Curiosity sparked, Tyrus leaned closer and strained his neck, hoping to catch an earful of the conversation unfolding below. It was difficult to decipher through all the buzzing, sloshing, and scattered conversations throughout the village. But with time and patience, his hearing would eventually zero in on the two guards.

“Are you an idiot?” a raspy voice growled. “Keep quiet about the boss’s name.”

“Why not? Ain’t a damn soul in this fishing village other than us.” The other one was thinner and shorter, and from the sound of it, he sounded younger than his ally.

“I’m not taking any chances. What if someone’s lurking around and watching? We’d be deader than dead, and it won’t be from these lizardmen. You remember what happened to the last ones who messed up, right? Does the name thorn bear ring a bell?“

The younger man shivered. “You just had to remind me. I can’t get that mangled mess of limbs out of my mind.”

“Yeah, and you better not mention the boss’s name again or you’ll end up like that poor sap before. Just refer to him as boss. And to answer your question, ask Jericho about it. He’s the one in charge of this sector, after all. Last I checked, he was interrogating the prisoners for any new information.”

The other rolled his eyes. “Pfft. We might as well kill them and throw them into the lake for the crocodiles. I just want to get out of this swamp already. This mask already smells awful and the bandages are driving me crazy.”

They chuckled to themselves as they changed the conversation to a different topic, leaving Tyrus disappointed. Even though he knew the name of the group leader, they discussed nothing important. There was also the implication that there were many more of them lingering around since he mentioned a sector, meaning this was an operation happening all around the Wasteful Wetlands. But how could there be a group operating in such a dangerous place with no one noticing? Unless they were all high-leveled sorcerers, it would be difficult for a regular person to traverse the swamps without an escort.

On the other hand, in their collaboration with Sezor and the masked man, they surely figured out a method. Knowing they were entering a den of beasts, especially one dominated by lizardmen, what kind of group wouldn’t prepare? Tyrus, having experience with entering a den of beasts, understood the importance of being prepared.

“Speaking of lizardmen, the one with the bone helmet mentioned savages killed his brethren. Maybe they were referring to these bandaged men, and the others scattered around.” He turned to the side. “What do you think—”

His companion wasn’t there. Tyrus scanned the area, looking left and right. Igneal was no longer sitting next to him.

“What the... Where did he go?”

Tyrus cupped an ear and listened carefully. He ignored the natural noise and chatter coming from the village. Soon, he heard a rhythmic plop noise from behind. When he turned and his eyes drifted to the ground, he saw a trail of footprints leading to the path they just left from. Of course, the noble had snuck away. He had been so focused on the conversation that he had not noticed Igneal’s sudden departure. The problem, however, lay in where he was going exactly, if not the village.

Rising from the ledge, Tyrus followed the footprints. The trail was rather faint, but Igneal was heavy enough to leave an imprint on the wet grass. Tracking him would be easy when it hadn’t been that long since his disappearance.

Thankfully, it was a cinch to find Igneal. Past a few dense shrubs, the noble was walking away with his hands in his pockets. Tyrus caught up to him, not caring for a stealthy approach.

“Why’d you run off like that?“ he asked.

“Hmm? Oh, that,” Igneal said without a hint of guilt, not breaking stride. “Isn’t it obvious? I left because of my complete lack of interest in the actions of those fools; they are not a threat. Our objective is to proceed towards the source of corruption. The sooner the better.”

Tyrus frowned as he rushed over. “But those guys are holding the other applicants against their will. Do you not care what happens to them?”

“Why should I care? Their lack of competence and strength led them to that situation in the first place. Aunt Selena and the rest will eventually intervene and save them. No need to meddle when the overseers are watching over us. They’ll be saved if the situation goes south. Somehow. We have more important things to worry about.”

Jaw clenched, Tyrus circled around and blocked Igneal’s path. “No, we can’t pretend to not have noticed them and leave them alone. We should at least try to help.”

“Have you forgotten about Tracer? According to Aunt Selena, the tool emits faint mana signals at regular intervals, aiding in easier monitoring for her and the overseers. They know fully they’ve been captured and are likely waiting to see the decision they will ultimately make. She is presenting them with the option to either submit or devise their own means of escape. This is an exam, not to practice being hero.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“No, that can’t be right. If safety was their top priority, then why not save them now, just in case? If the overseers truly don’t want any casualties, then they would’ve swooped in to save them. What if a stray arrow kills one of them or the bandaged men decided they were done and just outright stabs them?“

Suddenly, Igneal took a step forward, his face just a finger away from his. “Given all of Aunt Selena's warnings, they were well-informed about what they were getting themselves into. And besides, I don’t see why I should risk my life to help them. What can I gain from it, hm? Nothing. Since they offer nothing, I do nothing. Leave it to the overseers.”

As if that was the end of their conversation, Igneal continued onward, not bothered by the stares. Tyrus stood there, flabbergasted and annoyed by his cruelty. The noble was right in some regard, as it wasn’t his responsibility to save them, but to show no concern or care was downright disgusting.

There was nothing wrong with lending a helping hand if you had the power to do so. Tyrus would not hesitate to help someone who was in need if he had the means to do so. And since he was the one with the means, he would not turn a blind eye. He had first-hand experience in knowing what it was like to being on the receiving end.

When he was on the verge of being forcefully taken, Wanderer was the first to come to his rescue, asking none in return. Wanderer was the reason he was standing where he was today, able to pursue his dreams of casting magic and earning money.

Next who came along was Blue Dawn, each member offering their friendship and their own money to assist his needs. Without their help, becoming an explorer would’ve taken a lot longer.

The world had given him the chance, but the people who stepped forward had given him the means to change. So, he would repay the favor by saving others in their moment of need. Above all, purposely leaving behind those in need of dire help didn’t sit right with him. By doing so, would it gave the impression that his heart had been pierced by a thousand blades. If he knew that someone who could have potentially helped them turned a blind eye, he’d never forgive them.

For the first time, Tyrus truly questioned Igneal’s morality.

“All you care about is yourself, nothing else. You mentioned that the family head position is similar to the Imperial Throne. With that kind of attitude, you won’t succeed your father. You don’t deserve a title as grand as family head or allies. You'll just leave them to die if it fits your interests, and I can't be friends with such a person.”

Igneal pivoted around, but before he could utter a word, Tyrus had already turned and ran for the village.

****

“Looks like some of the fog is lifting. Now I can see even farther.”

Tyrus, perched on a tree far from the village, watched the men from above. A part of him expected Igneal to follow him. When he didn’t, Tyrus felt a slight tinge of disappointment.

It wasn’t like he wanted Igneal’s company, but the thought of doing this on his own got his heart doing repeated backflips near a tall cliff. Taking on at least twenty-five bandits—as he calls them—was outright impossible. Not only did they outnumber him, but they had archers on standby. Even with his skills and augmentation magic, a single misstep could get him dead in a second.

Since brute force was no good, the only option he had left was stealth, but even that was difficult. Water surrounded the village, and the only entrance to said village were the bridges. The thought of there being a secret entrance was plausible, but he doubted it. From the looks of it, the village was created and abandoned years ago, as evidenced by the decaying buildings. Then again, that was obvious when every settlement so far looked as if it hadn’t been occupied in forever.

There was the possibility of creating a diversion, but the archers would pick him off before he could get anywhere near the captives. Even if he made a distraction, the villagers would most likely take the prisoners to the carriages and flee. He did not know what their plan was, and it was impossible to eavesdrop on most conversations from the distance he was at. No matter how many times he thought of a plan, nothing other than getting closer came to mind.

Tyrus sighed and shook his head. This was going to be tougher than he thought. If only Igneal wasn’t such a terrible person, then maybe they could come up with an actual plan. Tyrus was pretty sure Igneal was way smarter than him, given that he was a noble from the Great Lineages and all that. But since it was Igneal, most of his plans would mostly diverge to them killing everyone in the village.

“No, I don’t need him at all. Stealth is the best plan I have, and it’ll only be easier to accomplish on my own.”

Tyrus leaped off the tree, landing on the ground with a splash. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area for anything he missed. He looked at the water, the trees, and the village itself, searching for a clue or a hint of where to go.

Water was out of the question. Though he was a great swimmer, he was not keen on entering the water again just to get wet. His entrance would also create excessive noise, especially since the lake was at a distance that would cause more than just a splash.

From there on, he’d be an easy target for the archers. By the time he arrived, he’d look like a floating porcupine, but as lifeless as a log. Besides, the murky waters had a tendency to conceal creatures, and he would rather not find out what those were.

Traveling over the bridge wasn't a great choice either. It was far too exposed. If a bandit was looking in the right direction, he would spot him. Not to mention that the wood looked as if a single touch would collapse, meaning the boards might not hold his weight. Then again, that might not be the case when the bandits had to have gotten to the village somehow.

And finally, he didn’t have the means of outright flying to the village. He was an elemental sorcerer with the lightning affinity. As far as he was aware, lightning can’t make him fly. He’d need to have an air affinity or something like that. Also, the book of spells didn’t showcase any incantations for flight when he checked it minutes ago, so he was out of luck there.

“What to do…” Tyrus whispered as he tapped his chin. When he went over his options one last time as his eyes roved over the land, his sights landed on a particular area he had dismissed before. It was one of the first things he had noticed before.

“It's not the most sound, but it's a lot better than the others.”

A plan now in mind, Tyrus retreated into the forest and ran.