Ulysses, what's wrong with you?

　As expected, I was curious about the situation, so I called out to her, and Ulysses quickly mended his attitude and returned to his usual demeanor.

''Oh, what's wrong?''
'What's wrong with you, you looked ...... depressed, but I knew you didn't feel confident in this job, this time?

　Dare to ask a direct question without mending.

　It would only be misleading if I asked in a far-fetched way for nothing.

　But Ulysses dismissed my concerns with a fluttering wave of his hand while smiling his usual distracted smile.

'No, no, no, no. At my age, traveling overland for three days in a row was getting to my body. If you looked depressed, I'm sure you just haven't gotten over the fatigue of yesterday and the day before.

　It's hard to deny the reasoning behind it.

　It's not only that Ulysses is older than I am, but he's also not used to hiking in mountains and dungeons on a regular basis.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you're in the marketplace.

I'm glad to hear that you're concerned about me. It's a good sign that you are paying attention to your subordinate's condition. It would be nice if everyone was like that, but that's not always possible. ......

　Ulysses lets out a long sigh.

　This time it seems that he's recalled his disgust for reasons that have nothing to do with us, which are different from this mission or the fatigue of long distance travel.

'Oops!　Do you want to make me worry even more if I look like this? I can complain about my disgusting boss endlessly, but this group is very comfortable and helpful.
I'll take that as a compliment.

　Is he saying something that isn't in his mind, or is he expressing his intention to be happy enough about the environment other than this, apart from his disappointment at not being able to make use of his abilities?

　I don't have the skill to read minds, and even if I used the 'right eye', I couldn't see into their heads, but I personally hope it's the latter.

　In terms of just the number of years he has been a knight, Ulysses is the most experienced member of the White Wolf Knights.

　It's no wonder that he's used to dealing with his superiors by wrapping his true feelings around them.

''...... At least it's true that I'm not tired, right?　There's plenty of water on this level, so can't we just pull a canal with all our might? If we use boat service, we can carry our luggage efficiently and we can travel to our destination while resting.
'I'll need to discuss that with the admin (Fraxinus) as well: ...... There may be a reason why we haven't done this before.

　Although Ulysses' expression was forming a smile, the proposal itself seemed to be rather serious.

　In the meantime, their journey through the forest had come to an end, and they were on top of the high ground overlooking the lake at their destination.

　The scene spread out below me was breathtaking.

　The mirror-like surface of the lake, which reflects the light from the ceiling, covers the edge of the horizon from this location.

　I could barely see the other side of the shore because of its elevation, but if I had seen it from the lakeside, the other side of the lake would have been below the horizon.

　Walking to the other side of the shore must have taken an hour, and to walk around on foot along the shore would have taken hours of that.

This is amazing. I didn't know it was such a big subterranean lake.

　Garnett also looked down at the foot of the high ground with admiration.

　If it was for sightseeing purposes, I would have liked to admire it to the fullest, but unfortunately, our purpose this time was different.

　Sparing the high ground for the view, we descended a gentle slope to the shore of the lake.

　Along the way, Ambrose, who had come out near the front of the pack, asked Gray a little question.

'Excuse me. Do you know how deep that lake is?
Depth?　No, ...... I hadn't heard of a detailed study of it. At least I've seen the stupid big Serpent swimming around.
'I see. Commander Luke, perhaps we could even engage with an aquatic demon. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to be vigilant.
'Yeah, ......, we've got to take on whatever comes up.

　Ambrose's specialty is human body modification using monsters and demonic beasts - the difference between the wild species that live in dungeons and the artificial life generated from medallions at the core - and he is very good at it.

　Therefore, I have a wealth of knowledge about demons from a different angle than adventurers, and they can give me some helpful opinions.

　This time, I can say that it's a form of reinforcement of a possibility that I had also considered from the beginning, but from an expert's standpoint.

...... Now that we've finally arrived at ......, let's get on with it and go to the coordinates you gave us.

　As soon as I arrived at the lakeside, I decided to quickly accomplish the purpose of coming here.

　The waterway provided by the demon king's army that leads from the second level to the third level - that's why it exists in this lake, but even though I know the general location, I don't know what exactly the surroundings are.

　Therefore, we will actually go to the site to collect information, and if necessary, we will prepare assistance with civil engineering work and sophisticated technology so that the raiding operation can proceed smoothly - that is the purpose of this expedition.

　No matter how unusual the environment was, there was no reason to prioritize anything else.

''Ulysses, can you take care of it?''
"Sure, sure. If you're going to be rushing in now, but it's not too much of a decline to be trifling with just looking around. It's a small boat, but you can leave it to me as if I were on a big boat.

　Ulysses then proceeded to the lakeside and activated his one and only skill in Green Hollow.

''Well then, please be careful. It's a summoning skill, so when it comes out, splashes of water will splash out flamboyantly!