Chapter 293: Countermeasures.

At Ace's warning, Shu Li immediately looked toward Kumandi.

The only thing likely to attract thieves was the thirty bottles of altitude-sickness potion Kumandi had sold earlier that day.

Potions like those were essential supplies for anyone climbing snowy mountains. Kumandi's were simply more effective than most, allowing him to earn 1,200 gold coins at the right time and place. Unfortunately, that had also attracted unwanted attention.

They really had been careless, forgetting the old rule about never flaunting one's wealth.

They want to rob us? Hah! Let's see if they've got what it takes.

Shu Li sneered inwardly, then said, "After dinner, let's put some defenses in place."

"Mm." Ace picked up a wooden bowl and helped serve the soup.

Naturally, Moresy and Seidler had noticed the same thing Ace had.

They were experienced adventurers, after all. One glance was usually enough to tell whether someone harbored malicious intentions toward them.

However, neither had warned the Light Squad.

Before yesterday, they would have anxiously cautioned the youngsters to be careful. But after witnessing the hundred-member adventuring party and the mercenary group suffer such a humiliating setback overnight, they had decided to wait and see.

Greenhorns needed to experience a few setbacks before they could become cautious veterans.

Only by growing stronger through adversity could they develop the ability to overcome whatever obstacles lay ahead.

If they stepped in to help this time, what would happen next time?

Thus, when they noticed other adventurers eyeing Kumandi's storage pouch, they said nothing, leaving the Light Squad to discover the danger for themselves.

Ace and Shu Li's conversation had reached Moresy's exceptionally sharp ears without a word being missed.

A knowing smile spread across his face.

He was looking forward to seeing how these youngsters handled the situation.

Hopefully, they wouldn't disappoint him.

Of course, if things went wrong, neither he nor Seidler would stand idly by.

Dinner was a lavish affair.

Shu Li's vegetable egg-drop soup received unanimous praise, with everyone drinking two bowls. There were also the indispensable crisp, sweet wheat flatbreads, along with roasted meat, toasted bread, and fresh fruit.

For adventurers traveling through the wilderness, such an evening meal was positively extravagant.

Neither Seidler nor Moresy was particularly fussy about food. When adventuring, they generally tried to save money wherever possible.

This time, thanks to the Light Squad, they had enjoyed a delicious meal that left them wishing for more.

The vegetable egg-drop soup was especially wonderful.

As a human who had sampled delicacies from many different countries, Seidler had never imagined that combining eggs and vegetables could produce such a flavorful soup.

Shu Li wasn't surprised that everyone had eagerly finished every last drop.

This adventure would last quite a while, so he'd prepared plenty of food, choosing ingredients that were nutritious and easy to cook.

The vegetable egg-drop soup, for instance, had been inspired by the vegetable and egg soup from his previous world.

Vegetables preserved through magic were easy to store and convenient to carry. They could be cooked or simply rehydrated in hot water, making them essential provisions for adventurers.

After dinner, Shu Li gathered his teammates around the campfire and quietly cast a light-element soundproofing magical formation.

Then he called a brief meeting.

When the others learned that thieves had set their sights on Kumandi because of his potion sales, they were furious.

"Looks like they didn't learn enough from yesterday's lesson," Angel remarked.

"Should we have Falm scare them again tonight?" Dixio suggested.

Falm, who was crouching beside the campfire gnawing on a piece of fruit, twitched its ears.

"No." Shu Li rejected the suggestion. "We can't pull the same trick twice. People might start getting suspicious."

The adventurers coveting Kumandi's possessions weren't limited to the hundred-member party and the mercenary group. Some belonged to the other adventuring parties as well.

If every group suffered another disturbance while the Light Squad alone remained unharmed, the truth would be painfully obvious.

"Then what should we do?" Budno asked.

He wanted a good night's sleep, but he also wanted to teach those thieves a lesson.

Shu Li thought for a moment.

"Here's what we'll do..."

He explained his plan to the others, who nodded repeatedly in approval.

Seidler's gaze drifted toward Shu Li's wrist, settling on the exquisite gold bracelet encircling it.

So that's a high-ranking magical artifact capable of creating illusions.

Even he and Moresy didn't possess anything like it. In fact, it was doubtful that even a Saint Mage would necessarily own such a treasure.

It seemed these youngsters really weren't ordinary mountain villagers.

Shu Li noticed Seidler's questioning gaze but felt no need to hide anything.

Since they were adventuring together, they were all in the same boat. When necessary, he would have to reveal some of his true abilities.

Once the meeting ended, Shu Li quietly dispelled the soundproofing magical formation.

Falm would once again be the only magical beast standing guard that night.

The sleeping arrangements, however, underwent a slight adjustment.

Shu Li switched places with Hector.

Since the thieves were targeting Kumandi, and Shu Li needed to activate the Phanis Ring, he had to share a tent with Kumandi.

He could have switched with Ace instead, or asked Kumandi to move into his tent.

But Hector had been the first to volunteer for the exchange.

After a moment's hesitation, Shu Li agreed.

Although sleeping beside Ace often gave him strange dreams, it should be fine with Kumandi between them.

Hector broke into a delighted smile when the exchange was confirmed.

This is wonderful!

Only heaven knew how miserable he'd been last night!

Sharing a tent with two quiet, unsociable people had nearly driven him mad from boredom.

When everyone began retiring for the night, he happily made his way toward Dixio and Angel's tent.

Shu Li watched him practically skip away and blinked.

Isn't Hector a little too happy about this?

Oblivious to the questioning gaze behind him, Hector ducked into the tent, removed his fur coat, and threw himself onto the soft bedding with a long sigh of relief.

Angel gave him a curious look.

"What's with you?"

Hector grinned. "Nothing, nothing! Oh, by the way, what were you guys talking about last night? You sounded like you were having a great time."

Dixio replied, "Nothing much! We were just massaging each other's legs."

"That's all?" Hector looked unconvinced.

Angel stroked his chin, his eyes shifting thoughtfully.

"I think we also mentioned something about Sperien and Ace discussing love and relationships."

Hector's eyes widened in astonishment.

For a moment, he wondered whether he'd heard correctly.

"Sperien and Ace are... d-dating?"

His voice rose involuntarily.

Realizing how loudly he'd spoken, he hurriedly covered his mouth, worried that someone in the neighboring tent might overhear.

"What?" Dixio said. "Angel said Sperien and Ace were talking about dating."

"That's what I heard. Sperien and Ace are dating." This time, Hector lowered his voice.

"They were talking about dating," Angel clarified, carefully separating the words.

At last, Hector understood.

He gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Uh... I misheard."

Dating and talking about dating were two completely different things.

"So why were they talking about... dating?" Hector asked, still puzzled.

"Because of Seidler and Moresy!" Dixio replied.

Once Hector heard the whole story, he awkwardly rubbed his nose, lifted his blanket, and lay down.

So Sperien and Ace had been discussing love in connection with Seidler and Moresy's romantic relationship.

But as far as Hector knew, Sperien was still an underage Little Fairy.

Why would Ace discuss his views on love with an underage Little Fairy?

Hector closed his eyes, his thoughts racing.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.

He shot upright.

No way!

"What's wrong?"

Angel and Dixio, who were massaging each other's legs, nearly jumped in fright.

Hector turned toward them.

Seeing their innocent faces, he opened his mouth, then closed it again and collapsed back onto his bedding in defeat.

"Nothing. I'm going to sleep."

Having stumbled upon Ace's secret, he found it almost impossible to bring himself to say it aloud.

And with two underage Little Fairies beside him, discussing such a subject was even more inappropriate.

Argh! Knowing such juicy gossip and not being able to talk about it is torture!

Angel and Dixio exchanged bewildered looks.

Seeing Hector close his eyes with a deeply conflicted expression, they shrugged and resumed their massages.

Meanwhile, in Shu Li's tent, all three occupants had removed their fur coats and were sitting cross-legged on the bedding.

"How do you activate the illusion?" Ace asked, his emerald-green eyes resting gently on Shu Li.

Kumandi glanced at him.

Ace's mood was incomparably better tonight than it had been yesterday.

The oppressive atmosphere surrounding him had vanished, replaced by an almost unbelievable gentleness.

Was it because of Sperien?

"By combining it with a magical formation."

Shu Li shook his wrist, displaying the Phanis Ring.

"Originally, all I had to do was channel magical power into it to create an instant illusion. But over the past two years, I've modified the way it works a little."

Ever since returning from the Woba Grand Canyon, he'd upgraded the Phanis Ring, which had counteracted the Demon Lord's nightmare, adding a function that allowed it to be triggered through a magical formation.

In effect, he'd turned it into a passive trap that waited for unsuspecting victims to walk straight into it.

Shu Li channeled magical power into the Phanis Ring.

A beam of light shone from the bracelet, and an intricate magical formation emerged above it.

Shu Li pushed the formation upward with his hand.

In the blink of an eye, it expanded and disappeared into the air.

"All done! I've set up the magical formation around our camp. The moment any thieves approach, they'll trigger the illusion. And then..."

He flashed a mischievous grin.

"They're going to have a night they'll never forget."

With that, he swiftly claimed the leftmost sleeping spot, lifted his blanket, and lay down.

"Now we can sleep peacefully!"

"Mm."

Kumandi turned around and chose the spot on the far right.

Shu Li froze.

He watched helplessly as Ace settled into the middle.

Wait...

This isn't how I imagined it!

Why didn't Kumandi take the middle spot?

Shu Li gazed pleadingly at Kumandi, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.

"What's wrong?"

Ace propped himself up on one arm and looked down at him, asking gently.

"Uh... Nothing."

Inside Shu Li's mind, his miniature self was on the verge of tears, miserably biting a tiny handkerchief in frustration.

Seeing Shu Li pull his blanket up to cover half his little face, a flicker of amusement passed through Ace's eyes.

He lay down.

The three of them had separate blankets, so they wouldn't disturb one another. At least it wasn't as awkward as the last time they'd shared a bed at the inn.

Shu Li relaxed a little, snuggled deeper into his blanket, and mumbled, "Good night."

"Good night," Ace replied softly.

Kumandi turned his head and estimated the distance between himself and Ace.

His brows drew together.

Wasn't Ace lying a little too close to Sperien?

Seeing that both of them had already closed their eyes, Kumandi said nothing and silently lay down.

The Light Squad retired early, and their camp soon fell quiet.

The adventurers who had been plotting against them exchanged sinister smiles.

Greenhorns, through and through!

Not a shred of caution among them.

In the hundred-member adventuring party's camp, Deputy Captain Yose gloated, "Looks like we're in for a good show tonight."

Nasak took a swig of strong liquor and rose to return to his tent.

"Tell those lads not to go overboard. Don't kill anyone."

It wasn't out of kindness.

He simply didn't want to lose useful fighting strength so early in the journey.

Besides, that Dark Elf was not someone to provoke lightly.

"Got it, got it. Don't worry, Captain." Yose rubbed his hands together eagerly. "As long as they don't put up a fight, we'll go easy on them."

Nasak waved a hand and ducked into his tent.

The night grew deeper, and silence settled over the entire campsite.

When the second half of the night arrived, more than a dozen figures slipped out of their tents and crept toward the Light Squad's camp, keeping their bodies low.

Although they belonged to different adventuring parties, they had already reached a secret agreement.

They wouldn't interfere with one another.

Whoever succeeded would keep whatever they managed to take.

And their target wasn't merely the boy who had sold the potions.

It was the entire Light Squad.