Southeast of Paz Valley, another military squad came under attack by armed men. Their leader was also a member of the Rose School.
But this squad was far weaker than Vera's. Unable to drive the enemy back, they were routed by the tribal fighters and forced to scatter.
Wearing a Golden Mask, Colonel Lloyd relied on his formidable strength as a Disciplinary Paladin to charge through a barrage from more than a dozen High-Pressure Steam Rifles. At last, he carved a path out.
Only after he was sure he had shaken off the enemy did Lloyd breathe a sigh of relief. Marveling at his luck—somehow, not a single bullet had struck a vital spot—he checked his bearings and fled toward Daniel Valley.
What he did not know was that seven or eight bullets aimed at his vital points had been stopped by a fine layer of frost just before they hit. That was why he had escaped serious injury.
Once he was gone, two alluring figures in revealing clothes emerged from the air where Lloyd had stood.
They were Katarina, the White Saintess, and Tracy, the Vice Admiral of Ailment.
Though November had begun, the Southern Continent's seasons ran opposite to those of the North Continent, and the weather was still sweltering.
"Are you sure he can lead us to the military's real destination?" Tracy asked, looking in the direction Lloyd had fled.
"You should call me 'Mother' first. That's basic courtesy..." Katarina glanced at her daughter and answered with a light laugh, her eyes gleaming. "If what you coaxed out of him that day was true... then yes, I'm sure."
Tracy's face flushed with shame and anger. She glared at her mother and said through clenched teeth, "You controlled my body to do that! It wasn't what I wanted!"