"Everyone, fall in!" Geldbarun's booming voice cut through the campsite as Iris and Rory stepped up behind him.
Instantly, the soldiers scrambled into their designated ranks and snapped a crisp salute toward their commanders.
"At ease," Geldbarun barked, stepping back to let the First Princess take the floor. "Iris-sama, your battalion is fully prepared."
Iris offered a firm nod and stepped forward, her regal gaze sweeping over the sea of armored soldiers.
"Listen up. We are heading into highly dangerous territory. I expect every single one of you to remain absolutely vigilant and sound out the moment you catch sight of the enemy. This is a direct order. That is all. Recon battalion... move out!"
"YES, YOUR PRINCESS!"
The air vibrated as the soldiers saluted in unison before splitting into their tactical squads, marching straight into the treacherous zone where the anomalous dungeon core had been detected.
Iris turned to the captain. "Geldbarun, take command of the main unit and bring Rory along with you. Keep me updated the very second anything changes."
"Understood, ma'am," Geldbarun nodded, quickly ushering a grinning Rory toward the vanguard.
Turning to her personal detachment, Iris commanded, "You three, on me. Let's go."
"Yes, Iris-sama!" Coil, Suzu, and Jula replied in unison, falling into a tight formation behind her.
As the main military unit sliced through the thick forest lines to locate the nearby wreckage, Iris and her elite squad split off, navigating a different path through the dense, shadowed trees.
Iris's hand instinctively gripped the hilt of the sheathed weapon at her hip, her senses heightened and completely standing by for an ambush.
"Jula, do you detect any immediate danger?" Iris asked softly into the quiet woods.
Before the assassin could answer, both paths converged.
The main unit and Iris's squad successfully breached the heart of the ruins at the exact same time. There, buried beneath the shattered, fallen stone pieces of a completely destroyed building, sat the pulsing dungeon core.
"It seems we have reached the location," Iris murmured, her eyes locking onto the glowing anomaly.
Geldbarun quickly rushed to her side, awaiting further instructions. "Geldbarun, is there anything unusual to report?" Iris asked.
"No, ma'am. Everything appears quiet," Geldbarun replied, scanning the perimeter.