Eve Story | Judgment Fable | Ella and Yoru | Side Story: Intention Episode 1: RTB (Return to Base)

※ A side story to the fantasy novel 'Ella and Yoru'.
This is the story of the adventurer guild 'Intention'.
You can enjoy this even if you haven't read the main story.
Just defeating the enemy isn't enough to survive.
This is a story about five adventurers learning how to make 'judgments'.

"Everyone, prepare for combat."

A short command echoed through the forest.

What appeared from between the trees was a group of grotesque creatures.

Green skin.
Small bodies, about the size of children.
In their hands, they clutched crude weapons that couldn't even be called swords.

Goblins.

There were fewer than ten of them.

Though it was a small pack, it could be a sufficient threat to the pioneer village ahead.

Facing them were five well-equipped adventurers.

Despite being outnumbered, they had formed an orderly line in preparation for the battle to come.

Strong fighting spirit shone on their faces, which still retained a hint of youth.

Following the command, three of them stepped forward.

They raised their shields and lined up side by side.

The two remaining in the back readied their bows and waited silently for the signal.

Watching them from a short distance away was a red-haired woman.

She surveyed the entire battlefield, gauging the distance to the enemy.

And the moment the goblins entered range, she raised her voice.

"Engage!"

Simultaneously with the command, arrows were loosed from the back of the formation.

In contrast to the disciplined adventurers, the goblin pack advanced in a disorganized, scattered manner.

A volley of arrows pierced several of the ones leading the charge.

The goblins bled green blood and let out high-pitched shrieks.

With their red eyes gleaming, they charged at the adventurers all at once.

"Guard!"

At the red-haired woman's command, the three vanguard members reacted instantly.

They lined up their shields and crouched low.

Immediately after, a dull sound of impact rang out.

The sticks and rusted blades swung by the goblins slammed violently against the shields.

The vanguard absorbed the attacks and pushed back with their shields, using the momentum.

The moment the vanguard pinned the enemies with their shields, arrows were fired through the gaps.

The well-aimed arrows accurately pierced the goblins' heads.

"Rush!"

Again, a short command flew out.

The three vanguard members thrust their shields forward in unison, knocking the goblins back.

They drew their swords and closed the distance in one breath.

Controlled slashes rained down on the goblins without mercy.

One.

Then another.

In the blink of an eye, green bodies were rolling on the ground.

The remaining goblins, having lost their will to fight, fled into the depths of the forest while letting out high-pitched shrieks.

The vanguard adventurers stepped forward, intending to chase them down.

However, at that moment.

"RTB!"

A sharp command rang out.

The adventurers stopped in their tracks immediately.

After checking each other's faces, they turned on their heels without pursuing the fleeing goblins.

RTB.

—Return To Base.

Cease pursuit and return to formation.

It was a withdrawal order that had been drilled into them repeatedly during training.

The five adventurers jogged back and lined up in front of the red-haired woman.

"Instructor Dia. We can still fight!"

The black-haired boy who had lined up first spoke with emphasis.

Although his sword was sheathed, his hand was twitching as if he wanted to grip the hilt again immediately.

Hearing that, his companions around him wore expressions that said, 'Here we go again'.

Dia turned a sharp gaze toward the black-haired boy.

"Ryan. What was the objective this time?"

With those words, the air froze.

A moment of silence descended upon the dim forest.

"To eliminate the goblins attacking the pioneer village."

Ryan looked straight at Dia and answered.

"Then, what was the estimated total number of enemies? Where was their base?"

"..."

He couldn't answer.

Ryan clenched his fists and lowered his gaze.

"We were winning. If we had pursued them like that, we might have been able to annihilate them!"

The girl standing next to Ryan raised her voice.

She was a girl with well-defined features and long golden hair tied back.

She carried a well-worn bow on her back.

Though she still looked young, her golden eyes, which held a strong will, were striking.

"Might have...?"

Dia muttered, as if to verify her words.

"Lea. What is the one thing an adventurer must never do?"

Dia's voice was low, but there was no anger in it.

It was a voice that seemed to be waiting for the right words rather than scolding an immature answer.

"...Advancing based on assumptions."

Lea answered hesitantly.

Dia returned her expression, which had softened for just a moment, to its previous state and began to walk slowly in front of the five who were lined up.

She looked at each of them, as if checking their expressions one by one.

"Correct. This forest has not been fully explored yet. Even if you could have advanced from here, what about the retreat route ahead? What about supplies?"

Each word she threw at them sank into the forest.

"But if we do that, the village will never be safe."

The tallest young man spoke up.

He spoke calmly, with a composed expression.

Blue hair.
Light equipment wearing leather armor.

He carried a bow on his back.

"Hiro. Then, what do you think you should have done?"

"I think we should have tracked them instead of sweeping."

Hiro answered without changing his expression.

"I see. Hiro, how many arrows do you have left?"

Dia looked at the quiver hanging at Hiro's waist.

"...Three."

Hiro's expression clouded for just a brief moment.

Damn it.

His face seemed to say that.

"Three arrows. You haven't even recovered the arrows you used. And you want to enter the forest, which might be the enemy's base, just like that?"

Hiro couldn't answer.

Noticing that Dia's tone had changed, the short-haired boy hurriedly interjected.

"Instructor Dia. Ryan and Hiro didn't mean any harm by talking back, so could you please..."

"Instructor Dia?"

Reacting to how he was addressed, a deep furrow etched itself between Dia's brows.

The silver-haired girl stared at that face with sleepy eyes.

"Instructor Dia. My apologies."

She said in a flat voice, then placed her hand on the back of Mark's head, who was standing next to her.

"Mark, too."

She slowly pushed his head down.

"What are you doing, Lia?"

"Apology."

Lia's expression didn't change.

"It's necessary right now."

Mark started to lift his head, looking dissatisfied, but the moment he saw Dia's face, he obediently lowered his head again.

"Attention!"

Dia's command rang out.

The five who had been lined up straightened their posture instantly.

"Prepare for push-ups!"

At Dia's call, the five spoke in unison.

"One, two!"

At the call of 'one', everyone crouched down on the spot, and at 'two', they placed both hands and feet on the ground.

Two movements to get into the push-up position.

It was a sequence of movements they had repeated countless times in training.

Dia also took the same position in front of them.

"Start!"

With the command, the five bent their arms.

"One, two, three..."

Following Dia's count, the five continued their push-ups.

Even if someone's arms trembled.

Even if someone's hips sagged.

Dia's voice did not stop.

In the dim forest, only her counting continued to echo for a long time after that.

＊

Dusk.

Inside a tent set up near the pioneer village, the five were lying down.

Today was their first field training.

For the five members of the adventurer guild 'Intention', it was also the day their dream finally came true.

However, right now, they had no energy left to savor that joy.

Rubbing his arms that wouldn't move, Mark grumbled.

"Isn't this tougher than when we were in the city?"

"That's your fault."

Hiro answered, then lightly plucked the string of the bow he held.

"Most things are Mark's fault."

"That's an exaggeration."

"How you address her. Stick to 'Instructor'."

The silver-haired girl, Lia, said while lying face down on a simple cot.

"No, no. That's because Lia apologized..."

"It was our lack of preparation."

Lea muttered, as if to cut off Mark's words.

Her golden hair shimmered quietly in the light of the campfire.

"That was a battle we could have won."

Ryan, who had stretched his legs out near the campfire, said.

"Mark, Lia, and I could still fight. And Lea and Hiro in the back..."

"Instructor Dia was right."

Lea said, biting her lip.

"First real battle. Unknown terrain. Limited equipment. In any case, withdrawing is the right thing to do."

"But that's because there's a next time."

Ryan stared at the flickering flames.

"What if there is no next time?"

Lea's golden eyes reflected the campfire.

"Like that time..."

With a snap, a piece of firewood popped.

A moment of silence passed.

"Well, we were able to get a meal today thanks to turning back there."

Mark said in a deliberately playful tone and rubbed his stomach.

No one answered.

Mark scratched his short hair and smiled troubledly.

"We're different from back then."

The playful tone vanished from his voice.

"We're not helpless kids anymore."

Mark picked up the cloak that had been placed nearby and tossed it to Ryan.

"There's always tomorrow."

Ryan caught the cloak that flew toward him.

After widening his eyes just a little, he silently draped it over his shoulders.

Mark watched that scene, then grinned.

"So, you're on night watch tonight!"

At those words, a small laugh rose inside the tent.

＊

With a snap, the campfire popped.

Dia, who had been watching the five from a short distance away, returned her gaze to the map spread out on the desk.

The map, centered on the pioneer village, was filled with detailed notes on the surrounding terrain and sighting reports.

"Aren't you worrying too much?"

The one who spoke was a blue-haired youth holding cups in both hands.

With well-defined features and an androgynous appearance, you couldn't even tell their gender at a glance.

White steam rose slowly from the cup the youth held out.

Dia took it silently.

She held it as if wrapping it with both hands and took a slow sip.

"Hot."

The youth's mouth softened at the voice that slipped out unintentionally.

He sat down next to Dia while looking up at the night sky.

"You're still as sensitive to hot food as ever."

"Shiz. You knew that, didn't you?"

Dia glared at him.

Shiz shrugged his shoulders while still looking at the sky.

Small laughter could be heard from the tent where the five were.

Dia dropped her gaze to the map.

"I don't want to make any more mistakes..."

She set down the cup and gripped the edge of the map tightly.

"Yeah. That's why we're here."

Shiz answered quietly.

"To stop them before they make a fatal mistake."

Dia said nothing.

"But isn't it unnecessary to take away every opportunity for them to make mistakes before they even think?"

"Opportunities to make mistakes..."

Dia's eyes wavered slightly.

"Making mistakes is also an opportunity for them to think for themselves, you know."

Shiz stood up and began walking in the direction Ryan had gone for night watch.

"I'll go check on them."

Watching his back, Dia let out a small sigh.

"I wonder which one of us is the worrier."

She muttered as if exasperated and lifted the cup once more.

This time, she blew on it carefully before taking a sip.

Episode 2🔜

◾️ Ryan

◾️ Lea

◾️ Hiro

◾️ Mark

◾️ Lia