(What is that…?!)
Tyler thought he might have been mistaken, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again… This time, the enormous dark shadow had vanished.
(Did I imagine things…?)
(Or…?) 𝗈𝑽𝑙xt.𝓬𝑜𝑚
The disappearing shadow left Tyler with doubts. If he hadn’t been mistaken, the fact that such a massive figure could disappear in an instant would present a formidable adversary.
However, since it was no longer in sight, there was currently no way to deal with it.
Tyler shifted his gaze back to the campfire and smoke. He noticed tethered horses and wagons, confirming that it was indeed the Gudetown Cavalry.
(Silly Nissen: Why not-o approach and interact with them? Since you’ve already discovered-o them, why not-o make contact-o?)
(Tyler: No, have you forgotten who stabbed my head from behind?)
He hadn’t forgotten the vision of his impending death.
Now that he had arrived at the same location as the cavalry unit, it meant that the site of his future death was likely nearby.
In other words, the stone golem monster was probably also in the vicinity.
(The date in the future death scene is May 27th, and today is May 25th… Did I do something to advance the convergence time?)
(Or did I spend two days with the Gudetown Cavalry in that future?)
With these thoughts, Tyler realized that Avril was likely in the camp. She must have entered the gorge with the cavalry unit.
(Silly Nissen: So, what-o now? Do you want-o to go in and greet-o Avril? Just be careful, or Elle might greet-o you with a pair of big scissors~ kekeke)
Stupid loli had no shortage of unwarranted suggestions and a knack for kicking someone when they’re down.
However, she did raise a valid concern, one that currently troubled Tyler. The cavalry camp was a “dangerous place” for him, so for now, it was best to observe from a safe distance.
·
On that evening, Laidell assumed his role as the captain and spent the entire night awake, keeping watch alongside the soldiers on duty.
Observing from the side, Avril couldn’t help but notice that the soldiers’ morale had indeed been lifted considerably with Laidell’s presence during the patrol.
Before going to sleep, Rhode whispered to Avril, expressing his concern that if Captain Laidell were to remain in command and something went wrong, he and Avirl would not continue their mission alongside the Gudetown Cavalry.
“The Sandrift flowers are indeed important… but we shouldn’t risk our lives here, right?”
As she looked into Rhode’s flickering gaze, Avril knew he was genuinely frightened.
Yet it wasn’t just Rhode who felt fear. A sense of trepidation permeated among the soldiers, and if it weren’t for Captain Laidell leading them, the entire unit would have already collapsed.
“Yes… Let’s hope tonight passes without incident.”
Avril patted Rhode’s shoulder and turned to sleep inside the carriage.
In Rhode’s eyes, Avril had become a completely different person compared to before. In the past, she would have been terrified and in tears at the first sign of trouble. But now, she was both brave and composed, as if an invisible force supported her from behind.
(Avril… I’m drifting further and further away from you…)
·
Clouds silently drifted across the night sky.
The camp alternated between dimness and faint light, enveloped in absolute silence.
As the night progressed into the early hours, Avril woke up and took over the guard duty from Rhode. Until now, there had been no suspicious activity that Elle, lurking within her shallow consciousness, had detected.
However, as luck would have it, just when they thought everything was fine, Elle, who had taken her post, sensed something amiss in the camp.
(Strange… The “hiss, hiss” sound from tonight isn’t here anymore?)
Elle rolled over and climbed onto the top of the carriage. Among the sleeping soldiers, she noticed one person sneaking out during the cover of darkness.
(What’s this guy… could he be an insider for the demons?)
Equipping herself with weapons, Elle discreetly followed after him.
·
In the darkness of the night, the soldier hurriedly left the camp, frequently glancing back, fearing pursuit. To his surprise, someone was already waiting for him ahead.
“Where are you going?”
A girl with a dagger in each hand stared at the soldier, her eyes filled with killing intent.
Startled, the soldier fumbled to draw his sword, but he suddenly recognized the girl—he had seen her around with the cavalry these past few days.
“Ah… You… you scared me…”
The soldier sheathed his sword and opened his hands, signaling to the girl that he harbored no hostility, hoping to ease the tense atmosphere.
“I was ordered by Captain Laidell to investigate over there. It’s late, and you’re just a young girl. You should hurry back to sleep.”
“Oh? Captain Laidell’s orders? Then come back to the camp with me and confront him face-to-face.”
The girl couldn’t be easily dismissed as the soldier had hoped. Seeing the intensity in her eyes, he knew he couldn’t deceive her.
“Ah… You’re not an ordinary girl, are you?” the soldier asked.
“That’s none of your concern. Just confess your intentions,” the girl replied firmly, her demeanor unyielding.
The soldier hesitated momentarily. He believed that if he were to forcefully break through, subduing the girl would be a trivial matter… However, he did not wish to harm the innocent and could only hope that the girl would comprehend his situation.
“…Very well, I shall be concise,” the soldier sighed deeply, informing the girl that he was the sole veteran in their current team.
Initially serving in the city’s defensive forces, this year, as per the regulations, he was reassigned to the cavalry unit.
Regarding the presence of the Rock Shadow Demon lurking in the Sandrift Gorge, the soldier had long heard of it. According to the internal discussions among the seasoned soldiers, the Rock Shadow Demon had inhabited the gorge for at least two or three years.
Every year, a cavalry unit would venture into the Sandrift Gorge to exterminate the monsters, only to be completely wiped out. However, this information was concealed by higher-ups, and thus the newcomers remained unaware.
Even the current Captain Laidell was transferred from elsewhere.
“Before coming here, I believed those frightening tales to be mere rumors… Never did I expect them all to be true!” The soldier’s face filled with regret as he cynically began to voice his complaints.
“It’s truly baffling why the casualties are so devastating, yet Gudetown keeps sending people to their deaths… It’s a calamity, truly!”
However, the soldier quickly realized that he could not linger here for too long and promptly composed himself, raising his spirits.
“Young miss, you and that lad named Rhode should hurry and flee. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you’ll meet your demise!”
Having said these words, the soldier walked straight past the young girl and briskly made his way.
This time, the young girl did not impede him.
Outside the cavalry camp, Tyler stood atop a precipice, illuminated by the moonlight, observing the scene between Avril and the fleeing soldier.
Tyler couldn’t discern their appearances clearly, nor could he employ his identification ability from this distance. However, based on the girl’s gait and the weapon in her hand, he deduced that she must be Avril.
As for why the soldier left and why Avril pursued him for a conversation, Tyler couldn’t quite imagine at the moment.
(Perhaps Elle’s persona is in control now…?)
Tyler watched for a while, preparing to return and rest. It was at this moment that the colossal shadow he saw during dusk reappeared!
This time, Tyler could clearly make out the serpentine form of the shadow, significantly larger than any snake species he was familiar with!
The shadow swiftly slithered along the cliff’s edge, soon catching up to the departing soldier, and then… the serpentine shadow vanished into the darkness, beyond the moonlight’s reach, along with the soldier.