I hung my head low, staring at the ground.

  I whispered, Five goals, checked. Safety, checked.

  "Next, next, next...", I ran out of breath, something dark brewing in my eyes.

  Tak. I firmly planted a long frog bone to the ground, walking steadily back to the camp.

  Back at the camp's location, Handon, Lully, and Verna were standing by. Lully paced around in worry, while Handon looked around for any signs of them.

  Soon, Millie, Lilah, and Cael arrived carrying frog meat and bones.

  Lilah lit a fire, lighting up the darkness, "We're back!"

  Verna widened her eyes and walked to them, "Lilah, Millie, Cael. You're here. Where did you go?"

  Cael limped using a long frog bone as a cane, "A giant frog appeared while you three were gone, so we went and defeated it. Here, proof."

  He gestured to Millie, and she handed the cut up frog pieces to Verna.

  Lully shouted, "Why didn't you guys get us when it appeared?! I was so worried, you know?? And, you're walking with a cane now?!"

  "Yes, I am.", Cael made his way closer to Lully, "We didn't have much trouble with the frog. Anyway, what did you three talk about?"

  Lilah and Millie nodded along, curious, while Cael smiled.

  "What's our leader hiding from the rest of the group?"

  Lully seemed unsure what to say, so Handon replied for him, "Just about Esteine Argyros."

  "Ah, I see."

  Lilah raised an eyebrow, while Verna frowned slightly.

  "That's really it. It's really not a lot.", Lully sat down as everyone else did.

  "So now let's discu-"

  Verna was about to say something when Millie interrupted, "Hey wait. Esteine? What's this all about? Care to explain?"

  Lilah crossed her arms, "Yeah! Is that something too private to talk about anyway? We all want to survive in this maze, isn't that right?"

  "...Haaa.", Verna paused, and sighed. After contemplating for a moment, she decided to explain it to Millie and Lilah.

  .

  .

  .

  "It really wasn't a 'private matter'.", Lully pursed his lips.

  Lilah held her chin, "So, there's a group of 3 people that's in our area, that killed 4 people for fun?"

  "That's the 'serious' thing?", Cael tilted his head, knowing he'd already told Millie and Lilah about them.

  "Why're you trying to hide this from us?", Lilah questioned.

  Handon only shrugged, "Verna originally wanted to say something private to Luliak, but she changed her mind."

  "...Don't put words in my mouth.", Verna glared at him.

  "Well, do you have new information about them? Do you know when they'll arrive?", Cael asked.

  "We don't know if they will.", Verna replied neutrally, "All we know is that they are here, wandering our area."

  "That means we'll need to move again.", she looked at Millie and Cael, "Cael, how is your leg? And Millie, how would your ear injury affect your ability to fight?"

  Cael replied quickly, while Millie hesitated slightly.

  "My leg is gone now, haha. But I won't move any slower than I already did before."

  "I still feel a little pain, and I won't be able to operate in tip-top shape. But it's not like I can't fight anymore! I'll just need a little more cover on my right.", she smiled awkwardly, and added, "Look, my ear is completely ri-"

  "In that case, let's move now.", Verna stood up, gesturing for the others to too. Millie paused after being cut off, and slowly closed her mouth with a strange look in her gaze.

  Meanwhile, Lully tightly held a piece of frog near the fire, "Wait, really? We're not going to eat first?"

  "No.", Verna firmly said.

  "Awh...", he put it away.

  Everyone stood up, dusted their clothing, with Verna volunteering to take the lead. Everything seemed to be going smoothly...

  Shing! Until a dagger flew past Verna's neck, cutting it slightly.

  "Hey...wait up a little. Are you not going to greet your guests?"

  A male voice that wasn't Lully or Cael's spoke a few feet behind them.

  Everyone turned around and took on defensive stances. There, 3 people stood. Two blonde twins and one silver-haired man. The silver-haired man's stood in the middle of the hallway, hand outstretched, appearing to have been the one to throw the dagger. Handon and Lilah immediately took on defensive stances.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "..Esteine.", Verna said cautiously.

  Cael waved in a friendly manner, "Hi there."

  Esteine nodded tactfully and walked a few steps forward, "If I'm not wrong, you are...Verna. Verna Ruth. Don't worry, I come in no harm... I'm just wondering if-"

  "What do you want?", Verna interrupted him.

  Esteine widened his eyes, "What? Why so angy? Can't you wait? You serve the nobles in the first place. Have some respect!"

  "Yeah!", the male twin shouted.

  "Yeah!", the female twin shouted.

  What the- he pisses me off! Lilah pursed her lips.

  "Just tell us why you're here.", Verna narrowed her eyes.

  Esteine's gaze skimmed through everyone's faces here, landing briefly on Lully before returning back to Verna. He pointed his finger, looking smug.

  "I'd like to talk to you for a bit. Don't worry. It won't take long."

  Cael's gaze slowly traveled to Verna, "...Verna? Are you associated with them?", his body retreated slightly, ready to take a step back.

  "No way!", Millie shook her head adamantly, "Verna isn't the type of person to be friends with murderers!"

  Internally, Cael scoffed. We're all already or at least going to become murderers here, but I digress.

  Cael whispered just loud enough for Millie to hear, "Really..? But, why did she exclude us before when discussing about Esteine..."

  "...", Millie's remaining ear twitched.

  Meanwhile, Verna sighed.

  "It's strange to be acting so familiar when you don't even know me. However...I'll listen to what you have to say. Everyone, stay here."

  A glint of anticipation momentarily flashed through Verna's eyes, before she fixed her expression.

  She gripped her weapon and walked some distance away with Esteine, the blonde twins staying back to monitor the rest of them.

  Seeing this, Cael's expression tensed up, but at the same time, a vague resolve under the surface finally solidified. He exhaled calmly.

  "Hoo..."

  Then, silence descended on everyone. Verna was now missing from the group, no longer listening. The two blonde twins were far away enough to monitor but not to eavesdrop.

  In the tension, it urged for seeds of doubt to bloom and reveal themselves. The little bits of resentment that built up over time...

  "...You know, it's a little hurtful to be treated like a tool all the time.", Millie caressed the place where her ear was torn away.

  After a few seconds, Lully replied.

  "Say that to Verna, not us. What can we do? Drama queen.", he rolled his eyes.

  "..."

  Seeing no one side with her friend, Lilah felt a sense of urgency, "Well, why are yo-"

  Handon spoke over her, "You're misunderstanding. No one is treating you like a tool."

  "...Hah, misunderstanding? Are you seriously saying that?", the corners of Millie's mouth nearly tugged up into a laugh, before her face contorted intensely, "Would you feel happy if the only thing people cared about you was how useful you were? Look!! My ear is ripped off! Verna didn't even-"

  "Okay maybe someone could have asked you about your feelings. But why are you trying to bring Verna in? She's the leader of our group and brought us all together. Handon scowled, pointing at her, "You sound ungrateful more than anything. If you wanted people to care about you then you shouldn't have gone and fought alo-"

  "Are you trying to put the blame on me?! Hah, seriously...", Millie cut him off, pinching the bridge of her nose, and shouted, "Speaking of being ungrateful, why don't you take a look at yourself! Since the beginning, you've just been mooching off of us and haven't fought a single time! And every time we're not fighting you're just fidgeting around acting awkward, making everything feel so tense!"

  Her voice became louder each second, "If- If you want to talk about me being ungrateful then why don't you talk about your own fucking uselessness! And is it so hard to just ask 'are you okay'???' Is it not allowed to just criticize Verna, even just a bit? I'm just trying to-"

  "Okay everyone!! Can we tone it down for a little bit..?", Lully smiled timidly, "We can discuss our roles in the group calmly- ugh!"

  Lilah shoved Luliak back, still annoyed from being interrupted, "Tone it down? Ha! I know what you're trying to do. Why do you even think you'll be appreciated in this group? We already have a fire mage, ME! You're just as useless as Handon, 'Luliak'! And Cael, it was your idea in the first place for all of us to go alone without telling Verna and the others! It's your fault that Millie got injured!!"

  Lully, who was suddenly targeted, lowered his head in shame. Meanwhile, Handon's eyes widened, "Cael, you were the one who..?"

  Cael gritted his teeth, "Handon, I thought I could trust you. Verna is now probably in cahoots with those murderers, but you're still defending her. Millie is right. Actually, it's almost like Verna doesn't care about any of us at all. Seriously, do you even know whose side you're fighting for!? Are you actually trying to look out for us or just trying to survive on your own?"

  "What..? No! I'm just-"

  "Argh!!", Millie clenched her fists, "How many times do we have to say it to you? Handon, are you even a noble? Are you even listening to yourself? You're PATHETIC. You get that? No one.. even.. ASKED if I was okay! Everyone just looked at my ear and asked if I could still FIGHT! Am I-.. Am I even a person? I-"

  "Millie! Let's not focus so much on the lackey!", Lilah crossed her arms, "Who cares about Handon? What about Verna? What is she even doing with Esteine? She never even explains anything and expects us to blindly follow her, even when she's teaming up with god knows what kind of monster!"

  Cael nodded.

  Seeing everyone gang up against him, Handon's eyes widened in disbelief, "Do you two even know what you're saying? I'm only trying to help! And Cael, I thought we were friends! I shouldn't have trus-"

  "Everyone-!! I- I can't take this anymore!", Lully snapped, "I'm leaving!!!"

  With no one paying attention to him, he stormed away, retreating into the darkness. Cael looked at the three still arguing, and after a pause, chose to exit as well.

  "We're friends, so I'll follow him for a bit...", he followed in the direction Lully went.

  "...Do whatever you want.", Handon gritted his teeth.

  .

  .

  .

  Catching up to Lully quickly, Cael grabbed his shoulder, making him come to a halt.

  Lully slapped away his hand, "What? What do you want?! I thought you were supposed to protect me, but now you're engaging in all sorts of-"

  "Exactly.", Cael brought his hand back, his voice unusually calm and firm, "That's why I'm the only one you can trust."

  Lully froze, his eyes flying open and staring blankly at Cael's smile, "..What?"

  Cael's resentful demeanor previously was nowhere to be found. Instead, his voice dripped in indifference, his body relaxed as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

  "Just play along, and you will live.", Cael twirled his finger, summoning his magic contract, "Do you think I forgot about this?"

  Lully looked back and forth between the magic contract and Cael, words slipping out from his mouth, "S-so...you...planned everything? Everything...you're controlling it?"

  "Of course.", Cael unsummoned the magic contract and patted Lully's back, "Now, let's go back. The group is safer than going alone. There, Esteine can't get you."

  "...Uhm.", Lully fidgeted nervously, and after a few seconds of thinking, he revealed something small kept in his pocket, "Then, if you're really..um, you should know about this then..."

  Seeing the item, Cael raised his eyebrows, muttering underneath his breath.

  "Huh? What did you say?", Lully tilted his head trying to listen in.

  Pausing, Cael fell into deep thought, then shook his head, "No, nothing."

  He glanced around, and after confirming no one was listening or nearby, he leaned in and whispered something in Lully's ear.

  "Ah..uh...yeah.."

  Lully couldn't make sense of the wild turn of events, but nodded, hiding the item again. He made sure to remember the instruction that he received.

  "In this order:"

  Lully worriedly looked at Cael, revealing this small bit of his plan.

  "Handon, Millie, Lilah."

  Tak. Tak. Tak. The sound of the frog bone cane hitting the ground knocked on Lully's mind, as he recalled Cael pointing to himself.

  "Then me."

  He smiled wider, "Now, let's head back."

  There's actually one specific line where it has a dual purpose, and also many many different purposes, both for Lully and Cael himself. Here is the line: