Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1963: Different biomes (1)

Once my mind was made up, I didn't hesitate for a single second.

"Young master, we really should turn back," Klein urged, his voice heavy with concern from behind me.

Since the moment I stepped into Death Valley, the royal guards had naturally followed, though they spent every moment attempting to persuade me to retreat.

By now, I had become quite skilled at tuning them out after everything we had endured together.

It wasn't a lack of respect for my guards; rather, I simply understood what was truly important. At least, that was the justification I used while doing my best to ignore their pleas.

Death Valley covered a massive expanse, yet from this particular town, only a single entrance provided access. Despite the valley's vastness, there were very few points of entry that allowed one to actually step inside.

However, once we crossed the threshold, we were greeted by a maze of diverging trails.

Judging by the footprints and marks left in the dirt, it was obvious that every one of these routes had been traversed before.

The mercenaries who utilized this entrance had clearly scouted every possible direction available here.

For sellswords driven by coin, such thoroughness was only to be expected.

In the pursuit of a little extra profit, they might not even blink at the loss of a few comrades' lives.

Thus, it was only natural that every path had been previously mapped out by them.

The difficulty lay in the fact that we had no clue where any of these specific trails led.

While I had questioned the mercenaries about the terrain within Death Valley and they had shared some experiences, they weren't about to divulge every secret they possessed.

To these men, their secret routes were the primary means of extracting wealth from this desolate place.

It made perfect sense that they would withhold the exact directions to the locations they had described.

The only certainty I had was that these paths would eventually lead to the landmarks they mentioned.

Rather than attempting to solve the puzzle alone, I glanced back at Klein and the others, asking, "Well? Which direction do you suggest we take?"

Predictably, their immediate response was...

"We should turn around and depart from this place immediately."

I simply dismissed that initial reply and waited for them to provide a practical suggestion. Realizing I wouldn't budge, Klein and his men were forced to take the situation seriously and began inspecting the surroundings.

These royal guards were elite specialists trained for exactly this, making it easy for them to identify tracks and signs of passage. They quickly determined which paths saw the most traffic and which remained largely untouched.

The efficiency with which they analyzed the ground was honestly quite remarkable.

After finishing their assessment, they offered a sincere recommendation.

"This is the trail we should follow. It bears the heaviest concentration of tracks, and they aren't from random individuals. It appears several distinct groups use this route consistently. That suggests it is the safest passage available to us," Klein reported with meticulous detail.

It was evident that the royal guards had realized that since they couldn't stop me, they had no choice but to cooperate.

I nodded in approval at his analysis before declaring, "Very well, we shall proceed down that path."

Though surprised by my quick agreement, Klein and the guards stepped forward, stating, "Allow us to scout ahead first."

I didn't hinder them, as I already knew the way ahead was clear of immediate danger. This wasn't due to memories from my previous life, but rather the keen mana sense I possessed.

Therefore, I was perfectly happy to let them take the lead.

In fact, this was exactly why I wanted them along.

By involving them in my actions instead of constantly fighting their protests, we could finally function as a unit instead of them incessantly begging me to go home.

Led by Klein and the royal guards, it didn't take us long to reach our first destination.

The site was exactly as one of the mercenary bands had described.

We had found a hidden oasis.

A sizeable pond sat at the center, surrounded by a vibrant display of lush vegetation.

These were no ordinary plants; they were magnificent specimens. The faint ripples of mana radiating from them proved they were specialized magic plants.

Some branches were heavy with fruit that leaked mana, indicating they were rare mana-infused fruits.

Such treasures were highly sought after not only by mages but also by knights, who required mana to temper their physical bodies. There was no question that such produce would fetch a high price on the open market.

Given the intensity of the mana being emitted by some of the fruit, I could tell there were specimens here worthy of a high-end auction.

The potential for massive profit from an auction house was undeniable.

However, upon closer inspection, signs of human presence were visible throughout the area.

These were likely defenses or markers left by the mercenaries to safeguard the location.

It was perfectly logical for them to protect this place, considering it served as their primary source of income.