this situation was neither Alicia’s fault, nor Enoch’s problem.

It was Enoch who had commanded the squad, and it was an event that had occurred because it was impossible to meticulously scout what was happening on the battlefield.

“The important thing is whether you will be with us from now on.”

Enoch had already clearly seen how much of a contribution Alicia had made last time.

It was obvious that depending on her participation, the combat power of the squad to be formed to attack Indiviltal would also change greatly.

Enoch added, facing Alicia.

“In this situation, the boundaries of affiliation have become ambiguous. Alicia, you will have to decide for yourself where and how you will act.”

“Ah, ahaha. Direct Lineage Member, about that. Um.”

Alicia carefully turned her head to the side.

Naturally, following her gaze, my eyes fell on the dragoon color-bearer standing in the rain behind the barracks where the meeting had just ended.

Aslin was standing there quietly.

Her wet hair clung to her white cheeks as she looked up at the lead-colored sky, making her look somewhat delicate.

The long flag spear, symbolizing her affiliation with the honor guard, was rolled up on her back, and its lance-like shape also drew quite a bit of attention.

“…Are you talking about Aslin?”

At Enoch’s words, Alicia nodded her head.

“Yes. I need to talk to Aslin separately about the matter of returning to the unit for a moment….”

“So you’re saying she’s waiting out there in the rain for that.”

Since it was a matter related to the Dragoon Corps, it seemed she was deliberately waiting in a place like that so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard by others.

Alicia, who was fidgeting in front of me, added a little anxiously.

“That’s right. Aslin is probably carrying out the temporary adjutant duties of the colonel here, so she might tell me to return to the unit.”

“So you’re going to return to the unit?”

“W-well, that’s…….”

But for some reason, Alicia didn’t answer, turning her head to the side with a serious look in her eyes.

Her long hair flowed down beside her pretty eyes, as if she was deep in thought.

“…….”

She's thinking? I was a little surprised by her unusually hesitant demeanor.

Previously, Alicia had seemed to prioritize her duty as a soldier.

After fighting together this time, had there been some kind of change of heart?

“It’s difficult for me to give you a definite answer right now. I think we need to talk first, but….”

Alicia briefly glanced at Aslin, who was waiting for her with a hand on her hip.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she said firmly.

“Direct Lineage Member. If you don’t mind, could you wait for a moment in this area? I’ll be right back!”

“As you wish.”

As Enoch nodded, Alicia glanced to the side with a determined look, then quickly ran off into the rain.

Enoch also turned his back as he watched Alicia, who was covering her head with both hands, disappear into the distance.

I had a feeling that the conversation Alicia, who had shown a different reaction than before, would have with Aslin would not be short.

If so, it would be better to do what I needed to do while waiting for Alicia.

“…….”

In that moment, with a throb of pain from his injury, Enoch looked down at his leg.

After all, the treatment Lily had given him for the wound he had sustained at the end of the last battle was just first aid.

It wasn't a complete cure because the healing speed was slow due to Enoch’s magic resistance.

Remembering something, Enoch took out a neatly folded memo from his pocket.

On the paper with the seal of the Holy Séjour, along with a diligently drawn map, a message from Lily was written in a neat and cute handwriting.

[I’ll be waiting here for the meeting to end while helping the others, please come here!]

Enoch glanced in the direction of the map.

“……Is it over there?”

A makeshift aid station made by connecting a series of large container-like buildings around the freelancer gathering place.

Soon, Enoch made his way through the rain.

In any case, Enoch also had a few things to take care of in this area before returning to his accommodation.

And first and foremost.

It was time to meet the squad member who would be playing the biggest role after the fierce battle had ended.