Chapter 11

"Ryan! I was so worried."

Lilisa, who had run over in a single breath, had dark circles under her eyes, looking as if she hadn't slept properly for days.

Not only that, but faint tear stains remained around her eyes, as if she had cried over Theo.

She seemed happy to see my familiar face, but after checking my condition, her face immediately fell into a frown.

"Viscount Lemming is too much. Ryan didn't do anything wrong... In fact, if it weren't for Ryan, the mission might have failed. To punish instead of reward, it's absurd."

"It's alright."

My heart, which had been freezing while confined in the cold solitary cell, seemed to thaw a little thanks to Lilisa.

Theo, who had been standing rigidly at attention, cautiously approached me when Viscount Lemming didn't appear.

"Ryan. You've been through a lot. Your condition... Haa! If I had the authority, I would call a doctor right away... I'm sorry I can't do anything for you."

"Theo... it seems you received good treatment, thankfully."

"That's why I can't even lift my head."

Unlike me, who had been left neglected, Theo had received proper treatment.

He kept fumbling at the place where his left arm used to be, as if the empty space felt awkward.

In essence, his left arm was cut off while helping me, so it was hard for me to look him straight in the eye.

Theo apologized repeatedly, but what fault was it of Theo's?

If we were to assign blame, all the fault lay with the greedy Viscount Lemming.

"The second mission will be issued soon. If we achieve something then, won't our treatment change? At least they'll let us get proper medical care."

In truth, I believed that possibility was low.

However, I succeeded in motivating Theo and Lilisa as planned.

"You're right."

"If we achieve something in the next mission, I'll ask them to give Ryan proper treatment."

Perhaps it was due to the experience of fighting back-to-back in a life-or-death situation.

Although my physical condition was terrible, the trust I felt towards the two of them was building up at a speed I couldn't control.

As we were chatting, Viscount Lemming appeared.

[Everyone has gathered.]

Viscount Lemming, still using a plush doll in his stead, scanned the deck and spoke.

The moment his gaze met mine, he let out a small click of his tongue.

It seemed he was quite displeased that I had eaten a fruit.

For this moment, I thought it was fortunate that Viscount Lemming was using a familiar.

If his actual body had been in front of me, I might have involuntarily thrown a punch.

However, Viscount Lemming was also sending an unfavorable glance towards Lilisa and Theo.

I thought it was just my imagination, but Viscount Lemming's subsequent remarks confirmed that it wasn't.

[I made a very minor mistake in the last operation by not selecting a field commander. Therefore, this time, I will appoint a field commander in advance. The field commander for Unit 707 is... Edam Della. You.]

"Uh... me?"

A naive-looking new recruit was designated.

The man, in his early thirties, with a physique larger than Theo's and an honest impression, couldn't hide his bewilderment at Viscount Lemming's designation.

"...Hmph."

I had to struggle persistently to suppress the sarcastic laugh that threatened to burst out.

I couldn't stop a sigh, but fortunately, it didn't reach Viscount Lemming's ears.

Logically, when choosing a field commander, one should consider rank first, and then experience.

Although the five soldiers here might have the same rank, the three of us, including myself, have the experience and achievements of successfully completing the first mission.

If he didn't like me, it would be right to appoint Theo or Lilisa as the field commander, not a fresh recruit who knows nothing.

Perhaps sensing my expression, Theo whispered with a bitter smile.

"Lilisa and I are out of favor with Viscount Lemming."

"We kept bothering him for days, saying Ryan should be rewarded, not punished... Haha."

"..."

There was nothing I could say when they told me they had fallen out of favor with their superior for standing up for me.

My trust in them grew even stronger, and my disdain for Viscount Lemming was also rising on a similar trajectory.

I wondered if he didn't care to be respected by his subordinates.

Or if he thought the respect of soldiers didn't matter.

Or perhaps both.

Viscount Lemming was too busy spewing out his words without even bothering to gauge the mood of the soldiers.

[Unit 707's next mission is to hunt Labias Lizards that inhabit Labias Valley. It will take three days for the airship to arrive at the valley, so during that time, the field commander should devise a strategy. That is all.]

"Uh... yes?"

The man designated as field commander was stunned by the order to devise a strategy.

He looked utterly unreliable, but I fully understood his feelings.

What would a newly enlisted recruit know?

At the very least, they should have given him field data and then instructed him to plan the operation.

Regardless, Viscount Lemming, having finished what he had to say, ignored the field commander's meaningful gaze and exited.

'Ravas Valley, huh...'

It was a name I remembered.

Naturally.

Because the name of D&K Stage 1-2 was Labias Valley.

I had expected it, but with the expectation becoming reality, I also gained certainty about future events.

Actually, although the stages are divided, players in D&K can choose their stage freely.

Frankly, a beginner who has just started the game can even challenge the highest difficulty stage.

But the reason they don't is that following the stages in order is most beneficial for growth.

The White and the Alliance compete for specific magic sources.

For example, like the magic-infused tree fruit in Stage 1-1.

As the stages progress, the value of the magic source increases, and more diverse effects appear in addition to magic.

Therefore, White players ascend one step at a time, according to their abilities.

A peculiar thing is that the Alliance also only deploys soldiers of a level appropriate to the difficulty of each stage.

When I played the game, I thought it was natural, but now that it's reality, I've had a lot of thoughts.

The conclusion I reached after much thought was this:

The Alliance's forces are not infinite.

Therefore, units with strong power are deployed to battlefields where abundant magic sources can be obtained, and conversely, new recruits or less-trained units are deployed to battlefields where the value of the magic source is not very high.

Unit 707 is no different.

This means that if they don't consistently build up their abilities, the gap with the enemy will widen, and the survival rate will decrease exponentially.

'Still, I've raised my abilities to some extent through the Cave Rose and the fruit, so I'm fine. I can endure Stage 1-2. And these two... I don't need to worry about them.'

This time, a total of three fruits were collected.

Moreover, they weren't ordinary fruits; due to an anomaly, their magic content had increased exponentially, and they even contained special abilities.

If they had been supplied with the magic contained in them, these two would be able to perform without problems up to Stage 1-5.

I used Dragon Eye to check the abilities they would have gained.

"......?"

And I doubted my eyes.

Their stats hadn't changed.

Just in case, I also checked the new recruits' stats.

But all I found out was that the man who had suddenly become the field commander was named Adam Dayla, and the young woman standing blankly next to him was Celina Verdin.

That was all.

They, too, had only 1 magic, apparently not having been supplied with the magic from the fruit.

'So where did the fruit go?'

Even amidst the confusion, there were things I could see.

The airship had more decorations than I remembered.

It goes without saying that as the 2nd-ranked player in D&K, I prided myself on having superior knowledge of airships.

As a result of looking around, just in case.

I found that the overall specs of the airship had increased.

Exactly by the value of the three fruits we had collected.

"This crazy human...!"

Viscount Lemming, commander of Unit 707.

He was even more incompetent than I had imagined.

'This can't go on.'

An incompetent commander is more terrifying than a capable enemy.

At first, my goal was to somehow prove my worth to Viscount Lemming, but by now, I wondered what the point was.

He is a madman who invests hard-won harvests in the airship, not the soldiers.

If I continue to be under Viscount Lemming, not only I but all members of Unit 707 will helplessly expose their necks to the enemy.

A reversal was needed.

'Should I somehow summon Viscount Lemming to the field?

Then stab him.

Even if he's a magician, I think it's possible if I ambush him from behind...'

The possibility was sufficient.

The problem was what followed.

The reason I wanted to replace Viscount Lemming was solely for my stable future.

If I dealt with Viscount Lemming myself, I would live my life as a criminal with the label of a noble killer attached to me.

If I was unlucky, I might even end up on the guillotine as a condemned prisoner.

Therefore, if I intended to solve it myself, I must leave absolutely no evidence.

Or, even if it meant using dirty and cowardly methods, I had to force Viscount Lemming out of his position as Unit 707's commander.

My opponent was a noble.

He wouldn't be dismissed for just any reason.

'I have to send him away in one go.

A way to send him away surely so that there's no counterattack...'

"Ryan!"

A light impact hit my shoulder.

I came to my senses and looked up to see Lilisa, her face full of dissatisfaction.

"What are you thinking so hard about?

We agreed to greet the new recruits first."

"...We did."

Yes.

There was still plenty of time, so I could plan slowly.

A brilliant idea might even come to me in a moment of crisis, just like when I dealt with the White Hero.

For now, talking to the new recruits, with whom I would soon fight back-to-back on the battlefield, was the priority.

"I'm Adam Daylor! It's a pleasure to meet you!No, I look forward to working with you?

Or... uh..."

"..."

Adam, despite his bear-like stature, was a very simple and naive person.

Like me and Lilisa, he was a refugee and introduced himself as a regular farmer who used to till fields.

He was extremely flustered and burdened by the current situation of suddenly becoming the field commander.

However, even if I wanted to help him, I couldn't.

All authority of Unit 707 rested with Viscount Lemming, and since he was the one designated by Viscount Lemming, a reversal from Viscount Lemming was needed for him to step down from the position.

After Adam's introduction.

The woman, judging it was her turn, spoke first without being prompted.

"I'm Anya Kail.

I voluntarily enlisted to protect my homeland in crisis.

I'll be 20 in a month.

It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Voluntary enlistment?

That must have been a difficult choice..."

Unlike us, who were forcibly conscripted because we were refugees, she surprised everyone by being a voluntary enlistee.

Everyone in the group didn't hide their goodwill towards her.

It was natural.

The woman who introduced herself as Anya Kail possessed a beauty that could captivate anyone, regardless of gender or age.

People try to deny it, but there is no easier way to gain others' favor than through appearance.

Her roughly tied-up hair was a sparkling silver, as if fragmented sunlight was flowing down it, and her vibrant, bold eyes, contrasting with her white skin, made her red pupils stand out like carved jewels.

Even the uniform that enveloped her small frame seemed to have been made just for her.

She acted as if she was accustomed to the feelings of goodwill directed at her.

"..."

"......?"

Our eyes met.

For the first time, bewilderment appeared in her usually bold eyes.

Perhaps it was because she had read the feelings in my eyes, which were by no means benevolent.

If I hadn't had Dragon Eye, I might have also been captivated by her appearance and given her a benevolent glance, like Theo or Lilisa.

But Dragon Eye was whispering to me.

Anya Kail.

Name: selina Verdin.

Level: 1.

Attribute: Light.

Strength: 9

Agility: 13

Mental Strength: 10

Endurance: 12

Reflexes: 13

Resistance: 3

Magic: 0+1

Potential: Unknown.

Trainable: Details

She was using an alias.