With squinting eyes, Hero Claire began to observe calmly.
Yeah… no doubt about it… this is the place..!!
Her voice was truly calm, but it was trying too hard to be calm to actually be called calm.
Briefly, Hero Claire glanced at Rena, who had started searching for Hero Anna with intensity.
Then, calmly remaining focused on her observation, she concluded.
This area is located a bit east from where the dragon was defeated earlier.
Not too close to the main battlefield,
but also not far enough to be completely separated from the chaos at that time.
Then Hero Claire began scraping the ground with both her feet.
The ground here looks unevenly damaged.
Traces of various footprints, sharp gouges, and ground that looks like it was forcibly trampled fill the surroundings.
Some small trees are even snapped in half.
Suddenly, Hero Claire walked with her eyes scanning the area while following Rena.
Step by step…
Something felt the same.
The exact same feeling that Hero Claire experienced.
That's right… the smell!!!
With sharp eyes, Hero Claire assessed the scent she was picking up.
The air here is filled with a very distinct aroma.
The smell of flesh.
Slime.
Blood that has long since dried.
And something that isn't fully human… but also not an ordinary monster.
The smell of half-monster males.
Very thick.
Then Hero Claire shifted her attention to Hero Tina, who was still standing in the exact same spot.
Hmm…, Hero Tina…
Tina's face was now completely shadowed, her eyes not daring to look around.
Hero Claire, seeing Tina like that, muttered.
At least… this is real…!!!
This isn't an illusion!!!
What she showed in her memory wasn't a lie…
Finally, Rena stopped walking.
Her gaze fell on a body lying on the ground in the area near the forbidden forest.
But… she was too hesitant to call out to that body.
Then Rena, with both hands tucked into her large robe pockets, muttered.
I have to make sure!!
Step by step, Rena approached that body.
Until finally, her steps stopped.
Rena couldn't speak… her lips trembled, but she still felt certain.
This… must be!!!
That body
was already very dry.
Its skin was shriveled, as if it had lost all its fluids from within. There was no blood around the corpse.
Then, loudly, Rena said.
Hero Tina, Claire!!
I-I!!!
I found Hero Anna!!
Hero Rena's voice was far from joyful. It was too heavy, but on the other hand, still steady, even though what it carried was nothing but sadness.
Hearing that, Hero Claire immediately approached her.
Then Rena quickly dropped both her knees to the ground, her hands feeling that body.
Now Rena's eyes were teary.
Hiksss
Hikss!!!
Meanwhile, Hero Tina, upon hearing Rena's words, felt her legs tremble.
She could barely stand.
On the other side, Hero Claire analyzed that body and muttered.
No fresh wounds are clearly visible.
Just an empty body… as if it had been drained until nothing remained.
Its face is hard to recognize.
Partially covered by damage and deformation.
Then Hero Claire concluded.
I need to identify its mana…
Suddenly, Rena spoke with a trembling voice, her face shadowed.
Ah….
This!
This is something Hero Claire often wore!!
Then Rena briefly glanced at the entire headless body.
Hero Anna's body was tall…
Then Rena took an object from that body.
So… I always saw her wearing this thing…
Hikss!!
Hikss!!
Hearing that, Hero Claire, who had been standing, observing and analyzing everything, startled and approached the corpse.
Ah… don't tell me??!!
The sound that came from Hero Claire was as if she was remembering something she had previously ignored!!
Quickly, Hero Claire finally—
truly looked at everything.
Finally, Hero Claire wore a shadowed face.
Damn!!!
I should have recognized it from the start!!
Quickly, Hero Claire also knelt down, but both her hands covered her face, which was beginning to shed tears.
Damn!!
I was too busy analyzing everything!!!
Even to the point of overlooking something this simple.
Damn!!!
Hikss!!
Hiks!!!
Hero Claire's voice was full of regret. Compared to Rena, Hero Claire was too calculating, even though it was already clear—both the clothing and the frequently worn object had already answered everything.
It was Hero Anna's spare hair tie!!!
The wind moved slowly past that dry body.
Thin dust rose from the clothes and already damaged armor.
And in the silence of the noon turning toward evening, the three humans had now reached what they had set out to find.
Then Hero Tina finally collapsed onto the ground.