One hundred: You’ll end up in pain if you only think about yourself, that’s the thing.

I’d lost all sense of time, all sense of date.

The view was always tinted milky white by thick fog. All I could make out were those eerie, mangrove-like plants with thin roots twisted together.

How many days had passed since we set foot here?

Or had only a few hours gone by?

Before I knew it, the number of accompanying soldiers had dropped below half.

Most had scattered during battle and hadn’t managed to regroup—just vanished into the mist.

“Zaid-sama! It’s the Hydral again! Soldiers! Six heads! Don’t let your guard down, everyone!”

The sergeant bellowed.

I’d heard that scream too many times to count.

The Hydral’s a damn fool monster—grows more heads the stronger it gets.

Six heads? That’s seriously strong.

Still, my soldiers shouldn’t have a problem hunting a six-headed hydra. Not normally.

But right now? They’re struggling hard.

First, the fog.

This milky white haze—like milk poured over everything—blocks our sight.

Then the footing.

The name’s not a joke. It’s a swamp. Everywhere’s soaked through.

Movement’s nearly impossible.

And finally, the mangrove forest.

It’s a pain in the ass no matter what we’re doing—finding the enemy, attacking, retreating. But the hydra? It doesn’t care.

This is supposed to be a battle to wipe out the hydra. Not this mess.

“…Kyle!”

I can’t help but mutter it.

He’s the weakest of us, never got scolded by his strict father, yet he dares to aim for the marquisate?

He denies it, sure. But look at him!

Chasing glory, lying through his teeth, isn’t he?

Kyle’s village adventurers are using this swamp as a good hunting ground for magical stones!?

What kind of world has such vicious monsters that adventurers out for coin actually hunt them down like this!?

One moment I’m fuming, and then—finally—the soldier takes down the hydra.

Battered beyond recognition.

The sergeant comes over.

“…Zaid-sama. We’ve used up all our potions. What shall we do?”

He stares straight at me.

I think.

“Let’s say, hypothetically, we change direction and head toward my town. Can you tell me which way that is?”

“…No. But if we keep going this way, we’ll definitely lose more men in the next fight.”

A soldier dying isn’t a problem. It’s in the pay.

But as a ruler, I only allow deaths when we’re winning.

I already understand it’s unlikely we’ll wipe out the hydra. We’ll have to regroup, reinforce our forces, and try again.

As I cross my arms and think, the sergeant lifts his head.

“Got a proposal.”

“What is it? Spit it out.”

“First, find a safe spot, rest up, then push forward all at once with a single breakthrough. Even if we end up leaving the marsh behind, it’s still just forward progress.”

Staring straight at me, the sergeant.

Hmph. Fine, whatever.

I’ll give him credit for not using the word “retreat.”

“I accept your suggestion. Move on it—right now.”

“Hai! Everyone—first, scout for directions where monster tracks are faint! Then secure a place to rest!”

“““Hai!!”””

So we started moving, creeping along like shadows.

Humiliating.

At first, we crawled like mud on the ground, and the sergeant tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“No… something’s off.”

“What?”

Thick fog, water sources, twisted branches—nothing changed.

“No… it’s just that we’re not encountering enemies at all anymore…”

“Probably because we’re moving like this?”

I’m the one covered in mud, moving like this. It’s the obvious result.

“Huh… yes, that’s true, but…”

He’s vague. Unfocused.

I was about to complain when another soldier approached.

“Lord Zaid, Sergeant—may we speak?”

“…Hmph. Fine.”

“Yes! But ahead—something’s seriously wrong with the forest…”

The sergeant scowled.

“Idiot. Speak clearly!”

That’s what I wanted to say to you—but fine, I’ll hear you out for now.

“…It’s just that part of the forest… the mist is thin there… and the plants are strange…”

“What?!”

The sergeant crossed his arms, frowning.

“Got it. We’ll avoid that spot. Take a detour…”

“Wait. We’re going there!”

“Huh!? Lord Zaid!?!”

Why would anyone even think to avoid it?

“If something’s changed, we should check it out!”

“If we had the strength, we would! But—!”

“Bah! I’ve decided! Follow me! Who knows—there might be a way through the mist!”

“That… that’s true…”

I didn’t wait for the sergeant’s reply. I signaled the soldier to lead.

Walking behind him, the mist thinned further.

Even the other soldiers seemed to lighten up a little.

Hmph. Still, my choice was right all along.

My vision cleared—but what I saw was anything but normal.

“What the hell… is this?”

Black.

Even the mangroves growing there, the grass, the flowers—everything was black.

We wandered through the pitch-black marsh, slow and steady.

Looks like a swamp plant, at least in shape.

The sergeant took the plant in a grim face.

Looks cursed, but touching it doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Look! At the base of that giant mangrove over there! Looks like a big rock’s tangled in the roots—doesn’t look like it’s submerged in the water at all!

“What!?”

The sergeant ran over, peering into the massive black mangrove's roots. Hard to tell from outside, but there’s a big hollow inside.

Zaid-sama! We can rest here! Permission to camp!

Crawling into the roots of some weird-ass plant is gross, but I’m done being soaked through.

“Granted.”

“Thank you! Everyone! Start the camouflage now—no letting monsters spot us from outside!”

“Huh!”

Like they’d been revived, the soldiers sprang into action, setting up camp fast.

I went in first, drying my wet pants.

One of the magic-wielding soldiers conjured hot water and brewed tea.

I sipped it, and warmth flooded back into my bones.

Guess I was colder than I thought.

The soldiers finished their camouflage and slipped into the hollow space.

It’s cramped and gross, but I’ll let it slide. I’m generous like that.

They took off their armor, wringing out soaked clothes while shivering.

“What’s wrong with you all? You can at least drink some tea.”

I offered leniency, but the sergeant shook his head.

"No, sir. No magic power left."

"Then light a fire."

"That would ruin the illusion."

"Ah. Then endure it."

"Yes, sir."

The soldiers curled up, shivering, their heads bobbing as sleep crept in.

Hmph. Take your time resting, for me.

I woke up without realizing it.

No idea how long had passed, but awareness slowly returned.

Something about the chill on my back.

Not cold. Not like that. A primal, screaming cold.

Even the sergeant stirred awake.

I was about to call out to keep watch—but he was still asleep.

"Sergeant. You’re getting docked pay for this."

"...Yes, sir!"

"More importantly—something’s off."

"Yes. Something’s off, I feel it."

"Uh-huh."

I peered through the cracks in the roots, watching the outside.

The fog still blanketed everything.

This stretch of those creepy black plants was slightly thinner, but visibility was still terrible.

Still, I stared straight ahead, following the instinct that told me something was wrong—something massive was slowly shifting beyond the white mist.

It was a mountain.

A huge, massive mountain.

A hydra, so large it needed to be looked up at like a mountain.

Zaid, the one who stole my hundredth chapter