Volume 5, Chapter 27 – Missing

I continued the mountain hunt for about three more days, but without any particular results.

It was a dream-like—no, wait—it was a very frustrating stretch of days where only my EXP kept increasing on its own, and I had absolutely no clue where the Undying Beasts were coming from.

While this was happening, the follow-up unit arrived.

Of the 300 people in the rear guard, 150 were the logistics corps, and the remaining 150 were soldiers and engineers.

With this, our meals would improve—no, I mean, we would be able to carry out a large-scale “roller” search operation by splitting up the manpower.

Surely, we would finally find out where the Undying Beasts were coming from.

Incidentally, I heard that the logistics corps members would return to Chi Tien as soon as they finished delivering the supplies.

Since having them around would only consume more food, I suppose it couldn’t be helped…

Yeah, thanks for your hard work, everyone.

◇ ◇ ◇

The following day, the roller operation was carried out under the General’s instructions.

Incidentally, the General did not deploy.

It seemed he had grown bored of dealing with the Undying Beasts; he simply told us to let him know once we found their lair, then started his own training.

Furthermore, he gave us no specific orders, stating we could do whatever we liked as long as we returned by sunset.

While I was appalled by his selfish behavior as usual, I found myself somehow getting used to it.

Rеаԁ оn KаtRеаԁinɡСаfe

“Hmm, what should we do?”

“Still, I wonder how he manages to serve as the head of the army,” Chris-san said.

“I’m sure he’s just too strong for anyone to oppose him…”

“More importantly, these mantou are delicious! Onee-sama, would you like some?”

Lu-chan’s interest in food never wavered, as usual.

Wait, huh? Why does she have mantou?

“Lu-chan, where did you get those mantou?”

“Ehe! Chunlin-chan made them. There’s a secret patch of wild vegetables, and she put the ones she picked there inside!”

“Oh? In that case, I’ll have a bit too.”

I had Lu-chan split one of her mantou in half and took it.

“Since they’re Chunlin-chan’s handmade treats, please, you two have some as well.”

I tore that half into three pieces, handed them to Chris-san and Shizuku-san, and popped the warm mantou into my mouth.

“Mm, it is delicious. The skin is the moist and chewy type. I wonder what the wild vegetables are? They’re a bit sweet, but there’s a certain complexity to the flavor…”

“Right?! These vegetables are called Jicai (*), apparently!”

Reаⅾ оո KаtRеаdіոɡСafе

“I see. Fiene-sama, these mantou are quite impressive.”

“That may be true, but…”

While everyone else was savoring the food, Shizuku-san alone had a troubled look on her face.

“What is it, Shizuku-san? Why such a scary expression?”

“Fiene-dono, is this not a serious problem? For Chunlin-chan to have picked wild vegetables means she went outside the village without permission. Even if the surroundings have become considerably safer, what on earth were the adults watching her do?”

“””…Ah.”””

True.

Uh, um, I wonder where Chunlin-chan and Duyinxi-kun are right now?

“F-first, let’s go find the two of them. Lu-chan, where are they now?”

“Chunlin-chan was at the kitchen a little while ago.”

“Let’s hurry and look for them.”

We rushed toward the kitchen.

“Excuse me! Have you seen the two children we’re protecting?”

As soon as we burst into the kitchen, we called out to a soldier in charge of cooking nearby.

Reаԁ оո КαtRеаⅾіnɡСαfe

“Eh? Saint-sama? Ah, Chunlin-chan was helping with the dishes until a moment ago. She said she was finished, so I sent her back, but she should still be nearby, shouldn’t she?”

“Then, do you know where Duyinxi-kun is?”

“I believe Diao Yihua-san is looking after the boy. Ah, but at this time, she’s usually outside cleaning.”

“Thank you! “Wait! Does that mean the children have been left alone?! I understand. Thank you!”

With that, I bolted out of the kitchen.

We split up to search the vicinity, but we couldn’t find any sign of the two.

Even when we asked the soldiers guarding the gate, they said there was no evidence of the children passing through the gate to go outside.

Despite it being a small village, where on earth could they be?

As we were searching, we spotted Yihua-san cleaning.

“Yihua-san!”

“Ah, Saint-sama. Why do you look so frantic?”

“Where are the children?!”

“Eh? Those two? Chunlin-chan told me she finished the dishes, so I told her to play with Duyinxi-kun inside the village. I’m sure they’re playing somewhere. It’s safe inside the village, and there are soldiers at the gate, so they shouldn’t be able to go outside.”

I clutched my head at those words.

Reаԁ оո KatRеаԁіnɡСаfе

“Yihua-san, those children have somehow left the village. A moment ago, Lu-chan told me that Chunlin-chan made mantou using Jicai she picked from a secret patch of wild vegetables.”

“Eh? Those weren’t salted ones?”

“No.”

“No way! This place is surrounded by a fence! How on earth…!”

Yihua-san let out a voice that sounded almost like a scream.

“Perhaps there are paths that only small children can pass through. Can you help us search?”

“Yes!”

Thus, with the help of Yihua-san and the construction soldiers remaining at the base, we conducted a search for the two.

However, despite our desperate search, even after noon had passed, we could find neither a hidden path nor any sign of the two children.

Author Note

Surprisingly, no one had seen the children. I’ve heard that in Western countries, unlike in Japan, parents may be charged with child abuse if they let children walk through town or stay home alone.

(*) Jicai is one of the Seven Herbs of Spring, known in Japanese as Nazuna or Penpen-kusa. While summer isn’t its original season, it will grow quite happily in summer or autumn as long as the conditions are right.