Norren chased after the men who teased him, baring both his swords, as if he was about to slash through them. The men, in turn, all began running around, without showing any signs of fighting back. It was all just part of a play, after all. Despite how ferocious he looked, Norren was not crazy enough to kill his teammates for just a simple joke. Though he did look a little angry. And ashamed… Maybe the joke was not completely harmless.

  Still, angry as he was, Norren was also a Star Seeker. Just like the men he was chasing. So, after some persuasion from his Captain, and quite a few apologies from the men who teased him, he decided to let the matter rest. Of course, the more important reason was that they did not have the leisure to fool around. The Lotus clan was still lurking around them somewhere, ready to strike at them at any moment. They had no intention of giving those bastards any opportunity to take advantage of their team.

  “…We do not know what the Lotus clan is planning, so it would be best if we do not let our guard down,” Alnea said, glancing at his teammates. “At least not until we have completed our Final Trial.”

  “Or defeat them.”

  “That’s a given. But we should not let our guards down even if we do defeat them, just in case they prepared some contingencies.”

  “…I like the sound of that plan.”

  “So, what do we do now?”

  “…Now, we…”

  In the end, Alnea quickly resumed his position as the team’s commander, and after a brief discussion, began giving new directions to the Star Seekers. First, they needed to secure a base, which did not seem difficult, given that they did not have to worry about Oren Beasts sneaking up on them anyway. Coupled with the traps that they had already spent so much effort on laying, it seemed as if their base was already set. There was just one problem. It was too close to the place where he had fallen for the Lotus clan’s trap.

  If the Star Seekers stayed where they were, the Lotus clan would not even have to lift a finger to deal with them. Just one thought on their part, just a simple activation of the second ritual carved in those hills of rot and decay, and most of the Star Seekers would not even have the chance to feel any pain. If there was a second Ritual hidden in those strange paths of rotten flesh and blood, that is. But he did not wish to take any chances.

  Rather than saving their effort and Spirit Power, Alnea preferred saving his life. And so did the rest of his teammates. So, after another brief discussion, deciding to put up their new base at least five kilometres away from the mound, the Star Seekers quickly put away some of the traps they had laid to redeploy in their new base. As for the traps that could not be moved, those were left behind in hope that they would help cut down the numbers of their enemies a little. They did not.

  “…It has been a couple of hours already,” Cecilia said, squatting down to the ground, and drawing circles with a twig. “And that is not counting the time you were trapped in that strange world…”

  “…I do not mind waiting for them a little longer,” Karl mumbled. “It would be even better if this wait is not finished until after we finish our Trial.”

  “But that is not possible,” Vestia said. “Given how they have acted up until now, I do not think that they will let us finish our Trial in peace.”

  “…Unless they have already given up on the Trial, and left the Final World…”

  “But that would not make sense…”

  “…Maybe they are afraid of us?”

  “Hundreds of Wanderers afraid of a small team?”

  “It is not as if we have not dealt with overwhelming numbers before…”

  “But those were Intermediate and Advanced Stage False Wanderers…”

  “…I know, still…”

  “…Stop thinking so much,” Aren said to Ralph. “It is impossible for them to be afraid of us.”

  “I would not be so sure if I were you,” Norren said, glancing at their Captain. “It is true that they might be afraid of ‘us’, but the same could not be said about our Captain.”

  “…I see,” Karl said, nodding in thought. “That does make sense. Though I am more shocked by the fact that you can think from such a unique perspective.”

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  “…Are you calling me dumb?”

  “Not at all. On the contrary, I am admiring your intelligence.”

  “…Do you think that I am Zain who will believe your nonsense?”

  “Hey, why are you two dragging me into this?” Zain said, shaking his head with a sigh. “Can you two not do anything without me? Have you become so dependent on me already? What a sin. I should not have shown my brilliance to you…”

  “…Anyways, as I was saying, the Lotus clan being afraid of our Captain does make sense.”

  “…Am I so scary? Why don’t I know about it?”

  “Why not try looking at yourself from the perspective of the Lotus clan?” Vestia said, with the corner of her lips raised ever so slightly. “Just how many of their Wanderers have died in your hand? And how many times have you been injured by them in battle? Should they not be afraid of you?”

  “…If you put it like that…”

  “…I think I understand why they were willing to spend months of efforts to search for Oren Weapons that could hurt you…” Karl mumbled, trailing off towards the end, as if thinking what he would do when facing such an enemy. Though the ‘enemy’ in question sitting right in front of him did not feel so amused.

  “…How do you know that they spent months to find that dagger? Maybe it was just lying around in their clan?”

  “If it was really lying around in their clan, then why would they wait until the Final Trial to use it?”

  “Maybe it was only recently that they began looking for such a weapon…”

  “No, on this, I agree with Karl,” Vestia said, training her solemn eyes on Alnea. “They have known about your seemingly ‘invulnerable’ robe for a long time. It is impossible for them to not think about how to break through it, or even bypass it, as they did with their dagger. Especially with the hostility they have shown towards you.

  “Besides, they did not even hesitate to sacrifice one of their more promising Wanderer just to test the effects of the dagger. Clearly, it is not something that they have had for a long time. They probably just got it, and did not have the time to research its properties and effects in detail. Only such an explanation would make their actions seem reasonable. There is just one thing I cannot figure out.”

  “…What?”

  “Since they already have Oren Weapons that could hurt you, why are they still hesitating? And even if they are somewhat wary of your invulnerable robe, why did they not attack us when you were caught in their trap? What are they afraid of now?”

  “…Indeed,” Aren said, with a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, as he glanced at their Captain. “What are they afraid of now?”

  “…What are you looking at me for? How would I know what those bastards are thinking?”

  “…But you did spend quite a lot of time in their trap. Did you not find any clues about their next move?”

  “…All I know is that there are still some of their Wanderers lurking around us.”

  “Then what are they waiting for? Why have they not attacked us yet?”

  “…This is the first time I have seen someone so eager to get ambushed,” Karl mumbled, but was ignored by the rest of the Star Seekers. Especially since Yuri finally spoke out her thoughts, bringing everyone’s attention to herself.

  “You are missing a point,” Yuri said in her usual Serene voice, with no signs of anxiety or confusion on her face. Then again, she did have a Clear Heart. A couple of hours were more than enough for her to restrain her emotions. Still, despite her calm demeanour, Alnea could feel the restlessness raging within her. Was she worried? About what? He was—

  “Have none of you thought that they probably just do not want to attack us?”

  “…Why—

  “What is the purpose of the Lotus clan?”

  “To kill us—

  “No.”

  “…To defeat us—

  “Think again.”

  “…To stop us from completing our Final Trial.”

  “And do they need to fight us to achieve their purpose?”

  “How else are they going—

  “I get it,” Vestia said, raising her voice a bit higher than normal, earning everyone’s confused glance, but she did not care for their gaze. Instead, she put on solemn face, and turned back towards their Captain. “It is not that they are hesitating to fight us, but they are making us hesitate.”

  “I do not understand. What would they gain by making us hesitate?”

  “Why do they have to gain anything?”

  “Then how are…”

  “It seems that you have also realised the essence of the problem,” Vestia said, smiling at Aren, before glancing at the confused faces of the rest of the Star Seekers. “Sometimes, rather than striving to gain something, making our enemies lose the thing they need the most can work more in our interest.”

  “…Then what are we losing?”

  “Time,” Yuri said. “By hesitating, we would lose time. And time is one thing we cannot afford to lose.”

  “…I see it now,” Karl mumbled, as the rest of the Star Seekers also connected the dots. “They want to make us hesitate, and waste our time, so that they would be able to stop us from finishing our Trial without even having to fight.”

  “Or we can go ahead, and fight them on their chosen ground, while facing all their traps. Regardless, it would be their win.”

  “…Cretes’ beard…”

  “…As expected of the Lotus clan…”

  “Only they could think of such a convoluted plan…”

  “I do not think we should be admiring them right now…”

  “Who is admiring them? I was cursing those bastards,” Ralph mumbled, before turning towards Alnea. “What do we do now?”

  “Now, we…”