TEOCH 18

Until we set out for the next day’s exploration, Rehas and Damian didn’t ask anything. Fortunately, they had enough restraint not to provoke Rikiel, who was in a bad mood. Of course, Rehas cleared his throat a bit more frequently than usual, and Damian gave an awkward smile whenever our eyes met.

I pondered how to approach the conversation to resolve things smoothly. The priority wasn’t getting them to take my side but softening the atmosphere among the group. Setting aside personal irritation or discomfort, I decided to briefly explain only what had actually happened.

On the sixth day, during a break from exploration, I told them about yesterday’s events. They listened and shrugged lightly.

“So, His Majesty got upset because he didn’t like Sir Rikiel’s overprotectiveness?”

“Something like that. Well, it’s between them, so they’ll sort it out…”

“I understand why both of them acted that way. Sir Rikiel probably doesn’t want to see His Majesty struggle too much.”

I nodded silently at Damian’s words. Satisfied with having his curiosity quenched, Damian’s expression brightened, while Rehas just gave a faint smirk. It wasn’t a bad reaction.

Stirring up these two to side with me might dampen Rikiel’s spirit, but it would ultimately fracture the party’s bond and erode trust when it mattered most. The strategy would do more harm than good.

Besides, that man’s stubbornness wasn’t something you could break that way.

“Well, it seems there was some conflict yesterday, but they’ll reconcile soon, right? They’re brothers, after all.”

“Probably. Since Sir Rikiel only listens to His Majesty and not me, it’s best to let them resolve this issue themselves.”

That was enough on the topic. I wrapped a parasite around the tip of a wasp’s stinger, which I had carefully shaped into an arrowhead. The parasite-infused stinger wriggled for a while before splitting into several arrows. They were “Paralysis” arrows.

Finally, I’d obtained what I aimed for. I handed the arrows to Rehas, who carefully placed them in his quiver. Seeing he showed less aversion, he seemed to be getting used to parasites.

“These are valuable, so don’t lose them. They’re useful for stopping enemies’ movements.”

“Got it. These are surprisingly sturdy arrows. I could reuse them multiple times.”

Only five arrows, but even that was precious now. Making paralysis arrows required wasp stingers, and wasps, with their threatening venom and ability to fly, were extremely difficult to deal with.

To make paralysis arrows, we had to rely on luck, like finding a wasp corpse today. It wasn’t a frequent stroke of fortune.

“It’s about time to move. Damian, please use your detection spell. If we explore for a couple more hours, we should cover the remaining area.”

Damian nodded and raised his staff high. We were exploring the eastern region now. If the west was the ants’ domain, this was the bees’ territory.

This area was less dangerous than the ants’ domain. Honeybees didn’t attack unless their territory was invaded, and wasps seemed more interested in attacking honeybee or bumblebee nests than us. With detection magic to pinpoint their locations, we could avoid most threats.

Damian cast his detection spell with considerable effort. The spell he was using now was a large-scale one that tracked all demonic beast movements within a ten-kilometer radius. It required ten minutes of complete focus, during which the rest of us had little to do.

While resting, I noticed Rehas looking at me with a peculiar expression.

“What’s wrong, Rehas?”

“Nothing… I was just thinking about what you said earlier.”

“Was there something bothering you?”

“Not exactly, just a random thought. I got the feeling you didn’t tell us everything about yesterday.”

“I think I told you everything worth mentioning.”

“Really? Well, if you say so.”

I looked at Rehas suspiciously. He and I got along fairly well, but since he was a new recruit this time, I found it hard to read him.

Older hunters were typically reserved and didn’t show emotions easily, but this man was particularly taciturn even among them. I grew curious about what he was thinking.

“What were you hoping to hear?”

“Hm? If you don’t want to talk, I’m not going to pry.”

“No, if you’re curious, I can tell you.”

“Really? Hmm…”

He tilted his head, hesitating. He seemed curious but reluctant to press. I waited patiently for his response, and soon enough, Rehas tossed out a casual remark.

“Honestly, I was wondering how you felt about yesterday’s events.”

I was a bit surprised. It seemed he’d noticed I’d deliberately restrained my emotions while recounting the story. Feeling a bit embarrassed at being seen through, I composed myself and spoke calmly.

“So, you’re more interested in my perspective?”

“Something like that. The Captain’s thoughts are easy to understand. He’s the king’s knight, so he’ll do what’s best for His Majesty. He’s also the only brother, so he wants to look out for him. Right or wrong aside, it’s not hard to grasp.”

“True.”

“But what about you? The Captain’s behavior might have been quite frustrating for you. Or am I wrong?”

He studied my expression carefully, and I, at a loss for words, gave a faint laugh. It was safe to say he’d completely seen through me.

I instinctively glanced at Damian, relieved to see he was still focused on his spell, paying no attention to our conversation.

But the embarrassment lingered in a corner of my mind. This was why talking to new people was tricky. No matter how many years I’d endured, I was only accustomed to handling familiar situations, not staying unfazed in conversations with entirely new people. I cleared my throat lightly and continued.

“What can I do? Sir Rikiel was acting out of goodwill to help His Majesty, and as you said, his motives are understandable.”

“Good motives don’t always lead to good outcomes. You said it yourself—he listens to His Majesty, not you. But you’re the guide.”

“…!”

“In this world, the one leading us to the Demon King’s castle isn’t His Majesty. Of course, he’s the most authoritative and deserving of respect, but the one who should have the most say is you.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to say, Rehas.”

I gave a wry smile and looked away, but Rehas’s expression was quite serious. He’d realized this wasn’t just about carrying loads. It was likely his survival instincts at work.

In any group, a leader with clear authority is essential, and if authority is poorly divided, the group’s stability suffers. If Rikiel continued to disregard my opinions and only listened to Tristan, conflicts would persist, potentially threatening the entire group’s safety.

Of course, Rikiel tended to ignore me even without Tristan around… Still, Rehas’s point hit the mark.

“Of course, I’d like Sir Rikiel to listen to me, but that’s probably difficult. He’s the king’s knight, after all.”

“True. But it can’t go on like this forever, can it? You’ll need to create some kind of opportunity…”

“Hm? What are you two talking about?”

We snapped to attention and looked at Damian. He’d finished casting his spell and was looking at us curiously. Rehas gave a faint smile and stood up. I stood with an awkward expression and approached Damian.

“What’s the situation?”

“There’s a massive number of beasts gathered in the southeast, likely a beehive. We should avoid that area.”

“Got it. Is the rest of the area safe?”

“Yes. It’s a lucky day—hardly any wasps are around. We should keep exploring.”

We nodded silently and headed east. As I walked, I thought more about Rehas’s suggestion. He was right. For now, Tristan had controlled Rikiel, so we avoided major conflicts, but this couldn’t continue.

‘But how do I create that opportunity?’

I mulled it over, but no clear solution came to mind, and I eventually gave up thinking to focus on the exploration.

Yes, Rikiel was important, but gathering equipment couldn’t be neglected either. For an ideal clear, we needed enough equipment by tomorrow…

I continued the exploration with that thought.

Unaware that the “opportunity” would come sooner than expected.