Chapter 135: Lambda, The Gentle Guardian

By the time Kuzunoha and I arrived at the temporary bastion where Verina and others had been relocated, the world was still draped in darkness and maddening moonlight.The spiraling moon hung low, casting silvery light over the surroundings. The forest had a haunting quiet, except for the occasional rustle of wind through the damp trees and the distant sounds of nocturnal creatures moving about.

The Ordeal seemed to be in its timely hibernation.

From afar, I could see that my people had set up their camp in the aftermath of the flood that had destroyed the original bastion, constructing makeshift shelters and watch posts with whatever materials were at hand. Lanterns flickered here and there, casting long shadows that danced in the night.

"This is where we part with Narcissus for a bit," Kuzunoha whispered with a mischievous smile as we approached the edge of the encampment. "You're not Narcissus anymore. From this point on, you're Lambda, my… long-time acquaintance."

She grinned as if amused by her own theatrics.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but grin back. "Lambda it is. And I'll let you do the talking."

"Of course, as it is within my expertise~"

The moment we stepped into the light of the camp, all heads turned toward us. Verina was the first to spot us.

Floating in the air, her sharp violet eyes widened slightly as they swept over me—her leader, yet unrecognizable in this form.

Kuzunoha, with her typical confident stride, addressed the camp after we arrived at the center of the encampment.

With my slightly unkind face and cold gaze, I had my psionic charm to be converted into that of overwhelming dread and menacing flare.

And since my psionic charm had been reduced in terms of effectiveness by Kuzunoha, everyone seemed to connect the dots in a beneficial way for my incognito.

"Everyone, allow me to introduce someone very special—this is Lambda, an old acquaintance of mine." She gestured toward me with a flourish. "She'll be helping us out for the foreseeable short future, until we have Narcissus finished with her busy handling... delicate matters elsewhere."

There was a moment of silence, the recruits sizing me up, clearly wondering who I was and how I fit into the equation. My towering figure, along with the apparel I was adorned in, didn't exactly exude the subtlety of a humble visitor. I wasn't sure what sort of first impression I was giving, but I decided to play it domineering yet minimal.

The image of a powerful yet gentle giant came to my mind, which I tried to emulate with my current acting skill.

Verina approached us, her usual deadpan expression firmly in place, though I noticed a flicker of confusion in her eyes. "A pleasure to meet you, Lambda." Her voice was even, calm, despite the slight tension in the air. "Kuzunoha, are there any specific instructions we should follow regarding our new... ally? Assuming that this is part of Narcy's will and order."

Kuzunoha's eyes twinkled with amusement. "For now, just consider Lambda an observer. She's here to guarantee our safety, but otherwise, she'll stay out of the daily operations. No need for formalities, Verina."

"Unsurprisingly, your acquaintance kinda fits the image that I have of you."

She was basically saying that I was equally as eccentric as my parasal-twirling secretary.

"She is only here with us for a while." Kuzunoha playfully sneered. "Her presence here is nothing but a coincidence, and she is also seeking something to consume before she resumes her journey."

"Understood," Verina replied, giving me a nod of respect before retreating back to her previous position. "Coincidentally, we're brimming with ration. I hope that you may find comfort in our humble struggle to make it through the night, Lambda."

"Likewise," I replied as I tried my best to lower the tone of my voice.

Regardless, Kuzunoha had reported that these folks was already informed of our glorious victory against the Qliphoth Object. Because of that, their moods and morale were quite high despite my sudden introduction.

I also heard that they were planning to throw a party after I returned as their powerful and reliable leader.

Which, made me quite happy to know that they were already this considerate of me despite our short-time with one another.

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And thus, I began my assimilation as a guest of my own bastion until Kuzunoha finished her experiment to allow me to switch between my normal and Valtherion form at will.

And after around the 15 minutes mark, my low-influencing psionic aura began to wane in their image, allowing them to get comfortable with my presence.

I caught a glance from Kara, the stocky ex-brawler. There was no fear in her gaze, but rather a curious challenge. "Lambda, huh?" she said, her voice low and gravelly. "Without even seeing your prowess with my own eyes, you're actually an incredibly strong person, am I right?"

"I get by," I said casually, meeting her eyes with a small smirk.

Kara chuckled, her gaze lingering on me for a moment longer before she shrugged and walked off to help with a pile of supplies.

Nearby, Yora, the former scout, observed me from a distance, her green eyes flicking nervously between me and Kuzunoha. She seemed less inclined to approach, perhaps sensing the overwhelming aura I was unintentionally giving off. I offered her a polite nod, which caused her to blush and quickly turn her gaze elsewhere.

Erika, the petite Deowl healer, was another one who kept her distance. Her wide, owl-like eyes darted in my direction every few seconds as she worked on setting up the available medical supplies, her talons delicately picking up items from her pouch. When our eyes finally met, she squeaked and fumbled with a container filled with herbs, nearly dropping it.

"Easy," I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

Erika stiffened but managed to place the container safely on the ground before giving me a shaky thumbs-up. Adorable, but skittish.

Callista, the sly half-Darrack, sauntered up next, her gaze openly appreciative. "Lambda, was it? I'm Callista," she said, giving me a mischievous grin as her eyes flicked over my form with shameless curiosity. "I must say, you've got quite the presence. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're hiding something wonderful." She winked, clearly trying to get a rise out of me.

I raised an eyebrow. "You'll find I'm full of surprises."

"Oh, I like surprises." Her grin widened. "I also like what I see."

Before she could continue with her degeneracy, Amelia, the ex-mercenary, approached with her usual air of discipline. Her sharp blue eyes briefly assessed me before she saluted. "Lambda, it's good to have you with us." Unlike the others, her greeting was short and professional, though I could see the gears turning in her mind, trying to place who—or what—I really was.

I nodded back. "The honor is mine."

Naosi, the weaponsmith, barely spared me a glance. She was busy building defenses in the bastion parameter—her silverish hair tied back to keep it from getting in her way. "Nice to meet you, hope we can get along~" she muttered without looking up, clearly more interested in her work than formalities.

I wasn't offended—she seemed the type to prioritize practicality over politeness.

Finally, Lydia, the sharp-eyed strategist, stepped forward. Her gray eyes locked onto mine with a calculating gaze.

"Lambda," she said smoothly, her voice carrying a note of intrigue. "I look forward to work with you in this temporary collaboration"

"Likewise," I responded, keeping my expression neutral. She was definitely sizing me up, though for what purpose, I couldn't yet tell.

With that, the crew went on with their own business, each of them casting occasional glances in my direction as they went about their tasks. For one, Verina lingered for a moment, her violet eyes still slightly narrowed in thought before she turned and acted as the temporary leader of this bastion.

The only person that I didn't interact with at all was Sera, the auburn-haired forager with a secret personality to her.

She seemed to be intentionally avoiding me.

"Well," Kuzunoha said once they were all out of earshot, "I'd say that went smoothly."

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"I'd call it decent," I replied, watching the recruits disappear into the night. "I think I'll have to work harder to keep them from connecting the dots."

Kuzunoha smirked. "Don't worry, darling. With how distracted they are by your new look, I doubt they'll suspect a thing."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's hope you're right."