"...This is the front line."
"So this is the very forefront..."
As I looked around, the scenery before me was entirely different from what I had seen just moments ago.
Though the atmosphere was stiff due to security measures, it was still a far cry from the living quarters where people resided.
Buildings that must have once towered high into the sky now stood as skeletal remains, caked in dust.
The once vibrant, colorful city was now drenched in a dull, ashen gray—it was like witnessing the end of the world.
"You cute little things. Surprised?"
"Well, of course we are. It’s just... too familiar. Almost like..."
"Like your own city had been destroyed?"
"...Yes."
I knew that wasn’t the truth.
There were plenty of collapsed buildings, but just as many still stood untouched.
I wiped away the dust from a surface, revealing some text beneath—an advertisement.
...Just a normal event slogan. Except the date was hundreds of years old.
If the architecture had been different, maybe I could’ve dismissed it as something out of a novel or movie.
I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling the shock would’ve been less intense.
Because the sight of those skyscrapers, once reaching for the sky, now broken and bent—it made me feel like the city I’d lived in just days ago had been reduced to this.
"Everyone reacts like that at first. But soon, you’ll realize in your bones that this place is nothing like where you came from."
"Huh? What do you—"
"I’ll head back to the main camp. You can handle the area search, right? I’ll be watching to see how my juniors perform."
"W-Wait a second!"
Panicked, I tried to grab the woman who had been clinging to Arte during the briefing.
But she didn’t stop—either she hadn’t heard me, or she had nothing left to say.
Without breaking stride, she walked toward the distant main camp.
"...Different?"
"Ugh, why does she have to scare us like that? So creepy."
Unbelievable words made me turn my head.
Maybe she’d seen my expression.
Amelia glared at me, her lips puffed out in a pout.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...So there *are* things that scare you?"
"What the hell?! How do you even see me?! Of *course* there are scary things!"
Well, the way she talks back to her father made me think she wasn’t afraid of anything...
"That was rude, Siwoo. Even if you’re close, you shouldn’t—"
"A woman? ...Amelia?"
"What?!"
"..."
Dorothy stared at me like I’d lost my mind. And honestly, she was right to—less than ten seconds after telling me not to be rude, I’d gone and said something even ruder.
But I hoped she’d understand.
Amelia? A woman? I could never see her that way.
I’d sooner call a mannequin feminine.
"...Do you sense anything right now, by instinct?"
"No, not yet. Nothing in particular."
For some reason, Arte looked pleased as she asked me that.
What was going on?
She’d been whispering with the commander earlier, looking troubled about something.
Maybe it wasn’t a big deal?
I’d been planning to ask her about it later, worried she might’ve heard something bad.
Fortunately, it seemed fine.
…Or so I thought.
A sudden sensation struck me, and my voice burst out in a panic even I could hear.
"Everyone, duck!"
"…?!"
-Swaaak!
A sharp, thorn-like projectile grazed past our heads and embedded itself into the barely standing building wall.
Of course, a structure on the verge of collapse couldn’t withstand that kind of impact.
With a deafening roar, the building began to crumble, spewing dust into the air.
"…What the hell is this now?"
Amelia muttered in disbelief.
If they hadn’t listened to me, what would’ve happened?
As if that thought had crossed her mind, Dorothy’s face paled.
"W-What, what the…!"
"Where did it come from?"
"Over there, behind the statue on that building."
"Got it."
As expected of Arte.
With practiced ease, she unraveled the thread from her gloves and shot it precisely toward the spot I’d indicated, then smiled.
"…Got you, you little—"
Like a tug-of-war, Arte leaned back, using the thin thread to pull with all her strength.
I barely had time to marvel at how she could support her weight on a single thread before something dark came hurtling toward us.
"Kiiieeeek—!"
"Die!"
Amelia swiftly closed the distance and brought her spear down on its head, ending it in one clean strike.
For such a sharp ambush, it was an anticlimactically pathetic death.
"…A spider?"
"No, is it even a spider…?"
"But it looks like one."
Did they think it was all over?
The three of them started debating what kind of creature had attacked us.
It did look like a spider, but…
It was far too large for a spider, and it had sharp spines protruding from its back.
"Probably shot those thorns, right?"
"Must be. Hmm, it’s weirdly shaped."
"Looks sharp. Could we use it as a weapon?"
"I’d rather not turn something this disgusting into a weapon…"
"Disgusting or not, if it works, it works."
They’d all been startled, but they recovered fast. Then again, they weren’t ordinary people.
…Still, now wasn’t the time for this.
"Get ready, everyone. More are coming."
"Huh? More?"
"The building collapsed, didn’t it?"
"…Ah, damn."
We’d dodged the attack, but the thorn had hit the one building that was already about to fall.
With that building now in ruins, the deafening noise would’ve echoed through the area.
Normal animals would’ve been startled and fled, but…
"They’re here fast."
"Whoa, how many are there…?"
"Hmm… looks like a lot."
These things weren’t normal animals.
I hadn’t expected them to run from the noise.
As if to prove me right, a swarm of grotesquely bloated creatures began shuffling toward us.
…They looked absolutely horrifying.
"So they’re monsters, huh… Ugh, I’m not eating meat for a while."
"You? Seriously?"
"I’m actually curious, Yu Siwoo. What kind of person do you think I am in your head?"
"Enough. Get ready. It looks like it’s about to start."
"You’re so dead later…."
"Arte, three o’clock!"
"Don’t worry."
"Hey, Amelia! That’s enough! Get out of there! It’s dangerous!"
"I’m still fine!"
"Stop talking nonsense and retreat! Now!"
"…Ugh, damn it! Fine!"
"Dorothy!"
"Recovering the buffs! Who’s next?!"
"Arte!"
He couldn’t help but marvel at the scene before him.
They were handling things far better than he’d expected.
"What do you think?"
"She’s incredible. Truly my daughter."
"…I didn’t come here to listen to you brag about your kid."
"Oh, come on. You already knew all this."
"Still… The problem with these bastards is they never bother to answer. Tsk, kids these days…"
"Kids these days? We’re not exactly young anymore either… *They’re* the kids these days."
Lionel couldn’t take his eyes off his daughter.
The daughter he’d always felt guilty for not spending enough time with when she was young.
How had that fragile little girl grown up so much?
Just like she used to tease and exclude him, she now darted between the monsters, scattering their attention with her spear, poking at them relentlessly whenever they tried to ignore her.
It was impressive. Annoying, but impressive.
…He was starting to see things from the monsters’ perspective.
Was it because he’d been on the receiving end of it before?
"Don’t get weird ideas."
"Hehe… Well, it’s amazing. At this rate, we might not even need to step in. They’ll handle it themselves."
"Hmm."
"She detected the ambush instantly and pinpointed the monsters’ locations right away. Her scouting ability is more than proven."
"Good. That’s enough."
"Yes, sir. …Alright, everyone! We’ve seen enough of our juniors’ skills!"
Watching Amelia—who looked far more like her mother than him—move with sweat dripping down her face filled him with pride.
Lionel kept his eyes fixed on his daughter until the entire situation was resolved.
"…Hmm."
Not yet. …Not yet.
The Reader’s emotions still hadn’t shifted. This wasn’t enough.
Sure, this battle might bring them a little closer to the protagonist, but that feeling was far from love. It was obvious.
The Reader’s racing heart was just from the excitement of battle.
The seeds of love hadn’t sprouted yet.
…Or was that a lie?
Maybe they *had* sprouted—she was just ignoring them.
Lying to herself about her own feelings.
"Just a little… just a little more…"
But just a little.
One more step forward would do it.
Every time she looked at the protagonist, she could feel her heartbeat quicken.
She just hadn’t noticed it herself yet. If she could just stir those feelings—even the tiniest bit—
Once that happened, there’d be no turning back.
The girl waited eagerly for that moment, unable to hide her excitement as she stared out at the world.