"So, Noel, what do you want?"
"…" Noel was silent for a while. He was glancing to the left and right, seeing no change of expression.
That action was enough to tell him that everyone had realized his identity. Though, it wasn't that hard to deduce if they paid close attention to how he acted this whole time. Even Stella, who usually ended up reacting to the revelation, was silent.
It seemed that the expedition this time would be extremely dangerous.
Hence, Noel thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, this is my first time going on an expedition like this. Even I have a hard time thinking about possibilities that might occur there. However, I do have two more requests and one question."
"Let's start with the question," Clara replied without hesitation.
"Alright. The question is simple. May I know the exact location of that place? Is it near a good destination where people usually go for vacation?"
Clara frowned. The question looked weird, but since she agreed to cooperate with him, Clara said, "The location of the ruin is in the north of this kingdom, specifically near a Baron's territory. Because the baron is newly appointed due to the expansion, we shouldn't expect much from this baron.
"Also, if I have to name a good destination, then it's probably the Hot Spring."
"A Hot Spring?" Noel frowned. "What kind of Hot Spring?"
"That kind of Hot Spring where you can relax your body and mind. The area is not that far from a volcano. That's the reason why Stone Lord and Plant Lord are cooperating with us. Since the volcano is making the land fertile, the Plant Lord is to check the possibility of plant demons that are hiding inside the facility. As for the Stone Lord, he's the one taking care of stone samples.
"We have to prepare for everything, after all. Even the Fire Lord is joining this expedition… Though, he is going to the volcano instead of the facility. So, I don't include him."
"Hmm…" Noel looked down for a moment.
Rose seemed to notice Noel's intention in asking that question. She thought, 'Is he trying to delay the expedition? Anna told him to meet her father so that they could talk. And with how Anna always brought some weird information… I'm afraid that he is planning to extract some information if possible… And depending on how the conversation is going, Noel might be planning to involve the marquis. This way, the expedition will become safer.'
As Rose thought, Noel also muttered a similar thing. "I see. Then, the two requests remain unchanged. Since it's going to be a big expedition that involves a lot of parties, I think we should be a bit more careful. When do we go there? In a month?"
"No. Next week."
"Next week? Are you sure it's enough time to prepare?"
"We have been preparing a lot of things in the past two months. So, we're only waiting for all of you to return before we can move."
Noel closed his eyes for a moment before sighing. "In that case, can I ask you to mobilize a few more squads from the Demon Relief Squad? At least five more squads. Looking at the size of the expedition, we have to bring a lot more resources."
"Did you not hear about what happened to the squad when we went on an expedition?" Clara asked with a frown. "If we involved more squad, they might die. Noel… Are you trying to sacrifice them?"
"No. I can assure you that I'm not going to tell them to explore the mysterious building. I just want them to remain in the rear and erect a small base. This base has to be able to defend against a number of demons… Basically, their task is to create a small fort to be used against the demons." Noel shook his head, explaining his reason.
Even Clara had to consider this suggestion. It did make a lot of sense. The base could become a temporary home for them. As long as they fortified it a little, the people would feel safe.
Meanwhile, their Zero Squad would handle the mysterious building's investigation. This way, they had enough people to take care of the people inside the fort and handle the investigation.
Clara considered it for a moment and said, "Paul. I need you to send the message. Tell the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Squads to come to the location within a month. Since it's a dangerous mission, they have a long time limit. Make sure they have enough preparation, or they might lose their lives."
"Understood." Paul nodded with a serious expression.
Noel smiled inwardly. He managed to hold back the investigation for a month. Noel and Anna had agreed, but they didn't state the specific date. After all, it was hard to make an appointment with the current situation. Even Anna needed some time to return and tell her father about the meeting. So, Noel had to buy as much time as possible.
After some careful consideration, Noel stated his second request. "Then, can we get some say during the expedition? I mean, we are there only to check the building and understand it, right? If possible, recreate or repair the facility… But if this is the case, it means we will be there only for the labor. The command will lie in the Demon Extermination Squad's hands…"
"It's impossible. We are there to assist, not to lead, Noel." Clara shook her head without hesitation.
Noel knew about it already. So, he changed his words. "I'm just asking for a little bit… Is it possible that we can suggest some plans and have them consider them carefully?"
It wasn't a big request when Noel reworded it. Clara was also one of the strongest captains, so her words had a lot of weight on them. Forcing Shale to agree to such a condition wasn't that big of a problem.
So, Clara nodded her head. "Alright. I'll tell Shale about it. Does he know about your identity?"
"Yes."
"That's easy to make him agree then. Though, I don't think the Tower Association knows, right? We can only make some deals under the table…"
"That's fine." Noel nodded.
"Alright. I can agree to your request. For now, make your preparation before heading there."
