Archeon Forest
1254 Hours

Anthony and Amara are currently hiding in the bushes after arriving by horse ride, eating the foods they brought with them. Amara had roasted duck meat, while Anthony had his MRE. Their horses just paced around nearby, eating the grass under them. As they sat in silence, the scenery had reminded them of their respective pasts. One remembered when she was trained by her mother and father how to hunt with bows and knives, and the art of assassination. The other, recalls his family, his friends, his engagements with terrorists in the forests, up until his battle in Marawi, where he seemingly 'died'.

He could already imagine his coffin being carried around with the Philippine flag on top before they would set it down and give the folded flag to his father. His father was the one that took care of him ever since his mother died due to cancer, which also caused him to retire from the Navy as a NAVSOG operator. In his mind, he recalled the things he saw and the battles he engaged in that he hadn't told his father yet, and imagined how he would react if he were to hear those stories.

"Your food." Amara suddenly points out, snapping him back to reality.

Anthony glanced in her direction. "What about it?"

"It's in a strange bag. And you simply poured water inside it to cook the food. Is that a magical item?"

"Well, you could say that."

"I see." Amara pulls back her hood, revealing her wolf ears. It twitched twice the moment the wind blew past her.

HOLY FUCK! SHE'S A WOLF GIRL! It's my first time seeing a beastman since I was brought to this world! Anthony was amazed by the fact that he had just encountered a Beastman, but he controlled his inner otaku and just stared at her in silence, chewing his mac and cheese MRE. "..."

Amara blinked twice. "Is this your first time seeing a Beastman?"

So that's how she was able to smell my intention to kill during our first encounter. "Actually, yes. I didn't get to see nor interact with one."

His false response earned a smile from her. "No wonder. Beastman work alongside humans, but in the outermost and the middle circle of the kingdom most of the time. Beastman have abilities humans do not possess, that's why they are often hired as guards, but they work on other jobs as well, such as food quality controllers. Beastmen were seen as foul creatures before, but as time passed, the people accept them and treat them fairly."

"Well, that's good to hear." Anthony folded the empty plastic bag and placed it in his pocket. He then took his water bottle from his backpack, which is metallic in appearance. He drank half of it and placed it back inside.

"Say, Master."

"Don't call me that."

"What do you want me to call you, then?"

"Just my name is fine."

"Okay then, sir Anthony." Amara said. She moved closer, but not too close as to invade his personal space. She looks at him from head to toe, taking notes about his appearance. "Where did you come from? There's so many different things about you. Your name, your face..."

That's a bit rude. Anthony deadpanned.

"Your things, and your battle dress." Amara said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't like to talk about it. For now, at least." Was his response. Even if he said the truth, would they believe it? How often do you see someone — and in the special forces no less — who has modern weaponry and different tactics to appear in a world full of Beastmen, magic users, and other sort of fantasy stuff?

"I see..." The wolf assassin was a bit disappointed, but understands his wish.

"Where are we now?" He changed the topic

Amara took out the map of the Archeon Forest and points to the location they are at. They are near the Stinger Hill, and according to her, is a place filled with giant hornets that are capable of killing a human with a single sting. So another big no-no. Anthony asked her about the dangerous locations around the forest and plotted the shortest yet safest route. Once done, he hands the map back to her.

"Let's continue. We can't waste any more time." He wore his backpack and prepared his rifle, finally showing his main weapon to her.

So that's the weapon he used to save the princess... She mused. I want to see it in action.

====================

Archeon Forest
1927 Hours

Once the night fell, they immediately hit the deck and stopped in a safe, well-covered area. They had also prepared their tent, with it's height reaching waist-length and covered with vines and leaves to blend in with the environment. While Anthony is digging the ground, Amara is gathering twigs and branches for the fire.

Amara returned after a few moments, carrying bundles of twigs. "What are you doing?"

"I'm digging for a 'stealth fire'." He answered, taking out the soil in the hole. "See this hole on the side? That's where the wind goes. This produces less smoke, doesn't give away our position by producing light, and is easy to cover up. You could use it when you go on missions where stealth is not optional."

Amara sets the twigs down. "I'll keep that in mind."

After setting up the fire, they began to roast the meat they had with them, courtesy of the Grand Master herself. It didn't take too long for the meat to cook. Their dinnertime mostly consisted of idle talks about their lives and other things, effectively passing the time.

"Sleep first. I'll take the first watch." Anthony said.

*snap*

A twig suddenly snapped nearby, prompting both to stop and listen for movements. The Ranger puts out the fire using the soil he set aside earlier, prepared his rifle, and silently moved towards a bush. Amara, meanwhile, went to the tree near him and climbed to a branch. Anthony watches her as she unsheathes her daggers and activates her invisibility magic.

That's so amazing. I wish I could do that. Anthony thought.

A wounded female knight emerged from the darkness, seemingly walking aimlessly, and just so happened to wander near them. Thanks to the moonlight, the two managed to get a clear picture of her current condition. She had bruises all over her face, blood is trickling down from her forehead, a massive gash in her abdomen, and a bunch of scratches and slashes in her thighs and legs as well. She had torn cloths acting as bandages, but they had already tore and were barely hanging in her wounded parts. Her hazelnut hair got sullied and full of dirt, and her battle armor is severely damaged to the point where it could no longer be repaired.

Amara used her detection magic to see if she's another creature in disguise, and fortunately, she's human through and through. But her armor screams that she's from Nordevak Kingdom. She wants to help her. The assassin gently went down from her hiding spot, deactivates her invisibility, and went to Anthony. She then whispers, "She's a real human, but she's from the opposing kingdom. What's the next move, sir Anthony?"

"Bring her in. She might give us some good information about the situation in Nordevak." He whispered back. "Wait, make sure she's not being followed. It could be a trap."

"Zone search." Amara casts the magic designed for area search. And sure enough, the girl is being followed by demonic beings, and they're closing in fast. "Sir Anthony, she's being tracked! We need to help her, now!"

"Get to her as fast as you can. I'll get our things." Anthony rushed to their campsite, while Amara ran to the wounded knight.

Just as the female knight was about to collapse, Amara managed to catch her in time. She carried the knight on her back and went to the camp, only to find Anthony tying a coin sack on his weapon.

Amara looks around the camp. That was fast. How did he—

"How close are they?" Anthony cuts her off from her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"The enemies. How close are they?"

"Close enough that I can hear them."

"Understood. Get her to the horses. I got your back." Anthony pulled the charging handle. "Here."

Anthony tossed the magic bag to Amara. She caught the item, nods, and complied with his order. Anthony walked backwards slowly, his weapon aimed at the darkness. A small purple creature holding a dagger got out from the trees, and a loud pop immediately followed. The creature was shot down by an ice bullet, turning the thing into an ice sculpture and shattered on the ground. Another one jumped out, only to suffer the same fate. As each one fell, they began to increase in numbers. The Ranger switched his rifle to full-auto and shot every creature he could see with controlled bursts, filling the area with shattered frozen bodies of the dead enemies, the empty shell casings going in the coin bag with each shot.

Anthony quickly switched his current magazine with the one filled with green-tipped ammo. He then shot the ground and the trees. Just as what Baron had said, vines quickly grew from the bullet holes and impaled the creatures with incredible precision.

As much as he wants to watch the magic happen, he can't stay for long. He ran to the location where their horses were at. He found Amara on her hers with the knight behind her. He slung his rifle, jumped on his horse, and shouted, "Let's go!"

They had diverted so much from their original route, but that doesn't matter right now. They need to get out of there and find a safe spot as soon as possible. Anthony just hopes that the knight won't see them as enemies and gives them valuable information about the Nordevak Kingdom.

====================

The Next Day...

Archeon Forest - Uren River
0852 Hours

"How's her wounds?" A topless Ranger asked the Crimson Blade as he washed his frogsuit in the river.

"They're okay now. The healing potion did its thing. Just left some scars, but they're fully healed. " Amara replied, trying her best not to stare directly at the Ranger's muscular torso. "I'm just gonna remove the bandages and wipe the dried blood."

They are currently staying in Uren River, located far northwest from their original route. From what Anthony had estimated, they are 400 kilometers away from their plotted path.

"By the way, what were those creatures?" Anthony mentioned.

"We encountered the imps last night." Amara began as she removed the bloody bandages from the knight's body.

"Imps?" Anthony echoed.

"Yes." Amara then discarded the bandages in the stealth fire hole, alongside a few twigs. On top of the hole is a metal pot, and inside it is a simmering beef stew. "They are demons that are weak and easy to kill, but they are dangerous when they're in massive numbers. They can also catch you off guard when you don't watch your surroundings."

Anthony hanged his frogsuit on a tree branch. "Any other demon types that I should be aware of?"

"Yes. The Undead, for one, are people who had committed great sins in their past lives and were brought back from hell." She said. "The other one is the Hellhounds. They are canines from the underworld, and they are fast. They're not strong, but also dangerous if they're in numbers, especially the Runners. They are a variant of the Undead, and they have a bite that secretes poison. Incurable, and spreads within seconds, which can rot your entire body if you don't cut off the bitten part. Next is..."

"AAAAAAH! NO! NO!" The female knight screamed and suddenly sat up, startling the two. They immediately went over to calm her down.

"Hey! Hey! It's okay, you're safe." Anthony said, softly grabbing her shoulders and shaking her gently. "It's okay, you're fine..."

"W-Where am I...?" The knight asked, still shuddering while looking around.

"Hey, look at me." Anthony said. "You're safe, alright? We're in Archeon Forest. We saved you last night. You were chased by imps, and we happened to be nearby. We took you here so we could treat your injuries. You could thank Amara for that."

It took a while for the knight to calm down. Anthony got her some water and let her drink it at her own pace.

She looks at Amara, and recognizes that she's a Crimson Blade. "You're from... Gavaria... Thank goodness..."

"What's your name?" Anthony asked.

"Millie." She answers. "Millie Averre. I'm a knight from the Rose Battalion of the 2nd Knight Order."

"What happened back there, Millie?" Amara inquired. "What is going on?"

Millie looked down, her lips curling upwards, eyes narrowing. "Our kingdom was attacked by the demon princess. It was so sudden. She summoned her demonic forces and rampaged throughout our land. Those who survived were taken in captivity, including our king, queen, and the princess."

"How did you escape?" Anthony asked.

Millie frowned. "Those who were attempting to escape were hunted down before they could get far. I was just lucky."

"And what about those attacks in our kingdom by your foot soldiers?" Amara inquired.

"They were controlled. I witnessed her implanting them with some sort of parasite into their heads to make them submit to her will. The Crusaders... They tried with all their might to defend us. They didn't stand a chance. She was just toying with them!" Millie exclaimed in dismay. "I wanted to save them, but what can I do with just a sword? I'm powerless. They're probably still there, waiting."

Anthony crossed his arms and stared at the river to contemplate. Solo recon might be plausible to get an update, sure, but he doesn't have the right equipment, nor doesn't know how far this Demon Princess' influence had already gone. Going alone is already hard enough, with most considering it a death wish, even in the world of special operations. Not to mention that they're up against someone whose power had already exceeded their own.

"Let's head back. I need to have a talk with the Angelis." Anthony walked over to his frogsuit. "Ay punyeta... It's still wet."

"I can dry it for you." Amara held out her hand and chanted a spell.

The frogsuit glowed green for a second before Anthony felt the now dry cloth. "Impressive. Thank you."

Amara's ears twitched and her tail wagged gently at the praise. "I'm glad I could be of help."

Anthony wore his suit and combat vest. "I'm pretty sure you have questions about me, Millie, but that can wait. Can you move?"

"Yeah. Thank you." Millie said.

Anthony sat beside her. "Good. Let's have some breakfast and prepare to move out."

====================

Kingdom of Gavaria
Royal Palace - General Headquarters
1625 Hours

"So that's basically what happened." Anthony told the summary of the events that had transpired to everyone in the room.

The Angelis, Arthur, Avrill, and Arrinel were in complete silence after hearing his report. From the look of their faces, Anthony deduced that they too didn't know that the problem became already this deep, not to mention that the Demon Princess is also now in the picture.

"Unbelievable." Beatrice uttered in dread.

"So they weren't working with them. They got their hands tied." Arthur said.

"I suggest we go out there immediately." Isabelle blurted out as she got up from her seat. "Dragging this one could worsen the situation."

"I agree, but we can't just go straight for a direct assault." Anthony commented.

"What's your plan then, sir Anthony?" Elizabeth asked.

(Y/n) eyed everyone in the room and asked, "Does anyone have a map on Nordevak?"

"Here." Arrinel handed him a rolled piece of paper.

"Thanks." Anthony accepted the map. "Can you tell me the status of your branches?"

"Well, most of our forces save for the Crimson Blades are almost at full strength." Morgaine said. "Why did you ask?"

"I'll tell you the plan tonight, if that's okay with you." Anthony stated.

Beatrice nodded. "Very well."

Anthony rose from his seat. "Well then, I'll be taking my leave. I'm also gonna visit Millie. She might give us more information. See ya."