MLCIEF 05

Chapter 5

In any case, it had been a good decision for all the survivors to leave the shore and enter the jungle.

If they had stayed there, their body temperature would have dropped too quickly to withstand the strong sea wind.

Fortunately, they soon found a shallow cave near the entrance of the jungle and were able to take shelter inside.

Also, Theodore Parhan and his secretary had managed to recover some food bags that had drifted ashore while searching along the coast.

They dried them and tried to start a fire at the cave entrance to keep wild animals away.

Theodore placed a long wooden stick upright against a flat board and spun it quickly.

Before long, smoke appeared.

With strong force and friction, sparks formed, and he gently blew on them to grow the flame.

He looked very skilled at camping, like someone used to life on the battlefield.

But as a noble commander, he must have always had supplies and attendants with him.

After watching for a moment, Alice hesitated, then walked toward him, swaying slightly.

This was about survival—worrying about being exposed was foolish.

She casually stepped closer and threw pieces of coconut fiber into the fire.

The flames immediately grew stronger.

She had shredded them earlier with her jackknife.

Theodore lifted his eyes slightly and looked at her.

Avoiding his cold gaze, Alice cleared her throat awkwardly and placed both hands on her waist, emphasizing her belly.

“If you tear coconut fiber along the grain and add it, each piece can burn for over an hour. With this much, the fire should last until dawn.”

The Count studied her for a moment and asked directly,

“Do you have experience camping?”

His voice was low and smooth.

Very different from how he had spoken to her in the plaza.

“Well… just a little.”

Alice casually stroked her swollen belly and looked around the cave, now slightly visible in the firelight.

It wasn’t much of a cave, but she felt like if their eyes met, her identity would be exposed.

Still, she could feel his gaze lingering on her, so she added nervously,

“The rainy season seems close. We should move quickly before it starts.”

“Where were you all heading?”

The pickpocket, who had introduced himself as Jeffrey, kept asking questions anxiously.

“We were on our way back to the Iterion Empire.”

“Ah, that’s good. We’re all from the Empire then. Haha, blessings of the goddess…! I thought maybe the sea goddess had cursed us, but since we survived, let’s call it a blessing!”

After rambling for a while, Jeffrey asked again with a worried face,

“Do you think we can really get out of here alive?”

The Atis Jungle, known as the “Bottomless Pit of Deep Green,” was infamous across the continent.

Just the fact that it remained undeveloped between two nations proved how dangerous it was.

Jeffrey then found out that Alice and Martin were detectives and became overly excited.

“You’re detectives? That’s amazing! I knew you were different somehow. Even in a situation like this, it’s an honor.”

It seemed he believed detectives had better survival skills than ordinary people.

“…Yes.”

Still uneasy, Jeffrey tried to act even more familiar.

He seemed to have mistaken Martin for the detective and Alice as his wife.

“So, when you take a case, do you investigate everything? Haha, these days detective offices are popping up everywhere in the capital. It used to be work for back-alley guilds, but now they proudly operate in the main streets. Do you know how they made it there? By earning a lot of money, of course. Mostly from investigating noble affairs, right? If I could read, I would’ve become a detective too…”

Alice immediately frowned and cut him off.

“We don’t do that. We track stolen goods and return them.”

“Uh, sis, you did that once though—finding that viscount’s lover’s house… we did surveillance for three days—”

“…”

At Alice’s sharp glare, Martin shut his mouth.

But since their conversation continued in the narrow cave, a loud shout soon came from Kettler, the Marquis lady’s guard.

“Be quiet. The lady is uncomfortable. Do you have no sense in a situation like this?”

They clearly disliked the presence of lower-class passengers in the same cave.

Jeffrey lowered his voice and muttered,

“They act like they own the place just because they’re nobles. Did they pay rent for this cave or something? …Wait, is that food?”

Indeed, Theodore Parhan was taking out dried food supplies.

Instantly, silence fell over Alice’s group.

They hadn’t eaten anything all day.

They had forgotten hunger due to shock—but now it hit them all at once.

Alice could even feel her stomach growling beneath the fake belly.

Kettler noticed their gaze and whispered something to the Count.

It seemed like he was suggesting not to share the food.

‘Tch, how stingy.’

Alice had planned to find food herself starting tomorrow.

‘What’s wrong with sharing a little now?’

She clicked her tongue and gently rubbed her belly, as if protecting a baby.

I look like a pregnant woman… and still they won’t give anything?

But Kettler avoided looking at her, clearly unwilling to travel with a pregnant woman.

That’s why it was even more surprising when Theodore’s secretary approached them and handed over canned food.

“The Count said to share this with you.”

“T-thank you.”

Meanwhile, Kettler looked displeased, as if something had been taken from him.

Even though the food had been recovered by the Count himself.

He clearly divided the survivors into nobles and worthless lower-class passengers.

Alice, however, gratefully accepted the food.

There was no guarantee of finding food in the jungle.

Sharing food in a situation like this… was risking one’s life.

So she felt genuinely thankful.

Her opinion of Count Parhan changed slightly.

From a ruthless and cold man—

To just a somewhat ruthless man.

After everyone finished eating, they began thinking about what to do next.

Martin whispered,

“Sis, should we stay with those nobles or move separately? Since they’re knights, wouldn’t it be safer to follow them?”

Jeffrey, listening nearby, showed hesitation.

Just looking at the Count made him feel terrified.

“Well, even if they’re knights, they’ve lost their swords. What can they do in a jungle like this? Even if they had weapons, they’d probably cut us down rather than protect us.”

But Alice thought differently.