A few hours later, the military caravan finally neared its destination, the heavy tires eating up the rugged terrain as the ancient ruins and a dense forest materialized in the distance.
"Iris-sama! Iris-sama!" one of the lookouts shouted, his voice cracking with urgency as he called for orders.
Hearing the soldier's frantic call, Iris shifted in her seat and peered out the window. "What is it?! What did you spot?!" she called back loudly.
The soldier pointed out toward the rapidly approaching horizon. "Your orders, ma'am!" he requested.
Pulling herself back into the armored cabin, Iris unhooked her communication device and keyed the master channel.
"Recon battalion, completely halt our advance. I repeat. Recon battalion, completely halt advance." Following her swift command, Iris's transport and the rest of the heavy vehicles came to a screeching halt, dust pluming around the tires.
Almost immediately, one of the officers hopped out of his vehicle and marched directly toward Iris's car.
Knock, knock.
The crisp sound of knuckles rapping against the light metal door echoed. Iris threw the door open, hopping out onto the dirt road. The officer quickly dropped to one knee before her, lowering his head.
"Iris-sama, I am the captain of this battalion, Geldbarun," the man introduced himself.
He looked to be in his thirties, sporting a unique blend of red-and-blue hair with sharp eyes that mirrored Commander Jold's gaze.
"Understood, Geldbarun," Iris ordered firmly, her regal posture returning. "Get your men to check the perimeter immediately and ensure the area is entirely free of monsters. This is an official order."
Geldbarun snapped to his feet and delivered a crisp salute. "It is considered done!"
Firmly gripping his standard-issue rifle his physical frame already thrumming with his active Enchant ability, he turned back toward the idling caravan.
"You there! Get your ass over here, I'm giving orders right now!" he barked, appointing one of his lieutenants to carry out the deployment.
"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant saluted sharply before running off to execute the commands.
Turning back to Iris, Geldbarun bowed slightly, a sudden thought crossing his mind. "What about Princess Rory, ma'am?"
Iris glanced back into the cabin at Rory, who had somehow managed to sleep through the entire bumpy journey.
"Don't worry about her," Iris assured the captain with a small smile. "She needs to conserve that energy for the fight later on."
"If you say so, Iris-sama," Geldbarun replied, politely taking back the question.