At their captain's words, the entire expedition team froze.
Those slower on the uptake, such as the cook, the secondary attacker Pritt, and Little Wenna, were still scratching their heads.
The quicker ones had already guessed what their captain meant.
Adi and Edwina, for instance.
"Captain, are you saying that gentleman doesn't actually want us to agree?"
Edwina lowered her voice.
De'erqiao nodded.
Confusion appeared on Little Wenna's face.
"Why?
Shouldn't he want us to agree?"
"Yeah, why?"
Pritt looked equally baffled.
"He wants a legitimate excuse to strike!
I finally understand why he didn't give us any warning when he discovered us spying on the ruins beneath that beach!
Because he knew we'd come to him!
Because he was waiting for us to come to him!
And then...
He could begin his game-
A hunting game all his own.
And us?
We're the prey!"
As Adi spoke, lingering fear crept onto his face.
Beside him, De'erqiao, the Gale Sword, nodded.
"Exactly. That's the problem that suddenly occurred to me just now. This gentleman abides by his own rules, but he certainly doesn't mind killing people who break them.
And if nobody breaks his rules?
Then he'll create some rule-breakers, just like...
That idle noble we encountered before."
The Gale Sword paused there.
He had seen the lingering fear on his teammates' faces.
Compared with that noble, whom they had believed they could handle perfectly well yet had barely survived, the Medium before them was a truly terrifying existence.
Once they fell into his 'hunt,' even De'erqiao wouldn't survive.
But...
He had to keep his teammates alive!
At that thought, the Gale Sword stopped hesitating and declared-
"Tomorrow, I'll give it everything I have. I'll pass, no matter what!"
"Captain..."
The teammates all turned toward their solemn-faced captain.
Little Wenna's