At this mont, Lance was unaware of the outside world. They had just passed through the passage blocked by collapsed stonework and were continuing to lead the team in exploring the Beast Lair.
"Hmm~"
As they progressed further, Lance suddenly humd thoughtfully, his footsteps involuntarily quickening. This caught the attention of the others, who hastened to keep up. Soon, they discovered an abandoned backpack on the path.
The object showed no sign of Spiritual Essence and looked quite ordinary. It was unclear how long it had been there, but its bulging form indicated that its contents were still intact. Lance, unafraid, reached out and opened it. Inside, he found mostly miscellaneous items, along with food and water that had long since rotted. Essentially, there was nothing of value.
"Not a damn thing," Dismas comnted with a sneer, clearly disgusted.
"I reckon even a pig would be better than this," Boudica said, dissatisfied as she shouldered her War Halberd.
It wasn't that they were expecting treasure; they were simply bored and hoping for a diversion.
"This was probably left behind by the corpse we passed earlier," Lance said. He didn't share their disappointnt, for he had already found the backpack's most valuable item—a folded piece of paper.
"Hold this for , and don't move it," Lance said quickly. He took out a torch, lit it, and casually thrust it into Boudica's hands. Then, he bent over the paper, studying it intently in the firelight. So parts were stained and dirty, but thankfully, a portion was still legible.
"What's this?" Boudica leaned in curiously, seeing only chaotic lines and various odd symbols.
"It's a map," Lance explained, "but I don't quite understand these annotations."
"I know," Dismas and Tadiff said almost simultaneously. They glanced at each other, surprised by their identical responses.
"Oh, you can understand these symbols?" Lance's words refocused their attention.
"These are symbols commonly used by professional rcenaries," Dismas explained. He had nothing to hide, so after briefly stating how he knew, he continued, "I heard about them when I was in prison. This symbol ans a trap, this one ans enemies, and this one ans there's sothing valuable…"
"Great!" Lance said, nodding with a smile. Given their pasts and frequent dealings with the rcenary Guild, it was natural they'd have so understanding of these symbols. With the explanation provided, Lance returned to studying the map, now able to decipher it more quickly.
Tadiff listened from the side, truthfully surprised to learn Dismas had been incarcerated. He had always assud Dismas was a trusted confidant of his employer to be relied upon so heavily. After all, the kind of tacit understanding displayed in battle doesn't just erge from nowhere; it must stem from absolute trust, allowing for no hesitation. A Noble Lord actually trusting a forr prisoner so much? This thought left Tadiff feeling inexplicably unsettled. He said nothing; he was, by now, accustod to silence.
"Found it! We should be right here," Lance declared, pulling out his own route map to compare with the new one. He quickly located their current position and pointed to a corner of the map.
"Fantastic! We haven't explored this area yet, and now it's all marked out for us," Dismas exclaid. Without a confird starting point, such a map would be indecipherable, but once their position was established, it beca clear. Dismas, of course, could understand it too, hence his remark.
But Lance soon realized sothing was amiss with this map. His expression grew troubled as he flipped it over for another look. "Compared to our map, it's evident that only this small portion overlaps," Lance explained, tapping a dirt-stained section of the paper. "This ans their entry point into the Beast Lair must have been different from ours, and this entire area is new to us."
Lance frowned. The large, unclear section of the found map made it nearly impossible to deduce the map maker's original entry point. Worse still, the paths clearly marked in that very area on the paper were now obscured by filth.
"What does any of that matter?" Boudica blurted out, not comprehending Lance's pensive mood. "Let's just kill everything and get back sooner!" All she knew was fighting.
Hearing this, Lance snapped back to reality. His gaze swept over the three of them, and he let out a low sigh. "You all must be tired, right?"
Ever since entering the Beast Lair, they had been without sunlight, continuously facing darkness and monsters, and had completely lost any concept of ti. With ample supplies and no logistical worries, their routine had beco simple: they ate when hungry, drank when thirsty, slept when tired, and continued onward upon waking. There wasn't much else to do. This high-intensity work was even more extre than a 007 agent's. Lance was truly demonstrating his talent as a Noble Lord for exploiting his subordinates.
However, the team's physical condition was actually manageable, thanks to Lance's thods of keeping them energized. It was the frequent slaughter that had left them stained with an indescribable filth. Over ti, this gri had practically marinated them, making them nearly indistinguishable from Pign. The effectiveness of their disease-preventing masks had waned, and though they still wore them, it was now more to prevent pig blood or other filth from splashing into their mouths.
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