[System Error! An unauthorized external force has been detected.]

[Protection program activated. Blocking external forces.]

[Begin stitching the soul.]

[Time remaining until recovery: 10 seconds]

He didn’t have time to check what the system window said. Cadel sank back, unable to fight off the growing headache that was squeezing his brain. The sensation of electricity coursing through his body was intensifying, and all that was left was pain. Cadel’s head dropped to the floor, panting, and the man looked down at him numbly but soon turned away.

“I’ll come to see you soon.”

With a cold promise, the 10-second recovery time ended.

* * *

Cadel opened his eyes, breathing heavily like a man who had just been pulled out of the water. Blinking frantically, he looked around to see his awakened subordinates preparing to move.

He was frozen for a moment as he took in the familiar forms of his comrades. The pain was gone, but all the sensations were vivid and lingering.

“Huh? Darling, are you awake? You can sleep more.”

Lydon, who made eye contact with Cadel, smiled broadly and approached. As Cadel took the outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet, the others turned their attention to him as well.

“If you’re tired, you can sleep more, Commander. I’ll give you a piggyback ride.”

“That’s right, Leader. Even though it would be better to ask Lydon, who slept soundly without waking up even once, rather than Van.”

Under their favorable gaze, Cadel slowly regained his sense of reality. He stood up with an awkward smile and gathered his pack.

“It’s fine. Next time, I’ll be on guard too, so don’t just let me sleep.”

“If you don’t look cute when you sleep, I’ll consider it.”

“……Umm, Garuel.”

Garuel, stirring the embers of the bonfire that had grown weak overnight, turned to Cadel. Cadel was scanning his surroundings with an uncomfortable look on his face, uncharacteristic of someone who had just woken up from a good night’s sleep.

“Didn’t anything weird happen overnight, did it?”

“What’s weird?”

“You know, beasts, monsters, etc.…….”

“There wasn’t, and it was incredibly peaceful.”

“……What about humans? No one?”

When Garuel shook his head, Cadel sighed heavily as if he was suspicious of something. Garuel was about to ask if there was a catch, but Cadel beat him to it.

“If nothing happened, that’s fine.”

Seeing Cadel hastily pretending to be calm, Garuel just shrugged his shoulders.

The second day’s hike was less strenuous than the first. The slopes were still steep, but there was a lot of flat ground, as opposed to the rocky beginning.

The Knight Order tried to shake off the fatigue of the hike by exchanging meaningless conversations and jokes, but the most effective one was the story about the Scarlet Dragon.

“What would everyone do if we met the Scarlet Dragon on the mountaintop?”

When Garuel asked, sipping from a flask full of alcohol without fail, Van quickly answered as if it wasn’t worth thinking about.

“I’m going to pick up Commander and run.”

“Well, that’s somewhat of an expected reaction. What about Sir Lumen.”

“It’s the same for me, too.”

“……Oh dear. And Sir Lydon?”

“Hmm? I will fight. I wonder if the dragon’s breath is stronger or my magic is stronger.”

Lydon smiled, his eyes shining as if he was looking forward to it just by imagining it. Garuel also smiled brightly, saying that he liked how transparent everyone was. He turned his head and asked Cadel one last question.

“What about you, Knight Commander?”

“First, I need to keep those two from picking me up and running. And then stop Lydon from attacking.”

“What’s next?”

“I’d like…… to talk to it.”

“Oh, that’s a refreshing answer. There’s been talk in the archives of the Scarlet Dragon being able to speak human language. I suppose it’s worth trying if it’s possible.”

The Scarlet Dragon in the game had a kindly grandfatherly personality, and since he transmigrated into the same world, it was likely to have the same personality. You couldn’t go wrong with a warm Scarlet Dragon.

As Cadel thought about it, he made a small impression on the memory of the dream.

‘What the hell was that guy?’

Was it a virus that had found its way into the system, or was it something that was causing the errors? Whatever it was, it was definitely something bad.

He would like this to end without them ever seeing each other again. Cadel pressed his temples, still throbbing with a headache, and followed the subordinates ahead of him.

With the summit in sight, the Knight Order took a break to enjoy the view of the waterfall. The sun was slowly setting, so they planned to call it a night.

Cadel sat on a wide rock and stared at the waterfall for a long time. The frothy water cascading down the steep rock face drowned out all other noise. He leaned back, concentrating on the intense, ear-cleansing sound of the water.

The rock stung his back, but he didn’t care, and as he closed his eyes for a moment, he felt someone approach him.

“Please get up, Commander, we’re ready to set up camp.”

“……I’m going to lie down a little longer. It’s nice and cool in here.”

“Would you?”

Barely able to open one eye, he caught sight of Van’s back in the seat next to him, and, feeling strangely relieved to have him there, Cadel smiled and closed his eyes again.

The hike was strenuous, but the adventure of not fighting demons tickled a part of Cadel’s heart. Making small talk with his comrades, exploring unknown places, and relying on each other. It was the kind of idealized adventure he’d only dreamed of as a child, and Cadel hoped it would continue.

But as always, the world didn’t seem to want his tranquility.

“……Commander.”

Van’s hand quickly shook Cadel awake. When Cadel opened his eyes with a puzzled expression, darkness came without warning and covered the entire land.

“What happened?”

He thought he just closed his eyes for a moment, but maybe he had fallen asleep before that. Beside Cadel, who was confused by the sudden darkness in his vision, Van pointed to the sky. At the end of his gaze, which followed Van’s hand, came the presence that Cadel had hoped for but his subordinates had not.

“Scarlet Dragon…….”

The sun had not set. The sudden darkness was the shadow of the Scarlet Dragon. Its body was huge enough to block out the sky as they looked up.

It was so large that he could barely see the Scarlet Dragon at all. Every time it flapped its wings, which were larger than a house, the wind whipped his hair uncontrollably. All that could be seen through the darkness were the red scales that glowed like flames and the emerald eyes that stood out even in the shadows.

Cadel and Van, as well as the rest of the members at the camp. They were overwhelmed by the majestic appearance of the Scarlet Dragon and could not act rashly.

‘I always thought it would be cool to meet the Scarlet Dragon, but I never thought I’d actually meet it.…….’

Moreover, seeing it in person like this made Cadel think that it would have been better not to have met it. The appearance of the Scarlet Dragon was that threatening, and since he did not know its purpose, he could not even discern whether its gaze was hostile or curious.

Everyone swallowed hard, watching the Scarlet Dragon’s every move. It was an instinctive gut feeling that they shouldn’t act rashly before their opponent made the first move.

Under their stony gazes, the Scarlet Dragon descended over the waterfall and into the river that connected it. As it landed with a graceful flap of its wings, the ground shook violently, splashing water in all directions.

Cadel frowned at the river water splashing all over his body and wiped the moisture from his face. And the next moment.