100. Thinking Only Of Yourself Will Lead To Pain, Isn’t It?

I had already lost my sense of time and date.

In the thick fog, my vision was always milky white, and the only thing I could see was the eerie, intertwined roots of the mangrove plants.

How many days had passed since we set foot in this land?

Or had only a few hours gone by?

I realized that the number of soldiers accompanying me had halved.

Most had scattered during battles, and had not rejoined, blending into the fog.

“Zaid-sama! Another hydra! Soldiers! It’s a six-headed one! Do not let your guard down!”

The captain shouted.

How many times had I heard that same shout?

The hydra was a ridiculous monster that grew more heads as it got stronger.

A six-headed one was extremely powerful.

Yet, for my soldiers, hunting a six-headed hydra shouldn’t be that difficult. Normally.

But we were struggling.

First, there was the fog.

This milky white view hindered our movements.

Then, the terrain.

The name swamp was not just for show; everywhere was waterlogged.

The movement was incredibly difficult.

Finally, there was the mangrove forest.

It obstructed us from finding, attacking, and advancing past the enemy, but the hydra seemed unaffected by it.

The battle to exterminate the hydra had turned into this mess.

“…Kyle!”

The name escaped my lips.

Raised freely without my strict father’s scolding because of his weak constitution, aiming for the viscount’s position!?

He denied it, but look!

Chasing achievements, he was covering up lies!

Adventurers from Kyle’s village were supposedly using this swamp as a good hunting ground for magic stones!?

In what world is there a group of adventurers hunting such ferocious monsters for pocket money!?

As I fumed alone, the soldiers finally defeated the hydra.

They were badly wounded.

The captain approached me.

“…Zaid-sama, we have used up all the potions. What shall we do?”

The captain looked at me straight.

I pondered.

“If we change our direction to head towards our town, do we know the way?”

“…No. But if we encounter the enemy again, there will undoubtedly be casualties.”

Soldiers dying was not a problem. Their pay included that possibility.

But as a ruler, soldiers’ deaths were only permissible in victory.

Unfortunately, I already understood that exterminating the hydra was difficult. We must regroup and increase our forces before challenging again.

As I folded my arms and thought, the captain raised his head.

“I have a suggestion.”

“What? Speak.”

“First, we find a safe place to rest, then we push forward in one burst. Even if we end up out of the swamp, it will just be a result of advancing.”

The captain stared at me.

Hmm. Very well.

I commend him for not using the word retreat.

“I accept your suggestion. Begin immediately.”

“Yes, sir! Everyone! First, find a direction with fewer monster traces! Then secure a place to rest!”

“””Yes, sir!!!”””

Thus, we began to move, hiding as we went.

It was humiliating.

As we moved stealthily, like thieves crawling on the ground, the captain tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… something feels off.”

“What is it?”

The thick fog, the water, the twisted branches, none of it had changed.

“It’s just that we haven’t encountered any enemies at all…”

“Because we’ve been moving cautiously.”

It’s only natural that moving through mud like this would keep us hidden.

“Yes, but…”

He’s not clear about it.

I was about to scold him when another soldier approached.

“Zaid-sama, Captain, may I?”

“…Fine. Speak.”

“Yes, sir! Up ahead, the forest seems quite strange…”

The captain frowned.

“Idiot. Report clearly!”

That’s what I wanted to say to him, but I decided to listen.

“It’s just that in one area, the fog is thin, and the plants look strange…”

“What?”

The captain folded his arms and pondered.

“Understood. We will avoid that place. Find a detour route…”

“Wait. We are going there!”

“What!? Zaid-sama!?”

Why would we avoid it?

“If there’s a change, we should investigate it.”

“If we have the resources, yes! But!”

“Enough! I’ve decided! Obey! There might be a secret to escaping the fog!”

“…Understood.”

I had the soldier guide us.

Following him, the fog gradually thinned.

The soldiers’ expressions brightened a little.

Hmm. I made the right choice.

As the view cleared… the scene that emerged was abnormal.

“What… is this?”

It was black.

The mangroves, the grass, the flowers, everything was black.

We slowly examined the pitch-black swamp.

“They look like swamp plants, just in shape.”

The captain grimly picked up a plant.

It seemed cursed, but touching it didn’t seem to be a problem.

“Look! At the base of that giant mangrove! A large rock is intertwined and not submerged in water!”

“What!?”

The captain rushed over and peered into the massive black mangrove roots. It was hard to see from the outside, but there seemed to be a large cavity inside.

“Zaid-sama! We can rest here! May we camp?”

It’s unpleasant to crawl into these unknown plant roots, but I don’t want to stay in the water any longer.

“Permission granted.”

“Thank you! Everyone! Begin camouflaging from monsters outside!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers, revitalized, began setting up the camp energetically.

I entered first and began drying my wet pants.

One soldier, capable of magic, prepared hot water and tea.

As I drank, I felt warmth return to my body.

Apparently, I was colder than I had imagined.

The camouflaged soldiers crawled into the root cavity.

It was cramped and uncomfortable, but I allowed it. I am generous.

The soldiers took off their armor, squeezed their wet clothes, and shivered.

“What’s wrong? I’ll allow you to drink some tea too.”

Despite my generous offer, the captain shook his head.

“No, there’s no more magic left.”

“Then light a fire.”

“That would ruin our camouflage.”

“I see. Then endure.”

“Yes, sir.”

The soldiers huddled, dozing off.

Hmm. Rest well for my sake.

Before I knew it, I too had fallen asleep.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I slowly woke up.

For some reason, I felt a chill down my back.

It was a chill unlike the cold, a primal fear.

The captain, who had been asleep, also awoke.

I was about to call out to the sentry, but he was asleep.

“Captain, punish him with a pay cut later.”

“…Yes, sir.”

“More importantly, something is wrong.”

“Yes, I have a bad feeling.”

“Indeed.”

I peeked through the root gap to see outside.

The fog still covered the area.

This eerie black plant zone had slightly thinner fog, but visibility was still poor.

Still, following my instinct, I stared in the direction of the ominous feeling. In the white fog, I saw a huge, slowly moving something.

It was a mountain.

A huge, mountainous figure.

It was a towering, colossal hydra.