During the four-day journey, my colonists were met with heavy snowfall and hostile terrain. There were countless times they had to go through the uphill road.


    "Are you all right, Manu?" Seb asked the bearded man who was a few meters away from the group.


    This trip seemed to put a lot of strain on one of Manu''s legs, which did have a scar.


    "How many times have you asked that, Seb?" Manu replied while panting, was climbing up a hill full of trees. "I''m fine, just a little slower than all of you."


    "Our destination is not far away." Eric stopped right after crossing the incline. "Shall we continue our journey?"


    Leva looked up at the sky covered in lush leaves. Even though it was cloudy, there was still lighting through the leaves. "Well, it''s still early afternoon."


    "But we''re too tired, Leva." Seb said, then helped Manu up.


    "That''s what I meant." Eric continued his speech. "If we continue our journey now, we will not be able to fight optimally because we are exhausted."


    "I agree." Manu is already sitting in the snow. "We''d better rest first."


    "Then you guys get some rest." I sighed at them.


    My colonists moved from there, looking for a rather spacious area among the dense trees. After finding it, they prepared bunks for the bed as usual, while Manu made a bonfire.


    Nobody spoke.


    "There''s still a chance for us to stop and go back." Seb suddenly squeaked while making Manu''s sleeping bunk.


    My other colonists stopped what they were doing and looked at the blonde-haired man.


    Leva scratched her hair. "Go back and die you mean?"


    "Since arriving here, I''ve seen a lot of death." Seb clenched his fists. "Honestly, I can''t take it anymore. I can still quite ept that we''re the ones being attacked, but now we''re the onesing at them and going to ughter them...."


    "You''d better hide far enough away when we attack them. We''ll only get you when we''ve taken care of the bodies." Manu cuts the conversation.


    "That''s not it...." Seb started to squeeze his head. "Isn''t there another way? Do we really have to resort to violence?"


    With veins starting to appear in her neck, Leva grabbed Seb and punched him in the face, sending him crashing into the bunk he made.


    "Hey!" Eric ran over to Seb and crouched down, examining the bloody wound under his father''s eye.


    "Wake up." Leva hissed. "You think I and the others enjoy doing this? We''re all aware of the risks. We''ll have to live with guilt forever. I don''t mind if you can''t fight, but can you stop bitching? Remember, this is for you and your son too. And again, as Manu said, if you have any other ideas, say them now."


    Seb covered his wound, unable to look at the woman. "But ...."


    Before Seb could finish his sentence, Leva brought her face closer to the man. "We want to focus, Seb. Yourints are annoying and might affect us during the fight. So shut up."


    After saying that in a cold tone, Levay down in her bunk.


    "Are you all right, Dad?" Eric asked again.


    Seb was silent, staring down with his mouth open.


    "Dad?" Eric shook his parents'' bodies slowly.


    With a stiff motion, Seb turned his head to his son. A drop of tear rolled down his cheek. "I miss our home, Eric. I even miss my boring job. Why do we have to go on that expedition ship?"


    "I understand your feeling." Eric hugged his father. "At the very least, I will continue to be by your side."


    Seb hugged his son back.


    I pressed the fast-forward button. How would it feel if I was forced to follow something that waspletely against my basic principles? I do not know. Perhaps it was more painful than any physical wound.


    ***


    The fast-forward feature stops when morninges automatically after my colonists have eaten breakfast, packed up their things, and walked a few kilometers. They now stopped near arge tree. Seb sat there, mute, and draped the parka hood over his head.


    Eric crouched down in front of his father. "Just stay here, Dad. If something goes wrong, scream as loud as you can. I''lle to help."


    Seb gave a short node.


    Leaving him here alone was indeed a risk. However, if I put someone here to guard him, then the attack power of my colonists isn''t optimal.


    If I want to win, I have to take a lot of risks.


    My colonists began to creep among the trees, keeping their distance from each other. Manu took something out of his shirt and looked at it: a small bundle of leaves tied with thread in the middle.


    Devil''s tears.


    "Don''t." Leva, who was beside Manu, shook her head. "It will only damage you."


    Manu shrugged. "I will only use it when absolutely necessary."


    [Congraylham Colony]


    The text appeared in my view as we finally almost arrived at the path leading to the descent. My colonists peered through the trees.


    We saw the back of the house one and a half my colonists'' home size. The building looks more solid because the entire wall is made of bricks.


    However, what caught my attention was the people who had left the house. Just like if my ce was attacked, maybe the guardian spirits in this ce would also receive advance warning of the enemy''s arrival.


    In the game guide, I''ve read that only a few guardian spirits can do sudden raids without the other guardian spirits knowing. For example, when my colonists were attacked for the first time.


    And I''m not that kind of guardian spirit. What kept the position of my colonists from being discovered were the trees around us, which hid them quite a bit.


    Therefore, the Congraylham colonists had not moved from around the house and chose to hide in the snow mounds. Three carried rifles, one carried a pistol, and two carried a machete.


    Six, not seven as Eric said.. I know the knife-wielder must be moving on his own with his stealth skills, maybe sneaking up on the trees.