"Hum?" Lily raised her eyebrow as she turned back.
"Why are you not coming with us?" she asked, glancing at Zaroth.
Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, he spoke,
"You go ahead of me. I will catch up with you in a minute."
Lily stared at him in confusion, while Zack's eyes widened in realization. 'Oh, he has to take a dump!'
"All right, let's go," Zack said as he pointed toward their camp.
Roran followed, keeping quiet, and with him, so did Lily.
Now Zaroth was left alone with the body of the dead bear.
Shifting his gaze to the creature, he felt energy… the same type as when he revived and tamed Silverfang.
"Let's see if this works," he muttered as he placed his hand on the corpse of the creature. Suddenly, a voice rang out in his head,
[Greater Bear judges your soul.]
[Greater Bear doesn't respond to your call.]
[It's looking at you with the wish for vengeance.]
With a sigh, Zaroth removed his hand.
"I didn't expect it to let me tame it, as I am the reason it died in the first place. But still, I wanted to make sure," he spoke as he followed after his friends.
After catching up with them, they returned to their camp. Afterward, they had dinner and, after chatting for some time, went to sleep.
All four of them were now inside the tent. Despite it being big, it seemed a bit cramped.
First, there was Lily on the left, who had turned her body sideways, hugging Roran, who was doing the same.
Then, it was Zaroth, who was laying on his back, trying to fall asleep
And finally, Zack on the right, who had turned his back to Zaroth.
To be honest, all of them were uncomfortably close to each other, but outside was too cold to sleep, so it wasn't like they had much of a choice.
"It was so easy to go to sleep when we were drunk last night," Roran muttered.
"Doubt it. It's just that you enjoyed something last night, that's why you want to get drunk again," Lily teased.
"For fuck's sake, shut up and go to sleep," Zaroth muttered under his breath, becoming irritated as he heard Zack's breathing slow down, indicating that he had fallen asleep.
"But I can't," Lily spoke. "Not when I'm pressed so tightly against Roran."
"I agree," Roran spoke, despite being half-asleep already.
"There is no way in the whole universe to explain how little of a fuck I give, so just force yourself to sleep," Zaroth spoke, massaging his eyebrows.
With that, their second day ended.
*****
Steeling his resolve, a servant knocked on the giant door made from the most premium wood that existed in the world.
Or rather, he was about to knock until a voice across the door interrupted him.
"You may enter," the voice was cold and emotionless.
'He sensed me beyond the door?'
The servant asked himself, but without letting it show on his face, he slowly opened the door.
Inside the grand room, a throne made of pure gold with red fabric draped around it stood proudly.
Sitting in it was a man in a golden outfit with a crown on his head, appearing completely unbothered.
"Your Imperial Majesty," the servant spoke as he dropped to both knees, glancing at the ground.
He didn't dare to meet his master's gaze, knowing that doing so would probably doom him instantly.
"I am listening," the emperor spoke as he read from his book, not even sparing a glance at his servant.
"The fourth expedition we sent… has been lost," the servant said, taking shallow breaths as he forced himself not to collapse under the sheer pressure of his master.
"Some say that whatever killed them may go after the students participating in the hunting competition."
"Don't tell me that all you have to report is the loss of some useless fools." The emperor closed his book loudly, his tone growing more menacing.
The servant gulped audibly.
"We have also managed to capture the princess of the Crimson Sun Empire, although we lost a few thousand men in the process," he added quickly.
The emperor stood up with a smile on his face as he approached his servant.
"Finally, good news! You are free to go!"
"Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty," the servant spoke, bowing deeply as he rose and approached the door, inwardly thinking,
'This person doesn't care about the lives that were lost, does he? Why did I have to be sent here of all places?!'
"Wait."
Hearing the sudden command, the servant froze in place.
"Did you just criticize me?" the emperor asked, his tone so menacing that the servant began to sweat.
"I-I am so sorry, Your Imperial Majesty! It will not happen again!" the servant stuttered, thinking inwardly,
'What's this?! He can read thoughts now?'
"You are right… It will not happen again," the emperor said as he calmly sat back in his chair, returning his attention to the book.
"Daughter, come," he spoke, and in the next instant, the doors opened. A beautiful woman with golden hair and pupils identical to her father's entered the room.
Her gaze briefly stopped on the corpse of the servant, whose body had been cut in two.
The man didn't have a scared expression, the kill had happened so fast that he hadn't even sensed it.
Not only that, but there was no blood. The body just lay there, as if it had never even been alive.
"Yes, Father?" she asked as she met his gaze.
"Take out the trash, will you?"
"Understood," she replied with a slight bow.
With a snap of her fingers, a black shadow appeared below the body and consumed it in an instant.
"If that is all, I will take my leave," she said, exiting the room.
Meanwhile, the emperor paid her no attention, completely engrossed in his book.
Suddenly, his lips curved into a menacing smile as he spoke,
"Oh? Another anomaly has appeared? Interesting…"