I felt it for sure during this mission.
The playable characters, including Kalakin, are still weak.
Of course, considering that this stage is merely the Red Line stage, it's only natural for them to be weak.
But thinking about the variables that will arise in the future, it was beneficial for me in many ways to have them grow even a little stronger while we had the chance.
'Even if weakness is inevitable, that doesn't mean being weak is acceptable.'
If even one member of the investigation team had been sacrificed on this journey, Ark would have suffered irreparable damage.
That's how valuable and necessary these people were to Ark.
That was why.
Why I swallowed my bitterness and lashed out at them with words I didn't even mean.
"Are you all crawling like slugs? At this pace, when the next wave comes, you'll be flattened together and die. Thanks to you, Ark will lose soldiers. Ah, but I suppose losing soldiers like you doesn't really matter. What a relief. A cause for celebration, really."
"You think you can protect Ark with that kind of stamina? Ridiculous. Why not just join the Church of Morte instead? Then again, even they probably have standards and wouldn't accept you."
"Ark's proud soldiers? What a joke. If Ark's citizens saw this disgrace, they'd launch a tax boycott immediately. What the hell is this pathetic sight?"
Esther clicked her tongue.
["...At least put some spit in your words."]
'What.'
["Nothing at all."]
Even though I was berating them with words I didn't mean, this journey was still a great opportunity.
Stamina is the foundation of all activities.
No matter how much training they did in Ark, chances to focus solely on endurance training like this were rare.
'And with the occasional appearances of beasts and monsters, they can hone their combat instincts as well.'
For that purpose, this minor sacrifice was more than worth it.
"Ghh…!"
"Carl, Marcus… is this how you repay me for the Multi-Calorie Bar?"
"Scary. Scary. Scary. Scary. Scary. Scary. Scary. Scary…"
I could hear occasional voices of resentment and fear from the investigation team, but there was no need to pay them much mind.
Useful scoldings are rarely pleasant for the ones receiving them.
'That aside, I'm not sure how the Church of Morte will respond to this.'
An entire branch of the Church of Morte had disappeared.
And one of the Church of Morte's ThousandEyes had spotted me. They would undoubtedly seek revenge.
The problem was whether their target would be me or the remnants of Kronos.
'Logically, they should come after me… but predicting those zealots is meaningless.'
They weren't fanatics for nothing—those lunatics had such a twisted thought process that if I provoked them the wrong way, the situation could spiral out of control.
'Well, there's no need to worry about Kronos.'
Even though they were caught off guard in an unexpected ambush not long ago, the remaining forces of Kronos wouldn't be easily handled by just a few branches of the Church of Morte.
Not to mention, Lania had grown even stronger as a result of this incident. If the Kronos Union were formed, it would be far more formidable than before.
'…I didn't make a mistake, did I?'
I had made bold claims in front of Lania, but it was still uncertain whether negotiations with Ark would go smoothly.
If Ark reacted differently from my expectations, things could become irreversibly dire.
'Not only would our relationship with the Kronos Union deteriorate, but my position within Ark would also weaken significantly.'
Of course, I had a few contingencies in place, so the chances of the situation spiraling that far were slim.
But even so, I couldn't shake my concern—because of the leader of the Shadow Order.
'If she gets involved, things could get complicated.'
As my thoughts continued to spiral,
I sensed something beyond the horizon and spoke.
"Wait."
"…Yes?"
"Beasts."
At those words, the investigation team, who had been running as if their hearts were about to burst, came to an abrupt stop.
"Huff… Huff…"
"I… I'm going to die…"
"Ah… Ugh…"
Tsk. To think they're in this state after just a few hours of running… At this rate, who will protect Ark?
"..."
At least Kalakin managed to steady his breathing and look beyond the horizon.
Since we were in an open wasteland, it wasn't long before he too spotted the movements of the beasts.
"…It seems we need to retreat. But there's no suitable place for a hideout nearby… We should go back."
"There's no time for that."
"But if we don't, we won't be able to avoid a clash with the beast horde."
'This is actually perfect.'
The incoming beasts were a pack of Grade-7 or lower predator-type and beast-type monsters.
A perfect match for the investigation team's current level.
"Prepare for battle."
"…Excuse me?"
Kalakin, Dmitri, Hildegard, and Iris all looked at me in shock.
"Did you just say… prepare for battle?"
"That's right."
"This is a pointless fight. We can avoid it at this distance, and besides, the team is exhausted. It's dangerous."
"He's right."
"…I'm exhausted too."
"M-Me too. I can't go on anymore."
As Kalakin voiced his concerns, Hildegard, Dmitri, and Iris immediately chimed in, as if they had been waiting for their chance.
"How pathetic."
Kalakin's argument was valid.
Avoiding a fight with a beast horde in a dangerous area outside Ark was part of Ark's standard engagement protocol.
However…
"If you're tired and injured, do the beasts just not attack you? Is that what Ark teaches?"
"…This situation is different."
"Different? How exactly?"
"This is a fight we can avoid. And our forces are in poor condition. We can't risk unnecessary casualties."
"Casualties? You're saying casualties are a given? Against those beasts?"
At that moment, Hildegard interjected.
"W-Wait! Are you saying you can identify those beasts even from this distance?"
"That's right."
"That's ridiculous…"
Kalakin spoke.
"…Carl Marcus. I don't know what your true intentions are in pushing us through such grueling training, but please understand—we need a reason we can accept."
"A reason?"
"We do."
I hesitated for a moment.
'Is it alright to tell them?'
But the hesitation didn't last long.
If it were anyone else, I might reconsider, but Kalakin would understand the true meaning behind my words.
"It's not complicated. It's just because… you're weak. That's the reason."
"…Everything so far has been to train us?"
"That's right."
"I see. I understand."
As expected, Kalakin accepted it without issue.
The others, however, did not.
"…Kalakin, that's enough for you?"
Dmitri spoke through clenched teeth.
In the past, he would have raged at this, but now, he was restraining himself. Proof of growth.
"Yes. It's enough."
"…Then fine. Carl Marcus, Kalakin—I'll trust you both."
Since Dmitri, the one most likely to oppose, accepted it easily, Hildegard and Iris had no choice but to stay silent.
And soon,
The beast horde that had been beyond the horizon reached us.
A fast-moving group.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Despite nearly collapsing moments ago, the investigation team immediately drew their weapons at Kalakin's command.
With our ammunition replenished at Kronos, this time, they could fight without restraint.
["Master."]
'I know.'
I turned my gaze away from the beast horde.
To the opposite horizon.
Far beyond it.
It seemed we had a guest.
And not one I could entrust to the investigation team.
"I'll leave this to you."
"…Huh? W-Wait!"
Kalakin called out, but I activated my jetpack without hesitation.
* * *
"What the…?"
Kalakin was momentarily stunned.
Just before the clash with the beast horde, Carl Marcus had activated his jetpack and left the scene.
Dmitri shouted.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on? Why did Carl Marcus suddenly leave?"
"Kalakin, what exactly is happening?"
"Could he have… run away?"
Dmitri, Hildegard, and Iris each voiced different concerns.
It was only natural.
The one who had put them in this situation was none other than Carl Marcus.
And yet, right before the battle began, he suddenly withdrew?
What could that possibly mean?
"…Don't waver. We only need to deal with the beasts in front of us."
Kalakin spoke, but it wasn't enough to calm the shaken investigation team.
That was how significant Carl Marcus was. And the fact that someone like him had seemingly fled made it even more overwhelming.
'What the hell is he thinking…?'
Kalakin couldn't begin to comprehend this absurd situation, but there was one thing he knew for certain.
Carl Marcus wouldn't do anything without a reason.
Which meant all they had to do was focus on what needed to be done.
"They're coming. Everyone, get into position!"
"Damn it!"
"Carl Marcus, you son of a bitch!"
Even Hildegard, who usually maintained her composure, cursed as the beast horde charged toward them.
* * *
The fact that the Church of Morte would pursue us was already expected.
However, we hadn't anticipated them to come after us this quickly.
'If they can move this fast in this area… then it's safe to assume that at least a bishop-level figure has given direct orders.'
That meant the pursuers this time likely included at least priest-level members.
In other words, if I carelessly brought the investigation team along, unexpected casualties could occur.
'There will come a time when we'll have to fight side by side… but not now.'
Right now, Kalakin and the other investigation team members were far too weak.
Conversely, I had grown too strong—but unfortunately, our enemies in Ark weren't the kind to wait for us to catch up.
'Well, it's a variable caused by me, after all.'
Having finished my movement with the jetpack, I finally arrived at their location.
A group of about a hundred.
It was an excessive force just to capture a single investigation team, and not a single one of them seemed easy to deal with.
That much was clear from the sheer fanaticism radiating from them, as if they were ready to throw themselves into the fray at any moment.
["…Are you sure you can handle this alone?"]
'I'm not alone. I have you.'
["Hah… If you're trying to be touching, could you at least save it for a different situation? You only do this when it's absolutely necessary."]
Amid my bickering with Esther, my gaze landed on the one leading this group.
Judging by their distinct attire and the aura they exuded; it was obvious to anyone—they were a priest of the Church of Morte.
'Just as I thought, a priest-level opponent.'
The hierarchy of the Church of Morte, skipping over minor ranks, could broadly be divided into four major levels.
The High Priest, the Bishops, the Priests, and the Followers.
Of course, there were intermediary ranks such as cardinals between the High Priest and the Bishops, and auxiliary bishops between the Bishops and the Priests, but these four were the fundamental classifications.
Back when I annihilated the Church of Morte's branch, there had been no priest among them.
There had certainly been someone in charge of the branch, so it wasn't as if they'd never had one—but at the very least, I hadn't encountered any priests.
'But this time, it's different.'
Starting from the priest level, members of the Church of Morte received at least two of its blessings.
In short, they weren't opponents I could afford to underestimate.
"Unbeliever, why have you committed such atrocious acts?"
The Church of Morte priest who had come for me was a rather polite lunatic.
Of course, the fact that they were a lunatic hadn't changed, so it wasn't like my attitude toward them needed to.
"Atrocious acts? Ah, you mean wiping out those pests?"
"How could you… refer to our believers in such a manner? Even as an unbeliever, isn't that too ruthless?"
"Hah. I never thought I'd hear something like that from a Church of Morte bastard. If you're here to fight, then hurry up and attack. Otherwise, I'll kill you first."
The Church of Morte priest closed their eyes in silence.
I'd felt this before, but the way these Church of Morte zealots acted as if they had reached some divine enlightenment was always infuriating.
"…Unbeliever, what is your name?"
"Me?"
Normally, my policy was to avoid dealing with lunatic groups like the Church of Morte.
But since this one seemed slightly less insane, I figured it was only polite to answer.
[Kiiit!]
Sssssssss──!
Janus, revealing itself to the world after a long time, extended its bony tendrils in all directions, exposing its true form.
At the same time, the bone mask over my face made my identity unmistakably clear.
"They call me as the Turncoat Pawn."
Janus let out a horrifying scream to match.
[KIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE────!!!!]