Eric, wearing a black eye mask, stormed out of the tent, cursing under his breath.

He scanned the area before grabbing the collar of a large figure standing by the fire.

“Are you hungry, Lavi? Thinking of boiling me alive with that fire?”

“…And you’re starting with grabbing my collar?”

Lavi calmly brushed Eric’s hand away. Although the movement was gentle, Eric’s hand recoiled from the force. Still, Eric’s frustration didn’t abate.

“Is it the middle of winter or something? I’ve been trying to sleep through all the noise of you chopping firewood, but how much wood are you adding to the fire?”

The sudden commotion stirred the mercenaries, who one by one crawled out of their tents, already shirtless and drenched in sweat.

Lavi cast a quick glance at Sel’s tent, quietly mouthing something. Thankfully, she seemed to be sleeping soundly inside. The sight of her shivering during that first cold winter when they met crossed his mind.

Lavi had no choice but to throw more wood on the fire. After all, he couldn’t risk Sel falling ill on her first deployment.

“I’m cold.”

“You’re cold? You, who walks around alone in a T-shirt in the dead of winter?”

Eric pointed at Lavi’s sweat-drenched face.

“Must be a cold sweat. Maybe I’m feverish?”

Seeing Lavi nonchalantly touch his own forehead, Eric clutched the back of his neck in exasperation.

Recently, Lavi’s odd antics were more troubling when he wasn’t under his usual “spell.” There was a time when his nightly sword-swinging was far less of a nuisance.

Tonight, Lavi was creating quite a spectacle.

“Well, if our ‘esteemed’ leader is running a fever, I guess there’s no choice. Do excuse me for what I’m about to do, as I’d like to stay alive myself.”

With a crazed look in his eye and a smile that was almost disturbingly beautiful, Eric began to undo the tie securing his robe at the waist.

“…What are you doing?”

Lavi’s eyes widened.

“It’s too hot to sleep like this. I’m going to strip. And sleep.”

Eric flung off his robe without hesitation. Like a monster rumored to turn people to stone with a single look, he radiated an aura of terrifying self-assurance. Lavi covered his eyes and let out a horrified scream.

Dressed in a small triangular piece of cloth, Eric, though lean, showed off toned muscles as he spun in place, causing mercenaries to scream in shock. Satisfied, Eric slipped back into his tent.

“Ah, damn! What did I just see? Perfect for giving me nightmares,” grumbled one mercenary who still hadn’t uncovered his eyes.

“The Deputy Commander’s got some weird taste.”

“Hey, confident guys wear that kind of stuff. I gotta say, though…wow.”

“Can that even be considered underwear? It barely covers anything! And it’s mesh in the front, no less…”

One of the mercenaries shuddered. It was a sight more disturbing than any beast in the dark forest.

“Apparently, women dig that look. Maybe I’ll buy one when I go back.”

“Yeah, good luck with that. You couldn’t pull it off.”

“Would you all shut up?”

Lavi wiped the sweat dripping down his jaw and yelled. He rubbed his eyes again to erase the terrible image, but all he achieved was a redness in his whites, making him look more miserable than ever.

Quickly, the dark forest fell back into silence.

There were more than a few mercenaries plagued by nightmares that dawn.

***

The next day’s battle went smoothly.

Although Lavi didn’t contribute significantly, the mercenaries handled the fight efficiently.

“Is it normal for the Commander to just…watch?” Sel, sitting against a tree and peeling potatoes, asked Philip.

Lavi and the others looked exhausted, their eyes hollow from a sleepless night.

“Yeah, it’s a sort of training. But sometimes, a really tough one shows up, and that’s when the Commander steps in. Takes them down in one hit, every time.”

Philip mimicked Lavi, waving his hand in the air as though slashing with an invisible sword.

“But, Philip, what about that senior with light brown hair and a big mole here? His name is… Dwe…”

“Dwayne?”

“Oh, right. Dwayne. What’s he like?”

“Hm… All I know is he’s also a close-combat specialist like me. Stays in his room a lot and doesn’t talk much. Not even close with his roommate. Why do you ask?”

Sel hadn’t exactly become close with every mercenary during her nine months there. But out of everyone, she felt the least familiar with Dwayne. The reason she asked about him now was because, during this deployment, she’d noticed him watching her more often than usual.

He hadn’t done anything threatening, but she couldn’t shake the chills every time she caught his gaze.

“No reason… Just, we’ve been making a lot of eye contact.”

“With you? That’s weird. He’s not really one to look people in the eye. Always eats alone, too.”

“I see… Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

Sel’s expression darkened.

After staring into space for a moment, Philip suddenly darted off, saying he’d fetch more water.

The black forest was an unexplored expanse stretching along the eastern edge of the empire. It was home to various beasts, and the scattered mana stones often interfered with compasses and machinery.

No one had fully explored it, and no one knew the forest’s creatures well.

Fortunately, the forest’s western edge was near the village, making it relatively safe and a rare place for the mercenaries to rest.

Having finished her potato, Sel dusted off her hands and rubbed the crumbs off on her clothes, though some residue remained. Just then, someone held out a white handkerchief in front of her.

“Here… you can, uh, use this.”

Sel looked up slowly.

It was Dwayne, the very person she had noticed watching her so often.

“…Thank you.”

Sel awkwardly accepted the handkerchief.

With a faint, grim smile, Dwayne disappeared without retrieving the handkerchief.

Sel inspected the handkerchief. When she brought it closer, a foul smell rose from it.

“What? It smells… off.”

She scrutinized the white cloth and saw it was smeared with something sticky. Had he… spit on it?

Feeling uneasy, she hesitated before hanging the handkerchief on a nearby branch. Then, she lifted her rifle, using Philip’s shoulder as a steadying point.

As Sel stared through the scope, her blue eyes flickered like fire. After holding her breath and focusing for twenty seconds, she pulled the trigger.

Bang!

With an intense sound, the magic bullet shot out, crushing the head of the Ongoliante. This creature, a giant spider-like monster, was known for its incredible leaping ability and lethality. While moving towards camp, two mercenaries had gotten caught in the webs, and then, four Ongoliantes appeared, terrifying the mercenary band. It was Sel who obliterated the head of the last Ongoliante.

“Sel, are you an eagle or an ostrich? You can see that far?”

“It’s just intuition,” Sel replied, scratching her head with a shy smile. Normally reserved, Sel now looked like nothing more than a mischievous kid.

“Don’t say it’s just intuition. That makes you sound like our leader.”

“And what’s so wrong with the commander?”

“Nothing’s wrong; it’s just spooky. Remember when that plague swept through Cironne village? He predicted that it would die down by summer, and it did.”

Choro widened his eyes, lowering his voice. He gestured for Sel to sit, and she plopped down beside him. Philip, acting like a cheeky little monkey, wrapped his arm around her neck to join in on the conversation.

“Here’s an even better one. The commander pulled all his funds from the Kodoyar Trading Company before it crashed. It was the number-one company in the Empire, and everyone who invested, except for the commander, lost everything! When I asked him how he knew, he looked at me with that face and just said…”

Philip mimicked Lavi’s expression, shaking his head in mock severity.

“‘The Kodoyar president’s luck has run out.’ That’s exactly what he said!”

“Ohhh!”

By now, mercenaries had gathered, squatting around them to listen, transformed from battle-hardened warriors into wide-eyed kids, full of awe.

“I heard he even caught a thief in the capital. Just looked at a few sketches and said, ‘That’s the one!’ And he was right!”

“Ooooo!”

The mercenaries’ reactions grew louder and more excited. Sel watched them with an exasperated smile. In truth, Lavi wasn’t “haunted” but rather made well-informed predictions. But people loved the idea of him having “ghostly powers to see the future” judging by the fascination on their faces.

Sel absentmindedly cleaned her rifle, a task that kept it ready and prevented potential accidents, though it hadn’t gotten bloodied in her role as a sniper.

“What’s so funny over here? Feels like you’re talking about me.”

Lavi approached with a bright but suspiciously courteous smile, casually brushing Philip’s arm off Sel’s neck. Philip yelped playfully as he was shrugged away. At Lavi’s arrival, the mercenaries fell silent, dispersing like they’d been caught gossiping. Watching this, Sel chuckled to herself.

“Am I not supposed to hear this conversation?” Lavi asked, carefully addressing Sel. It was the first time they’d spoken casually since the mission began.

“We were talking about your foresight, Commander,” Sel answered directly.

She didn’t hold anything against Lavi personally; if anything, she’d been blaming the wrong person for her frustrations. Feeling a pang of guilt, she scratched her neck until a red mark appeared.

“Honestly, it’s ridiculous—grown men, gossiping just because it’s getting dark.” Lavi’s tone was stiff, though his cheeks showed a hint of warmth. Noticing Sel’s softened mood, he inched a little closer, hesitating before speaking.

“…Isn’t there anything you’re curious about?”

“Would you tell my fortune?”

“Why not? Go ahead; ask what you’re curious about.” Lavi sat cross-legged, imitating a fortune-teller.

Sel set down her rifle, scratching her chin. “Hmm… I don’t really have any burning questions.”

Unless he truly possessed supernatural powers, Lavi was still just Lavi. He could seem a bit off at times, but she knew he was sharp; his predictions stemmed from vast knowledge, not the occult.

“I’m good at guessing even when I’m not in ‘fortune-telling’ mode. Go on, this is your chance.”

“Alright, how about my finances? Am I going to make a lot of money?”

Lavi folded his arms and gazed steadily at her, his deep green eyes full of warmth. Sel felt a bit self-conscious under his intense look and absentmindedly drew in the dirt with a stick.

“If you venture out alone, you’ll starve. Joining the mercenary corps was a wise move. You’re fated to stay here—earn a steady living till the end.”

Predictably vague. Sel looked up with a smirk.

“You’re surprisingly unconvincing.”

“You’ll see I’m right.”

Lavi spoke with confidence, arms folded. Sel, who was planning to leave the corps in six months, kept silent, her lips quirking in a faint smile.

“Any other questions?”

“Nope.”

“Aw, come on! There must be something you *really* want to know. Maybe… someone you’re interested in?”

Lavi asked with a casual air, trying to mask his curiosity. But Sel’s face grew shadowed at his question. There *was* someone she wanted to know about—someone she desperately needed answers about.

‘Is my mother really gone?’

But she couldn’t bring herself to ask about her mother, not even jokingly. It was a burden she carried alone, a longing she endured alone.