Night fell over the countryside, and a cold wind blew.
The retreating crowd marched in silence. The air was so oppressive that all they could hear were the shuffling of countless footsteps and the stifled groans of the wounded.
Soldiers, cavalrymen, adventurers, and noncombatants like blacksmiths, laborers, and merchants all wore the same expressions of dejection and exhaustion.
Gauss rode a Land Bird. Tough Scale Bloodline had already cooled down, and the energy scales and dragon claw around him had vanished, returning him to his normal state.
A wave of fatigue followed, but fortunately, it wasn't too severe.
Alya promptly handed him a few Mana Berries she had prepared earlier.
"Want some?"
"Thanks."
There was no need to say more between them. Gauss took the berries and popped them into his mouth.
A gentle warmth slowly spread through his body, easing his fatigue. But the heaviness in his heart wouldn't lift anytime soon.
"Feeling down?" Andeni, the Halfling riding the same Land Bird as him, had keenly sensed his mood. The experienced adventurer asked softly.
"A little."
Andeni shook her head. Her gaze swept over the dispirited soldiers and the adventurers supporting one another, and she sighed. "You're still young, Gauss. How could the path of adventure always be smooth sailing?"
"I know. I just feel like life is too fragile." Gauss recalled the people who hadn't managed to retreat in time and had been knocked down by monsters. His heart was a tangle of emotions.
Not long ago, the camp had been peaceful. In the blink of an eye, it had all shattered and withered like a reflection of flowers in a mirror, or the moon in water.
Those who had died had families of their own.
"That's the right attitude. You must remember the frustration you feel now.