“Lost the old logging camp in the south?”
Inside the camp, Captain Blake’s expression was exceptionally grim.
Hanke nodded, filled with shame, not daring to look the captain directly in the eye.
He knew it was force majeure; with their limited strength, there was no way they could have stopped the tidal wave of insects.
But Hanke still felt dejected.
He had sworn to drive every last harmful insect from his hometown, yet now they had been beaten into a humiliating retreat.
The contrast was stark.
If Miss Vila’s monster hadn’t intervened at the critical moment, they would all be buried in that outpost.
Unlike the grieving militia, however, the Sixth Squad, led by Patton, showed little emotional fluctuation. They felt only relief at having survived and dissatisfaction with the mission.
They were just here for the mercenary pay. This situation had exceeded the scope of what they could handle.
Dealing with an insect swarm of this scale required at least a mage of the fifth tier or higher.
“Captain Blake,” Patton said coldly, “You did not inform us the insect swarm would be this massive. If subsequent missions are like this, we will have to consider withdrawing.”
“You…” Captain Blake was furious, a fierce look on his face. “Fine. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I want to see for myself just how large this ‘swarm’ of yours is. If I find out you deserted your post…”
“Look at you, acting all high and mighty. If you’re so capable, why didn’t you go yourself?” Finn retorted sarcastically.
“Fine, fine, fine. I hope what you’re saying is true…” Captain Blake was so angry he laughed, then suddenly muttered under his breath, “No… it’s better if it’s not true…”
“What’s true or not…” Finn grumbled irritably.
Captain Blake ignored Finn further, waving his hand impatiently. “All of you, go get some rest! I’ll come find you in the morning. Hanke, you stay.”
Patton led the way, the other three following close behind.
“Thank you, Miss Vila. Your dragon was a great help tonight,” Patton said gratefully as they walked down the empty streets of White Water Town.
Villanelle stroked Ignis’s head, replying with a polite smile. “We’re all in the same boat. Helping each other is only natural.”
Finn sidled up, his face visibly excited, looking like he had a ton of questions. Lyla shot him a glare, and he reluctantly retreated.
“What’s the big deal… I just wanted to look…”
“Don’t ask so much. It’s impolite,” the female hunter said coolly.
‘It seems they knew each other before, and are quite familiar,’ Villanelle judged internally.
The winter night had stripped White Water Town of its daytime fervor, leaving it eerily quiet. Every household had their doors tightly shut. The workshops that roared and clamored during the day were now silent and still, exuding an air of lifelessness.
“Speaking of which, something feels off. Isn’t White Water Town a bit too quiet at night?” Finn quickly changed the subject to dispel the awkwardness.
“I have that feeling too. For a town developing so vigorously, this isn’t normal… especially since it hasn’t been night for long,” Patton frowned, analyzing calmly.
“Right! That’s what I—”
A stern shout interrupted Finn.
“Hey, you there! What are you doing wandering around outside so late?”
A patrol of militiamen carrying lanterns hurried over, their leader’s shout shattering the night’s silence.
Villanelle grew alert.
“We’re adventurers hired by the White Water Town Chamber of Commerce,” Patton said quickly, pulling out the wooden token representing their identity and showing it to the approaching militiamen.
The patrol leader glanced at the token in the lantern light, but the suspicion on his face didn’t fully disappear. “Adventurers? Then hurry back. Don’t loiter on the streets, understand?”
“Of course. We were just heading back,” Patton replied coolly, putting the token away.
The patrol moved on.
“What’s wrong with those guys?” Finn cursed after they were out of earshot. “I’m starting to wonder if they’ve got an Evil God Altar hidden under this town.”
Patton shook his head. “Even if they’re plotting to assassinate the emperor, it’s none of our business. Let’s go.”
“Big guy, that’s a dangerous thought… Didn’t you say during our chat before that you served in the Garrison Army of Eternal City?” Finn said with a grin.
Patton’s steps faltered. He stopped, turned around, and fixed Finn with a sharp gaze.
“I don’t recall saying that.”
“No? Then I must have remembered wrong.” Facing Patton’s aggressive stare, Finn’s smile showed not a hint of guilt.
Villanelle remained silent but quietly took note.
‘This seemingly frivolous guy might not be as simple as he appears.’
Seeing nothing amiss, Patton shifted his gaze forward, snorted coldly, and continued walking toward the camp.
“You’d better have remembered wrong.”
The four of them continued walking down the empty, cold, and deep street.
As they passed an alley, a faint sound caught their attention.
“What was that?” Villanelle stopped, hesitantly looking into the darkness-shrouded alley.
Ignis was sleeping peacefully in her arms, breathing steadily, his back rising and falling slightly.
Lyla perked her ears and listened carefully for a few seconds before concluding, “Sounds like crying.”
“Not a stray cat?” Patton asked in a low voice.
“No. It’s human crying…” Lyla said slowly. “Seems to be saying… ‘help me’.”
The other three exchanged looks.
“That’s really eerie… someone hiding and crying in an alley in the middle of the night.” Finn felt a chill. “Should we check it out?”
“It’s on the way. Shouldn’t take long,” Lyla suggested. “Maybe we can find out why the nights are so quiet.”
Patton frowned, but seeing the other two had no objections, he reluctantly agreed.
‘Four of us together, in relatively safe White Water Town… what could possibly go wrong?’
Lyla took the lead, pulling a portable lantern from her waist and lighting it. At the end of the alley, the lantern light illuminated a faintly stirring shadow.
It was a woman.
She was curled up behind a small pile of garbage, sobbing quietly, occasionally letting out weak pleas for help, yet completely unaware of the approaching light.
“Are you alright?” Lyla stopped about five or six meters away, asking tentatively.
A sense of foreboding rose in her.
The woman seemed oblivious, offering no reply.
Lyla raised the lantern slightly higher. The dim, yellowish light washed over the woman’s body.
Her pupils contracted sharply.
The first thing she saw were the woman’s exposed arms and calves. The skin was covered in dense clusters of tiny bumps, shimmering with an eerie dark blue luster under the light.
As if countless shards of glass were embedded beneath.
In a few places where the bumps were higher, the skin had already split, revealing sharp crystalline edges beneath, as if trying to forcibly break out of the shell of her body.
“Careful, don’t get too close,” Finn quickly warned. “This thing might be contagious.”
He pointed to a few rice-grain-sized crystals scattered in the snow.
“I know,” Lyla said calmly.
As if finally noticing the light and voices before her, the woman slowly raised her head.
A face that should have been young and beautiful was now firmly occupied by pain and numbness. Her cheeks and forehead were also dotted with crystal clusters. One was right below the corner of her eye, giving her tears an unnatural tinge of dark blue.
The woman looked toward the light, her pupils unfocused, lips slightly parting:
“Help me… help… so cold… something is… is growing…”
Villanelle drew a sharp breath, stepping back alongside her teammates, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach.
It seemed they had just touched the tip of the iceberg of this town’s secret.
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