"Young Master Rodrigo said that if you discover anything suspicious within the ranks, you may act directly. Rely on your own judgment and prioritize your safety; he will personally bear the cost of any losses..." she said.

  Tars smiled and nodded.

  The woman hesitated for a moment before adding, "The Master also said that if you judge it necessary to leave on your own, do not hesitate—you are free to go at any time."

  She then produced two weathered pouches and, with a ripple of mental energy, began withdrawing mana stones. It was clear she intended to settle his employment fees in advance, truly granting him the freedom to depart at the first sign of danger. From the stones she produced, Tars could tell these storage bags were quite small. He didn't bother counting; he simply swept them into his own storage bag with a grin.

  "I will consider it," he said with a smile. It was his response to the invitation.

  Kanaya gave him a long look, nodded silently, and turned to leave the tent.

  Tars was deeply interested in the Cavern Cities. He even toyed with the idea of living in one for a while—enjoying the food, finding a quiet house to meditate and practice his magic, and savoring a life blessed with constant light. It would be a direct leap from the lawless Abyss, bypassing the numbered districts entirely. Furthermore, while wandering that small town back in the Abyss, a thought had occurred to him: if a secret market for supernatural practitioners existed, it was most likely located within a Cavern City.

  If he truly went there, he suspected that Lady Kanaya, with her beautiful red hair, could serve as his guide to the trading grounds of the supernatural world.

  At the same time, Tars realized that entering the city as Rodrigo's guest would bring convenience, but it would also brand him as part of Rodrigo's faction, drawing him into whatever vortex of trouble the young master was currently swirling in.

  After a brief meditation, he lay down to rest. With Squeak guarding the earth beneath him, no one in this temporary camp was safer than he was—including the young master himself. Had he not been worried about missing a sudden development or a good show, he could have easily retreated to the Abyssal Bedroom to sleep alongside the two kobolds who were currently snacking on fruit and drifting off.

  Big Dumb Hum always seemed like a clumsy, careless fellow, but Tars knew there was a sharpness beneath that rough exterior. The big guy had been brooding over his lack of contribution in the previous battle; though he still grunted habitually upon returning to the Bedroom, Tars could tell his mood had shifted. Perhaps the tales of wandering knights were giving Big Dumb Hum some new ideas.

  In truth, both kobolds needed more experience. In the last fight, neither had fully adapted to their new weapons. While the overall attributes of Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum far exceeded those of Old Bald-Tooth, their combat performance was nowhere near the level Bald-Tooth had displayed against the Saint of the Grey Long-Necks. They had yet to master their own physical transformations.

  The night passed in silence. However, when Tars stepped out of his tent the next morning, he was met with a sight that left him momentarily speechless. He stared at the three people standing beside Rodrigo, unsure of how to react.

  "Lord Tars, come join us for breakfast! Kanaya used to be a famous treasure hunter—a true adventurer who spent years in the wilds. Her cooking is quite excellent," Rodrigo called out, his handsome face clear of exhaustion as he waved Tars over. "And of course, she has the help of Karit and Janson. When these three prepare a meal, they are even more synchronized than their adventure stories suggest."

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  A hulking, somewhat dull-looking man scratched his head and smiled at Tars, while on the other side, a short-haired beauty with large, lively eyes stirred a long-handled spoon and gave Tars a demure nod.

  Tars sat by the campfire with a smile, producing a bowl he had brought from town; he preferred having his own utensils. The lively-eyed beauty naturally took his bowl and filled it with thick soup.

  "Karit has been wanting to thank you for saving her the other night. She wanted to visit your tent yesterday to ask about your favorite foods, but she was afraid of disturbing you," Rodrigo said, eating from his own much more ornate dish.

  Tars nodded, noticing the short-haired girl lower her head shyly as he took the bowl. He smiled and focused on his breakfast. The group chatted like old friends by the fire, their laughter and anecdotes seemingly unable to distract him from his interest in the soup. He stared intently at the bowl until he finished, then returned to his tent while the mercenaries began packing.

  He immediately entered the Abyssal Bedroom, where he found the two Dragon-blood kobolds huddled together, carefully turning pages with their fingertips. They were so engrossed in the stories that they didn't notice his arrival.

  "Aiskin," he called softly. "I assume you two have finished reflecting on your shortcomings from the recent battle. I'd like to hear them."

  He leaned back against a stone bed, taking a dark fruit for flavor and slowly eating a bowl of shaved ice he had prepared. Aiskin's eyes lit up. She nudged Big Dumb Hum aside and sat before Tars.

  "A debrief after every battle is an absolute must for an adventuring party!" she said, patting her chest. The kobold girl was clearly under the influence of the novels.

  Tars simply watched with a smile, listening as she spoke. Since becoming a Dragon-blood kobold, she had become significantly more intelligent; her vocabulary and ability to organize her thoughts were vastly improved. He listened quietly, though he didn't actually need to verify anything—he trusted his own instincts. He just found the process amusing and wanted to be thorough.

  It was another day of broadening his horizons. He hadn't expected to encounter such a bizarre situation, and for a moment, he felt like the protagonist of a fantasy epic.

  By the time he stepped out of the Abyssal Bedroom, his mind was made up. The adventurous spirit in his blood was howling. He had borrowed Big Dumb Hum's heavy iron hammer; he knew it might provoke whatever was lurking in the dark, but he also wanted to see what other interesting tricks it had in store.

  Before leaving the bedroom, he cast his buffs, including Mental Ferocity. Stowing the heavy hammer in a separate storage bag, he stepped out of the tent and approached the campfire. The distant mercenaries were ready to depart, yet the core group was still sitting there, tea warming over the flickering flames.

  "Lord Tars, Karit brewed the tea you liked so much last time!" Rodrigo greeted.

  Tars smiled and lunged forward, his movements like a bolt of lightning. With a sickening crunch, he slammed his fist—or rather, the weight of his momentum—into Karit, who was crouching by the fire, reducing the girl to a pulp of gore.

  With a backhand swing, he struck the burly Janson. Janson had been prepared and managed to block, but the force was so great it didn't turn him to mush instantly; instead, it sent him flying. The surrounding mercenaries were paralyzed with shock, standing frozen at the sudden carnage.

  Tars burst into a loud laugh and gave chase, reveling in the berserk strength of his Dragon-blood body under the influence of his spells. He caught up in an instant. Looking at Janson, whose body was half-paralyzed and whose eyes were filled with confusion and terror, Tars swung the heavy hammer with a full, rounded arc. Another pile of gore was born. The entire camp fell into a deathly silence.

  Holding the hammer, Tars looked around. Not one of the hundred-plus mercenaries dared to meet his gaze. He stowed the hammer and walked back to the campfire with a smile, picking up his cracked bowl and pouring himself half a cup of hot tea.

  "What have you done!" Kanaya suddenly shrieked, her voice piercing the air.

  The sound of Tars slurping his tea seemed exceptionally harsh in the silent camp.

  "Your mental energy is truly lacklustre, Kanaya. Given your strength, you shouldn't have been affected—or at the very least, you should have snapped out of it after I dealt with those two. Stop taking so many potions to boost your spirit; they aren't doing you any favors. I don't know much about Gem Summoners, but I suspect this will become your bottleneck in the future..." Tars said, holding his tea bowl.

  In their brief interactions, he had always felt there was something wrong with Kanaya's mental energy—it felt like overcooked vegetables in a Bug-Shell Stew.