96. As Expected, Siblings Want To Help Each Other, Isn’t It?

We received a message from Raidoc, and Kyle’s unit quickly moved. Naturally, I went with them.

While we were on the move, I was on guard for the hydra, but Laidock and the lizardmen’s unit had completely cleared the area of monsters.

Hmm. As expected of Laidock.

After entering the wetlands and moving quite deep, the footing gradually worsened.

The mangroves and banyan trees, with their roots intertwined like forked lightning, were particularly obstructive.

Moreover, as it was a swamp, much of it was submerged in water.

A bit further in, these mangrove forests spread out. In other words, it was the central part of the wetlands.

Naturally, such poor footing meant that neither C-rank nor B-rank adventurers had ventured here before.

I mean, you’d have to be a fool to come to a place like this.

However, this swamp expedition unit was also scheduled to clear out the monsters in this central area.

It seems like it’ll be more troublesome than I thought.

As we moved while checking the situation, I saw Raidoc waving his hand.

Approaching while guarding Kyle and Myrna, we saw a soldier in tattered armor scarfing down a portable meal.

Looking closely, it seemed his injuries had healed thanks to a healing potion, which was a relief.

“Sorry to interrupt your meal. I’m Kyle Gandarl Veil Road. You’re one of Zaid-niisan’s soldiers, right?”

The soldier, who had been stuffing his mouth with food, looked up in surprise.

“Mmph!? Gulp… yes, I am!”

The soldier hurriedly stood and saluted Kyle.

Hmm. I have to commend him for not spitting out his food despite his puffed cheeks!

“Ah! I’m sorry! Take your time to swallow first!”

“Mm… mmph!”

Not understanding what was being said, the soldier squatted and forcibly swallowed the food.

I quickly took out a stamina potion from a leather bag and handed it to him. The soldier gulped it down.

… Maybe keeping stamina potions in a water bag is overdoing it?

The soldier took a breath and saluted Kyle again.

“Thank you for waiting! Kyle-sama!”

Seeing the soldier in good spirits, Kyle’s expression softened a bit.

“Alright. To begin with, you are indeed one of Zaid’s soldiers, correct?”

“Correct!”

“Then please tell us about the situation since your forces arrived in these wetlands.”

“Yes! Under Zaid-sama’s command, we came here to eliminate the monsters in the wetlands. Once we arrived, we began hunting the hydras, but…”

The soldier’s face then showed a hint of fear.

“A-At first, we managed, but the continuous waves of hydras wore us down, and we gradually fell into a disadvantage. No matter how many we defeated, they kept coming… those snake heads!”

He relaxed, but recalling the past events made his tone rough.

Alphard immediately took a half-step forward but spoke calmly to the soldier.

“It’s alright. Stay calm. The monsters in this area have been completely defeated.”

“…Ah, I… I apologize!”

The pale soldier saluted again, and Alphard slowly returned the salute.

“I’m proud of you for surviving such a harsh environment as a fellow soldier. Please continue for Lord Kyle.”

“Y-Yes! When we were surrounded by the hydras, I suggested we retreat, but… Zaid-sama…”

Judging from his hesitation, it was easy to guess what Zaid had done. Not only I but Alphard, Van, the Casper sisters, Raidoc, and even Leafan smiled wryly.

Kyle gently encouraged the soldier.

“It might be difficult to say, but it’s important. Please tell us.”

“Y-Yes! Zaid-sama said we lacked spirit and took up his sword, defeating the hydras himself. But, fueled by that momentum, he ventured deeper into the swamp…”

Wait, what?

“Zaid can defeat hydras!?”

Oh…

I hastily covered my mouth, but it was too late.

Calling Zaid by name in front of his soldiers was a big no-no! I reflect on my mistake…

Alphard glared at me like a demon, Leafan and Raidoc pressed their foreheads in exasperation, and Van burst out laughing!

Yeah, it’s my fault, but still!

The soldier seemed a bit puzzled but dutifully answered.

“Are you asking if Zaid-sama can defeat a hydra alone? I heard it’s rare for even adventurers to do so. Typically, hydras are defeated in groups, right?”

“Ah, yes. Sorry.”

I apologized for interrupting the conversation and bowed my head.

It was just that shocking!

Plus, most of our adventurers can defeat hydras alone! Up to four heads, anyway!

Then Kyle whispered to me.

“Zaid-niisan learned knightly swordsmanship. He’s stronger than an average soldier. But…”

You’re not talking about Golden Dawn standards, right? You mean general soldiers, right?

“The swordsmanship he learned is mainly for fighting humans, not monsters. He has a pretty good sword, but…”

Hmm.

So, he can fight better than an average person.

He probably finished off weakened hydras and then recklessly ventured into the dangerous depths.

… I can imagine it clearly.

I glared at the forest’s center, where the visibility quickly worsened.

The intricately branched roots covered the ground, dense leaves blocked the view, and thin rivers flowed like a network in the swamp’s center.

Ordinarily, no one would enter here.

Damn, Zaid, you idiot!

When I find him, I’ll secretly punch him!

… If he’s alive.

Alphard cleared his throat and prompted the soldier.

“Tell us what happened after you ventured into the central area.”

“Yes! The footing and visibility suddenly worsened, and the unit naturally spread out. After walking for a while, we lost our sense of direction and didn’t know where we were!”

That’s to be expected.

Even seasoned adventurers find this mangrove forest dangerous. They never enter without a good reason.

Or perhaps, being non-adventurers, they didn’t understand the danger?

Ignoring my doubts, the soldier continued his report.

“Then, as it started getting dark, a large number of hydras suddenly attacked… it was… like death blending into the darkness…”

Suddenly poetic, huh!?

But understandable!

“In no time, the unit scattered, and after running aimlessly, I hid in the tree roots for days. I had no food, but there was plenty of water, so I survived. Thank you for rescuing me!”

Saluting Kyle once more signaled the end of the conversation. It’s impressive how he survived.

Mangrove roots must be tough for hydras to search through, giving hope that there might be more survivors.

I glanced at Kyle, who returned my gaze with determination.

“Craft-niisama… I really want to help Brother Zaid and his soldiers. Will you help me?”

Kyle understood this decision would push his soldiers and adventurers hard. His slight tremor showed his awareness. So, I grinned broadly.

“Absolutely. Leave it to me! Raidoc!”

Raidoc caught on instantly and stood beside me with a knowing rakish smile.

Damn good-looking guy!

“Kyle-sama, we adventurers will push into the center. Meanwhile, the lizardmen and soldiers will guard—”

Kyle shook his head, cutting Raidoc off.

“No, I won’t allow just the adventurers to go in alone.”

“But—”

I understood both perspectives. If every adventurer had Raidoc’s party’s strength, it might work. But not everyone is B-rank, and this was uncharted territory. The central wetlands were vast, large enough to swallow a city-state.

“What if we join them?”

Turning towards the voice, I saw the lizardmen, Jurara and Shururu.

“Sorry to interrupt, Kyle-sama.”

“No problem. Have you finished exploring the surroundings, Jurara?”

“Yes. We’ve found numerous footprints heading towards the central mangrove forest.”

“What?”

“They likely belong to your brother Zaid’s soldiers.”

“That’s—!”

Kyle leaned forward, showing his concern for even a reckless brother.

“So, Kyle, we suggest pairing each adventurer with a lizardman. We have nearly equal numbers.”

“Why?”

Kyle seemed unsure, so Raidoc clapped in realization.

“I get it. Lizardmen know the wetlands and move easily. Pairing them with adventurers enhances our mobility!”

Jurara nodded at Raidoc’s insight.

“Exactly. And if we encounter an unbeatable foe, we lizardmen can carry the adventurers to safety.”

Not a bad idea, I thought.

“Good plan, but I disagree.”

“Why not? It’s a solid strategy.”

“The central force under Kyle will be too thin with the main two units gone.”

True. I considered it but felt we might be worrying too much.

“Kyle’s personal guards led by Alphard will stay, and we have myself, Leafan, and Jitaro. Plus, Casper’s three sisters for close defense. We’ll stay here.”

Though deep in the wetlands, it was still the mid-layer.

Dangerous, yes, but manageable with our force.

Kyle, Raidoc, Jurara, Alphard, and Van all turned to Kyle, who nodded decisively.

“We’ll go with Jurara’s plan. But retreat at the first sign of danger.”

“Understood.”

Raidoc affirmed, overacting to ease Kyle’s nerves.

“We’ll repay the debt to Craft-sama and Kyle-sama with our lives!”

“No, keep yourselves safe. That’s an order.”

“Ugh…”

Jurara’s flustered reaction drew laughter.

Alright! The tension eased nicely!

Van, who had been silent, stepped forward.

“No matter how bad it gets, I’ll protect Kyle. You all can charge in with peace of mind!”

Wow! What a big mouth!

But oddly, he didn’t annoy me. Why?

After thinking for a while, I realized why Van felt familiar.

He reminded me of the veteran adventurers who guided me when I started—playful, confident, and there when it mattered.

A guild’s indispensable senior adventurer.

Once I understood, my irritation vanished. Van wasn’t just talk; he’d sacrifice himself for Kyle.

“I’ll make sure to protect Maina.”

I didn’t mention Kyle, but he looked pleased.

Unified, our resolve was set. Kyle gave the command with a determined face.

“Adventurer-Lizardman teams, head to the central wetlands! Prioritize safety and search for survivors! We’ll resume the swamp purge later with this information!”

“””Uoooohhhh!!!”””

Thus, we split into two main units. Our group stayed to set up a base camp.

Though the sun was high, setting up in this environment would be challenging before nightfall.

Leafan was bustling about, showing his skills as the production guild leader.

While constructing our temporary base, I crossed paths with Jitaro.

“Anything unusual?”

“Nope. Raidoc and his crew shredded everything.”

“Stay alert, though.”

Monsters can appear anytime.

“Relax! It’s Raidoc and Shururu’s lizardmen! We’re invincible!”

…Wait.

Now I felt uneasy.