"…" Noel's expression darkened when he saw the mission. Ardagan seemed to have the ability to predict the future, so the fact that he stated they would die meant they were truly going to die.
At the same time, he could see the reward of this mission. It was rare for the system to give this much as a reward. Although it was better to give Skill Points, he realized that Ardagan was planning something with these abilities.
'The reward is big, so the problem is big. The fact that it can wipe us out… Paul has broken through to Spirit Grandmaster not long ago and the Valley Master is as strong as Captain Clara… What kind of monsters are we dealing with?'
'Now that I think about it, Peak Level Demon is equal to a high level Spirit Master or a new Spirit Grandmaster. But there is another demon above that level called Superior Demon. But this kind of demon is like our Captain…
'If Ardagan is right that this is happening because of the Supreme Devil Organization, then does that mean they have some way to tame a Superior Demon?
'Seriously? What kind of existence can tame a demon as strong as our Captain? Someone like the commander who has reached the Spirit Transcendence Level? Or there won't be any demons attacking us?'
Noel contemplated for a moment before asking, "Is it all thanks to the demon attack?"
"Huh?" Anna furrowed her eyebrows. She thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes."
She wasn't aware that this situation was caused by the Supreme Devil Organization. She only thought there would be a powerful demon that could defeat all of them, which was the superior demon.
Even if the Valley Master couldn't stop it, it was better if they could ask for a backup.
Anna asked, "Are they asking for reinforcement from other squads as well?"
Paul, who heard it, couldn't help but reply, "No. Normally, if someone asks for our assistance, they won't ask for others. After all, they must be experiencing some destruction and that will be our primary task. Besides, we also have the strength that can solve the demons. So, there's basically no need to ask other squads besides us.
"Of course, if we deem the situation too dangerous, we are free to call any nearby squads to help us. But yeah, there's no guarantee they are close enough to aid us during the battle. And I still don't understand why you have been asking these weird questions to me."
"Mhm…" Anna scratched the back of her head. "I'm not very sure about this, but isn't this mission quite dangerous?"
"What do you mean?"
"The valley master is equal to our Captain, right? Then, if we're tasked with something that even he can't handle, doesn't that mean we're in a very dangerous situation?"
Paul shook his head. "As I said earlier, with the valley master in charge of this place, our main priority is not fighting. It'll be construction. Of course, there will be a time where we have to fight since it's better for the valley master not to make his move easily, showing all our cards.
"Hence, I believe that the situation is not that dangerous, considering the valley master will act when needed."
Noel had this concern. No matter what Anna said, it would be impossible for them to convince them to bring out more reinforcement unless they had a solid reason or proof.
So, Noel had been thinking of a way to convince them. If not the help from the other squad's captain, they had to bring their own captain here.
'No, wait. A single demon like this should be crushed by the valley master, but because this is coming from the Supreme Devil Organization…' Noel gulped down. 'Don't tell me, there will be a Devil Bishop assisting them?
'Well, it's true that I can't picture them taming a Superior Demon. But what if this Superior Demon is not tamed but lured? The Devil Bishop is luring this demon to this valley…'
Noel thought for a moment and asked, "Anna. What's the specialty of Silica Valley? Is there any particular reason it has to be defended at all cost?"
"Hmm?" Anna closed her eyes for a moment, recalling all the memory.
Since Anna had a hard time thinking about it, he couldn't help but ask out loud. "Stella, is there any specialty from Silica Valley? Or is there any reason it has to be defended at all cost?"
Stella was knowledgeable, so she might have the answer.
"…" The people were confused because this was the first time Noel acted out of character.
"The entire valley is a treasure," Stella shouted back. "There is said to be an ore vein underneath the valley. That ore vein is letting out a vast amount of Spiritual Energy, enriching the land. The Valley Master is said to be using that Spiritual Energy to enhance the water running down the valley to irrigate the farm underneath.
"I don't know much, but the farm seems to be related to Spiritual Energy Research that the Valley Master conducted. If I remember correctly, the product seems to be trying to smoothen your control over Spiritual Energy. It's said one of the best crops of the year can be sold for one thousand gold coins."
"!!!" Noel widened his eyes in shock. He thought, 'Don't tell me, the Supreme Devil Organization attacked this place to take control over it? Then, the research that the Valley Master conduct will be beneficial for them?'
"What's wrong with you two? Both of you are acting weird, you know!" Stella narrowed her eyes. She wanted Noel to stay with her instead of Anna because of this.
"Well, I might be paranoid over this little thing, but everything doesn't sum up. I'm pretty sure you've heard what Anna said earlier… so, yeah, why do they actually want us to go there instead of anyone else? Is the condition so bad that they need someone to help with the construction?
"If the buildings have been ruined, doesn't that mean the Valley Master has failed to protect his own place?"
"…" Everyone suddenly fell silent. With such a strong person, there should be no problem in protecting the entire thing. But at the same time, Valley Master was only one person. He couldn't protect everything by himself, especially against so many demons. So, this kind of destruction was as expected.
Even so, Noel and Anna had been acting like this at the same time, making them wonder if they were truly afraid or they were sharp enough to find something amiss.
Paul said, "In that case, let's talk to the Valley Master first before reaching any conclusion. If it's too dangerous, I'll be asking for reinforcement immediately."
