“What are you doing, Sekh!?!” Zeph screamed at Sekh with wide eyes. 

“Giving you a hug?” Sekh replied with a quizzical look. “You don’t want one?”

“But we’re on a bed with multiple people,” Zeph said as though that was outrageous. “On top of that, everyone will end up hugging each other. Do you two not have any shame?”

“Are you some sort of prude?” I retorted. “And what makes you think that I want to hug you?”

“If you really want to, I can leave you and Iblis with each other,” Sekh added with a snicker.

“Ugh,” Zeph moaned. “Why are you two like this?”

What’s really confusing me are the emotions being displayed on her face. Even though she seems annoyed, I can’t help but see signs of joy. The real question that should be asked is why Zeph is like this?

“Zeph, do you not have siblings?” I asked her in response. 

“Of course I do,” she replied indignantly. “I have an older brother and what does it have to do with this anyways?”

“You sound like you’ve never had to share with anyone,” I pointed out. 

“Well...there were a few times,” Zeph muttered. “But have either of you two been in a situation like this before? Even with your siblings?”

“Pretty much everyday,” Sekh replied nonchalantly. 

“It wasn’t with my siblings, but I had a lot of experiences being out in the wild with people when it got really cold,” I commented. 

“You’re both weird,” Zeph said to us while narrowing her eyes. “But I have to get some sleep so I don’t have the time to argue with you.”

“Fine, goodnight,” I replied before snuffing the candle. 

“Nyaah, night,” Sekh yawned as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. 

When I woke up, I was greeted with a rather interesting sight. Sekh, who was in the center of the bed, was holding me and Zeph. With each of us in one of her arms, she almost looked like she had a harem. Seems like I should start working harder before Sekh replaces me.

What’s even funnier is the look on Zeph’s face. In stark contrast to her previously disgruntled attitude, Zeph wore a serene look as she slumbered in Sekh’s embrace. But she's the one that thinks we're strange. 

Carefully, I extricated myself from Sekh’s grasp and hopped off the bed. For good measure, I planted a light kiss on Sekh’s forehead before leaving the room. When I walked downstairs, I could smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air. 

“Oh, you’re already awake,” the young woman said in surprise when I arrived on the first floor. “I’m sorry but breakfast isn’t ready yet.”

“That’s fine, you don’t have to worry about it,” I replied with an easy smile. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Please don’t,” the girl said to me. “We already owe you greatly, so just let us do something for you.”

“Thanks then,” I responded. “I know this is late, but what’s your name?”

“I’m Anna,” she answered. “Come with me, I’ll introduce you to my parents.”

Soon after, I entered the kitchen to meet the owners of the farm. The middle aged man was named Leo while his wife was named Leanne. To my surprise, Anna is an only child, something rather unusual for farmers. Most likely the couple have health issues or some other problems, but I have no intentions of prying into their business. 

“Excuse me, but have you got any information on the promised reinforcements?” I asked the family as we sat in the kitchen. 

“Nothing so far,” Leanne replied. “I assume you’re going to reenter the fog, right?”

“That’s correct,” I answered. 

“Are Sekh and Zeph going back in there with you?” Anna asked, her voice sounding concerned. 

“They’re not,” I informed her. 

In response, Anna breathed a sigh of relief. I guess I’m not among those that she’s particularly worried about. Looks like killing that fogling had some rather interesting consequences. 

“Those two are welcome to stay here until you’re done,” Leo informed me. “Actually, you’re all welcome to come back here anytime.”

“I really appreciate the hospitality,” I replied with a light bow. 

The four of us sat there for a while, trading smalltalk and sipping fresh milk. I wish they had coffee, but Stygians don’t grow the crop. Before long, Zeph crawled down from the second level, her blue eyes still somewhat groggy.

“Morning,” I said to her. “Now that you’re awake, I’m going to rouse Sekh.” 

“I already did,” Zeph informed me. “But she said she wanted you to go up.”

“How spoiled,” I sighed happily before ascending the stairs. 

When I arrived in my room, I found Sekh curled on the bed with a waiting smile. Instead of saying anything, I just walked over towards her and pulled her into a deep kiss. For a while, our tongues pushed against one another. 

“How did you know what I wanted?” Sekh asked when we broke apart. 

“We’ve been together for a while,” I pointed out. “I can somewhat tell at this point.”

“Then do you know what I want next?” Sekh questioned while cutely tilting her head. 

“Not a clue,” I replied flatly. “You’re going to have to use words this time.”

“Carry me,” Sekh said with teasing pout. “And not the way you carry our luggage. I want a princess carry.”

A soft laugh escaped from my mouth, garnering a curious look from Sekh. Right after, I swiftly scooped Sekh up from the bed and held her in a princess carry.

“This is great,” Sekh said with sparkling eyes as we descended the stairs. “I should ask you to do this more often.”

“Mmhmm,” I happily hummed in response. 

When the both of us arrived in the kitchen, the whole room turned to face us.

“I sincerely apologize for my colleagues,” Zeph suddenly said. “They’re a bit unusual to say the least.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Leanne told Zeph with a smile. “It’s nice seeing a young couple in love.”

“Zeph, you don’t have to blush for us,” I told the red faced archer. “It’s a bit embarrassing.”

As Zeph huffed, the rest of the room burst forth in a light laughter. Once everyone had calmed down, the six of us began to eat breakfast with each other. It was a generous meal that had freshly baked bread, hearty omelets, savory sausages, and juicy fruits. 

“The food is really good,” Sekh told the farmers after swallowing a mouthful of sausage. 

“Agreed,” me and Zeph said in unison. 

The sight of the three of us happily eating brought smiles to the faces of the entire family. For the next hour or so, we continued to stuff ourselves with the delicious fresh food from the farm. However, our morning was soon interrupted by a large knock on the door. 

“I’ll go check,” I announced to everyone. “I think it might be the reinforcement force.”

True to my prediction, the source of the noise was an armored soldier wearing a cape. Behind him were another six men with similar equipment. Most likely the man at the door was the officer leading the group. 

“Are you here to search for the missing girl?” I asked the officer.

“Somewhat,” the man replied. “We already got a report saying that she had been rescued by a mixed force of militiamen and mercenaries. Due to the report, we came here in search of those mercenaries. You’re the leader of those three right?”

“Yeah, that would be me,” I answered. “I’m assuming you want us to join you in clearing out the foglings.”

The man simply gave a smile when he heard my question. 

“Sorry, but my companions won’t be joining in on the hunt,” I told him. “I’ll be the only one coming with you.”

“What a shame,” he replied. “That wind mage would be really handy. But it’s fine. Our goal was just to secure your help, anymore would just be extra.”

“I’ll gather my things then,” I informed him. “Let me inform everyone then we can start the hunt whenever your men are ready.”

“We’re ready when you are,” the guard captain said.

Afterwards, I went back into the house to update my companions and Anna’s family on the situation. But when I went to the barnhouse to gather my equipment, I realized that Sekh and Zeph were tagging along behind me. 

“I thought you two didn’t want to go back,” I said. “Don’t tell me you changed your mind.”

“We didn’t,” Sekh brushed off. “But the marauder crab job is only a short distance to the south. So we were planning to do the job while you’re out.”

“Are you sure?” I asked her, my voice leaking concern. “It’s going to be really dangerous with just the two of you.”

“And what about you?” Sekh said disapprovingly. “Have you considered how I feel about you going to hunt foglings? What if you get hurt, what if you die?”

That was definitely not the response I expected. I had expected her to tell me to believe in her. But I guess she's treating that as something that's been already established. 

“Sekh, you don’t have to worry,” I told her while patting her head. “I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s not like I’m going in alone.”

“Please you'll be safe then,” Sekh muttered. “Promise me that you’ll come back.”

“I promise,” I replied. “But you two have to promise me that you’ll be safe.”

“It’s a promise then,” Sekh answered, her voice regaining its normal cheery tone. 

“Thanks for being polite and pretending to care about me as well,” Zeph added. “I’ll make sure that your girlfriend is safe.”

“I do care about you though,” I said to Zeph while furrowing my eyebrows. “Not romantically, but your wellbeing is important to me.”

For a moment, Zeph just blinked at me as though she couldn’t understand a word. After five blinks or more, a look of realization appeared on her face. Right after, Zeph began to blush furiously before turning away.

“Zeph, please don’t fall in love from just that,” Sekh told the other girl in a disappointed tone. “It’s fine if you fall for him, but don’t do it for a cliché reason.”

“You’re one to talk,” I chided Sekh. “Didn’t you fall for me at first sight?”

“Sh-shut up,” Sekh stuttered. “That never happened. Besides, you have no documented evidence.”

“Whatever,” I waved off. “Let’s get ready for our jobs then.”

With a nod, the two girls got back to their previous task. Since the marauder crabs require agility to deal with, Sekh gave me back my cuirass which I promptly equipped. Before long, the three of us parted. Sekh and Zeph journey south, while I went northwest with the guard detachment. 

I rode in the front with the guard captain, while his men followed behind us. All of the soldiers wore mail armor and metal spangle helms, the captain even wearing a lamellar cuirass atop his hauberk. Their arms consisted of painted kite shields, stout spears, and steel arming swords. Evidently, this little group was an elite detachment and a far cry from the militiamen that had accompanied me before. 

“Iblis is it?” the captain asked me. “You remind me of a certain Marcher that I’ve met.”

“Is that so, Captain Gallus?” I replied. 

“Of course,” he answered. “Now I know this is strange, but would you happen to be the hero of the spear?”

“What makes you think that?” I asked in surprise.

“Do you know how few Marchers received a medal of honor from the Emperor?” he questioned me. “On top of that, you have an expensive set of mythril armor, a glaive, and the looks of that hero. Oh, and I forgot to mention that you specifically said that you served in a fogling extermination as well as the storming of Argopolis. Anyone who knew you would recognize you.”

Well there’s no use in denying it now. Like what am I supposed to say? There’s no way he’ll believe me if I lie and call it a coincidence. Though I should probably work on lying better in the future.

“Fine, you got me,” I surrendered. “If you’re wondering why I’m using a fake name, it’s because I want to work with a clean slate.”

“I understand,” Gallus said with a shrug. “But you know your reputation isn’t as bad as you think. The incident in Beroea is already fading from people’s minds. And even the stories that exist about you are overblown to say the least.”

“Overblown?” I wondered.

“Apparently you’re a giant monster clad in black armor,” Galus chuckled. “The most outrageous one is that you’re actually a woman in disguise who went mad when the hero of the sword rejected you.”

“Maybe I should have stayed in the spotlight,” I sighed as my body shuddered. 

“I really pity you,” Gallus said grimly. “Well I don’t intend to blackmail you with your identity. However, I hope you work with us from time to time. Having someone of your caliber will certainly allow us to reduce casualties and take on more difficult missions. We intend to compensate you of course.”

In actuality, I don’t mind helping out the guards at all. As long as I don’t get roped into being used as a sort of terror weapon, I would actually enjoy the job.

“I’ll agree under certain conditions,” I responded. “First of all, I have the right to decline jobs if they are unsuitable. I also want to be given a degree of freedom in how I accomplish my tasks. Lastly, inform me of jobs as early as possible. I won’t always be able to change my schedule to accommodate.”

“That’s fine,” Gallus replied almost immediately.

Either he understands me or the situation in Damask is worse than I thought. I really hope it isn’t the latter since the situation is quite bad on the outside. Compared to Jericho, monsters and bandits are more common, and the illegal drug trade, although not centralized, is more prevalent. 

Soon, the eight of us arrived at the foggy marsh. When I climbed a tree to scout the location, I noticed two things. First, the fog had decreased in size quite a bit compared to before. This was most likely due to the death of one of the foglings. Secondly, the fog had actually moved locations, though not by a significant amount.

Before entering the fog, we formed a two by four rectangular formation, me and the captain taking opposite spots on the front ends. Unlike my previous party, this group seemed much less perturbed by the unusual fog. Even when the howls of the foglings began to fill the air, the soldiers remained somewhat calm. Despite this, our pace was still rather slow, though this was done out of prudence instead of fear. 

Before long, our journey across the wet marsh brought us to the blood trail that had previously served as a landmark. Due to the water of the marsh, much of the trail had vanished, but enough remained to be vaguely visible. 

With a wave of my hand, I beckoned for Gallus and his men to investigate the blood trail with me. For two hundred meters or so, our group traveled along the line of gore. The further we followed it, the worse the sight became. Before long, we stumbled upon the ghastly remains of...something. 

It was a mangled pile of bones, rotting flesh, and equipment. Had it not been for the presence of a spear and shield, we would not have been able to recognize the identity of the victim. 

“How do we return his body?” I quietly asked Gallus as we observed the scene. 

“We’ll bring back his equipment,” Gallus said in a hushed tone. “As for his body, we’ll either burn it or dump it in the marsh.”

“Seems like the only way,” I muttered. 

I had hoped to be able to bring his body back to his family. But considering the circumstances, that would only cause more pain. However, I came to a sudden realization when examining Markos’ corpse. The amount of flesh was most likely enough to feed a fogling or two. Given how passive two of the foglings were, I think that it's possible that they were resting from their meal when we went to rescue the girl. So in a way, Markos may have inadvertently saved our lives.

After torching the militiamen’s corpse and gathering what was left of his equipment, we continued to our final destination. Upon arrival, our nostrils were assaulted by the putrid smell of decaying flesh. Festering in the putrid marsh was the corpse of the fogling I slew the night before. Once we identified the body, we unceremoniously put it to the torch and made our way to a place where it didn’t reek of decay. 

“Now that we’re finished with the dead, shall we proceed with the extermination?” I asked Gallus, my voice now at a normal volume.

“Let’s do that,” Gallus replied before gesturing to his men. 

Right on cue, one of the soldiers began to make cries of distress to lure the foglings towards us. For the next twenty minutes or so, our group patiently waited while a grown man pretended to be a damsel in distress. Despite the seriousness of the situation, a few of us even let out stifled laughter. Still, everyone was quite aware of their surroundings though it might seem otherwise. 

“The howls are getting close,” I announced to the group. “It also sounds like there are two of them, so you better get ready.”

Gallus simply nodded when he heard my response and beckoned for his men to form up. Once again, the eight of us formed the two by four formation and steeled ourselves for the coming battle. 

Within just a few more minutes, two screams pierced through the air. Like lightning being heralded by thunder, the foglings burst out of the mist as our ears were ringing. But when they came into sight, the foglings were immediately pierced by the spears hurled by our backline. Before they could even hit the ground, the front row, which included me and Gallus, rushed forth and mercilessly stabbed and hacked at the foglings. To put it simply, what happened was little more than butcher's work/

Soon after, our group came out of the fog with the two fogling corpses in tow. The plan was to present the bodies to the Doux as evidence of the foglings' presence. However, our trip back was noticeably easier than the journey in. Because all the foglings had been slain, the once massive fog had begun rapidly shrinking, disappearing only five minutes after we made it out. 

Once we ascertained that the fog was gone along with the monsters, I parted ways with Gallus and his men. While they journeyed back to Damask, I would patiently wait for my companions at the farm. However, it would definitely be nice to be able to work with Gallus and his men from time to time. Perhaps I should start by training with them.