The pale, withered trees still stood tall.
"My lord."
All three bowed respectfully to the man entering the camp.
The black-robed man swept his gaze over them, then looked toward the blazing bonfire, before finally fixing his eyes on the nearest treehouse.
Without saying a word, he strode toward the treehouse.
The three stood quietly beside the bonfire and waited. After quite some time, the man emerged from the treehouse with a frown.
He walked straight to the bonfire and sat down.
"You sit as well," the man said. "I have a general understanding of the situation. Their injuries are rather peculiar. I have found a way to stabilize them, and they should soon be able to walk with difficulty, but I still need you to fill in some details..."
The man pulled back the cuff of his black robe, tapping his chin with one finger as he spoke. His steady eyes assessed the three wizard apprentices by the bonfire.
Ruger and the others exchanged glances.
At the black-robed man's gesture, they all sat down by the bonfire once more.
Yet when the black-robed wizard looked at Nana Erz, he frowned slightly.
"A level-four wizard apprentice should be meditating in the Cavern World," the man said in a low voice. "Ordinarily, there would have been no need for all this trouble, but the circumstances here are unusual. This is not directed at your camp alone. You may also consider it part of an exploration mission. Once you complete the inquiry, it will count as fulfilling your exploration contract."
The short-haired wizard spoke as he looked first at the composed Layden.
The meaning in that gaze was self-evident. Layden organized his thoughts, then began recounting what had happened.
Ruger's eyes darted about. From time to time, he looked at Layden and