The Extra Wants To Live

Billford, who was now a head taller than the petite Catherine, said awkwardly, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and pride at Catherine's compliments, just like when he was a child.

"Of course, dealing with monsters and dealing with humans are completely different, so you should always be careful not to let your guard down."

"Yes, Lady Catherine."

"Yes, Sir Billford."

Billford's eyes widened at Catherine's words.

Now the two are equal knights with equal status.

But to Billford, Catherine felt like a teacher and a knight to be served, as always, and he felt like a commoner servant who served her.

Bilford had never been overly thrilled when others called him "Sir Bilford."

But now, when Catherine, of all people, addressed him in that way, it finally dawned on him.

The satisfaction and joy that come from being recognized by a respected teacher are indescribable. Catherine smiled and patted his shoulder, watching as Bilford rolled his eyes, his face flushed with excitement.

Moments like this reminded her that he was still only 17 years old. However, when they crossed swords, even Catherine could be so fearsome that Bilford struggled against her.

"Wake up, Sir Bilford. Are you planning to show your foolish face to the soldiers?" she chided.

"Yes, yes!" Bilford snapped back to his senses, answering with a determined nod before giving an awkward smile.

Despite being equal knights, he still found it difficult to act casually around Catherine.

"It's not that others haven't treated me like a knight, but it's quite strange to hear it from Lady Catherine."

"Did you think I would continue to regard you as a squire?" Catherine replied with a sly smile.

"You just called me Bilford last time, didn't you?" he retorted.

"That's because it was a half-penny knight back then."

"So, am I a perfect knight now?"

"We're barely halfway through, so isn't it still a squire?"

"…I guess I have to work harder."

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"If I had known half as much swordsmanship as you, I would have become a knight long ago."

It's more fun when you're good at something, and when it's fun, you practice more. Bilford, who spent countless hours honing his swordsmanship, had nothing to say in his defense, even if he had ten mouths.

Unaware that Catherine's words were her way of praising his gradual growth in both swordsmanship and leadership, Bilford simply pouted.

The two walked side by side as before, though their appearances had changed, and continued their discussion about the upcoming battle.

***

That night, fortunately, Camilla returned from her reconnaissance before Carl ventured into the forest.

"There was no puddle of blood, no object of any kind," she reported.

Luckily, it seemed that the number of monsters discovered in the forest would not increase indefinitely.

"There weren't that many. The confirmed number is only six."

If six of these powerful monsters gathered together and roamed freely, the Baron's territory could collapse. However, it was still preferable to the worst-case scenario. Had there been pools of blood, there could have been about 30 by now.

"Can't you figure out where they came from?" Carl asked.

"We found traces leading from the upper reaches of the river inside the forest. Since there were no traces downstream, it seems they came down the river during the rainy season," Camilla explained.

Carl narrowed his eyes at Camilla's report. If it was about the upper reaches of the river in the eastern part of the empire, it was likely they originated from the east, where the Celle Mountains, which form the border with Tumaria, sourced the water.

Does this mean that the Celle Mountains are teeming with such monsters?

The eastern part of the empire had been on high alert since receiving the news from the Laurel Corps, and the alert level near the Celle Mountains had naturally increased as well. But it still wasn't enough.

Carl sat at his makeshift desk and began writing quickly.

"Use your bloody ring finger to contact Tumaria in the same way as before."

By employing the same method of sending letters between the Order of Duren and the Order of Hadad, the messages would reach Yusuf.

Though Tumaria, which had declared war on heresy, was suffering from a severe civil war, Sultan Yusuf of Abigail would not stand idly by and allow this to escalate.

While the Celle Mountains were within Hardion's territory, its influence did not extend to Tumaria.

Several rivers branching out from the mountains flowed into the western region of Tumaria, creating fertile agricultural lands and bustling cities.

In other words, it wasn't only Hardion that would suffer; Tumaria, too, would bleed.

Even if military support couldn't be exchanged, sharing information could help avoid diplomatic friction over each other's military actions.

Establishing a direct line between Grand Duke Carl of Hardion and Sultan Yusuf of Tumaria allowed for swift communication without complex political and diplomatic procedures.

Carl carefully examined the map Camilla had marked and committed the details to memory.

Since Camilla's presence and the use of the Bloody Finger couldn't be exposed, Carl would have to manipulate the movements of the Laurel Corps to acquire the necessary information naturally.

Sending the letter to Yusuf as soon as possible would reduce suspicion, as it was a direct line invisible to others.

"Then you'll be going into the forest without me tomorrow. Is that okay?" Camilla asked, emerging from the shadows. She sat behind Carl, lightly brushing his back.

"This is not a situation that requires your protection," Carl replied firmly.

Camilla slowly lowered her head at his response, her long black hair obscuring Carl's eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cradled his head against her chest, sharing her warmth and heartbeat.

She held Carl close, without him burying his face or moving his hands. He simply received her warmth, feeling the steady rhythm of her heart.

"If you keep putting it off like this, you really won't be able to handle it," Camilla whispered in his ear, lowering her head further.

"What kind of wonderful thing are you trying to give me that you are torturing me like this?"

Carl's eyes fluttered as Camilla's hair brushed his cheek, and he turned his head slightly to avoid the breath tickling his ear.

"Don't think you can just let it go without giving anything. I have to get it."

Camilla's wet voice and her warmth seemed to move away, but at that moment, when Carl let his guard down, he felt a soft, moist sensation and a tingling pain on his right earlobe. Hot breath followed.

"For now, let's look at it this way."

"… … ."

When Carl frowned and looked back, Camilla had already vanished. However, the faint, lingering sound of her wet laughter remained in his ears, and the feeling on his earlobe where Camilla had playfully nipped didn't fade.

It was as if she were still there.

Carl rubbed his right earlobe with his fingertips. There were no scars or marks left, but something indescribable lingered.

***

From early morning, preparations were being made in a hurry. Carl took the time to review the operation once more before entering the forest, carefully retracing the original plan and slightly adjusting the entry route.

This change was based on Camilla's information, but no one questioned it. Carl's superhuman intuition and foresight had been proven time and again.

The Laurel Corps would move from south to north through the forest.

The first unit, led by Carl, would pierce through the center, slightly leaning eastward.

Catherine's second unit would move along the eastern edge, near the river's upper stream.

Billford's third unit would penetrate the western center, left of the first unit, while the fourth unit, led by Dillin, would move along the western edge, downstream.

Most of the monsters were upstream, with only one settled downstream, devouring the fish and local wildlife. The ones downstream were smaller, having been pushed out during territorial disputes.

The fourth unit, comprising soldiers from Dillin and the Eastern Empire, was relatively weaker, so their path was planned to lead them into a fight with the smallest of the monsters.

Meanwhile, the biggest and strongest ones upstream were left to Catherine, the most reliable leader.

Carl and Billford were each expected to encounter one monster on their paths.

However, due to the monsters' expansive territories, their confrontation points were relatively far apart.

The plan allowed them to fluidly adjust their paths based on the terrain and converge when the battle occurred.

In other words, Carl and Billford were to team up against the monster once the paths merged.

Time was pressing, so dividing their forces and advancing separately was necessary.

However, stability was not compromised; the operation was meticulously crafted to ensure the greatest possible advantage.

The fourth unit had to fight the monster alone, which was acceptable as long as they achieved victory. They were not entirely Carl's men, so completing the mission took priority over personal safety.

This was a carefully planned operation that aligned perfectly without drawing suspicion. The detailed information from Camilla and Carl's strategic mind made it possible.

There were six monsters in the forest, and after eliminating four, only two remained.

These two were the true concern.

According to Camilla's information, the monsters' territories were vast, but these two were unique—they lived together, possibly as a mated pair.

They might have already reproduced and laid numerous eggs. Observing the two living together suggested they were a species that raised their young, potentially working as a pair.

There were likely eggs or hatchlings nearby, and every one of them needed to be found and destroyed.

The four units of the Laurel Corps, fully informed, were now poised and ready for Carl's order.

"Enter."

"Enter!"

The soldiers echoed, passing Carl's command to the other units positioned at a distance, signaling them all to advance into the forest simultaneously.

Barring any unexpected events, the battle would unfold as planned.

Carl wasn't concerned about the fight, but his anxiety lay with the Celle Mountains, still off-limits to humans.

Somewhere deep inside, an alarm was sounding—a sense that something monumental was on the verge of changing.