The strategy meeting continued even after I bolstered the Original Protagonist’s morale.
However, I will skip the detailed descriptions and replace them with a brief summary for the sake of brevity.
If the opposing team sticks to their existing strategy, Yor, Vigdis, and Svein will handle Pret.
This tactical arrangement ensures that even if one of them—either Vigdis or Svein—falls into a trap, the other can hold Pret back while Yor rescues the trapped teammate.
As for me, Reysir told me to face Fjodra but added that simply holding my ground would be enough.
Since three people were assigned to Pret, they could potentially seize his ribbon and come to help me later.
He claimed there was no need for me to overexert myself by targeting Fjodra’s ribbon directly.
That wasn’t all.
Reysir added that he would try his best to break away from Liolikin and Lausa’s mark as quickly as possible to come to my aid.
He told me to trust him and wait.
‘He said that with a quite solemn expression…’
I suspect his personal goal might be to reach me faster than Yor and the other two.
Anyway, the reason I replaced these details with a summary is…
“You said the Cyan Team’s starting point is near here, right? Yet no one has shown themselves so far… It seems they intend to fight a defensive battle centered around their starting point from now on.”
As evident by Reysir’s dialogue, the results of the aforementioned strategy meeting have become largely irrelevant.
I still noted them briefly because our backup strategy, prepared in case the opposing team chose a defensive stance, was an application of that very plan.
“This increases the likelihood that one of their team members is a trap expert, doesn’t it? Just as Karbaldr said.”
When the Original Protagonist said this while looking at Svein, the latter couldn’t hide his reluctant expression as he replied, “I suppose so.”
He only answered that way because he felt forced to; he clearly still had his doubts.
“Meow, meow!”
It was then that Yor pointed toward the sky and made a cat-like sound.
Looking up immediately, I saw an eagle with cyan feathers gliding through the air.
It was heading toward the Cyan Team’s starting point.
“It must have spotted us and gone to inform its master. Battle is about to begin, so please give us the buffs.”
Even without being told, the moment I spotted Lausa, I used the [Bolster] skill on myself while thinking, ‘Let’s do well this time too.’
Then, I applied the [Encourage] skill to both myself and Yor.
Consequently, as soon as Reysir finished speaking, I swung my whip without delay to activate the [Elation] skill.
“We don’t know when or where an ambush might occur, so stay alert and walk carefully.
And once the opposing team’s starting point is in sight…
you know what to do, right?”
“…Yes.”
Reysir cast another glance at Svein as he spoke, and Svein nodded, albeit with a slight delay in his response.
Still, when a pillar with a clock on it came into view through the trees, Svein performed his assigned role.
He began generating water clusters the size of a fist and throwing them into the surroundings.
This was one of the strategies prepared for a defensive play.
Assuming numerous traps had been set, the goal was to trigger them in advance.
Since he was throwing them randomly rather than pinpointing exact trap locations, it was impossible to neutralize every single one, but…
‘Reducing the number of traps by even one will make it that much safer!’
For the record, it was Reysir who assigned this role to Svein.
Reysir had added that if the traps were triggered even by randomly thrown water clusters, it would mean there was a vast number of hidden traps.
In that case, Svein would have to believe my warning about a trap expert and stay on guard.
And the result was…
“Wh-What?!”
Svein’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he looked visibly flustered.
A tree branch with a heavy sandbag attached swung through the air with a whoosh.
Arrows suddenly shot out from a pile of fallen leaves, and a metal trap hidden under the dirt snapped shut with a loud clank.
He had only thrown ten water clusters, yet he had accidentally triggered three traps.
Even I was slightly surprised by the outcome.
One can only imagine how Svein felt, having dismissed my words as an exaggeration.
“Svein, throw more.”
“Ye-Yes!”
Responding frantically to the Original Protagonist’s command, Svein threw ten more water clusters.
They hit the trees, the ground, and the bushes with wet thuds.
This time, only one trap was triggered.
“Again.”
“Yes.”
On the third attempt, no traps were found.
However, during the fourth attempt, when yet another trap was triggered…
“Oh, dear! All the traps I worked so hard to set are being wasted like this!”
A lamenting voice drifted out from the bushes.
Immediately, Yor created Aether arrows and fired them toward the source of the sound.
“Oops, I was so distressed that I spoke without thinking!”
Pret jumped out from the bushes as he spoke.
I didn’t believe him for a second—neither his claim that he spoke by mistake nor his claim that ‘all’ the traps had been triggered.
‘There will be more traps left. And Pret likely revealed himself on purpose to lure us into them.’
“To think you distrust me this much! You’re too cruel, Senior Karbaldr.”
“Hmph!”
I snorted lightly and ignored Pret’s nonsense.
Once I signaled my intent to end the conversation, the Original Protagonist stepped in.
“Pret. Didn’t you say you belonged to a circus troupe? How do you know how to handle traps?”
He asked the heir to the Information Guild, who was currently hiding his identity.
His tone and expression were casual, as if he were merely curious, but his golden eye—uncovered by his eyepatch—glinted sharply.
He was clearly suspicious of Pret’s origins.
Pret must have noticed this as well, but he replied with perfect composure.
“Ah! In the circus, we use various mechanical devices for our tricks. I was the one in charge of setting them up and checking them. Since I was the youngest, I got stuck with all the grunt work. Thanks to that, I developed a good eye and nimble hands, which made this sort of thing possible.”
“So, you’re saying today is your first time handling traps?”
“Yes! The traps installed here are primitive with simple mechanisms. The moment I saw them, I got a feel for how they worked!”
What a load of rubbish.
Even if the traps were simple, discovering ones that experts had hidden to be undetectable to ordinary people, dismantling them, re-installing them in desired locations, and then hiding them perfectly again was no small feat.
‘And there wasn’t just one or two of them.’
It was a blatant lie, and the Original Protagonist’s eyes narrowed.
He clearly thought Pret was lying.
‘If Pret had truly intended to hide his identity at all costs, he wouldn’t have shown off his trap skills during a mere training exercise!’
That was why Pret’s lying didn’t bother me.
Even if it meant his identity might be questioned, I could sense his intent was to ensure we didn’t fall into a trap and end up in a crisis within the Demonic Realm.
Just as I reached that analytical conclusion, I saw cyan light coalescing near Vigdis and Svein.
While Pret distracted us, Fjodra and Lausa were likely using [Space Leap] to close in and seize their ribbons.
‘Based on the size of the light, is Fjodra targeting Vigdis and Lausa targeting Svein?’
The only reason I could think so leisurely at this moment was, of course, the effect of [Mental Acceleration].
Since Fjodra wouldn’t just stand by while our attention was focused on Pret, I had anticipated this.
I activated my [Character Analysis] skill by reflecting on Pret’s words and actions.
I had adjusted my thinking speed just enough to distinguish human voices while continuing to scan the surroundings.
The moment I spotted the light from [Space Leap], I completely released my control over the sky-blue Aether to secure ample time to think.
‘With my physical abilities, it’s impossible to protect both Vigdis and Svein.’
Considering the environment was littered with traps, the logical choice would be to protect Svein, who could provide long-range fire.
However, I didn’t feel like doing that.
Publicly, Vigdis was my current body’s fiancée, and even putting that aside…
‘For some reason, Vigdis seems to be quite friendly toward me.
If I help Svein instead of her, she might feel betrayed.’
It seems having plenty of time to worry isn’t always a good thing.
If I hadn’t had the luxury of time, I would have reflexively helped Vigdis without a second thought.
Swallowing a sigh, I slightly slowed the flow of the sky-blue Aether and reached out toward Vigdis.
‘Had he sensed my movement?’
A beat later, I saw Reysir raising his hand.
By the time my hand gripped Vigdis’s arm, golden Aether was coalescing at Reysir’s fingertips.
While I pulled Vigdis toward me, a bolt of lightning streaked toward the cyan light.
The lightning struck Fjodra and Lausa just as they appeared.
Because of this, to an outsider, it might have looked like Reysir would have handled it even if I had done nothing, making my intervention to pull Vigdis away seem unnecessary.
“Ah! Wh-What just happened…”
I simply let go of the bewildered Vigdis’s arm.
I didn’t bother explaining.
Once her confusion faded, she would naturally find the answer herself.
“My, my… I thought Lady Vigdis and Mr. Svein were worth targeting…”
Fjodra, who had reappeared some distance away using [Space Leap] again, couldn’t hide her disappointment even as her body twitched.
Reysir also showed his regret as he watched them.
“Did I set the power too low?”
“Those are terrifying words. My tremors won’t stop, and I can’t even muster the courage to take a potion out to drink…”
Her words weren’t an exaggeration.
As proof, Fjodra used [Space Leap] to move next to Pret.
Pret then took a potion out of his [Inventory], opened the cap, and helped her drink it.
Seeing as it was the same potion Fjodra had given me earlier, it seemed she had shared them with her teammates as well.
‘Regardless, it must have really hurt!’
Under normal circumstances, someone of her pride would have endured the tremors until they subsided and drunk the potion herself.
Fjodra was the type to hide her pain, never one to exaggerate it.
Knowing that, I couldn’t help but wonder just how much it must have hurt.