Compared to Himeko's composed and reliable demeanor, the others hadn't expected the conflict with the garrison officer to resolve in such a dramatic fashion.
Even March 7th, who was usually quick to adjust, found herself puzzled by how quickly the hostility had turned to deference.
Dan Heng, however, wasn't surprised. The fact that Himeko hadn't immediately come to them when they first arrived suggested she had other matters to handle. And considering the respect Tope had shown her during the commission briefing, it was clear that Himeko's role in the Commerce Guild wasn't just symbolic.
Perhaps, Dan Heng mused, she wasn't merely representing the guild but was one of its true leaders.
Meanwhile, Venti was busy calming down Mimiya, who had looked ready to start a fight mere moments ago.
Though her time adventuring with the group had softened her demeanor somewhat, Mimiya had once been the kind of person who could throw out curses without batting an eye—and wouldn't hesitate to use force if the situation called for it.
As a forest-dwelling adventurer, and a woman at that, appearing weak was an invitation for trouble, particularly from slaver groups or other unsavory elements.
Once inside the city, the guild's supplies were temporarily stored under the watch of the wagon drivers, while the group was led to a makeshift outpost to talk.
Apart from the garrison officer's obvious resentment toward the now-absent city lord, his information wasn't much more detailed than theirs.
The only noteworthy topic was the so-called "trouble caused by adventurers."
Apparently, a renowned adventurer team from the capital, led by a Radiant Wall Paladin of the Mother Earth Church, had recently set out for the demon forces' rear lines. This elite group of seasoned silver-tier adventurers, with their golden-tier leader, was the kind of team even a king would honor.
Yet their high-stakes mission—a decapitation strike against one of the Demon Lord's generals—ended in utter failure. Not only were they defeated, but their corpses had been desecrated with necromancy.
The failure crushed morale on the frontlines, and the captured intel led to heavy losses among the allied forces. Even the kingdom's supply routes were compromised, turning the border into a sieve.
Naturally, the aftermath devolved into finger-pointing and blame-shifting. But the adventurers' failure wasn't the only issue; the real scandal lay in the rumor that the Radiant Wall Paladin had betrayed their team.
While the details remained unclear, some claimed the betrayal was witnessed through observation magic. However, the truth had been suppressed to avoid further destabilizing morale.
The incident fueled growing distrust toward members of the Mother Earth Church, even as the western front teetered on collapse.
"This is ridiculous," Mimiya muttered, her brows furrowed in frustration. Himeko, meanwhile, appeared contemplative, taking the officer's account with a grain of salt and reserving judgment.
The garrison officer, his expression somber, sighed deeply.
"—I know it's a bitter pill to swallow, but this is the truth as best as we know it. Whether it's entirely accurate or not, we've been too preoccupied trying to survive on tree bark and grass to investigate further."
"You've had it rough…"
Even March 7th, who had initially been irritated by the officer's attitude, found her anger waning.
The officer didn't dwell on past grievances, instead continuing with a question.
"In any case, I take it you're planning to head to the frontlines at Sunset City?"
"Yes," Himeko affirmed with a nod.
"Do you have any advice for us?"
"Advice? Hardly... But I do have one question, if you're willing to answer."
The officer's tone shifted slightly, no longer purely hostile. He cast a sweeping glance at the group before continuing.
"Are you planning to be the next decapitation squad?"
"…"
The question caught everyone off guard. Mimiya, who had been on the verge of retorting, froze mid-breath as silence settled over the room.
"What a direct question," Himeko remarked, her enigmatic smile unchanged. "I would've thought you'd dance around it a bit more."
"If the city lord were still here, maybe I would've had to. But now? There's no point. You've seen how dire things are on the western front."
The officer chuckled bitterly, his gaze drifting to the soldiers outside—exhausted to the point of collapse, yet stubbornly holding their posts.
Most of them were far from seasoned warriors; many were barely of age. Ill-fitting armor and makeshift weapons barely suited for fending off goblins would be useless against larger threats like trolls. Their deaths would be nothing but futile sacrifices.
"Was it the refugee convoy…"
March 7th lowered her head, her voice tinged with guilt.
"So, the missing supplies were shared with them, weren't they?"
The officer, who had reviewed the supply inventory, had noticed discrepancies beyond the usual wear and tear from travel.
"How did you know?"
"You all strike me as the kind of bleeding hearts who'd do something like that."
He shook his head, his tone more resigned than mocking.
March 7th, braced for a rebuke, instead found herself speechless.
"Don't worry about it. I'll chalk it up as transportation loss. Spend the night in the city and rest up before you head out tomorrow."
With that, the officer left abruptly, barking orders to his subordinates about distributing the supplies. His brisk efficiency left the group oddly unable to hold a grudge.
"Alright, everyone," Himeko said with a small smile. "Since we've completed the Emerald City delivery, let's rest and recharge for the journey ahead."
She dismissed the group to the quarters arranged by the garrison. They spent a quiet night preparing for the road ahead.
The next morning, as they departed Emerald City, the group noticed the garrison officer standing atop the wall, watching them leave.
A soldier beside him seemed to mention something about more bodies being found nearby—an all-too-common occurrence these days. The officer didn't seem fazed and continued to silently watch the Trailblazers until they disappeared from view.
---
By sunset, they finally reached the westernmost stronghold: Sunset City.
Larger than Emerald City, Sunset City was perpetually shielded by a translucent magical barrier. Yet the oppressive, heavy atmosphere lingered, growing even denser.
The convoy steadily approached the city gates, where inspectors quickly began processing their entry.
The identification tool being used here was notably more advanced: a pure white crystalline orb.
This device, developed by scholars devoted to the God of Knowledge, could detect the difference between normal humans and shapeshifting impostors—monsters disguised in human form.
This tactic, often employed by the Demon Lord's army, had been used so extensively in the past that it had become predictable. Whether through assassinating key figures or infiltrating cities to spread rumors and discord, the impostors had sown chaos at critical moments.
Initially, humanity had been caught off guard, but it quickly devised countermeasures.
In a time of war, even one successful infiltration could result in disastrous consequences. Mutual suspicion, internal strife, and witch-hunts could easily spiral out of control. Worse, ambitious individuals might exploit the chaos to settle personal vendettas.
Thus, the deeper one ventured toward the frontlines, the more rigorous these inspection protocols became.
The man conducting the inspections was middle-aged, his expression blank as he held the crystalline orb aloft, testing each individual one by one.
The crystal emitted a warm, white glow that left the Trailblazers feeling no discomfort. As each person passed, the orb remained clear, showing no signs of disturbance.
Soon, all of them had cleared the inspection—until it was one of the wagon drivers' turn.
The man hesitated, taking a step back. Immediately, the once-clear orb turned cloudy, its glow dimming. The previously impassive inspector's face darkened, and he raised the orb high.
Sensing his cover was blown, the wagon driver's expression twisted into a snarl. Without hesitation, he lunged forward. His seemingly human arm swelled with grotesque muscle, coarse black fur sprouting along its length. Razor-sharp claws extended like daggers.
The impostor reached the inspector in the blink of an eye, his claws aiming for a lethal blow.
Fortunately, Dan Heng reacted instantly, his Cloud-Piercer spear intercepting the attack. Though the inspector escaped with only a few scratches across his face, he stumbled back, trembling in fear.
The impostor, now fully revealed, emitted a chilling howl—half-wolf, half-hound—as his body morphed into a towering, bipedal canine cloaked in shadow.
The sound rippled outward in waves, stirring unease in all who heard it.
By this time, it was already too late.
Dan Heng nimbly retreated, while the others spread out to form a defensive formation. Knowing that the situation called for a demonstration of strength to earn the city's trust, Venti simply smiled and positioned himself protectively in front of March 7th.
"Hey! You coward, get in there and fight!" March shouted as she deftly cast shields on Dan Heng and Stelle, sparing a moment to scold Venti for his lack of initiative.
"G?" Venti's tone turned mockingly innocent. "I'm just a weak and fragile archer, remember?"
To emphasize his point, he notched an arrow and fired. The wind-imbued shot struck the impostor's knee mid-dash with pinpoint precision, causing him to stumble.
Nearby, Mimiya couldn't help but twitch in exasperation. Fragile? Seriously?
What kind of "weak" archer could wield a bow with such ease, let alone fire arrows that outmatched most modern magic?
Even the renowned rapid-fire arrows of her forest kin required split-arrow designs grown from specialized tree saplings. These precious arrows were not something to use frivolously, and even after resupplying twice in the Verdant Sea, Mimiya was still reluctant to waste them.
But despite her annoyance, the battle was heating up.
Seizing the opening created by Venti's shot, Dan Heng drove his spear through the impostor's chest with staggering force, dragging the creature's writhing body across the ground. Stelle followed up with a clean strike from her bat, delivering a skull-splitting blow.
The impostor's body twitched a few times before falling still.
However, the commotion was far from over.
Although the Trailblazers had passed their initial inspections and proven their loyalty through combat, the city's guards insisted on rechecking everyone else.
Knights descended from the walls, their stern gazes scrutinizing the group, lingering longest on Dan Heng and Stelle—the two who had spearheaded the fight.
"Who are you people?" one of the knights asked.
"Just some passing adventurers," Stelle replied, folding her arms and feigning nonchalance.
The knight's eyes narrowed before shifting to the others.
"Who's in charge here?"
"That would be me," Himeko interjected, stepping forward with a composed smile. She presented the Thorned Rose emblem pinned to her chest and spoke in a calm, measured tone.
"I am Himeko, acting on behalf of Mr. Tope of the Borderlands Commerce Guild. These supplies are intended for the frontlines.
"These individuals are members of the guild's trusted Starbound Squad: Dan Heng, March 7th, Venti, Stelle, and Mimiya."
Her introduction caused a ripple of surprise among the onlookers. Even the lead knight took a closer look at them, his disbelief evident.
"You're the Starbound Squad? I didn't expect you to be so… young."
Himeko's smile deepened as she turned to glance at her companions, whose reactions varied.
Mimiya, in particular, looked especially uneasy. Himeko knew about the young elf's lingering self-doubt—how she constantly questioned her place in the group, wondering if she truly belonged.
Hopefully, including her as a member of the squad hadn't caused her too much discomfort.
"If you're really them," the knight said, his tone shifting to excitement, "then the legendary Fairy Queen must be with you as well!"
His enthusiasm quickly zeroed in on Venti, the lone bard among them. Stories of the Fairy Queen had spread throughout the borderlands, describing her as a wandering minstrel in disguise.
Rumors claimed she had only been revealed as royalty when her kin escorted her back to the Golden Forest.
Now, among the group, Venti was the only one who fit the bardic description.
Faced with the knight's eager gaze, Venti chuckled nervously. "The Queen has indeed been keeping an eye on things here, but for now, she's chosen to remain behind the scenes."
"I understand completely," the knight replied, his tone respectful. "Please, follow me. The city lord has been expecting heroes like you for some time."
Satisfied with Venti's answer, the knight refrained from prying further. He even waived additional questioning, granting them passage without delay.
As they proceeded into the city, Himeko speculated that the impostor must have infiltrated their caravan during their stop in Emerald City. Given the number of recent murders there, it wasn't far-fetched to assume the impostor was adept at evading detection.
As they walked, the knight explained the current state of the frontlines.
In summary, the situation teetered on the brink of collapse. However, it wasn't as dire as the rumors from Emerald City had suggested.
The city's strict control over information ensured that only armored soldiers and adventurers roamed the streets. Ordinary civilians were rarely seen, and the oppressive atmosphere persisted even within the city lord's halls.
---
Oh! Readeri! ahem Wise-senpai told me to give you a message!
Attention, everyone! The latest chapters of Morax the Geo Archon: Billionaire in the Chat Group are now live! This story continues to showcase the Geo Archon's incredible wisdom and his unexpectedly charming presence in a modern chat group. Who would have thought Zhongli-san would actually have money for once?
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Remember, the strength of a great Archon isn't just in their strength, but in their ability to bring people together—even in a chat group! Enjoy the journey!
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