A dinner where "both host and guests enjoyed themselves."
The bonfire flickered, and the aroma of roasted meat permeated the air.
Arno told half-true adventure stories, making Lucrezia gasp from time to time. Lily, meanwhile, considerately handed out water and seasonings, creating an atmosphere as warm as a family gathering.
Leo maintained his gentle smile of a destitute young master throughout, chiming in occasionally. The deep meaning in his eyes was perfectly masked by the firelight.
After the meal, the camp returned to silence following the brief excitement.
Only the occasional crackle of the bonfire and the hissing of unknown insects deep within the swamp remained.
Leo and Lucrezia returned to their cramped little tent.
As soon as they ducked inside, shielded from the outside gaze, the scent of old canvas and a faint mustiness enveloped them.
Lucrezia's nerves, which had been taut all day, finally relaxed completely at this moment.
She almost immediately dove into the coarse wool blanket, wrapping herself into a small, lumpy ball like a little hamster that had finally returned to its burrow.
"Hmph!"
Facing away from Leo, her voice came out muffled from beneath the blanket, carrying a smug tone of finally having the upper hand.
"I told you so! You paranoid small fry!"
Her voice was full of the relief of a survivor, with a hint of forced dignity to cover up the fact that she had also been scared half to death earlier.
"Captain Arno is such a good person, and Sister Lily is so gentle... I almost... I almost made a huge fool of myself in front of them! And you wanted to drag me along to be some kind of eavesdropping thief!"
She seemed to get angrier the more she thought about it, indignantly rolling over inside the blanket to face the fabric wall of the tent.
This movement was a bit too large, causing the collar of her absurdly oversized old maid uniform to slide completely to one side.
In the dim light of the tent, a wide expanse of delicate skin, slightly pink from the cold, was revealed, along with her dainty, elegantly lined collarbone.
Unaware of this, she merely grumbled, her voice already thick with sleepiness:
"But... it's a good thing you reacted quickly and smoothed it over, you small fry... otherwise... whew..."
Her words grew lighter, eventually turning into a long, soft hum of satisfaction and peace.
Within a few sentences, the fatigue of the past few days hit her like a tide.
The flight from a fallen kingdom and the high mental tension suddenly relaxed after tonight's full meal and the "misunderstanding" being cleared, bringing an irresistible drowsiness.
The petite body relaxed completely within the blanket, curled into a ball, and her breathing soon became even and long.
However, Leo did not sleep.
He sat quietly in the darkness, his back to the sleeping girl and his face toward the tent entrance.
His black eyes slowly opened in the dark, without a trace of sleepiness, containing only a heart-palpitating clarity and coldness.
...
Meanwhile, at the other end of the camp.
Inside Arno's large tent, the flap was tightly drawn, sealing off all light and sound.
Four dark shadows sat around a faint candle flame, the atmosphere as sinister as a ghostly realm.
"...That time earlier, do you think they really heard us?"
The lean Raz toyed with a dagger in his hand, his voice kept extremely low, like a venomous snake crawling through dry leaves. "When I first came out, looking at that man's face... although he was smiling, I felt like something wasn't quite right."
"I told you! We should have just slaughtered them the moment we met! Why bother with all this?"
The tiger-man Talen held his battle-axe with his thick arms, complaining in a low, muffled voice, looking extremely impatient. "We have to act, we have to give them food... isn't it exhausting?"
"Maybe we should just forget it..."
Lily's voice held a rare hint of hesitation.
She touched the button in her pocket, her gaze somewhat complicated. "The reward they gave wasn't small, and the family of that baron from the last batch... the oil we squeezed out of them is enough for us to live comfortably for a while. Is it really necessary to drive them to a dead end?"
"Shut up."
Arno's voice was icy, devoid of the previous day's heartiness, possessing only a chilling gloom.
He gave a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping across their faces. "Have you all lost your minds? How do you think two powerless little nobles managed to survive all the way to the outskirts of the swamp?"
"This isn't a place for playing house. Those ragged clothes they had on at first—did they look like they were just torn by branches?"
Arno pointed toward Leo's tent. "That man, though he looks useless, has eyes that are too sharp. He's been observing and testing us the whole time."
The tent fell into silence.
"I originally wanted to keep them steady for a few more days to probe their background and wait for them to drop their guard completely before taking them down in one go."
Arno's knuckles unconsciously tapped his knee, his mind racing. "But that man's vigilance is too high. Regardless of whether he heard anything earlier, it's already a danger signal."
He paused, his voice growing even darker. "No matter how fallen, they are still nobles. They might have some one-time magic scrolls or life-saving trump cards on them. If we move directly and they hit us with something big, we're finished."
"Then what do we do?" Raz asked.
"Wait."
Arno's voice was like that of a patient old hunter. "Wait until the middle of the night, when people sleep the soundest. At that time, even if he has trump cards, he might not have time to use them."
Hearing this, the slight hesitation that had risen in Lily was instantly replaced by greed.
She let out a suppressed giggle. "Hehe... fine. Speaking of which, while the older one is experienced, the little one is ultimately too young and naive. It's only been one day, and she's already calling me 'Sister Lily.'"
A flash of greed crossed her eyes. "But with her pretty looks, she's a beauty in the making. That little face, that temperament... if we take her back this time, we'll surely get a good price."
"More than just a good price." Arno's breathing grew slightly heavier. "Have you forgotten why we came in this time, and the group we intercepted last time?"
"Boss means... those who fled from Akhtar?" the tiger-man rumbled.
Raz quickly flattered him, "The Akhtar Duchy is in civil war, the royalty has been overthrown. Those exiled nobles all want to take a detour from the outskirts of the Thousand-Tentacle Swamp to reach Valerian or Solaris."
"Exactly." Arno lowered his voice, his eyes shimmering with excitement. "That little brat handed over a button worth one or two gold coins like it was nothing. I bet she's the daughter of a count or even a duke!"
Greed spread through the small tent like wildfire, burning the eyes of everyone present.
...
Leo lay quietly in the darkness.
His breathing was steady as if he had long since fallen into a deep sleep, but his mind was calmly reviewing everything.
The tent position that seemingly 'protected' them in the center... the greedy gazes revealed from time to time... the inconsistent clothing and the overly perfect lies... and that half-overheard sentence earlier...
These details were like tiny thorns pricking his nerves, which were already taut from the bizarre experiences of the past few days.
He couldn't gamble.
There were at least three or four days left in the journey; these people would definitely not stay quiet.
Leo calculated coldly.
'If they really harbor ill intentions and launch a surprise attack, and I don't have time to draw mana... won't I be finished?'
Having not rested properly for several days and traveling constantly under high mental stress, his body was already nearing its limit.
'It doesn't matter what they're actually planning.'
'They're just a bunch of small fry NPCs. Killing them is no loss.'
A cold and cruel thought took shape in Leo's mind.
I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me.
He no longer hesitated, quickly formulating a plan in his heart.
'Wait.'
'Wait until the middle of the night, when they think we are fast asleep.'
'First, I'll secretly kill the scout on watch, then I'll take out everyone in the tents one by one.'
Having made up his mind, Leo slowly closed his eyes.
He forced his muscles to relax and adjusted his breathing, entering a state of feigned sleep.
He was patiently gathering his spirit, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting for the darkest moment to descend.
Rate on N.U.
