[Character Development] was a crucial element of the story.
It's either the character's change in moral perspective, comprehending the other person's actions through a series of circumstances, or moving in a way that was the polar opposite of what the characters were supposed to act.
If the major characters of the [Hero's Apocalypse] were already morally refined, functional geniuses, and incapable of making mistakes, then it's safe to say that there was no point in experiencing soul-crushing struggles.
Alana Sol Astraea, initially a loner and distrusting kind of person, would gradually learn to rely on others—even if she was destined to be above all.
Maya Hel Infinitum, a genius mage with a flaw she would find difficult to overcome, would eventually learn how to unchannel her magic without it dissipating.
Among these major characters so far, there was also the de facto master of the Golden Crown, Ravelle Au Regina.
Knowing Ravelle's personality of being a perfectionist in her craft in the business world, she would not tolerate any failure—especially if it's something that she very much facilitated.
In other words, having a merchant's eye and perspective of determining the value of something, Yena would be deemed worthless.
"Go on. Tell your gorgeous master that your identity has been compromised. Oh, I guess you have a very rough idea of what would befall you..."
Leisurely lying with my hands at the back of my head, as I looked downwards from the tree, I observed Yena gritting her teeth.
What should she do?
Fight them here and escape?
Then what would that accomplish aside from basically admitting that she failed her mission to monitor the small progress of Eshu County?
Sensing her contemplation under the mask of a dim atmosphere, I spoke in a mocking tone,
"Let me help you with decision making, Yena—you have three choices: Fight here and die by my hand, escape here and eventually be hunted by the very own organization you devoted your life into, or..."
"...Wh-what's the third option...?" Yena's expression was grave, rightfully so.
Hearing her seemingly pleading voice, I continued,
"Or... become a double agent and continue to be a part of this grueling expedition."
The silence of the night was deafening, and the nearby cawing crows added to the troublesome choice Yena had to make—all of which determined her path from that moment onwards.
Her choice was obvious, but she couldn't help but ask,
"What should I do...?"
Knowing what she meant, I jumped from the tree, landed on the ground with barely noise, and finally faced her, whose expression was still in dilemma.
"Just do as you usually do. Truthfully report our movements to Ravelle, but add some... should I say, twisting into it? You know, the way a person in a relationship often says when they cheat with their partner."
"...?"
Even Azrabel, who was on guard all this time, looked at her lord with utter confusion.
*
"Brother... Do you think this expedition's a mistake?!"
"With our pace, the Food Supply Force will catch up to us in no time..."
"Will Wilfred be alright in overseeing the administration of the territory?"
Damn it!
I cursed inwardly.
It had already been two weeks since we traveled up from Eshu County to the far north, passing through a vast forest and a few mountains.
According to the map, we're still a hundred or so kilometers away from the border of the Dark Forest.
If this was modern Earth, walking that distance for a week or two would be impossible, if not absolute madness. However, everyone in the [Raid Force] was trained to conserve and use [mana] to strengthen their bodies.
In terms of food, sometimes it was also done while taking a march, not hindering the progress of the travel.
However, when I thought about it—why were horses so damn expensive in this world?!
We were traveling by foot, and only twenty horses were pulling the caravans containing the backup supplies.
'That fucking Count...'
At first, I could not care less about the perpetrator behind the territorial war that ravaged Eshu County.
The Count specifically responsible for it was a sadistic madman who instead of outrightly killing everyone or enslaving the useful ones, intentionally abandoned everything that was left of the territory—its 1,000 plus citizens, the mere twenty horses, and the remnants of the Eshu Family, which was my younger sister, the maids, and the old butler.
The reason was simple—be hungry and devour each other.
The horses were almost skeletal, until recently, so they were not even enough to run long distances to escape the forsaken land of no worth.
Moreover, according to Wilfred, the Count responsible for all of this warned the Eshu County's surrounding territories to never accept any possible refugees.
In other words, if I had not arrived in Eshu County in time, the citizens would have already been dead... either by complete starvation or cannibalizing each other.
The initial fifty soldiers would have already pointed their swords to whom they swore loyalty.
As foolish as the truth could be, [Hunger was the ultimate nemesis of loyalty.]
Loyalty cannot beat hunger.
That's why in history, perhaps of this world and of Earth's past, the lords prioritized feeding their soldiers.
'Count Othenwald... You son of a bitch. Just keep your eyes off us for now, I will soon appear before you, and if that happens, you'll realize it's too late.'
As I seethed in wrath as we continued to march, a female voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Traveling in another mountainous area before the sun welcomed the moon, Beatrice's voice echoed,
"My lord, there's a village up ahead..."
A village? Damn it. Should we take a detour?
Avoiding any eye was one of my priorities for this expedition, even if the attention was from anyone unrelated to any major powers that could hinder us in the future.
However, as someone who meticulously scouted the area ahead, Beatrice's next words put a smile on my face.
"It seems they're pillagers, and they have horses... At least fifty of them."
Get the damn horses!