《The Undying Berserker - A LITRPG/Cultivation Adventure》


 Chapter 01 - A Silent Boy

    When he got up from his bed, the night sky gave room to the blue of a new day. He stared at nothing for a couple of seconds and then felt his back getting itchy. While scratching it, he turned around and saw some insects moving on the straw-covered bed. He stepped on them silently while grunting in annoyance.


    He crossed the large room that he was in silently. The place was filled with straw beds, and a lot of people like him were still there sleeping. They were so exhausted that they weren¡¯t moving a single inch.


    After opening the door of the building, the cold wind made some of the people inside tremble, so he quickly left and closed the door. He began to tremble a bit outside, but soon, he warmed up his hands and his body by moving a bit. Then he checked his hands.


    ¡°I am ready for another day.¡±


    He was around five inches tall or 155 centimeters tall. He had the face of a ten-year-old kid, even though his hands were rough and filled with callouses. Unlike most of the kids in the building, he was decently built since he had the chance to find some extra food while he was working. As such, he had grown well and healthy in the last ten years.


    After walking for fifty meters, he reached a well and then moved a bucket to grab some of the cold water at the bottom of it. He drank a bit and also washed his face, revealing his short brown hair and green eyes with greater clarity. His features were fine, unlike his origin¡­


    His name was Zelos, and he was a slave boy and a war orphan. Although he had never met his parents, he never missed them that much. The reason for that was a bit confusing; he had this idea that something was wrong with his head¡­ whenever he slept, he would have dreams of another person¡¯s life in another place very different from his current one. Unfortunately, everything was blurry in those dreams, but at least they made him be more aware of himself and what he had to do. Thanks to that, for many years, he had been working hard to reach the day he would be able to buy his freedom in one way or the other.


    After following his morning routine, Zelos took the road on his left side and followed the path that led to the closest hill, five hundred meters away. There, he found a large warehouse guarded by some tall men armed with sharp and glowing spears. They looked at him for a moment while he didn¡¯t avoid their gaze.


    ¡°The ax?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    The guard opened the entrance of the place, and soon Zelos entered it and soon left while carrying an ax that was half of his size and pretty heavy as well. The guards couldn¡¯t help but stare at him in silence while he disappeared into the distance. Zelos was the only one on that farm who woke up every day by himself and followed his duties without delay. He was also the healthiest one, despite the fact that he had to do one of the hardest jobs¡­ chopping trees and moving them out of the forest.


    Over the years, they made fun of him, but soon, Zelos gained their respect despite being a slave, thanks to his work ethic and nonchalant attitude. Nothing bothered him. He was as cold as steel in the winter.


    While carrying the ax on his right shoulder, Zelos walked south of the area, following another path that led him to some cultivation fields and a forest a few kilometers away. Some guards were patrolling the fields to make sure that no beast or thief would damage them. They complained about the cold of winter that was becoming stronger, but soon they shut up when Zelos passed by them. Unlike them, who were covered in thick and warm clothes from head to bottom and even had gloves and boots, Zelos only had a single old robe that was so tattered that it barely reached his knees.


    ¡°... That is the kid, right? The one with a single trait.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he gives me the creeps. There must be something wrong with his head. A lot of people messed with him because of his single trait. Still, they then eventually decided to leave him alone since he didn¡¯t react to anything.¡±


    ¡°What kind of curse should have happened to make a kid be born with a single trait? And such a weak one at that.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Better not to learn about it either.¡±


    They didn¡¯t try to hide their conversation from Zelos, but he didn¡¯t react to it either. From the very beginning, he knew that there was something odd about him and about the world he lived in. While he had his awareness since the time of his birth, Zelos took a whole year to learn the language of the world¡­ Eventually, he confirmed everything that he felt.


    First of all, people in that world had something called genetic inheritance. Everyone received those at birth from their parents. They were traits that their parents had and passed on to their children, at least their strongest traits. There were other methods to gain those, but that was a matter of another time. Regardless, since it was necessary for two people to create life, all kids were born with two traits. That wasn¡¯t the case for Zeros¡­ and no one knew why.


    Health: 450/450


    Magic: 200/200


    Stamina: 350/350


    Strength: 25


    Vigor: 20


    Precision: 15


    Wisdom: 10


    Willpower: 10


    Traits:


    Regeneration Lv 35


    Regeneration: increases your regeneration by one point per hour.


    That was the other thing that Zelos learned about that world. There was this thing that people called status magic that everyone could access to confirm their progress. Since traits could be improved over time with use and other methods, it was a good idea to check it periodically and confirm what the training methods were efficient.


    Eventually, Zelos reached the forest while thinking about some other things that he had heard recently¡­ While he counted the spots where he chopped down the trees and pulled out the stumps of the very same, he tried to connect that with his conception. Thanks to those things that were common sense in that world, everyone tried to make kids with the best combinations of traits. Things like arranged marriage were pretty common there among those who were free. For people like Zelos and other slaves, their offspring only had two purposes: to become cannon fodder in wars or a workforce in farms like this one.


    ¡°1099¡­ three years since I started working clearing this forest,¡± Zelos thought while looking around and searching for the next three that he should chop down. ¡°I am not sure this much progress is fine, but progress is progress.¡±


    Usually, that kind of job wouldn¡¯t be done by a single child. Still, since Zelos showed a lot of vitality and willpower from an early age, the owner of the farm decided to make him do that kind of job. Everything else he did was done pretty quickly, after all. To the point that the other children found themselves without anything to do¡­ that didn¡¯t sit well with the owner of the farm, who decided to punish Zelos for his vitality¡­ It only helped him because all that hard work made him stronger.


    After selecting the right three, Zelos began to chop them down, and after ten minutes, they fell in the direction that he had planned. The other kids were arriving to cultivate the fields and get rid of anything that could pose a problem to them as well. At that time, Zelos began to remove the branches from the tree. While the other kids were massaging their stomachs, thanks to their hunger, Zelos also felt that it was time to eat something.


    Zelos looked for some rocks that he had left hidden in some spots and then looked around while carrying them. Before long, Zelos found a couple of birds in a tree and then threw the stones at them. The first hit the head of the first bird and snapped it instantly. They tried to fly away, but it was hit by the rock, too¡­ They were fist-sized rocks, so they didn¡¯t endure the damage.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    After pulling out their feathers, Zelos began to eat them while grunting and with his eyebrows down¡­ eating them raw wasn¡¯t tasty, and eating them while showing that kind of expression made him feel really troubled. Killing and disrespecting animals like that didn¡¯t sit well with him¡­ but he didn¡¯t have any other choice to survive.


    Zelos tried to cook them before, but when he did that, the guards punished him at the command of the owner of the farm. They kept the slaves always hungry to avoid the risk of them running away. They couldn¡¯t go far¡­ that was the cost of Zelos¡¯s trait. He needed a lot of food to make it work¡­ that was why the other slaves had a lot of scars, but he didn¡¯t have any. At the same time, his trait made him stronger the more he pushed his limits, thanks to the process of damaging his muscles through exercises and repairing them with rest.


    After his early breakfast, Zelos cleaned the tree and checked the fields where the other kids were working under the watchful gaze of a pair of guards who were lying down, enjoying the morning breeze on a hill. That was the usual, so Zelos also decided to go with his usual.


    Zelos moved further into the forest and then found a large river that crossed the place. The area was quite dense since he hadn¡¯t cut anything on that part, since it would be a pain to control where the trees would fall. At the same time, it was a pretty rocky shore for a river. A single mistake and the logs would keep moving until the river took it downstream.


    After checking his surroundings once more, he moved some stones to the shore, and then a large wooden club was revealed. It was bigger than him and obviously heavier than the ax, but Zelos grabbed it with a single hand just fine. Without wasting time, he began to swing it down, upward, and to the sides, using only his right arm.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Zelos¡¯s stamina to begin to decline; the club was at least ten kilograms heavy, after all. When he had used half of his stamina, he changed to his left arm and repeated the same moves. From what he had heard, people in that world get stronger with training and with age. He had no idea why that was the case, but their parameters were the same as their age without proper training or with the help of the traits.


    In the beginning, Zelos trained with the axe, and slowly, he began to build up his strength, vigor, and even his precision. Still, the beginning took some time since he could train so much. However, as he got stronger, his work became easier, and he had more time¡­ he got stronger, but he had to eat more, too, and that is why he learned to hunt in a very unusual way, throwing rocks at birds and other things that he could in the forest.


    The taste wasn¡¯t that good, but that didn¡¯t stop him from eating insects either, and even some reptiles. They filled his stomach so he couldn¡¯t complain. At the same time, he noticed that his parameters were increasing once a month since he was able to train harder with that large club¡­ perhaps he should make a heavier one to improve that.


    When all of his stamina was gone, and Zelos felt his arms heavy and stiff as a board, he changed the club to his right arm again¡­ now it was the time when training started for real. Zelos felt his bones and muscles screaming with effort as he kept pushing¡­ Before long, his hands began to bleed and sting , and his health also began to drop with each swing, but he endured it until he completed the set with both hands.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t getting any easier, but I suppose this is a good thing¡­¡±


    The next training was waiting for him, he sat down on the ground and began to meditate and clear his mind as he felt the energy inside him. He focused as much as he could to control the energy inside him and soon he began to feel his wounds not hurting anymore and his body becoming full of energy. Still, after three minutes, the magic ended since he consumed all of it.


    ¡°I need to learn more about this¡­ I am sure that this technique has more applications, but the knowledge isn¡¯t coming to me. I guess I just have to keep training and then try new things, that should stimulate the memories from my previous life.¡±


    After checking his bloodstained hands, Zelos cleaned the blood from the club and his hands on the river before hiding it. After ten minutes, his hand stopped bleeding, but the wounds were still there. They won¡¯t be there any more at noon, though.


    ¡°They said that my trait is worthless, so I am guessing that their traits should be something else. I want to hear more about them, but the guards don¡¯t speak about the wars when I am around. This is the downside of making them ignore me over the years.¡±


    It was hard to obtain information as a slave¡­ keeping people from learning anything was truly the way to go to control them. Regardless, around eight in the morning, some kids came from the farm¡¯s main buildings, bringing breakfast to everyone. Zelos saw them from a distance arguing amongst themselves about who would get his food¡­ he wasn¡¯t popular among the kids since some of them saw him eating all kinds of weird things in the forest. Snakes, fish, insects, birds¡­ all of them raw.


    As such, Zelos had to wait for ten minutes until one of the new slaves, a seven-year-old boy, came to him and gave him a bottle with a small amount of milk and half of a piece of bread that had been bitten recently¡­ probably along the way.


    Zelos looked at the boy, and he trembled from head to bottom. Since he wasn¡¯t talkative for his age and he was very fit, Zelos scared a lot of the other kids. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to see people fighting over food, after all. Still, Zelos didn¡¯t do anything. That probably wasn¡¯t a good idea, since it would make the same thing happen again. However, the food that he found in the forest was much more filling than the almost-gone-bad milk and bread made several days.


    ¡°Since we are at war, most of the things we produce here are sent to the front lines¡­ or so the story goes. The same thing has been happening for over five years, so a bunch of people should have died, but there is no sign of an ending.¡±


    Thinking about it wouldn¡¯t change a thing, so Zelos decided to return to work after eating his breakfast. Until noon, He worked on splitting the massive tree into parts that could be transported. He only had to do that once per day, but he couldn¡¯t hurry up since lunch was going to be delivered again, so he had another training session before lunch.


    After the third training session, Zelos decided to stop since the sun was setting on the horizon. Unlike the other meals, they had to have their dinner at their quarters, too, so it was time to move on. He also saw some guards approaching with a wagon ready to take the blocks of wood that he had chopped.


    ¡°My arms hurt like hell, but it looks like I got a bit stronger once again. Even my willpower and magic increased.¡±


    Health: 250/470


    Magic: 200/210


    Stamina: 20/360


    Strength: 26


    Vigor: 21


    Precision: 15


    Wisdom: 10


    Willpower: 11


    Traits: Regeneration Lv 36


    Zelos¡¯s strength and vigor  increased by one point, which made his health increase by twenty since both of them increased his health by ten points each. Virgor also increase his stamina by ten points alongside precision. Regeneration also leveled up once, so he considered making a heavier club the next day. He won¡¯t be able to train while he works on it, but it will be more efficient in the long run.


    ¡°Load the wagon with the wood.¡±


    Zelos began to work while the other kids were returning to their quarters. He had some extra energy thanks to some extra birds he ate in the afternoon. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how strong those guards were, since they barely had the disposition to do that kind of simple work.


    ¡°Maybe it is about time to test my three years of training.¡±


    Although he had gotten stronger, Zelos knew that he was no master at using the club. He had no combat experience, either. He only trained to become strong enough one day not to need flashy moves to defeat his opponents. Overpowering them was much better.


    When Zelos returned to the slave quarters, everyone there was already lying down with their bodies screaming in pain; they completely ignored the insects on the straw beds, too. They had to wait two hours until dinner, and that was one of the worst times of their day since they were exhausted, but they couldn¡¯t go to sleep while hungry. They also only had the chance to clean themselves after dinner, which was another thing they couldn¡¯t skip if they wanted to remain healthy.


    ¡°I am trying my best, but I am running out of patience for this place¡­ maybe it is time to plan my escape, but for the last ten years, the only land that I have known of is the confines of this farm. If I fail, I will probably be killed since I can¡¯t escape without killing some people first.¡±


    Zelos never saw the guards training, so he was starting to think that they should only be slightly stronger than him. People only get naturally stronger until they become twenty-five, and he has just become stronger than that. Maybe if he waits for six months, he will be able to win against them in a one-on-one fight. It¡¯s not like he had to, but that would be a good starting point.


    ¡°All right, six months¡­ I will work harder during those six months to make sure that they will be the last in this shit hole.¡±


    While he thought that, Zelos heard some coughs coming from the other slaves, which made him squint his eyes.


    After dinner, when the group had time to clean themselves in the well, the candles in the quarters were extinguished, and the guards told them to go to sleep. All of them had to wake up in less than seven hours, so they were eager to sleep as much as possible.


    Zelos was also planning to do that, but before long, he heard some unusual sounds of horses crossing the farm. It seemed that they were going further north, where the owner of the farm lived and managed things.


    ¡®They seemed to be in a hurry¡­ it is already midnight, so something must have happened.¡¯


    Zelos heard the sounds of several horses, so it wasn¡¯t a messenger. From what he had heard, the owner of the farm had already sent a bunch of warriors and adult slaves to help in the war, and he didn¡¯t have many of them left. Still, if someone came to talk to him about it, it was fair to assume that the war was taking place pretty close by.


    Still, there wasn¡¯t much sense in thinking about that. When morning comes, Zelos will learn of the truth, so it is best to rest, recover, and wait for it.


    When morning came, Zelos got up and prepared to follow his daily routine. In the warehouse, he found only a single guard, who held his spear tightly and went on his way.


    ¡°Return to your quarters and tell the other slaves to do the same. You will receive your orders soon.¡±

 Chapter 02 - Call for Battle

    That was certainly unexpected. Still, Zelos decided to follow those orders¡­ not training a day just when he made that decision of increasing the difficulty of it was a bit annoying, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    After returning to his quarters, Zelos had to wait for a while until the kids began to wake up. As expected, they frowned when they saw him still there and couldn¡¯t help but flinch when they heard that they had to wait instead of start working already. For slaves, food was already pretty scarce. Without work, food would be even more scarce.


    Everyone had to wait for one hour until some guards finally approached the quarters. They were all armed and wearing armor. They looked ready for war, so it was no surprise that the kids couldn¡¯t help but shake and sweat when the guards opened the door¡­


    ¡°What a sorry bunch¡­¡±


    ¡°None of them have any decent traits, so there is no reason to treat them any better than this.¡±


    ¡°At least they will be of some use¡­ today is your lucky day, slaves. You will have the chance to work on the front lines. Survive and work hard enough and you might become a servant of someone who will treat you better. Don¡¯t follow your orders and try to run away and you will regret that for the rest of your short lives. Leave this place and follow our orders immediately.¡±


    Although they were scared to death, the kids followed their orders and left the quarters in a line. They knew that causing trouble would be only worse for them, after all.


    There were fifty kids there and five guards who were about to escort them¡­ it seemed weird that they would call kids from ages to eight to ten, but it seemed that they needed any help necessary to give them some advantage.


    In the end, Zelos and the others followed the path back to the villa where the owner of the farm lived. Along the way, they passed a bunch of houses where some people that worked for the owner lived. Unlike the kids, they weren¡¯t slaves and received payment for their work.


    ¡®I heard that when some families produce good warriors with decent traits, even families made of slaves can become free like them. Usually, the slavers would just force them to create the best soldiers possible, but I guess it is because of that¡­¡¯


    Aside from genetic inheritance, people could inherit traits from those who had their blood when they were about to die. Forcing people to do what was necessary for the sake of their families was a lot easier if they knew that things would improve after that, so slavers normally wouldn¡¯t try to go back on their word. That was also a quick way to lose the faith of their soldiers as well and ignite a rebellion.


    In any case, the group soon found two wagons waiting for them in front of the entrance of the farm, and they were ordered to enter.


    ¡°... I will have the chance to get a real weapon at some point, so I don¡¯t need my club. However, am I ready to fight for my life by killing others?¡±


    That was a tough call, but Zelos had to use his mind and think of tricks that could help him¡­ while he was doing that, he couldn¡¯t help but think about something that he tried to forget for a while¡­ that he should take lives if he wanted to become free, at least the lives who wanted to keep him in chains.


    There was barely enough room for all the kids in the wagons, so they were all cramped¡­ the kids had a hard time trying to hide their sniffs and signs of their absolute fear. They also knew that showing any troublesome emotions now would be an invitation for the guards to punish them, so they had to endure as much as possible.


    In any case, some horses began to pull the wagons and soon they all realized that their lives would change forever¡­ perhaps not for long, since it was hard to tell for how long they would live.


    Much to Zelos¡¯s surprise, the trip didn¡¯t last even a full day¡­ when the sky was turning orange, the wagons stopped and then the guards told them to leave the wagons.


    ¡®... The front lines are close to the farm? That would explain why we were called¡­ we would die soon if our side keeps losing territory, after all.¡¯


    When all the kids left the wagons, they soon found themselves in a war camp¡­ there was a sea of tents around with countless people working. Zelos could see some soldiers¡¯ training, some of them repairing their gear and a bunch of them groaning in pain while their wounds were being treated by some healers.


    Zelos couldn¡¯t help but open his eyes wide when he saw a healer healing someone without touching their wounds¡­ his fingers were close to the wound that seemed like a large sword cut and then some droplets of blood were leaving it in the air.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡®Is that a trait? Isn¡¯t it more like magic?¡¯


    It seemed that the amount of traits and what they could do was a lot more diversified than Zelos had predicted¡­ Some healers were doing the same thing as that guy, but others were just cleaning the wounds with water and some cloth.


    ¡°Split in groups according to the work you did before¡­ explain to me what you did on the farm.¡±


    All of them only did farm work and things similar to it, but they were still split into groups according to their experience. The first group would work on cooking, the second group would work on helping the healers, the third group would work as servants and the fourth group would as squires for the commanders. The last five kids had no particular talent or skills that could name them useful anywhere else, and Zelos was among them¡­ on the most dangerous job of them all.


    The guards began to move the kids to their designated spots, and soon enough, they began to work as night fell. At least they were served enough food for them one hour later¡­


    As for Zelos and the other unfortunate kids, they were told to wait behind a certain large tent while the commanders were having a meeting. Since they were being treated like kids and there was no point in trying to hide anything from them, Zelos was finally able to hear some interesting things¡­


    ¡°The next few days will be crucial for us¡­ the enemies will go all out and try to take us down in one sweep in order to take over that farm. It is the best place for us in this area to get food from, after all.¡±


    ¡°Recovering it will take a lot of time and effort if we lose and the enemy will be able to calmly fight after this victory. We can¡¯t afford to let that happen. I suggest that we use their eagerness in our favor and launch a pincer attack to crush their forces once and for all.¡±


    ¡°That tactic is way too obvious¡­ they won¡¯t fall for something of that caliber. Their current commander is well versatile when it comes to strategic thinking and they have enough soldiers with diverse enough skills to pull many kinds of tactics.¡±


    Little by little, Zelos was able to picture a scene of the war¡­ while he was on his own side, it seemed that the people of the territory he was in were losing. If that were good or bad, he would assume it was bad, since taking slaves that were slaves of someone else could be a risk. As such, the other side might find it better to dispose of him and the other kids¡­ moreover, nothing says that the enemies would treat them better. The inverse was actually very likely¡­


    After a couple of minutes, the meeting ended, and then the commanders left the tent to see their newly appointed squires. The word squire was just a better word for meat shields in case something bad happened to the commanders, and they had to buy a few seconds to escape.


    Regardless, they were a bit different from what Zelos had envisioned¡­ three of them were wearing chain armor that looked pretty similar, but they had different colors and some extra details in some parts of their armor. One armor was blue and had something like claws on its right shoulder pad¡­ another was orange, and the wearer had a helmet in the shape of a dragon with an open mouth.


    The other two were wearing something that looked like tribal clothes. They passed the image that they were supposed to be more wild and ruthless; one of them was a woman who had two crossbows at her waist as well, and her eyes made Zelos feel shivers. Not everything was what it looked like¡­


    ¡°How are any of these kids able to carry anything on the battlefield? This has to be a joke.¡±


    Although the woman looked like she wanted to start another argument, the others looked too fed up with that and just moved. Neither of those kids looked like they would be of any use, so they chose whatever to be their servants until the next day, when, most likely, they all would die. In the end, Zelos was chosen by the guy in the orange armor and dragon helmet. He was already starting to miss his other job¡­ he at least knew what he had to do to survive and what he had to do to actually thrive. Things were different now.


    When he arrived at his tent, the man pointed to Zelos to move to the corner while he studied some weapons in some boxes. Before long, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh¡­ he wanted to carry them all for different situations, but he couldn¡¯t without getting slower, and while Zelos looked a bit strong for a slave of his age, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help with that. Letting him fall behind when the battle starts would be even worse.


    ¡°Get me some water.¡±


    The man said that, and Zelos went to follow his orders while he took out his helmet. The man was already sitting on a chair when Zelos served a wooden cup of water on the table. He had some scars on his face, and one of his eyes was closed, thanks to a scar as well. He also had some grey hair, so his peak had passed probably ten years ago. He wasn¡¯t in the best place to be, even if he had one or two decent traits.


    ¡°... Did you hit your head at some point, kid? Unlike the others, you aren¡¯t shaking like a leaf. You don¡¯t understand that you will probably die tomorrow? At least now you know it, while the others will be fooled with sweet words.¡±


    ¡°No, and no.¡±


    ¡°You probably were born with a screw loose then, kid. Chances are, you will die tomorrow, a very painful death. It must be quite something to be able to die without having the chance to drink alcohol or wear clothes that smell worse than my horse did. I at least was paid beforehand, so I can die knowing that my family will be well-off for a while. Can¡¯t say the same about you.¡±


    Even though that guy wasn¡¯t drinking alcohol, he sure was being talkative with a ten-year-old boy. It only made sense in a scenario where he couldn¡¯t see his way out of that mess. Zelos kept ignoring that and maintained his straight face. While he didn¡¯t have any experience when it came to fighting, he knew for a fact that he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to die like that. His basic skills were in their early stages, but he could make them more useful by using his head.

 Chapter 03 - Battlefield

    ¡°There are some rations on the box at your right side. Go warm them at a bonfire and bring them here. Don¡¯t try to eat them before me. You will regret it.¡±


    Zelos found some pieces of jerk on the box on some sticks and then went to warm them outside. He was starving for the first time in a while, but he was able to endure the hunger since he didn¡¯t make much effort that day. Thanks to that, the man gave him two of the sticks with the jerk. It was probably the first time that he ate meat that hadn¡¯t gone bad, was cooked, and wasn¡¯t something he found in the forest¡­


    ¡°You should last until noon with this much. Can¡¯t let you die before that with my weapons in your hands.¡±


    The man looked at the boxes once more and then considered what he should do¡­ the idea of joining the enemy¡¯s side was appealing for survival. He just had to claim the heads of two or three of the other commanders. That would make him return to his family and enjoy life for a while longer, but the other side would never trust him fully¡­ no one sane ever would trust traitors. He also didn¡¯t want to destroy the history of his family¡­ it was better to die like a man than to live like a coward.


    In the end, Zelos was told to sleep in the corner of the tent while the man slept in his chair. Both of them slept in a bad position, but at least they were able to wake up as soon as the movements in the camp began to get more intense one hour before sunrise.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ no time for breakfast. Try to keep up with at least these two.¡±


    The man passed Zelos a sheathed long sword and a lance while he was carrying a glaive. Considering what he said, his horse was dead, and glaives were better used while mounted, but they should have some other use. Before he could leave, Zelos approached the boxes and was able to grab and carry a Warhammer and a longbow with several quivers, which made the man furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°No one said that the kids would have useful traits. It seems today I will have better odds of surviving.¡±


    The man equipped his helmet while grinning. He could tell that Zelos wasn¡¯t just trying to work hard beyond his limits in order to increase his survivability. It was hard to imagine that Zelos would be able to use any of them since he was still short despite his strength, so the man didn¡¯t feel worried at all. Besides, if he were to do something, he would be skewered to death by his underlings, and then he would have his limbs chopped off while he was alive¡­ there would be other ways for him to die as well. In times of war, people grow quite creative when it comes to thinking of torture.


    A group of soldiers was already waiting for the commander outside the tent, so he silently nodded at them before moving forward. Zelos followed the man from behind while the surrounding soldiers ignored him¡­ thanks to the darkness of the night, Zelos was able to see some lights in the distance going upward and then falling¡­ It looked like the battle had already started.


    ¡°Another weird trait¡­ I will have to keep my eyes open against attacks from above, too?¡±


    That would be difficult, but considering their falling speed, Zelos assumed that they wouldn¡¯t be heavy. Since that was the case, he would be able to do something about them. When the group began to climb a certain hill, they eventually came to a stop as they watched two other groups approach from the sides. They should represent two other commanders, so it seemed the other two were already ahead. With that in mind, they couldn¡¯t waste any more time.


    ¡°Follow the plan¡­ attack the enemies from the sides before dawn comes while we keep them busy.¡±


    ¡°All right, we will try not to take too long.¡±


    The commander wearing the dragon helmet grunted in annoyance at the response of that woman from the previous night. It was the worst time for their allies to joke about that when their lives were on the line¡­ in any case, the man soon raised his spear and then lowered down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill these dirty bastards.¡±


    All five hundred men in that battalion roared and then began to run while following their commander. They were only jogging while making a lot of noise to scare the enemies, so Zelos was able to follow them.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like the best time to attack enemies. We are at high risk of being ambushed.¡±


    Zelos kept following the commander while thinking that he wasn¡¯t that nervous. Come to think of it, the idea of dying didn¡¯t seem that scary. Was it because he wasn¡¯t afraid of dying, or was it because he had a lot of confidence? He couldn¡¯t tell¡­


    After running for ten minutes, the sounds of screams and shouts of enemies and allies became more vivid, alongside the sickening smell of blood and flesh being burned. The sound of steel colliding was almost deafening. Zelos looked to the sides and soon found some corpses on the ground¡­ Some wounded warriors were being pulled by their allies as well. The healers weren¡¯t there since they had no combat abilities and could become easy targets. A group like that could throw the battlefield into chaos.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Give me the lance.¡±


    Zelos quickly tossed the spear to the commander, who turned around and readily grabbed it while also tossing his sword into Zelos¡¯ arms. The group slowed down, and then Zelos decided to keep at a certain distance from them¡­ all of a sudden, in the middle of the darkness, arrows were fired toward them at supersonic speeds¡­ the command swung his lance from one side to the other and repelled two projectiles. The impact was sharp as the commander clenched his teeth.


    Zelos looked in the distance and saw the silhouettes of the enemies a hundred meters away¡­ they were forming a line ahead, and it looked like they were about to launch another volley of arrows¡­ for their attacks to cross that distance that fast and keeping its power¡­ they should have been a specialized unity. Zelos looked to the sides and saw some bodies with arrows¡­ only on their heads.


    ¡°Focus on defense until you reach them! Don¡¯t stray away from each other!¡±


    Everyone raised their weapons and then proceeded to advance. They blocked the arrows, but not perfectly. Thanks to the darkness of the night, they still got hit on their arms and legs. Zelos looked around in search of the other battalions, but they looked like they had been decimated or had been spread around due to the relentless attacks of the enemies.


    When they covered half of the distance, the arrows stopped, and the silhouette of the archers began to retreat¡­ and soon gave room for a larger and firmer silhouette of enemies¡­ they were equipped with shields and spears, and they were marching in absolute unison.


    ¡°Hammer!¡±


    The commander dropped his lance and then grabbed the hammer that Zelos tossed at him¡­ with his blood boiling already, he couldn¡¯t care less about the fact that he was making Zelos work harder. Without having to worry about the arrows, the group was able to reach the enemy¡¯s lines faster, and soon, the commander stepped in with all his might. A single swing broke the head of the spears and the next swing broke the shields ahead and then the enemies groaned in pain until the commander kicked the heads of two of them with all his might and then smashed the chest of the third¡­


    ¡®... He is pretty brutal.¡¯


    Describing what happened to the body of the guy that was hit on his chest by the hammer probably wasn¡¯t a good idea, but the commander still grinned from ear to ear after he saw the result of the smashed torso.


    Since the shield formation was destroyed in no time, the ground was able to pierce the line of shields soon enough, and then they began to spread the destruction to the sides since there was no other line of them. That made Zelos raise his eyebrows, but the commander was happy just killing the enemies that he could see.


    ¡°Hey, the archers are nowhere to be seen.¡±


    Calling that man commander didn¡¯t feel right about Zelos, so he just said those words. Still, it seemed that he hadn¡¯t heard of it¡­ he was laughing while swinging his hammer.


    Zelos envisioned a fighting style simple but brutal for himself, one that would be as efficient as possible. Still, despite the similarities of what he wanted and the fighting style of that guy, Zelos didn¡¯t want to look like a brain dead warrior¡­ in the end, he hit the back of the helmet of the commander with the butt of his spear and he turned around in search of an enemy, but he only found Zelos and raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°You actually hit me¡­¡±


    ¡°The archers will probably wipe us out when you are done with the line of shields.¡±


    The commander blinked several times¡­ that made a lot of sense. They couldn¡¯t attack them now, but once their allies were done, and they had exhausted their enemies as much as possible, the archers would be two times more effective than before.


    ¡°Shields! Grab the shields!¡±


    The commander had destroyed a bunch of them, but he still felt on the right to grab one of the tower shields that were intact to protect himself. In the middle of the chaotic and screams filled battlefield, everyone still heard the sound of arrows being fired at supersonic speeds.


    Everyone raised their shields, but they still groaned in pain as the damaged shields broke. Some pieces of the commander¡¯s shield broke as well, even though he grabbed one that was mainly intact¡­ such was the power of the arrows, or the enemies had imagined that something like that would happen.


    ¡°Use the bodies of the enemies as shields and charge toward them!¡±


    Everyone quickly tossed away the shields and grabbed the bodies of the enemies as they moved toward them¡­ the dark night sky was slowly turning blue, but they didn¡¯t have time to wait for that. The arrows kept coming and coming, and it was only a matter of time before their numbers began to decrease once again. Fortunately and all of a sudden, the sound of arrows stopped, and soon they heard the screams ahead.


    ¡°The others have arrived! Advance and kill them all!¡±


    ¡°WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    The soldiers didn¡¯t need to hear it again¡­ they charged toward the enemy¡¯s lines with all their might and soon found the enemy camp ahead, being attacked by the sides by the other two battalions¡­ they took their time, but they finally arrived.


    ¡°Sword!¡±


    Zelos tossed the sword to the commander, wondering why the scream¡­ he wasn¡¯t deaf like his underlings, but it felt that he would if he kept hearing those insanely loud shouts. Once the group reached the enemy camp, there was no such thing as formation or tactics. They only attacked the closest enemy and kept advancing.


    Zelos remained focused in order not to lose the commander, but he couldn¡¯t help but frown when he began to feel the smell of piss and shit alongside the smell of blood and death. It seemed that people in times of war couldn¡¯t help it in their last few moments¡­ Zelos suddenly recalled the words¡­ there is no honor in death, and he wondered if the person who thought that thought after seeing the aftermath of a battle like that.


    The sun began to rise on the horizon, and then the sea of blood and corpses was revealed¡­ The soldiers around were fighting the remains of the enemies or finishing them off while breathing roughly. At the same time, things began to calm down a bit, and that made Zelos realize that he smelled like blood as well¡­ his cheap boots stepped on several puddles of blood, and the weapons that he touched made the blood flow to his hands while he wasn¡¯t aware of it.

 Chapter 04 - Bloody Battle

    ¡°The life force of all beings¡­ to think that we are this frail¡­ I am even frailer than most of the soldiers here¡­¡±


    ¡°We showed them, boys! These pieces of shit won¡¯t see the sun setting tonight, but we will! We will drink until we fall, too!¡±


    ¡°WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    It felt like the ground was shaking in response to their excitement¡­ There were supposed to be 2500 soldiers on that battlefield, and Zelos could only count a few hundred. Despite that, they felt that they deserved to celebrate their victory¡­ Zelos assumed that despite their losses, they truly needed to celebrate being alive. However, when they calmed down, they still felt the ground shaking.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to realize that, and when they looked at the horizon where the sun was rising, they saw a massive cavalry regiment moving toward them.


    Everyone looked in silence as they saw the cavalry approaching¡­ the ranks on the camp were completely scattered. Since they also thought that the enemies around were the only ones, they showed their best and exhausted themselves¡­ it seemed that the enemies were a lot more cunning, while people on Zelos¡¯ side needed some work.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡±


    The commander looked at Zelos with a blank expression. The kid still had the same expression on his face, and that only strengthened his hypothesis that there was something wrong with his head. On the first battle of the commander, he actually pissed himself a bit. After all, he was only thirteen at the time¡­ he was lucky that it rained during the battle.


    ¡°It is over. Pray that you have a bit of better luck in the next life, kid. Perhaps you would want to die quick and painless instead of taking your chances against those guys. I can help you with that.¡±


    ¡°The glaive seems like the best option against mounted enemies. Are you going to use it?¡±


    ¡°... I almost feel pity for you.¡±


    The soldiers looked at the commander in hopes that he would lead them out of that mess, but he truly believed that he would die and they all would fall as well. but in the end, he took a deep breath and then pierced the ground with his sword and then grabbed the glaive from Zelos¡¯s hands.


    ¡°It is time to show what you are made out of, boys! Show them the true hell! Make them pave our path in the afterlife! Unless you kill three riders and their horses each, I will behead you all myself!¡±


    ¡°WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    That was an unusual way to raise his troops¡¯ morale, but at least the commander looked serious. He was going to die, but he wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied until he took at least three riders with him¡­ The soldiers began to cluster together to fight the enemies while grinning from ear to ear¡­ at least until they began to hear some unusual sounds coming from behind¡­


    ¡°Reinforcements! Reinforcements are coming! It is a regiment of cavalry as well!¡±


    That seemed too good to be true¡­ but it didn¡¯t matter in the end. The soldiers had already made their peace and soon charged to face the enemies. It didn¡¯t look like their targets had realized that a group of reinforcements had arrived, so things would get bloody once more.


    Zelos dropped the weapons and put the sword on his back by using the line of scabbard. Soon enough, he grabbed some stones that he found on the ground and followed the commander. Once again, the commander began to lead the charge, and soon, he reached the enemies. When the first rider was about to swing his glaive, Zelos threw one of his stones, and the projectile hit the forehead of the enemy, making his head move backward¡­ thanks to that, the commander had the chance to swing his glaive and behead the horse and the rider in a single strike.


    A rain of blood gushed from both of them, but soon the commander ignored that and looked for his next target¡­ Two riders approached him from the sides and tried to stab him with long lances, but both of them were hit on their arms by stones¡­ the weapons missed the commander and he had the chance to swing his glaive once more and claimed their heads.


    The commander didn¡¯t miss any of those attacks and he could tell that somehow Zelos was helping him, but he didn¡¯t have time to confirm that¡­ several other stones flew and hit the enemies and the commander had the chance to kill them without suffering a single scratch, until he saw the enemy cavalry suddenly turning around and then running away. The reinforcements had arrived.


    The commander turned around and then saw Zelos with the same blank expression on his face, as if nothing had happened. When he looked around, he saw a lot of his allies fallen on the ground and soon went to move to help the injured while the reinforcements passed by them to chase the enemies.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Help me here. Let¡¯s move the wounded to a cleaner place.¡±


    Zelos nodded and soon began to transport a man who had his right arm chopped off and his stomach pierced by the tip of a glaive¡­ he was bleeding a lot, but it looked like he could take that kind of pain with ease¡­ he didn¡¯t grunt a single time during the moving process.


    The healers arrived and soon they began to look after the wounded, but Zelos and the commander kept working on helping the wounded.


    ¡°It looks like we arrived just in time to save your ass, Hei.¡±


    ¡°... You are late. We lost over seventy percent of our troops, Rux.¡±


    A man riding a horse and wearing a golden cloak arrived while smiling¡­ he had long black hair tied up in a ponytail and he looked pretty relaxed, given the circumstances. Zelos didn¡¯t care much about their names, but it was better than thinking of tiles for them.


    ¡°I can understand why you would be angry, but you look completely fine despite the battle here¡­ maybe your squire did your job for you, Hahaha.¡±


    Hei grunted in annoyance. He couldn¡¯t confirm that out of sheer embarrassment, nor he could deny it since he didn¡¯t know the truth and he didn¡¯t like lies.


    ¡°Wait, seriously? This kid seems odd, but¡­ I guess he has a weird presence. Anyway, it seems that there are still some issues to solve here¡­¡±


    Rux looked to the side and then Hei and Zelos did the same. They saw a large group surrounding something ahead and soon decided to check it. Zelos thought that he should leave that kind of thing alone, but he felt eager to confirm what it was about¡­ soon he found another slave kid, one of those who had been chosen as squire, being whipped by that tribal looking woman. She has some cut marks that were bleeding in her arms, and it was probably better for her to treat those wounds.


    ¡°Not again¡­¡±


    Rux jumped from his horse and then sighed¡­ it seemed that such a thing was a common occurrence, so Zelos wondered if he survived just to be whipped to death, apparently.


    While seeing that, Zelos wondered what he should do¡­ he didn¡¯t have any reason to be involved in that. All the other kids always ignored him, after all. Still, he felt like that wasn¡¯t enough reason to see a kid die like that.


    A few moments later, a mud ball flew in an arc on the back of the group of people and then splashed on the face of that woman. She immediately stopped whipping the kid and then stared blankly into the air before looking around for the culprit. Everyone looked around in confusion, but Hei looked at Zelos and saw his hands dirty with mud¡­ once again, the kid looked at him without showing any emotion on his face.


    ¡°Who did that? WHO DID THAT?¡±


    The woman moved toward the large group of people out of anger, but soon moved away from them after flinching. Zelos immediately realized that she had some issues, and that was probably why she was whipping the boy.


    ¡°It is enough now, isn¡¯t Lua? Don¡¯t let the blood rush to your head all the time thanks to you hatred. What did he do to deserve this after serving you, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, he was too slow, and I ended up hurt. I could have died, and he will pay for it once I find the one who attacked me.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Lua. I know that you have your own issues thanks to your past, but this won¡¯t solve anything. The battle is over, and we can¡¯t afford to lose any more people. Look around and see the numerous comrades we lost. Enough blood has been spilled already.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you to think that you can give me orders? Fuck off.¡±


    ¡°I am not giving you an order. In your current state, you will only worsen your wounds and you won¡¯t find anyone. If you didn¡¯t realize it, you didn¡¯t feel the attack until it hit your face. Whoever attacked you could have killed you, but avoided doing so. Besides, the kid already served you more than any of your underlings did. Look for a healer and cool down your head. The boy is free now.¡±


    Lua clenched her teeth and grunted in annoyance for a few seconds but soon realized that Hei had a point¡­ she left, and the large group began to disperse as well, so he sighed and relaxed a bit.


    ¡°Well, that was surprising¡­ Why help that kid? Is it really worth getting on the bad side of that woman?¡±


    ¡°... Look for the kids who were brought here last night. At least those who survived until now¡­ we can say to the people of the farm that they died and take them for us.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need kids nor servants¡­ in any case, it seems that you have your reasons for this¡­ I just hope it isn¡¯t because you barely escaped certain death. That doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    Hux soon climbed his horse and then left the area. At the same time, Zelos wondered what Hei was up to¡­


    ¡°Usually, you would lose your hands for attacking people like me and Lua, no matter the reason, but you helped me more than a few times today, so I am willing to forget all that. Moreover, I hate owing favors to others, so that I will be taking the kids and offering them a bit of a better life. You care about them, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I just acted on the spur of the moment.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do? It seems that despite being a slave, you have been preparing to defend yourself or fight in wars should the need arise for you. There are some mercenary groups and clans that can welcome even kids like you.¡±


    ¡°Like yours, I assume.¡±


    ¡°There are others around. In fact, if you don¡¯t join us, then I won¡¯t feel the need to repay the favor of your help.¡±


    Zelos couldn¡¯t help but stay silent for a bit¡­ that was convenient, too convenient, in fact. While that could be the best outcome for the kids, it could also be a trap to lure him to join Hei¡¯s group in order to learn more about him. Not like a ten-year-old kid could be that insanely impressive, but he could have an unknown trait that had been overlooked and that could power up even some old families or mercenary groups.


    ¡°You should think about that for as long as you want. For now, focus on the last part of your job.¡±

 Chapter 34 - Fighting Smart

    The place that all the kids of the town were hiding was a wine cellar¡­ it had a large space underground and that would be completely free from the smoke as well. But the defenses there weren¡¯t that sturdy¡­ so it was very worrisome that the enemies managed to learn that the kids were there.


    ¡°The spies are still here and informing them¡­ how fucking annoying!¡±


    In the distance, Zelos began to hear the sounds of coughing, and a lot sooner than he had expected, he saw a silhouette ahead walking in the same direction. It was Irlan, and he was being careful since he wasn¡¯t good at ambushes. Still, he didn¡¯t overreact when Zelos approached him, since Zelos let out a very obvious sigh, and soon he turned around.


    ¡°I should have known that you wouldn¡¯t stay in your place, Zelos.¡±


    ¡°The irony is lost on you, huh?¡±


    ¡°I have a reason for this¡­ and I am ready to accept the punishment for it later.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, they have twenty-five riders very close to the wine cellar. How can we get rid of all of them and get their horses as well?¡±


    ¡°We should probably just let the horses go and make them panicky run in the distance. It would be easier if we had Edea with us, but we will make a try, anyway.¡±


    ¡°So, you have no idea, huh? In that case, I want to try something. I can do both things: kill the riders and make their horses run at the same time, but not many times in a row. Since your trait is defensive, you should get their attention, and then I will cause chaos among their ranks.¡±


    ¡°Can it work against twenty-five of them?¡±


    ¡°Twenty. I will dispose of five of them immediately at the beginning, and then perhaps five move afterward. We will have to improvise with the rest.¡±


    ¡°Seven and a half to each is better than twelve and a half to each of us. I will take those odds.¡±


    Zelos and Irlan quickly worked on the details of the plan and soon put it into motion. When they arrived at the wine cellar, they saw the riders moving around the place, checking for traps. Before long, they decided to move after nodding at each other. They moved away and then surrounded the place. However, when they were about to destroy the entrance, they suddenly heard the sound of metal hitting the ground and then the sound of a horse grunting.


    Four other horses joined them in the next few moments and soon, the riders raised their guard and moved to the front of the wine cellar. Around the same time, Irlan appeared in front of the wine cellar without hiding the sound of his footsteps.


    ¡°Hey¡­ there is someone there alone.¡±


    ¡°It is a trap¡­ we need to regroup to pierce them completely.¡±


    When the riders on the right side of the wine cellar began to move, the one in the back suddenly almost lost its balance as something fell on the back of his horse¡­ before he could turn around and then look at what had happened. Zelos stabbed his side with his sword deeply. The enemy began to agonize, and then Zelos kicked the back of the horse, making the animal groan in pain as he almost dashed through the air toward the next rider.


    The second one had the time to see him, but not to attack¡­ Zelos beheaded him with the sword. At that moment, Zelos had a very nasty idea, but he decided to try it later. In a hurry, he used his charging technique through the air and quickly disposed of six riders from behind. The horses panicked and ran away in all directions¡­ he could have killed another rider, but his heels began to hurt like there was a bone there it was broken¡­ his technique reached the limit¡­ or perhaps his legs did after using that five times in a row.


    The riders on the other side of the wine cellar arrived on the front, but only one on the right side appeared¡­ the riders looked at each other in confusion as eight of them were missing, and soon they saw some of their horses running around wildly.


    ¡°Keep a tight formation¡­ they aren¡¯t revealing themselves because their numbers are low. All of their warriors aren¡¯t here. This is just a trap.¡±


    The riders soon calmed down and then moved to protect each other from all sides. It was like a reverse circular formation to surround a target. Before long, five of them charged toward Irlan, and then he raised his spear¡­ Zelos told him to improvise, but he didn¡¯t expect that Zelos would practically disappear from the battlefield like that.


    Irlan focused his eyes as the enemies approached and then tried to stab him from both sides. All of a sudden, he jumped backward and then repelled one of the enemies¡¯ spears to the side and then pushed away the next of the enemy before raising his spear and then spinning himself around when the enemies passed by him¡­ they were hit on their backs and grunted in agony before falling from their horses.


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    The others squinted their eyes while studying Irlan. They immediately could tell that he was good at counterattacks, so they nodded at each other and then threw their spears at him. If he had time to click his tongue, Irlan would have done so. He hated throwing attacks; the closer, the worse¡­


    Still, instead, he swung his spear as fast as he could and then hit both weapons. Thanks to that, he avoided direct damage, but one of the weapons still pierced the inside of his thigh, and then he grunted in pain for a moment.


    The riders moved to the side and then studied him¡­ it looked like some decent fighters were left behind, and with that kind of trait, it would be annoying to get closer to him. Thanks to that, the enemies decided to play it safe.


    ¡°Those who are better at throwing spears, come here. We can¡¯t afford to take any chances.¡±


    Three riders soon began to move toward them and Irlan had a hard time gulping. Fortunately, Zelos didn¡¯t abandon him. All of a sudden, the horses began to scream in fear and pain. They began to move from one side to the other, and soon, the riders heard the sound of metal falling. They looked down and then saw swords and spears falling¡­ their tips hit the horses and wounded them quite a bit.


    As the horses were panicking, some of the riders were hit on their faces by projectiles that they didn¡¯t see and soon fell from the horses¡­ exactly five of them. The riders tied up their formation even more, but before long, some large things flew at them and hit the heads of the horses¡­ the creatures lost complete control as the projectiles fell on the ground, and the enemies panicked as they recognized the heads of their friends.


    ¡°Stand your ground! They are hiding because they can¡¯t face us directly! You idiots!¡±


    Although the riders tried to calm down, the horses didn¡¯t calm down at all¡­ the smoke was starting to annoy them as well, so soon, four of them lost complete control and ran away with their riders. At that point in time, there was no need to hide, not like they could do anything else while riding, so Irlan just approached the enemies and so did Zelos.


    The enemies opened their eyes widely when they realized that the enemies were two kids who weren¡¯t old enough even to have facial hair¡­ that was just simply humiliating. Without hesitation, the riders split to kill them¡­ four against Irlan and three against Zelos.


    Before the first could get too close to him, Zelos threw his dark blade at the same and then he easily grabbed it¡­ However, the weight made the man lose his balance and Zelos had enough time to grab his club and step in and then smash the leg of the enemy alongside the side of the horse.


    The animal groaned in pain and ran into the distance while the rider soon fell from the animal. The other two tried to impale Zelos at the same time, but he swung his club with all his might and easily repelled the spears¡­ the enemies lost their balance as they opened their eyes widely after their spears were pushed away.


    They tried to move away from him, but Zelos jumped toward one of them and swung the club again in the middle of the air, and smashed his back. The other rider tried to run away, but Zelos recovered his dark sword when he fell and then threw it at the enemy to knock him down. Much to his surprise, the point of the sword pierced the target¡¯s back with ease¡­


    Zelos was surprised for a moment, but soon he went to check Irlan. His arms were bleeding a bit, but he was standing, and the enemies were on the surrounding ground.


    ¡°We need to get going and help the girls. They will be in a bind if the enemies find a way to enter the mansion. The smoke isn¡¯t entering there, after all. Time will be on their side.¡±


    Irlan was putting some bandages on his arms to stop the bleeding and prevent the toxic smoke from entering his wounds. He didn¡¯t know if they could do anything on an open wound, but it was better to be safe than sorry. In the end, Zelos just nodded, and soon, they began to run toward the center of the town. Some horses were nearby, but they would make too much noise approaching¡­ They could use the sound to make the enemies think that their allies were coming, but a frontal ambush like that wouldn¡¯t work.


    Before long, those two began to hear the sounds of grunts and screams¡­ They seemed to belong to the enemies, and they came from all parts of the town, but they couldn¡¯t be certain just yet.


    When they arrived on the training grounds, they heard the sounds of windows being broken and horses grunting in anger. Zelos and Irlan looked at each other and slowly approached. They had to somehow give the sign that they would attack the back of the enemies and the people inside the house should attack the other front, but soon, they heard the sound of the door of the entrance of the house being destroyed.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zelos nodded, and then they dashed toward the mansion¡­ During those ten seconds, they heard a lot of arrows being fired and grunts and groans. Soon enough, they saw the shadow of Heirina¡¯s house, but soon, they dashed to the sides when they saw a bunch of silhouettes and horses dashing toward them.


    Zelos and Irlan opened their eyes widely when they saw ten or so riders running away from the mansion¡­ three of them with arrows in their arms. It seemed that Heirina and Edea had cooked a nasty surprise for them.


    ¡°Captain! It is me and Zelos here, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we are fine¡­ these idiots tried to enter the mansion with horses and everything.¡±


    When those two entered the mansion, they soon found a group of fifty or so archers in front of the entrance. They bombarded the enemies with arrows and killed fifteen of them almost instantly. The rain of arrows completely stopped the horses, and their only option was to retreat.


    Still, everyone there looked exhausted and nervous¡­ The smoke was also starting to affect them as well. After sighing in relief, Heirina glared at them for ignoring her orders, but she could deal with them later.

 Chapter 35 - Recovery

    ¡°We took down the other half of the riders, Captain. We should clear up the remains and regroup with everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should. We also should extinguish the fires of shit as well.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were getting red, so that they couldn¡¯t use that anymore. In any case, they soon found everyone where they had left them, but some people suffered some grave injuries¡­ two of them had lost an arm thanks to the charge of the enemies, while ten of them had their legs severely damaged.


    After that and confirming the kids¡¯ safety, they went to extinguish the fires. It took two hours for all the smoke to disappear, so the enemies should have had plenty of time to move away from the area. Still, Heirina knew that the battle wasn¡¯t over.


    ¡°How many corpses did you find, Zelos?¡±


    ¡°Sixty infantry and thirty-five riders. We got rid of almost half of their forces.¡±


    Heirina held her chin while thinking about that¡­ for all intentions and purposes, that had been one hell of a victory, but it would be hard to imagine that the enemies would give up now. Perhaps they would and cut their losses since it would be hard to connect them to those who had planned the whole thing.


    ¡°We will have to find a way to alert the villages around those guys. Even with their forces, they can still cause a lot of damage. We have to split into four groups and then head to the villages around us.¡±


    ¡°Hold up. We can¡¯t move in the darkness if there is a risk of being ambushed. Besides, they have been moving since yesterday without a real break, and their morale is also low. While causing some damage to the territory would be a problem for us, their true goal was this town.¡±


    Heirina considered Zelos¡¯s words for a moment. Truth be told, she was too exhausted to think clearly.


    ¡°Young miss, you should take a break along with the others. We can at least guard the town until morning. You deserve the rest.¡±


    That was the blacksmith who sold Zelos the dark sword, and everyone seemed to agree with him. Heirina felt bad for that since, as unrealistic as that was, she truly wanted everyone to have survived the attack and remained unscathed.


    ¡°We will rest then, thank you for your hard work and bravery, everyone.¡±


    ¡°I have to wake up early tomorrow too to work. Hopefully, those bastards have truly run away with the tails between their legs.¡±


    Everyone was exhausted, so they were amazed that Zelos was actually planning that. In the end, they soon split and then went to sleep for a couple of hours. As it turned out, Zelos ended up oversleeping and only got up when it was six in the morning. He soon went outside to help the old man farmer.


    ¡°Hey, are you seriously thinking of working after last night? I can handle this for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°It is all right, I will just help a bit until the others decide to look for the remaining enemies.¡±


    ¡°About that, it seems that some people saw the trails of them heading west after sunrise.¡±


    Those were some good news, but they still had to confirm things in the other farms. Since Zelos didn¡¯t try to work with his stuff, he was a lot lighter and finished the job earlier, even though he started later. Then he went to look for Heirina and then found her on the training grounds ready to leave with Edea to confirm where the enemies had retreated.


    ¡°Where are you planning to go? If anything, they will be hidden in the hills. If you don¡¯t cross that part and take the wider route, you two could become a target for them.¡±


    ¡°We will just make sure that they retreat up to that point.¡±


    Zelos looked at both of them and Edea nodded as well. They were light and were pretty good riders too, so going alone would make things easier for them instead of calling Zelos and Irlan. In the end, Zelos didn¡¯t try to stop them and soon they left.


    After he saw them leaving the town, Zelos recalled that he didn¡¯t eat anything yet, so he soon went to grab a bit in the usual restaurant. The place was closed though¡­ since the smell of smoke was still in pretty much all the buildings. Only the rain would be able to get rid of the smell of smoke as soon as possible.


    ¡°Hey, Zelos. What are you doing here? Looking for a place to have lunch? Why don¡¯t you come to eat with us?¡±


    ¡°... That is weird. What are you plotting?¡±


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    ¡°What do you mean by that? I just asked you a few questions and invited you to have lunch at my home?¡±


    ¡°After trying to dilute the surprise of your invitation with two other questions. It almost feels like you have second intentions with this¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°People tend to talk a lot or ask a lot of questions to distract from their intentions and actions.¡±


    ¡°Well, I swear that I have no bad intentions, but I can¡¯t explain it either.¡±


    ¡°Then I have even fewer reasons to accept the invitation. I am going to drink some milk at the farm. That will be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Come on, help a friend out. You are terrible at hiding things or lying, so I can¡¯t tell you anything else.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell that since I never lied in front of you guys. Anyway, even if you weren¡¯t being suspicious, you know that I wouldn¡¯t accept it.¡±


    ¡°That is true¡­ it is a bit troublesome, but I guess this is for the best.¡±


    Zelos raised his eyebrows while looking at Irlan. He felt that he shouldn¡¯t dig in further into that matter, but Zelos also felt that it was better than to keep that question on the back of his mind. Fortunately, Irlan decided to come clean to make things easier for him.


    ¡°The truth is, my sister saw you in action last night, so she wanted to become your friend. She doesn¡¯t have many since she is impertinent, is your age, and also has a smart mouth.¡±


    ¡°Also? Are you implying that I have one as well?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to hear me lying?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I do.¡±


    ¡°You two are very similar¡­ but she is a lot more childish. Anyway, if you see her around, try to be nice to her. She will be a bit bothersome, but she won¡¯t mean anything bad by it.¡±


    Before Zelos could say that he wanted to stay away from trouble, Irlan left. He didn¡¯t recall hearing Irlan saying that he had a little sister, but she probably was at the wine cellar on the previous night. It was hard to imagine how she saw anything in that situation.


    Zelos decided to head to the farm, have lunch, and resume his work. In any case, thanks to Irlan¡¯s words, he became much more aware of the eyes on him as he was walking. He saw a lot of kids looking at him with interest, some adults, too. The only difference was that the adults saw the bodies that Zelos had attacked and how he used them against the enemies as well. They had never seen something like that so close.


    When Zelos finished his work for the day, he went to Heirina¡¯s house to confirm if she had returned with Edea. He had to wait for two hours before that had happened and it looked like they confirmed their guess. Once she jumped from her horse, Heirina gave her explanation.


    ¡°All of their footsteps lead to the hills. We can¡¯t confirm anything else¡­ aside from the fact that the enemies will have to look for allies in other areas.¡±


    ¡°You still think that they won¡¯t give up after this?¡±


    ¡°We Didn¡¯t receive any news about the front lines yet¡­ but while I sent a message to the next village to send a raven, I can guess that things will last for a while. The best moment to attack again will be when we drop our guard.¡±


    Before leaving earlier, Heirina tried to check the bodies of the enemies for anything that could connect them to anyone, but Edea didn¡¯t recognize any of them¡­ the issue would be different with the bandits that did the scout work, but they obviously wouldn¡¯t find their bodies where they left them.


    Three days later, the group received a message from Hei. The letter said that Kaitrine found him around the same time the raven about the situation had arrived there, so he didn¡¯t have to send some warriors right now. However, the situation was getting complicated as the people on the front lines began to face trouble. Considering the location and situation, the enemies began to march south since they lost their chance to establish their foundation in enemy territory with the failure of the attack. Heirina called the others to talk about that.


    ¡°It seems that the battle will continue so that the enemies will wait for another chance. We will have to stay on alert here.¡±


    ¡°The spy or possible spies will keep causing a lot of trouble. How do you plan to get rid of them?


    ¡°I have been thinking about that¡­ even Dad thought about that for a while, but these guys are good. That is their bread and butter, after all. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have any idea how to get rid of them. So, instead of getting rid of them, we will use them in our favor.¡±


    ¡°How devious. So, this is the real you.¡±


    ¡°You got that right. Don¡¯t get on my bad side unless you want to suffer. Anyway, we need to prepare for another confrontation or help Dad if something happens. We might have to move as soon as something happens, so keep your schedules flexible for that.¡±


    That was a bit troublesome for Zelos since he liked his routine in the town. Thanks to routine after the battle and the things that happened afterward, he realized something. The dark sword was truly cursed¡­ for some reason, it had the power to absorb blood from the enemies, but at the same time, it didn¡¯t have a single mark on it. Blood has a lot of iron, so perhaps it could repair the weapon or harden it. That wasn¡¯t all; and Zelos also felt the weapon getting a bit heavier¡­ so he decided to experiment with it and let the weapon absorb his blood when he trained a lot and hurt his hands. So far, he didn¡¯t notice any differences, but it was bound to happen.


    ¡°I need to learn how to fight while riding a horse, too, but the range of my sword is a problem since most of those who fight mounted use spears, lances, or glaives. If all else fails, they can target my horse and dismount me.¡±


    Considering that Zelos was planning to get used to more heavy weapons and carry even more iron balls, perhaps using horses wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. They would tire faster in any situation, and on the battlefields, that would be a real danger to him.


    In the end, he decided to keep doing his usual training instead. It was hard to imagine that one day, he would be able to run faster than a horse by relying on his trait alone, but the charging technique still had room for improvement, so it was fine.


    In the next few days, nothing happened, so the people in the town began to return to their usual routines. However, Heirina only felt worried since all that was very suspicious. Exactly one week after the battle, Kaitrine returned, and she looked exhausted. It looked like she didn¡¯t stop to rest many times, and she also pushed her horse a fair bit.

 Chapter 36 - Origins

    ¡°Why did you come in such a hurry? If the enemies are planning anything, it would take a while since they would need to regroup.¡±


    ¡°Captain Hei just asked me to pass a message: if something happens, we won¡¯t be alone. That is the message.¡±


    Heirina nodded while holding her chin¡­ it looked like Hei was also aware of the spies so that he couldn¡¯t be too obvious. The message was pretty clear, though. They will receive help when the time comes, but from whom?


    ¡°Captain, the main army should have arrived where the real battle will take place on the territory of the south, but considering how the situation is there¡­¡±


    ¡°The leader of the clan there hasn¡¯t established his leadership and influence yet. Since he still is the leader there, he will have most of the say since his territory is on the line. After losing his father and having such trouble controlling his lands, I doubt that he will listen to others since he will think that they want his territory¡­ that will make things much harder to deal with. Something needs to happen to make him understand that some people, like my father, don¡¯t want his downfall.¡±


    It would be hard for something like that to happen since everyone would be fighting for their lives. The enemies were relentless in their attacks, and thanks to that, they obtained a lot of experience, which they gladly put to good use in every single battle. Still, Zelos wondered how they came to wage war so often.


    ¡°The enemies that are always attacking¡­ how can they do this so often?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ I guess you should learn this sooner or later. Although all the countries are used to waging war against each other, some of them developed more than the others to pursue that. Their society is structured so that they can wage war as much as possible. The more enemies you kill and the more battles you survive, the more you climb on their ranks. As such, you obtain more underlings to serve you, and you also obtain more suitors to expand your bloodline.¡±


    ¡°You are being pretty roundabout about that. I thought that everyone already knew that I was more experienced for my age.¡±


    ¡°... They get more women to marry and have more children. In their country, they rarely let women join the army, and they protect them as much as possible to make them give birth as much as possible. It isn¡¯t rare to find men there who are thirty years old and have fifty children. At the same time, the more a woman has kids, the more respected they are. They also have a tradition to gift those women when they give birth with money, jewelry and fine pieces of cloth. Overall, they are like upperclass citizens while the men have to prove their worthy through battle.¡±


    Just by hearing that, Zelos didn¡¯t know if that was a good or bad thing. He had to ask the people on the other side directly about that. At the same time, if they had slaves, war slaves, and places where Zelos grew up, then he didn¡¯t have to ask at all. They all could die for all that he could care. Perhaps he was being a bit harsh, but Zelos knew that nothing good comes out when people ignore so blatantly the misfortune of others.


    After resting for half a day, Kaitrine joined the others and confirmed with a close eye what happened while she was away. She was glad that things worked that way before, but things wouldn¡¯t be so convenient the next time. The enemies wouldn¡¯t fall for the same tricks over and over again.


    ¡°What are you doing about the hills, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I have a pair of good riders keeping an eye on that area all the time, so we will be warned if something happens. Don¡¯t worry, Kaitrine.¡±


    ¡°Even if we are warned, we will only receive a warning that will buy us something like an hour, perhaps not even that. Not many of them should be there. We need to take over the area before they can get reinforcements.¡±


    Kaitrine had a point, but Heirina knew that the enemies had enough time to set traps, ask for reinforcements, and prepare ambushes there¡­ It was too dangerous to go there. They pulled almost a miracle by defending the town with only civilians and a handful of people who could truly fight but attacking would be another matter altogether.


    ¡°Kaitrine, let¡¯s trust my father¡¯s plans this time. Just like you, I don¡¯t like the idea that the enemies are still in our territory, but we aren¡¯t as nearly equipped to deal with a situation like this with the manpower we have.¡±


    ¡°I understand, but¡­ we don¡¯t need a lot of people. While I believe I can do this alone with my speed, With Zelos and Edea, I will have the support to take down a small unit in no time.¡±


    It was rare for Kaitrine to say that kind of thing, so Heirina wavered a bit¡­ Still, the plan would be to approach the area at night and a single mistake would be equal to Kaitrine getting hit by an arrow or iron ball on her back.


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    ¡°We can¡¯t risk it.¡±


    Kaitrine wanted to sigh, but she avoided that because she knew it would be rude. She also couldn¡¯t question Heirina¡¯s decisions further without jeopardizing her leadership.


    ¡°Besides, we should train with each other here as much as possible to sharpen our skills. Since you can fight at close range, too, we can add some variety here. Any improvement done will be necessary to help us.¡±


    ¡°It is time for my afternoon turn so I will be leaving.¡±


    ¡°... He still doesn¡¯t join you guys on the training sessions?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he is busy with his work. Still, it seems that it helps him a lot. Irlan said that he was impressed during the ambushes. He even knocked down a horse and a rider with his club.¡±


    ¡°The really impressive thing is his steel nerves, Captain. The kid doesn¡¯t flinch in front of anything. He keeps the same calm demeanor at any moment, and the danger of any task is almost lost on him.¡±


    ¡°What is impressive is his screw loose. It must be because of his trait¡­ he healed from those wounds pretty fast, so he believes that he will be fine as long as he doesn¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but even so, pain is something we all fear, but he is used to it.¡±


    Zelos¡¯s self-preservation instincts appeared to be lacking a bit, at least considering how much he was working to improve his future. Still, considering the situations that he found himself in, one could only imagine that he knew that he could survive them without too much risk.


    Regardless, they started another training session and decided to focus on it. A few hours later, Zelos finished his work and then checked the wounds in his hands. They were starting to close a lot faster than before, but since he still kept his dark sword with him, he always had the chance to drop a bit of blood on it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It is hard to tell if it truly got heavier. My parameters are increasing steadily, so I can¡¯t feel the difference. I guess the only way is to get a lot of blood. Animal blood probably won¡¯t work and I am not going to weaken myself when I don¡¯t know when the next battle will start.¡±


    It seemed that killing the enemies would help Zelos with that, but he wasn¡¯t sure how he could feel about that. Was it an accident that made the sword turn into something like that or was it intentional? So far, he hasn¡¯t heard anything about special swords, so he could only be a bit suspicious of it.


    When Zelos had some time the next day, he went to talk with the blacksmith that he bought the sword from. Although he should have worked on making a lot of weapons in the last few weeks, he still was working on making more of them, probably because people will lose weapons and armor during the conflict.


    ¡°Oh, it is you, kid. What do you want this time?¡±


    ¡°I just want to ask if you¡¯ve heard of many weapons like this.¡±


    ¡°Cursed weapons? Can¡¯t say that I have.¡±


    ¡°What about special weapons or weapons that become famous after someone wields them for many years?¡±


    ¡°Those are easier to find. Everyone has their favorite weapons and then will become famous after being used by someone famous. Aside from that, I didn¡¯t hear anything special about them.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ What about the origin of the sword? Do you know where it was forged?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably very far away. Long gone is the time when people used shields and one-handed swords here. As some traits became more prominent, shields couldn¡¯t withstand the attacks as much as before. Still, there is a country further east that has the best shields that work to this day, can¡¯t say its name, though.¡±


    Zelos nodded¡­ he could only assume that commerce or some conflicts made the dark sword reach that country. Looting is important to recover from the costs of war, after all. In times like that, the countries probably wouldn¡¯t negotiate that much with each other.


    ¡°I heard that you didn¡¯t get hurt at all in that battle, you must be pretty nimble to be able to avoid so many hits.¡±


    ¡°No, I am just pretty sneaky. In another battle, I got hit plenty of times since the situation was in favor of the enemies. Why do you say that? Do you want to sell me some gear?¡±


    ¡°No, I am just commenting about it. For now, you might not need it, but you might want some protection, at least on your limbs, since without them, you can¡¯t move or attack.¡±


    The blacksmith had a point¡­ Zelos saw the other with some light gear as well. Only Irlan didn¡¯t wear anything since his trait worked better when he could counter without anything getting in his way, even some extra weight on his body. Perhaps he also didn¡¯t have any protection because he had to force himself to become better at that.


    ¡°I might not want to buy anything here for now, but if you make these smaller and even heavier, I might come here now and then to buy them.¡±


    ¡°Iron balls, huh? I can¡¯t imagine why you need them¡­ they are heavy. I heard that someone in the past used to throw cannonballs at the enemies and crush them for hundreds of meters of distance, but this is quite interesting as well.¡±


    Zelos felt a bit bothered by the fact that he wasn¡¯t the one who started that, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Moreover, he was a bit concerned about the words: cannonball. A certain image came to his head, even though it was the first time he had heard that in that world.


    ¡°I will see what I can do about this. Don¡¯t bet much on it since I am a busy person.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡±


    Zelos nodded and then decided to leave the shop. The sun was about to set, and since he was done with work for the day, he wondered what he should do¡­ just eat and then return to sleep? He could hear the sound of metal in the distance, so it seemed that the others were training. Although Zelos had already finished his set of exercises that day, perhaps he could do a bit more, even though his hands and feet were still healing. Breaking his limits daily was the only thing he could do to become stronger, after all.

 Chapter 37 - Back for More

    In the end, Zelos did exactly that¡­ Thanks to his progress, he had to wait a bit more time to recover from all the wounds, but when morning came the next day, he would be fine. Still, it looked like things wouldn¡¯t go as planned.


    Just when Zelos was about to go to bed since it was past ten, he heard the sound of a horse approaching in the distance¡­ Zelos grabbed his sword and then went outside, only to find Irlan approaching.


    ¡°Bad news, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Zelos, the enemies are returning again from the hills and they are better equipped this time for a battle.¡±


    ¡°Did you confirm that?¡±


    ¡°The riders returned a few minutes ago. We probably have one hour or less, and the whole town is waking up. Things are really bad now, Zelos¡­ they are over three hundred. They have horses, shields, spears, crossbows¡­¡±


    Zelos could sense the apprehension in Irlan¡¯s voice. The odds were fully stacked against them this time. They didn¡¯t have time to prepare that much, even though Heirina probably had some things in store for the enemies.


    The options that they had weren¡¯t many. They could evacuate, but that would be a huge loss. The town would be a good base for the enemies, but they will keep pushing the group until they reach the border and the enemies have a real foothold there.


    When they reached the town, the whole place was already awake and since the people kept their weapons, they had their chance to be ready for combat already. However, that wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Heirina was giving orders for everyone to split around the town and be ready to unleash a barrage of arrows as the enemies approached them. They would have to call for the attacks themselves since Heirina and the others would have to stay on the front and face the enemies. Zelos and Irlan approached Edea and Kaitrine and saw that they were pale and showing an ominous expression, respectively.


    ¡°With this, it will be impossible to hide who those guys are working for. That means that the traitors are finally making their move.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Kaitrine?¡±


    ¡°In total, four hundred people have disappeared over several days to attack us¡­ a lot of people should have noticed that. If they didn¡¯t, they are stupid, but if they did and ignored it, they are all traitors as well. Either way, one province will disappear in the next few days.¡±


    That was some serious news¡­ Zelos looked in the distance, and he could see a light ahead, the light of many torches. The enemies were no longer pulling their punches. Just like Zelos had concluded that the next country was very good for those who wanted to climb in the ranks of wars, it seemed that the people of their country also imagined that and decided to change sides since that would be more beneficial.


    ¡°I already sent the word to the villages about the attack. They will alert Dad and the others¡­ Either way, we can¡¯t abandon this place. If we are going down, then we will have to take as many with us as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sixty for each one of us, right? That sounds interesting.¡±


    Everyone looked at Zelos and wondered if he was joking¡­ It wasn¡¯t time for a joke, but he wasn¡¯t laughing or showing any emotion on his face either. He truly looked like someone who had a screw loose while he was watching the blade of his sword.


    ¡°Anyway, what is the battle plan?¡±


    ¡°I told you, and everyone is with me. If we go down, we will go down, taking as many with us as possible.¡±


    Everyone around had a serious look on their faces¡­, and it seemed that was the case. Zelos didn¡¯t want to go down with anyone, and he wanted to protect his investments as well¡­ so he was planning to win that battle no matter what. He already knew what he had to do, but a lot of people around wouldn¡¯t like him for it. Still, that was the price he had to pay to reach his goals.


    The group moved to the east side of the town with around two hundred men. They were all either beyond fighting age or had jobs that never required them to fight. The old man farmer and the blacksmith were also there, so Zelos nodded at them once, and they returned the nod.


    The enemies in the distance were getting closer and closer, so the tension was getting thicker in the air, but Zelos remained focused. He brought his club, iron balls, and the dark sword. All of that made him two times heavier, but he didn¡¯t care, he was used to that. Before anything, Zelos decided to keep the iron balls ready to be used since he was confident that five of the enemies would go down without knowing what hit them.


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    People around began to sweat heavily as they watched the enemies move closer and closer. Before long, they saw the torches ahead splitting, and soon, they could see the silhouettes of the heavy infantry approaching. They were taking things very methodically¡­ just like the neighbors in the west.


    In the end, Zelos clicked his tongue since he wouldn¡¯t be able to use the iron balls. He grabbed his shield thinking of making the enemies regret using that kind of weapon¡­ they might not die with a single good hit, but their pain sure will make them think that they would want that.


    Before long, the infantry got close enough for the nearest group of archers to attack them. Volleys of arrows flew in an arc and then rained down on the group of enemies, but they raised their shields and blocked all the attacks completely. There was no mistake¡­ that was a real battalion trained for war.


    The archers tried two other times, but they failed in all those times. While entering the town, the battalion split into ten lines of ten warriors and then moved toward the front lines. Their footsteps were firm and organized. Edea fired some arrows at them and while her arrows pierced their shields a bit and some grunts were heard, that didn¡¯t stop the enemies.


    The infantry pointed their spears forward to impale anyone ahead of them when they were fifty meters away. Heirina raised her sword and then took a deep breath to shout when the enemies were thirty meters away, but before she could do that, Zelos suddenly charged forward¡­ in two blinks of an eye, he appeared right in front of the enemies and then jumped right above them¡­ after spinning once in the air, he swung down his club with all his might.


    An enemy with a shield tried to block him, but he was pushed down by the power of Zelos¡¯s fall and his brute strength. His bones cracked as his body bent and was almost smashed against his shield.


    When Zelos landed, he immediately spun around his club violently¡­ he literally was just holding the handle of the club and stretching his arms as much as possible to gain speed and range. The enemies began to get hit and knocked down and soon their formation was broken.


    ¡°Charge!¡±


    Heirina finally shouted and then everyone there went to join the battle. Around the same time, some enemies behind tried to stab Zelos, but most of their weapons were repelled by his club. Still, he eventually began to lose speed, and their weapons hit him.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Zelos groaned a bit as he felt the weapons piercing his skin, but much to his surprise, they didn¡¯t reach his muscles. He didn¡¯t know if his skin had become that tough thanks to the training or if it was because the enemies were weaker than expected. Still, he wouldn¡¯t want them to keep stabbing him forever.


    Fortunately, when he stopped spinning, some arrows flew past him and then hit the enemies on the other side giving him a brief moment to take a break. At the same time, he grabbed the iron balls and then threw them around¡­ the skulls of five enemies were cracked and they fell dead instantly.


    ¡°We will talk about this once this is done.¡±


    Heirina arrived in the area, blocked the thrust of an enemy, and soon pushed him away with brute strength alone. She wasn¡¯t exactly muscular, but that showed a lot of raw power. At the same time, a shadow passed around the area, and then the throats of some enemies suddenly were cut and began to bleed deeply. Kaitrine stopped behind them and soon began to breathe heavily.


    ¡°Captain, we need to spread the damage before the cavalry can join the fight¡­ all of them here need to die as soon as possible.¡±


    Irlan repelled some spear thrusts and followed them with upward slashes of his spear that cut the faces of the enemies¡­ they began to groan in pain as blood covered their faces. The enemies¡¯ surprise attacks were stopped by their own surprise attacks. However, they needed to keep their guard and finish things off there as soon as possible.


    While ignoring the pain in his arms and legs thanks to the wounds, Zelos charged in again and collided against some shields. He followed that by swinging his club with all his might and soon he was able to see the other side of their formation¡­ Unfortunately, that gave him the chance to see the enemy cavalry already charging at them.


    ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t have time to rest¡­ fine by me.¡±


    Zelos used his charge technique and then slammed several other enemies by rotating his club. He looked like a tornado and the enemies fell like small domino pieces. Those who survived began to groan and shake in pain on the ground and soon the villagers finished them off¡­ It looked like the infantry was only sent to scare them and didn¡¯t have any real skills or strength. Still, the cavalry was about to arrive and even if they didn¡¯t have anyone special among them, they would be hard to get rid off.


    However, much to everyone¡¯s surprise, just when Zelos was preparing to welcome them, they suddenly slowed down. Zelos frowned and wondered if that was some sort of trick. That would be a very stupid one since their allies were being massacred. Still, Zelos soon was able to see them look to the side and then a force came from the north toward the cavalry.


    ¡°... Who are those guys?¡±


    The two cavalry regiments began to fight and soon things started to get quite chaotic¡­ it seemed that the reinforcements didn¡¯t have that many people with them, so they would need some help. Heirina stepped in and she quickly realized what was going on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and help them! They are Rux¡¯s unity!¡±


    Rux was the long-haired man who helped Hei in the previous battle¡­ Now everything started to make sense. Hei asked him to come and help in case something happened¡­ Zelos didn¡¯t know where Rux worked, but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t on the borders since it took him some time to come.


    Just when Zelos and the others were about to reach the battlefield, they heard a massive volley of arrows being fired¡­ the enemies also had a regiment of archers on the back of their formation¡­ and leaving those alone would be dangerous.

 Chapter 38 - Haunted Past

    ¡°Zelos, Kaitrine. Go deal with the archers. Attack them silently from the side!¡±


    Those two nodded and soon moved away from the area as fast as possible. It didn¡¯t take long for them to eventually the regiment of archers since they unleashed another barrage of arrows. Without hesitation, Kaitrine used her trait¡­ it would have been better if they arrived at the same time, but Zelos soon followed her by using his charging technique. After using it five times, he reached the enemies lines just around the time Kaitrine had slashed the throats of three of them.


    With his sword, Zelos cut the enemies left and right and then cut them in droves. Those enemies tried to move away and fire their arrows at them, but those two advanced too fast and thanks to the darkness of the night, the enemies soon lost them, even though they were so close.


    At that point in time, the battle was pretty much over, archers were terrible at close range, even more so when they had more than one quiver each.


    ¡°These guys¡­ they aren¡¯t all that special. I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything from a force that stayed hidden during a war.¡±


    The archers began to run away when half of them had been decimated. Zelos thought that he should chase them, but then they realized that Kaitrine was breathing roughly. It was better not to leave her alone since the riders were also spreading around in all directions¡­


    Before long, the group reunited and approached Rux who was giving some orders to the riders and soon they left to pursue the enemies that ran away.


    ¡°You must be Heirina and you must be Kai¡¯s daughter¡­ oh, the boy from that time. This is quite the weird group. Anyway, your father begged me to give you a hand, so I am here. Truth be told¡­ I don¡¯t expect that I would actually confirm the crazy story that he told me.¡±


    ¡°I saw you from a distance a few times¡­ where did you get this force, Rux? Where is your clan?¡±


    ¡°I was about to travel incognito when I received the letter from your father, so that is why I borrowed Lua underlings. She had noticed that something was off in that town, so she secretly left some of her underlings behind to keep an eye on things. When I went to investigate the merchants, I found them and heard the news.¡±


    Lua¡­ she had a few screw looses, but it looked like she was at least honorable. Even though her employees were plotting something weird, she didn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ you really saved us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet, now that you have unveiled this kind of situation, I have to see it through to the end. People joined the enemy¡¯s side and attacked their own allies. Still, I have my own job to do and that can¡¯t be delayed any further. So, you guys will have to do it for me.¡±


    Rux passed to Heirina a scroll that had a golden line surrounding it. Everyone opened their eyes widely when they saw that, but Zelos just looked confused at that.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡±


    Heirina couldn¡¯t help but sigh for many reasons, but at least explaining things to Zelos felt like it would make her calm down and think things through.


    ¡°You know that in times of war, sending messages is very important, right? Although we try to keep a lot of ravens, sometimes that isn¡¯t enough, so we use a system for urgent messages. Scrolls closed with brown lines are common messages with no urgency. Scrolls sealed with red lines are to take priority since they are only used about military matters, and there are the ones sealed with golden lines like this¡­ they are written by the imperial family only and usually they have urgent orders for times like this¡­¡±


    Zelos nodded¡­ he could understand the situation was a bit better now. Rux was someone very important in the city of Tilia city to receive direct orders like that. Still, he didn¡¯t feel like the message wasn¡¯t as urgent as the fact that someone from their country was about to join the enemy¡¯s side.


    ¡°This is something that needs to be delivered to the leader of the natives, you guys will head there for me while I am going to sniff out the guys that just attacked the town and their leaders. Although I have a feeling that they won¡¯t be there anymore when I get to that city. I won¡¯t be returning until this job is finished, so I will advise you to depart tomorrow morning.¡±


    Without wasting time, Rux left the area toward where the enemies escaped. The group looked at each other and wondered what they should do, but soon the population began to celebrate the victory.


    ¡°So, I guess I will take a break from the work on the farm again.¡±


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    That was Zelos for you¡­ everyone was completely astonished about the orders that they received while he was just worried about that. It couldn¡¯t be helped since he didn¡¯t believe that he was going to be paid for that. However, he couldn¡¯t just ignore it since it was related to the war and that could help Hei and the others at the front lines.


    The next morning, the group reunited with a bit of sleepy expression. Truth be told, they didn¡¯t have the chance to sleep at all since Heirina had to organize a bunch of things before her departure and everyone had to help on the clean up duty. Things looked quite messy in the East side of the town thanks to all the corpses of enemies and animals. The corpses were no longer there, but the blood was.


    Speaking of blood, Zelos was able to confirm that the sword was truly cursed. He could tell now that it was a bit heavier¡­ but he could tell that he was soon going to get a bit stronger, so the difference would disappear. Considering his experience, the sword got around two hundred grams heavier, but it would have absorbed ten times more blood than that. It was quite the weird weapon.


    ¡°I will be driving, you sleepy heads can go and rest inside.¡¯


    ¡°Thanks, we will take the afternoon turn.¡±


    Heirina and the others entered the wagon that she bought this time. It was less comfortable than a carriage, but it was a bit faster since it was lighter for four horses to pull.


    While the others were resting, Zelos couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the mission. Meeting the natives on the area two territories south of them as ordered by someone from the imperial family¡­ while they didn¡¯t receive the orders directly, it didn¡¯t mean that they could fail or had to waste time. Still, Zelos heard that most of them were isolationists, so he wondered how things would play out.


    Another thing that was on Zelos¡¯s mind, was the fact that the next battle was going to take place close to that farm again¡­ the one which he spent ten years of his life in.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡±


    When the afternoon came, those four looked a bit better, so they took turns driving. Zelos had the chance to take a one hour nap, and he got rejuvenated thanks to that and soon resumed his training. Around the same time, Heirina began to consider a few things.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t certain, but I bet the council of merchants are done for. Only them would be able to hide a force like that in times of war and that is obviously a crime since those who can fight and have weapons are forced to serve their territories. They will either die or run away, so what are you going to do about that, Edea?¡±


    ¡°... I want to at least finish my contract here and then see what happens. Still, my clan was being hired by then, so I wonder what will happen to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t participate in those acts, so they should be fine. You can tell that they are loyal to the emperor, so the merchants didn¡¯t try to persuade them to join them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, you can probably stay with us. Isn¡¯t it better for you this way?¡±


    ¡°I hope so. I just want to avoid causing trouble.¡±


    Zelos couldn¡¯t help but sigh¡­ that kind of mentality was worse than the mentality of a slave. It seemed that she was raised like that since she was born and since that was the kind of lifestyle that she knew, it would be harder to break free from it.


    Along the way, the group was able to confirm the safety of some villages and they sighed in relief when that happened. At the same time, the people celebrated the good news that they passed.


    During the whole time, Zelos focused on himself and kept training nonstop. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t have the chance to do that soon enough, so he decided to speed things up.


    Health: 890/890


    Magic: 280/280


    Stamina: 780/780


    Strength: 47


    Vigor: 42


    Precision: 36


    Wisdom: 10


    Willpower: 18


    Traits: Regeneration Lv 64


    ¡°The damage that I suffered wasn¡¯t high, but I guess it piled up and made my trait improve faster than the parameters. I suppose this is a good thing.¡±


    After thinking for a bit, Zelos couldn¡¯t help but consider all of his experience so far. With that in mind, if his trait kept improving, and he found a way to make his skin harder, perhaps he would become very hard to kill. In a battlefield, where one doesn¡¯t know from which direction death can come from, that kind of ability would be very useful.


    It sounded like an interesting idea, but in the end, Zelos also knew that he needed to get rid of the enemies faster. Keeping things as before was the best option, even if sometimes his regeneration would improve faster than the other parameters.


    After the group left their territory and reached the one in the south, they began to head straight to the mountains where the natives were supposed to be. They didn¡¯t want to waste time since they used the roads for a bit and didn¡¯t find anyone. The people there were completely involved in the conflict, and they also knew that bandits would use that chance to attack travelers.


    ¡°Captain, do you know how we should refer to them once we find them? At the same time, do you know which specific mountain we can find? It would be a good idea to ask around and see if people have a clear path to their territory. Can¡¯t we ask some people to be our guides in the towns or villages?¡±


    ¡°Slow down, Irlan¡­ I know that you are excited to meet them, but acting like that in front of them will do us no good. Anyway, as far as I know, they don¡¯t like to be referred to as anything unusual. Some people call them wildings or barbarians, but they aren¡¯t fond of it. Calling them natives is probably the best option, but it is better not to use it just to be safe. As for asking around for help, that can¡¯t be done since we need their help and we want to surprise the enemies with them, and they should have spies there as well.¡±

 Chapter 39 - Tribes

    Irlan nodded several times¡­ it was obvious, and he wondered why he didn¡¯t think of that, it was probably because of the excitement. Learning new things from others was good, learning new things himself was even better.


    Considering what he had learned so far, Zelos assumed that the barbarians, natives or wildings are a group of people who prefer to live a peaceful life. The emperors of the past tried to force them to join them, but their strength made them fail when they tried to use military might, so eventually, they decided to leave them alone. However, a lot was still a mystery and Zelos wanted to find out more about them.


    ¡°What else do you know about them? About their leaders, traits, and similar things. They are all basically a single clan, right?¡±


    ¡°In theory, yes, but they are a diverse bunch. I heard that they lived over several mountains, but then their leaders managed to unify those tribes, and that is something considering that we didn¡¯t get even closer to defeating them when they were scattered. Those are the only things that are common knowledge.¡±


    Since there was common knowledge, there should also be other pieces of information that weren¡¯t common. Zelos couldn¡¯t say if Heirina knew about them, but if she didn¡¯t mention them, it was safe to assume that it was the case or that she was uncertain about those pieces of information.


    Things won¡¯t be easy since, over the years, they lost a lot of people thanks to the confrontations. They don¡¯t start wars, but they kill anyone who disrupts their peace. That is their lifestyle, and they would do anything to protect it. At least, history says so.


    In the end, the group crossed the territory of the Carli clan without finding a single soul along the way. They crossed it quite fast, thanks to that, and eventually reached the territory of the natives. Fortunately, there was a clear road to the mountains along the way, so they would be able to gain even more time. They had around one day before they reached the mountains, after that, it would be hard to say how much time they would need to find the location of the natives since there were many mountains along the way. Regardless, Kaitrine let out a sigh and then decided to solve one of the mysteries of that mission.


    ¡°Are you planning to keep training until we find the location of their base?¡±


    ¡°Until we reach the mountains since these territories are almost empty in these areas aside from the border. Anyway, it is weird to hear one of your questions directed at me without sensing some anger.¡±


    ¡°And you had to point that out, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It just picked my interest.¡±


    At that point, it was obvious that they would have gotten used to each other, even the most annoying habits. At the same time, they fought and survived some difficult battles together, so their sense of camaraderie improved whenever that happened. Despite his words and actions being pretty self-centered, Zelos showed a bunch of times that he was always mindful of his surroundings and allies¡¯ conditions. When he came to check on Irlan or when he covered for Kaitrine when she was breathing roughly after using her trait a few times¡­ if anything, it was safe to say that he had a sense of duty to consider his allies¡¯ conditions when he was working with them.


    During the whole trip, Zelos was covered in sweat, but once they reached the base of the mountains, he stopped and then sheathed his dark sword. He felt pretty good despite the pain since he had a sense of accomplishment after enduring many more hours of training than usual.


    After cleaning himself, Zelos looked at the mountains and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at their size and number¡­ it was like an endless sea of massively tall mountains that stretched for quite a distance¡­ perhaps even deeper into other territories. It would be quite something if they actually reached the central part of the country. Now that he thought about it¡­ the ores that Rattay mined would have come from somewhere, and those mountains were the most obvious bet.


    As they reached the base of one of them, they soon found the path going upward a bit. The curvature wasn¡¯t that obvious, but since the path ahead looked like it was zigzagging, they could tell that the trip would last for a while. The path wasn¡¯t large, so that made Zelos have a lot of thoughts about the journey.


    ¡°Can we even use the horses until we reach their location? The paths seem fine, but¡­ a single mistake, and we would go down the mountain pretty easily.¡±


    Aside from the path ahead, the surroundings were filled with sharp branches, rocks, and rugged terrain that would cause serious damage to anyone¡¯s body, so they shared Zelos¡¯s concerns as well.


    In the end, it didn¡¯t take long for the group to realize that the trip would be harder than imagined¡­ the path at the base of the mountain was around ten meters long. It seemed that some large cargo usually went down and upward into the mountains, but soon that thinned out to half of that.


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    While looking at the sides on the roof of the carriage, Zelos could already see one hell of an abyss on both sides, and they had just started climbing. Zelos moved his head to the side and then saw Irlan on the other side of the window of the carriage. And he looked pretty nervous while Kaitrine was watching the surroundings with interest. He was bad with heights, apparently.


    ¡°Your excitement died out pretty fast, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ this is my first time at a tall place¡­ I never thought that I would feel like this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that the look is a bit dangerous to the heart, but you will probably get used to it if you don¡¯t look away and don¡¯t think too much about it. Then again, considering that Heirina is driving, perhaps your nervousness is justified.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I am an excellent driver.¡±


    Irlan couldn¡¯t help but gulp¡­ the idea of an accident seemed stronger than his trust in Heirina¡¯s skills, and the fact that the path seemed to be thinning out with every single passing moment only made things harder to take for him. Irlan tried to follow Zelos¡¯s advice and look out the window whenever possible, but soon he felt a knot in his stomach and then he got dizzy as well.


    Zelos felt a bit bad for him¡­ he got used to the situation pretty well, despite the jokes that he made about Heirina¡¯s driving skills. Regardless, two hours after they started the climb, they found some sort of sign ahead¡­ one that was decorated with a skull¡­ There was a drawing of a weapon in its hand as well. Zelos wondered what that was about.


    ¡°They don¡¯t want weapons here or they don¡¯t want drawn weapons?¡±


    ¡°I guess it is the second option¡­ anyway, this guy here probably didn¡¯t come with a message from the imperial family, so we don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    Heirina tried to sound as convincing as possible, but she failed at that. In the first place, even a long speech about that wouldn¡¯t have as much impact as the skull on the sign. In any case, the group soon resumed their journey.


    Around noon, the group reached the summit of the first mountain, and then they were able to see the terrain ahead. They could see the path crossing through several mountains, so it seemed that they wouldn¡¯t get lost. Still, there were no signs of the natives¡¯ village, town, city or whatever it was. They all assumed that finding it in such a place would be pretty easy, but their guess couldn¡¯t be more wrong. In any case, when Heirina was about to start going down the mountain, Zelos jumped from the roof of the wagon.


    ¡°The horses are exhausted. We should take a break.¡±


    ¡°... You have a point. I completely forgot to consider that. Despite the situation, risking hurting them would be even more dangerous. We need to find them as soon as possible, but we can¡¯t make mistakes while being in a hurry. Anyway, this view is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Irlan looks like he is about to faint, though.¡±


    After hearing Kaitrine¡¯s words, Zelos went to check the interior of the wagon and soon saw Irlan with his eyes closed while holding his weapon. At the same time, Edea looked like she was relaxed with a smile on her face, but she was just looking at nothing trying not to think and see the surroundings. She also wasn¡¯t good with heights.


    ¡°I guess we can rule out you two from missions in mountainous areas.¡±


    ¡°No way. I will get used to this, eventually. I can¡¯t bring shame to my family by running away from this kind of job.¡±


    Irlan didn¡¯t look like it, but he was indeed the kind of person who would say things like honor pretty often. Regardless, Zelos decided to use that chance to eat something. The mountains were pretty green, but close to the path, the area was quite dry. They also didn¡¯t know if they could hunt anything around, so it was better to be cautious just to be safe in order not to get on the bad side of the natives.


    One hour later, they resumed their journey since they knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to move at night. It would be too dangerous with a dangerous path like that. Moreover, Zelos decided to go on foot to give some respite to the horses. His stuff was pretty heavy, after all. At the same time, spending so much time without moving his body felt wrong.


    ¡°... What is he doing now?¡±


    Kaitrine frowned when she saw Zelos moving ahead and then kicking some Peebles along the way. It seemed that he was bored, but Heirina knew what was going on.


    ¡°He is cleaning the path for the horses. He likes to take care of them, after all. I am surprised that he didn¡¯t buy one after this point in time.¡±


    Now that Kaitrine thought about it, Zelos was always the one looking after the horses and that was a lot of work, but he never complained. He actually looked like he was enjoying himself while doing that. The pebbles were too small to cause any real damage, but the problems that they could cause can pile up. Zelos was trying to decrease the chances of those problems arising even by a small margin.


    ¡°Captain¡­ despite the Peebles, this path is quite even and free of obstacles and deformations. The natives probably keep them in this state. This area rains quite a lot, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­ that would reveal why there are some rocks along the way and the Pebbles on the road. They could be watching us as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, that weird kid won¡¯t give us a bad impression.¡±


    As the group approached the other side of the base of the mountain, the vegetation began to approach the path once again. There were even some trees around and when he looked ahead, Zelos couldn¡¯t help but frown when he realized that the path disappeared thanks to the vegetation¡­ he could see it continuing in the middle of another mountain, though.


    ¡°This is a good place for an ambush¡­ but it seems a bit too soon for that.¡±

 Chapter 40 - Surrounded

    Zelos felt eager to keep the iron balls ready to be thrown, but he imagined that the board mentioned that kind of weapon. In any case, the group reached that area and then they raised their guard. Since he couldn¡¯t see the abyss anymore, Irlan looked pretty refreshed.


    ¡°Finally, some peace¡­ humans weren¡¯t made to exist in mountains.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you can convince the natives to leave the mountains to save you from the hassle the next time.¡±


    ¡°You sure are annoying sometimes, Zelos.¡±


    ¡°Opinions may vary from person to person.¡±


    It was pretty hard to see the sides of the path thanks to the dense vegetation. At the same time, there wasn¡¯t a single piece of grass on their path. While looking around, Zelos was able to see some yellow fruits on the trees, so his stomach began to grunt. Heirina looked at him, completely astonished since they had lunch two hours ago. In the end, Zelos decided to leave it alone.


    After some twists and turns, the group reached the valley between the mountains one hour before sunset. That seemed like the best place for them to camp¡­ still, it was a bit troublesome since the place was completely silent. Edea looked through the window and then raised her eyebrows. It was pretty dark already.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like it is a good idea to stay here¡­ not like I can imagine a better place to camp.¡±


    ¡°We will camp here¡­ it is annoying that this kind of area isn¡¯t mapped, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I heard that the people who tried to do that disappeared when they were here.¡±


    Heirina looked at Zelos, wondering how he would react to that, but as usual, he didn¡¯t show a hint of emotion on his face. In the end, he just began to look after the horses, but at some point, he stopped and then raised his head. He felt like he had heard something for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t tell what it was. Irlan noticed Zelos¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ I just thought that I heard something, not something human, though.¡±


    When the area became completely dark, the group had already finished their tasks and was resting. The air was cold, but they still didn¡¯t light a fire, since they needed to risk burning the area somehow. They also didn¡¯t need to alert anyone. While the mountains belonged to them, who knew what would be there and escape their gaze? Kaitrine was the one who broke the silence for several hours.


    ¡°This place is very eerie¡­ it gets on my nerves.¡±


    ¡°It is a lot better than having to watch a massive abyss on both sides.¡±


    ¡°How can you be a warrior and have a fear of heights as well?¡±


    ¡°You two¡­ stay quiet and rest.¡±


    After Heirina sighed, Irlan and Kaitrine went silent. Truth be told, they weren¡¯t that tired since they didn¡¯t do much during the day, so it couldn¡¯t be helped that things would be like that, and they had some energy to spare. Everyone was inside the wagon trying to sleep on their improvised beds, but it was kind of hard, thanks to the situation, the darkness, and the fact that they were sleeping together without the division of boys and girls.


    Although Heirina said that, she would occasionally take glances at Zelos, who was resting with his head on his right knee while sitting on the ground. For some reason, she felt more uncomfortable with Zelos there than with Irlan.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°... Are you talking to me?¡±


    ¡°You are the only one who moves your head and makes so much noise, like the wagon when the floor is cracking.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that noisy¡­ Anyway, you heard something earlier, didn¡¯t you? Did you hear anything afterward or now?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­ the wind hasn¡¯t blown since then. I tried to put my ears on the ground after that, but I didn¡¯t sense anything.¡±


    ¡°So, you think that we are safe?¡±


    ¡°No way. Someone is clearly watching us and they have some useful traits that can even control the wind. At the same time, there are enough trees around for them to stand on and not make any vibration on the ground.¡±


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    That was a troubling thought¡­ and since no one was able to fall asleep, they couldn¡¯t help but lose even more of the sleep. They all had noticed that the wind wasn¡¯t blowing, but they found it hard to believe that the natives could do that¡­ as for Zelos, he could easily assume that since he didn¡¯t know many traits in the first place, so everything in his mind was possible. In any case, he got up all of a sudden.


    ¡°... I am going to water the plants a bit.¡±


    ¡°We would be fine, not knowing why you were leaving.¡±


    Heirina expected to hear something sarcastic in response, but Zelos just stayed silent and then stopped on the other side of the carriage standing. When Heirina was about to ask if he was planning to finish his business there, she saw him raising his arms.


    ¡°Move slowly, everyone, and don¡¯t panic.¡±


    After hearing Heirina¡¯s words, they soon got up and then realized that the wagon was completely surrounded. A bunch of humanoid shadows had approached them without even alerting the horses who were still sleeping.


    ¡°Let me handle this¡­ I have a message for your leader from the emperor. We mean no harm.¡±


    Heirina approached Zelos and then showed them the scroll, but the natives didn¡¯t react to it at all. It didn¡¯t look like they¡¯re interested in a piece of paper¡­ Thanks to the darkness of the night and surroundings, Zelos couldn¡¯t see those guys well, but they all looked buff and they had all kinds of weapons with them as well and ready to use. Hammers, swords, spears, bows¡­


    ¡°Drop your weapons and move your hands behind your back.¡±


    Everyone was a bit surprised when they heard such clear words¡­ they all had imagined that the natives didn¡¯t speak the common tongue. In any case, everyone followed the orders and soon the natives approached and tied up their hands. After that, they moved the horses to the other side of the road and then kicked the carriage to the other side¡­ Now they had a problem. All of their food was there, and Zelos didn¡¯t like when people wasted food.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything¡­¡±


    Heirina could feel Zelos¡¯s annoyance, so she whispered that¡­ in the end, they began to be pulled by a single rope that connected them together as some of the natives began to grab their weapons. One of them frowned when he had a hard time grabbing Zelos¡¯s sword, but soon he pulled it off.


    In silence, the group followed the path ahead for a couple of minutes, but soon they turned to the side and then began to cross the area with high grass and vegetation. They almost tripped a bunch of times, but after moving some giant leaves out of the way and vines, they eventually reached an area that was free of that, at least on the ground and they could see the massive wall of the mountain. Before long, some of the natives approached and then touched the wall, only to make it move and reveal a secret passage.


    ¡°This is the sound I heard before.¡±


    Before Heirina could say anything to Zelos, he was suddenly kicked on his back and then he fell to the ground. The others almost followed him.


    After taking a deep breath, Zelos got up and then turned around, only to see a native warrior who was like two and half meters tall and was carrying a large club made of earth on his right shoulder. Zelos glared at him for a short while, but soon he looked away when he felt Heirina''s eyes on him.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    The same person who said the other thing before said that and then the group began to move. The interior was completely dark, but then a torch was suddenly lit up and that illuminated the surroundings¡­ revealing a large cave and a river flowing there.


    Before long, all the natives entered and then the cave was sealed. Several other torches began to be lit one after the other, and then the group began to move once again until they found some boats.


    ¡°Sit down and don¡¯t do anything.¡±


    The river was supposed to be flowing west, but their base was supposed to be further East¡­ still, they jumped on the boats and then two of the natives jumped in and without any tools, they made the boat flow upstream¡­ the other natives followed them from behind.


    ¡°I guess they can do this much, huh? I never heard of traits that allow people to control things like the elements¡­ I was hoping that their traits would be more wild and brute, but my guess was very wrong.¡±


    The tension in the boat was heavy since no one knew what was going to happen. All that they knew was the fact that they were surrounded. They lost their vehicle and they didn¡¯t have their weapons. If the situation could get any worse¡­ it was hard to imagine how.


    In any case, the group traveled in silence for many hours through that cave, but soon they left the mountain and began to move to another one¡­ it was amazing that there was an underground river like that, but it helped them move a lot. In the end, it almost felt like the path was only made to make visitors waste a lot of time.


    Before morning came, the group crossed three other mountains. That showed how further in the territory their base was, but it also showed that the trait of the natives was pretty strong since it could last that long.


    When morning came, the group at the exit of the next mountain turned brighter, but soon they also noticed that they finally had arrived. The natives had created their society in the valley between several mountains. The area was several kilometers wide and long¡­


    As they got closer, the group could see all kinds of structures around¡­ Some trees were insanely tall and thick and, thanks to that, some houses were built on the branches of those trees. There were some rocks around as well and other buildings used those as support.


    In their vast majority, the houses around were made of wood, but some looked like they had been made using giant pieces of rocks as well. The streets didn¡¯t have bricks or anything like, but they were completely even. The terrain around was a mix of green and brown, and there were some lakes in the valley as well. The population was already up despite the early time, so they saw the prisoners entering the place¡­ the natives were wearing clothes that protected their waists and chests, and they look like they had been made with only plants despite their perfect craftsmanship.


    It was an impressive sight¡­ even more impressive considering that all of them were glaring at the group¡­

 Chapter 41 - Hidden Base

    While looking from a close distance, Zelos saw that most of the people had body tattoos, but most of the paintings were only white. Some people had a mix of white and blue, and others of blue and red. Some only had red, and they looked really pissed.


    The group left the boats when it approached a bridge, and then one of the natives began to pull the group. Zelos looked over his shoulder for a moment and then took a good look at the guy who kicked him. He had a serious look on his face and he also had thick black hair that looked like half a ball around his head. Putting his appearance aside, Zelos just wanted to make sure that he would pay this guy back in full when he had the chance.


    While gathering the attention of pretty much everyone around, Zelos and the others kept moving toward the center of the area. That took one hour since the place was so massive. Considering the numbers of houses around and their sizes, it was safe to assume that there were dozens of thousands of them there¡­ Since most of them looked tough, they could make quite the army.


    In any case, the group was taken to a large building that has a massive long staircase that enveloped this wooden tower. The building itself was at least two hundred meters tall and fifty wide¡­ one could only wonder how such a thing could keep standing like that. There were several doors along the way, and the group heard a lot of groans and grunts coming from them. They could only imagine that people there were fighting.


    Regardless, eventually, they reached the top of the tower and found the last room, and it was open. Right there, they found a single person sitting cross-legged while meditating with a red spear on their legs¡­ it was a woman who had brown hair and had several body painting tattoos that were all red. She was probably the most beautiful woman that Zelos had seen so far, but she also had this weird aura of danger on her, even though she didn¡¯t look like most buffed warriors and she didn¡¯t have a single scar in her body either.


    She was wearing a simple robe that was yellow and had a mix of plants on it as well. It seemed like a mix of their usual clothing and something from outside. It seemed pretty well made and refined¡­ in any case, the group stopped in front of the entrance, and not even the natives said anything. The woman was the one who told them to come.


    ¡°Enter. It doesn¡¯t seem like they resisted.¡±


    ¡°No, leader. They obeyed our orders and didn¡¯t try anything. So, we brought them here.¡±


    The guy who talked was also the guy who kicked Zelos. The other who talked with them before stayed silent for some reason. Zelos couldn¡¯t even tell who he was anymore.


    ¡°It is a great honor to meet you, honorable leader. My name is Heirina, daughter of the current head of the Hei clan. Forgive us for entering your territory without proper permission, but we came here following orders from someone from the royal family.¡±


    Heirina bowed deeply while introducing herself, and Zelos almost frowned. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be that polite, after all. Still, she understood a few things about negotiations and she also knew that she couldn¡¯t mess up and worsen the situation between the people of the other areas and the natives.


    ¡°Hei clan¡­ it must be the one with that warrior that is trying to coordinate with the others.¡±


    Zelos was a bit surprised. A pompous leader would try to look better by acting like they had never heard of Hei, even though he should be pretty famous, so lying would be a waste of time. Still, it could be done.


    At the same time, the woman saying that kind of thing was a bit weird since her people were supposed to be isolationist. Some of her people could be found in some towns or villages, but it was hard to imagine that they would live there permanently.


    One of the natives approached while carrying the scroll that the group was supposed to bring. It was completely smashed¡­ even though the group had transported it with utmost care, the natives only saw that as a mere piece of paper. In the end, the woman grabbed it, read it and soon closed her eyes.


    ¡°We told you many times that we don¡¯t have any interest in participating in your wars¡­ why do you insist on trying to drag us into your folly?¡±


    ¡°Before I can answer that question, may I ask your name, honorable leader?¡±


    ¡°... Reina.¡±


    ¡°Reina¡­ can I also ask if the emperor was the one who sent the letter?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t him.¡±


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    ¡°Then do you have any connections with someone from the imperial family?¡±


    ¡°You are asking too much.¡±


    ¡°I do apologize for that. I guess I was wrong for trying to understand why one of our leaders decided to ask for your help at this point in time. Putting aside any possible personal matters, we can still tell that things are becoming difficult on the border. We lose thousands and thousands of warriors every year and soon we will reach a breaking point. At the same time, the people here have been growing in unexpected numbers.¡±


    ¡°We have no duty to protect the lands that you rule.¡±


    ¡°You are right, but helping isn¡¯t something that you decide to do out of obligation, but out of necessity. We keep fighting and fighting, but at this rate, we will lose and soon the country might collapse. When that time comes, other countries will attack your territory. If your goal is to prevent the bloodshed of your people, helping your neighbors that see you as potential allies instead of potential enemies might help you with that.¡±


    ¡°That is gibberish. We can defend these mountains as we have been doing for hundreds of years. This is our fortress. No one can win against us here.¡±


    ¡°When was the last time that your people actually participated in a large-scale battle? Things changed a lot in the last few hundred years. Mountains might be hard to bypass, but the enemies will have the patience to wear you down and destroy your territory very slowly. They might use martial might, they might use fire to burn the vegetation in the area, they might poison the river¡­ They are very determined to conquer as much land as possible. We are being attacked on four fronts and that proves it.¡±


    Reina went silent for a short while¡­ Zelos could tell that she showed a small reaction when she heard about the attacks. It seemed that she wasn¡¯t as unconcerned as she tried to look like.


    ¡°We have enemies inside and out, for some reason, people think that it is only a matter of time before our country falls and to prevent that from happening, we need to get rid of our enemies as soon as possible and give the respite that our people need.¡±


    ¡°Our people¡­ my people are here and always have been. Your people tried to force us to leave our land and enslave us countless times. I am truly astonished by you thinking that just a few words would convince me to forget all that.¡±


    Heirina didn¡¯t know what to say after hearing that. All that came to mind only sounded like cheap words that had no real meaning. Trying to appeal to the feelings of the people there would only be counterproductive, since they never felt part of the rest of the country.


    Zelos didn¡¯t hear many details about their history, but it seemed that the natives had countless takes about the times that they tried to be friendly with the people from the plains, only to regret it later. Their grudges were so deep that not even the words of the imperial family would be enough to sway them.


    ¡°What do you want in exchange for people at the border?¡±


    Everyone was surprised and raised their eyebrows when they heard Zelos'' question. For all intents and purposes, he wasn¡¯t supposed to be there, never mentioning speaking, so Reina couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. At the same time, Heirina could only hope that Zelos wouldn¡¯t make things worse.


    ¡°... What do I want? I want nothing, nothing from you all.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, after reading the scroll, why are you trying to talk to us instead of throwing us into some cell?¡±


    While Reina was thinking about the question, Zelos heard a footstep behind and quickly turned around. When the big guy tried to kick him, he immediately lowered his stance and then used the charging technique. In the next moment, he passed below the raised leg of that guy and then kicked his back while spinning his body¡­ the guy felt on his knees and then hit his face on the floor.


    ¡°Now we are even.¡±


    Although Zelos settled the score, he made his friends fall too since the rope was connecting their arms. They looked like they had a lot of things to say about that¡­ even more so when the other natives began to glare at Zelos.


    ¡°What? He kicked me before. He deserved this.¡±


    The atmosphere was dangerous, but the natives didn¡¯t try to move at all¡­ the woman kept glaring at Zelos, but he kept his expression the same as always. Completely blank.


    ¡°If that letter has no real weight behind it to convince you to help, then you can just say your price. How many of your people do you think that you will need to defeat the enemies? Five hundred? If yes, what do you want for their services? And don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t want anything. If that was true, you wouldn¡¯t stay so informed about the front lines or anything beyond the mountains.¡±


    Reina didn¡¯t know what to say. Zelos had a point. Most people assumed that she was well informed because she wanted to stay ahead if someone targeted her territory, but she couldn¡¯t deny the truth and lie like that. Once everyone realized that their leader had such thoughts, they couldn¡¯t help but look a bit confused, too.


    ¡°Well then, what is your price?¡±


    In the next moment, Heirina approached Zelos with a smile on her face, a cold one, and then smacked his head. The attack had been too obvious, but Zelos didn¡¯t even try to dodge.


    ¡°Forgive this impertinent kid ramblings, Reina. He isn¡¯t aware of how things work in the world properly and we are having a hard time reaching him, since his skull is too thick. We all apologize to him, we certainly don¡¯t think that you have a price to help us. If you aren¡¯t willing to help us, I at least want to go and help my father and my companions that are defending the borders, so I would be thankful if you could let us go.¡±


    Reina went silent for a bit and then crossed her arms before she began to think deeply about that. Heirina couldn¡¯t help but think that she was thinking about how she could punish the whole group.


    ¡°Five hundred men and one week.¡±

 Chapter 42 - Reason

    Heirina furrowed her eyebrows when she heard that¡­ those numbers didn¡¯t make much sense. She could only imagine that Reina was talking about something completely unrelated. Fortunately, she decided to explain it.


    ¡°I decided that the contents of the letter are worthy of one week of my and five hundred warriors¡¯ services. That is all.¡±


    ¡°That means¡­ that you are going to help?¡±


    ¡°We are three days away from the front lines, so for four days. As Long as your troops don¡¯t turn out to be useless, this should be enough.¡±


    That would be hard to tell, but it was a risk that they wanted to take. In the next moment, the guys behind cut the ropes that tied the group, and Zelos looked at the guy he had kicked. He had a calm expression on his face, but it was clear that his eyes were filled with anger. The group also received their weapons back.


    ¡°Send the word to everyone that we are going to the plain lands. The first five hundred that reach the river will come with me. We will be back in ten days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, leader.¡±


    That guy that Zelos kicked said that and then left the room and Reina got up before tapping on her knees. The group didn¡¯t know what to say, so they just watched her putting her spear on her back, but she was fine in being stared at while staying in silence. Heirina decided to break the silence.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we discuss the current situation of the battle while the others are getting ready?¡±


    ¡°No need. It doesn¡¯t matter the situation there, we will fight in the same manner as we do. I suppose you all need to have breakfast before departing. Let¡¯s go. We will do that before the time comes.¡±


    Somehow, Zelos had the feeling that working with the natives will be very different from he was used to, or anyone was used for that matter. In any case, the group left the tower and soon and soon they headed to what seemed to be the version of the natives of a restaurant. The place had a bunch of caskets filled with food and some barrels with milk as well. People who were there grabbed what they wanted and paid for what they felt it was worth it. Fortunately, they used the same currency that the people from the plane lands used.


    ¡°I will pay for your food. Feel free to eat as much as you want.¡±


    The other people of the group looked at Zelos with eyes filled with suspicion, while he just shrugged. He couldn¡¯t understand their reaction. Reina said that she would pay for it, so why wouldn¡¯t they make full use of her generosity? In the end, Zelos forced himself to feel satisfied by eating just a bit more than a normal person. After much thinking, Irlan finally decided to ask something that was bothering him.


    ¡°Excuse me, but how should we refer to you? My name is Irlan, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be referred to as a random title like you plain lands. The people here call me leader because I am the leader here, but anyone else can just use my name.¡±


    ¡°Then, Reina¡­ Are we really three days away from the front lines? We lost our wagon and horses, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Your horses are fine. They are being kept somewhere else. As for the trip to the front lines, we can cross half of the distance nonstop using our boats. That being said, it would be better if you all kept your mouth shut about what you will see. Unless you want to get on our bad side. Regardless, what are your names?¡±


    The group introduced themselves properly, but it didn¡¯t look like Reina paid much attention to their names, or their appearances, for that matter. It made since all of them looked like kids from her perspective.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. I have the feeling that our side will be in a bind soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Based on what?¡±


    Zelos barely had time to finish his question. Heirina pushed him to the side immediately and soon showed an apologetic and nervous smile.


    ¡°I am sorry again, Reina. It is fine if you ignore this rude kid. Long story short, we are still educating him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. We also prefer to talk with those who don¡¯t hide their thoughts and behavior behind words or falsehoods. As to based on what I can say, I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Zelos didn¡¯t feel like asking more because he wouldn¡¯t get a clear answer. It was obvious that the topic was a bit troublesome for them, apparently. Maybe it would reveal a lot of things about the natives.


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    When the group reached the river, they found their horses on several boats¡­ There are many other horses being moved to those small boats as well. It seemed that the natives were planning to use theirs as well. Still, despite their numbers, there were only so many people that could go¡­ However, there were thousands of people there planning to join them. Maybe it was a coincidence, but most of them were male.


    ¡°She must be pretty popular.¡±


    Although Zelos just pointed out the obvious, he got the suspicious look of the girl in the group¡­ Reina just left to select the people who would go, but she just picked five people, and those five people would pick five people until they had five hundred on their end. She didn¡¯t even wait for that; she just jumped on a boat and called for Zelos and the others to come. The people left behind looked so jealous.


    Although there was enough space for the group, Reina, and the horses, there wouldn¡¯t be much space to sleep, so they would have to endure that. Moreover, the guy who kicked Zelos jumped in and sat behind him. That was going to be a very uncomfortable trip for all intentions and purposes.


    Fortunately, that guy had a trait that made him control water, apparently. He began to focus and then the boat began to move faster downstream. That was pretty handy¡­ people with those kinds of abilities would make a killing anywhere if they wanted.


    Everyone in the group looked like they were itching to ask how he could do that and what his trait was supposed to be exactly, but they knew it better than doing that.


    ¡°Eldor¡¯s trait let him control water in many ways, but he and others focus on manipulating the water from the river for movement like this.¡±


    ¡°Leader¡­¡±


    Eldor showed a pathetic expression but soon recomposed himself since he didn¡¯t want to show weakness to the plains folks.


    Although the talks weren¡¯t that long and deep, Reina talked with the group a few times and explained to them a few things about their society. She didn¡¯t have to, but despite her blank expression, she wasn¡¯t particularly against the idea of talking with them.


    In any case, while they had a start, soon other boats reached them and began to pass by them. When that happened, Zelos felt the pissed eyes of the natives. As expected, he didn¡¯t get along with them. There was something fundamentally annoying about them that he couldn¡¯t pinpoint.


    However, along the way, Zelos found that the leader of the natives had some fans and he wasn¡¯t popular with them for whatever reason, even though she never showed much interest in him. It was hard to imagine that she became their leader just because she was pretty, though.


    ¡°It is rare to find relics nowadays, even more so in the hands of a kid. You are a kid, aren¡¯t you? Despite being well built for your age.¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­ what do you mean by relics? Is it because this sword has a weird effect? The blacksmith I bought this from called it cursed.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it can be called like that from a certain perspective. The weapon passes an aura of danger and annoyance as well¡­¡±


    Zelos wondered what Reina was talking about. He never heard of weapons that had auras, but maybe that was a thing that the natives could feel or something. Regardless, at least Zelos was learning something.


    ¡°Relics or cursed weapons are tools that absorb a lot of blood on the battlefield. Either from their masters or other enemies. What can it do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it just gets heavier the more it absorbs.¡±


    Heirina, Kaitrine, Edea and Irlan raised their eyebrows when they heard that¡­ they never asked what the weapon could do since Zelos wasn¡¯t the type who would reveal such a thing, but the situation was a bit different.


    ¡°I see¡­ Considering its format, it was probably forged very far away by a blacksmith that used his own blood as materials. Some people know that they can use that kind of thing to create relics. The more rare the trait, the better. However, the process in detail is unknown, and it needs to be quick and a small amount of blood wouldn¡¯t make it do.¡±


    It probably just wasn¡¯t to use some blood and mix with some ores and would be enough. It made sense¡­ Still, Zelos got curious thanks to that. Perhaps he should study some blacksmithing once he has the chance and his farm business starts to go well even without him.


    Although Zelos wanted to ask more about that, they finally crossed the final mountain of the area and then the river began to flow through a small clearing and eventually moved beyond it. Before they could let anyone see that they used the river like that, they stopped the boats on the shore and began to move the horses. The natives worked on that while Reina and the others moved a bit further from it since she asked them to follow her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to accept this call because I don¡¯t know how she is¡­ years ago, a certain girl was traveling around the mountain when her group was apparently ambushed by a group of bandits. The girl ran for her life since she didn¡¯t know how to fight. She was only ten years old, after all. In the end, she ended up lost in the mountains and began to be chased by the supposed bandits. After running away for two days from them, she eventually ended up being found by my group. We were hunting some beasts and saved her just when she was about to be killed by the supposed bandits¡­ we rescued her and then killed them. The thing is, her group was also working alongside the bandits to kill her. She ignored that fact and thanked us from the bottom of her heart.¡±


    The group looked at each other after hearing that¡­ this story was starting to sound weird. Still, the dots began to be connected¡­


    ¡°The girl was bright, gentle, and despite her situation, she was very happy. In the end, she spent some weeks with us until I decided to take her to the other side of the mountains and close to her home¡­ That girl was the daughter of the emperor and she was the one who wrote the letter asking me for help to protect the borders. I decided to dig a bit further and learned that she is the only kid of the emperor.¡±


    Everyone was left speechless after hearing that¡­ still, after thinking for a short while, they began to understand the situation and why the country was kind of in a mess.

 Chapter 43 - Back Attack

    The current emperor only has a single heir, and it is a woman. That is why things are so chaotic and a lot of people are trying to take advantage of the chaos since no woman has ever ruled one of those countries. All the four countries around think that this country is done for, so they want a piece of it. Perhaps even those close to the imperial family want to dispose of her to buy their seat in the court of the countries that will take over this one.


    ¡°Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t think that the situation in our county was such a mess.¡±


    Heirina was truly surprised¡­ no one knew much about the imperial family, after all. Besides, she was busy trying to help her father, so she didn¡¯t have time to think too much about that.


    Kaitrine and Irlan also looked a bit surprised. They were the people most well informed of the group, but in the end, that kind of information was beyond their current means.


    ¡°... I didn¡¯t know that things were this bad, but I knew that something was happening in the capital. Several times, the elders of my clan were called there for some reason.¡±


    Everyone looked at Edea. They couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine why anyone of her clan would be called when their trait was supposed to cancel other people¡¯s traits. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t all that they could do, or they had other traits¡­ It was hard to say and Edea had no idea either. After thinking for a while, Zelos decided to ask a few more things.


    ¡°Why did you take a liking to her when she is the descendant of one of those that caused a lot of problems to your people?¡±


    ¡°... She didn¡¯t try to hide who she was, and she didn¡¯t try to apologize for the past, either. Still, I could tell that she was truly being honest. She was thankful for helping her and for looking after her while she stayed here. She focused on the present and the future, but she didn¡¯t forget the past and learned from the mistakes of others.¡±


    ¡°Was that all? Maybe the feelings that you have about the past aren¡¯t that strong, after all.¡±


    ¡°They are strong. That is why I hesitated after reading the letter. However, memories from five years ago began to resurface and then my mind wavered. You will understand if one day you meet her.¡±


    ¡°I will wish with all my heart that I won¡¯t since that seems like a huge hassle.¡±


    Heirina sighed and then facepalmed¡­ It looked like Reina preferred honesty as policy, but she wondered if that much was still fine.


    ¡°You only have four horses¡­ we don¡¯t have extras.¡±


    ¡°Edea can ride with me. Are we going to move at a fast pace?¡±


    ¡°This area is free of people coming and going, but after arriving in the last part close to the border, some spies might find us. I want to surprise the enemies and decrease morale by causing as much damage as possible as soon as we arrive.¡±


    Heirina nodded¡­ but after crossing that distance, everyone and the horses would be tired¡­ it seemed that Reina didn¡¯t care about that, though. Regardless, the group soon began to mount the horses and followed Reina from close behind. She sent some of her warriors to the sides to make sure that they would spot anyone that got closer to them first than they could see their army approaching. When Reina was receiving some reports, Heirina decided to ask some questions.


    ¡°Kaitrine, did you hear anything about the enemy¡¯s forces this time?¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°That bad, huh¡­ how many enemies they had and how many we had?¡±


    ¡°Five thousand defending¡­ and ten thousand attacking.¡±


    Those were some bad odds¡­ moreover, the enemies were looking for the best places to invade and should have found it by now.


    Hei was studying the map while seeing the results of the previous day¡¯s battle. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of headache almost overtaking him when he saw that¡­ soon enough, Kai arrived all of a sudden and then gave him the reports of the battle of the morning.


    ¡°Carli¡¯s clan is almost done for. They lost half of their forces and they have three hundred wounded. The enemies are determined to create their opening through them.¡±


    Hei moved some pieces from the map that represented the results and then sighed. The other clans were mainly fine. They tried to help Carli clans, but the current head was too conscious of the possibility that he might lose his authority and territory. At that point in time and after those results, that was all but assured. If he doesn¡¯t lose it, he will probably die in the next few days. Once again, Hei let out a sigh. Losing a clan like that was only going to make the battle harder, since the enemies barely suffered any losses so far.


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    ¡°Give the order and I can take at least one of the generals down.¡±


    ¡°... We can¡¯t risk that, while you aren¡¯t a common figure in the front lines, you already pulled that trick too many times. That is why the enemy captains aren¡¯t exposing themselves. Once they confirm that you are here, they will use the tactics to get you.¡±


    Kai couldn¡¯t deny that¡­ Some enemies have already used such tactics. While they failed, it was only a matter of time before their plan started working. Kai wasn¡¯t worried about that. He was worried about the fact that his daughter wanted to become a proper soldier and when their family¡¯s trait, she was going to stand out too much.


    ¡°At least those kids aren¡¯t here yet¡­ I wonder for how long I can protect them, though.¡±


    ¡°You put a group of kids that you felt that deserves some protection, but have the skills to do other kinds of jobs. Still, that can only be done for so long when we have kids of their ages with us here.¡±


    Hei could only nod¡­ moreover, he received the message from Rux the other day and those five went to talk with the natives of the mountains. He didn¡¯t know if he should feel happy about that or not. One could never know how the natives would react to anyone in their territory¡­ even more so when the visitors had an imperial letter with them asking for their assistance in the war.


    While he was thinking about that, one of the messengers arrived in his tent. He didn¡¯t even have to say anything¡­ it was obvious that the enemies were on the move, so he got up from his chair and then grabbed his sword.


    ¡°I am going to join the battle this time¡­ don¡¯t worry, I will remain incognito and don¡¯t use my trait.¡±


    Hei nodded at Kai¡¯s words, and soon they left the tent. Everyone outside was already getting ready for the next battle¡­ the issue was if they would arrive in time. Despite the resist of the last few days, Carli had decided to keep his camp from a certain distance from the others and that always helped the enemy. Hei wondered how suspicious of others a teenager had been to act like that.


    The image of a younger but also suspicious of other boys came to Hei¡¯s mind. At the same time, he recalled what happened in the last battle, so he wondered if Zelos would show up for this conflict.


    While leading his clan¡¯s cavalry, Hei eventually reached the battlefield. As one would expect, the enemies had already infiltrated Carli¡¯s lines, which had set their camp at the top of the tallest hill in the area. While they had had their best fighting conditions in the last few days, they had already lost half of their camp, which was on fire. The clan warriors were trying to hold their ground, but that was getting harder.


    Hei stopped and watched the battlefield for a moment¡­ He could see Lua¡¯s cavalry coming from the south, but soon they were stopped by the heavy infantry of the enemies. They were buying time for this attack finally end the Carli clan.


    ¡°Attack them directly and cover for the Carli¡¯s clan retreat! We can¡¯t let them die here¡± ¡°


    The warriors roared, and then they followed Hei with all of their might. The horses dashed violently toward the battlefield, but soon they slowed down a bit out of fear¡­ Hei clicked his tongue. It was because of the heavy infantry. Elmer and his brother hired a clan to help them with that attack. They got the help of some giants that were really affecting the whole battlefield¡­ they were all over two meters tall, and they were almost impossible to knock down with their heavy shields and spears. Countless horses had their heads smashed by those shields during the impacts.


    When Hei saw the infantry of the Carli clan literally be stomped to death by the enemy¡¯s horses, he charged toward them without hesitation. The enemies soon prepared to receive him, but Hei was no longer playing around. The enemies tried to stab him to death as he approached, but swung his glaive around faster than the wind and then claimed the heads of three enemies.


    After that, Hei stopped to let his breathing calm down since it suddenly had gone up as he watched his warriors join the fight.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t here¡­ this would be easier if we could target them directly.¡±


    When his heartbeat slowed down a bit, Hei charged in again. He tried to spare as much as possible the enemy¡¯s horses since they were lacking them as well, but soon those horses began to kick theirs and then he was forced to attack them as well.


    Usually, that would be the time when the enemies would retreat and wait for another chance to finish the job¡­ but much to Hei¡¯s surprise, they kept coming and coming. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the enemy¡¯s formation which was thick and long began to spread around the area, and soon the heavy infantry began to reach all the cavalry in the area.


    Hei opened his eyes widely when he saw the heavy infantry practically forming a single line to push all the defenders¡­ and that was working pretty well. Now and then, Hei would see a shadow on the battlefield moving, and then one of those heavy infantrymen would fall afterward. Kai was doing his work as sneakily as possible, but that wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°... We can¡¯t let them lose this hill.¡±


    Hei¡¯s heart accelerated when he imagined both outcomes¡­ if the enemies set their camp in that hill, they would be able to attack all the other areas as they saw fit. Carli clan would be decimated, and then the battle would at least last for several more weeks. In order to prevent that, Hei had to go all out and lose a lot of soldiers¡­ they barely had time to get used to the clan¡­ and recruiting a lot more of them so soon would be extremely hard.


    While Hei was trying to consider what was the best option, he saw a bunch of riders and horses being knocked down on the ground and then impaled by the heavy infantry. After clicking his tongue, Hei made his choice and then raised his sword, but before he could give his orders¡­ Hei suddenly saw a dust curtain coming from behind the enemy¡¯s lines.

 Chapter 44 - Overwhelming

    ¡°Reinforcements? When are they coming?¡±


    Something was off¡­ Hei never saw the enemies raising that much dust when they were moving. Besides, they were coming in a hurry for some reason, like they truly had come to finish things as soon as possible. However, instead of moving to attack another area¡­ they came directly to the back of the enemy formation, and soon bodies and weapons began go fly around.


    Hei never saw anything like that happen¡­ was it an enemy division that decided to rebel for some reason? However, when the dust curtain began to spread, he soon saw warriors without wearing body armor attacking the heavy infantry. They also had their bodies covered in body painting.


    ¡°The natives? How did they come from that direction?¡±


    Hei had no idea, but he knew that Heirina and the others were among them, so there was only one thing that he could say to his troops.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    The group and the natives arrived on the battlefield in the morning¡­ at least the scouts did. After watching how things played out, they reported what they saw to Reina and then she quickly knew what they had to do. They moved around the area in a half circle on foot to make sure that the enemies wouldn¡¯t see them and when noon came and the enemies attacked again, they began to mount and then attacked them from behind¡­


    The enemies¡¯ leaders only noticed what was going on too late when the natives were already between their camp and their armies, so there was nothing that they could do. However, the group had traveled with little time to rest, so they weren¡¯t in tip-top condition. Kaitrine was suffering the most because of that, but she didn¡¯t complain and just clenched her teeth.


    ¡°What the hell are those guys¡­ they are huge.¡±


    The giant warriors turned around and tried to face them¡­ Irlan thrust his spear toward them, but the large shields completely blocked all areas that could be hit and at the same time, Irlan¡¯s thrusts didn¡¯t even slow down the enemies. When they tried to smash him, he used his trait to move to the side and then stabbed them in the neck.


    Zelos was on his right side trying to cover for Edea, who was behind and looking for an exposed neck¡­ he didn¡¯t like fighting like that, but he knew that Edea could pick up the enemies faster than him.


    All of a sudden, one of the enemies charged toward her after seeing three of his allies falling with arrows in their heads and then Zelos moved his sword to the side and then swung it with all his might. The sound of metal colliding echoed in the area and made those around flinch. The enemy stopped his charge, but at the same time, Zelos was feeling his bones vibrating¡­ it would have been better if he had brought his club for this kind of situation.


    ¡°Not the best way to stop a charge like that¡­¡±


    Still, as soon as the impact made the enemy flinch, an arrow flew toward his head and pierced it. That was a disappointing way to finish things, but that was a battlefield, it wasn¡¯t a place for duels.


    While resuming his job to cover for Edea, Zelos looked to the side and then saw the natives fightings¡­ they looked like madmen jumping around and giving their all with every single swing. The guy who kicked him was spinning like a top with his stone club and smashing the shields of the giant warriors. Another one armed with short swords looked like he was dancing on the battlefield as he claimed the necks of the enemies. There was no order or coordination with them.


    Still, amidst all that chaos, Reina stood out like a sore thumb. The natives let out all their rage, and wild nature take over their bodies, but she remained completely focused on the task ahead. When one enemy approached and tried to stab her, she thrusted her spear to the side and deflected the attack. In the same motion, she pierced the enemy¡¯s arm with her weapon, and when the enemy flinched thanks to the pain, she pierced their heart.


    When another tried to slam his shield against her, she pierced the ground with her spear and then used it to propel herself over the enemy. While she was spinning in the air, the enemy tried to stab her, but he missed, and when she landed behind him, she stabbed his back with ease and made him fall.


    The giant warriors quickly realized the menace that Reina was and soon tried to surround her and stab her from all sides, but nothing that they tried worked¡­ trying to stab her, smashing her from all directions¡­ throwing weapons. She avoided them all, but the weird thing was the fact that it looked like she never let the enemies truly finish their attacks and soon attacked them first.


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!


    ¡°What the hell is headquarters thinking? They let those guys attack us from behind without warning, and with only this much, they want us to retreat?¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Stay here and die then!¡±


    Hei¡¯s warriors were approaching, so those who had a functional brain quickly realized that they would be completely surrounded and had to escape that. They had to analyze the battle once more and re-plan things based on this force that just arrived.


    The natives tried to surround the enemies and slow down their retreat to decrease their numbers further, but they didn¡¯t have enough numbers to pull that off¡­ They barely could create one line to contain them. Moreover, when the giant warriors were determined to run away, they were quite hard to stop. Some of them tried to chase the enemies, but soon they saw the reinforcements of the enemies approaching, and then they decided to stop.


    ¡°You all really came, huh?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°It is Captain for a while, young lady. Or perhaps calling you a random soldier would be more appropriate as well.¡±


    Heirina didn¡¯t mind that. She was just happy to see her father alive and well¡­ just by taking a quick glance around, one could tell that the battle so far had been quite difficult. Hei looked at the group and then saw Zelos recovering his iron balls and then saw Reina. A quick glance was enough to tell that she was the leader there.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Hei, and I am really thankful for your help¡­ we barely were able to hold our lines here. You also surprised me with a back attack like that in the middle of the day.¡±


    ¡°I am Reina. I am going to help around here for four days only, so I will be counting on your cooperation.¡±


    ¡°That should be more than enough. Thank you once again.¡±


    Dozens of the giant warriors had fallen in a couple of minutes, perhaps close to one hundred and until now, barely five of them had died in each confrontation. It was difficult for Hei and Kai to find them, after all. They had five hundred on their side, and since the natives had around the same numbers and looked even more impressive, perhaps they had a chance of winning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s regroup¡­ we need to set camps for everyone, and¡­¡±


    Hei furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Zelos¡­ his face was darkened for some reason; he looked to be quite in a bad mood, but one couldn¡¯t tell why just by looking at him.


    ¡°It is a long story, and you have other things to worry about, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Zelos was mad for a very simple reason¡­ the area that he was forced to defend. The truth of the matter was the fact that before reaching the front lines, Zelos crossed the farm where he lived, and he felt very angry about it when he realized that the battlefield was close by¡­ once again, he was forced to defend that shitty place.


    Zelos was usually a pretty composed kid. He rarely showed any emotion, but when he did, it was only anger. Even Heirina and the others felt surprised when he showed that for so long as they crossed that farm. Eventually, they connected the dots and realized why Zelos was angry¡­ when he saw the old quarters, the forest where he trained. Free people were working on those now, but that didn¡¯t make his memories go away.


    However, he soon was forced to forget about it when he heard that the people on the front lines were losing because of the enemy generals, Elmer, and his older brother. Apparently, the enemies decided to invest all of their fortunes in this last battle and hired a clan of giants that had an unstoppable infantry.


    Zelos was forced to forget about that when they approached the camp and then saw the wounded¡­ they were tired, but they were mainly unscathed, so they decided to help treat the wounded. It was a pretty unusual sight¡­ but most of the wounded people had broken or smashed limbs instead of wounds created by sharp or pointy weapons. The heavy infantry didn¡¯t have to be skilled to do that much. They just had to be big and don¡¯t hesitate in front of the enemies¡­


    When night came, the group finished helping the wounded¡­ fortunately, at least the Carli clan had a bunch of healers, so treating the wounded was pretty straightforward.


    ¡°With the money they saved by using slave kids, they should have had the chance to hire these guys¡­ I already know that thinking like this will keep me mad pretty much forever. So, perhaps I should stop before I fall into that spiral.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zelos. Dad wants to talk with us all. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zelos wondered why Hei wanted that when their squad was basically inexperienced when it comes to large-scale confrontations, but he decided to wait and hear instead of thinking about it.


    ¡°Thanks for coming. You can sit.¡±


    Aside from Hei and the group, Reina and the guy who kicked Zelos were also there. Despite his personality, it seemed that he was someone Reina trusted. In any case, after everyone sat down, the mood changed a bit.


    ¡°Reina told me the situation about her coming to help and what she and her people can do. She also told me that she wants to finish things tomorrow in one way or the other, even though she said she is also fine with staying here for three more days.¡±


    Everyone nodded. Reina was important in the mountains, and her people needed her there. While the group wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the idea of recklessly charging toward the enemies to solve the conflict, those were the conditions for her help.


    ¡°We need to defeat the enemies before we can use them. That is why we are going all out tomorrow. Today, we were a bit tired, and only a few of us used our traits, but tomorrow, that will be different. I will lead the charge.¡±


    After Reina¡¯s declaration, everyone studied her for a moment. Although the natives were quite passionate people when it came to a lot of things, she almost deserved the title of ice queen. Even in the face of such a dangerous situation, she felt completely unfazed. Regardless, the idea that the natives were able to win against giants without using their traits and without being completely rested was simply insane. Tomorrow, they will probably make it rain blood if they go all out.


    ¡°With that in mind, your group will be on the front lines like me since you all called upon me. You will share my fate and the fate of my people.¡±

 Chapter 45 - Warm Up

    Everyone looked at each other. That was an unusual demand from Reina. Maybe despite her blank expression, she was a bit annoyed by the fact that she had to leave her territory to help the plains folk. Hei didn¡¯t say anything about that, but it was clear that he didn¡¯t like the idea of letting Heirina participate on the front lines in her first battle to defend the borders.


    ¡°Fine by me. I take it that we will be paid well enough if we survive until the end. Right? What are we going to have for dinner?¡±


    The group felt like sighing, thanks to Zelos¡¯s nonchalant attitude¡­ they stayed in the front earlier, but that one had been an ambush. Things would be different tomorrow, but it didn¡¯t look like he cared that much about it. As usual, he had steel nerves. After clearing her throat, Heirina decided to ask something.


    ¡°We can do that, but aside from that, what can we do, and what will be our goal?¡±


    ¡°We will lure the enemies¡¯ leaders. Once they are killed, the rest will go down easily. Since one of them has a grudge against you all, we should be able to pull that off easily.¡±


    The group wasn¡¯t as sure of that as Reina was¡­ Still, they could only try, and if the plan fails, they will be able to tell her to be a bit more reasonable and follow more common tactics. Hopefully, that won¡¯t cause them too many losses.


    ¡°At the same time, we will attack the enemies instead of waiting for them. The hill gives us some advantage, but as I said, I want to finish this tomorrow. My people and I will lead the charge, and the rest of you can follow by the sides. Only these here will have to be with us in the front.¡±


    ¡°... I will inform Lua and the other captains of the plan. They will probably think that we have lost our minds, but they will do anything as long as they don¡¯t have to deal with the most troublesome issues.¡±


    ¡°All right, that is all.¡±


    Reina left the tent with her underling and then joined her other allies. The other stayed behind to talk about the situation, even though there wasn¡¯t much to say or change about that.


    ¡°Tomorrow will be difficult, but you all will have to focus on staying alive no matter what. You are only the bait to lure Elmer, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that we can afford just to watch everyone fight and die, Dad. This is a good chance to make up for the dark history of our country and the natives. Even if we can¡¯t do that, as long as we fight together, our clan can become their allies.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good on paper, but it isn¡¯t that easy. Reina is a bit different from I expected, but even so, this plan is too risky. While having strong people like them as allies is reassuring, it just counterbalances the fact that their plans are just too reckless for ordinary clans.¡±


    Zelos wanted to say that perhaps that was the problem. The clans only worked to defend the territory, and every time they fought like that, thousands of them died. They had been protecting their lands like that for decades, and that never stopped the enemies from trying again and again.


    ¡°Did you see her fight, Dad? I don¡¯t think we will have to worry about that too much. In one way or another, those two will have to show themselves, and we will just have to grab that chance without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°The enemies must have some other tricks up their sleeve, and we can¡¯t be too cautious about them. Moreover, while you are fine with that, the others might not be fine with it. Seeing the enemies looking at you just as someone they had to kill was very different from letting them see you as someone that they truly hated. Elmer and his brothers will make everyone under his command target you all with that in mind.¡±


    Heirina looked at Edea for a moment. She tried to look composed, but it was clear that she wasn¡¯t¡­ she knew how it was to be hated by people who were supposed to be allies, but things would be very different on the battlefield.


    In any case, Hei wanted to be more methodical about it since the other captains, aside from Lua, were being too cautious. Still, since Reina wanted to finish the battles as soon as possible to return home, anything could happen. The situation could reach a point that would be impossible to predict. That was why Hei was worried. Unlike the clans, Reina didn¡¯t participate in battles often, so she didn¡¯t know what the enemies were capable of doing in all senses.


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    ¡°Rest and eat while you can and then wait until morning comes. I will make sure to reach you all in the middle of the battle before Elmer does it. So, my orders until then are to focus on surviving and don¡¯t take any chances. That is all.¡±


    After hearing that, they couldn¡¯t say anything to Hei. Orders were orders, and a chain of command was useless if the underlings couldn¡¯t follow the lead of those who were supposed to lead them. In the end, the group left to have dinner¡­ since Zelos believed that the battle would truly end tomorrow, he didn¡¯t hesitate to eat as many rations as possible. The taste wasn¡¯t that good, so he decided to at least fill his belly. As usual, since the mood was a bit heavy, Irlan decided to break the silence.


    ¡°In the end, the captain is right. This is our real first battle on the front lines¡­ we should focus on gaining experience instead of getting carried away.¡±


    No one said anything in response, so Irlan felt a bit bothered by it. The group was also split about what they should do¡­ Some wanted to be cautious for obvious reasons, others wanted to take their chances because the natives were also risking their lives and it wouldn¡¯t be fair not to share the risks with them.


    ¡°... What do you think, Zelos?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Everything can happen on the battlefield. You should know that. When doing something out of the norm, any plan quickly becomes useless since we can¡¯t predict that far ahead in chaotic situations. Besides, I can¡¯t imagine many people recalling what they heard on the previous day in the heat of the moment while blood, sweat, shit and piss surrounds them. While the enemies charge at them with a vicious look that shows that you are only a target to them.¡±


    After hearing that, the group felt troubled and didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. Zelos wasn¡¯t someone who liked to waste time, so he truly wanted to finish things tomorrow if he could as well. However, the idea of fighting and risking his life to protect that damned place truly annoyed him¡­ in one hand, he could focus on the future and do his best, on the other, he could stay attached to the past and let that drag him down and waste time¡­ for the first time since he found freedom, he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    When morning came, Zelos woke up and wondered if he should look for a horse. With all his weight, most horses would fall behind, after all. Perhaps it would be better to stay on foot and surprise the enemies like that.


    Everyone was close to each other, so they soon regrouped and got their horses. They looked a bit surprised that Zelos didn¡¯t want one, but it made sense since, thanks to his dark sword, he had the shortest reach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. We don¡¯t know when Reina is planning to attack, but it should be soon.¡±


    The group soon went to look for Reina and then they found her watching in the distance the enemy''s camp at the top of the hill. The enemy¡¯s camp was three kilometers away, they would have plenty of time to notice their approach, but she didn¡¯t look troubled over that. In any case, Hei, Lua and the head of the current Carli clan went to talk with her, but she quickly dismissed them.


    ¡°Be ready to follow us at any moment. I don¡¯t know when we are going to depart, but when we do, we will leave immediately.¡±


    Lua and Carly Junior were left completely astonished¡­ Hei warned them about her, but that was even worse than they had expected. Fortunately, he warned them not to say anything too hasty since they knew how powerful the natives were. In the end, they left her alone and then Hei looked at her daughter and nodded before leaving.


    All the natives were also looking in the same direction¡­ It was almost like they were waiting for a message or something to know when they should attack. Considering that and Reina¡¯s behavior, Zelos assumed that her trait was another defensive one that focused on counter attacking¡­ but it seemed way better than Irlan¡¯s. Or maybe he was just too inexperienced to compare. Regardless, during that time, the remaining forces soon positioned themselves around the hills.


    ¡°What do you think her trait is, Zelos? It seems like it is a better version than mine.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing, but considering how she fights to perfection, maybe we are wrong. Her trait might actually be offensive or something, and her quick judgment makes it look like it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Irlan stopped to think for a moment, trying to understand it¡­ it made sense, but he still couldn¡¯t think of any trait that could do that. In any case, they didn¡¯t have much time to think about that because Reina suddenly raised her spear and then shouted all of a sudden.


    ¡°Charge!¡¯


    They didn¡¯t have to hear it twice, the natives began to charge down the hill without hesitation¡­ The enemies were three kilometers away, but they already looked like they could see them and were itching to crush their heads. Half of the natives decided to charge on foot while the others began to ride the horses. Still, they weren¡¯t falling behind.


    For all intents and purposes, leaving the high ground in any kind of battle would be foolish, so Zelos wondered why Reina gave up on that when the enemy tried to take it over so much. While looking in the distance, Zelos couldn¡¯t see any reason for that. Nothing changed in those few minutes that could have explained that, but Reina found something that was worth her decision.


    ¡°Hey, Zelos. Are you sure that you want to run all this distance? I can give you a ride.¡±


    ¡°This will be a good warm-up for me.¡±

 Chapter 46 - Duel

    All those in the camp who could fight were following them¡­ There were only around three thousand warriors against almost ten thousand enemy soldiers. The odds were stacked against them, but the natives looked like they were going to enjoy themselves instead of heading into a battlefield where they would be outnumbered three to one.


    When the army crossed half of the distance, they finally had the chance to see the enemies in the distance moving, and they seemed to be in a hurry¡­ there were no signs of their lines being any close to being completed. Thanks to that, the charge gained even more speed¡­ Zelos could finally understand something. Somehow, Reina was able to see in the distance the perfect moment to attack the enemy¡­ it was when they were their weakest or unready to defend.


    ¡°Weakest¡­ could it be?¡±


    Before Zelos could complete his thinking, he saw some horses coming from the enemy¡¯s camp toward them. It looked like the enemies didn¡¯t want them getting any closer to their camp for some reason. It wasn¡¯t like they had the high ground there, so maybe there was another reason the cavalry came¡­ to buy time, perhaps.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the two groups to collide¡­ Edea fired some arrows and then claimed the heads of some archers. Zelos recovered the arrows for her, but she hesitated in getting them. She wasn¡¯t a real warrior¡­ even though she was so skilled with the bow.


    At the same time, Reina began to move among the enemies and stab them while avoiding their attacks by avoiding them by a very small margin. At that point in time, Zelos could almost be certain that Reina could see the enemy¡¯s weakness, or maybe it was something like, based on the enemies¡¯ stance, she could find the best way to defeat them as quickly as possible.


    Either way, the enemy cavalry didn¡¯t last even a single minute, so soon the enemy¡¯s camp was reached¡­ The giant warriors with their shields and spears began to assume their formations to stop them, and soon the chaos started.


    ¡°Spread and kill them all!¡±


    For the unusual calm Reina to shout that with all her might¡­ Despite the noise of the horses and the fights, everyone still clearly heard her. Even though they were outnumbered three to one, they still had the confidence of winning without having to use tactics.


    The natives began to spread around, and only a small number began to follow Reina, Zelos, and the others. They were among them and soon collided with the few heavy infantrymen who managed to assemble. Those guys got ready to stab Reina¡¯s horse, but she quickly jumped from the animal and passed above them while spinning in the air. She elegantly landed on the ground and then swung her spear¡­ claiming the heads of five enemies with ease.


    The remaining natives targeted the other infantrymen and faced them directly and soon destroyed their shields before facing them. Reina told the group to follow her to share their same fate, but at that point in time, she was only showing off.


    Still, she suddenly stopped ahead when she found a squad of archers armed with crossbows and ready to fire them. As expected, she was weak when it came to long-range attacks, so she couldn¡¯t help but stop. She probably didn¡¯t have much experience dealing with that since she lived in the mountains. However, a solution soon appeared¡­ Zelos threw one of the enemy¡¯s shields at her while he had another. She grabbed it without hesitation.


    ¡°Well thought.¡±


    Zelos wasn¡¯t planning to just watch¡­ in the end, and he couldn¡¯t just blame the assholes in the farm for what he had to endure for ten years. All the motherfuckers who love to wage war so badly are part of the problem. Zelos decided to show them the kind of monster they could create, even away from the battlefield.


    Zelos and Reina charged while using the shields and then the enemies bombarded them with bolts¡­ Much to Zelos¡¯s surprise, the bolts were literally raining on the shields. Most likely, they were rapid-fire crossbows, and considering the marks that he could see on the other side, they had a lot of power, too.


    Still, before the shields could break or suffer too much damage, they reached the enemies¡­ Reina swung the shield and smashed the faces of several of the archers while Zelos used his charging technique and knocked down several of the enemies¡­ when they tried to get up, Zelos swung his sword and cut their heads without hesitation.


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    Before the others could reach them, things started to get chaotic in the enemy¡¯s camps. Tents began to burn and people tried to run away since they didn¡¯t have time to grab their weapons. Zelos saw some riders coming from the side and then charging toward Heirina and the others¡­


    All sides start an all-out confrontation, and Zelos, for the first time, sees what a real war is. He was completely taken aback by it. Yesterday, his head was filled with anger, but this time it was different¡­ However, he soon recovers and makes up his mind to fight even more fiercely than before. That was the world he was born in.


    Before Zelos and Reina could reunite with the others, two figures suddenly charged at them¡­ the first slammed his body against Reina and then pushed her to the distance. While the other swung his sword at Zelos, and even though he jumped to the side and avoided the blade¡­ his neck began to bleed.


    ¡°I was expecting to find many people here, but not you, kid.¡±


    Zelos squinted his eyes while looking at Elmer. The plan worked, but not the way Reina had planned. When they got separated from the group, the two enemy leaders appeared and targeted them instead. Maybe the sudden arrival of another cavalry unit wasn¡¯t a coincidence.


    Regardless, Elmer looked much better than before. He didn¡¯t look weaker, and he also had a long sword in his hands and a weird glove in his left hand. It was weird to look at that since there was this odd feeling...


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, kid.¡±


    Elmer swung his sword again and then Zelos suddenly felt his left ear burning. In the next moment, he saw half of it falling on the ground, and then the wetness of blood began to drip from the other part that was still left in place.


    ¡°What do you want me to say? It has been a while? How are you?¡±


    Perhaps it was a good idea to buy time since the natives had the advantage in the situation and Zelos knew that he wasn¡¯t experienced enough to deal with Elmer¡­ moreover, his trait allowed him to attack from a distance somehow, and that was the first long-ranged trait that Zelos had seen that operated offensively.


    Elmer just smiled and then swung his sword again. This time, Zelos used his charging technique to the side and avoided the hit¡­ Thanks to the hit, he saw a mark in the shape of a line suddenly appearing on the grass. At the same time, he saw a few of the grass blades around moving.


    ¡°A trait that let him control the wind with his attacks¡­ or perhaps he can just control the wind and extend the reach of his sword and make it like a whip.¡±


    ¡°Impressive. I didn¡¯t think that you had the physical strength to do that. I thought that you were just a random kid that belonged to a rich family and was playing mercenary, but it seems that I was wrong.¡±


    Elmer took a few steps forward, and Zelos immediately realized that it would be harder to dodge if he got closer. He also couldn¡¯t use the charging technique often, so he truly was in a bind. Zelos wanted to confirm the surrounding situation, but he couldn¡¯t turn his head or even blink for a second¡­ he focused on his ears and only heard the sound of metal colliding, grunts of pain, and people screaming.


    ¡°I guess I will have to do this somehow. It will be a good experience, if nothing else.¡±


    Zelos lowered his stance and got ready to fight, Elmer blinked several times after seeing that and then chuckled. It was funny that a kid like Zelos thought that he could fight him¡­ it would be even funnier if it weren¡¯t actually very annoying.


    Elmer charged and then swung his sword. Zelos raised his sword and then blocked the invisible attack, but he still felt his shoulder burning¡­ even if he blocked the wind in an area, that wasn¡¯t enough¡­


    Before the pain could even decrease, Zelos charged at the enemy and then swung his sword. Elmer smiled and then blocked the attack with a single hand but then opened his eyes widely when his defenses were easily destroyed. The dark sword approached him, but then he blocked the weapon with his glove and then jumped backward.


    Upon impact, another sound of metal colliding took place, but the glove didn¡¯t suffer any damage, nor was Elmer¡¯s hand pushed away¡­ Zelos felt like he had attacked a brick wall somehow¡­


    ¡°I guess you must have a strength-type trait¡­ that would explain why you are here. I almost messed up again¡­ I tried to fool around with that crazy woman and then ended up caged for several months. I need to learn my lesson.¡±


    Zelos recalled the wounds that Lua showed before and the ones that Elmer caused¡­ now he could understand how things played out for this retard to end up in prison. In any case, that had been a golden chance for Zelos, but now the enemy was no longer going to underestimate him.


    Elmer swung his sword around in several angles and then Zelos tried to run away while protecting his head from the attacks¡­ it didn¡¯t take long before his body and clothes were damaged and dirty with blood¡­ it truly looked like he had been whipped by a sword. The enemies trait was annoying, and it didn¡¯t look like it used that much magic to make it work.


    Still, Elmer stopped attacking for a moment and then began to study Zelos¡­ he was surprised that Zelos wasn¡¯t showing any signs of pain. The longer the distance between him and the target, the more swallow the damage would be, but after being hit several times, he was bound to have a harder time moving.


    ¡°You must have some decent physical defenses as well¡­ It can''t be helped. I wanted to enjoy this slowly, but if you are here, the others must be here as well. I will only feel satisfied if I am the one who claims their heads.¡±

 Chapter 47 - Relic

    Elmer charged and then swung down his sword, but then Zelos used his charging technique and then targeted the stomach and the hands of the enemy with the tip of his weapon¡­ Once again, the enemy moved his gauntlet in his left hand and blocked the attack. The sound of metal colliding echoed again, but then the enemy showed a look of discomfort in his face, and he lost the strength in his attack and was pushed backward.


    The smile disappeared from his face, and then he began to study Zelos as Zelos did the same. He didn¡¯t cause much damage¡­ so something must have happened. Since the enemy wasn¡¯t wounded, something else happened that made him feel uncomfortable. Something related to the gauntlet¡­


    ¡°The gauntlet¡­ can¡¯t work like that without some cost¡­ perhaps it consumes his magic with each attack.¡±


    The explanation seemed logical and on point¡­ It confirmed that Elmer changed his stance and moved his left hand to the bottom of the handle. He was right-handed, so that was the proper way to hold the sword to maximize his attack power and precision. The previous form allowed him better reaction time and freedom in his movements.


    Elmer¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and then he opened his eyes widely and then swung down his sword. Zelos had a bad feeling about that and moved his sword to block the attack with the side of the weapon. The impact pushed away as he managed to block most of the attack with his weapon, but then Zelos felt a deep, excruciating pain on his left shoulder¡­ the pain gave room to a stinging hot feeling, and soon Zelos lost control over his left arm. It fell limp on his side. It wasn¡¯t chopped¡­ but the wound had damaged the muscles and ligaments.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    Zelos never thought that Elmer¡¯s technique could become even more powerful from a distance as long as he put more strength behind his attacks. That was a hard lesson that he was forced to learn. Blood was coming out from the wound, but Zelos knew that in a couple of minutes, the bleeding would stop¡­ but he still was in deep waters.


    ¡°This is quite embarrassing¡­ forcing to be this cautious against a kid. I guess I developed some trauma over being locked down for a couple of months. Killing all those kids would be perfect, but I will be satisfied in killing only that bitch aside from you.¡±


    He was definitely talking about Edea¡­ despite her skills, he still would be able to cut her down since he was able to wound Zelos like that at ten meters of distance. Still, it wasn¡¯t time for Zelos to worry about her. He took a deep breath and then calmed down while enduring the pain.


    ¡°Well, then, should I finish the job on that arm, or should I target the other arm?¡±


    Both options were pretty bad for Zelos, so he was forced to use his head as quickly as possible. Zelos lowered his sword and then the enemy couldn¡¯t help but smirk. However, the tip of the weapon cut the small bag where his iron balls were¡­ they began to fall and Zelos didn¡¯t hesitate in kicking them.


    The enemy saw the iron balls and soon swung his sword to repel the only one that Zelos kicked. A wind blade actually split in half the iron ball before it could reach him, but in a fraction of a second, Zelos used his charging technique and then stabbed the enemy before he could recover¡­ the dark blade pierced through Elmer¡¯s stomach with ease.


    With an expression of shock and pain on his face, Elmer slowly lost control over his body and then fell to the ground¡­


    Zelos sighed in relief once the enemy stopped moving. Soon he felt a bit weird for feeling like that after taking a life. Regardless, the pain in his shoulder and body made him forget that. The enemy tried to take his life, after all.


    Zelos looked around and soon saw that the battle was far from over. He didn¡¯t know if he could fight like that, he probably couldn¡¯t, but he had to take some countermeasures. First of all, he recovered his iron ball, sword and then he took out the glove that Elmer was wearing and equipped on his right hand, even though it was supposed to be equipped on the left one.


    After that, he began to retreat where the others were supposed to be while carrying the iron balls in his right hand and ready to throw them at the enemy if he had to. Just when Zelos found them, he saw Hei arriving with a large force of cavalry that soon began to move in circles around the area and then disposed of the enemies around. When Hei finally slowed down, Zelos had the chance to approach and then Reina also arrived in the area¡­ carrying the head of Elmer¡¯s brother.


    ¡°... It seems that you pulled off as well, but why didn¡¯t you bring that guy¡¯s head?¡±


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    ¡°I would become the target of his underlings in this state and that would have been the same as a death sentence. The body is there.¡±


    Reina looked at her underling with the stone club and then he left to recover the body. At the same time, the others in the group approached Zelos and checked his wounds. He was a mess¡­ they thought that he got lucky against Elmer since his trait was nasty and pretty infamous as well. It claimed the lives of hundreds of warriors.


    ¡°Wait here and don¡¯t move. Soon the healers will arrive and then will treat your wounds. We will rally the soldiers and demoralize the enemies by using the heads of their leaders.¡±


    That was one of the few things that Zelos couldn¡¯t understand when it comes to war. The goal was to make sure their allies wouldn¡¯t lose their lives and make the enemies lose their fighting spirit, but that still bothered him. Regardless, Hei left the area and then the group finally had the chance to rest. Irlan sighed in relief.


    ¡°It feels like we didn¡¯t do much and Zelos got all the glory¡­ and got all the wounds as well. By the way, where did you get that gauntlet?¡±


    ¡°From our dearest friend Elmer. If it weren¡¯t for this, I would have surprised him and avoided most of these wounds.¡±


    Everyone realized that it was a relic, even at first glance one would be able to tell that. They didn¡¯t know what it could do yet, but it probably would be very useful on Zelos hands.


    Regardless, it didn¡¯t take long for the battlefield to change again, while showing the heads of the enemies leaders, Reina and Hei managed to completely make the enemies lose their willpower. They still outnumbered the attackers, but they could no longer think of that. They just began to run away in all directions.


    For all intents and purposes, the battle was over, but the attackers kept chasing the enemies even after sunset¡­ they weren¡¯t planning to let not a single one of them escape.


    After sunset, the healers finally arrived and then they came to check on Zelos wounds¡­ however, aside from some red bruises on his body that looked like they were swollen, he looked completely fine. He was starving, though.


    ¡°... Father?¡±


    Kaitrine suddenly said that and then everyone opened their eyes widely. Then they looked in the direction she was looking and then they found a middle-aged man that had the same hair and eye color as Kaitrine.


    ¡°Hei sent the message that you all should just return to the camp and rest, we will keep chasing the enemies nonstop and we will also invade the town and villages that belonged to those two. With the natives¡¯ help, this will be easy and without their army, the people there will have to surrender. Your battle is over.¡±


    Kai immediately left the area without waiting for the group¡¯s response. It wasn¡¯t like they had many options, after all. Still, they felt like they truly weren¡¯t participating in the battle and on its conclusion as well. It was a weird feeling¡­


    ¡°We might not need to fight anymore, but there are plenty of things to take care of here. Let¡¯s focus on that for the time being. Besides, things will be busy for a while if we try to annex another territory to our own. The conclusion of this battle won¡¯t take place for quite a while.¡±


    Everyone understood that and so they began to work on organizing their tools, helping the healers or delivering the food for those who needed but couldn¡¯t move. Zelos couldn¡¯t help but feel like sighing since his body was still hurting, and he had to do that kind of job yet. Hopefully, he will be rewarded for it.


    As it turned out, Heirina group took the role of commanding the base on the hill since the captains and most of the warriors were chasing the enemies¡­ they truly were being restless. Heirina wondered if they weren¡¯t going too far. Still, considering that they never went on the offensive, perhaps they were enjoying the moment.


    Kai appeared a few times to deliver some messages and give reports, but there was nothing out of the norm. Two days after the end of the battle, Reina and the natives returned and reported that the five villages in Elmer¡¯s territory and his brother¡¯s town was taken over by Hei and the other clans¡­ the issue was how the enemy¡¯s country was going to respond to that.


    ¡°Our job is over, we are going home.¡±


    Heirina wondered what she should say in that kind of situation. The natives lost twenty of them in that confrontation. It was quite a small number. Still, they deserved some rewards, but they didn¡¯t care about that. Celebrating the victory wasn¡¯t of their interest either.


    ¡°Thank you, Reina. We are heavily indebted to you. If you need help with anything, you can call for us and we will be there in no time.¡±


    ¡°I will remember that.¡±


    There several ways to say that kind of thing, and Reina chose the one that sounded like a threat. Regardless, she didn¡¯t sound particularly mad, she sounded the same as usual and just like that, the natives began to depart.


    ¡°She sure knows how to leave an impression.¡±


    The girls of the group looked at Irlan with eyes filled with suspicion. That was why it was a good idea for him to learn how to keep his mouth shut. Still, it looked like he wasn¡¯t smart enough to read the atmosphere.


    ¡°Relax, guys. Give it ten more years and you will be able to feel confident in front of Reina. Right, Zelos?¡±


    Zelos had already left the area as well to do some training. He was unable to do that in the last few days since the places where he had been wounded hurt like a bit¡­ when he insisted, he saw the scar on his shoulder turning red almost like it was becoming a wound again. This time around, he was able to swing his sword a bit better, and the scar didn¡¯t hurt either.

 Chapter 48 - Traitor

    ¡°This battle was a mess¡­ It showed me that there are plenty of people out there who are way stronger than me. I need to try harder.¡±


    At the same time, Zelos realized that his basic moves needed some more polish or perhaps power¡­ he thought that the natives could give him a few hints about that, but they had no reason to help him whatsoever. They didn¡¯t want to waste time there further, as well, so the idea of asking them never crossed his mind.


    After training for a bit, Zelos decided to test the effects of the gauntlet and soon he attacked it with his sword¡­ It was hard as steel, and thanks to that, he confirmed the reason behind it¡­ it consumed magic in order to cancel the power of attacks.


    Health: 950/950


    Magic: 500/500


    Stamina: 840/840


    Strength:  50


    Vigor: 45


    Precision:  39


    Wisdom:  10


    Willpower:  40


    Traits: Regeneration Lv 69


    ¡°It seems that it cancels damage that would be equal to the damage directly to my health¡­ so, it can cancel two hundred points of damage. It isn¡¯t much considering my total health and regeneration, but it can be useful in some circumstances.¡±


    After doing some tests with the gauntlet, Zelos thought that it would be a good idea to try to improve his magic. Considering his training, he thought that his resolve should have improved a bit, but it seemed that physical activities wouldn¡¯t help with that.


    ¡°I bet that Edea uses her magic a lot or used¡­ perhaps keep using a trait that consumes that will increase things like wisdom and resolve, but it shouldn¡¯t be just that. I have to try other things once I get home.¡±


    Speaking of home, on the next day, the group received another message to dismount the camp on the hill¡­ the warriors that weren¡¯t that much hurt would join the others taking over the town that once belonged to Elmer¡¯s brother and while the rest would retreat. They could only keep their homes unprotected for so long, after all.


    ¡°I guess it is time to return home¡­ Dad just left to us all the things that needed to be done back at home.¡±


    ¡°It was left to you. It is time for you to reap the benefits of leading and be the future head of the clan.¡±


    ¡°Zelos, you traitor¡­¡±


    ¡°I already have my work on the farm waiting for me. Although I might give you a hand if you pay me enough.¡±


    ¡°The mercenary¡¯s way of life truly suits you¡­¡±


    In the end, after another day, the camp was dismounted and then the group began to head home. The trip could be taken in four days, but they took six since Heirina wanted to delay her work back home as much as possible¡­ she forgot that the more she delays it, more work would be waiting for her.


    Everyone felt relaxed being back home, but Heirina looked depressed. The group soon split up and then Zelos immediately went to the farm to work¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t let the old man die of overwork, after all. In any case, I have gotten a bit stronger, so I should be able to finish the job faster. Usually, that would mean more time for training, but I will change my routine a bit.¡±


    Aside from strength, the fight against Elmer made Zelos realize that he was lacking in many aspects. He had to deal with them before the next battle¡­ because he didn¡¯t want to count on luck or surprise attacks to defeat the enemies. That wasn¡¯t the way that he envisioned his fighting style, after all.


    ¡°Well first, I should get a horse to use and to be mine alone. One that needs to get used to me, my riding skills and all the weight that I carry. After that, I guess I should get used to fighting while riding and using that club as well. Then, finally, get combat experience while riding¡­ it is a problem, but I guess I will have to rely on those guys.¡±


    Until now, Zelos avoided training with the others, people like Irlan and Heirina were truly the best sparring partners someone could ask for considering their skills and traits. In the end, Zelos will have to put aside his pride for the sake of the future¡­ but the near future already looked too troublesome.


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    ¡­¡­¡­


    The news about the first invasion after focusing on defending their borders for decades quickly put the country of Hillania in the attention of the closest countries. Although that country didn¡¯t lose territory in many decades, it had become ignored by all the countries in the continent aside from its neighbors thanks to its size and lack of accomplishments. Hillania was the smallest country in the continent and didn¡¯t have many geographical characteristics that made it stand out either.


    At first, people thought that it had been a fluke, but soon they learned that the natives joined the battle and helped on ending the campaign after just two days of their arrival. The natives could be found in many parts of the continent and they shared many characteristics among each other, the fact that they were all isolationists was just one of them.


    Also considering that they claimed the heads of two relatively famous mercenaries by the hands of unknown assailants, they picked the interest of other countries. To the point that spies began to enter the country over the next few weeks¡­ soon the country of Hillania would become a part of a massive board where all the players wanted to seek dominance over the whole continent no matter what. Still, the country was far behind all the others for many reasons that soon the spies would find out¡­


    The first group to realize about the spies had been the natives. Few of them lived outside the mountains, but they did so while following the orders of Reina. At the same time, they had been carefully picked thanks to their skills and instincts and that was exactly why they found the spies¡­ they had a smell different from the spies that they knew already. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t do anything against them without warning the enemy countries of their skills.


    At first, Reina didn¡¯t mind that much after hearing about them, but after receiving the tenth report about new spies, she couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. She expected some sort of reaction, but not that much.


    ¡°I guess this is my fault¡­ my desire to finish things swiftly puts us on the focus of many people that we don¡¯t know of and this is a problem.¡±


    ¡°Leader, what are we going to do about this? Disposing of the spies should buy us some time, even if others come and are more cautious, it will at least prevent large-scale battles that we might be forced to join.¡±


    ¡°You are wrong, Eldor. We don¡¯t have to worry about them until our neighbors start to fall. So, we have some time¡­ the real issue is, what are we going to do once the country starts to be attacked even more fiercely than before?¡±


    ¡°... I suppose the only answer is to make the clans stronger. However, considering that a lot of people fear their influence, they will never grow strongly enough.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ so something else will have to happen that will be different from a clan. Something that will grow so fast that it won¡¯t have the chance to be held back by idiots. Come to think of it, it is that time of the year already¡­ it is time to ask them to pay back the favor.¡±


    ¡°Very good¡­ this kind of investment is truly good.¡±


    Zelos was smirking despite his current situation¡­ he was surrounded by massive piles of manure, but he was still in a good mood. That was because his cows were doing pretty well. He had fifty of them growing into adults and fifty adult ones already. He got a bunch of them after returning to the mission¡­ Hei asked him what he wanted as a reward for killing Elmer, so he asked for cows.


    Usually, a person in that position would have asked for money or land, but Zelos asked for cows. Thanks to that, his business was booming, and he was already considering buying more than one hundred of them to fill the shed of investment into something else.


    ¡°What do you think, old man?¡±


    ¡°It should be around the right time for you to receive another mission that will make you stay away from the town for a while. The farm is already too big for my wife and all to take care of so many cows. Still, since everyone knows that you are my business partner, then it should be easier to avoid problems with the people that I will hire to help. I will split the hiring expenses with you. Now that I said it out loud, it sounds pretty shameful to have an eleven-year-old kid as a business partner.¡±


    ¡°Twelve years old¡­ not that there is much difference, I suppose. Anyway, since you are fine with hiring others for some reason, then I will keep investing money until the shed is full again.¡±


    During the last six months, Zelos didn¡¯t leave the town, and he only did some small jobs for Heirina while she administered the town to the place of Hei. Thanks to that, he had time to focus on the farm and training, so he made a lot of progress in that area. Now he had 130 cows, and the money was starting to pile up again.


    Health: 1350/1350


    Magic: 620/620


    Stamina: 1240/1240


    Strength:  70


    Vigor: 65


    Precision:  59


    Wisdom:  20


    Willpower: 42


    Traits:  Regeneration Lv 79


    That was the result of the last six months of training. Zelos felt that he had made a lot of progress. He even learned that studying could help him increase his wisdom, and since he did some grinding to learn how to read and write, his wisdom increased by ten points.


    On the other hand, Zelos¡¯s willpower only increased by two points¡­ that was because one would have to meditate under harsh conditions to improve that parameter aside from physical training that he usually does. Like when one was very hungry or thirsty or when it was too hot or too cold outside. That was why few people practiced that. Zelos wasn¡¯t a fan of meditation either, he would rather move his body since it was more efficient.


    Considering his profits and the money that he received working for the old man farmer, Zelos did the math and confirmed that if things stayed like that, in one year, he would be able to have his two hundred cows. It was a high enough number, so he decided that it would be a good idea to invest elsewhere¡­ in a business where he didn¡¯t have to be directly involved to make sure that the money would keep working for him.


    For a change, and since it has been a while because he had been saving up money, Zelos decided to eat out and fill his belly at his favorite restaurant. When he crossed the entrance, he almost turned around and left when he saw Irlan with a middle-aged woman and a little girl with him. While it was lunch time, they were eating a large pudding together.


    ¡°Zelos! I didn¡¯t expect to find you here.¡±

 Chapter 49 - Call from the Mountains

    Zelos imagined that the woman was Irlan¡¯s mother and the little girl was his sister. Come to think of it, he had mentioned at some point that his little sister was turning twelve at some point. Since he imagined that Irlan¡¯s little sister could be troublesome, like Heirina and Kaitrine, he decided to avoid her. In the end, his gut feeling was correct. When the little girl saw him, she didn¡¯t try to hide her frown¡­ it looked like Irlan spilled the beans about the first time they talked about her.


    Irlan¡¯s little sister had short brown wavy hair tied up into two pigtails. That wasn¡¯t a style that many female warriors used, but it seemed that while she wanted to fight as well, she still wanted to have her own sense of style as well. She had light brown eyes and a bit of a round face. Maybe Irlan spoiled her a lot and brought her to eat pudding there too many times.


    ¡°Do you want to join us? It is my little sister¡¯s birthday.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I am not into sweets. I hope that you have a good birthday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zelos nodded and then moved to a table in the corner of the restaurant and then asked for a full lunch set. Then he asked for another when he finished and then another¡­ when he finished his lunch, those three were still enjoying the pudding, but they looked completely speechless by his appetite and eating speed.


    ¡°Thanks for the food.¡±


    Zelos nodded at Irlan and then left the restaurant, only to see a lot of people running in front of the place to the west side of the town. Zelos raised his eyebrows, but soon Irlan explained what was going on.


    ¡°You have been busy lately, so we didn¡¯t have time to say it to you, but Captain Hei is returning today with everyone. Heirina is ecstatic.¡±


    ¡°I guess it makes sense.¡±


    Zelos decided to stay around for a while and then watch the guys return. They had been working outside nonstop, so they deserved his respect and welcomed them back. Out of nine hundred warriors that had left, a little less than eight hundred returned. For all intents and purposes, that campaign had been a huge success. No one goes to war thinking that they would return with all of their allies, after all.


    In the end, things got a bit noisy as everyone celebrated the return of the warriors of the clan. Hei was leading the group, and while waving at everyone, he was still able to spot Zelos and Irlan and nod at them. Irlan smiled and waved back.


    ¡°I would say that he wants to talk with us as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Once he is done with all the work that Heirina let it pile up for him.¡±


    ¡°Give her some credit, will you? I will confirm that soon and then come to talk to you.¡±


    Zelos nodded, and then he left. The restaurants and taverns were starting to become noisy since the warriors wanted to celebrate their return, so it was time for Zelos to bail. After doing his afternoon work, Zelos went to look after his horse and train his horsemanship skills a bit.


    ¡°How are you doing today, buddy?¡±


    The giant black horse snorted¡­ Zelos felt like Nightstorm, his horse, was complaining that he was late for his work of brushing his hair, body, and mane. He soon relaxed when Zelos started that.


    ¡°I met some troublesome people along the way, so I am a bit late.¡±


    Before he noticed, in the last few months, Zelos developed the habit of talking with his horse. While he looked fearsomely powerful, there was also this air of intelligence in the eyes of Nightstorm. He was also a very skilled horse and never showed any weakness, even when Zelos rode him while carrying a bunch of heavy stuff.


    After he brushed Nightstorm, Zelos did some training while swinging his club as well¡­ he finally could use the weapon with a single hand while riding and the sound of the wind being pushed away by the weapon was pretty impressive. Zelos finally could fight like that, but he was starting to feel that the club was too light. Perhaps he needed a bigger weapon, since he also felt that the weapon was a bit smaller than it was before.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work. One apple, as usual as a reward, right?¡±


    Nightstorm snorted in annoyance, and then Zelos laughed and grabbed two from his back.


    ¡°I am joking. Two as usual. I guess I can¡¯t complain that you eat too much, considering that I am the same.¡±


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    Looking after a horse was a lot of work and cost a lot, but Zelos felt that it was worth the hassle and the investment. Now, he needed to consider buying some gear for Nightstorm. It was better to be ready for that instead of looking for it when he began to hear about the proximity of another battle.


    While Zelos was thinking about that, he heard the sound of another horse approaching and soon he saw Irlan.


    ¡°Did he say something? You don¡¯t look to be in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°He just called for all of us. Heirina looked a bit troubled, though.¡±


    ¡°Not happy knowing that Hei will free her from her own future job?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look particularly thrilled, but she shows that kind of expression now and then, like something troublesome happened and that she doesn¡¯t want to deal with. Usually, it isn¡¯t anything really troublesome.¡±


    ¡°You sure are observant.¡±


    ¡°By the way, sorry about before. Irlene was in a bit of a bad mood since she recalled that you didn¡¯t try to become her friend.¡±


    ¡°I take it that is the name of your little sister¡­ Was she expecting that I would come to her to become her friend just because you mentioned her a few times?¡±


    ¡°... I feel troubled by saying yes, but it is true.¡±


    ¡°You must be spoiling her beyond reason¡­ What kind of monster are you raising?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Mom is already plenty harsh to her, so Dad and I had to balance it out.¡±


    ¡°I am sure it is working.¡±


    Those two rode in silence to Hei¡¯s house and from a distance, they saw Kaitrine entering the place as well with Edea. For a while, Edea has been living in a single house on the other side of the town. She had saved enough money to buy one after the battle six months ago. Zelos heard that Kaitrine wanted to do the same soon enough, so he was the only one living a poor man¡¯s life when it came to his residence.


    After leaving the horses outside, they entered the house and soon found everyone in the living room sipping on some tea. Zelos didn¡¯t like tea that much, so he skipped on it. He was starting to like coffee, but when he drank it, he would have a hard time sleeping at night, so he was trying to avoid it as much as possible.


    ¡°Thanks for coming, everyone. We didn¡¯t have the chance to talk six months ago, but I congratulate you on your hard work before. Convincing the natives to help us was the key to winning that battle.¡±


    Everyone wanted to know how things were in the town they had just taken over. They had heard a few things, but nothing else. The last thing they heard was that Carli Junior and Lua¡¯s clan were ruling the place while Hei got to control the villages.


    ¡°We stayed there for a while to defend the place and establish our rule there, and we can safely say that the territory was successfully annexed. It looks like the people of that country don¡¯t have plans to take it back anytime soon. Lua didn¡¯t give me many details, but her spies said that the warriors in other areas are moving north and south, probably thanks to some other threats.¡±


    That would explain a lot. Still, they would need more than that instead of just waiting for the enemies to attack again or keep attacking. Fortunately, a lot of people wanted to use the wind that was blowing in their favor, so a lot of people showed interest in joining some clans to become warriors. Hei imagined that getting two hundred more warriors to fill their ranks would be an easy task this time around.


    ¡°Well, that is all about the past and the current situation. Now then¡­ about the future. I received an unusual letter and soon Heirina received another as well and pretty similar. Long story short: Reina is calling you guys to pay her back for helping in that battle.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, wondering the meaning behind that¡­ they knew that Reina would ask for a favor, eventually, but not so soon. Nevertheless, that would explain why Heirina looked bothered.


    ¡°What does she want us to do, Dad?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you in your letter? She didn¡¯t say anything aside that she would be borrowing you all.¡±


    ¡°... She starts to sound more and more bothersome than actually a person who is difficult because of the difference in the culture. Maybe it isn¡¯t worth it to try to become allies with the natives¡­¡±


    ¡°You sure changed your opinion a lot in the last six months. Anyway, if she didn¡¯t tell you in the letter what she wanted you all to do, then you will have to head there and learn the reason for it. Despite being someone difficult, she isn¡¯t a bad person or someone who would give you an impossible task.¡±


    Heirina went silent for a while¡­ Ultimately, the decision would be hers since she was the leader of the group, but since no one seemed against it¡­


    ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°Trying to find a reason elsewhere not to go? In the end, we received help and we need to pay the debt. They lost some of their own in a battle that technically wasn¡¯t theirs, after all.¡±


    Despite Zelos¡¯ annoying words, Heirina knew that he had a point. A debt must be paid no matter what. Without a good reputation, a clan couldn¡¯t maintain itself for long. The others also looked like they had the same thoughts. The fact that Reina didn¡¯t say what the goal of the mission was was troublesome, but perhaps it wasn¡¯t something that could be said through a letter.


    ¡°We will at least go there and hear about what she has in store for us. We will depart the day after tomorrow at sunrise. Prepare yourselves accordingly.¡±


    Everyone nodded and soon they got up to leave the house. As it turned out, the old man farmer was correct about his predictions, so the fact that Zelos would suddenly leave again wouldn¡¯t bother him that much. While the group was readying their horses to leave, Irlan decided to break the silence.


    ¡°I never heard of natives asking for help from outside. While we owe them, it is unusual for them to invite anyone to their territory. What do you guys think that this is about?¡±


    ¡°No clue.¡±


    ¡°No point in thinking about it. We should just wait to hear directly from Reina.¡±


    Zelos and Kaitrine gave their opinions on the matter. They didn¡¯t look troubled or very interested, they just wanted to pay their debts and that would be all. Still, Edea put a bit of more thought into it.

 Chapter 50 - Troublesome Job

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that they would give us a very difficult job, but at least it should be something that they don¡¯t want to do for whatever reason. As for the possible jobs that they could be, it is hard to say.¡±


    Irlan nodded. While it was interesting to think about that, ultimately, it was better to wait for Reina to confirm things. Just as expected, finishing the preparations for the mission had been pretty easy for Zelos. It seemed that the old man farmer had laid the groundwork for that kind of situation beforehand, and there were some kids who would do Zelos¡¯s job while he was away. It seemed that they thought the secret of Zelos¡¯ strength was his work and the milk of the farm. It was nice to be that naive, if anything¡­


    When the day for the departure came, the group reunited on the training grounds with their horses and soon departed. Carriages or wagons couldn¡¯t reach the base of the natives, after all, so they could only use their own horses. Fortunately, that increased their movement speed quite a bit, since all of their horses were of high quality. Still, Zelos was by far the one carrying the most weight. Heirina wondered if his horse would be fine.


    ¡°That is a lot of stuff that you are carrying.¡±


    ¡°Nightstorm eats a lot, so I am bringing a lot of weapons.¡±


    ¡°Your horse eats a lot? Right¡­¡±


    Everyone felt like chuckling, but in the end, they managed to hold it back. The trip had been pretty pleasant since it was summer and the area had been pretty peaceful lately. Without the closest neighbor in the West to cause trouble all the time, the bandits didn¡¯t have many options to attack when the area was reinforced. So, they moved to other areas.


    Zelos heard that some of them had bounties, so he wondered if he should go around capturing them. It would be an extra nice income.


    Thanks to the trip, the group was able to recall the last time that they had worked together and realized that Zelos had grown quite a bit. Kids of his age usually grow pretty fast, but he got at least ten centimeters taller. He also had grown in terms of muscles. That made sense. All that food had to go somewhere, after all.


    The group reached the mountains in the natives territory after four days of traveling. Instead of crossing the first few mountains, they decided to circle around it and then move toward the river that they used before. Still, Edea soon found a problem regarding that.


    ¡°I wonder if we really should head straight to that river¡­ we might end up revealing to the people around us that the natives use it to move.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if Reina is in a hurry or not, so it will be better if we try to find them there as soon as possible while also saving the energy of the horses.¡±


    It was troublesome since Reina didn¡¯t know how they should contact them. There was a limit in Heirina¡¯s opinion about how much a person should be bad with words, after all. She felt even more troubled by the fact that she was like that and still could be a very charismatic leader.


    When the sun was setting, the group reached the river, and the area was the same as usual. Heirina and the others left Zelos to look after the horses and then they went to check the cave of that mountain in which the river crossed, but it was sealed.


    ¡°We should start a fire¡­ that should alert them that we are here.¡±


    Everyone nodded and then they started to work. Now and then, they would hear something and then look around, only to see Zelos mumbling something to his horse. It wasn¡¯t like they had never talked with their horses, but it felt like Zelos was going way overboard with the conversations.


    Before long, night came and then the group had their dinner together. They ate in silence, since they were worried that they might not hear something. Fortunately, Zelos¡¯s ears were sharp enough, and he heard the familiar sound of something heavy moving. Before long, they heard a voice coming from the clearing at the base of the mountain.


    ¡°Our leader warned us that you would come through here, extinguish the fire and then come to the river.¡±


    The group looked behind some trees and then saw a shadow moving there. Without hesitation, they followed the instructions and soon disappeared into the darkness. One at a time, they put the horses on the boats that they found on the river and eventually, they began to head to the base of the natives. Only two of them were waiting for the group, and they didn¡¯t look familiar at all.


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    ¡°Did your leader say anything as to why she called us here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    A simple and decisive answer that nullified any desire to pursue a conversation. In the end, Heirina accepted the message. The trip would last for a day, so they decided to relax and rest since they had no idea what the mission was supposed to entail.


    When they arrived at the base, it was dinner time, and while the place was quite well lit, things were as silent as it could be. In any case, the natives that controlled the boats soon guided them to the tower, where they met Reina for the first time. Maybe Reina was indeed in a hurry.


    Once again, they found her meditating in the last room of the tower. The place was completely silent this time around¡­ Zelos wondered if he could ask her some tips on how to meditate effectively. He didn¡¯t expect that her trait would consume magic to work, but maybe it made sense if consuming her magic let her eyes find the weaknesses of the enemies.


    ¡°You have come pretty early. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t think that you all would come without knowing what this was about.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t like the idea that we came here without knowing what we were supposed to do, but a debt is a debt.¡±


    ¡°Are you guys hungry? Do you want to eat and talk here or somewhere else?¡±


    The group had finished Zelos snacks in the middle of the afternoon, so they weren¡¯t that hungry. Zelos was, though. While some traits required magic or stamina to work, he required a steady amount of nutrients. When he tried to use his trait recklessly when he was hungry, he ended up feeling like he was going to die for several hours. It was a sensation that the Zelos never wanted to experience ever again.


    ¡°Please, bring some food for our guests.¡±


    ¡°Understood, leader.¡±


    The guys who brought the group left and soon they were left alone in the room. Reina told them to sit down on the floor and soon they followed the instructions.


    ¡°I suppose I should start saying sorry about the contents of the letters. You guys might not know, but recently, a lot of spies from other countries began to investigate us.¡±


    After hearing that, the expressions in the group changed a lot. From slight annoyance to one of concern¡­ they imagined that such a thing would happen, but they didn¡¯t think that it would be after just a single victory for their country. Moreover, they never found signs of spies activities. However, the natives were apparently very good at picking that stuff. After thinking for a short while, Heirina soon had some questions.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to risk letting the spies know of that, then this job should be pretty dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It is a dangerous job under certain circumstances, like when the wrong type knows what is going to happen, but considering the precautions that I took, it will be a simple job for you all. I want you guys to deliver something to someone. It isn¡¯t anything dangerous or valuable either, it is just a birthday gift.¡±


    Now everyone couldn¡¯t help but show confused expressions¡­ Was that truly the job that Reina wanted them to do in order to pay the debt? A single delivery job?


    ¡°Where are we going to head to make this delivery, and to who?¡±


    ¡°To the capital and the person you should give the gift to is Liry. The imperial princess.¡±


    As one would expect, everyone was left speechless with that kind of declaration. It was something that they never could have imagined that they would have to do. So, it took a while for them to process the whole thing properly. As usual, Heirina took the lead of the talk.


    ¡°... Why are you sending her a gift now? Wouldn¡¯t that make people think that they can win and your people over?¡±


    ¡°Her birthday is approaching and a lot of people already tried that, but they failed. After leaving them half dead once, they stopped bothering us altogether.¡±


    ¡°I am surprised that you would know that or that you would recall it after five years.¡±


    ¡°I send a gift every year, since I also send one every year.¡±


    The princess and Reina were a lot closer. They would be pretty chummy friends if they knew each other¡¯s birthdays and exchanged gifts like that. Regardless, that kind of job was troublesome in a very unexpected way. The group couldn¡¯t even begin to think how they could reach the capital without gathering some attention and even finding the princess. In a way, they thought that it would be better to fight the enemies at the front lines.


    ¡°Before you ask anything, you need to deliver the gift directly to her and don¡¯t open it. Don¡¯t let anyone touch or open it either. If you succeed, you can return here to receive your payment. As for how you can contact her, she should be some friends that will help you if you spread around the world that you have a gift for her birthday. Some low lives will try to fool you as well, so you need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Reina¡­ considering what you told us, you should know that this can be very problematic to my clan, right?¡±


    ¡°What about it? Isn¡¯t it problematic to your clan that a lot of people die fighting for you all?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Consider that this is a hassle that is on the same level as fighting the enemies in the borders. As I said, I will pay you accordingly. Unless the danger isn¡¯t the real problem here, but the fact that you want to live in ignorance while knowing that perhaps you have enemies even inside the country as well.¡±

 Chapter 51 - Fist Democracy

    Reina''s words cut deep¡­ Heirina was aware that things were very troublesome in the capital. Hei even told her that if she had the choice, she had to avoid politics as much as possible since the problems caused by politics couldn¡¯t be solved by a single person¡¯s sword. In the capital, they fight a different kind of war, one that people from the clans aren¡¯t very good at¡­ the war of deception.


    ¡°... All right, we accept the job. We just have to deliver her the gift, right?¡±


    ¡°Directly on her hands. It will be ready in the morning the day after tomorrow. Until then, you can rest and relax here. The capital will be closer if all cross the mountains, so my people will help you reach the halfway point.¡±


    Only the halfway point¡­ that seemed like a problem, but they couldn¡¯t complain since the client was essentially helping them do the job with more ease. In any case, Reina eventually got up and then lead the group to her house that a few hundred meters away from the tower. They didn¡¯t receive many visitors and all the buildings had a purpose, so they didn¡¯t have inns or similar things. Fortunately, Reina''s house had plenty of rooms for them and the food eventually arrived. Without wasting time, Zelos began to fill his belly.


    ¡°Since you guys accepted the job, I can give you all some extra details about the situation there.¡±


    ¡°You sure like to give pieces of information very slowly, huh?¡±


    Reina studied Zelos for a moment. He had a point, but no one said that to Reina before. She wondered if her people were just that tolerant or if Zelos was just too impatient.


    ¡°Never mind him. We are listening, Reina. We need to learn as much as possible before we reach the capital.¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, the place is filled with scheming people. The emperor is sick, and a bunch of people who are claiming to be illegitimate sons of the emperor want to take his place once he dies, and those with power want to support their own candidates to gain influence.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t surprising¡­ Still, Zelos doesn¡¯t like that since he doesn¡¯t want to get involved in politics. The battlefield was much better, a good sword swing was enough to solve most problems and if it wasn¡¯t solving them, then he just needed to use more force. In any case, for Reina to send them instead of using whatever methods she used before, it made Zelos connect the dots.


    ¡°Are you giving her something that will help her survive this kind of political struggle?¡±


    ¡°... I can¡¯t tell that.¡±


    ¡°I guess the answer is yes. If you are that afraid that we will steal the gift, then we are making the wrong decision by doing this kind of job for you in the first place. I guess your people have a bad history with the people of the plains since you think that we are all thieves.¡±


    ¡°Please, do forgive this idiot. Don¡¯t mind his words. Since he doesn¡¯t show much emotion, he doesn¡¯t care about the feelings of the others either. Please, continue.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much that I can say aside from don¡¯t trust anyone. I send her gifts, but we can¡¯t maintain contact, after all.¡±


    ¡°If you value her friendship that much, then why don¡¯t you help her?¡±


    ¡°Zelos¡­ who died and made you the captain of the team?¡±


    ¡°I am asking things because you don¡¯t have the courage to ask out of fear of being disrespectful. We are being paid to do this job, but our lives are still on the line. The least she can do is to give us some answers.¡±


    Heirina grunted since she couldn¡¯t say anything about that¡­ it was annoying how come Zelos could say the right thing in the most annoying way possible. Regardless, Reina studied him for a moment before giving her an answer.


    ¡°She is a friend, but I have the responsibility of looking after my people. I can¡¯t risk their safety in a conflict that can make us become the enemies of the whole nation.¡±


    ¡°See? That didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Putting that aside, that is your main mission. Go to the capital and give Liry my gift. Once you find her, you will have the chance to accept the secondary mission that I might pay you guys if you accept it. Help her for a few weeks, and then I will add something nice as your extra payment.¡±


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    Zelos had a hard time not rolling his eyes¡­ it was clear that Reina wanted them to get involved in a very messy situation that had the added bonus of messy politics. He didn¡¯t know why she would go that far, but the offer was too tempting. The natives were a force that couldn¡¯t be ignored on any battlefield and a lot of things about them were still unknown, so staying on their good side would certainly be very beneficial. Not only to them, but to the whole country.


    Everyone aside from Zelos looked at Heirina and they had many things to ask. She knew what they wanted to ask, and while it was troublesome, she decided to voice it.


    ¡°Why are you being so roundabout about this? Why don¡¯t you tell us to help her directly? Are you testing us or something?¡±


    ¡°I guess I am.¡±


    Heirina studied Reina silently for a short while and then eventually sighed. Reina couldn¡¯t trust them completely, but she was willing to test them and see them show their worth. Maybe it was because they were part of a new generation of warriors or something similar. Either way, it was clear that Reina didn¡¯t want to let things continue as they were.


    ¡°That is enough for today. Feel free to eat as much as you want and rest here.¡±


    ¡°You might regret these words later.¡±


    Reina didn¡¯t understand the meaning of those words, but soon she had a fair idea about their meaning as she saw Zelos resuming his meal and it didn¡¯t look like he was going to stop anytime soon.


    The next day, the group woke up and had breakfast with Reina, and soon, they found themselves with a lot of free time. Zelos was fine just doing some training to kill time, but it seemed that the others wanted to move around the base to see what was there. That seemed interesting as well, and Zelos also decided to pick on that when Reina offered to take them around their base. Still, he had some questions; the others had to, but they didn¡¯t want to ask them out loud as usual.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to show us how you and your people live around here?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any way showing you our lifestyle would cause us problems in the long run.¡±


    ¡°What about in the short term?¡±


    ¡°I can see that if you end up picking a fight with one of us. As long as you don¡¯t point your weapons at anyone, no one will take offense here. This is how we challenge each other.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    The group left Reina¡¯s house, and soon, many people began to greet her. Since she didn¡¯t have time for a talk, she just nodded at them. Before anything, she took them back to the tower, where the rooms were opened, and a bunch of kids were training in the rooms.


    ¡°All of our kids train their minds and bodies here. Although not all of us follow the martial path, it is important to know how to defend ourselves since we might find ourselves in difficult situations thanks to our heritage.¡±


    Heirina glared at Zelos, already imagining that he would ask what happened in the past for her to say something like that. Still, one didn¡¯t have to be a genius to imagine that some people tried to capture them in order to get their very rare traits. It also wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that they unleashed hell on those who did that.


    Speaking of extremely rare traits, Zelos wondered if Kaitrine¡¯s ancestors came from there; it seemed like the thing they would have there. Kaitrine mentioned a few times that her father was once a bandit who terrorized the so-called bad merchants and stole a lot of their stuff, as for the past of her bloodline beyond there, she said that it was hard to know¡­ since they were heading to the capital, they might learn something there.


    Regardless, after watching things in the tower for a bit, they left and then headed to some fields that they had at the base of the mountains. People with special traits could make food grow faster there in a very hard way to understand. That was why they had so many people and still kept growing despite the limited amount of land on their hands. They still had the gifts of the mountains and a lot of food could be found there.


    The group thought that there wasn¡¯t much to see aside from a rural and perhaps archaic society, but soon they changed their minds about the natives. There was something that they called a bathhouse in which people would go there in groups to soak in a warm and long bath to get rid of the day¡¯s fatigue.


    They also had some windmills in which they used to process grains. They also have a bunch of shops for weapons, food, and tools. Their style was very different from the products outside, but the quality was most of the time higher. It made sense since they had to compete with each other and they didn¡¯t sell their things outside.


    After seeing all that, their last stop was on a large and weird round building. The place was empty now, but it was completely open. Reina guided them beyond the entrance and soon they found a round stone ring. It was clearly a place where people would fight each other.


    ¡°This is our arena. We use this place quite often for ceremonies and entertainment. If you guys had arrived a bit later, you would have had the chance to see some events here.¡±


    ¡°I dare say that you just broke your Pacific image of some people in our group.¡±


    Heirina sighed¡­ Zelos and his big mouth. He was always saying too much, but he wasn¡¯t wrong, per se. Everyone in the groups thought that the natives wouldn¡¯t do things like fighting for sport or entertainment. However, after thinking for a bit, they realized that they would have become excellent warriors by competing against each other. Competition is what brings progress, after all. Zelos suddenly had this idea.


    ¡°Do you guys decide your leaders are here too?¡±


    ¡°I am surprised that you thought of that. It is a part of the progress. We fight here from the time to time to decide who can be the leader of our people. But once the leader is decided, they have to face as many challenges as people want. If anyone has anything against you, they can come here and stop you from becoming the leader.¡±


    ¡°I guess that is as democratic by using one¡¯s fists as it could be.¡±

 Chapter 52 - Uncertainty

    ¡°It is time for lunch already. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Good call.¡±


    Everyone, aside from Zelos and Reina, chuckled. Zelos was at least easy to please. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t a kid dumb enough to be lured by food, otherwise he would have faced some serious problems.


    In any case, after eating lunch, the group walked around the town a bit while Zelos memorized the places where he could buy some food by bulk. He wondered if the people there would sell that to him later, but it was hard to imagine that they would try to get on his way when he soon would go on a mission for the natives.


    Although not much happened during the day, night came in no time and soon the group had dinner and then went to bed. They wondered what would happen from tomorrow onwards¡­ after crossing some mountains, they would go to the capital and that was something that they never had done. They also would meet a member of the imperial family¡­ that was a pretty difficult event.


    ¡°Speaking of which, we didn¡¯t hear anything about the emperor¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°That is a bit late to ask that, Zelos. Still, I know the answer to that question. She supposedly died ten years ago of some disease.¡±


    As usual, Irlan was well informed, but his words were pretty concerning. Supposedly she died of some disease, but after hearing what they heard on the previous night, he had some questions.


    ¡°Do you think that she was poisoned? Even ten years ago, there were people trying to take down the imperial family? I am not familiar with things in this country, but that would probably turn this place into a lawless land.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t say for sure if it was something done by one of the people from here¡­ it could have been someone working outside. Either way, that isn¡¯t an uncommon occurrence.¡±


    Zelos furrowed his eyebrows¡­ using poison was cowardly enough, using poison against a civilian. Even if she was the emperor¡¯s wife, that was still too nasty. He didn¡¯t know anything about her, but it was hard to imagine anyone deserving that kind of fate.


    While Zelos was thinking about that, he heard some noises coming from the next room¡­ the girls were there, probably talking about nonsense. Heirina could be pretty talkative at the weirdest of times, and Edea was almost like Irlan. Speaking of which, Irlan suddenly got up and then approached the wall of the room¡­ all in order to hear what they were talking about.


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say that you aren¡¯t even a bit curious.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what Reina actually saw in this sorry excuse of a group.¡±


    Zelos wasn¡¯t that sleepy, but he wasn¡¯t interested in eavesdropping, so he did a bit of training to get tired enough to go to bed while Irlan was wasting his time.


    When morning came, they still had some time for breakfast and then Reina brought a box sealed with some chains and then delivered it to Heirina. She truly was sending something that would help the princess and she didn¡¯t want that falling into the wrong hands.


    ¡°I will be counting on you. Eldor will guide you upstream toward the start of the river. That will be a halfway point in the mountains. After that, if you keep heading Northeast, you will eventually find the capital in the distance. You will also find some old mines along the way, so that you will confirm that you are going in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We will fulfill our mission and return as soon as possible.¡±


    The beginning of the mission had been as silent as it could have been. Eldor wasn¡¯t exactly a chatterbox and since he didn¡¯t like Zelos, the atmosphere stayed weird for a while. The fact that Zelos kept yawning all the time didn¡¯t help, either.


    After a while, the group couldn¡¯t help but think that the river was man made and the caves in which it crossed were also man made. The river always crossed the middle of the mountains perfectly and stayed most of the time out of open fields. Such a thing to be a natural phenomenon would be simply too weird. With that in mind, one could tell that the ancestors of the natives made them for whatever reason.


    ¡°A magic trait is truly useful. The things that they can do by combining them would change the country forever. The people in the past thought that as well, but they decided to force them to work for them¡­ the weird thing about them is the fact that their traits are mainly magical, but they all are crazy melee fighters. It isn¡¯t like they only had a single trait, but¡­ I can¡¯t understand why they would ignore their real talents and focus on Melee fighting.¡±


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    The most obvious explanation would be because they had a bad history just using their traits alone and decided to use them sporadically instead of showing it all the time. In that sense, one could understand the reason behind that, since it would be relatively easy to counter. For example, to cut half of the power of someone like Eldor, one just had to lure him to a place without water.


    ¡°Hmm, this might be a pretty good exercise. Thinking about some traits and how to counter them. Also, trying to analyze my opponents actions to learn their traits¡­ that should increase my survival skills. The only problem is the fact that if I mess up, I am done for. I can¡¯t be too presumptuous about those, so for starters, I need to focus on decreasing the possibilities and then fill in the blanks.¡±


    Zelos started with the traits of those around him, Heirina and Irlan¡¯s traits were relatively easy to deal with, but they could be a problem if they know much about their opponents¡­ so going fast or trying to attack them from a distance would be the best option.


    Things got a bit complicated with Edea and Kaitrine¡­ there was no tactic that could stop them from using their traits aside from taking them down first before they can use their traits.


    Since he had time for that, Zelos decided to keep thinking about it, but in the end, nothing came to mind. He probably was lacking in terms of experience, and there was only one way to deal with that.


    After two days, the speed of the river got faster and then their speed got slower. They were close to their destination and soon found the waterfall that originated in the river. Eldor stopped near the shore and then everyone moved with their horses.


    ¡°Someone comes here every seven days, so time your return accordingly if you plan to use the mountains to return to our base.¡±


    After saying those words, Eldor quickly turned around the boat and then left. The guy only said that in two days, his resolve should have been insanely high. Zelos turned around and then looked at Heirina.


    ¡°Well, what now?¡±


    ¡°It would have been easier if Reina had given us a map, but they have that kind of troublesome policy about no maps and no mapping either. We will just have to follow what she said and head northeast.¡±


    The group looked around but only found a lot of grass, trees, and the mountains. This time, they could hear the sound of countless insects, so the place was full of life and dangers as well.


    ¡°The mountains in this area aren¡¯t that thick as before. With my experience, I should be able to navigate through here with no problem.¡±


    ¡°We will be counting on you then, Kaitrine.¡±


    It was the time for Heirina to ask Kaitrine how she learned those skills¡­ she was only sixteen, after all. Maybe her father let her grow in a forest or something for her first ten years of life.


    As it turned out, Kaitrine¡¯s confidence wasn¡¯t unfounded, and soon the group began to cross the first mountain by the side while going upward as well. Thanks to that, they would save some time and energy from the horses. She also chose the best routes and when that wasn¡¯t possible, she would cut the path with her spear and get rid of the obstacles.


    On the first day alone, they crossed three mountains without taking a break. There was plenty of food around, so they didn¡¯t have to stop to rest or eat. Still, when night came, the cold began to grow quite strong, so they were forced to make a fire.


    ¡°Achhhhuuuuuu¡­ I heard that mountains can be quite cold at night in the summer, but this caught me off guard¡­ I don¡¯t want to even think about how this place feels like in winter.¡±


    Irlan began to clean his nose from the snort. He hated the cold with passion, so he got a bit closer to the campfire.


    ¡°When it is winter, you don¡¯t camp in the open unless you want to freeze to death. The ground is wet thanks to the snow, the trees are damp as well and the wind can kill you as fast as a sword if you aren¡¯t careful. This place is pretty much a death sentence in the winter for those who aren¡¯t experienced.¡±


    It was obvious that Kaitrine did some survivalist training when she was younger. Zelos wondered if she could teach him a few kids, but out of everyone from the group, she was still the one who remained the further away from him. They were quite the opposite, after all. Zelos didn¡¯t hide his thoughts while Kaitrine preferred to see things happen in silence and think that there was no point in voicing her opinions. Still, he could learn a few things by watching her and that was fine for now.


    ¡°Since we are halfway there, do you think that we can reach the other side of the mountains before tomorrow night, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Irlan¡­ She said that we would be halfway there when Eldor would leave. Thanks to him, we moved during the day and night. We just moved for the day, so we only crossed one fourth of the distance. Aside from that, we will be one day away from the capital. Still, we have two weeks until the birthday of the princess. So, we don¡¯t have to hurry.¡±


    ¡°And what about the other part of the job?¡±


    After hearing Zelos¡¯s question, Heirina went into silence. She had been thinking about that for the past few days, but she still didn¡¯t know what he should do¡­ Reina actions and choice of words made her feel wary of the second part of the mission while the situation in the capital added to the problem. They were essentially mercenaries¡­ they had their territory to defend, but they only worked for those who hired them. They couldn¡¯t go around and get involved in trouble. Moreover, Heirina was supposed to be the next head of the clan, her actions would affect the future of the clan, even if she wasn¡¯t the leader yet.

 Chapter 53 - Dangerous Place

    ¡°We will have to wait and see¡­ that is also something that Reina told us to do. In the end, we can only work while considering the merits and demerits and then accepting the jobs where we can gain something for our services. That is all.¡±


    Zelos was satisfied with that kind of answer. They weren¡¯t running a charity organization, after all. There was no point in trying to act like heroes when they could only do so much with their numbers. First of all, they had to defend their territory and the people that lived there. After that, they could consider others if they had enough leisure to do so.


    ¡°This area seems peaceful enough, but we will take turns to guard the place, anyway. Since the horses aren¡¯t being pushed that much, we will take turns alone in order to rest as much as possible¡­ I want to increase the pace from tomorrow onwards.¡±


    Heirina said that they didn¡¯t have to hurry up, but her decision went against that and Zelos realized that.


    In the end, crossing the mountains had been pretty straightforward. They found some abandoned mines along the way and they also found some old paths that they used. That also helped a lot. In order to gain some extra time without warning anyone, Heirina decided to stop in the middle of the afternoon after finding the new mines and then resuming at midnight to be pretty close to the capital when morning comes.


    That was a bit difficult for Irlan and Edea, waking up at sunrise was relatively easy for them, but going to bed a bit earlier to wake up earlier wasn¡¯t. When the sun was rising, they were dozing off on their horses. Fortunately, the mountains were behind them already.


    ¡°Come on, you two. We should be able to reach the city in the south of the capital before nightfall at this rate, then we will be able to rest properly on real beds.¡±


    Zelos looked around while those two were rubbing their eyes. The paths around didn¡¯t seem well maintained. He thought that Rattay was making a killing in times like that with his ores, but maybe that guess was wrong or his mines were in other areas. Regardless, the fact that not many people used those paths recently was suspicious. The grass was even growing a lot on the path that they found.


    In the end, the group reached the town in the south of the capital a bit easier since they didn¡¯t stop to eat. They got some fruits in the mountains and stocked them up for that reason. It wasn¡¯t enough for Zelos and Nightstorm, so he was willing to buy some food in the city as soon as possible.


    Regardless, the place wasn¡¯t different from the city in the west of the capital that they visited almost a year ago. Just like the other place, it had a lot of workshops where they processed metal and most of them were for weapons or ingots. Now that Zelos thought about it¡­ it felt like all the raw materials that were used to wage war came from the central area of the country.


    In any case, the group looked for a cheap inn to stay, but one that had food served as well since they didn¡¯t want to be moving around that much and show themselves even at night.


    Before long, the group began to eat dinner in the restaurant of the inn, but the place was weirdly empty, even though the food was pretty good and the rooms weren¡¯t half bad. Irlan stopped eating while looking around.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see a lot of people coming to the city either. Is the south in a bad spot lately?¡±


    Heirina stopped to think for a moment before considering the possibilities of that, but in the end, she decided to give a more generic answer. As usual, there was no point in thinking too much about what they didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Information about other areas is hard to come by when we have our own area to take care of, after all. We have to use all of our resources with that purpose in mind.¡±


    ¡°Captain, I can look around the city and try to learn what is going on here. It shouldn¡¯t be hard, I have been trained to do that kind of job.¡±


    Heirina considered Kaitrine¡¯s offer¡­ that was also the kind of job Kai did for Hei, but Heirina still felt a bit weird about having Kaitrine doing that kind of job. She didn¡¯t want to force her to feel obligated to follow in the footsteps of her father. Even if that path would have made her life easier.


    ¡°All right, I will be counting on you for that, but don¡¯t do anything reckless. Return immediately if you see anything out of the norm.¡±


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    ¡°Understood.¡±


    That kind of job seemed like something Zelos would benefit from learning, but Kaitrine had the right skills for that, even the ones in combat. As for Zelos, he decided to stick to what he was currently good at. There was no point in increasing the number of things he had to learn when he still wasn¡¯t satisfied with his current progress.


    After they finished their meal, the group returned to their rooms, and then Kaitrine left hers through the window to check the city. Zelos tried to hear when she left the girls room to check his hearing skills, but he failed. She was pretty good, after all.


    ¡°What kind of person do you think the princess is?¡±


    Zelos sighed. At that point, nothing that Irlan did or asked would surprise him, but he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit baffled by his lack of professionalism. He got too invested in some matters that required no investment, and that could be a real problem in the future, particularly in that mission where Zelos wanted to remain as neutral as possible.


    ¡°Does that even matter? Do you want to risk getting into trouble that much?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I mean that you have a mother and a sister waiting for you at home. Do you want to risk not returning to them by getting too invested in this kind of job?¡±


    ¡°... Keeping our distance might be the best option in the short term, but it wouldn¡¯t be in the long term, right? If the imperial family falls apart, the country is done for. Even more so if a fake someone takes the throne.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    Zelos didn¡¯t get the need of people wanting to maintain the current society based on the bloodline of a certain family. Perhaps their traits could be beneficial to the country, but that was impossible to tell now. Besides, for Zelos, the imperial family was part of the problem that created his past. Maybe it would be good for them to fall.


    Still, after thinking for a short while, he couldn¡¯t help but recognize that perhaps a lot of people would suffer for that, people who didn¡¯t deserve it. If the country falls, in the worst-case scenario, they will become slaves to the enemies, and in the best-case scenario, they will become servants and be deprived of basic rights.


    ¡°Anyway, I asked because I am also curious about what kind of person could become living in the capital as the imperial family. Considering that and the fact that Reina took a liking to her, I have a hard time picturing the princess.¡±


    ¡°I am more concerned about how someone would adapt to survive in this environment, where the imperial family is falling apart, and many snakes are trying to take advantage of that or even instigating it.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Well, I have good hopes since I think Reina has a good head on her shoulders.¡±


    Zelos preferred to see for himself and decide for himself as well instead of relying on others, but he knew where Irlan was coming from. Regardless, Irlan soon went to bed while Zelos kept training. Considering how quiet things were in the other room, he imagined that Edea had fallen asleep as well. Zelos decided to stay awake for a bit longer and wait for Kaitrine, but at some point, he gave up on that since it was getting too late. She probably had returned already without any new piece of information.


    Zelos confirmed that he was wrong the next morning when he saw Kaitrine and Heirina with bags under their eyes when they met each other to have breakfast. It was obvious that one worked for too long and the other waited for too long as well.


    ¡°Captain, I told you not to wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to my brain that kept worrying for hours and hours. Put yourself in my shoes for a bit.¡±


    Kaitrine had a hard time doing that, she had a complicated relationship with her father, but she had the same duty that he had toward Heirina¡¯s family. They wanted to help them as much as possible, but Heirina felt troubled by such a feeling of debt that lasted decades. Zelos decided to change the subject without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Putting that aside, what did you learn?¡±


    ¡°... Things are pretty chaotic since people don¡¯t think that the emperor will survive. A lot of people with influence are slowing down their business and then trying to hire as many mercenaries as possible. They are being used to guarding some families, and they don¡¯t leave those territories no matter what. Some people believe that a civil war will start at the moment the emperor dies.¡±


    That would explain why people were hiring mercenaries and trying to conserve their forces. Still, since that was the case, it looked like there were some factions that weren¡¯t planning to work together¡­ it was hard to imagine that they were doing that to stick out for the princess, though. They only wanted to make sure that they would be the ones in power.


    ¡°Since everyone is preparing for that, that would explain why things are like this¡­ this should be common knowledge among the population as well, at least in this area. Regardless, just to be safe, we need to keep our affiliations hidden. If anyone asks anything, leave it to me. I mean it.¡±


    Heirina looked at Zelos, but he just shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like he opened his mouth all the time to get on everyone¡¯s nerves. Besides, he knew how to avoid actions that would make him and the others waste a lot of time.


    Once the group finished breakfast, they left the restaurant and then crossed the city. For some reason, they didn¡¯t gather much attention, but Zelos could only imagine that those who would be recruiting mercenaries would be living in the capital.


    When they crossed the entrance of the place, they soon confirmed that there was only one guard there¡­ Even the soldiers who worked for the country had already been recruited by one of the factions seeking to gain power once the emperor died.

 Chapter 54 - Following the Lead

    ¡°I guess the best option would be to avoid his death, but that isn¡¯t something under our control or that we can influence. Reina should know that doing that would help the princess, but if she didn¡¯t try it¡­ it is beyond her means, or anyone¡¯s, for that matter.¡±


    The path toward the capital was pretty straightforward, and the group didn¡¯t find many obstacles. Even the people going in the opposite direction seemed like they wanted to avoid trouble, probably because the horses they were riding looked like the ones used in wars.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, buddy. Even if they think that you are ugly, it is what is inside that counts.¡±


    Nightstorm grunted in annoyance. Zelos was just joking, but it looked like he didn¡¯t like it when his appearance was the reason for the joke. Even though it was obvious that Zelos bought him because he was impressive-looking and majestic.


    When the group stopped for lunch, Zelos was forced to give Nightstorm an apple to get rid of his bad mood. That kind of habit probably wasn¡¯t a good idea, but Zelos felt that it was all right. When the time came, he had confidence that Nightstorm wouldn¡¯t let him down.


    ¡°About how we will proceed once we arrive in the capital. We will just silently look for an inn that offers food as well, and then we will eat in our rooms. We will end up getting enough attention as it is, so we don¡¯t want to draw even further. Tomorrow, we will head to the palace and then look around for some guards who don¡¯t look suspicious from a distance, and then we will reveal that we have a gift from a merchant in the west called Reino. Once the message reaches the princess, she should be able to catch up to this.¡±


    ¡°... Do you think that not many people know Reina¡¯s name, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I would bet on no. It has been a while since anyone tried to get on their bad side, and people here should be more concerned about the power struggle in the capital.¡±


    It made sense. It had been a while since the group had seen Heirina using her head, but she was still sharp as usual. They confirmed that soon enough when they resumed their journey and soon found a small cavalry unit ahead moving in the opposite direction. They moved to the side of the path to avoid them, but the unit still stopped.


    ¡°Hold it.¡±


    An armored man with a spear on his back and without wearing his helmet suddenly jumped from his horse and then walked toward the group. Others of his underlings did the same, so Heirina was compelled to do the same. The man looked a bit like Hei, but he had a lot more grey hair on his beard and a bit spiky hair. He didn¡¯t pass a weird aura, but Zelos still moved his head a bit to be ready to grab his iron balls in case something happened.


    ¡°My name is Igor, a guard of the imperial capital. May I ask for your name?¡±


    The group wanted to stay incognito, so revealing their real names now would be a problem. However, lying also would be a problem if they were found out later. So, Heirina hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°My name is Heirina. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Your group looks like a group of young mercenaries. Did you hear about people looking to hire sell swords in the capital?¡±


    Zelos had grown quite a bit, so he didn¡¯t look much like a kid, but like a very young mercenary. Nightstorm also helped him look more imposing. The metal club on his back also helped his image as well.


    ¡°We have heard of that, but we are going to the capital for another reason.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­ Well, I wish you luck on your business. I just want to warn you that the capital is in a bit of disarray lately, so be cautious with those you interact with. Don¡¯t believe in the promises of people who might be wanting to lure you into something convenient and profitable.¡±


    ¡°I am thankful for the warning.¡±


    The guard nodded and then returned to his horse. Before long, the unit followed their journey, and Zelos and the others wondered what was about. Still, after checking that they had a bunch of wagons loaded on the back of their formation, he had an idea of what was going on.


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    ¡°It seems that they were reallocated to somewhere else¡­ he looked like an upstanding guy, the type that assholes in the capital planning to stir things up wouldn¡¯t want to be around when they put their plan in action.¡±


    Everyone nodded. That seemed like a fair assessment of the situation. Although there was no need for that, his followers were all wearing helmets, probably to hide their expressions instead of the real goal of the helmets. As soon as Heirina climbed back onto her horse, Zelos landed a question.


    ¡°Do any of you know how things work in the absence of the emperor?¡±


    ¡°... While the power is passed down in the imperial family. If the emperor is out of the picture, then the prime minister takes the reins of the situation until the emperor dies and his successor becomes twenty years old. Even if the heir is a male, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rule until his coming-of-age ceremony.¡±


    After hearing Heirina¡¯s explanation, for some reason, that kind of situation felt weirdly family-like for Zelos. He didn¡¯t recall hearing anything like that before, so he wondered why that was the case. Regardless, with that in mind, he wondered why, in that situation, the queen was supposedly poisoned, but one didn¡¯t have to be a genius to find the answer. It was to avoid her giving the emperor a male heir. Irlan showed a bothered expression after thinking about that.


    ¡°This is still all speculation, but¡­ it looks like the plan to fall the country started more than ten years ago. I find it hard that the prime minister would go that far¡­ why risk destroying the country when he reached that position? He is essentially at the top someone could have reached without relying on his bloodline, after all.¡±


    No one could explain that with certainty. They could only keep speculating, but that was a waste of time. It was better to focus on the mission before anything. A couple of hours later, the group was able to see the imperial capital in a lot more detail. The place was completely fortified with forty meters tall walls, a bunch of guards walking around on those.


    Despite that, they could see the numerous layers of the city thanks to its layered structure. In its foundation, countless rocks, probably made or processed with some special trait, gave birth to the first layer of the city, and then the rest was expanded as the population increased.


    Still, the upper layers are all made of high-quality wood structures. The houses looked brand new and well-maintained. Among all that, there was the imperial palace, which had many buildings connected together with small ones. There were several tall buildings that were also important places. Since they all looked like they were made of wood, they passed a weird feeling¡­


    ¡°Despite the difference in materials¡­ it looks quite a bit like the town of the natives.¡±


    When the group approached the city¡¯s entrance, they found only a couple of guards there, and they weren¡¯t stopping anyone. There was this weird aura among them, so Zelos wondered if they weren¡¯t working together or if they had chosen different sides. Either way, that worked for the group since they weren¡¯t stopped.


    Without wasting any time, they looked and found an inn and quickly rented some rooms in there for them. The place had a stable on the side for the horses, but it looked pretty dirty. So, soon after unpacking his few things, Zelos went there to make things a bit less annoying for Nightstorm.


    ¡°I know, I know. Stop your whining.¡±


    Zelos decided to give a hand to everyone¡¯s horses, too, since it would be troublesome if all of them had to leave to do that. They saw through the window of their rooms that Zelos gave them a hand with that, so they didn¡¯t come. When night came, the group had dinner in their rooms, but soon, they reunited in a single room to share what they had already found in the capital. Irlan started.


    ¡°It feels like nothing¡¯s wrong here. People are living their lives normally. No one looked at us for more than a few moments, so despite the warning of that man, the people here are still fine.¡±


    ¡°It is probably because no fight broke out yet. This could be a good thing for us. They won¡¯t do anything until the emperor¡¯s death is confirmed. We might have the chance to approach the palace without having to worry too much about it.¡±


    There was also the option of asking Kaitrine to look for anyone who seemed to be on the princess¡¯ side to find a way to contact her, but she was too tired after staying the night outside.


    ¡°We will go with the plan of yesterday without making any changes. I think that it will be better if we head to the palace without weapons. That will make us look less dangerous. I don¡¯t think that no one will try anything against us in broad daylight.¡±


    Everyone nodded, so they went to bed after that. Falling asleep was hard, though. They didn¡¯t know what would happen the next day or what the future held for them in the capital. All that they knew was the fact that a single mistake would put them in a bind and probably would cause a lot of problems for the clan and then to their families.


    Thanks to that, they woke up with bags under their eyes. They didn¡¯t sleep well, even Zelos, but he started to look much better after he ate something. Since the place looked safe enough, they decided to hide their weapons in their rooms. Zelos didn¡¯t do that since his weapons were so heavy that most people wouldn¡¯t even consider stealing them.


    ¡°Remember, stick to the plan and let me handle the talking.¡±


    Everyone nodded silently. They already were following the plan. With that in mind, they left the inn while Heirina was carrying the box surrounded by chains. Now that Zelos thought about it, it was hard to say when the chains started and when they ended or when they turned around¡­ it seemed like some sort of illusion¡­ one could only wonder how that could be opened, but the princess probably knew how to do that.

 Chapter 55 - Well, Actually…

    With the box in hand, the group ended up gathering some attention, even more so since they were heading to the palace. The place was around ten blocks wide and long, so a bunch of guards were patrolling the place while marching around and gathering at the entrance of the palace as well.


    The guards of the palace were all equipped with red spears, and they were also wearing a different kind of armor, it wasn¡¯t that heavy since it mainly protected the sides of their limbs, their chests, and backs like scale armor, but that meant that they could be pretty fast too. Heirina sighed when she felt their eyes on them.


    ¡°They already noticed us. We would only look suspicious if we looked around, only to return to this place later. Let¡¯s head to the front and talk with them.¡±


    Everyone nodded once again, and then they walked toward the entrance of the palace. Before long, the guards there assumed a defensive formation and began to hold their spears tightly. They weren¡¯t just simple guards who had been doing that kind of job all of their lives, and they had an aura of people who meant business.


    ¡°Identify yourselves.¡±


    Once again, Heirina decided to use her real name. Her name wasn¡¯t that uncommon, and she wasn¡¯t supposed to be famous yet. Even the leaders of clans should be relatively infamous in that part of the country. Only a handful of people that people for the clan¡¯s services would know their names.¡±


    ¡°My name is Heirina and I am an envoy of a merchant in the west called Reino. As the princess birthday is approaching, my master gave me the order to bring her this gift. Please confirm with her this. She already received some gifts from my master over the years and I have the order to delivery this directly to her hands.¡±


    The leader of the guards studied Heirina and the others behind her. He was a man who had a few face scars, and he also had a long mustache. Thanks to that, and his hardened expression, it was hard to read his facial expressions. Still, since he took a few seconds to respond, the group assumed that he was considering the option of doing exactly that. That kind of thing probably was common. In the end, he looked at one of his soldiers and then pointed to the palace.


    ¡°Wait here. We will pass on the message.¡±


    Heirina nodded. So far, so good. The group was able to keep their posture despite the glare of the dozen or so guards defending that side of the palace. Truth be told, they were too young to be considered envoys of someone, but there were a bunch of reasons someone would send a group like that to send the gift. To save money was the most obvious one.


    Only important people were supposed to know the birthday of the princess as well. Besides, at that point in time, everyone couldn¡¯t care less about it. They were more worried about when the emperor was going to die, and the prime minister would take the reins over the whole country. That made Zelos wonder¡­ even if the prime minister possibly caused the disease that was inflicting the emperor with some poison, he wasn¡¯t going further by killing him already. Maybe there was some sort of reason for it.


    Zelos had plenty of time for that since it took one hour for the guard to return¡­ the princess was either hiding, or those guys were slacking off and messing with them.


    ¡°Princess Liry said that he will receive you all. You will have to leave your weapons here.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have weapons with us.¡±


    The guards checked their clothes and confirmed that not like they would need weapons to do anything, but it would make it a lot easier for the guards to stop them if they tried anything, anyway. Regardless, four guards positioned themselves around the group, and soon they entered the palace.


    The tension was pretty hard to ignore as the group passed through the stone-paved paths toward the center of the palace. After crossing a few buildings on the way, they stopped in the middle of the palace and then turned to the right side.


    Before long, they entered a large group of buildings that seemed like the part of the palace where the princess lived. The group saw that the place was quite lively with bright colors there, most of them were light pink. There were flowers around decorating the place, and they looked brand new since their aroma was in the air.


    The place was quite big, around two blocks big, but the group didn¡¯t see anyone there. There were no servants to keep the place clean. However, they could feel a weird aura in the air, almost like they were being watched. The feeling decreased as they went further into the buildings, and that puzzled them.


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    Eventually, the group arrived. In the final building where they found a girl that looked like she was around fifteen years old. The group blinked several times since the girl looked like a younger version of Reina¡­


    Princess Liry was sitting on the ground using some cushions as support. She had very long light brown hair that one could think had never been cut. She had emerald green eyes that looked full of life, and she was wearing a simple green dress that suited her image of a princess.


    ¡°Thank you for coming, everyone. My name is Liry. It is a pleasure to meet you all.¡±


    Everyone dropped to their right knees, and then Zelos frowned. Heirina opened her eyes widely¡­ to think that Zelos didn¡¯t even know something that basic. In the end, after much hesitation, Zelos decided to copy them.


    ¡°Oh, please. No need for formalities. You can all sit. Thank you for bringing them here. You are all dismissed.¡±


    The guards looked at each other for a moment. The princess only had power in name, but the guards decided to follow her orders. If something were to happen, they could just blame those five, and no one would bat an eye on that. The situation was weird in the castle. Everyone was counting the days of her life to come to an end, but no one wanted to make a mistake and do that themselves.


    After sitting down on the floor cross-legged, Zelos realized all that. Despite that, the princess had this weird, unconcerned smile on her face. She couldn¡¯t be that clueless considering how Reina met her. That being said, it was hard to imagine that she actually had confidence in repelling any assailants; she didn¡¯t look that strong, and it wasn¡¯t the surprising appearances that people like Heirina and Kaitrine had while hiding their strength and skill. The princess truly looked frail, like a doll.


    ¡°It seems that they are finally far away enough¡­ you all can relax now, but don¡¯t raise your voice. I can¡¯t tell when there is one nearby that can hear us. Reina sent you all here, right? I thought that she would finally come, but I guess that is just like her¡­¡±


    The princess showed a sad smile. Zelos wondered if she was secretly hoping that Reina would come to rescue her from that situation. She wasn¡¯t that surprised, though, but she accepted it as if it was unavoidable.


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness. We need to introduce ourselves first. My name is Heirina, and these are Kaitrine, Edea, Irlan, and Zelos. Whatever this one here says or does, please don¡¯t mind. He was somewhat raised in the wild, so he doesn¡¯t understand manners.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? He doesn¡¯t look like that, considering his expression. He looks more comfortable than all of you, at least. I wonder why.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness probably won¡¯t like his explanation for that. Well, I also ask for apologies in advance since I am not used to this kind of situation. Perhaps delivering the gift as soon as possible will make things easier for all of us.¡±


    Heirina passed the box to the princess, and the chains disappeared immediately. Everyone blinked several times when they saw that. Was that some sort of trait? How did that one work? Zelos could only think that the chains had disappeared because they had reached the person that they needed. Aside from that, nothing came to mind.


    Liry opened the box and then showed a small smile, and then touched whatever it was inside. Then she closed the box again. No one saw what was there, though.


    ¡°This one was her best so far. Hopefully, I will be able to send one back to her next year. By the way, are you all in a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Not, really. Your Majesty, why do you ask?¡±


    Zelos knew that this would happen, but he still felt like he should do that. It was a bit funny, even if he didn¡¯t smile or feel like laughing at all.


    ¡°Usually, Kaitrine uses a very roundabout way to send me her gifts. No one ever showed up in the palace with the gift in their hands. You don¡¯t look like you live in the mountains with the natives, so how did you meet her?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a long story¡­ Basically, it is thanks to you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Heirina proceeded to tell the events that happened six months ago. Speaking of which, Zelos even forgot to ask what happened to the guys who hired those bandits to attack the town of the clan, since he was too busy with the expansion of his business. He finally learned that more than half of the merchants escaped once they learned about the failure and used the others as scapegoats. They tried to escape as well, but they only bought time for the others. They ended up resisting since they knew that they would be executed for treason, and so they died at the hands of Huxi and some of Lua¡¯s warriors.


    After that, the territory fell into Lua¡¯s territory. While the merchants had many businesses there, Lua was able to easily find people to take their place. After a single month, things were back to normal. The only issue was that the merchants escaped to the neighboring country. However, since their alliance failed, it was hard to know what happened to them afterward.


    ¡°Huxi didn¡¯t pass the details of that time¡­ I never imagined that things would have ended up this way. I thanked him, but he just said not to mention it.¡±


    This time, everyone raised their eyebrows to think that Huxi ended up getting the reputation for that incident¡­ Come to think of it, Zelos heard that Huxi worked in the capital, and since he received the letter from the princess and she didn¡¯t have any real power¡­ was he an ally or not?

 Chapter 56 - Too Cold

    ¡°Well, all things ended well, and our clan received a lot of help, so it doesn¡¯t matter who was praised for it. Thanks to Your Highness, we had the chance to meet someone impressive and learn a lot, so we are very thankful.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Liry. Whenever I hear anyone referring to me in any other way, I can only hear the sarcasm in their voices, but since you are friends with Reina, I think that I can trust you all to be my friends as well.¡±


    Liry showed this amazing smile after that which made the group feel a bit guilty. It was an innocent and bright smile like a pure rose in the middle of a dead forest. The group could understand why Reina said that. While showing a smile like that, most people would feel like helping such a sweet girl.


    Zelos only felt wary of her, though. The smile made him feel like he had eaten something bad during breakfast. It wasn¡¯t forced or some sort of trait, but he could tell that it made him feel sick for some odd reason.


    ¡°I can see some wisdom in her eyes, behavior, and words. A lot of wisdom, in fact. Despite that, she is able to maintain that kind of smile. I guess that must be why her smile makes me feel uncomfortable. It is the smile of someone who knows that they are in a bad spot and might die soon after losing the last family that they had, but they still don¡¯t lose hope. The issue is that she isn¡¯t planning to fight to her limits for her life.¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be my honor, Liry.¡±


    Heirina smiled, and she looked genuinely happy. At the same time, she was confused. She wanted to ask about Huxi, why she asked him for help, and why now she looked all alone. Still, that would be a troublesome topic in the first meeting.


    ¡°Since that is the case, do you want to stay for my birthday party? It will be in one week, and I am sure Dad will be happy to see more people there, too.¡±


    Everyone looked at Zelos in order to make him stay quiet, and they could tell that he was about to ask how many people would be there. He just shrugged.


    ¡°If there will be a lot of food, then I am game.¡±


    ¡°We will gladly accept your invitation, Liry. We will be staying in the city until then.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here as guests, then? We will have a lot of time to talk. I don¡¯t have much else to do here either.¡±


    Zelos wanted to ask how come she could say so many lonesome things in a row. He was even starting to feel a bit sad. Staying in the castle when they didn¡¯t know what would happen or when the emperor might die would be the worst thing possible for them. Still, Heirina ended up making her choice.


    ¡°We will gladly accept the offer. We just need to bring our things from the inn. I hope that you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! This will be amazing! I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Such a dazzling smile¡­ Zelos couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was being purified while looking at it. Maybe that was why he felt bad again. He needed his impurities to feel normal. In the end, the group got up and then left the palace and headed to the inn.


    ¡°Are we going to run at full speed back home now?¡±


    ¡°Zelos¡­ how can you say such a thing? I am starting to think that you are colder than the worst type of people I have seen on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I am. What about it?¡±


    ¡°... I gave her my word and we are going to return. I might be many things, but being a liar isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    ¡°I just hope that you have considered the merits and the demerits of this properly.¡±


    In the end, Heirina was the leader of the mission, so Zelos had to follow the orders until he knew that he would get himself killed by following those. Once that happens, it would be time to bail without hesitation.


    ¡°I wished that my sister were sweet like that.¡±


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    Everyone looked at Irlan with suspicious eyes. That had been a very weird statement. Still, no one disagreed that Liry was a very sweet girl. Maybe it was because of that reason that she hadn¡¯t been killed yet. Or maybe it was because of Huxi.


    ¡°What does Huxi do here?¡±


    ¡°He is one of the officers of the largest clan in the country, the only one that has five thousand people in it. I understand what you are thinking. He doesn¡¯t seem to be an enemy of the princess, but he can¡¯t control the clan to do what he wants like protect the princess. They receive direct orders from the emperor, but when that isn¡¯t the case¡­¡±


    ¡°The prime minister, huh? I guess he wouldn¡¯t go as far as to do anything troublesome that would make Huxi clan suspicious of him. In that sense, I guess all the sides in this power struggle are trying to find the best way to blame the death of the princess on each other.¡±


    Everyone nodded after hearing that as well¡­ It made perfect sense. They couldn¡¯t mess up now. A single mistake would cost years of power struggle in the country. Still, if Zelos and the others were able to realize that much, how come Huxi wouldn¡¯t have done the same? He seemed a bit foolish and free spirited, but it was hard to deny that he was pretty smart when it comes to battles since he always arrives on time.


    Before long, the group packed their things at the inn and then grabbed their horses and returned to the palace. The guards this time didn¡¯t try to stop them and they were informed about their invitation¡­ while seeing their confused expressions, Zelos realized something else. They couldn¡¯t stop Liry from doing a lot of things without risking getting on the bad side of Huxi clan, the princess knew that as well.


    Regardless, Liry welcomed them back with a large smile and soon guided them to some rooms close to her bedroom. The rooms were completely empty¡­ She was supposed to have some servants to help her, but that wasn¡¯t the case now.


    The group didn¡¯t even have time to unpack in their rooms and the girls were called by Liry to see her room and talk there for a while. She seemed like that type of girl and Edea as well, but the other two would feel like fish out of water.


    ¡°It feels like they will get along pretty fast¡­ what should we do in the meantime, Zelos?¡±


    ¡°What, indeed¡­¡±


    Zelos decided to train to kill time and think about what he learned that day before considering his options. The group found the princess, and they found it odd since she is a pretty happy-go-lucky girl despite the fact that no one wants to see her on the throne, a woman leading any country is unheard of, and she also doesn¡¯t look like she wants to lead it.


    Thanks to all that, Zelos wants to return as soon as possible since they finished the main mission, but Heirina had other plans. She didn¡¯t say that out loud, but she was interested in the princess and wanted to learn what kind of person she was on a deeper level. The reason for that was the fact that she was supposed to be the next ruler and Heirina didn¡¯t want to see some scheming people trying to rule the country. That would never work since they would see everyone else as mere pawns.


    ¡°We can¡¯t move freely in the palace, but we should be fine in the area where the princess lives. We need to be cautious to avoid problems.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ they will be fine as long as they are with Kaitrine, but I guess we will have to keep the perimeter a bit safer, huh?¡±


    Irlan wasn¡¯t good at that kind of thing, but he had good instincts. He would be able to tell if people around were spying on them somehow. In the end, they took a good look around the area, but they didn¡¯t find anything odd¡­ even beyond the area, things were way too quiet in the palace. Was it because of their arrival, or was it because of something else?


    ¡°The prime minister shouldn¡¯t live here, so people who want to bet on him would stay close to him. That would explain why this place is so empty¡­ people are flocking to him to get on his good side. Since he has the power while the emperor is sick, he can also decrease or increase the number of people working here.¡±


    Before long, lunch time came, and the girls left the room to grab the food. It seemed that Liry had to do even that now, but she didn¡¯t mind. The others also looked quite relaxed after talking with her for a couple of hours. In any case, Heirina stepped away a bit while they headed to the kitchen.


    ¡°Did you find anything odd?¡±


    ¡°No, at least for now.¡±


    ¡°Since we are here, we will have to keep our guard most of the time, but we won¡¯t be able to do that while interacting with Liry. At least not Edea and me. Kaitrine can, but you two will have to keep your distance and do that.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much.¡±


    Heirina nodded and then she joined the girls on the front. In the kitchen, they found some servants carrying food for the guards and they looked pretty nervous when Liry approached. Those guys were guilty because they wanted to keep their positions, but they didn¡¯t hate the princess for wanting to see her demise¡­ they just didn¡¯t want to get on the bad side of those who might be planning to dispose of her.


    Still, Liry ignored them and just grabbed some bowls of food for everyone and gave them. At least they didn¡¯t try to stop her. The only problem was that Zelos felt like asking for two more bowls just to be safe.


    ¡°Well, I will keep my eyes open to see if some food will be left. If that happens, then I will grab more the next time. I am not sure I can keep leaving the palace, so I should stuff myself here for free.¡±


    While Zelos was thinking about that, the group began to eat. During the whole time, Liry looked ecstatic¡­ It made Zelos wonder how much happiness she had daily when she was acting like that. If she were truly happy most of the time, she would have shown some signs that she was forcing herself, but not a single sign of that was shown.

 Chapter 57 - Privacy

    Whoosh, Whoosh¡­


    Since Zelos was bored out of his mind, he decided to push his limits with training. He occasionally does that on his days off, but he usually takes it easy after a couple of hours since he needs to keep his routine steady. Instead of trying to rush ahead to get stronger, he would increase his strength at regular periods. That was the key to getting stronger with as much efficiency as possible.


    ¡°Even if the room is free, Zelos, you don¡¯t have to make it smell like sweat so much.¡±


    Zelos ignored Irlan and kept swinging the club with one hand. Eventually, he stopped sweating, and steam began to leave his pores. He truly liked to reach that state when his body was warm. He felt like he was at his peak, and the training could show a lot of results. If only he could reach that stage faster¡­


    Eventually, night came and dinner time as well, so Zelos decided to stop finally. It was the perfect time for something to happen, after all. Zelos and Irlan kept their eyes on the surroundings once more, but things didn¡¯t look much different. The girls were talking pretty loudly in their room, though. Eventually, they came and even Kaitrine looked way too relaxed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get dinner and eat together in the hall. It will be more fun that way.¡±


    Zelos and Irlan looked at each other in confusion. They never thought that Heirina would say something like that. Still, Zelos soon recalled the night that the others went out and drank themselves almost to death. It seemed that they needed a breather, and the situation was providing them exactly that.


    The kitchen still had food, but it looked like the guards had already been served of their meal. It made sense. They would eat a bit earlier so that they wouldn¡¯t stay relaxed too much in the later hours and risk attacks. That seemed like a reasonable routine for them. Thanks to that, Zelos decided to grab three bowls for himself.


    ¡°You sure can eat a lot, Zelos? What is your secret? I want to be able to eat a lot and don¡¯t get fat too.¡±


    ¡°Use your head all the time and keep moving your body.¡±


    For all intentions and purposes, it sounded like Zelos told her not to be lazy and to keep her brain working, so Heirina couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He was as honestly brutal as always.


    ¡°Makes sense! That¡¯s the perfect way of thinking for a balanced and productive lifestyle. Keeping our minds sharp and our bodies active is key to staying healthy and achieving our goals. If we keep working all the time to reach our goals, we will consume the energy that we obtained.¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    As usual, Liry had way too much positive energy. Zelos¡¯s jaded way of thinking was completely lost on her, and she ended up seeing something totally different from what he said.


    After dinner, the group stayed in the hall of her part of the palace for a while and talked. Speaking of which, they met her pretty early in the morning, and she didn¡¯t do much aside from interacting with them. While it was rather normal for her not to have many visitors, it was a bit weird that she didn¡¯t try to visit her father that day. Did she forget about it because of the group?


    While Zelos was thinking about that, he realized that the atmosphere had shifted a bit. All of a sudden, he entered combat mode, and then he realized that he had messed up. He shouldn¡¯t have reacted like that.


    ¡°What is wrong, Zelos? Do you need to go to the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, where is it?¡±


    ¡°On the left side of your room.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Liry smiled while Zelos stared at her¡­ did she notice that the atmosphere changed and covered for Zelos? He wasn¡¯t sure of that. It could be a coincidence. In any case, Zelos went to the bathroom and forced himself to use it for a short while before returning. In the end, Irlan also joined the talk. In the end, Zelos realized that he will have to do the heavy lifting by himself.


    For several hours, Zelos stayed in the corner of the hall, trying to meditate while staying focused to notice anything weird happening around. The atmosphere didn¡¯t change at all, so he imagined the princess was only being watched, and they were being watched as well.


    ¡°The level of discomfort is low, so only one or two people should be watching us. There aren¡¯t many places here that anyone can hide, but this palace should have been built with that idea in mind to spy anyone around to prevent trouble.¡±


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    There is also the possibility that some people with that kind of trait were working for the prime minister but then working before for the king. That kind of situation to consider was a bit troublesome. Zelos wanted to get used to quick thinking and finding weaknesses in the enemies, but that was much harder when considering things out of combat. There were too many factors, and the goals were numerous as well¡­


    In any case, soon enough, the group had to retreat to their rooms, respectively. Since that was part of the work and risks of failure would be too high, Zelos thought that it would be wiser for all of them to sleep in the same room, but the girls definitely would be against that.


    Once they returned to their room, Zelos checked the wall that separated them. He could hear the girls giggling. The wall wasn¡¯t that thick, so perhaps that was fine.


    ¡°What is wrong, Zelos? Are you finally interested in their talk?¡±


    ¡°Just go to sleep if you aren¡¯t planning to do anything useful.¡±


    Irlan laughed a bit and then yawned. While he didn¡¯t do much that day, he felt pretty relaxed and sleepy now. He felt like he was relaxing too much in the middle of a job, even by his standards. Still, he went to sleep, not minding that much.


    Zelos decided to stay awake the whole night just to be safe. He knew that nothing would happen on the first night of their stay there, and they would only be watched before anyone decided to do anything. They were a group of kids, relatively speaking, but since all the parties involved wanted to be cautious no matter what, it made sense that they would play it by the ear.


    ¡°Ah, politics¡­ No wonder I hate you so much. I guess I should train with the goal of becoming strong enough not only to protect myself but to also defeat politics with my strength. I don¡¯t actually have to use it, but making people fear it should be more than enough for the time being.¡±


    Zelos would have to work pretty hard for a while to reach that goal, but it was a fine goal to have, nonetheless. He knew very well the power of fear¡­ people fear what they don¡¯t understand and try to keep their distance instinctively from it until they can understand it and find a way to control it, but no one will truly control him.


    When morning came, Zelos felt a bit sleepy since he didn¡¯t rest that much. His body had rested plenty, but his mind stayed focused and sharp. Fortunately, he received a reward for his hard work. His resolve increased by one point.


    ¡°I guess forcing myself to stay awake can have that kind of effect.¡±


    At the same time, Liry looked a bit sleepy since she was yawning all the time. Maybe they went to bed later than he had predicted. Still, it was odd. Edea wasn¡¯t a morning person, but she looked fine since it was seven in the morning.


    ¡°What do you guys want to do today?¡±


    Liry eyes were shining full of expectation. The group looked at each other, wondering what they could do. It had to be in the confines of the palace, though. In the end, Heirina decided to ask her what she wanted to do instead.


    ¡°What do you want to do, Liry? We don¡¯t have much free time like this, so we don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Talk about yourself. You can always train for a couple of hours. There is no better use for free time.¡±


    Heirina felt like sighing¡­ as if Liry could join them in that kind of activity. Moreover, training with real weapons in the palace would be beyond stupid.


    ¡°I have some staves here that we can use for training. I used them now and then to learn some self defense, but it is hard to practice by myself. Still, I was thinking that it would be more fun to take a walk around the city today.¡±


    For someone who spent the day curled in the palace, it was surprising that Liry was in shape. She didn¡¯t have many visible muscles, but it was hard to say much when she was wearing that dress of hers.


    ¡°... Can you actually leave the palace, Liry? Isn¡¯t this a bad time, considering things?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually leave, but I should be fine with you all. It will be fun. You all don¡¯t know the capital that well either, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is true. Let¡¯s get going then. We also should buy you some gifts as well.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Your presence will be enough.¡±


    Zelos was thankful for that since he didn¡¯t have much money and all that he had was for emergencies, for food emergencies. In any case, while the chances of something happening in broad daylight were low, that was also a good chance for them to walk without having to worry about being heard. Zelos had the feeling that they weren¡¯t heard during all the time in that sector of the palace. However, the weird feeling that they were being observed stayed throughout the night. With that in mind, why would they be watched without being heard? He was almost certain spies with good hearing traits would have been around.


    Without wasting time, the group decided to leave the palace and walk around the city. There weren¡¯t many places for them to actually visit aside from some places that were selling sweets¡­ the girls ate a ton of them. All of a sudden, Liry stopped eating and smiling like a child and then looked around.


    ¡°... We should be fine now. You are free to ask whatever you want.¡±


    Zelos raised his eyebrows. The girl certainly knew how to change her pace all of a sudden. It was clear that she was no normal princess, but Zelos wondered when she began to eat again.


    ¡°... How can you tell that we are fine here?¡±


    ¡°I have developed a feeling after being watched for more than ten years. It will be helpful if you all also keep acting like usual and keep your expressions relaxed.¡±


    ¡°This is kind of hard¡­¡±


    Changing their gears that fast and acting like that weren¡¯t things that warriors were used to, but people that work in some areas that involve a lot of talking and analyzing other people should be pretty good at that. In any case, Zelos decided to take the reins for now.


    ¡°What should we know for now?¡±

 Chapter 58 - Moving Out

    ¡°... It pains me to say this, but the prime minister will try to dispose of me in all ways possible. The direct means like assassins are probably out of the question while Huxi is around, but he leaves pretty often. Still, me dying when he isn¡¯t here would be suspicious. So, he will use indirect means, like sending me to my death. Recently, I have heard that things in the South are becoming quite heated, so he will probably send me there to rally the troops, since we have been losing a lot there. Naturally, the order will come from the council, in the form of a gentle plea, but they are in the prime minister¡¯s hands.¡±


    Zelos studied the princess¡­ She was pretty well informed. She had a lot of time to consider many things, but it looked like she was still in a bind. Sending her to a war zone that was on the losing end would be truly bad news. Even if she doesn¡¯t die, she will lose support if she doesn¡¯t show her worth and change the tide of the battle. On the other hand, if she pulls that off¡­


    ¡°Do you think that you can turn this around and gain the upper hand? If you do it, you will be fine in the capital alone for a while?¡±


    ¡°It will be hard¡­ Considering what I know, the two sides are equal in terms of power, but we don¡¯t have good strategies. I might be able to even the field, but that won¡¯t be enough. I will need an extra card, but I believe that I will recover some support if I succeed.¡±


    ¡°Or some extra cards in this case.¡±


    ¡°... I can¡¯t ask you to do this. From what I can tell, Reina didn¡¯t give you the order to help me to this extent.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, she didn¡¯t¡­ still, it might be useful to have you owe us some favors.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°What Zelos means is that we are glad to help a friend, that is all. We are gaining a lot of information already, so it is time to repay the favor and keep doing it. Besides, Reina said that she will give us some extra if we decide to help you for a bit longer. So you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­ to think that my friends after Reina would be this nice¡­¡±


    The depression party started, and Zelos couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows. It was a talent in itself to be able to say that kind of stuff without hesitation. Regardless, that mood was too annoying, so Zelos decided to return to business.


    ¡°If you are certain that this will happen, then you should make the whole thing happen in the way that is convenient for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Declare to the council that you are going to the front lines to rally the troops in the south and then declare that we will go with you as escorts. To make sure that this will happen, we have to spread the rumor that you are going and the council will feel even more pressured to let you go. At the same time, you won¡¯t have to wait for the situation in the south to become worse.¡±


    Liry nodded after hearing that¡­ it made sense. In fact, it was a pretty obvious choice¡­ she never thought of that because she never had the chance to take control of things.


    ¡°Yes, we can do that¡­ and I know I can spread this rumor and make it very reliable to make it happen in one week or so. Let¡¯s finish the sweets and then we will start with that plan.¡±


    Her priorities were interesting, if anything. Still, it was better to take a bit slowly instead of moving suspiciously for now. One hour later, they decided to put the plan into action and then they walked to another large building in the city. It was half of the size of the palace, but it could house up to five thousand warriors¡­ It was Huxi clan.


    Even from a distance, one could tell that the place was filled with this aura that was hard to describe¡­ all the warriors around looked like they were ready for war, even though they were very far away from any real battlefield. Maybe they kept their fangs sharp in order to defend the capital in case something happened.


    ¡°Your Highness, how can we help you?¡±


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    One of the guards at the entrance of the base tried to soften his expression a bit, but that barely made any difference. Still, that didn¡¯t scare Liry at all.


    ¡°I need to talk with Huxi for a bit. Is he around?¡±


    ¡°No, your highness. He disappears from time to time, but he should be around and should return soon.¡±


    ¡°In that case, pass the message to him that I am planning to head south and help the troops there for a while, and I want his opinion. When he is ready, please tell him to come to the palace.¡±


    ¡°... Understood.¡±


    Liry didn¡¯t try to hide that, so the guards looked confused. For that kind of thing, it was better to let as few people as possible from learning of that in order to avoid trouble. Soon enough, they left, and the word began to spread. The only thing that the group didn¡¯t consider was the fact that the guards thought that she decided that, thanks to them.


    In the end, Hus showed up at the palace very flustered three days later and it looked like he came in a hurry.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ did I hear that right? I heard that you guys were with her as well, but¡­¡±


    As one would expect, Huxi was very suspicious of the group, but Liry had three days to consider that kind of possibility, so she was ready for it.


    ¡°Huxi, I have thought this through and I have been considering this for a while. Father is still sick, and I need to do something to ease his burden. There are others supporting him, but I can¡¯t sit on my butt the whole day. I didn¡¯t think that I would be able to do this alone, but now I found some people who want to help me.¡±


    Before coming, Huxi had done some research and learned that Heirina¡¯s group had come to deliver a gift to Liry, but it looked like they had another mission as well. He had no idea who sent them, though. He heard that it had been a merchant, but that was probably false information.


    ¡°His Majesty needs you here¡­ once he hears about this, he will probably get worse.¡±


    ¡°He has plenty of reasons to worry about me already. Nothing will change that or make it worse¡­ perhaps he won¡¯t even hear about this at all.¡±


    The mood grew heavy after those words¡­ Considering what Liry said, it was safe to say that the emperor was unconscious and had been like that for a while. Since Huxi didn¡¯t deny that, then it was a fact, and since Liry had come to terms with it, it was safe to say that her mother also experienced that and didn¡¯t survive it. Everyone knows that the body becomes much weaker and faster when a disease makes them lose consciousness for long periods of time.


    At the same time, Huxi felt even worse because of these words and because he couldn¡¯t mobilize the clan to act in place of Liry. He didn¡¯t have the authority for that. No one had¡­ only the prime minister and the council had that now that the kind was unconscious. They couldn¡¯t join some battle out of goodwill only or protect someone without being paid for it.


    ¡°The damage is already done. Plenty of people have heard about this now, and trying to deny it would damage your reputation and the imperial family as well. I will pass the message to some friends that I have there to help you. Just make sure to stay away from the battles. Your presence alone will be enough to boost their morale.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After that, Huxi left while considering some things. By the look of things, he was an ally, but one that couldn¡¯t do much. Reina probably knew that, or perhaps she didn¡¯t trust him fully, so she decided to use Heirina¡¯s group as a final resort¡­ come to think of it, what she did six months ago was probably some sort of test to see if they were up to the task.


    Regardless, the group just acted like usual and spent most of the time talking about random things while they waited for the results. Before long, Liry¡¯s birthday had arrived, and the mood got a bit weird since only a handful of people had come to congratulate her in the castle. They didn¡¯t stay for the feast, though. They felt that Liry deserved that much, at least, but they didn¡¯t want to get on the nerves of those who opposed her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Things have been like that for a while already.¡±


    Zelos was starting to respect Liry for her uncanny ability to smile so brightly while saying those types of sad things. In the end, only the group stayed for the feast¡­ not even the servants of the palace stayed once the food was ready. The idea of spending one¡¯s birthday alone was quite depressing, but it looked like Liry was used to that.


    Zelos didn¡¯t care much about that since it meant that there was more food for him, so he ate like there was no tomorrow. He didn¡¯t know if Reina¡¯s payment would be worth the hassle of the job, so he decided to enjoy the food at least.


    ¡°... They should send the message today, and then we will depart tomorrow.¡±


    While Zelos was enjoying the food, Liry suddenly said that¡­ it would make sense, even though it was a pretty nasty thing to do. In order to get at her, the prime minister would find a way to spoil her birthday party, which was already plenty sad. Heirina didn¡¯t know what to say, but she tried anyway.


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    ¡°It is fine, I already prepared mentally for this. Regardless, I want to say bye to Dad before this and also talk with him for a bit today.¡±


    The group nodded¡­ the talk was probably going to be one-sided, but the feeling was what was important. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the emperor¡¯s bedroom since it was supposed to be heavily guarded, but that was for the best.

 Chapter 59 - Absolutely Nothing

    Once Liry got ready, the group headed toward the largest area of the palace, this time, they found a bunch of guards stationed there armed to their teeth and ready to fight. The group stopped in front of it, but when Liry walked towards the room, the guards moved and then opened the door.


    The group didn¡¯t have the chance to take a glimpse inside, but Zelos was able to see a big bed ahead. At least the point of it¡­ it looked like the king didn¡¯t have anyone nursing him at the moment.


    The door closed and then the group went silent and tried to avoid the gaze of the guards as much as possible. At the same time, Zelos began to consider some things.


    ¡°This might end up like the last farewell to her, she already made up her mind about the trip and she knows how this disease works. She didn¡¯t mention anything about poison, but¡­ maybe she knows that eventually, she will be the next to be poisoned. Her enemies might people believe that this was a genetic disease or something and that will let them control the opinion of people by spreading around the word that perhaps the imperial family truly had to disappear.¡±


    That was some nasty shit, but it also should be bread and butter for people who work behind the scenes. For someone like Zelos who wanted to be a warrior through and through, he found that kind of thing very annoying, but he couldn¡¯t deny its necessity in some circumstances.


    Before long, the group began to fidget since Liry was taking her time¡­ but then after half an hour, she showed up looking quite refreshed, Zelos realized that the corner of her eyes were a bit wet, though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Everyone nodded and soon they returned to Liry¡¯s quarters. For a while, they stayed in silence without knowing what to say or do, but eventually, they began to hear a lot of footsteps approaching. Everyone grabbed their weapons, but soon they only found some retainer looking people approaching. They were wearing robes and a weird blue hat that seemed like something scholars would wear. Before long, they kneeled in front of Liry.


    ¡°Your Highness. The council and the prime minister have sent a message to you, please accept it.¡±


    One of the guys stepped forward and then passed a scroll to Liry. As soon as she received it, they bowed and then left. That indicated that Liry couldn¡¯t refuse the contents of the message no matter what. That was a bit weird since she forced their hands.


    ¡°It basically says that they want me to help in the south with morale until the enemies decide to retreat. They are also sending one hundred of the Imperial Guard as reinforcements.¡±


    Huxi clan was also considered part of the imperial guard, so probably one hundred of them would come with Liry. They wouldn¡¯t be of much use, but they would serve the purpose to make people think that the princess was receiving some support. Even if it only one hundred warriors wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    ¡°Those one hundred will depart in one week¡­ they might be expecting us to go with them and the battle will become worse for our side.¡±


    Heirina was worried about that and soon decided to voice her thoughts.


    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t wait for them. The issue is, will they try anything if we do that?¡±


    ¡°It is very unlikely¡­ the matter about staying there until the enemies are forced to retreat proves that. They want to keep me away from the capital for as long as possible and then eventually do what they have to do. While I don¡¯t have any real power, I still can cause problems like I did now with this plan. In any case, as planned, we will depart at sunrise. I will send s message for Huxi to find a carriage for us. We will need to carry some supplies and tools, after all. We won¡¯t be able to use the resources there.¡±


    It was finally happening¡­ The group could tell that an important moment in their lives was fast approaching. They were going to battle without informing anyone of their clan and they had to protect the princess too. One could only guess where that situation will end and what results they will obtain.


    In any case, the girls began to help Liry prepare for the trip in her room while Zelos and Irlan moved elsewhere. As usual, Zelos decided to train a bit. He did a test with regeneration, and confirmed that he could heal a broken hand in one hour¡­ he wondered where his trait would take him at that rate. Speaking of which, he never heard anyone talking about level limits in the traits.


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    ¡°What do you know about the situation in the south, Zelos?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I shouldn¡¯t have expected less. Your steel nerves never ceases to amuse me.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about it then?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything until earlier when I heard some guards talking¡­ it seems that the leaders of three of the five clans there had been executed by the enemy. Not defeated, but captured and then executed, thanks to that, the morale of the defenders is quite low.¡±


    ¡°That kind of thing is truly efficient, huh? The enemy this time should be pretty nasty, but smart, unlike the last two we faced.¡±


    ¡°The enemies in the south are better equipped than us, you will learn when we reach that area. The enemies in the west are more organized and their society is as you know already. The problem this time is the fact that we have to worry about our backs as well, and the enemy is trying to fight while saving their soldiers as much as possible. They don¡¯t care about expending a lot of resources, though. As long as they aren¡¯t human.¡±


    Zelos rubbed his chin thoughtfully¡­ he could imagine that the enemies this time would be pretty skilled since they came from a place that valued their lives a lot. Their side could take their time and they had more experience, while the defenders side couldn¡¯t take their time and their new leader was Liry. She will have to truly show her worth in one way or the other.


    ¡°Until now, I have been training with the goal of only improving my parameters and skills, but I can¡¯t keep only doing that. I will have to add battle experience to this and consider as fast as possible how I can improve.¡±


    Battles like that were also good ways to rack a lot of accomplishments and extra money, and all that would be useful for Zelos in the future, so that was a good chance for him. Still, things will be way harder than the previous battle since Reina won¡¯t be there¡­ he will have to show his worth as well.


    With those thoughts in mind, Zelos trained until he barely could move his arms and then went to bed. When morning came the next day, the group left the capital determined to change the tides of all the conflicts that they were involved and perhaps change the political landscape of the country as well.


    ¡°It has been a while since I left the capital¡­ this sense of freedom is just amazing.¡±


    Liry was sticking out her head out of the window of the carriage and smiling like a child. Thanks to it, Heirina couldn¡¯t help but force a smile. She wanted to ask if the last time was five years ago, but she didn¡¯t want to bring back bad memories for her.


    While Heirina wanted to ask about that, Zelos wanted to ask what Liry would be able to do if the push came to the shove. The chances were small, but she might have to defend herself at some point. So, she would need her traits.


    ¡°Over the years, the imperial family should have added to their bloodline some valuable traits. However, considering how small it is now, Liry shouldn¡¯t have many. She might get one very useful one when the emperor dies, but no one wanted to count on that in the middle of the battle. The reason for that is obvious.¡±


    It would be useful if Liry gained a new trait in the middle of the battle. However, that would affect her mind since it would be the same as confirming that her father died. In any case, it doesn¡¯t look like anyone was going to ask her what her trait can do and since they never asked each other either, Zelos could assume that this was practically an insult. She never did anything that gave some tips either¡­


    It was better to put that aside since the knowledge might actually cause more problems than help. With that in mind, Zelos decided to ask something else.


    ¡°What is the plan once we reach the battlefield?¡±


    ¡°I would like to take command of things there as soon as possible, but that might not be easy. I don¡¯t have real experience leading and if our side is losing, people feel even less compelled to follow my lead. With that in mind, we will have to change the flow of the battle as soon as possible to make everyone listen to us.¡±


    That made sense. No one in their right mind would let a princess who led a supposed safe life lead them when their lives were on the line. The battle there has been going on for a while, so people might be hostile towards her.


    ¡°I heard some reports about the battlefield, and things truly loom grim¡­ everyone is on their last legs, some people already deserted and since they didn¡¯t have the spares to look for them, more and more people look like they are ready to do that as well. As for the battlefield, it is filled with the decomposing corpses of their allies since the enemies don¡¯t let them even recover those to bury them.¡±


    After hearing that, Heirina showed a lot of disgust. They were all mercenaries, and honor wasn¡¯t their main concern when working, but everything has limits, and it looks like the enemies are fine ignoring those limits.


    ¡°Woah¡­ they are using all the dirty tricks in the book, huh?¡±


    ¡°So, we really to bring them down to make our allies there follow us. While we are young, with your skills, we should be able to pull that off.¡±


    After that, Liry began to tell them what they were supposed to do once they arrived on the battlefield. Pretty much every day, Zelos could see in the morning that Liry couldn¡¯t sleep that much, even though she had some people around that she saw as allies. The area around her eyes showed a lack of sleep that she tried to hide with a bit of makeup.


    Still, it looked like she used those sleepless hours to help come up with a decent plan for as soon as they arrived on the battlefield. She spent a while explaining the whole thing to everyone, and they all looked impressed and confident.

 Chapter 60 - Defense Efforts

    One week later, the group arrived on the southern battlefield. The area there was a massive plain land that in any other time of the year would have looked pretty nice, but even from a distance, the group was able to feel the aura of death in the battlefield. It didn¡¯t seem like the enemies were planning to advance anytime soon, so they were planning to make the defenders endure that oppressive atmosphere for as long as possible.


    The camp on the defending side was completely silent. It was mid-afternoon, but it didn¡¯t look like the soldiers had fought that day. Some of them looked truly exhausted, so they assumed that the enemies had used night raids as well to get on their nerves.


    Usually, a camp with a high morale was a camp with a lot of noise and people working everywhere. They would do things that would improve their odds of survival in the next battle, but no one was doing anything there. Things looked pretty nasty.


    Although the carriage and the five riders¡¯ arrival informed them that someone important had arrived, they didn¡¯t think that things would change that much. Before long, they reached the largest tent in the camp and stopped right there. Now they got the attention of the few guards who were there, and soon, they moved to block their path. It didn¡¯t look like they had been informed of the princess¡¯s arrival, so the prime minister was really trying hard to get on their way.


    When Liry left the carriage, the guards didn¡¯t recognize her. Few people had seen the princess, after all. Still, they dropped to their knees when Irlan introduced her. Things started to get noisy around¡­ when everyone looked in that direction, they only saw a group of warriors that perhaps was a bit too young to be there. The princess wasn¡¯t wearing clothes that made her look like royalty either. She had an elegant red cloak around her, but aside from that, she was wearing pants, a white shirt, and some long boats that would all work to improve her mobility.


    Without wasting time, they entered the large tent, and soon, they found one of the captains on the battlefield sleeping on his table. When he began to hear the noise, he woke up and looked around blankly.


    ¡°Hello, Captain. My name is Liry. Were you informed of my arrival?¡±


    The captain opened his eyes widely¡­ he indeed received the letter with that kind of information, but he thought that the higher-ups were messing with him. Why would they send the princess to a pretty much-lost battlefield?


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Please forgive me for not being ready to welcome you upon your arrival. I was expecting that you would come a bit later.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I decided to hurry up and come here to help as soon as possible.¡±


    The expression on the captain¡¯s face returned to normal after hearing that. It was the normal reaction¡­ help. As if someone who lived the good life away from the battlefields would be able to help them with their business. It was like expecting a kid to teach an herbalist how to handle their plants.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that we have time to waste here, so we should get ready for the next battle as soon as possible. My friends and I aren¡¯t going to get on your way, but it would be better if you were to follow my orders if things happen as I predict.¡±


    The captain wondered about the meaning of those words¡­ in the end, he called the other captain to hear from Liry about what was supposed to happen on the battlefield. Even without hearing anything so far, she assumed that the enemies would come at dinner time tonight and that they should be ready for it while pretending to be resting as much as possible.


    The two captains looked at each other and stayed like that for a second. They had expected that the enemies would do that, but they didn¡¯t plan to try to fool them like that. It was too risky since the enemies would have the chance to control the flow of the battle from the very beginning.


    ¡°I am aware that their mounted archers are a problem, but they won¡¯t be this time. Just let the groups stay in formation or in semi formation using the tents, that will give them enough room to react fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ how do you plan to handle them? They never expose themselves and only target us when they have total control over the battle. They are also extremely good at killing officials from their positions.¡±


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    ¡°I can¡¯t reveal that since that might put the parts involved in trouble. Anyway, the enemies will silently send other battalions of infantry to surprise us and then send their mounted archers when the combat has been engaged. Once that happens, we will just hold our ground and wait until their formation crumbles.¡±


    The two captains looked at the group behind Liry. It was clear that she was planning to use them to do that kind of job, but it was hard to imagine that those young warriors would dash in the battlefield without being noticed.


    Without wasting time, the captains decided to put the plan in action, it wasn¡¯t much and the risks were minimal, so they felt that they could try that much. If it fails, they won¡¯t have any reasons to listen to the princess.


    ¡°You all should stay in position for when night comes, I will be fine on my own here.¡±


    Zelos raised his eyebrows when he heard that. Leaving Liry alone in such a place would be too risky and they would be the firsts who would lose their heads in case something happens.


    ¡°Is that an order? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since you aren¡¯t paying us.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. Zelos. However, we will need everyone to be away. Otherwise, the two captains will know who will be responsible for killing the mounted archers.¡±


    ¡°Even if they know whom, they won¡¯t know how we did it. There is no real tactical value against the enemy to make those three be on the very front lines. Edea is also an archer and once she starts to pick the enemies, she will be targeted.¡±


    ¡°I am with Zelos in this one, Liry. Leaving you unprotected is too risky. Besides, in a nocturnal battle, no one will be able to see what happens to you and if you disappear, then we will have a hard time finding your traces. It would be better if we could surprise the enemies as much as possible today, but other chances will come.¡±


    Liry considered Heirina¡¯s words and in the end, she nodded. Both of them had a point and they would be able to fight better knowing that Liry would be well guarded.


    ¡°In that case, we should get closer to the front lines when the battle starts, we will be able to pass orders more effectively by then. If the enemies hear about me as well, we will be able to keep luring and trapping them.¡±


    Compromising under those circumstances probably wasn¡¯t the best of ideas. Still, Heirina knew that Zelos and Kaitrine would pull off their missions before the enemies offered any risk to Liry.


    Before long, the message to the whole camp began to spread, and the soldiers began to change tents while only carrying their own things. They felt that was a waste of time since the enemies would have the preemptive strike anyway, but orders were orders.


    At the same time, the group watched the whole thing and tried to see the enemy¡¯s camp in the distance which was three kilometers away. They looked the same as usual with no changes, but Liry could see several points where scouts could be hiding. Kaitrine could see that as well.


    ¡°I can see them, shall I dispose of them?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ the enemies will stay on alert if the scouts are disposed of right now. It is better to let them live for a while longer. At least until we decide when we should go to the offense.¡±


    Hopefully, that will happen soon. Battles were they had to defend all the time were the worst for rookies¡­ Zelos and the others certainly were total rookies when it comes to that kind of battle. Before long, the sun began to set and soon the group began to prepare as well¡­ Zelos and Kaitrine moved to the sides of the camp in order to assume their positions. Now the worst part of the job will have to start, the wait.


    For all intents and purposes, the enemy scouts should have noticed the fancy carriage arriving, but they didn¡¯t do anything out of the norm. Just as Liry had predicted, a first wave of infantry silently approached their camp throughout the darkness, but soon they began to hoar with all their might while charging.


    The infantry only had around five hundred warriors, but they were so eager to fight and made so much noise that they looked like they were two or even three thousand. Despite that, the defending side soon assumed their positions and formed their lines to fight.


    The sound of metal colliding and the screams of effort and pain echoed in the area. Zelos heard all that with his arms crossed two hundred meters away from the battlefield¡­ he couldn¡¯t engage now even though he was so pumped for a fight¡­


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for the enemies to send their second wave and even amidst the darkness, Zelos could see the mounted figures and without wasting time, he began to approach.


    Zelos tried to be as calm as positive, trying to blend in the shadows and without tripping on anything. Despite the fact that he could see his first target already unleashing some arrows, he didn¡¯t let that stir him up.


    In the end, that had been the right thing since Zelos soon found a group of right soldiers around the mounted archer. That guy was skilled and one of the lieutenants of the enemy army, so it made sense that he would have such a guard.


    Still, their formation was completely useless¡­ When Zelos was twenty meters away, he grabbed one of his iron balls and then threw it at the enemy''s head without any hesitation. The enemy who was about to nock an arrow suddenly fell from his horse and then hit the ground. Before long, his guards realized that something was off and then some confusion began to spread around as some of the enemy¡¯s warriors approached to see what was going on¡­ in that moment, Zelos infiltrated their army without being noticed.

 Chapter 61 - Risk and Reward

    Moving in the middle of the enemy¡¯s lines was a pretty risk, tt was almost suicidal, but thanks to the darkness of the night and the chaos, Zelos was able to do so without being stopped. Some people found it odd seeing someone moving from one side to the other of their formation, but they just assumed that he was a messenger or something.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to find another mounted archer, and then Zelos got closer and then threw an iron ball at him. Another skull was crushed, and the enemy fell to his death. When Zelos managed to kill the fourth mounted archer, he noticed that things were starting to heat up¡­ he tried to be faster than the word of those guys being attacked could spread, but it looked like he failed.


    ¡°Kaitrine should be doing better there¡­ there are dozens more of those, after all, and not all of them should have come to this attack.¡±


    Zelos began to run and eventually noticed some people looking at him with suspicious eyes. Before they could do anything, though, he used his charging technique and then impaled them and moved on.


    Still, when he found the fifth target, Zelos saw his guards completely battle-ready, with their weapons drawn and looking in all directions. In the end, Zelos drew his club and then increased his speeds to the limits. One side of the enemies guarding that target noticed his approach and then positioned themselves to face him, but as soon as they opened their mouths to alert the others, Zelos used his charging technique and then collided with them.


    The four guards were smashed between the club and the horse¡­ They survived the attack, but they lost the air in their lungs as their bones cracked¡­ the mounted archer began to fall, but Zelos still had the chance to swing his club at his head and then kill him instantly.


    When the other guards saw their leader falling, they soon got ready to face the enemy, they should at least kill the assailants, but when the horse fell alongside the dead lieutenant, they found only their wounded friends on the ground.


    ¡°This will be harder than I thought.¡±


    Zelos had turned to the side and then disappeared in the darkness of the back of the enemy¡¯s formation¡­ he will have to cross longer distances thanks to that, but at least he will be safer for a while longer.


    While looking over his shoulders, Zelos realized that in the areas he had passed, the chaos was unfolding since the enemies were still fighting, unaware that their officers had been killed. The same thing was happening on the other side of their formation¡­ and they never noticed it because the back and the front of their formations were too engaged in the combat. That was the demerit of trying to be overly cautious¡­ they knew exactly what they had to do and never went beyond that all in order to preserve their strength as much as possible.


    ¡°Kaitrine doesn¡¯t know how to pace herself¡­ so I need to hurry up.¡±


    That was a bit odd considering how much composed and calm her father was, but it looked like it would take years before Kaitrine managed to deal with her hot-headedness. While he was thinking about that, Zelos found the next target and soon changed his direction toward him, but as soon as he got closer, he saw the enemy looking in his direction and then readying his bow.


    ¡°I knew things wouldn¡¯t be convenient forever¡­¡±


    The enemy fired his arrow and Zelos was unable to see it coming, thanks to the darkness of the night and its speed. Still, he moved his club to protect his head and heart. The weapon trembled when the projectile hit it, but then it ricocheted and then hit Zelos¡¯s left shoulder.


    The impact made it lose some power, but it still pierced his flesh a fair bit¡­ enough to make him grunt in annoyance. Zelos ignored the pain and kept going, but soon, the enemy began to fire several arrows faster than before. They had lost their power, but their speed was still troublesome.


    In the end, Zelos moved his club to the side and then put all his strength in the next motion¡­ moving his entire body like a whip, he launched his club in the air and made it spin violently toward the enemy. No one expected a club like that to cross those forty meters¡­ much less cross it so fast, but it happened. The weapon not only blocked the arrows the enemy fired in the blink of an eye, it also hit his head, making him fall from his horse.


    In the next moment, his guards looked behind to see what had happened to him, but one second later, they turned only to see Zelos right in front of them, swinging his sword and claiming their lives.


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    ¡­¡­


    While Zelos was finishing that group of enemies, Liry was watching the battle unfolding before her while squinting her eyes¡­ Despite the darkness of the night, she could see some silhouettes two hundred meters ahead of her falling on both sides of the enemy¡¯s lines. At the same time, Heirina was holding her spear tightly since they were too close to the front lines¡­ one could literally see the enemies and their expressions of anger ahead while facing the defenders.


    ¡°Liry, we should retreat¡­¡±


    Liry was too focused on the enemy¡¯s lines to hear that, so her response was nothing like Heirina, Edea, and Irlan had expected.


    ¡°We need to advance. We need to rally up our allies right now.¡±


    Everyone stared at her blankly. That wasn¡¯t part of the plan they had heard before. Considering what they could see in the battle, both sides were even, so perhaps she had a point, but that was too dangerous.


    ¡°Zelos and Kaitrine are having a hard time facing the mounted archers, and they should have some guards or something like that. They aren¡¯t firing arrows at us because they are aware that someone is targeting them¡­ it is time to go all out and deliver a power blow to their numbers.¡±


    Heirina had many things to say about that, but she couldn¡¯t deny Liry¡¯s points¡­ if they wanted to change the flow of the battle as much as possible to their side, they had to do it now while the enemies were unaware of what was happening.


    ¡°All right¡­ but stay behind us, no matter what! Edea, stay behind and keep an eye on the surroundings. Put an arrow on the head of anyone suspicious that might approach us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Zelos thought that his cover was gone as soon as he got rid of those guys, but much to his surprise, things got even more insane in the area. He began to hear screams on the defending side, and then the enemy soldiers looked even more enraged and began to charge even faster.


    ¡°This is my chance!¡±


    Zelos began to run again toward the next target, but then he looked to the side and then saw for a moment Liry approaching the front lines¡­ she even had a sword in her hand and was raising it to rally the troops.


    That made Zelos even eager to make sure that her stupid decision would work without costing her life. To the point that he began to use his charging technique, even though he was fifty meters away from the next target. He decided to do that because he could feel his body reaching the peak in terms of warming up.


    Thanks to that, Zelos was able to cross that distance in three steps and in the blink of an eye as well. When the guards of the next target realized that something passed by them, Zelos had already cut the throat of their leader and he was landing on the other side of the horse.


    After using the technique two more times, he disappeared completely from the area and he still couldn¡¯t feel his legs suffering damage. He only began to feel some pain when he killed two more targets, but at that point in time, he soon stopped when he saw Kaitrine stopping ahead. She raised her eyebrows while sweating a lot¡­ she didn¡¯t expect that Zelos would have been that fast, but there was no time for that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave right now. They will start the encirclement and we will be found by the enemies.¡±


    Zelos nodded and then they soon began to run while taking a long arc away from the area. The enemies were trying to reach Liry with all their might, but the defending soldiers were roaring while facing the enemies without a shred of hesitation.


    While Zelos were circling around the enemy¡¯s lines to reach the defending side, the enemies began to retreat because they weren¡¯t receiving orders. Soon enough, they realized that their officers have been disposed off and we¡¯re forced to retreat, but the defending side keeps chasing them and killing them further until Liry gives them the order to stop thanks to the darkness of the night. All that only happened in just ten minutes, but the chaos seemed endless.


    When those two found the others, they saw that the group looked completely fine, but they were cleaning their weapons from blood. It seemed that some of the enemies reached them.


    ¡°WOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    The defenders began to roar in excitement for their obvious victory, but the group wasn¡¯t so sure if that truly had been a massive victory. There were a lot of corpses from allies on the ground¡­ a lot of them were from the ones that died a few days ago.


    ¡°Half of those who are fine form a line and stay on watch, the others who need medical attention retreat immediately. Help those that can¡¯t walk retreat!¡±


    The two captains were nowhere to be seen, but soon they appeared while helping the wounded. They had some scratches on their bodies as well, so it looked like they fought a lot¡­ that was a bold move, considering that the other three had been executed.


    The group retreated to the tent that they had set up for Liry and waited for the reports. The number of wounded was high, but they were all doing relatively well thanks to their high morale. Irlan didn¡¯t look that serious. It looked like he also had a fair estimation of the numbers.


    ¡°I think that fifteen hundred of the enemies were disposed of while we lost around five hundred. The problem is the number of wounded on our side.¡±


    The high morale made people fight more and better than they could, but that was also a double-edged sword since it could compromise their future fighting abilities. Regardless, soon one of the captains confirmed that¡­ the enemies lost a little more than fourteen hundred soldiers while the defenders¡¯ side lost 450. However, the number of wounded was almost two thousand, and that was two-thirds of the remaining forces. Liry held her chin while squinting her eyes.

 Chapter 62 - Commander

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the best of outcomes, but this isn¡¯t one of the worst ones either. We can still push the enemies a bit more, but the terrain ahead is a bit troublesome.¡±


    The terrain ahead had some hills, so the enemies will be able to set up some traps and ambushes. That definitely would be trouble¡­ moreover, they should know that the defenders will try to capitalize on that victor. Surprising them once again will be difficult.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s just rest and heal for tomorrow. You all should sleep in my tent. Or at least close enough in case we have to respond as soon as possible.¡±


    Liry tents were big enough for ten or so improvised beds, and since everyone was focused on the battle ahead. It was clear that they wouldn¡¯t have time to think about nonsense. They had been camping together for a while as well, so they were already used to that.


    In any case, Zelos set up a tent for himself, since he liked his privacy to train if the opportunity arose. He also wanted to keep an eye on Nightstorm. He tends to get troublesome when Zelos doesn¡¯t look after him like usual.


    ¡°Today¡¯s battle was relatively easy¡­ minus some cramps after it was over. Still, I think I am doing too much this kind of thing, ambushing the enemy instead of facing them directly. I can¡¯t tell if I am doing well with my training, thanks to that. I have the feeling that when I will have the chance to do that, I will have a pretty nasty surprise.¡±


    At least the battle made Zelos realize that he needed to warm up faster than the norm in order to use his charging technique and his attacks better. He didn¡¯t notice that earlier, but his attacks had been pretty sharp as well. Reaching that stage wasn¡¯t only good for his legs.


    Although he had moved and spent more energy than he usually would on a single day, Zelos still felt like he had more in the tank, so he had a bit of a hard time falling asleep. He felt eager to train¡­ It was probably thanks to the atmosphere on the battlefield. He felt like he should do more than usual in order to increase his chances of survival.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we will have to do even more than usual. I will have to do even more than usual. Showing more than one hundred percent in order to make this battle end faster. It feels weird worrying about home in a situation like this, but it can¡¯t be helped. I am also a businessman, after all.¡±


    While he recognized those thoughts, Zelos also recognized that something else made him feel that way. He wasn¡¯t sure of it, but he could only guess that he would understand it the next day the source of that feeling¡­


    Zelos woke up the next day as soon as then the sun rose on the horizon. It looked like the enemies didn¡¯t do anything out of the norm during the night. In any case, Zelos went to check the others, and soon he found Liry studying a map while the other girls were still in their sleep. She greeted him with a tired smile.


    ¡°Good morning. Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I imagine that the snore of those three kept you up all night. Regardless, you should give the orders and then rest a bit before anything happens.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to, but we will have to make a move in one way or the other to get the enemies. The sky is clear today and it will probably remain like that, and that is a good chance for us.¡±


    Zelos wanted to ask more, but he decided that waiting for the others to hear it would be better and save time. In the end, he stood silently in the corner of the tent and waited patiently for it. The camp outside was slowly waking up to a new day, and they felt really refreshed. They had the chance to cremate their fallen allies, so the smell of death had improved a bit.


    Around the same time Irlan woke up, the girls woke up as well and went to wash their faces. While they were used to the battlefield, they still didn¡¯t like the fact that they barely could have some proper privacy at such a time of the day when they thought that their overall appearance was the lowest. Even on the battlefield, girls would always be girls. If they had to fight, they at least had to look presentable, while most guys didn¡¯t care if they had forgotten to comb their hair before a large confrontation.


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    ¡°Good morning, everyone. I didn¡¯t have the chance to say that yesterday, but that was a very fine work. I am sure we will be able to do more today and try to end things here as soon as possible.¡±


    Heirina had some things to say about that, like the fact that she didn¡¯t want to let Liry do anything reckless there since that was essentially risking their lives as well. Who knows what would happen to them if Liry suffers just a scratch? Still, she was their commander, so they had to follow her orders. Even more so when her strategy was working.


    ¡°I will send the battle plan for the other captains soon enough, but for now, I want to hear your opinions about it.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other and wondered what was that about. Usually, a commander wouldn¡¯t ask for insights from his underlings unless he was unsure about his plans, and that was never a good thing.


    A commander¡¯s confidence on the battlefield is crucial for maintaining authority and ensuring effective leadership. When a commander appears confident, it instills trust in their subordinates. Soldiers are more likely to follow orders and believe in the commander¡¯s decisions when they see confidence.


    Confident commanders communicate more effectively. They speak clearly, make decisions decisively, and give commands with authority. This reduces ambiguity and ensures everyone understands their role and the mission objectives.


    Confidence is contagious. When a commander exudes confidence, it uplifts the morale of the entire unit. Soldiers feel reassured and motivated, even in challenging situations, knowing their leader is confident in the battle plan.


    ¡°For now, I just want to give everyone the chance to rest. We will make our move in the afternoon. Almost at sunset, here is why¡­¡±


    One hour later, the group split up. They knew that Liry needed some time to rest and wait for the response of the other captains, but it would be hard to assume that they wouldn¡¯t go along with her plan when their underlings were so wounded. They had some healers on their side, but they were working a lot.


    In the end, Zelos looked for a place to swing his sword and club alone without being bothered. While that could be considered training, he just did some experiments. He needed to learn how fast he could warm up his body to perform at the best of conditions, using both weapons.


    In the end, ten minutes of swinging both of them was enough to reach that stage. That was a tough thing to learn, since it was unlikely that he would be able to prepare that much before some big confrontations. At the same time, once his body reached that peak, his stamina would begin to decrease steadily. Staying like that for twenty minutes was his limit. Even if he forced his body by sacrificing his health instead, his performance would decrease by at least fifty percent.


    ¡°If we pull this off today, half of the battle will be over. The question is: Will the enemy fall for the trap? They are quite methodical, so the best option for them is quite obvious. They have to take control of the flow of the battle here so they can¡¯t lose again, and with that in mind, the best option is¡­¡±


    While thinking about that a bit, Zelos rested at the top of a hill and tried to see anything that he could from the enemy¡¯s camp. He only could see some smoke rising to the sky, nothing else, all thanks to the hills.


    Once he was done resting, Zelos continued with his tests to make his warming up even faster. That was possible, but that cut up even more the time that he could fight at his best. It was truly more efficient to start slowly and build up momentum. Perhaps he could change that with the food that he would eat. Food tends to affect one¡¯s physical condition as well, after all. Still, there was no time for that. The plan would be better if it worked that day and as soon as possible.


    Before long, the entire camp began to move. It was already mid-afternoon when Zelos was done with his tests. So he soon cleaned himself up and then joined the others. Everyone nodded at each other¡­ it looked like the other captains were fine with Liry¡¯s plan. That made sense, since they would take fewer risks. At the same time, they looked at that group of young mercenaries and wondered if they were right in the head¡­ they didn¡¯t know that they had a lot to lose by being complacent, after all.


    All the troops began to get ready, at least the ones that could still walk and run. That was around fifteen hundred warriors. Most of them still had bandages covering half of their heads and large wounds in other parts of their bodies. They could fight, but not for long.


    ¡°On me, soldiers! We will claim the head of the enemies¡¯ leader today.¡±


    Every single soldier looked at Liry in confusion as she took the lead of the formation while she was mounted, but soon they were filled with nothing but respect for her since she taking so many risks to reach their goals and end that battle as soon as possible. Still, that made their advance a lot more obvious to the enemies.


    Liry began to lead the formation while Zelos, Irlan, Heirina, Kaitrine and Edea protected her from the sides. The goal was to show her as much as possible to the enemy. If that doesn¡¯t lure the enemies in, nothing would. Still, they didn¡¯t have to wait for long to see the enemies in the distance. They were ready for combat. Edea squinted her eyes when she realized something.


    ¡°I can see a guy in the front of the enemy¡¯s lines¡­ he stands out like a sore thumb. He is quite tall and has a long glaive as well.¡±

 Chapter 63 - Versus

    The group looked at each other, understanding who that guy was. He was the enemy leader¡­ the only guy calling the shots there, the general only didn¡¯t have a good head for strategy, he also could lead the charge if he had to because he was that strong.


    The group had heard about him from the captains¡­ When that guy showed up, they suffered an utter defeat and the other three captains were captured and then executed. Liry took a deep breath while looking at the enemy one kilometer away.


    ¡°That is our target. We have to claim his head no matter¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, the enemies began to charge toward them. Liry opened her eyes wide in surprise since she didn¡¯t expect that the enemies would do that after last night¡¯s defeat.


    Zelos noticed something remarkable about their enemies. They didn¡¯t just look ready for combat; they appeared to be brimming with energy, their eyes blazing with an intensity that seemed almost supernatural. It was as if they were possessed by some relentless force.


    Zelos couldn¡¯t help but realize that this ferocity was thanks to their general. The mere presence of this commanding figure seemed to pump the entire army to insane limits, infusing them with an unmatched zeal. The general¡¯s aura of authority and determination was palpable, and it radiated through the ranks, inspiring each soldier to fight with unparalleled fervor.


    ¡°I see it now¡­ someone skilled and smart enough to lead an army of this size certainly would make people confident in winning. Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t even fear death in the worst of cases. A leader of that caliber would make people even forget that possibility. Losing or dying weren¡¯t options that they would consider on the battlefield¡­ that is truly an amazing effect that someone can have.¡±


    Watching the enemy troops, Zelos realized the immense significance of such a leader on the battlefield. A capable general could transform an ordinary army into a formidable force capable of achieving extraordinary feats. At that moment, Zelos understood the crucial role that leadership played in warfare, and the profound impact a single individual could have on the outcome of a battle.


    ¡°I will handle him. You guys can focus on protecting Liry.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other¡­ that wasn¡¯t time for such nonsense. They had to gang up on the enemy to make sure that they would win the battle. Someone like Zelos, who had less than two years of experience on the battlefield, wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against an enemy that became a general, thanks to his brain and martial skills.


    Still, against an enemy like that, their best option was to snipe him from a distance¡­ Edea could do that under normal conditions, but someone like that wouldn¡¯t lead the charge without having confidence in dealing with that kind of risky situation. Moreover, a skilled rider wouldn¡¯t let himself be surrounded¡­ his underlings wouldn¡¯t let that happen either. Liry knew all that, so she made her decision.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for talking. Zelos can handle him since, given the chance, he recovers from most types of attacks. Even if you can¡¯t defeat him, stopping him from doing anything else will be good enough for now. We will cripple the legs of his army in the meantime.¡±


    Zelos nodded and then readied himself for the fight. The enemies were five hundred meters away and the captains on their side approached when they saw the enemy leader approaching as well. It was their chance to avenge their allies that were executed mercilessly.


    Still, Liry gave them the orders to move their soldiers to the sides and then attack the enemies. They couldn¡¯t let the blood rush to their heads. They also had to follow the other part of the plan. For now, facing those raging enemies would be done by the survivors of the clans that had their leaders executed.


    Before long, the infantry and the cavalry began to charge toward the enemies as well, and Liry followed them from close behind. That was dangerous, but she was willing to go that far to study the battlefield and call her shots as fast as possible.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, boy. Help me kill that guy, and you will get your largest supply of apples to this day.¡±


    Nightstorm grunted in excitement. At times like this, he truly showed how good he was as a battle-horse. Zelos got a bit ahead of the frontline and soon caught the eyes of the enemy general.


    The enemy general stood out amidst the enemy soldiers. He was wearing noticeably lighter armor compared to his counterparts. His attire consisted of only a few strategic red pieces of protection, primarily covering his vital areas and arms. It was clear that he had opted for speed over defense, indicating a preference for swift and nimble movements on the battlefield.


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    The general moved a glaive to the side, a weapon designed for both slashing and thrusting, perfectly suited for quick and lethal strikes. His choice of weapon suggested a focus on agility and precision rather than brute force. With his lightly armored frame and agile weapon, it was evident that he aimed to exploit his speed and mobility to outmaneuver his opponents.


    Despite the minimal armor, the general emanated an aura of confidence and competence. It was a reminder that sometimes, in the chaos of battle, finesse and agility could be just as deadly as brute strength.


    When he got close enough to hit Zelos, he trusted his blade toward his head, but Zelos blocked the attack perfectly. Still, his club felt insanely heavy, and he was slightly pushed backward. Both horses collided and then tried to push each other as well afterwards, but they were evenly matched, so soon they stopped that.


    While the enemy general was trying to push Zelos away, the infantry on both sides finally collided and one heck of a noise began to echo in the area. It was the first time that Zelos had seen or heard something like that, the sound of people crashing against one another, screaming, shouting, breaking their bones, slashing their flesh, and destroying their armor¡­ few words could describe that, but chaos seemed the most appropriate one.


    The enemy general also ignored all that chaos and looked at Zelos with more serious eyes after pulling his glaive back. The man was clearly in his prime. He should be around thirty years old, with perfectly brown hair on his head and a shaved face that also showed his youth. He didn¡¯t have a single scar on his face, but one could see in his eyes alone that he had taken countless lives on the battlefield.


    On the other hand, Zelos looked a bit green for the enemy¡­ so, he decided to make quick work of him.


    The enemy suddenly raised his glaive on his side and to his shoulder¡¯s height, and then began to proceed to attack Zelos. He opened his eyes wide when he saw a rain of thrusts approaching his head¡­ it looked like the glaive had turned into five.


    Zelos blocked the attacks with his club since the enemy only aimed for his head and only hit the same spot over and over again, but thanks to that, he felt his arm holding the weapon slowly suffering damage as the impact passed to the rest of his body. Before long, chips of his club began to fly away in all directions.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting much from such a cheap weapon¡­ but to think that a glaive could easily damage a club like this¡­¡±


    Zelos¡¯s mounting stance began to break, but then Nightstorm moved backward a bit and gave him some room to breathe. The enemy didn¡¯t follow soon after, probably because he could only attack like that in a firm stance. It was his trait, the ability to attack the same spot again and again with that much speed and power.


    The general¡¯s horse moved forward to give him the chance to attack again, but when the enemy attacked, Zelos swung his club to the side, and then the weapons collided. The sound of metal clashing echoed in the area, and the impact caused the arms of both sides to begin to shake.


    The enemy recovered first since it wasn¡¯t the first time someone tried to block his attacks like that, but soon Zelos did the same and began to swing his club vertically to block the enemy¡¯s attacks. He endured the power of each strike, but soon, he realized that he would be in a bind, since more and more parts of the club were chipped away.


    When Zelos hesitated, the general pushed forward and then looked at Nightstorm for a moment. He adjusted his aim, and then Zelos opened his eyes widely. Zelos barely had the time to swing his club over Nightstorm¡¯s head to protect him from the glaive that approached his face. Still, the enemy¡¯s glaive passed by the side of his face and wounded it a bit.


    Nightstorm grunted loudly in annoyance and soon raised its front legs and then began to kick the face of the enemy¡¯s horse. He was a pretty easy horse to annoy, after all, and an attack like that certainly did the trick to enrage him more than usual. In the end, the enemy¡¯s mount was forced to back away.


    ¡°Calm down, bud. I will get him from that. You have my word. No one targets my horse and lives to tell the tale.¡±


    Nightstorm calmed down, since Zelos sounded serious and confident. Targeting horses was a common tactic in wars like that, so Zelos¡¯s annoyance probably was unfounded¡­ he saw the bodies of many horses yesterday as well, after all. Horses are crucial for transportation and mobility on the battlefield. By targeting horses, armies could disrupt their enemy¡¯s ability to maneuver, flank, or retreat, severely hampering their effectiveness in combat.


    Also, cavalry units play a significant role. Mounted soldiers are fast-moving and often provide the decisive edge in battles. Targeting their horses effectively neutralized the cavalry threat, rendering them useless in the fight. It was no wonder their cavalry had suffered a lot of damage so far, and the enemy¡¯s general was methodical enough to aim for that even in a duel.


    The general squinted his eyes since he felt that he was wasting too much time on a single enemy¡­ the flow of the battle was stagnated for some reason and he imagined that the cause of it was the fact that he failed to make his soldiers push forward. It was convenient to have an army that gets really pumped when you are with them, but the downside is the fact that when you don¡¯t do well, they are less effective as well.


    In the end, the enemy grabbed his glaive with both hands and then proceeded to turn his horse to the side a little. If his thrust attacks were that heavy with a single arm, his slash attacks would be insane with both arms.

 Chapter 64 - Rules for Thee

    Zelos squinted his eyes for a moment and wondered what he should do¡­ his club won¡¯t last long. As crazy as that sounded against a glaive. In the end, Zelos put his club away and then equipped his sword and made Nightstorm move to the side a little. He was still holding the sword with a single hand, so the enemy wondered what he was on about.


    Without hesitation, the enemy¡¯s general approached and then swung his glove, and Zelos did almost the same move. He swung his sword a bit upward, so the impacts didn¡¯t cancel each other¡­ Zelos¡¯s arm was a bit blown away to the side, but at the least, he parried the attack without letting the enemy¡¯s weapon hurt Nightstorm.


    Zelos looked at his shaking arm, slowly recovering. As expected, he still had a long way ahead of him. Despite all his training, there were plenty of people who had way more brute strength than him.


    Before long, the enemy¡¯s general began to swing his glaive from one side to the other again, but Zelos deflected all those attacks. Before long, he was able to feel his right wrist throbbing, and the pain intensified with each impact and his health began to drop, but he endured all that and waited for his chance.


    ¡­ ¡­


    Liry was watching Zelos fighting the enemy general from a distance of one hundred meters. They stood out like a sore thumb on the battlefield since there was his area around them that no one dared to approach. Half of that reason was the fact that Liry told everyone not to target the enemy¡¯s general, and the other half was because the underlings of the general had total faith that their leader wouldn¡¯t need help against a single target. Edea could see what was happening there as well, but she didn¡¯t like it very much, what she was seeing very much.


    ¡°Zelos is outmatched¡­ perhaps we should help him.¡±


    Liry considered what she had heard and then looked to the sides. Irlan, Heirina and Kaitrine had joined the battle and targeted the enemies soldiers that seemed stronger than the average soldier because of their traits. Those three were young, but their skills and traits were a cut above the rest as well, so they could dispose of those enemies with relative ease and speed.


    ¡°The battlefield is even¡­ our morale is high, so our soldiers can ignore their wounds for a while longer, but the enemies¡¯ morale is also high despite the fact that they lost yesterday. It will be better if we leave that in Zelos¡¯s hands¡­ if their general dies because of an attack from outside, they will get enraged and will want to avenge him, but if he dies in a duel, the shock will completely stop his troops, and we will use that chance to completely crush them.¡±


    Edea still didn¡¯t like that a lot¡­ she couldn¡¯t see Zelos winning unless Liry put into action the next part of her plan, but even so, she could easily imagine that he would ignore that just to try his best to defeat the enemy by himself. Just as she had expected, Liry made her choice.


    ¡°It is time.¡±


    All of a sudden, a large part of the left flank of the defending side suddenly began to disengage¡­ the enemy infantry decided to follow them, but soon they changed their minds since it felt like a trap, and then they decided to attack the central area of their formation.


    However, the left flank soon returned from the south and attacked the enemies from the side. That caused some confusion among the enemy¡¯s ranks, but soon they recovered and began to fight. Still, things were different from before¡­ thanks to the change in positioning, the right flank of the enemies was now seeing the light of the sunset almost blinding them.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the enemy general to notice that shift in the battle. He stopped Zelos less and less as he looked to the side and soon the light of the sunset began to bother him as well¡­ confusion began to spread across the enemy¡¯s lines and he could tell the reason for it.


    ¡°Stand your ground! This cheap trick won¡¯t last for long, men! You are my soldiers! You can¡¯t lose to weaklings that rely on such tactics!¡±


    As the general¡¯s voice rang out across the battlefield, his words infused with passion and conviction, a wave of excitement swept through the enemy ranks. Soldiers who, moments ago, stood in shock now erupted into shouts and roars, their voices blending into a cacophony of fervor.


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    It started with a few, but quickly spread like wildfire. Each warrior, from the frontline soldiers to those positioned at the rear, joined in the shout of excitement. The air crackled with energy as the shouts grew louder, echoing off the hills and across the plains.


    The general¡¯s words had ignited something primal within them, stoking the flames of their determination and resolve. They pounded their weapons against shields and stomped their feet in unison, their shouts rising to a deafening fury.


    Zelos watched all that while waiting for the enemy to fight him. He didn¡¯t want to win against that guy using cheap tricks either, but for someone who used surprise night attacks as well and also used corpses to demoralize his enemies, he probably shouldn¡¯t say much about cheap tricks.


    The enemy general looked at Zelos and then saw the look in his eyes and he didn¡¯t like that¡­ there wasn¡¯t much to say about that, but he didn¡¯t like it, even though Zelos¡¯s way of thinking was correct.


    ¡°Rules for thee, but not for me.¡±


    The enemy¡¯s general opened his eyes wide in rage and soon charged to attack him again. Another rain of thrusts came and began to be blocked by Zelos¡¯ sword¡­ this one didn¡¯t suffer any damage, but Zelos was still feeling his bones breaking with each impact.


    Nightstorm was forced to take a few steps backward when he felt that Zelos was losing his balance and that helped a bit¡­ but things still weren¡¯t good for Zelos. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but bite his lips in annoyance.


    ¡°I am not strong enough¡­ but there are things more important at stake here than my pride.¡±


    As soon as he thought that, the enemy general was able to break Zelos¡¯s guard and force his right arm to be pushed to the side. Before he could recover, the enemy approached and then thrusted his glaive at Zelos¡¯ head. It felt like time had slowed down as the glaive approached Zelos¡¯ head. Still, he was able to move his left hand and grab the blade of the weapon. The enemy¡¯s general opened his eyes widely when the weapon stopped a few centimeters away from Zelos¡¯ face¡­ his hand and glove should have been destroyed, but it didn¡¯t¡­ then the enemy realized that the glove was a relic.


    Before the enemy general could do anything else, Zelos jumped from Nightstorm and then impaled the enemy¡¯s neck with his dark sword. The general began to agonize in pain, but not for long. The connection between his brain and the rest of the body was completely severed, after all.


    Before long, the enemy general fell on the ground, and then Zelos pulled his sword. He took a deep breath and then looked around. Some people had seen what had happened and soon the silence began to echo and spread around the enemy¡¯s lines. Their general had lost in a one-on-one duel and that was simply impossible to accept for them.


    ¡°Their general died! Kill them all!¡±


    Liry¡¯s voice echoed on the battlefield and then the defenders began to fight even more fiercely than before. However, much to everyone¡¯s surprise, the enemies began to assume defensive stances and retreat. The shock of the loss of their leader was still etched on their faces, but they knew what they should do.


    The general¡¯s death sent shockwaves through the opposing army, causing confusion and shock among its ranks. Without its leader to guide it, its cohesion faltered, and the momentum swung in favor of the defenders.


    However, to the defenders¡¯ surprise, the enemy responded swiftly to the loss of their general. Almost as if they had prepared for such a scenario, the enemy troops began a coordinated retreat, moving with remarkable speed and discipline. It was as though they had received orders in advance, indicating a well-planned escape plan.


    The defenders, excited by their sudden advantage, initially gave chase, eager to press their advantage and rout the retreating enemy. But as night descended, casting a shadow over the battlefield, they soon realized the danger of blindly pursuing the enemy¡¯s force.


    Aware of the potential for ambushes and traps that could be lurking in the darkness, the defenders made the decision to stop their pursuit. The risk of falling into enemy traps outweighed the benefits of further press their advantage.


    Before long, the defenders retreated to their camp and soon began to work on tending the wounded. Around that time, Zelos showed up as well, with his hands messed up, but at least he had already used some bandages on them. Heirina furrowed her eyebrows while watching him.


    ¡°... Why is your hand covered in blood when you had that glove?¡±


    ¡°This thing is truly mysterious¡­ it used all of my mana in a single moment to block most of the damage that that guy caused, but after that, it felt like it was no longer there, even though it didn¡¯t suffer any damage.¡±


    As for Zelos¡¯s right fist, he blocked too many attacks of the enemy using a single hand block while the enemy used two hands to attack and thanks to that, Zelos suffered some damage, but he looked like he had made a lot of progress. He also got the glaive of the enemy¡¯s general and it seemed of high quality, and since his club was damaged, perhaps Zelos could use that, but he was against the idea. It would be a hassle to learn how to use it, and it was too light for him.


    ¡°Well done, Zelos. We thought that perhaps we might be able to send some help at some point, but we didn¡¯t expect that you would actually win. You will be rewarded handsomely for your achievements. ¡±


    ¡°I will be waiting for it. Although I lost in all aspects of the battle, I managed to surprise him at the last moment.¡±

 Chapter 65 - Difficult Way

    Everyone knew how fast Zelos could heal, so they weren¡¯t that worried about him, but Heirina wondered if it was fine to let him stay like that¡­ even now, he barely showed any emotion while interacting with them, after all.


    The next day arrived and soon the group confirmed that Zelos was completely healed. While that was surprising enough, there was another surprise waiting for them¡­ the enemies were still in their camp. Without their general, that was weird¡­ beyond weird. Everyone looked slightly troubled by that, but they didn¡¯t say anything. Zelos was the one who had to break the silence.


    ¡°Am I missing something here?¡±


    ¡°A little bit, yes¡­¡±


    As Liry continued her explanation to Zelos, she showed light on the unusual circumstances of the enemy army. She revealed that soldiers from Zania, the southern country, typically operated under a unique command structure. Instead of a single general overseeing the entire army, Zania employed five generals, each commanding their own distinct army.


    This revelation struck Zelos as intriguing. It explained why the enemy¡¯s forces were still present despite the loss of their general. In most cases, the death of a commanding officer would lead to disarray and total destruction, but with Zania¡¯s multiple generals, the chain of command remained intact. Although at somewhere else.


    Liry speculated further, suggesting that the enemy¡¯s continued presence might indicate that they were waiting for reinforcements from one or more of the other Zanian armies. Each of the remaining four generals could potentially be on their way with additional troops to bolster the enemy¡¯s ranks. It was quite the quick response.


    ¡°A single one of their armies is equal to all the clans that protect one of our borders, right? That means that we will face around six thousand enemies while we only have one third of that and all of us are either too tired or wounded.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ since that is the case, we won¡¯t have many options here.¡±


    Liry said that, but she was still in deep thought and considered their options. Zelos wasn¡¯t used to that kind of thinking, but he imagined that the most obvious choice would be to retreat where they would be able to fight better with those odds, but then the enemies will just move to another area and fight there.


    That day, Liry had a meeting with the other captains and asked them to focus on healing the wounded as fast as they could. They also had to call for extra supplies from their territories in case something happened. For the time being, they couldn''t approach the enemy¡¯s camp, so they had to be patient.


    Since he didn¡¯t like the wait, Zelos decided to resume his training and since he knew that the enemies wouldn¡¯t make a move anytime soon, he began to train harder than before. To the point that he spent several hours non stop swinging his dark sword. He forced himself so much that his arms and back muscles got red thanks to the exhaustion and the damage that he had inflicted. It took a full night for Zelos to recover from that, and the next day, he went to train harder again.


    Health: 1440/1440


    Magic: 530/530


    Stamina: 1020/1320


    Strength:  75


    Vigor: 69


    Precision:  63


    Wisdom: 20


    Willpower:  33


    Traits:  Regeneration Lv 85


    ¡°It looks like my regeneration and strength are increasing more this time around¡­ maybe it is because of the types of fights that I had here until now. I should take note of this and consider it for future reference.¡±


    In the end, Zelos realized that he had pushed himself too hard, and even after eating two meals, his body asked for more. Recovering from all that damage would require more food, but their rations were already being divided fairly among them¡­ he would have to hunt for a bit. Fortunately, the enemy¡¯s army was still immobile. In the end, he approached Heirina who was talking with Liry in her tent.


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    ¡°I am going to hunt for a bit. I need more food for myself.¡±


    ¡°... Liry is the commander here, but I guess you can do what you want off battles.¡±


    Liry decided to join the conversation since she had an idea that could help a bit the overall group, not that much, though. Since two people could help only too many.


    ¡°Can you help with that, Edea? The supplies should arrive soon, but some extra fresher and warmer food should maintain our morale here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Zelos felt a bit bothered now that he would have to share the spoils of the hunt. He was quite territorial when it came to food, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t complain all that much. They were all sharing the same fate there, so they might as well share the same hardships when it came to food.


    When those two were leaving to do some hunting, Irlan showed up in the tent, and it seemed that he was doing some check-ups on the soldiers on their side. Kaitrine was missing, but with her speed, she could keep a close watch of the enemies and report immediately if anything changed.


    ¡°There is a small forest southeast of here. I bet can find a lot of games there since it is too close to the border. Still, I imagine that you want something with more meat.¡±


    ¡°You imagined it right, but it is better if we focus on getting as many of them as possible instead of trying to catch some bigger animals. Carrying too many of them would be a hassle, and it would take time. Let¡¯s just focus on getting a lot of rabbits and birds as fast as possible.¡±


    The taste wouldn¡¯t be particularly good, but then Zelos recalled that he could eat as many snakes as he wanted. Few people liked that kind of cuisine, after all. He heard that frogs were something common for soldiers to eat in times of war, but that costume was abandoned as they began to improve supplies for transportation in times of war.


    After spending some time hunting in the dense forest, Zelos and Edea managed to catch a large amount of rabbits and birds. Their skills in tracking and hunting proved to be quite effective, and within an hour, they returned to the camp with their catch.


    However, Edea couldn¡¯t shake off a feeling of discomfort about Zelos¡¯s hunting method. Unlike her own approach, which involved more traditional methods like setting traps or using a bow and arrow, Zelos¡¯s technique was somewhat unconventional. Instead of arrows or traps, he used small iron balls, hurling them at his targets with precision to swiftly dispatch them.


    As they walked back to camp, Edea couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit unsettled by the sight of Zelos¡¯s prey. It was effective, no doubt, but it felt more brutal compared to the more traditional methods she was accustomed to. The heads of the animals were a mess.


    ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. Nothing that comes out of your mouth will bother me.¡±


    ¡°For someone who focuses on training so much on your brute strength, you sure are quite skilled at hunting, and you react to them quite fast, too. It is surprising for me to see someone who is self-taught to learn that much and be that effective.¡±


    ¡°It is also surprising for someone like you, who stayed in that prison for a long time, to know a lot about hunting. Your skill with bow aside, it is hard to imagine where and how you learned your hunting skills.¡±


    ¡°Kaitrine taught me a few tricks in the last year. I thought that this kind of knowledge added to my archery skills might help in the future in situations like this.¡±


    Zelos also considered asking Kaitrine to share her knowledge with him, but he always felt that it was too troublesome. Besides, when he had time, he felt like it would be better to just focus on working or training¡­


    In any case, they returned to the camp and then shared the rabbits with some of the soldiers. Zelos cooked one for himself and soon decided to return to the forest, much to Edea surprise.


    ¡°You still want more food?¡±


    ¡°While I do, I feel like I would benefit from training my accuracy a bit more while my body is recovering completely,¡±


    His arms also suffered a bit of damage, but Zelos could endure that much. Putting that aside, Edea decided to help him since there was plenty of game in the forest. Two people could carry more as well.


    In the end, they made several trips to the camp while carrying the results of their hunt. Maybe it was because he didn¡¯t try to improve that aspect solely in a while, but Zelos made his precision increase two times in a single day.


    As Zelos and Edea returned to camp with their successful catch, they were met with gratitude from their allies. Many expressed their thanks for their hard work in providing fresh meat, a rare treat in their current circumstances.


    However, with the limited amount of meat they had caught, only a handful of people would be able to enjoy it as a main course. Yet Zelos and Edea found a way to share their bounty with the entire camp. They decided to add the meat to the communal soup, enriching its flavor and providing a much-needed boost to morale.


    As the savory aroma of the soup wafted through the camp, spirits lifted. Despite the small portions of meat, the added flavor revitalized their senses and provided a comforting reminder of home-cooked meals. It was a simple yet effective way to bring a sense of normalcy to their otherwise challenging situation.


    In any case, five days have passed since the end of the battle and Zelos was starting to get impatient¡­ the enemies were taking way too much time to respond or show any decision. In the end, he went to talk with Liry since he hadn¡¯t heard or seen Kaitrine in several days.


    ¡°Any news?¡±


    ¡°Kaitrine didn¡¯t notice anything odd aside from the fact that all the enemies are ready to march in one direction or the other. That is one of their modus operandi.¡±


    Zelos nodded after hearing that¡­ They could learn a thing or two from them, but that would be hard to apply since the clans didn¡¯t have that many people and the members of different clans rarely worked with each other.


    ¡°They sure are confident in their actions, probably because we didn¡¯t give them any reasons not to be.¡±

 Chapter 66 - More Trouble

    Heirina sighed after hearing Zelos¡¯s words. He was brazen as ever, even when he was talking with the princess. She already told him many times to be more mindful about that kind of thing, but it didn¡¯t look like he couldn''t care less about it. Still, she didn¡¯t lose her patience this time around.


    ¡°We are on the defending side, Zelos. We shouldn¡¯t attack unless the conditions are perfect for us. Kaitrine is disposing of some of them when they mess up or when their scouts get too carried away, so we are making progress.¡±


    Not nearly enough for Zelos¡¯s tastes, but he couldn¡¯t say that. Joining Kaitrine could be a good idea, but they don¡¯t work well together.


    ¡°I know a bit of Zania geography. The message should have arrived their capital two days ago, so at some point tomorrow, they will make their move.¡±


    Zelos nodded at Liry¡¯s words and decided to follow her orders. The next day, Zelos decided to take it easy on the training, opting for a light session in the morning. With anticipation running high for the enemy¡¯s next move, he felt it was important to conserve his energy and focus on being well-rested for whatever happens.


    As the day progressed, Zelos¡¯s impatience grew. He found himself constantly glancing towards the enemy¡¯s position, waiting for any sign of movement or action. The hours stretched on, and by mid-afternoon, his annoyance was palpable. The enemy¡¯s inactivity only served to exacerbate his impatience, leaving him restless and agitated.


    Despite Zelos¡¯s frustration, the enemy remained still, seemingly content to wait. However, just as the sun began its descent towards the horizon, the enemy finally made their move. With one hour left until sunset, they started to retreat, slowly but steadily.


    The sight of the enemy withdrawing from their position brought a sense of relief to Zelos, tempered with a tinge of disappointment. Though he had been eager for action, the enemy¡¯s retreat signaled a temporary reprieve from the tension of battle.


    The army of the defenders didn¡¯t know how to process that. They felt like they should celebrate, but they had the feeling that the enemies wouldn¡¯t give up that easily. While the group was in silence, Irlan decided to break it.


    ¡°Commander, what are our next orders?¡±


    ¡°We will wait¡­ Kaitrine will follow them for a bit until she confirms that they are truly retreating. It has been a while since the south attacked us. I hate to say this, but I have the feeling that they won¡¯t give up that easily.¡±


    From those words, Zelos couldn¡¯t help but think that they would give up for a while if they suffered another loss. Still, if another army arrives, who are more fresh and perhaps even stronger, it will be hard to tell how things will play out.


    On the other hand, if they pull it off, they will receive a lot of rewards and Liry¡¯s position will be secured for a while. It would be weird and suspicious if she were to fall ill or die just after she accomplished that much.


    Speaking of which, she didn¡¯t show her trait yet¡­ she also didn¡¯t use or show the gift that Reina had given to her. Maybe she was planning to use them as a last resort or something.


    Eventually, night came and then the group just relaxed while keeping their guards up once again. At that point in time, most of their soldiers had been recovered from the damage and that would put their side around three thousand strong. That was a good force for defense purposes¡­ there was only one problem with them, they only had three hundred calvary and two hundred archers.


    ¡°Our side isn¡¯t balanced at all¡­ this can truly be a problem.¡±


    Zelos had to think of something he should do about that, but he didn¡¯t know what he should do at all. First, he had to wait for the enemies to make their move and that was the worst kind of thing that he hated in that country. Everyone there was too passive.


    Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the mystery ended in no time. Around midnight, Kaitrine showed up at Liry¡¯s tent and revealed what she had learned. A new army was approaching, and it was mainly made of cavalry.


    Before night could end, everyone was able to hear the sound of enemy calvary approaching. In the end, they didn¡¯t sleep that much waiting for an attack, but they only took the place of the previous army and didn¡¯t do anything else.


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    As morning arriving, the group¡¯s watchful eyes scanned the horizon, revealing a startling sight. Spread across the landscape were several units of cavalry, their presence a clear sign of the enemy¡¯s intentions.


    The cavalry units looked ready for combat, their horses powerful and sleek, their riders armed and ready for battle. It was a formidable force, one that could cover vast distances quickly and strike with devastating speed.


    But the surprises didn¡¯t end there. Among the cavalry, the group also spotted a significant number of chariots. These ancient war machines, drawn by powerful horses and manned by skilled warriors, added another layer of threat to the enemy¡¯s arsenal.


    ¡°This will become nasty¡­¡±


    Everyone agreed with Zelos¡¯s words. Few people had experience dealing with chariots, since not many used them. Still, it seemed that this one army was quite adept at using it.


    Everyone also waited for Liry¡¯s orders, but she just stayed silent. It looked like chariots was a problem that she didn¡¯t expect to face right now. Still, she had to make up her mind since nothing good would come out in letting their troops wait for others.


    ¡°Chariots are usually pulled by three horses and there are usually three passengers with them armed with spears. As long as we stay out of their way and snipe them with arrows, we will be able to get rid of them. Everyone grab your bows and arrows and be ready to use them at a moment¡¯s notice!¡±


    Everyone began to move after hearing Liry. Not all of them had experience using bows, but as a group, they could be deadly enough, so there was no point in thinking that it was a waste of time.


    In any case, it was clear that Liry decided not to mention other issues about chariots, like the fact that archers could also be passengers as well. Being run down by a chariot wasn¡¯t the only problem¡­


    Chariots are known for their speed and maneuverability, able to cover large distances quickly and strike with suddenness. This makes them difficult to anticipate and counter, as they could swiftly change direction or charge into vulnerable areas of the enemy¡¯s formation.


    The sight and sound of chariots charging into battle could induce fear and panic among opposing forces. The thunderous noise of their wheels and the sight of armed warriors riding atop them could demoralize troops, leading to disarray and confusion.


    Chariots were often equipped with various weapons, such as spears, javelins, or bows, allowing them to unleash a barrage of projectiles upon their enemies. This ranged firepower gave chariots the ability to harass enemy forces from a distance, weakening them before engaging in close combat.


    ¡°It seems the enemies are planning to demoralize us for a while with the sight of their cavalry and chariots. We will have to show them as soon as they attack that their strength means nothing to us. As usual, I will be counting on you guys for that.¡±


    Heirina, Irlan, Edea, Kaitrine, and Zelos nodded. They knew that they would have to work a lot this time again, but it would be hard to make a real difference when cavalry could cause a lot of damage fast. From a distance, they could see that the chariots were pretty sturdy. Simple attacks wouldn¡¯t destroy them. Still, Liry told them what they were going to do.


    In the end, the enemies¡¯ plan to just scare the defenders by showing their numbers and resources worked because most of the soldiers there looked pretty scared as the day passed. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the idea of being attacked at night seemed even more troublesome. They could hear the sound of the chariots, but it would be hard to react to them since they would cross the distance in no time. At the same time, they would never be able to tell how much of their forces the enemies would be using.


    Fortunately, the enemies decided to make their move in the middle of the afternoon. Around five hundred cavalry units and one hundred chariots left their camp, but they approached the defenders from the sides and stopped there for half an hour.


    That confrontation was going to be tough. It was so obvious that everyone was afraid of that since they were being extra nice to their horses. Zelos didn¡¯t want to lose Nightstorm against them either; he invested a lot of money on him and he was also a pretty good horse despite his mood swings.


    ¡°Should we give them hell, bud?¡±


    Nightstorm grunted. His trusted steed appeared as confident as ever. Nightstorm stood tall and resolute, his demeanor unchanged from previous battles. Zelos found himself pondering whether Nightstorm¡¯s demeanor reflected bravery or perhaps a touch of idiocy. Yet, regardless of the answer, seeing his horse so steadfast boosted Zelos¡¯s spirits.


    In the previous battle, Nightstorm had proven his worth, navigating the chaos of the battlefield with skill and courage. He had carried Zelos safely through the fray, never faltering in the face of danger. Zelos had come to rely on Nightstorm¡¯s unwavering loyalty and determination, and he wasn¡¯t about to doubt him now, especially with chariots in play. With Nightstorm by his side, Zelos felt a surge of confidence. He trusted his steed to carry him through the upcoming challenges once again.


    Eventually, the enemy''s cavalry began to move again, and it seemed that they had another troublesome general leading them. The idea of using tactics on the battlefield should be obvious, but the fact that those guys approached while circulating around their camp was just simply annoying.


    ¡°Reinforce all sides and be ready for combat! Unless the arrows only when they are within your range!¡±


    Zelos could see in Liry¡¯s face the worries¡­ that will be a tough fight. The enemies also were experienced with all kinds of tactics that most people would employ against that and soon that was shown when the battle started.

 Chapter 67 - Back Attack

    When the cavalry approached, some archer units fired in unison toward them, but as the arrows flew in an arc and descended, the cavalry had enough time to move away from the rain of arrows and escape the barrage.


    The chariots had an even easier time blocking them instead of dodging; some archers tried to hit the horses, but the animals suddenly sped up and escaped those. When the passengers were about to get hit, they raised shields and blocked the projectiles.


    After several failed barrages, the enemies finally decided to put their plan in action, several of the enemy units began to get closer to each other and approach the defenders side as well. The archers choose to attack one of those units and then they split up¡­ the target moved away and the other decided to attack the defenders.


    The chariots reached the defenders¡¯ side and made them fly when they were hit. The blades on the wheels ripped apart those who weren¡¯t run down by the horses or the vehicles directly. In a single moment, a single chariot was able to get out of the picture of ten infantrymen completely.


    Everyone gulped when they saw that¡­ They knew of the fame of chariots. It was kind of hard to produce them, but they truly come in handy in battles on open fields.


    Zelos couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue while watching that¡­ the enemies had total control over the battlefield, and they decided when the fights would start and when they would retreat.


    Still, some poor bastards were truly unlucky. All of a sudden, an arrow crossed the air while making a hissing sound and soon pierced the head of the driver of one of the chariots. He died instantly¡­ Zelos looked over his shoulder and saw Edea nocking another arrow. She was making herself useful, but she could only do so much by herself.


    Zelos looked at Liry and saw her looking nervous. Following the plan would be truly risky, but in the long run, would be more beneficial to them. The issue was if she could accept the risks that come with it.


    When the enemies began to attack again, the soldiers on the defending side soon dropped their bows and equipped their spears. The ones in the back targeted the enemies on the chariots by throwing their weapons while the ones in the front tried to stab the horses¡­ one or another rider was pierced by the spears, but the horses barely had time to suffer any wounds.


    Once again, several soldiers were hit by the spikes on the sides of the chariots and the people around sweated cold while hearing their screams of pain. Zelos wanted to jump in and stop them, but soon he was forced to retreat when all the soldiers in the front raised their shields.


    As the enemy chariots approached, the soldiers clustered together, seeking safety in numbers as they moved away from the impending threat. The sound of hooves pounding against the earth and the creaking of chariot wheels filled the air, adding to the tension of the moment.


    At first, the soldiers¡¯ strategy seemed effective. The enemy, noticing the tight formation of the defenders, began to close in, aiming to exploit any gaps in their ranks. The soldiers tightened their formation even further, bracing themselves for the impact.


    But as the chariots drew nearer, the situation grew more dangerous. The spikes attached to the wheels of the chariots began to make contact with the soldiers¡¯ shields, sending sparks flying in all directions. The sheer force of the impact pushed against the soldiers, threatening to break their defensive line.


    Despite their efforts to stand firm, the soldiers found themselves forced back by the relentless advance of the chariots. The spikes tore through their shields, creating chaos and confusion among their ranks.


    In the end, the chariots began to retreat after just ten minutes. Even war horses couldn¡¯t pull them forever. They were more effective in sudden attacks, not in drawn out battles.


    Everyone sighed in relief since that was over, but soon they confirmed the severity of the situation¡­ They lost two hundred soldiers and the enemies were just messing with them, not fighting seriously at all.


    The sun began to set and soon everyone confirmed that the enemy''s calvary was still in position between their camps. Several units were one hundred meters away from each other serving as lines of defenses against the enemies¡­ surprising them with night attacks was essentially impossible.


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    ¡°Treat the wounded and maintain guard of the perimeter, we can¡¯t let them attack us while we are resting or unprepared. Set your tents near any hills that you can use. Use the enemies weapons, armor, shields to create blockades to stop their chariots. Use anything that you can find to stop those at any cost.¡±


    After she gave her orders, Liry realized that she still had a lot to learn about the battlefield. After seeing the power of the chariots firsthand, she had some ideas on how to stop them for good, but nothing that could be done in the short amount of time that they had.


    Night came and then everyone kept working nonstop. Still, Liry looked at Zelos and Kaitrine and nodded at them. Before long, they moved to the back of the camp and then disappeared in the darkness of the night. Heirina arrived in the area with Irlan and Edea and soon saw that the other two were missing.


    ¡°Did they leave already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just now¡­ the rest of the battle will be in their hands.¡±


    ¡°While they have the skills to pull that off, they are like water and oil¡­ I just hope that they won¡¯t do anything stupid that will put them in danger.¡±


    It was an unspoken fact among the group that Zelos could say something that would annoy Kaitrine. Her short fuse was well known among them, and they understood that even the slightest remark from Zelos could set her off.


    Zelos himself was aware of this. He knew better than to say anything that might get on Kaitrine¡¯s nerves, as it could quickly escalate into unnecessary conflict. While he had his own strong opinions, he also recognized the importance of maintaining harmony within the group, especially during critical missions.


    The others in the group silently hoped that both Zelos and Kaitrine would keep their focus squarely on the mission at hand and set aside any personal grievances or differences. They knew that in the heat of battle, there was no room for distractions or internal conflicts.


    Since the others looked a bit worried, Irlan thought that it would be a good idea to change the subject, but not a single idea about it came to mind.


    ¡°... Any predictions as to when we will put the plan in action?¡±


    ¡°That is in Zelos and Kaitrine hands, we can only hope that they will be able to do so before the enemies make their move. Still, my best guess is that we might be able to move at midnight. The enemies will only attack a couple of hours before sunrise, that is the best time for the attackers, after all. They also should know that we are waiting for them, and preparing some traps, so there is always the chance that they will even wait until morning. That would be truly useful for us¡­ but I don¡¯t think that they will show any weakness, unless we force them to do so.¡±


    In situations like that, it was good to have spies on the enemy''s ranks or even in their territories, but their country was lacking in that aspect¡­ They were truly bad when it came to gathering Intel. Moreover, with the internal problems regarding the imperial family, the power of the country was pretty much all over the place.


    To deal with a situation like that, Liry was expecting to gain some influence in this battle, but first, she had to survive and win and then she would have the chance to plan ahead.


    Once they left the camp, Zelos and Kaitrine moved in a massively long arc in the area in order to completely keep their distance from the line of the enemy¡¯s cavalry and even their scouts. Thanks to that, they had to run for around four hours nonstop and they did it completely silently.


    Eventually, thanks to that, they arrived on the back of the enemy¡¯s formation. At least three kilometers behind them. Before approaching, they decided to take a short break to recover a bit. It was hard to say what would happen afterwards, but they would need to be in tip-top shape for it.


    ¡°Our goal is to destroy the chariots and stop the cavalry that is on their camp resting. The cavalry are more numerous, so I will focus on them. You can deal with the chariots. As long as you destroy the central part of their front, they won¡¯t be used anymore. They can be repaired, but it will take a week and they shouldn¡¯t have enough materials for all of them.¡±


    Zelos nodded after hearing that¡­ he still didn¡¯t know how he was going to pull that off, but he couldn¡¯t ask Kaitrine either since she had her own share of problems. Destroying them with his sword and strength should be easy, the question was if he could do that without being found out. There are too many of them, after all.


    If he fails, Zelos will be chased by the enemy¡¯s cavalry and even he couldn¡¯t form war horses. It didn¡¯t take long for Zelos to have a pretty nasty idea¡­ It looked like he was learning a bit from tacticians like Liry and Heirina.


    After taking a much-needed half-hour rest, Zelos and Kaitrine began their cautious approach towards the enemy camp. Despite the urgency of the situation, they knew the importance of moving stealthily and avoiding detection.


    Crawling on their bellies, they made slow progress towards their targets. The distance between them and the enemy camp was still considerable, but they understood the necessity of caution in such situations.


    Every movement was necessary and calculated, as they navigated through the terrain with utmost care. They kept low, using whatever cover they could find to conceal their approach. The sounds of the camp, faint at first, grew louder as they drew nearer, serving as a constant reminder of the danger that lay ahead.


    One hour later, they were five hundred meters away from the enemies lines, but then Kaitrine stopped Zelos and she pointed to four points in the area, there were some hidden sentinels in those points. She sure was amazing for being able to find them, Zelos couldn¡¯t sense their presences or see them at all.

 Chapter 68 - The Real Target

    ¡°I will dispose of them silently and slowly since we can¡¯t let blood spread in the area since the wind will blow the smell to the camp. Be ready to move as soon as I return.¡±


    Zelos nodded and then laid down as much as he could and then Kaitrine disappeared in the darkness of the night.


    While Zelos waited, he wondered what he should do to avoid that kind of situation¡­ where they had to work so much just to defend their lands. One didn¡¯t have to be a genius to understand that all of their neighbors saw the people of the Hillania country as easy targets. The best option against that would be not to become easy targets. Making them fear Zelos and the others seemed like the best option¡­ there were two ways to show that, with might and with cruelty.


    As Zelos waited, his thoughts were not only on the imminent confrontation but also on his approach to leadership. He believed in inspiring fear through strength rather than cruelty, especially considering the dire circumstances of their homeland.


    He understood that the country they were in was already in a dire situation, and adding cruelty to the suffering would serve no purpose. Instead, Zelos sought to instill fear in the enemy through the might and prowess of his actions.


    Yet, his idea of leadership wasn¡¯t solely about intimidating the enemy. Zelos recognized the importance of earning the respect and admiration of his allies. He knew that true leadership wasn¡¯t just about commanding obedience but inspiring loyalty and devotion.


    Zelos considered becoming more than just a commander; he aimed to become a figure that his allies looked up to with respect and admiration, someone they would be proud to fight alongside. His goal was to embody the qualities of a true leader, one who led by example, inspired greatness, and commanded the loyalty of his comrades.


    ¡°A general, huh? I never thought that I would say that, but the way the enemies organize themselves is probably the best option when it comes to organizing forces. I don¡¯t think that I am all suited for that, but having an army that will follow my orders will certainly improve my strength and influence.¡±


    The downside of becoming one was that Zelos would truly become entangled with the fate of that country¡­ that was one huge demerit since Zelos would never be able to cut ties with his past and he would be going against his original policy of only fighting for himself. Still, that was a problem that he will have to consider for a while. Moreover, he could feel the atmosphere ahead changing and then he saw Kaitrine returning.


    ¡°We need to get going, the enemy¡¯s camp is starting to get more busy. The new general is as troublesome as the others.¡±


    Zelos nodded and without wasting time, they began to proceed to the enemy¡¯s camp without hesitation. Ahead, they could see on one side where the chariots were parked and on the other, they could see hundreds of horses resting on improvised stables. Naturally, all of those were heavily guarded. The chariots only had a handful of guys guarding them, though.


    Before long, Zelos and Kaitrine nodded at each other and then they split up. Zelos began to crawl as he approached the enemy¡¯s camp and soon confirmed that the guard¡¯s discipline was really high. They were standing in silence, but their focus was perfect. The only part that they messed up was the fact that they didn¡¯t have weapons in their hands since they didn¡¯t think that they could be ambushed there..


    Zelos didn¡¯t think that he could afford to take his time there, but other guards were on the other side where the chariots were parked¡­ if he makes too much noise, he will alert the entire camp. That wouldn¡¯t only put his job in jeopardy, it would also cause a lot of trouble to Kaitrine. Still, in the end, Zelos didn¡¯t hesitate in throwing his iron balls at their faces. Almost instantly, the enemies fell backward with their skulls crushed.


    Zelos checked the surroundings and confirmed that no one noticed the sound of their fall, so he soon resumed his advance. He began to walk using his legs, but he still kept his posture as low as possible.


    Zelos¡¯s heart began to beat insanely fast when he arrived at the chariots. He never thought that he could become so nervous like that¡­ it seemed that the pressure of the result for the battle was getting to him since countless lives hang on the balance.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    In any case, Kaitrine told Zelos to focus on the frontal parts of the chariots, but he moved under them and then damaged the joints that connected the wheels with his sword. Zelos knew that when the joints of the wheels of a chariot break, it can have significant consequences, both for the chariot and for the soldiers operating it.


    A broken wheel joint renders the chariot immobile or severely impairs its ability to move effectively. The chariot can become stranded on the battlefield, leaving its occupants vulnerable to attack. If the chariot is in motion when the joint breaks, it can cause the vehicle to lurch or veer off course suddenly. This sudden disruption can throw the driver and crew off balance, potentially causing injury or making them easier targets for enemies.


    Repairing a broken wheel joint in the midst of battle is challenging. Soldiers must quickly assess the damage and attempt to fix it under pressure, all while under the threat of enemy attack.


    Although Zelos didn¡¯t damage them completely to make them unusable, it was more than enough to make it break after just moving after a couple of meters, and once that happened, the whole thing was pretty much done.


    In no time, dozens of these were damaged thanks to Zelos¡¯s hard work. His sword was quite sharp that night. Still, it didn¡¯t take long for Zelos to notice some movements of many torches in the distance¡­ he thought that he would be discovered much faster than Kaitrine, but maybe her job was much harder.


    In the end, Zelos hurried up and strikes the joints of the chariots even faster than before. Thanks to that, he ended up making a lot of noise and soon some soldiers that were moving toward where Kaitrine was supposed to be soon heard the noises nearby and eventually saw his shadow.


    ¡°Enemy attack! They are targeting the chariots!¡±


    Before long, Zelos saw countless soldiers dashing at him, so he didn¡¯t hesitate in smashing the closest chariot with his sword and then threw the broken parts at the enemy¡¯s approaching. Much to the enemy¡¯s surprise, some of their allies were impaled by the projectiles and fell dead immediately, forcing the others to grab their weapons and defend themselves.


    The enemies weren¡¯t organized yet, so he had the chance to destroy several other chariots and when the enemies got close, he threw the pieces at them. They eventually stopped when some archers finally arrived and then began to fire the arrows. This time, Zelos was forced to turn around and run away.


    As chaos erupted in the middle of the enemy camp, confusion spread like wildfire. Soldiers moved around to make sense of the sudden attack on their rear, their previous sense of security shattered by the unexpected assault.


    At first, the enemy fighters struggled to comprehend the source of the attack. Rumors and shouts filled the air as they attempted to ascertain the size and strength of the assaulting force. Some believed it to be a significant flanking maneuver, while others feared it was the beginning of a full-scale assault from a hidden army.


    As the confusion increased, the enemy commanders hastily issued orders, trying to rally their troops and organize a response. Units shifted position, attempting to face the perceived threat from the rear while maintaining their front lines.


    However, the confusion only deepened when it became apparent that the attack was coming from a much smaller force than initially feared. Amidst the chaos, it dawned on the enemy soldiers that only two individuals were responsible for the disruption.


    The sound of horses grunting began to echo in the area, and soon Zelos saw horses running in all directions. There was fire in some of the tents as well, so that seemed to be something Kaitrine would do, but when Zelos looked over his shoulder, there were no signs of her.


    ¡°She can¡¯t be captured with her speed¡­ she is too fast for that,¡± Zelos thought. ¡°Still, she tires fast, so perhaps something happened¡­¡±


    Large groups of enemies began to take position in the back of their camps, but soon they returned to the other direction, part of Liry¡¯s plan was to launch an attack as soon as they damaged the enemy¡¯s cavalry and it looked like she already gave the order, now the enemy¡¯s attention was split.


    ¡°I guess I will have to return there at least until Kaitrine shows up here.¡±


    Zelos made up his mind and soon revealed himself to the enemies. They soon pointed their weapons at him, including the bow, but when they were fired, they were moving essentially in slow motion from Zelos¡¯s perspective.


    Zelos dashed to the side since the darkness of the night still could be dangerous and fool him. Fortunately, he avoided all the arrows¡­ while the enemies were nocking and preparing the second volley, Zelos saw more enemies moving in the opposite direction¡­


    ¡°Liry should have started the fight on the other side¡­ with their focus split in two sides, we will have better chances. We just need one more thing to turn the tides of this battle in our favor.¡±


    Zelos turned to the enemies when they were about to fire the arrows. He stepped in with all his might and then used his charging technique. The enemies fired their arrows, but Zelos passed below the projectiles and then appeared in front of the enemies¡­ with a single horizontal swing, he cut the necks of all the enemies in front of him.


    ¡°I have to get rid of their general,¡±

 Chapter 69 - Chase

    As Zelos surveyed the chaos unfolding around him, his sharp eyes caught sight of another group in the distance. They were rapidly approaching, intent on seizing control of the abandoned chariots left vulnerable in the middle of the confusion.


    What caught Zelos¡¯s attention even more was the sight of horses accompanying this new group, some of which he recognized as the ones that had escaped earlier. These were the same horses that Kaitrine had broken free during the initial attack, now returning with their riders to reclaim the chariots.


    Zelos quickly realized the potential advantage this presented. With the enemy¡¯s attention diverted, he could exploit the situation to gain the upper hand. The arrival of the horse-mounted group provided a distraction, giving Zelos and Kaitrine an opportunity to regroup and reorganize.


    ¡°They went to the left side of the camp! They are planning to create an opening in our formation!¡±


    After hearing Zelos¡¯s shout, a lot of the enemies turned in that direction and went to see what was going on there. Zelos couldn¡¯t help but smile at how devious he was¡­ still, he might have dug his grave after that since he went to the center of the enemy¡¯s formation.


    ¡­¡­


    When Liry saw the first signs of confusion in the enemy¡¯s camp, she immediately gave the order for all the soldiers on her side to get up and charge with all their might. Their response had been so swift that cavalry units between the camps didn¡¯t have the chance to take a single step since they also were wondering what was happening back there and they waited for the orders on their side.


    ¡°Keep a tight encirclement to them and target them when you have the chance! Cavalry! Advance in the enemy¡¯s camp!¡¯


    The enemy cavalry units that were the closest to them found themselves surrounded, but the others had the chance to retreat back to their camp. Thanks to that, some small archer units had the chance to approach and then unleash a barrage of arrows on the riders and their horses. They began to fall one after the other and soon the entire army began to charge toward the enemy¡¯s camp. Even from a distance and despite the darkness of the night, Edea was able to see what was happening there.


    ¡°Our cavalry was stopped by their heavy infantry¡­ it doesn¡¯t look like their reserves are on the move.¡±


    As Liry listened to the report, a sense of satisfaction washed over her. Her observations confirmed what she had suspected: the diversion was working brilliantly.


    With a nod of acknowledgment, Liry quickly processed the information. The surprise attack from both sides had caught the enemy completely off guard. It was evident that the enemy general had not yet issued orders to respond to the unexpected assault.


    The astonishment on the faces of the enemy soldiers was palpable. They were clearly overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, struggling to react effectively to the dual threat from the rear and the flanks.


    For Liry, this was a crucial moment. The success of the diversion meant that they had gained a significant advantage over the enemy. With the element of surprise on their side, they could press their advantage and further disrupt the enemy¡¯s plans. However, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°We need to go further. I want you guys to open the path.¡±


    Heirina, Irlan, and Edea looked at each other¡­ they didn¡¯t join the confrontation until now all in order to protect Liry, but now she asked for something like that. They knew that she had a point¡­ they had to bet everything on that one attack before the enemy general had the chance to give his orders, but it was just too risky.


    ¡°I am going to use my trait, and both allies and enemies need to hear it in order to become as effective as possible. I know what you want to say. You shouldn¡¯t reveal that to the enemy, even more so when they have an army here, but we don¡¯t have any other choice. Heirina, it is now or never.¡±


    ¡°... You heard the commander. Let¡¯s open the way to the enemy¡¯s camp.¡±


    The other two nodded while showing uncertain looks on their faces. It didn¡¯t take long for them to realize the trouble that they were going to face¡­ when they reached the front lines where the heavy infantrymen was blocking their path, a lot of them recognized Liry and soon began to charge toward her¡­ even without receiving orders, the most obvious thing to do on the battlefield was to target the enemy¡¯s commander.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Thanks to that, their side finally began to be pushed away¡­ despite the surprise of the attack, the enemy¡¯s discipline and morale granted them that chance and soon their side began to take the flow of the battle.


    Edea began to fire her arrows and claimed the lives of those who got closer to them, but even so, she could only fire so many arrows at a time. Irlan and Heirina moved to protect Liry while she closed her eyes and then took a deep breath. Before long, she opened her mouth and began to sing.


    As Liry began to sing, a sense of unease spread through the allies gathered around her. It wasn¡¯t because of anything she was saying. Indeed, her words were hardly discernible over the din of battle. No, the disquiet stemmed from the fact that she was singing at all, right in the midst of a fierce conflict.


    The idea of singing during battle seemed absurd too many, a reckless and unnecessary action that could potentially distract or expose them to danger. Yet, as the notes of her song filled the air, something remarkable began to happen.


    Allies within earshot of Liry felt a surge of energy coursing through their bodies. Their fatigue was momentarily forgotten as their spirits were lifted. The melody seemed to invigorate them, infusing them with a newfound sense of strength and determination.


    Conversely, the enemies found themselves struggling against an unexpected weight pressing down upon them. Liry¡¯s song seemed to sap their strength, leaving them feeling sluggish and lethargic, their movements becoming more labored with each passing moment.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the enemies to lose their momentum and the heavy infantrymen began to lose and fall. While seeing their side piercing the enemy¡¯s camp with almost ease, Heirina, Irlan and Edea couldn¡¯t help but frown. Liry¡¯s trait allowed her to make those she saw as allies recover their health, magic, and stamina quite fast while the enemies were spent on the same rate¡­ such a trait was truly abnormal.


    ¡°So, that is the trait of the imperial family¡­ they certainly can affect the entire battlefield. Any battlefield can turn into our favor like this, but since she decided not to use it from the beginning, it should have some issues.¡±


    Heirina looked at Liry and didn¡¯t notice anything odd with her. Her face seemed normal and she didn¡¯t look like she was getting tired faster, so perhaps her guess wasn¡¯t correct. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but think that Liry put herself in a really bad situation.


    Still, Heirina didn¡¯t have time for that since she could see the enemy¡¯s calvary approaching¡­ they took their time coming, so it seemed that Kaitrine and Zelos did their job. There were no signs of the chariots coming, though.


    Zelos crossed the enemy camp, trying to look as normal as possible. Thanks to that, no one took notice of him. It was dark and he didn¡¯t show his dark sword, so no one recognized him. In the end, he found the largest tent in the camp and decided to attack the enemy general. There was no time for a duel. He had to assassinate him, but the place was guarded by ten soldiers who had their hands in their weapons.


    ¡°I should have known¡­ Those guys should be no joke. I can take down half of them with my iron balls, but the others will have to be dealt directly. That will give the general plenty of time to react and prepare.¡±


    In the worst-case scenario, Zelos will be surrounded, if not by those guards, by others when the general calls for help. In any case, Zelos didn¡¯t have time to think about that¡­ he had to put his plan into action without hesitation and with speed.


    In the end, Zelos approached a bit more to the large tent with his iron balls already in hands. When he was ready, he threw the Iron balls at the targets and then fell on the ground in quick succession after a nasty sound echoed from them.


    Around the same time that Zelos charged with his sword in hand and ready to strike, Liry¡¯s voice echoed on the battlefield filling him with energy. At the same time, the guards felt their bodies getting weaker. When they saw Zelos and tried to react to it, two of them were too slow and were beheaded.


    The third managed to block the attack, but Zelos¡¯s brute strength destroyed his guard and then his side was cut by the sword. At the same time, the final two enemies went to attack Zelos and then they pierced his sides with their spears, but Zelos was waiting for that and attacked them at the same time, making their heads roll afterwards.


    As the enemies fell under the onslaught, Zelos felt a rush of relief and adrenaline. However, amidst the chaos of battle, he couldn¡¯t escape the sensation of something cold spreading through his body.


    The enemy¡¯s spears had found their mark, but luckily, they hadn¡¯t pierced Zelos¡¯s bones. Instead, they had inflicted some damage to his muscles, causing a dull ache and a chill that seemed to seep into his very core.


    Though his bones remained intact, the damage to his muscles was enough to slow him down. Each movement became a little more difficult as the chill crept further through his body.


    Despite the discomfort, Zelos gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain. He knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to let his injuries hold him back, not when the battle was still raging around him.


    Zelos tried to ignore that and turned around to attack the general, and soon he found a man charging at him with a pair of swords and swinging them to cut his throat.


    Zelos raised his sword in a hurry to block the attack and then he opened his eyes widely when the enemy began to push him, despite being a dual wielder.


    Zelos tried to fix his stance by bending his knees a bit, but then the enemy spun his body and then kicked Zelos¡¯s sounds in his right side. The attack made Zelos lose all the air in his lungs, and the pain made his eyes spin. Still, he clenched his teeth and endured.

 Chapter 70 - Song

    Zelos looked at the enemy who was studying him and watching the body of the guards as well¡­ it was his chance to call for his underlings around to fight, but he didn¡¯t do that. It seemed that the enemy general had given his orders already since everyone was moving away from the area and their orders were to leave the camp and fight.


    The enemy general cut an imposing figure amidst the chaos of battle. With his light brown hair framing his face, he appeared youthful, yet possessed an air of cold intelligence that set him apart from others.


    In his twenties, the general seemed to exude confidence and authority, his piercing gaze scanning the battlefield with calculated precision. Every movement he made seemed deliberate, as if he were constantly assessing the situation and planning his next move.


    The general¡¯s dual-wielding style further emphasized his skill and prowess in combat. With weapons in both hands, he moved with a fluidity and grace that belied his youth. Each strike was precise and calculated, indicating years of training and experience.


    Despite his relatively young age, it was clear that the general commanded respect from his troops, who looked to him for guidance and leadership. His presence on the battlefield was a testament to his strategic brilliance and his ability to inspire loyalty among his soldiers.


    ¡°You must be one of the new soldiers that arrived. You look awfully young for an imperial guard.¡±


    ¡°And you look awfully confident for someone who stays in the back line giving orders. Do you think that you can do what ten of your guards didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t reach our positions being good with tactics alone, kid. If a good head was enough, we would have dozens of generals.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem like something pleasant to deal with. Still, it made sense¡­ The enemy¡¯s army would only be that strong because they had someone strong and smart leading them. In any case, he probably heard that from the other army that retreated¡­


    All of a sudden, the enemy charged in and then bombarded Zelos with a series of thrusts. He moved his dark sword from one side to the other to block the attacks, but he barely had the chance to deflect them properly¡­ the sword began to cut the external sides of his arms and the burning pain made him grunt in annoyance.


    Zelos¡¯s aura changed when he tensed his body for a counterattack, but then the enemy jumped away without hesitation. He had good eyes and good reflexes¡­ the worst type of enemy someone like Zelos could face.


    ¡°This guy¡­ he is truly not planning to call for help, but it should be only a matter of time before anyone around realizes what is happening. Another chance like this won¡¯t come, so I need to be fast.¡±


    Surprising the enemy by using his glove was indeed a possibility, but it wouldn¡¯t be as effective as one might hope. The enemy general wielded two swords, a style that inherently offered both offense and defense. With two weapons at his disposal, the general was never fully committed to attacking with either one, always ready to switch between offense and defense as needed.


    This adaptability made it difficult to catch him off guard, as he could easily block or counter any direct attacks aimed at him. In addition, the enemy general¡¯s two-sword style meant that his attacks were often more conservative, lacking the full force and commitment that a single sword strike might possess.


    However, Zelos saw an opportunity in the weaknesses of the two-sword style. While the enemy general was adept at defense and could switch between offense and defense quickly, he also had to split his focus between two weapons. This meant that there were moments of vulnerability, times when the general¡¯s attention was divided, or when his movements were predictable.


    Zelos took a deep breath and then focused. The pain in the wounds that were throbbing bothered him, but soon they vanished for a moment.


    The enemy general studied Zelos and his very weird stance. He moved his sword to the side and then raised his left arm to his chest height and kept it steady like he was equipped with a shield, but he wasn¡¯t. The enemy felt like he needed to be cautious, but his pride didn¡¯t allow him to waste time when the enemies disrespected his army like that.


    The enemy charged again and then began to thrust his swords with Zelos with all his might. The swords moved like the wind, covering a lot more distance than Zelos¡¯ weapon, and then cutting the sides of his arms.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The numerous cuts didn¡¯t reach the muscles, but it made blood keep dripping nonstop. At some point, Zelos realized that the enemy was being cautious and trying to weaken him like that, and since his area of attack was larger, it was difficult to block it.


    Before long, Zelos felt his vision getting blurry. His wounds were healing and closing fast to prevent too much blood from being lost, but since they¡¯re being opened over and over again, it was basically useless¡­


    ¡°It is his trait¡­ he can attack pretty fast, probably thanks to the power of the wind. I can barely sense the surrounding wind, and that is why no one came to help him. He can control the wind around to improve his fighting style.¡±


    Zelos wasn¡¯t sure if that was accurate¡­ his mind was starting to get foggy as well. In one way or the other, he had to end that fight and with that in mind, he assumed that stance again, determined to not change it even if his life was in danger.


    The enemy general furrowed his eyebrows. It didn¡¯t make any sense for Zelos to refuse to hold his sword with both hands, after all. He had faced plenty of enemies that tried to get in his head before, but none of them did something so insane like that.


    ¡°It is a pity that I won¡¯t have the chance to use those swords of yours as a trophy. Your friend¡¯s glaive will suffice in that regard.¡±


    A throbbing vein appeared in the enemy¡¯s general forehead thanks to the anger. Zelos¡¯s taunt hit its mark with surprising effectiveness. The enemy generals were known for their pride, boasting of their positions and accomplishments at every opportunity. Their sense of superiority was a defining trait, and any challenge to their authority or competence struck a nerve.


    When Zelos boldly declared the enemy¡¯s defeat, it was like a match to dry Tinder. The generals¡¯ pride, already stretched thin by the unfolding chaos of battle, ignited almost like exploding suddenly. To hear someone, especially a mere soldier, dare to determine his defeat was an insult beyond measure.


    The taunt shattered the generals¡¯ composure, triggering something deep within their minds. It was as if a switch had been flipped, unleashing a torrent of rage and indignation. How dare this upstart challenge their authority? How dare he declare his defeat before the battle was even won?


    In the end, the enemy charged while making his swords move like an X to behead Zelos with both of them, but then when Zelos tensed his body, the general suddenly stopped since he wouldn¡¯t let the anger cloud his judgment.


    Still, from a distance, the enemy swung both of his swords and then, in the next moment, a blast of air was fired toward Zelos and reached him. The attack slashed his clothes and then cut his chest, creating a large wound in the shape of an X on his body.


    Zelos felt his body burning in pain, but he still let his energy explode and then he used his charging technique toward the enemy as the blood gushed from his wound.


    The enemy general opened his eyes wide, but soon used a cross guard to defend himself when he saw Zelos swinging down his sword. In the next moment, the weapons collided, and then the sound of steel echoed in the area.


    The enemy general smiled since that was Zelos¡¯ final chance, but then his swords cracked and then snapped¡­ Zelos¡¯s dark sword slashed through the enemy¡¯s chest and created a large wound, ignoring the chain mail that the enemy used.


    There was no time for him to process the pain of the attack that followed. With a swift and precise strike, Zelos found his opening. His weapon connected with the general¡¯s defenses, bypassing them with ease. The blow landed with a resounding impact, stunning the general and sending shockwaves through his body.


    For a brief moment, the general trembled on the edge of consciousness, his mind reeling from the unexpected attack. Then, with a suddenness that seemed to defy the laws of physics, he crumpled to his knees.


    The battlefield fell silent for a heartbeat as the enemy general, once so proud and defiant, now fell broken and defeated. With a final, desperate gasp, he fell forward, his face hitting the ground with a dull thud.


    With his blood still hot from the tension of the battle, Zelos stared at the body for a while, but soon he forced himself to calm down when he felt the cold taking over his body¡­ he had lost too much blood, and staying tensed like that would only make more blood leave his body.


    Still, while Zelos went to the tent of the enemy to look for something to cover his wounds, he soon realized that they had closed a lot faster than he had anticipated. Now that he thought about it¡­ he still could hear the sound of Liry singing. Maybe that was what made him heal faster than before. In any case, any wound now would still be troublesome for him, so he decided to lie low and wait for the end of the battle.


    ¡­ ¡­


    While Zelos was finishing his battle with the enemy general, things were slightly changing on the enemy¡¯s side. At first, they began to fight on equal terms despite the surprise attack and the fact that they were unable to ready their cavalry and chariots in an orderly manner, but they were still a larger and more rested army, so things remained on a stalemate.


    At least until for a bit longer¡­ The attacking army didn¡¯t lose their willpower and strength, and kept fighting seriously. Wounds didn¡¯t bother them as much as before, so soon the enemies began to be pushed by them¡­ it was all thanks to Liry¡¯s trait.


    Irlan, Heirina and Edea saw that clearly from their position, slowly but surely, they approached the enemy¡¯s camp and they also noticed that the enemy¡¯s general wasn¡¯t making their move. Their cavalry and chariots couldn¡¯t be compared to before, either.

 Chapter 42 - Reason

    Heirina furrowed her eyebrows when she heard that¡­ those numbers didn¡¯t make much sense. She could only imagine that Reina was talking about something completely unrelated. Fortunately, she decided to explain it.


    ¡°I decided that the contents of the letter are worthy of one week of my and five hundred warriors¡¯ services. That is all.¡±


    ¡°That means¡­ that you are going to help?¡±


    ¡°We are three days away from the front lines, so for four days. As Long as your troops don¡¯t turn out to be useless, this should be enough.¡±


    That would be hard to tell, but it was a risk that they wanted to take. In the next moment, the guys behind cut the ropes that tied the group, and Zelos looked at the guy he had kicked. He had a calm expression on his face, but it was clear that his eyes were filled with anger. The group also received their weapons back.


    ¡°Send the word to everyone that we are going to the plain lands. The first five hundred that reach the river will come with me. We will be back in ten days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, leader.¡±


    That guy that Zelos kicked said that and then left the room and Reina got up before tapping on her knees. The group didn¡¯t know what to say, so they just watched her putting her spear on her back, but she was fine in being stared at while staying in silence. Heirina decided to break the silence.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we discuss the current situation of the battle while the others are getting ready?¡±


    ¡°No need. It doesn¡¯t matter the situation there, we will fight in the same manner as we do. I suppose you all need to have breakfast before departing. Let¡¯s go. We will do that before the time comes.¡±


    Somehow, Zelos had the feeling that working with the natives will be very different from he was used to, or anyone was used for that matter. In any case, the group left the tower and soon and soon they headed to what seemed to be the version of the natives of a restaurant. The place had a bunch of caskets filled with food and some barrels with milk as well. People who were there grabbed what they wanted and paid for what they felt it was worth it. Fortunately, they used the same currency that the people from the plane lands used.


    ¡°I will pay for your food. Feel free to eat as much as you want.¡±


    The other people of the group looked at Zelos with eyes filled with suspicion, while he just shrugged. He couldn¡¯t understand their reaction. Reina said that she would pay for it, so why wouldn¡¯t they make full use of her generosity? In the end, Zelos forced himself to feel satisfied by eating just a bit more than a normal person. After much thinking, Irlan finally decided to ask something that was bothering him.


    ¡°Excuse me, but how should we refer to you? My name is Irlan, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be referred to as a random title like you plain lands. The people here call me leader because I am the leader here, but anyone else can just use my name.¡±


    ¡°Then, Reina¡­ Are we really three days away from the front lines? We lost our wagon and horses, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Your horses are fine. They are being kept somewhere else. As for the trip to the front lines, we can cross half of the distance nonstop using our boats. That being said, it would be better if you all kept your mouth shut about what you will see. Unless you want to get on our bad side. Regardless, what are your names?¡±


    The group introduced themselves properly, but it didn¡¯t look like Reina paid much attention to their names, or their appearances, for that matter. It made since all of them looked like kids from her perspective.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. I have the feeling that our side will be in a bind soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Based on what?¡±


    Zelos barely had time to finish his question. Heirina pushed him to the side immediately and soon showed an apologetic and nervous smile.


    ¡°I am sorry again, Reina. It is fine if you ignore this rude kid. Long story short, we are still educating him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. We also prefer to talk with those who don¡¯t hide their thoughts and behavior behind words or falsehoods. As to based on what I can say, I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Zelos didn¡¯t feel like asking more because he wouldn¡¯t get a clear answer. It was obvious that the topic was a bit troublesome for them, apparently. Maybe it would reveal a lot of things about the natives.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    When the group reached the river, they found their horses on several boats¡­ There are many other horses being moved to those small boats as well. It seemed that the natives were planning to use theirs as well. Still, despite their numbers, there were only so many people that could go¡­ However, there were thousands of people there planning to join them. Maybe it was a coincidence, but most of them were male.


    ¡°She must be pretty popular.¡±


    Although Zelos just pointed out the obvious, he got the suspicious look of the girl in the group¡­ Reina just left to select the people who would go, but she just picked five people, and those five people would pick five people until they had five hundred on their end. She didn¡¯t even wait for that; she just jumped on a boat and called for Zelos and the others to come. The people left behind looked so jealous.


    Although there was enough space for the group, Reina, and the horses, there wouldn¡¯t be much space to sleep, so they would have to endure that. Moreover, the guy who kicked Zelos jumped in and sat behind him. That was going to be a very uncomfortable trip for all intentions and purposes.


    Fortunately, that guy had a trait that made him control water, apparently. He began to focus and then the boat began to move faster downstream. That was pretty handy¡­ people with those kinds of abilities would make a killing anywhere if they wanted.


    Everyone in the group looked like they were itching to ask how he could do that and what his trait was supposed to be exactly, but they knew it better than doing that.


    ¡°Eldor¡¯s trait let him control water in many ways, but he and others focus on manipulating the water from the river for movement like this.¡±


    ¡°Leader¡­¡±


    Eldor showed a pathetic expression but soon recomposed himself since he didn¡¯t want to show weakness to the plains folks.


    Although the talks weren¡¯t that long and deep, Reina talked with the group a few times and explained to them a few things about their society. She didn¡¯t have to, but despite her blank expression, she wasn¡¯t particularly against the idea of talking with them.


    In any case, while they had a start, soon other boats reached them and began to pass by them. When that happened, Zelos felt the pissed eyes of the natives. As expected, he didn¡¯t get along with them. There was something fundamentally annoying about them that he couldn¡¯t pinpoint.


    However, along the way, Zelos found that the leader of the natives had some fans and he wasn¡¯t popular with them for whatever reason, even though she never showed much interest in him. It was hard to imagine that she became their leader just because she was pretty, though.


    ¡°It is rare to find relics nowadays, even more so in the hands of a kid. You are a kid, aren¡¯t you? Despite being well built for your age.¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­ what do you mean by relics? Is it because this sword has a weird effect? The blacksmith I bought this from called it cursed.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it can be called like that from a certain perspective. The weapon passes an aura of danger and annoyance as well¡­¡±


    Zelos wondered what Reina was talking about. He never heard of weapons that had auras, but maybe that was a thing that the natives could feel or something. Regardless, at least Zelos was learning something.


    ¡°Relics or cursed weapons are tools that absorb a lot of blood on the battlefield. Either from their masters or other enemies. What can it do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it just gets heavier the more it absorbs.¡±


    Heirina, Kaitrine, Edea and Irlan raised their eyebrows when they heard that¡­ they never asked what the weapon could do since Zelos wasn¡¯t the type who would reveal such a thing, but the situation was a bit different.


    ¡°I see¡­ Considering its format, it was probably forged very far away by a blacksmith that used his own blood as materials. Some people know that they can use that kind of thing to create relics. The more rare the trait, the better. However, the process in detail is unknown, and it needs to be quick and a small amount of blood wouldn¡¯t make it do.¡±


    It probably just wasn¡¯t to use some blood and mix with some ores and would be enough. It made sense¡­ Still, Zelos got curious thanks to that. Perhaps he should study some blacksmithing once he has the chance and his farm business starts to go well even without him.


    Although Zelos wanted to ask more about that, they finally crossed the final mountain of the area and then the river began to flow through a small clearing and eventually moved beyond it. Before they could let anyone see that they used the river like that, they stopped the boats on the shore and began to move the horses. The natives worked on that while Reina and the others moved a bit further from it since she asked them to follow her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to accept this call because I don¡¯t know how she is¡­ years ago, a certain girl was traveling around the mountain when her group was apparently ambushed by a group of bandits. The girl ran for her life since she didn¡¯t know how to fight. She was only ten years old, after all. In the end, she ended up lost in the mountains and began to be chased by the supposed bandits. After running away for two days from them, she eventually ended up being found by my group. We were hunting some beasts and saved her just when she was about to be killed by the supposed bandits¡­ we rescued her and then killed them. The thing is, her group was also working alongside the bandits to kill her. She ignored that fact and thanked us from the bottom of her heart.¡±


    The group looked at each other after hearing that¡­ this story was starting to sound weird. Still, the dots began to be connected¡­


    ¡°The girl was bright, gentle, and despite her situation, she was very happy. In the end, she spent some weeks with us until I decided to take her to the other side of the mountains and close to her home¡­ That girl was the daughter of the emperor and she was the one who wrote the letter asking me for help to protect the borders. I decided to dig a bit further and learned that she is the only kid of the emperor.¡±


    Everyone was left speechless after hearing that¡­ still, after thinking for a short while, they began to understand the situation and why the country was kind of in a mess.

 Chapter 43 - Back Attack

    The current emperor only has a single heir, and it is a woman. That is why things are so chaotic and a lot of people are trying to take advantage of the chaos since no woman has ever ruled one of those countries. All the four countries around think that this country is done for, so they want a piece of it. Perhaps even those close to the imperial family want to dispose of her to buy their seat in the court of the countries that will take over this one.


    ¡°Wow¡­ I didn¡¯t think that the situation in our county was such a mess.¡±


    Heirina was truly surprised¡­ no one knew much about the imperial family, after all. Besides, she was busy trying to help her father, so she didn¡¯t have time to think too much about that.


    Kaitrine and Irlan also looked a bit surprised. They were the people most well informed of the group, but in the end, that kind of information was beyond their current means.


    ¡°... I didn¡¯t know that things were this bad, but I knew that something was happening in the capital. Several times, the elders of my clan were called there for some reason.¡±


    Everyone looked at Edea. They couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine why anyone of her clan would be called when their trait was supposed to cancel other people¡¯s traits. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t all that they could do, or they had other traits¡­ It was hard to say and Edea had no idea either. After thinking for a while, Zelos decided to ask a few more things.


    ¡°Why did you take a liking to her when she is the descendant of one of those that caused a lot of problems to your people?¡±


    ¡°... She didn¡¯t try to hide who she was, and she didn¡¯t try to apologize for the past, either. Still, I could tell that she was truly being honest. She was thankful for helping her and for looking after her while she stayed here. She focused on the present and the future, but she didn¡¯t forget the past and learned from the mistakes of others.¡±


    ¡°Was that all? Maybe the feelings that you have about the past aren¡¯t that strong, after all.¡±


    ¡°They are strong. That is why I hesitated after reading the letter. However, memories from five years ago began to resurface and then my mind wavered. You will understand if one day you meet her.¡±


    ¡°I will wish with all my heart that I won¡¯t since that seems like a huge hassle.¡±


    Heirina sighed and then facepalmed¡­ It looked like Reina preferred honesty as policy, but she wondered if that much was still fine.


    ¡°You only have four horses¡­ we don¡¯t have extras.¡±


    ¡°Edea can ride with me. Are we going to move at a fast pace?¡±


    ¡°This area is free of people coming and going, but after arriving in the last part close to the border, some spies might find us. I want to surprise the enemies and decrease morale by causing as much damage as possible as soon as we arrive.¡±


    Heirina nodded¡­ but after crossing that distance, everyone and the horses would be tired¡­ it seemed that Reina didn¡¯t care about that, though. Regardless, the group soon began to mount the horses and followed Reina from close behind. She sent some of her warriors to the sides to make sure that they would spot anyone that got closer to them first than they could see their army approaching. When Reina was receiving some reports, Heirina decided to ask some questions.


    ¡°Kaitrine, did you hear anything about the enemy¡¯s forces this time?¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°That bad, huh¡­ how many enemies they had and how many we had?¡±


    ¡°Five thousand defending¡­ and ten thousand attacking.¡±


    Those were some bad odds¡­ moreover, the enemies were looking for the best places to invade and should have found it by now.


    Hei was studying the map while seeing the results of the previous day¡¯s battle. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of headache almost overtaking him when he saw that¡­ soon enough, Kai arrived all of a sudden and then gave him the reports of the battle of the morning.


    ¡°Carli¡¯s clan is almost done for. They lost half of their forces and they have three hundred wounded. The enemies are determined to create their opening through them.¡±


    Hei moved some pieces from the map that represented the results and then sighed. The other clans were mainly fine. They tried to help Carli clans, but the current head was too conscious of the possibility that he might lose his authority and territory. At that point in time and after those results, that was all but assured. If he doesn¡¯t lose it, he will probably die in the next few days. Once again, Hei let out a sigh. Losing a clan like that was only going to make the battle harder, since the enemies barely suffered any losses so far.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Give the order and I can take at least one of the generals down.¡±


    ¡°... We can¡¯t risk that, while you aren¡¯t a common figure in the front lines, you already pulled that trick too many times. That is why the enemy captains aren¡¯t exposing themselves. Once they confirm that you are here, they will use the tactics to get you.¡±


    Kai couldn¡¯t deny that¡­ Some enemies have already used such tactics. While they failed, it was only a matter of time before their plan started working. Kai wasn¡¯t worried about that. He was worried about the fact that his daughter wanted to become a proper soldier and when their family¡¯s trait, she was going to stand out too much.


    ¡°At least those kids aren¡¯t here yet¡­ I wonder for how long I can protect them, though.¡±


    ¡°You put a group of kids that you felt that deserves some protection, but have the skills to do other kinds of jobs. Still, that can only be done for so long when we have kids of their ages with us here.¡±


    Hei could only nod¡­ moreover, he received the message from Rux the other day and those five went to talk with the natives of the mountains. He didn¡¯t know if he should feel happy about that or not. One could never know how the natives would react to anyone in their territory¡­ even more so when the visitors had an imperial letter with them asking for their assistance in the war.


    While he was thinking about that, one of the messengers arrived in his tent. He didn¡¯t even have to say anything¡­ it was obvious that the enemies were on the move, so he got up from his chair and then grabbed his sword.


    ¡°I am going to join the battle this time¡­ don¡¯t worry, I will remain incognito and don¡¯t use my trait.¡±


    Hei nodded at Kai¡¯s words, and soon they left the tent. Everyone outside was already getting ready for the next battle¡­ the issue was if they would arrive in time. Despite the resist of the last few days, Carli had decided to keep his camp from a certain distance from the others and that always helped the enemy. Hei wondered how suspicious of others a teenager had been to act like that.


    The image of a younger but also suspicious of other boys came to Hei¡¯s mind. At the same time, he recalled what happened in the last battle, so he wondered if Zelos would show up for this conflict.


    While leading his clan¡¯s cavalry, Hei eventually reached the battlefield. As one would expect, the enemies had already infiltrated Carli¡¯s lines, which had set their camp at the top of the tallest hill in the area. While they had had their best fighting conditions in the last few days, they had already lost half of their camp, which was on fire. The clan warriors were trying to hold their ground, but that was getting harder.


    Hei stopped and watched the battlefield for a moment¡­ He could see Lua¡¯s cavalry coming from the south, but soon they were stopped by the heavy infantry of the enemies. They were buying time for this attack finally end the Carli clan.


    ¡°Attack them directly and cover for the Carli¡¯s clan retreat! We can¡¯t let them die here¡± ¡°


    The warriors roared, and then they followed Hei with all of their might. The horses dashed violently toward the battlefield, but soon they slowed down a bit out of fear¡­ Hei clicked his tongue. It was because of the heavy infantry. Elmer and his brother hired a clan to help them with that attack. They got the help of some giants that were really affecting the whole battlefield¡­ they were all over two meters tall, and they were almost impossible to knock down with their heavy shields and spears. Countless horses had their heads smashed by those shields during the impacts.


    When Hei saw the infantry of the Carli clan literally be stomped to death by the enemy¡¯s horses, he charged toward them without hesitation. The enemies soon prepared to receive him, but Hei was no longer playing around. The enemies tried to stab him to death as he approached, but swung his glaive around faster than the wind and then claimed the heads of three enemies.


    After that, Hei stopped to let his breathing calm down since it suddenly had gone up as he watched his warriors join the fight.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t here¡­ this would be easier if we could target them directly.¡±


    When his heartbeat slowed down a bit, Hei charged in again. He tried to spare as much as possible the enemy¡¯s horses since they were lacking them as well, but soon those horses began to kick theirs and then he was forced to attack them as well.


    Usually, that would be the time when the enemies would retreat and wait for another chance to finish the job¡­ but much to Hei¡¯s surprise, they kept coming and coming. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the enemy¡¯s formation which was thick and long began to spread around the area, and soon the heavy infantry began to reach all the cavalry in the area.


    Hei opened his eyes widely when he saw the heavy infantry practically forming a single line to push all the defenders¡­ and that was working pretty well. Now and then, Hei would see a shadow on the battlefield moving, and then one of those heavy infantrymen would fall afterward. Kai was doing his work as sneakily as possible, but that wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°... We can¡¯t let them lose this hill.¡±


    Hei¡¯s heart accelerated when he imagined both outcomes¡­ if the enemies set their camp in that hill, they would be able to attack all the other areas as they saw fit. Carli clan would be decimated, and then the battle would at least last for several more weeks. In order to prevent that, Hei had to go all out and lose a lot of soldiers¡­ they barely had time to get used to the clan¡­ and recruiting a lot more of them so soon would be extremely hard.


    While Hei was trying to consider what was the best option, he saw a bunch of riders and horses being knocked down on the ground and then impaled by the heavy infantry. After clicking his tongue, Hei made his choice and then raised his sword, but before he could give his orders¡­ Hei suddenly saw a dust curtain coming from behind the enemy¡¯s lines.

 Chapter 44 - Overwhelming

    ¡°Reinforcements? When are they coming?¡±


    Something was off¡­ Hei never saw the enemies raising that much dust when they were moving. Besides, they were coming in a hurry for some reason, like they truly had come to finish things as soon as possible. However, instead of moving to attack another area¡­ they came directly to the back of the enemy formation, and soon bodies and weapons began go fly around.


    Hei never saw anything like that happen¡­ was it an enemy division that decided to rebel for some reason? However, when the dust curtain began to spread, he soon saw warriors without wearing body armor attacking the heavy infantry. They also had their bodies covered in body painting.


    ¡°The natives? How did they come from that direction?¡±


    Hei had no idea, but he knew that Heirina and the others were among them, so there was only one thing that he could say to his troops.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    The group and the natives arrived on the battlefield in the morning¡­ at least the scouts did. After watching how things played out, they reported what they saw to Reina and then she quickly knew what they had to do. They moved around the area in a half circle on foot to make sure that the enemies wouldn¡¯t see them and when noon came and the enemies attacked again, they began to mount and then attacked them from behind¡­


    The enemies¡¯ leaders only noticed what was going on too late when the natives were already between their camp and their armies, so there was nothing that they could do. However, the group had traveled with little time to rest, so they weren¡¯t in tip-top condition. Kaitrine was suffering the most because of that, but she didn¡¯t complain and just clenched her teeth.


    ¡°What the hell are those guys¡­ they are huge.¡±


    The giant warriors turned around and tried to face them¡­ Irlan thrust his spear toward them, but the large shields completely blocked all areas that could be hit and at the same time, Irlan¡¯s thrusts didn¡¯t even slow down the enemies. When they tried to smash him, he used his trait to move to the side and then stabbed them in the neck.


    Zelos was on his right side trying to cover for Edea, who was behind and looking for an exposed neck¡­ he didn¡¯t like fighting like that, but he knew that Edea could pick up the enemies faster than him.


    All of a sudden, one of the enemies charged toward her after seeing three of his allies falling with arrows in their heads and then Zelos moved his sword to the side and then swung it with all his might. The sound of metal colliding echoed in the area and made those around flinch. The enemy stopped his charge, but at the same time, Zelos was feeling his bones vibrating¡­ it would have been better if he had brought his club for this kind of situation.


    ¡°Not the best way to stop a charge like that¡­¡±


    Still, as soon as the impact made the enemy flinch, an arrow flew toward his head and pierced it. That was a disappointing way to finish things, but that was a battlefield, it wasn¡¯t a place for duels.


    While resuming his job to cover for Edea, Zelos looked to the side and then saw the natives fightings¡­ they looked like madmen jumping around and giving their all with every single swing. The guy who kicked him was spinning like a top with his stone club and smashing the shields of the giant warriors. Another one armed with short swords looked like he was dancing on the battlefield as he claimed the necks of the enemies. There was no order or coordination with them.


    Still, amidst all that chaos, Reina stood out like a sore thumb. The natives let out all their rage, and wild nature take over their bodies, but she remained completely focused on the task ahead. When one enemy approached and tried to stab her, she thrusted her spear to the side and deflected the attack. In the same motion, she pierced the enemy¡¯s arm with her weapon, and when the enemy flinched thanks to the pain, she pierced their heart.


    When another tried to slam his shield against her, she pierced the ground with her spear and then used it to propel herself over the enemy. While she was spinning in the air, the enemy tried to stab her, but he missed, and when she landed behind him, she stabbed his back with ease and made him fall.


    The giant warriors quickly realized the menace that Reina was and soon tried to surround her and stab her from all sides, but nothing that they tried worked¡­ trying to stab her, smashing her from all directions¡­ throwing weapons. She avoided them all, but the weird thing was the fact that it looked like she never let the enemies truly finish their attacks and soon attacked them first.


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!


    ¡°What the hell is headquarters thinking? They let those guys attack us from behind without warning, and with only this much, they want us to retreat?¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Stay here and die then!¡±


    Hei¡¯s warriors were approaching, so those who had a functional brain quickly realized that they would be completely surrounded and had to escape that. They had to analyze the battle once more and re-plan things based on this force that just arrived.


    The natives tried to surround the enemies and slow down their retreat to decrease their numbers further, but they didn¡¯t have enough numbers to pull that off¡­ They barely could create one line to contain them. Moreover, when the giant warriors were determined to run away, they were quite hard to stop. Some of them tried to chase the enemies, but soon they saw the reinforcements of the enemies approaching, and then they decided to stop.


    ¡°You all really came, huh?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°It is Captain for a while, young lady. Or perhaps calling you a random soldier would be more appropriate as well.¡±


    Heirina didn¡¯t mind that. She was just happy to see her father alive and well¡­ just by taking a quick glance around, one could tell that the battle so far had been quite difficult. Hei looked at the group and then saw Zelos recovering his iron balls and then saw Reina. A quick glance was enough to tell that she was the leader there.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Hei, and I am really thankful for your help¡­ we barely were able to hold our lines here. You also surprised me with a back attack like that in the middle of the day.¡±


    ¡°I am Reina. I am going to help around here for four days only, so I will be counting on your cooperation.¡±


    ¡°That should be more than enough. Thank you once again.¡±


    Dozens of the giant warriors had fallen in a couple of minutes, perhaps close to one hundred and until now, barely five of them had died in each confrontation. It was difficult for Hei and Kai to find them, after all. They had five hundred on their side, and since the natives had around the same numbers and looked even more impressive, perhaps they had a chance of winning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s regroup¡­ we need to set camps for everyone, and¡­¡±


    Hei furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Zelos¡­ his face was darkened for some reason; he looked to be quite in a bad mood, but one couldn¡¯t tell why just by looking at him.


    ¡°It is a long story, and you have other things to worry about, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Zelos was mad for a very simple reason¡­ the area that he was forced to defend. The truth of the matter was the fact that before reaching the front lines, Zelos crossed the farm where he lived, and he felt very angry about it when he realized that the battlefield was close by¡­ once again, he was forced to defend that shitty place.


    Zelos was usually a pretty composed kid. He rarely showed any emotion, but when he did, it was only anger. Even Heirina and the others felt surprised when he showed that for so long as they crossed that farm. Eventually, they connected the dots and realized why Zelos was angry¡­ when he saw the old quarters, the forest where he trained. Free people were working on those now, but that didn¡¯t make his memories go away.


    However, he soon was forced to forget about it when he heard that the people on the front lines were losing because of the enemy generals, Elmer, and his older brother. Apparently, the enemies decided to invest all of their fortunes in this last battle and hired a clan of giants that had an unstoppable infantry.


    Zelos was forced to forget about that when they approached the camp and then saw the wounded¡­ they were tired, but they were mainly unscathed, so they decided to help treat the wounded. It was a pretty unusual sight¡­ but most of the wounded people had broken or smashed limbs instead of wounds created by sharp or pointy weapons. The heavy infantry didn¡¯t have to be skilled to do that much. They just had to be big and don¡¯t hesitate in front of the enemies¡­


    When night came, the group finished helping the wounded¡­ fortunately, at least the Carli clan had a bunch of healers, so treating the wounded was pretty straightforward.


    ¡°With the money they saved by using slave kids, they should have had the chance to hire these guys¡­ I already know that thinking like this will keep me mad pretty much forever. So, perhaps I should stop before I fall into that spiral.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zelos. Dad wants to talk with us all. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zelos wondered why Hei wanted that when their squad was basically inexperienced when it comes to large-scale confrontations, but he decided to wait and hear instead of thinking about it.


    ¡°Thanks for coming. You can sit.¡±


    Aside from Hei and the group, Reina and the guy who kicked Zelos were also there. Despite his personality, it seemed that she was someone Reina trusted. In any case, after everyone sat down, the mood changed a bit.


    ¡°Reina told me the situation about her coming to help and what she and her people can do. She also told me that she wants to finish things tomorrow in one way or the other, even though she said she is also fine with staying here for three more days.¡±


    Everyone nodded. Reina was important in the mountains, and her people needed her there. While the group wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the idea of recklessly charging toward the enemies to solve the conflict, those were the conditions for her help.


    ¡°We need to defeat the enemies before we can use them. That is why we are going all out tomorrow. Today, we were a bit tired, and only a few of us used our traits, but tomorrow, that will be different. I will lead the charge.¡±


    After Reina¡¯s declaration, everyone studied her for a moment. Although the natives were quite passionate people when it came to a lot of things, she almost deserved the title of ice queen. Even in the face of such a dangerous situation, she felt completely unfazed. Regardless, the idea that the natives were able to win against giants without using their traits and without being completely rested was simply insane. Tomorrow, they will probably make it rain blood if they go all out.


    ¡°With that in mind, your group will be on the front lines like me since you all called upon me. You will share my fate and the fate of my people.¡±

 Chapter 45 - Warm Up

    Everyone looked at each other. That was an unusual demand from Reina. Maybe despite her blank expression, she was a bit annoyed by the fact that she had to leave her territory to help the plains folk. Hei didn¡¯t say anything about that, but it was clear that he didn¡¯t like the idea of letting Heirina participate on the front lines in her first battle to defend the borders.


    ¡°Fine by me. I take it that we will be paid well enough if we survive until the end. Right? What are we going to have for dinner?¡±


    The group felt like sighing, thanks to Zelos¡¯s nonchalant attitude¡­ they stayed in the front earlier, but that one had been an ambush. Things would be different tomorrow, but it didn¡¯t look like he cared that much about it. As usual, he had steel nerves. After clearing her throat, Heirina decided to ask something.


    ¡°We can do that, but aside from that, what can we do, and what will be our goal?¡±


    ¡°We will lure the enemies¡¯ leaders. Once they are killed, the rest will go down easily. Since one of them has a grudge against you all, we should be able to pull that off easily.¡±


    The group wasn¡¯t as sure of that as Reina was¡­ Still, they could only try, and if the plan fails, they will be able to tell her to be a bit more reasonable and follow more common tactics. Hopefully, that won¡¯t cause them too many losses.


    ¡°At the same time, we will attack the enemies instead of waiting for them. The hill gives us some advantage, but as I said, I want to finish this tomorrow. My people and I will lead the charge, and the rest of you can follow by the sides. Only these here will have to be with us in the front.¡±


    ¡°... I will inform Lua and the other captains of the plan. They will probably think that we have lost our minds, but they will do anything as long as they don¡¯t have to deal with the most troublesome issues.¡±


    ¡°All right, that is all.¡±


    Reina left the tent with her underling and then joined her other allies. The other stayed behind to talk about the situation, even though there wasn¡¯t much to say or change about that.


    ¡°Tomorrow will be difficult, but you all will have to focus on staying alive no matter what. You are only the bait to lure Elmer, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that we can afford just to watch everyone fight and die, Dad. This is a good chance to make up for the dark history of our country and the natives. Even if we can¡¯t do that, as long as we fight together, our clan can become their allies.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good on paper, but it isn¡¯t that easy. Reina is a bit different from I expected, but even so, this plan is too risky. While having strong people like them as allies is reassuring, it just counterbalances the fact that their plans are just too reckless for ordinary clans.¡±


    Zelos wanted to say that perhaps that was the problem. The clans only worked to defend the territory, and every time they fought like that, thousands of them died. They had been protecting their lands like that for decades, and that never stopped the enemies from trying again and again.


    ¡°Did you see her fight, Dad? I don¡¯t think we will have to worry about that too much. In one way or another, those two will have to show themselves, and we will just have to grab that chance without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°The enemies must have some other tricks up their sleeve, and we can¡¯t be too cautious about them. Moreover, while you are fine with that, the others might not be fine with it. Seeing the enemies looking at you just as someone they had to kill was very different from letting them see you as someone that they truly hated. Elmer and his brothers will make everyone under his command target you all with that in mind.¡±


    Heirina looked at Edea for a moment. She tried to look composed, but it was clear that she wasn¡¯t¡­ she knew how it was to be hated by people who were supposed to be allies, but things would be very different on the battlefield.


    In any case, Hei wanted to be more methodical about it since the other captains, aside from Lua, were being too cautious. Still, since Reina wanted to finish the battles as soon as possible to return home, anything could happen. The situation could reach a point that would be impossible to predict. That was why Hei was worried. Unlike the clans, Reina didn¡¯t participate in battles often, so she didn¡¯t know what the enemies were capable of doing in all senses.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Rest and eat while you can and then wait until morning comes. I will make sure to reach you all in the middle of the battle before Elmer does it. So, my orders until then are to focus on surviving and don¡¯t take any chances. That is all.¡±


    After hearing that, they couldn¡¯t say anything to Hei. Orders were orders, and a chain of command was useless if the underlings couldn¡¯t follow the lead of those who were supposed to lead them. In the end, the group left to have dinner¡­ since Zelos believed that the battle would truly end tomorrow, he didn¡¯t hesitate to eat as many rations as possible. The taste wasn¡¯t that good, so he decided to at least fill his belly. As usual, since the mood was a bit heavy, Irlan decided to break the silence.


    ¡°In the end, the captain is right. This is our real first battle on the front lines¡­ we should focus on gaining experience instead of getting carried away.¡±


    No one said anything in response, so Irlan felt a bit bothered by it. The group was also split about what they should do¡­ Some wanted to be cautious for obvious reasons, others wanted to take their chances because the natives were also risking their lives and it wouldn¡¯t be fair not to share the risks with them.


    ¡°... What do you think, Zelos?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Everything can happen on the battlefield. You should know that. When doing something out of the norm, any plan quickly becomes useless since we can¡¯t predict that far ahead in chaotic situations. Besides, I can¡¯t imagine many people recalling what they heard on the previous day in the heat of the moment while blood, sweat, shit and piss surrounds them. While the enemies charge at them with a vicious look that shows that you are only a target to them.¡±


    After hearing that, the group felt troubled and didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. Zelos wasn¡¯t someone who liked to waste time, so he truly wanted to finish things tomorrow if he could as well. However, the idea of fighting and risking his life to protect that damned place truly annoyed him¡­ in one hand, he could focus on the future and do his best, on the other, he could stay attached to the past and let that drag him down and waste time¡­ for the first time since he found freedom, he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    When morning came, Zelos woke up and wondered if he should look for a horse. With all his weight, most horses would fall behind, after all. Perhaps it would be better to stay on foot and surprise the enemies like that.


    Everyone was close to each other, so they soon regrouped and got their horses. They looked a bit surprised that Zelos didn¡¯t want one, but it made sense since, thanks to his dark sword, he had the shortest reach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. We don¡¯t know when Reina is planning to attack, but it should be soon.¡±


    The group soon went to look for Reina and then they found her watching in the distance the enemy''s camp at the top of the hill. The enemy¡¯s camp was three kilometers away, they would have plenty of time to notice their approach, but she didn¡¯t look troubled over that. In any case, Hei, Lua and the head of the current Carli clan went to talk with her, but she quickly dismissed them.


    ¡°Be ready to follow us at any moment. I don¡¯t know when we are going to depart, but when we do, we will leave immediately.¡±


    Lua and Carly Junior were left completely astonished¡­ Hei warned them about her, but that was even worse than they had expected. Fortunately, he warned them not to say anything too hasty since they knew how powerful the natives were. In the end, they left her alone and then Hei looked at her daughter and nodded before leaving.


    All the natives were also looking in the same direction¡­ It was almost like they were waiting for a message or something to know when they should attack. Considering that and Reina¡¯s behavior, Zelos assumed that her trait was another defensive one that focused on counter attacking¡­ but it seemed way better than Irlan¡¯s. Or maybe he was just too inexperienced to compare. Regardless, during that time, the remaining forces soon positioned themselves around the hills.


    ¡°What do you think her trait is, Zelos? It seems like it is a better version than mine.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing, but considering how she fights to perfection, maybe we are wrong. Her trait might actually be offensive or something, and her quick judgment makes it look like it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Irlan stopped to think for a moment, trying to understand it¡­ it made sense, but he still couldn¡¯t think of any trait that could do that. In any case, they didn¡¯t have much time to think about that because Reina suddenly raised her spear and then shouted all of a sudden.


    ¡°Charge!¡¯


    They didn¡¯t have to hear it twice, the natives began to charge down the hill without hesitation¡­ The enemies were three kilometers away, but they already looked like they could see them and were itching to crush their heads. Half of the natives decided to charge on foot while the others began to ride the horses. Still, they weren¡¯t falling behind.


    For all intents and purposes, leaving the high ground in any kind of battle would be foolish, so Zelos wondered why Reina gave up on that when the enemy tried to take it over so much. While looking in the distance, Zelos couldn¡¯t see any reason for that. Nothing changed in those few minutes that could have explained that, but Reina found something that was worth her decision.


    ¡°Hey, Zelos. Are you sure that you want to run all this distance? I can give you a ride.¡±


    ¡°This will be a good warm-up for me.¡±

 Chapter 46 - Duel

    All those in the camp who could fight were following them¡­ There were only around three thousand warriors against almost ten thousand enemy soldiers. The odds were stacked against them, but the natives looked like they were going to enjoy themselves instead of heading into a battlefield where they would be outnumbered three to one.


    When the army crossed half of the distance, they finally had the chance to see the enemies in the distance moving, and they seemed to be in a hurry¡­ there were no signs of their lines being any close to being completed. Thanks to that, the charge gained even more speed¡­ Zelos could finally understand something. Somehow, Reina was able to see in the distance the perfect moment to attack the enemy¡­ it was when they were their weakest or unready to defend.


    ¡°Weakest¡­ could it be?¡±


    Before Zelos could complete his thinking, he saw some horses coming from the enemy¡¯s camp toward them. It looked like the enemies didn¡¯t want them getting any closer to their camp for some reason. It wasn¡¯t like they had the high ground there, so maybe there was another reason the cavalry came¡­ to buy time, perhaps.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the two groups to collide¡­ Edea fired some arrows and then claimed the heads of some archers. Zelos recovered the arrows for her, but she hesitated in getting them. She wasn¡¯t a real warrior¡­ even though she was so skilled with the bow.


    At the same time, Reina began to move among the enemies and stab them while avoiding their attacks by avoiding them by a very small margin. At that point in time, Zelos could almost be certain that Reina could see the enemy¡¯s weakness, or maybe it was something like, based on the enemies¡¯ stance, she could find the best way to defeat them as quickly as possible.


    Either way, the enemy cavalry didn¡¯t last even a single minute, so soon the enemy¡¯s camp was reached¡­ The giant warriors with their shields and spears began to assume their formations to stop them, and soon the chaos started.


    ¡°Spread and kill them all!¡±


    For the unusual calm Reina to shout that with all her might¡­ Despite the noise of the horses and the fights, everyone still clearly heard her. Even though they were outnumbered three to one, they still had the confidence of winning without having to use tactics.


    The natives began to spread around, and only a small number began to follow Reina, Zelos, and the others. They were among them and soon collided with the few heavy infantrymen who managed to assemble. Those guys got ready to stab Reina¡¯s horse, but she quickly jumped from the animal and passed above them while spinning in the air. She elegantly landed on the ground and then swung her spear¡­ claiming the heads of five enemies with ease.


    The remaining natives targeted the other infantrymen and faced them directly and soon destroyed their shields before facing them. Reina told the group to follow her to share their same fate, but at that point in time, she was only showing off.


    Still, she suddenly stopped ahead when she found a squad of archers armed with crossbows and ready to fire them. As expected, she was weak when it came to long-range attacks, so she couldn¡¯t help but stop. She probably didn¡¯t have much experience dealing with that since she lived in the mountains. However, a solution soon appeared¡­ Zelos threw one of the enemy¡¯s shields at her while he had another. She grabbed it without hesitation.


    ¡°Well thought.¡±


    Zelos wasn¡¯t planning to just watch¡­ in the end, and he couldn¡¯t just blame the assholes in the farm for what he had to endure for ten years. All the motherfuckers who love to wage war so badly are part of the problem. Zelos decided to show them the kind of monster they could create, even away from the battlefield.


    Zelos and Reina charged while using the shields and then the enemies bombarded them with bolts¡­ Much to Zelos¡¯s surprise, the bolts were literally raining on the shields. Most likely, they were rapid-fire crossbows, and considering the marks that he could see on the other side, they had a lot of power, too.


    Still, before the shields could break or suffer too much damage, they reached the enemies¡­ Reina swung the shield and smashed the faces of several of the archers while Zelos used his charging technique and knocked down several of the enemies¡­ when they tried to get up, Zelos swung his sword and cut their heads without hesitation.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Before the others could reach them, things started to get chaotic in the enemy¡¯s camps. Tents began to burn and people tried to run away since they didn¡¯t have time to grab their weapons. Zelos saw some riders coming from the side and then charging toward Heirina and the others¡­


    All sides start an all-out confrontation, and Zelos, for the first time, sees what a real war is. He was completely taken aback by it. Yesterday, his head was filled with anger, but this time it was different¡­ However, he soon recovers and makes up his mind to fight even more fiercely than before. That was the world he was born in.


    Before Zelos and Reina could reunite with the others, two figures suddenly charged at them¡­ the first slammed his body against Reina and then pushed her to the distance. While the other swung his sword at Zelos, and even though he jumped to the side and avoided the blade¡­ his neck began to bleed.


    ¡°I was expecting to find many people here, but not you, kid.¡±


    Zelos squinted his eyes while looking at Elmer. The plan worked, but not the way Reina had planned. When they got separated from the group, the two enemy leaders appeared and targeted them instead. Maybe the sudden arrival of another cavalry unit wasn¡¯t a coincidence.


    Regardless, Elmer looked much better than before. He didn¡¯t look weaker, and he also had a long sword in his hands and a weird glove in his left hand. It was weird to look at that since there was this odd feeling...


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, kid.¡±


    Elmer swung his sword again and then Zelos suddenly felt his left ear burning. In the next moment, he saw half of it falling on the ground, and then the wetness of blood began to drip from the other part that was still left in place.


    ¡°What do you want me to say? It has been a while? How are you?¡±


    Perhaps it was a good idea to buy time since the natives had the advantage in the situation and Zelos knew that he wasn¡¯t experienced enough to deal with Elmer¡­ moreover, his trait allowed him to attack from a distance somehow, and that was the first long-ranged trait that Zelos had seen that operated offensively.


    Elmer just smiled and then swung his sword again. This time, Zelos used his charging technique to the side and avoided the hit¡­ Thanks to the hit, he saw a mark in the shape of a line suddenly appearing on the grass. At the same time, he saw a few of the grass blades around moving.


    ¡°A trait that let him control the wind with his attacks¡­ or perhaps he can just control the wind and extend the reach of his sword and make it like a whip.¡±


    ¡°Impressive. I didn¡¯t think that you had the physical strength to do that. I thought that you were just a random kid that belonged to a rich family and was playing mercenary, but it seems that I was wrong.¡±


    Elmer took a few steps forward, and Zelos immediately realized that it would be harder to dodge if he got closer. He also couldn¡¯t use the charging technique often, so he truly was in a bind. Zelos wanted to confirm the surrounding situation, but he couldn¡¯t turn his head or even blink for a second¡­ he focused on his ears and only heard the sound of metal colliding, grunts of pain, and people screaming.


    ¡°I guess I will have to do this somehow. It will be a good experience, if nothing else.¡±


    Zelos lowered his stance and got ready to fight, Elmer blinked several times after seeing that and then chuckled. It was funny that a kid like Zelos thought that he could fight him¡­ it would be even funnier if it weren¡¯t actually very annoying.


    Elmer charged and then swung his sword. Zelos raised his sword and then blocked the invisible attack, but he still felt his shoulder burning¡­ even if he blocked the wind in an area, that wasn¡¯t enough¡­


    Before the pain could even decrease, Zelos charged at the enemy and then swung his sword. Elmer smiled and then blocked the attack with a single hand but then opened his eyes widely when his defenses were easily destroyed. The dark sword approached him, but then he blocked the weapon with his glove and then jumped backward.


    Upon impact, another sound of metal colliding took place, but the glove didn¡¯t suffer any damage, nor was Elmer¡¯s hand pushed away¡­ Zelos felt like he had attacked a brick wall somehow¡­


    ¡°I guess you must have a strength-type trait¡­ that would explain why you are here. I almost messed up again¡­ I tried to fool around with that crazy woman and then ended up caged for several months. I need to learn my lesson.¡±


    Zelos recalled the wounds that Lua showed before and the ones that Elmer caused¡­ now he could understand how things played out for this retard to end up in prison. In any case, that had been a golden chance for Zelos, but now the enemy was no longer going to underestimate him.


    Elmer swung his sword around in several angles and then Zelos tried to run away while protecting his head from the attacks¡­ it didn¡¯t take long before his body and clothes were damaged and dirty with blood¡­ it truly looked like he had been whipped by a sword. The enemies trait was annoying, and it didn¡¯t look like it used that much magic to make it work.


    Still, Elmer stopped attacking for a moment and then began to study Zelos¡­ he was surprised that Zelos wasn¡¯t showing any signs of pain. The longer the distance between him and the target, the more swallow the damage would be, but after being hit several times, he was bound to have a harder time moving.


    ¡°You must have some decent physical defenses as well¡­ It can''t be helped. I wanted to enjoy this slowly, but if you are here, the others must be here as well. I will only feel satisfied if I am the one who claims their heads.¡±

 Chapter 47 - Relic

    Elmer charged and then swung down his sword, but then Zelos used his charging technique and then targeted the stomach and the hands of the enemy with the tip of his weapon¡­ Once again, the enemy moved his gauntlet in his left hand and blocked the attack. The sound of metal colliding echoed again, but then the enemy showed a look of discomfort in his face, and he lost the strength in his attack and was pushed backward.


    The smile disappeared from his face, and then he began to study Zelos as Zelos did the same. He didn¡¯t cause much damage¡­ so something must have happened. Since the enemy wasn¡¯t wounded, something else happened that made him feel uncomfortable. Something related to the gauntlet¡­


    ¡°The gauntlet¡­ can¡¯t work like that without some cost¡­ perhaps it consumes his magic with each attack.¡±


    The explanation seemed logical and on point¡­ It confirmed that Elmer changed his stance and moved his left hand to the bottom of the handle. He was right-handed, so that was the proper way to hold the sword to maximize his attack power and precision. The previous form allowed him better reaction time and freedom in his movements.


    Elmer¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and then he opened his eyes widely and then swung down his sword. Zelos had a bad feeling about that and moved his sword to block the attack with the side of the weapon. The impact pushed away as he managed to block most of the attack with his weapon, but then Zelos felt a deep, excruciating pain on his left shoulder¡­ the pain gave room to a stinging hot feeling, and soon Zelos lost control over his left arm. It fell limp on his side. It wasn¡¯t chopped¡­ but the wound had damaged the muscles and ligaments.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    Zelos never thought that Elmer¡¯s technique could become even more powerful from a distance as long as he put more strength behind his attacks. That was a hard lesson that he was forced to learn. Blood was coming out from the wound, but Zelos knew that in a couple of minutes, the bleeding would stop¡­ but he still was in deep waters.


    ¡°This is quite embarrassing¡­ forcing to be this cautious against a kid. I guess I developed some trauma over being locked down for a couple of months. Killing all those kids would be perfect, but I will be satisfied in killing only that bitch aside from you.¡±


    He was definitely talking about Edea¡­ despite her skills, he still would be able to cut her down since he was able to wound Zelos like that at ten meters of distance. Still, it wasn¡¯t time for Zelos to worry about her. He took a deep breath and then calmed down while enduring the pain.


    ¡°Well, then, should I finish the job on that arm, or should I target the other arm?¡±


    Both options were pretty bad for Zelos, so he was forced to use his head as quickly as possible. Zelos lowered his sword and then the enemy couldn¡¯t help but smirk. However, the tip of the weapon cut the small bag where his iron balls were¡­ they began to fall and Zelos didn¡¯t hesitate in kicking them.


    The enemy saw the iron balls and soon swung his sword to repel the only one that Zelos kicked. A wind blade actually split in half the iron ball before it could reach him, but in a fraction of a second, Zelos used his charging technique and then stabbed the enemy before he could recover¡­ the dark blade pierced through Elmer¡¯s stomach with ease.


    With an expression of shock and pain on his face, Elmer slowly lost control over his body and then fell to the ground¡­


    Zelos sighed in relief once the enemy stopped moving. Soon he felt a bit weird for feeling like that after taking a life. Regardless, the pain in his shoulder and body made him forget that. The enemy tried to take his life, after all.


    Zelos looked around and soon saw that the battle was far from over. He didn¡¯t know if he could fight like that, he probably couldn¡¯t, but he had to take some countermeasures. First of all, he recovered his iron ball, sword and then he took out the glove that Elmer was wearing and equipped on his right hand, even though it was supposed to be equipped on the left one.


    After that, he began to retreat where the others were supposed to be while carrying the iron balls in his right hand and ready to throw them at the enemy if he had to. Just when Zelos found them, he saw Hei arriving with a large force of cavalry that soon began to move in circles around the area and then disposed of the enemies around. When Hei finally slowed down, Zelos had the chance to approach and then Reina also arrived in the area¡­ carrying the head of Elmer¡¯s brother.


    ¡°... It seems that you pulled off as well, but why didn¡¯t you bring that guy¡¯s head?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I would become the target of his underlings in this state and that would have been the same as a death sentence. The body is there.¡±


    Reina looked at her underling with the stone club and then he left to recover the body. At the same time, the others in the group approached Zelos and checked his wounds. He was a mess¡­ they thought that he got lucky against Elmer since his trait was nasty and pretty infamous as well. It claimed the lives of hundreds of warriors.


    ¡°Wait here and don¡¯t move. Soon the healers will arrive and then will treat your wounds. We will rally the soldiers and demoralize the enemies by using the heads of their leaders.¡±


    That was one of the few things that Zelos couldn¡¯t understand when it comes to war. The goal was to make sure their allies wouldn¡¯t lose their lives and make the enemies lose their fighting spirit, but that still bothered him. Regardless, Hei left the area and then the group finally had the chance to rest. Irlan sighed in relief.


    ¡°It feels like we didn¡¯t do much and Zelos got all the glory¡­ and got all the wounds as well. By the way, where did you get that gauntlet?¡±


    ¡°From our dearest friend Elmer. If it weren¡¯t for this, I would have surprised him and avoided most of these wounds.¡±


    Everyone realized that it was a relic, even at first glance one would be able to tell that. They didn¡¯t know what it could do yet, but it probably would be very useful on Zelos hands.


    Regardless, it didn¡¯t take long for the battlefield to change again, while showing the heads of the enemies leaders, Reina and Hei managed to completely make the enemies lose their willpower. They still outnumbered the attackers, but they could no longer think of that. They just began to run away in all directions.


    For all intents and purposes, the battle was over, but the attackers kept chasing the enemies even after sunset¡­ they weren¡¯t planning to let not a single one of them escape.


    After sunset, the healers finally arrived and then they came to check on Zelos wounds¡­ however, aside from some red bruises on his body that looked like they were swollen, he looked completely fine. He was starving, though.


    ¡°... Father?¡±


    Kaitrine suddenly said that and then everyone opened their eyes widely. Then they looked in the direction she was looking and then they found a middle-aged man that had the same hair and eye color as Kaitrine.


    ¡°Hei sent the message that you all should just return to the camp and rest, we will keep chasing the enemies nonstop and we will also invade the town and villages that belonged to those two. With the natives¡¯ help, this will be easy and without their army, the people there will have to surrender. Your battle is over.¡±


    Kai immediately left the area without waiting for the group¡¯s response. It wasn¡¯t like they had many options, after all. Still, they felt like they truly weren¡¯t participating in the battle and on its conclusion as well. It was a weird feeling¡­


    ¡°We might don¡¯t need to fight anymore, but there are plenty of things to take care of here. Let¡¯s focus on that for the time being. Besides, things will be busy for a while if we try to annex another territory to our own. The conclusion of this battle won¡¯t take place for quite a while.¡±


    Everyone understood that and so they began to work on organizing their tools, helping the healers or delivering the food for those who needed but couldn¡¯t move. Zelos couldn¡¯t help but feel like sighing since his body was still hurting, and he had to do that kind of job yet. Hopefully, he will be rewarded for it.


    As it turned out, Heirina group took the role of commanding the base on the hill since the captains and most of the warriors were chasing the enemies¡­ they truly were being restless. Heirina wondered if they weren¡¯t going too far. Still, considering that they never went on the offensive, perhaps they were enjoying the moment.


    Kai appeared a few times to deliver some messages and give reports, but there was nothing out of the norm. Two days after the end of the battle, Reina and the natives returned and reported that the five villages in Elmer¡¯s territory and his brother¡¯s town was taken over by Hei and the other clans¡­ the issue was how the enemy¡¯s country was going to respond to that.


    ¡°Our job is over, we are going home.¡±


    Heirina wondered what she should say in that kind of situation. The natives lost twenty of them in that confrontation. It was quite a small number. Still, they deserved some rewards, but they didn¡¯t care about that. Celebrating the victory wasn¡¯t of their interest either.


    ¡°Thank you, Reina. We are heavily indebted to you. If you need help with anything, you can call for us and we will be there in no time.¡±


    ¡°I will remember that.¡±


    There several ways to say that kind of thing, and Reina chose the one that sounded like a threat. Regardless, she didn¡¯t sound particularly mad, she sounded the same as usual and just like that, the natives began to depart.


    ¡°She sure knows how to leave an impression.¡±


    The girls of the group looked at Irlan with eyes filled with suspicion. That was why it was a good idea for him to learn how to keep his mouth shut. Still, it looked like he wasn¡¯t smart enough to read the atmosphere.


    ¡°Relax, guys. Give it ten more years and you will be able to feel confident in front of Reina. Right, Zelos?¡±


    Zelos had already left the area as well to do some training. He was unable to do that in the last few days since the places where he had been wounded hurt like a bit¡­ when he insisted, he saw the scar on his shoulder turning red almost like it was becoming a wound again. This time around, he was able to swing his sword a bit better, and the scar didn¡¯t hurt either.

 Chapter 48 - Traitor

    ¡°This battle was a mess¡­ It showed me that there are plenty of people out there who are way stronger than me. I need to try harder.¡±


    At the same time, Zelos realized that his basic moves needed some more polish or perhaps power¡­ he thought that the natives could give him a few hints about that, but they had no reason to help him whatsoever. They didn¡¯t want to waste time there further, as well, so the idea of asking them never crossed his mind.


    After training for a bit, Zelos decided to test the effects of the gauntlet and soon he attacked it with his sword¡­ It was hard as steel, and thanks to that, he confirmed the reason behind it¡­ it consumed magic in order to cancel the power of attacks.


    Health: 950/950


    Magic: 500/500


    Stamina: 840/840


    Strength:  50


    Vigor: 45


    Precision:  39


    Wisdom:  10


    Willpower:  40


    Traits: Regeneration Lv 69


    ¡°It seems that it cancels damage that would be equal to the damage directly to my health¡­ so, it can cancel two hundred points of damage. It isn¡¯t much considering my total health and regeneration, but it can be useful in some circumstances.¡±


    After doing some tests with the gauntlet, Zelos thought that it would be a good idea to try to improve his magic. Considering his training, he thought that his resolve should have improved a bit, but it seemed that physical activities wouldn¡¯t help with that.


    ¡°I bet that Edea uses her magic a lot or used¡­ perhaps keep using a trait that consumes that will increase things like wisdom and resolve, but it shouldn¡¯t be just that. I have to try other things once I get home.¡±


    Speaking of home, on the next day, the group received another message to dismount the camp on the hill¡­ the warriors that weren¡¯t that much hurt would join the others taking over the town that once belonged to Elmer¡¯s brother and while the rest would retreat. They could only keep their homes unprotected for so long, after all.


    ¡°I guess it is time to return home¡­ Dad just left to us all the things that needed to be done back at home.¡±


    ¡°It was left to you. It is time for you to reap the benefits of leading and be the future head of the clan.¡±


    ¡°Zelos, you traitor¡­¡±


    ¡°I already have my work on the farm waiting for me. Although I might give you a hand if you pay me enough.¡±


    ¡°The mercenary¡¯s way of life truly suits you¡­¡±


    In the end, after another day, the camp was dismounted and then the group began to head home. The trip could be taken in four days, but they took six since Heirina wanted to delay her work back home as much as possible¡­ she forgot that the more she delays it, more work would be waiting for her.


    Everyone felt relaxed being back home, but Heirina looked depressed. The group soon split up and then Zelos immediately went to the farm to work¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t let the old man die of overwork, after all. In any case, I have gotten a bit stronger, so I should be able to finish the job faster. Usually, that would mean more time for training, but I will change my routine a bit.¡±


    Aside from strength, the fight against Elmer made Zelos realize that he was lacking in many aspects. He had to deal with them before the next battle¡­ because he didn¡¯t want to count on luck or surprise attacks to defeat the enemies. That wasn¡¯t the way that he envisioned his fighting style, after all.


    ¡°Well first, I should get a horse to use and to be mine alone. One that needs to get used to me, my riding skills and all the weight that I carry. After that, I guess I should get used to fighting while riding and using that club as well. Then, finally, get combat experience while riding¡­ it is a problem, but I guess I will have to rely on those guys.¡±


    Until now, Zelos avoided training with the others, people like Irlan and Heirina were truly the best sparring partners someone could ask for considering their skills and traits. In the end, Zelos will have to put aside his pride for the sake of the future¡­ but the near future already looked too troublesome.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    The news about the first invasion after focusing on defending their borders for decades quickly put the country of Hillania in the attention of the closest countries. Although that country didn¡¯t lose territory in many decades, it had become ignored by all the countries in the continent aside from its neighbors thanks to its size and lack of accomplishments. Hillania was the smallest country in the continent and didn¡¯t have many geographical characteristics that made it stand out either.


    At first, people thought that it had been a fluke, but soon they learned that the natives joined the battle and helped on ending the campaign after just two days of their arrival. The natives could be found in many parts of the continent and they shared many characteristics among each other, the fact that they were all isolationists was just one of them.


    Also considering that they claimed the heads of two relatively famous mercenaries by the hands of unknown assailants, they picked the interest of other countries. To the point that spies began to enter the country over the next few weeks¡­ soon the country of Hillania would become a part of a massive board where all the players wanted to seek dominance over the whole continent no matter what. Still, the country was far behind all the others for many reasons that soon the spies would find out¡­


    The first group to realize about the spies had been the natives. Few of them lived outside the mountains, but they did so while following the orders of Reina. At the same time, they had been carefully picked thanks to their skills and instincts and that was exactly why they found the spies¡­ they had a smell different from the spies that they knew already. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t do anything against them without warning the enemy countries of their skills.


    At first, Reina didn¡¯t mind that much after hearing about them, but after receiving the tenth report about new spies, she couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. She expected some sort of reaction, but not that much.


    ¡°I guess this is my fault¡­ my desire to finish things swiftly puts us on the focus of many people that we don¡¯t know of and this is a problem.¡±


    ¡°Leader, what are we going to do about this? Disposing of the spies should buy us some time, even if others come and are more cautious, it will at least prevent large-scale battles that we might be forced to join.¡±


    ¡°You are wrong, Eldor. We don¡¯t have to worry about them until our neighbors start to fall. So, we have some time¡­ the real issue is, what are we going to do once the country starts to be attacked even more fiercely than before?¡±


    ¡°... I suppose the only answer is to make the clans stronger. However, considering that a lot of people fear their influence, they will never grow strongly enough.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ so something else will have to happen that will be different from a clan. Something that will grow so fast that it won¡¯t have the chance to be held back by idiots. Come to think of it, it is that time of the year already¡­ it is time to ask them to pay back the favor.¡±


    ¡°Very good¡­ this kind of investment is truly good.¡±


    Zelos was smirking despite his current situation¡­ he was surrounded by massive piles of manure, but he was still in a good mood. That was because his cows were doing pretty well. He had fifty of them growing into adults and fifty adult ones already. He got a bunch of them after returning to the mission¡­ Hei asked him what he wanted as a reward for killing Elmer, so he asked for cows.


    Usually, a person in that position would have asked for money or land, but Zelos asked for cows. Thanks to that, his business was booming, and he was already considering buying more than one hundred of them to fill the shed of investment into something else.


    ¡°What do you think, old man?¡±


    ¡°It should be around the right time for you to receive another mission that will make you stay away from the town for a while. The farm is already too big for my wife and all to take care of so many cows. Still, since everyone knows that you are my business partner, then it should be easier to avoid problems with the people that I will hire to help. I will split the hiring expenses with you. Now that I said it out loud, it sounds pretty shameful to have an eleven-year-old kid as a business partner.¡±


    ¡°Twelve years old¡­ not that there is much difference, I suppose. Anyway, since you are fine with hiring others for some reason, then I will keep investing money until the shed is full again.¡±


    During the last six months, Zelos didn¡¯t leave the town, and he only did some small jobs for Heirina while she administered the town to the place of Hei. Thanks to that, he had time to focus on the farm and training, so he made a lot of progress in that area. Now he had 130 cows, and the money was starting to pile up again.


    Health: 1350/1350


    Magic: 620/620


    Stamina: 1240/1240


    Strength:  70


    Vigor: 65


    Precision:  59


    Wisdom:  20


    Willpower: 42


    Traits:  Regeneration Lv 79


    That was the result of the last six months of training. Zelos felt that he had made a lot of progress. He even learned that studying could help him increase his wisdom, and since he did some grinding to learn how to read and write, his wisdom increased by ten points.


    On the other hand, Zelos¡¯s willpower only increased by two points¡­ that was because one would have to meditate under harsh conditions to improve that parameter aside from physical training that he usually does. Like when one was very hungry or thirsty or when it was too hot or too cold outside. That was why few people practiced that. Zelos wasn¡¯t a fan of meditation either, he would rather move his body since it was more efficient.


    Considering his profits and the money that he received working for the old man farmer, Zelos did the math and confirmed that if things stayed like that, in one year, he would be able to have his two hundred cows. It was a high enough number, so he decided that it would be a good idea to invest elsewhere¡­ in a business where he didn¡¯t have to be directly involved to make sure that the money would keep working for him.


    For a change, and since it has been a while because he had been saving up money, Zelos decided to eat out and fill his belly at his favorite restaurant. When he crossed the entrance, he almost turned around and left when he saw Irlan with a middle-aged woman and a little girl with him. While it was lunch time, they were eating a large pudding together.


    ¡°Zelos! I didn¡¯t expect to find you here.¡±

 Chapter 49 - Call from the Mountains

    Zelos imagined that the woman was Irlan¡¯s mother and the little girl was his sister. Come to think of it, he had mentioned at some point that his little sister was turning twelve at some point. Since he imagined that Irlan¡¯s little sister could be troublesome, like Heirina and Kaitrine, he decided to avoid her. In the end, his gut feeling was correct. When the little girl saw him, she didn¡¯t try to hide her frown¡­ it looked like Irlan spilled the beans about the first time they talked about her.


    Irlan¡¯s little sister had short brown wavy hair tied up into two pigtails. That wasn¡¯t a style that many female warriors used, but it seemed that while she wanted to fight as well, she still wanted to have her own sense of style as well. She had light brown eyes and a bit of a round face. Maybe Irlan spoiled her a lot and brought her to eat pudding there too many times.


    ¡°Do you want to join us? It is my little sister¡¯s birthday.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I am not into sweets. I hope that you have a good birthday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zelos nodded and then moved to a table in the corner of the restaurant and then asked for a full lunch set. Then he asked for another when he finished and then another¡­ when he finished his lunch, those three were still enjoying the pudding, but they looked completely speechless by his appetite and eating speed.


    ¡°Thanks for the food.¡±


    Zelos nodded at Irlan and then left the restaurant, only to see a lot of people running in front of the place to the west side of the town. Zelos raised his eyebrows, but soon Irlan explained what was going on.


    ¡°You have been busy lately, so we didn¡¯t have time to say it to you, but Captain Hei is returning today with everyone. Heirina is ecstatic.¡±


    ¡°I guess it makes sense.¡±


    Zelos decided to stay around for a while and then watch the guys return. They had been working outside nonstop, so they deserved his respect and welcomed them back. Out of nine hundred warriors that had left, a little less than eight hundred returned. For all intents and purposes, that campaign had been a huge success. No one goes to war thinking that they would return with all of their allies, after all.


    In the end, things got a bit noisy as everyone celebrated the return of the warriors of the clan. Hei was leading the group, and while waving at everyone, he was still able to spot Zelos and Irlan and nod at them. Irlan smiled and waved back.


    ¡°I would say that he wants to talk with us as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Once he is done with all the work that Heirina let it pile up for him.¡±


    ¡°Give her some credit, will you? I will confirm that soon and then come to talk to you.¡±


    Zelos nodded, and then he left. The restaurants and taverns were starting to become noisy since the warriors wanted to celebrate their return, so it was time for Zelos to bail. After doing his afternoon work, Zelos went to look after his horse and train his horsemanship skills a bit.


    ¡°How are you doing today, buddy?¡±


    The giant black horse snorted¡­ Zelos felt like Nightstorm, his horse, was complaining that he was late for his work of brushing his hair, body, and mane. He soon relaxed when Zelos started that.


    ¡°I met some troublesome people along the way, so I am a bit late.¡±


    Before he noticed, in the last few months, Zelos developed the habit of talking with his horse. While he looked fearsomely powerful, there was also this air of intelligence in the eyes of Nightstorm. He was also a very skilled horse and never showed any weakness, even when Zelos rode him while carrying a bunch of heavy stuff.


    After he brushed Nightstorm, Zelos did some training while swinging his club as well¡­ he finally could use the weapon with a single hand while riding and the sound of the wind being pushed away by the weapon was pretty impressive. Zelos finally could fight like that, but he was starting to feel that the club was too light. Perhaps he needed a bigger weapon, since he also felt that the weapon was a bit smaller than it was before.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work. One apple, as usual as a reward, right?¡±


    Nightstorm snorted in annoyance, and then Zelos laughed and grabbed two from his back.


    ¡°I am joking. Two as usual. I guess I can¡¯t complain that you eat too much, considering that I am the same.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Looking after a horse was a lot of work and cost a lot, but Zelos felt that it was worth the hassle and the investment. Now, he needed to consider buying some gear for Nightstorm. It was better to be ready for that instead of looking for it when he began to hear about the proximity of another battle.


    While Zelos was thinking about that, he heard the sound of another horse approaching and soon he saw Irlan.


    ¡°Did he say something? You don¡¯t look to be in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°He just called for all of us. Heirina looked a bit troubled, though.¡±


    ¡°Not happy knowing that Hei will free her from her own future job?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look particularly thrilled, but she shows that kind of expression now and then, like something troublesome happened and that she doesn¡¯t want to deal with. Usually, it isn¡¯t anything really troublesome.¡±


    ¡°You sure are observant.¡±


    ¡°By the way, sorry about before. Irlene was in a bit of a bad mood since she recalled that you didn¡¯t try to become her friend.¡±


    ¡°I take it that is the name of your little sister¡­ Was she expecting that I would come to her to become her friend just because you mentioned her a few times?¡±


    ¡°... I feel troubled by saying yes, but it is true.¡±


    ¡°You must be spoiling her beyond reason¡­ What kind of monster are you raising?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Mom is already plenty harsh to her, so Dad and I had to balance it out.¡±


    ¡°I am sure it is working.¡±


    Those two rode in silence to Hei¡¯s house and from a distance, they saw Kaitrine entering the place as well with Edea. For a while, Edea has been living in a single house on the other side of the town. She had saved enough money to buy one after the battle six months ago. Zelos heard that Kaitrine wanted to do the same soon enough, so he was the only one living a poor man¡¯s life when it came to his residence.


    After leaving the horses outside, they entered the house and soon found everyone in the living room sipping on some tea. Zelos didn¡¯t like tea that much, so he skipped on it. He was starting to like coffee, but when he drank it, he would have a hard time sleeping at night, so he was trying to avoid it as much as possible.


    ¡°Thanks for coming, everyone. We didn¡¯t have the chance to talk six months ago, but I congratulate you on your hard work before. Convincing the natives to help us was the key to winning that battle.¡±


    Everyone wanted to know how things were in the town they had just taken over. They had heard a few things, but nothing else. The last thing they heard was that Carli Junior and Lua¡¯s clan were ruling the place while Hei got to control the villages.


    ¡°We stayed there for a while to defend the place and establish our rule there, and we can safely say that the territory was successfully annexed. It looks like the people of that country don¡¯t have plans to take it back anytime soon. Lua didn¡¯t give me many details, but her spies said that the warriors in other areas are moving north and south, probably thanks to some other threats.¡±


    That would explain a lot. Still, they would need more than that instead of just waiting for the enemies to attack again or keep attacking. Fortunately, a lot of people wanted to use the wind that was blowing in their favor, so a lot of people showed interest in joining some clans to become warriors. Hei imagined that getting two hundred more warriors to fill their ranks would be an easy task this time around.


    ¡°Well, that is all about the past and the current situation. Now then¡­ about the future. I received an unusual letter and soon Heirina received another as well and pretty similar. Long story short: Reina is calling you guys to pay her back for helping in that battle.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, wondering the meaning behind that¡­ they knew that Reina would ask for a favor, eventually, but not so soon. Nevertheless, that would explain why Heirina looked bothered.


    ¡°What does she want us to do, Dad?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you in your letter? She didn¡¯t say anything aside that she would be borrowing you all.¡±


    ¡°... She starts to sound more and more bothersome than actually a person who is difficult because of the difference in the culture. Maybe it isn¡¯t worth it to try to become allies with the natives¡­¡±


    ¡°You sure changed your opinion a lot in the last six months. Anyway, if she didn¡¯t tell you in the letter what she wanted you all to do, then you will have to head there and learn the reason for it. Despite being someone difficult, she isn¡¯t a bad person or someone who would give you an impossible task.¡±


    Heirina went silent for a while¡­ Ultimately, the decision would be hers since she was the leader of the group, but since no one seemed against it¡­


    ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°Trying to find a reason elsewhere not to go? In the end, we received help and we need to pay the debt. They lost some of their own in a battle that technically wasn¡¯t theirs, after all.¡±


    Despite Zelos¡¯ annoying words, Heirina knew that he had a point. A debt must be paid no matter what. Without a good reputation, a clan couldn¡¯t maintain itself for long. The others also looked like they had the same thoughts. The fact that Reina didn¡¯t say what the goal of the mission was was troublesome, but perhaps it wasn¡¯t something that could be said through a letter.


    ¡°We will at least go there and hear about what she has in store for us. We will depart the day after tomorrow at sunrise. Prepare yourselves accordingly.¡±


    Everyone nodded and soon they got up to leave the house. As it turned out, the old man farmer was correct about his predictions, so the fact that Zelos would suddenly leave again wouldn¡¯t bother him that much. While the group was readying their horses to leave, Irlan decided to break the silence.


    ¡°I never heard of natives asking for help from outside. While we owe them, it is unusual for them to invite anyone to their territory. What do you guys think that this is about?¡±


    ¡°No clue.¡±


    ¡°No point in thinking about it. We should just wait to hear directly from Reina.¡±


    Zelos and Kaitrine gave their opinions on the matter. They didn¡¯t look troubled or very interested, they just wanted to pay their debts and that would be all. Still, Edea put a bit of more thought into it.

 Chapter 50 - Troublesome Job

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that they would give us a very difficult job, but at least it should be something that they don¡¯t want to do for whatever reason. As for the possible jobs that they could be, it is hard to say.¡±


    Irlan nodded. While it was interesting to think about that, ultimately, it was better to wait for Reina to confirm things. Just as expected, finishing the preparations for the mission had been pretty easy for Zelos. It seemed that the old man farmer had laid the groundwork for that kind of situation beforehand, and there were some kids who would do Zelos¡¯s job while he was away. It seemed that they thought the secret of Zelos¡¯ strength was his work and the milk of the farm. It was nice to be that naive, if anything¡­


    When the day for the departure came, the group reunited on the training grounds with their horses and soon departed. Carriages or wagons couldn¡¯t reach the base of the natives, after all, so they could only use their own horses. Fortunately, that increased their movement speed quite a bit, since all of their horses were of high quality. Still, Zelos was by far the one carrying the most weight. Heirina wondered if his horse would be fine.


    ¡°That is a lot of stuff that you are carrying.¡±


    ¡°Nightstorm eats a lot, so I am bringing a lot of weapons.¡±


    ¡°Your horse eats a lot? Right¡­¡±


    Everyone felt like chuckling, but in the end, they managed to hold it back. The trip had been pretty pleasant since it was summer and the area had been pretty peaceful lately. Without the closest neighbor in the West to cause trouble all the time, the bandits didn¡¯t have many options to attack when the area was reinforced. So, they moved to other areas.


    Zelos heard that some of them had bounties, so he wondered if he should go around capturing them. It would be an extra nice income.


    Thanks to the trip, the group was able to recall the last time that they had worked together and realized that Zelos had grown quite a bit. Kids of his age usually grow pretty fast, but he got at least ten centimeters taller. He also had grown in terms of muscles. That made sense. All that food had to go somewhere, after all.


    The group reached the mountains in the natives territory after four days of traveling. Instead of crossing the first few mountains, they decided to circle around it and then move toward the river that they used before. Still, Edea soon found a problem regarding that.


    ¡°I wonder if we really should head straight to that river¡­ we might end up revealing to the people around us that the natives use it to move.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if Reina is in a hurry or not, so it will be better if we try to find them there as soon as possible while also saving the energy of the horses.¡±


    It was troublesome since Reina didn¡¯t know how they should contact them. There was a limit in Heirina¡¯s opinion about how much a person should be bad with words, after all. She felt even more troubled by the fact that she was like that and still could be a very charismatic leader.


    When the sun was setting, the group reached the river, and the area was the same as usual. Heirina and the others left Zelos to look after the horses and then they went to check the cave of that mountain in which the river crossed, but it was sealed.


    ¡°We should start a fire¡­ that should alert them that we are here.¡±


    Everyone nodded and then they started to work. Now and then, they would hear something and then look around, only to see Zelos mumbling something to his horse. It wasn¡¯t like they had never talked with their horses, but it felt like Zelos was going way overboard with the conversations.


    Before long, night came and then the group had their dinner together. They ate in silence, since they were worried that they might not hear something. Fortunately, Zelos¡¯s ears were sharp enough, and he heard the familiar sound of something heavy moving. Before long, they heard a voice coming from the clearing at the base of the mountain.


    ¡°Our leader warned us that you would come through here, extinguish the fire and then come to the river.¡±


    The group looked behind some trees and then saw a shadow moving there. Without hesitation, they followed the instructions and soon disappeared into the darkness. One at a time, they put the horses on the boats that they found on the river and eventually, they began to head to the base of the natives. Only two of them were waiting for the group, and they didn¡¯t look familiar at all.


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    ¡°Did your leader say anything as to why she called us here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    A simple and decisive answer that nullified any desire to pursue a conversation. In the end, Heirina accepted the message. The trip would last for a day, so they decided to relax and rest since they had no idea what the mission was supposed to entail.


    When they arrived at the base, it was dinner time, and while the place was quite well lit, things were as silent as it could be. In any case, the natives that controlled the boats soon guided them to the tower, where they met Reina for the first time. Maybe Reina was indeed in a hurry.


    Once again, they found her meditating in the last room of the tower. The place was completely silent this time around¡­ Zelos wondered if he could ask her some tips on how to meditate effectively. He didn¡¯t expect that her trait would consume magic to work, but maybe it made sense if consuming her magic let her eyes find the weaknesses of the enemies.


    ¡°You have come pretty early. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t think that you all would come without knowing what this was about.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t like the idea that we came here without knowing what we were supposed to do, but a debt is a debt.¡±


    ¡°Are you guys hungry? Do you want to eat and talk here or somewhere else?¡±


    The group had finished Zelos snacks in the middle of the afternoon, so they weren¡¯t that hungry. Zelos was, though. While some traits required magic or stamina to work, he required a steady amount of nutrients. When he tried to use his trait recklessly when he was hungry, he ended up feeling like he was going to die for several hours. It was a sensation that the Zelos never wanted to experience ever again.


    ¡°Please, bring some food for our guests.¡±


    ¡°Understood, leader.¡±


    The guys who brought the group left and soon they were left alone in the room. Reina told them to sit down on the floor and soon they followed the instructions.


    ¡°I suppose I should start saying sorry about the contents of the letters. You guys might not know, but recently, a lot of spies from other countries began to investigate us.¡±


    After hearing that, the expressions in the group changed a lot. From slight annoyance to one of concern¡­ they imagined that such a thing would happen, but they didn¡¯t think that it would be after just a single victory for their country. Moreover, they never found signs of spies activities. However, the natives were apparently very good at picking that stuff. After thinking for a short while, Heirina soon had some questions.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to risk letting the spies know of that, then this job should be pretty dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It is a dangerous job under certain circumstances, like when the wrong type knows what is going to happen, but considering the precautions that I took, it will be a simple job for you all. I want you guys to deliver something to someone. It isn¡¯t anything dangerous or valuable either, it is just a birthday gift.¡±


    Now everyone couldn¡¯t help but show confused expressions¡­ Was that truly the job that Reina wanted them to do in order to pay the debt? A single delivery job?


    ¡°Where are we going to head to make this delivery, and to who?¡±


    ¡°To the capital and the person you should give the gift to is Liry. The imperial princess.¡±


    As one would expect, everyone was left speechless with that kind of declaration. It was something that they never could have imagined that they would have to do. So, it took a while for them to process the whole thing properly. As usual, Heirina took the lead of the talk.


    ¡°... Why are you sending her a gift now? Wouldn¡¯t that make people think that they can win and your people over?¡±


    ¡°Her birthday is approaching and a lot of people already tried that, but they failed. After leaving them half dead once, they stopped bothering us altogether.¡±


    ¡°I am surprised that you would know that or that you would recall it after five years.¡±


    ¡°I send a gift every year, since I also send one every year.¡±


    The princess and Reina were a lot closer. They would be pretty chummy friends if they knew each other¡¯s birthdays and exchanged gifts like that. Regardless, that kind of job was troublesome in a very unexpected way. The group couldn¡¯t even begin to think how they could reach the capital without gathering some attention and even finding the princess. In a way, they thought that it would be better to fight the enemies at the front lines.


    ¡°Before you ask anything, you need to deliver the gift directly to her and don¡¯t open it. Don¡¯t let anyone touch or open it either. If you succeed, you can return here to receive your payment. As for how you can contact her, she should be some friends that will help you if you spread around the world that you have a gift for her birthday. Some low lives will try to fool you as well, so you need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Reina¡­ considering what you told us, you should know that this can be very problematic to my clan, right?¡±


    ¡°What about it? Isn¡¯t it problematic to your clan that a lot of people die fighting for you all?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Consider that this is a hassle that is on the same level as fighting the enemies in the borders. As I said, I will pay you accordingly. Unless the danger isn¡¯t the real problem here, but the fact that you want to live in ignorance while knowing that perhaps you have enemies even inside the country as well.¡±

 Chapter 51 - Fist Democracy

    Reina''s words cut deep¡­ Heirina was aware that things were very troublesome in the capital. Hei even told her that if she had the choice, she had to avoid politics as much as possible since the problems caused by politics couldn¡¯t be solved by a single person¡¯s sword. In the capital, they fight a different kind of war, one that people from the clans aren¡¯t very good at¡­ the war of deception.


    ¡°... All right, we accept the job. We just have to deliver her the gift, right?¡±


    ¡°Directly on her hands. It will be ready in the morning the day after tomorrow. Until then, you can rest and relax here. The capital will be closer if all cross the mountains, so my people will help you reach the halfway point.¡±


    Only the halfway point¡­ that seemed like a problem, but they couldn¡¯t complain since the client was essentially helping them do the job with more ease. In any case, Reina eventually got up and then lead the group to her house that a few hundred meters away from the tower. They didn¡¯t receive many visitors and all the buildings had a purpose, so they didn¡¯t have inns or similar things. Fortunately, Reina''s house had plenty of rooms for them and the food eventually arrived. Without wasting time, Zelos began to fill his belly.


    ¡°Since you guys accepted the job, I can give you all some extra details about the situation there.¡±


    ¡°You sure like to give pieces of information very slowly, huh?¡±


    Reina studied Zelos for a moment. He had a point, but no one said that to Reina before. She wondered if her people were just that tolerant or if Zelos was just too impatient.


    ¡°Never mind him. We are listening, Reina. We need to learn as much as possible before we reach the capital.¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, the place is filled with scheming people. The emperor is sick, and a bunch of people who are claiming to be illegitimate sons of the emperor want to take his place once he dies, and those with power want to support their own candidates to gain influence.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t surprising¡­ Still, Zelos doesn¡¯t like that since he doesn¡¯t want to get involved in politics. The battlefield was much better, a good sword swing was enough to solve most problems and if it wasn¡¯t solving them, then he just needed to use more force. In any case, for Reina to send them instead of using whatever methods she used before, it made Zelos connect the dots.


    ¡°Are you giving her something that will help her survive this kind of political struggle?¡±


    ¡°... I can¡¯t tell that.¡±


    ¡°I guess the answer is yes. If you are that afraid that we will steal the gift, then you are making the wrong decision by doing this kind of job for you in the first place. I guess your people have a bad history with the people of the plains since you think that we are all thieves.¡±


    ¡°Please, do forgive this idiot. Don¡¯t mind his words. Since he doesn¡¯t show much emotion, he doesn¡¯t care about the feelings of the others either. Please, continue.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much that I can say aside from don¡¯t trust anyone. I send her gifts, but we can¡¯t maintain contact, after all.¡±


    ¡°If you value her friendship that much, then why don¡¯t you help her?¡±


    ¡°Zelos¡­ who died and made you the captain of the team?¡±


    ¡°I am asking things because you don¡¯t have the courage to ask out of fear of being disrespectful. We are being paid to do this job, but our lives are still on the line. The least she can do is to give us some answers.¡±


    Heirina grunted since she couldn¡¯t say anything about that¡­ it was annoying how come Zelos could say the right thing in the most annoying way possible. Regardless, Reina studied him for a moment before giving her an answer.


    ¡°She is a friend, but I have the responsibility of looking after my people. I can¡¯t risk their safety in a conflict that can make us become the enemies of the whole nation.¡±


    ¡°See? That didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Putting that aside, that is your main mission. Go to the capital and give Liry my gift. Once you find her, you will have the chance to accept the secondary mission that I might pay you guys if you accept it. Help her for a few weeks, and then I will add something nice as your extra payment.¡±


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    Zelos had a hard time not rolling his eyes¡­ it was clear that Reina wanted them to get involved in a very messy situation that had the added bonus of messy politics. He didn¡¯t know why she would go that far, but the offer was too tempting. The natives were a force that couldn¡¯t be ignored on any battlefield and a lot of things about them were still unknown, so staying on their good side would certainly be very beneficial. Not only to them, but to the whole country.


    Everyone aside from Zelos looked at Heirina and they had many things to ask. She knew what they wanted to ask, and while it was troublesome, she decided to voice it.


    ¡°Why are you being so roundabout about this? Why don¡¯t you tell us to help her directly? Are you testing us or something?¡±


    ¡°I guess I am.¡±


    Heirina studied Reina silently for a short while and then eventually sighed. Reina couldn¡¯t trust them completely, but she was willing to test them and see them show their worth. Maybe it was because they were part of a new generation of warriors or something similar. Either way, it was clear that Reina didn¡¯t want to let things continue as they were.


    ¡°That is enough for today. Feel free to eat as much as you want and rest here.¡±


    ¡°You might regret these words later.¡±


    Reina didn¡¯t understand the meaning of those words, but soon she had a fair idea about their meaning as she saw Zelos resuming his meal and it didn¡¯t look like he was going to stop anytime soon.


    The next day, the group woke up and had breakfast with Reina, and soon, they found themselves with a lot of free time. Zelos was fine just doing some training to kill time, but it seemed that the others wanted to move around the base to see what was there. That seemed interesting as well, and Zelos also decided to pick on that when Reina offered to take them around their base. Still, he had some questions; the others had to, but they didn¡¯t want to ask them out loud as usual.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to show us how you and your people live around here?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any way showing you our lifestyle would cause us problems in the long run.¡±


    ¡°What about in the short term?¡±


    ¡°I can see that if you end up picking a fight with one of us. As long as you don¡¯t point your weapons at anyone, no one will take offense here. This is how we challenge each other.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    The group left Reina¡¯s house, and soon, many people began to greet her. Since she didn¡¯t have time for a talk, she just nodded at them. Before anything, she took them back to the tower, where the rooms were opened, and a bunch of kids were training in the rooms.


    ¡°All of our kids train here their minds and bodies. Although not all of us follow the martial path, it is important to know how to defend ourselves since we might ourselves in difficult situations thanks to our heritage.¡±


    Heirina glared at Zelos, already imagining that he would ask what happened in the past for her to say something like that. Still, one didn¡¯t have to be a genius to imagine that some people tried to capture them in order to get their very rare traits. It also wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that they unleashed hell on those who did that.


    Speaking of extremely rare traits, Zelos wondered if Kaitrine¡¯s ancestors came from there; it seemed like the thing they would have there. Kaitrine mentioned a few times that her father was once a bandit who terrorized the so-called bad merchants and stole a lot of their stuff, as for the past of her bloodline beyond there, she said that it was hard to know¡­ since they were heading to the capital, they might learn something there.


    Regardless, after watching things in the tower for a bit, they left and then headed to some fields that they had at the base of the mountains around. People with special traits could make food grow faster there in a very hard way to understand. That was why they had so many people and still kept growing despite the limited amount of land on their hands. They still had the gifts of the mountains and a lot of food could be found there.


    The group thought that there wasn¡¯t much to see aside from a rural and perhaps archaic society, but soon they changed their minds about the natives. There was something that they called a bathhouse in which people would go there in groups to soak in a warm and long bath to get rid of the day¡¯s fatigue.


    They also had some windmills in which they used to process grains. They also have a bunch of shops for weapons, food, and tools. Their style was very different from the products outside, but the quality was most of the time higher. It made sense since they had to compete with each other and they didn¡¯t sell their things outside.


    After seeing all that, their last stop was on a large and weird round building. The place was empty now, but it was completely open. Reina guided them beyond the entrance and soon they found a round stone ring. It was clearly a place where people would fight each other.


    ¡°This is our arena. We use this place quite often for ceremonies and entertainment. If you guys had arrived a bit later, you would have had the chance to see some events here.¡±


    ¡°I dare say that you just broke your Pacific image of some people in our group.¡±


    Heirina sighed¡­ Zelos and his big mouth. He was always saying too much, but he wasn¡¯t wrong, per se. Everyone in the groups thought that the natives wouldn¡¯t do things like fighting for sport or entertainment. However, after thinking for a bit, they realized that they would have become excellent warriors by competing against each other. Competition is what brings progress, after all. Zelos suddenly had this idea.


    ¡°Do you guys decide your leaders are here too?¡±


    ¡°I am surprised that you thought of that. It is a part of the progress. We fight here from the time to time to decide who can be the leader of our people. But once the leader is decided, they have to face as many challenges as people want. If anyone has anything against you, they can come here and stop you from becoming the leader.¡±


    ¡°I guess that is as democratic by using one¡¯s fists as it could be.¡±

 Chapter 52 - Uncertainty

    ¡°It is time for lunch already. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Good call.¡±


    Everyone, aside from Zelos and Reina, chuckled. Zelos was at least easy to please. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t a kid dumb enough to be lured by food, otherwise he would have faced some serious problems.


    In any case, after eating lunch, the group walked around the town a bit while Zelos memorized the places where he could buy some food by bulk. He wondered if the people there would sell that to him later, but it was hard to imagine that they would try to get on his way when he soon would go on a mission for the natives.


    Although not much happened during the day, night came in no time and soon the group had dinner and then went to bed. They wondered what would happen from tomorrow onwards¡­ after crossing some mountains, they would go to the capital and that was something that they never had done. They also would meet a member of the imperial family¡­ that was a pretty difficult event.


    ¡°Speaking of which, we didn¡¯t hear anything about the emperor¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°That is a bit late to ask that, Zelos. Still, I know the answer to that question. She supposedly died ten years ago of some disease.¡±


    As usual, Irlan was well informed, but his words were pretty concerning. Supposedly she died of some disease, but after hearing what they heard on the previous night, he had some questions.


    ¡°Do you think that she was poisoned? Even ten years ago, there were people trying to take down the imperial family? I am not familiar with things in this country, but that would probably turn this place into a lawless land.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t say for sure if it was something done by one of the people from here¡­ it could have been someone working outside. Either way, that isn¡¯t an uncommon occurrence.¡±


    Zelos furrowed his eyebrows¡­ using poison was cowardly enough, using poison against a civilian. Even if she was the emperor¡¯s wife, that was still too nasty. He didn¡¯t know anything about her, but it was hard to imagine anyone deserving that kind of fate.


    While Zelos was thinking about that, he heard some noises coming from the next room¡­ the girls were there, probably talking about nonsense. Heirina could be pretty talkative at the weirdest of times, and Edea was almost like Irlan. Speaking of which, Irlan suddenly got up and then approached the wall of the room¡­ all in order to hear what they were talking about.


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say that you aren¡¯t even a bit curious.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what Reina actually saw in this sorry excuse of a group.¡±


    Zelos wasn¡¯t that sleepy, but he wasn¡¯t interested in eavesdropping, so he did a bit of training to get tired enough to go to bed while Irlan was wasting his time.


    When morning came, they still had some time for breakfast and then Reina brought a box sealed with some chains and then delivered it to Heirina. She truly was sending something that would help the princess and she didn¡¯t want that falling into the wrong hands.


    ¡°I will be counting on you. Eldor will guide you upstream toward the start of the river. That will be a halfway point in the mountains. After that, if you keep heading Northeast, you will eventually find the capital in the distance. You will also find some old mines along the way, so that you will confirm that you are going in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We will fulfill our mission and return as soon as possible.¡±


    The beginning of the mission had been as silent as it could have been. Eldor wasn¡¯t exactly a chatterbox and since he didn¡¯t like Zelos, the atmosphere stayed weird for a while. The fact that Zelos kept yawning all the time didn¡¯t help, either.


    After a while, the group couldn¡¯t help but think that the river was man made and the caves in which it crossed were also man made. The river always crossed the middle of the mountains perfectly and stayed most of the time out of open fields. Such a thing to be a natural phenomenon would be simply too weird. With that in mind, one could tell that the ancestors of the natives made them for whatever reason.


    ¡°A magic trait is truly useful. The things that they can do by combining them would change the country forever. The people in the past thought that as well, but they decided to force them to work for them¡­ the weird thing about them is the fact that their traits are mainly magical, but they all are crazy melee fighters. It isn¡¯t like they only had a single trait, but¡­ I can¡¯t understand why they would ignore their real talents and focus on Melee fighting.¡±


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    The most obvious explanation would be because they had a bad history just using their traits alone and decided to use them sporadically instead of showing it all the time. In that sense, one could understand the reason behind that, since it would be relatively easy to counter. For example, to cut half of the power of someone like Eldor, one just had to lure him to a place without water.


    ¡°Hmm, this might be a pretty good exercise. Thinking about some traits and how to counter them. Also, trying to analyze my opponents actions to learn their traits¡­ that should increase my survival skills. The only problem is the fact that if I mess up, I am done for. I can¡¯t be too presumptuous about those, so for starters, I need to focus on decreasing the possibilities and then fill in the blanks.¡±


    Zelos started with the traits of those around him, Heirina and Irlan¡¯s traits were relatively easy to deal with, but they could be a problem if they know much about their opponents¡­ so going fast or trying to attack them from a distance would be the best option.


    Things got a bit complicated with Edea and Kaitrine¡­ there was no tactic that could stop them from using their traits aside from taking them down first before they can use their traits.


    Since he had time for that, Zelos decided to keep thinking about it, but in the end, nothing came to mind. He probably was lacking in terms of experience, and there was only one way to deal with that.


    After two days, the speed of the river got faster and then their speed got slower. They were close to their destination and soon found the waterfall that originated in the river. Eldor stopped near the shore and then everyone moved with their horses.


    ¡°Someone comes here every seven days, so time your return accordingly if you plan to use the mountains to return to our base.¡±


    After saying those words, Eldor quickly turned around the boat and then left. The guy only said that in two days, his resolve should have been insanely high. Zelos turned around and then looked at Heirina.


    ¡°Well, what now?¡±


    ¡°It would have been easier if Reina had given us a map, but they have that kind of troublesome policy about no maps and no mapping either. We will just have to follow what she said and head northeast.¡±


    The group looked around but only found a lot of grass, trees, and the mountains. This time, they could hear the sound of countless insects, so the place was full of life and dangers as well.


    ¡°The mountains in this area aren¡¯t that thick as before. With my experience, I should be able to navigate through here with no problem.¡±


    ¡°We will be counting on you then, Kaitrine.¡±


    It was the time for Heirina to ask Kaitrine how she learned those skills¡­ she was only sixteen, after all. Maybe her father let her grow in a forest or something for her first ten years of life.


    As it turned out, Kaitrine¡¯s confidence wasn¡¯t unfounded, and soon the group began to cross the first mountain by the side while going upward as well. Thanks to that, they would save some time and energy from the horses. She also chose the best routes and when that wasn¡¯t possible, she would cut the path with her spear and get rid of the obstacles.


    On the first day alone, they crossed three mountains without taking a break. There was plenty of food around, so they didn¡¯t have to stop to rest or eat. Still, when night came, the cold began to grow quite strong, so they were forced to make a fire.


    ¡°Achhhhuuuuuu¡­ I heard that mountains can be quite cold at night in the summer, but this caught me off guard¡­ I don¡¯t want to even think about how this place feels like in winter.¡±


    Irlan began to clean his nose from the snort. He hated the cold with passion, so he got a bit closer to the campfire.


    ¡°When it is winter, you don¡¯t camp in the open unless you want to freeze to death. The ground is wet thanks to the snow, the trees are damp as well and the wind can kill you as fast as a sword if you aren¡¯t careful. This place is pretty much a death sentence in the winter for those who aren¡¯t experienced.¡±


    It was obvious that Kaitrine did some survivalist training when she was younger. Zelos wondered if she could teach him a few kids, but out of everyone from the group, she was still the one who remained the further away from him. They were quite the opposite, after all. Zelos didn¡¯t hide his thoughts while Kaitrine preferred to see things happen in silence and think that there was no point in voicing her opinions. Still, he could learn a few things by watching her and that was fine for now.


    ¡°Since we are halfway there, do you think that we can reach the other side of the mountains before tomorrow night, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Irlan¡­ She said that we would be halfway there when Eldor would leave. Thanks to him, we moved during the day and night. We just moved for the day, so we only crossed one fourth of the distance. Aside from that, we will be one day away from the capital. Still, we have two weeks until the birthday of the princess. So, we don¡¯t have to hurry.¡±


    ¡°And what about the other part of the job?¡±


    After hearing Zelos¡¯s question, Heirina went into silence. She had been thinking about that for the past few days, but she still didn¡¯t know what he should do¡­ Reina actions and choice of words made her feel wary of the second part of the mission while the situation in the capital added to the problem. They were essentially mercenaries¡­ they had their territory to defend, but they only worked for those who hired them. They couldn¡¯t go around and get involved in trouble. Moreover, Heirina was supposed to be the next head of the clan, her actions would affect the future of the clan, even if she wasn¡¯t the leader yet.

 Chapter 53 - Dangerous Place

    ¡°We will have to wait and see¡­ that is also something that Reina told us to do. In the end, we can only work while considering the merits and demerits and then accepting the jobs where we can gain something for our services. That is all.¡±


    Zelos was satisfied with that kind of answer. They weren¡¯t running a charity organization, after all. There was no point in trying to act like heroes when they could only do so much with their numbers. First of all, they had to defend their territory and the people that lived there. After that, they could consider others if they had enough leisure to do so.


    ¡°This area seems peaceful enough, but we will take turns to guard the place, anyway. Since the horses aren¡¯t being pushed that much, we will take turns alone in order to rest as much as possible¡­ I want to increase the pace from tomorrow onwards.¡±


    Heirina said that they didn¡¯t have to hurry up, but her decision went against that and Zelos realized that.


    In the end, crossing the mountains had been pretty straightforward. They found some abandoned mines along the way and they also found some old paths that they used. That also helped a lot. In order to gain some extra time without warning anyone, Heirina decided to stop in the middle of the afternoon after finding the new mines and then resuming at midnight to be pretty close to the capital when morning comes.


    That was a bit difficult for Irlan and Edea, waking up at sunrise was relatively easy for them, but going to bed a bit earlier to wake up earlier wasn¡¯t. When the sun was rising, they were dozing off on their horses. Fortunately, the mountains were behind them already.


    ¡°Come on, you two. We should be able to reach the city in the south of the capital before nightfall at this rate, then we will be able to rest properly on real beds.¡±


    Zelos looked around while those two were rubbing their eyes. The paths around didn¡¯t seem well maintained. He thought that Rattay was making a killing in times like that with his ores, but maybe that guess was wrong or his mines were in other areas. Regardless, the fact that not many people used those paths recently was suspicious. The grass was even growing a lot on the path that they found.


    In the end, the group reached the town in the south of the capital a bit easier since they didn¡¯t stop to eat. They got some fruits in the mountains and stocked them up for that reason. It wasn¡¯t enough for Zelos and Nightstorm, so he was willing to buy some food in the city as soon as possible.


    Regardless, the place wasn¡¯t different from the city in the west of the capital that they visited almost a year ago. Just like the other place, it had a lot of workshops where they processed metal and most of them were for weapons or ingots. Now that Zelos thought about it¡­ it felt like all the raw materials that were used to wage war came from the central area of the country.


    In any case, the group looked for a cheap inn to stay, but one that had food served as well since they didn¡¯t want to be moving around that much and show themselves even at night.


    Before long, the group began to eat dinner in the restaurant of the inn, but the place was weirdly empty, even though the food was pretty good and the rooms weren¡¯t half bad. Irlan stopped eating while looking around.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see a lot of people coming to the city either. Is the south in a bad spot lately?¡±


    Heirina stopped to think for a moment before considering the possibilities of that, but in the end, she decided to give a more generic answer. As usual, there was no point in thinking too much about what they didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Information about other areas is hard to come by when we have our own area to take care of, after all. We have to use all of our resources with that purpose in mind.¡±


    ¡°Captain, I can look around the city and try to learn what is going on here. It shouldn¡¯t be hard, I have been trained to do that kind of job.¡±


    Heirina considered Kaitrine¡¯s offer¡­ that was also the kind of job Kai did for Hei, but Heirina still felt a bit weird about having Kaitrine doing that kind of job. She didn¡¯t want to force her to feel obligated to follow in the footsteps of her father. Even if that path would have made her life easier.


    ¡°All right, I will be counting on you for that, but don¡¯t do anything reckless. Return immediately if you see anything out of the norm.¡±


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    ¡°Understood.¡±


    That kind of job seemed like something Zelos would benefit from learning, but Kaitrine had the right skills for that, even the ones in combat. As for Zelos, he decided to stick to what he was currently good at. There was no point in increasing the number of things he had to learn when he still wasn¡¯t satisfied with his current progress.


    After they finished their meal, the group returned to their rooms, and then Kaitrine left hers through the window to check the city. Zelos tried to hear when she left the girls room to check his hearing skills, but he failed. She was pretty good, after all.


    ¡°What kind of person do you think the princess is?¡±


    Zelos sighed. At that point, nothing that Irlan did or asked would surprise him, but he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit baffled by his lack of professionalism. He got too invested in some matters that required no investment, and that could be a real problem in the future, particularly in that mission where Zelos wanted to remain as neutral as possible.


    ¡°Does that even matter? Do you want to risk getting into trouble that much?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I mean that you have a mother and a sister waiting for you at home. Do you want to risk not returning to them by getting too invested in this kind of job?¡±


    ¡°... Keeping our distance might be the best option in the short term, but it wouldn¡¯t be in the long term, right? If the imperial family falls apart, the country is done for. Even more so if a fake someone takes the throne.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    Zelos didn¡¯t get the need of people wanting to maintain the current society based on the bloodline of a certain family. Perhaps their traits could be beneficial to the country, but that was impossible to tell now. Besides, for Zelos, the imperial family was part of the problem that created his past. Maybe it would be good for them to fall.


    Still, after thinking for a short while, he couldn¡¯t help but recognize that perhaps a lot of people would suffer for that, people who didn¡¯t deserve it. If the country falls, in the worst-case scenario, they will become slaves to the enemies, and in the best-case scenario, they will become servants and be deprived of basic rights.


    ¡°Anyway, I asked because I am also curious about what kind of person could become living in the capital as the imperial family. Considering that and the fact that Reina took a liking to her, I have a hard time picturing the princess.¡±


    ¡°I am more concerned about how someone would adapt to survive in this environment, where the imperial family is falling apart, and many snakes are trying to take advantage of that or even instigating it.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Well, I have good hopes since I think Reina has a good head on her shoulders.¡±


    Zelos preferred to see for himself and decide for himself as well instead of relying on others, but he knew where Irlan was coming from. Regardless, Irlan soon went to bed while Zelos kept training. Considering how quiet things were in the other room, he imagined that Edea had fallen asleep as well. Zelos decided to stay awake for a bit longer and wait for Kaitrine, but at some point, he gave up on that since it was getting too late. She probably had returned already without any new piece of information.


    Zelos confirmed that he was wrong the next morning when he saw Kaitrine and Heirina with bags under their eyes when they met each other to have breakfast. It was obvious that one worked for too long and the other waited for too long as well.


    ¡°Captain, I told you not to wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to my brain that kept worrying for hours and hours. Put yourself in my shoes for a bit.¡±


    Kaitrine had a hard time doing that, she had a complicated relationship with her father, but she had the same duty that he had toward Heirina¡¯s family. They wanted to help them as much as possible, but Heirina felt troubled by such a feeling of debt that lasted decades. Zelos decided to change the subject without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Putting that aside, what did you learn?¡±


    ¡°... Things are pretty chaotic since people don¡¯t think that the emperor will survive. A lot of people with influence are slowing down their business and then trying to hire as many mercenaries as possible. They are being used to guarding some families, and they don¡¯t leave those territories no matter what. Some people believe that a civil war will start at the moment the emperor dies.¡±


    That would explain why people were hiring mercenaries and trying to conserve their forces. Still, since that was the case, it looked like there were some factions that weren¡¯t planning to work together¡­ it was hard to imagine that they were doing that to stick out for the princess, though. They only wanted to make sure that they would be the ones in power.


    ¡°Since everyone is preparing for that, that would explain why things are like this¡­ this should be common knowledge among the population as well, at least in this area. Regardless, just to be safe, we need to keep our affiliations hidden. If anyone asks anything, leave it to me. I mean it.¡±


    Heirina looked at Zelos, but he just shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like he opened his mouth all the time to get on everyone¡¯s nerves. Besides, he knew how to avoid actions that would make him and the others waste a lot of time.


    Once the group finished breakfast, they left the restaurant and then crossed the city. For some reason, they didn¡¯t gather much attention, but Zelos could only imagine that those who would be recruiting mercenaries would be living in the capital.


    When they crossed the entrance of the place, they soon confirmed that there was only one guard there¡­ Even the soldiers who worked for the country had already been recruited by one of the factions seeking to gain power once the emperor died.

 Chapter 54 - Following the Lead

    ¡°I guess the best option would be to avoid his death, but that isn¡¯t something under our control or that we can influence. Reina should know that doing that would help the princess, but if she didn¡¯t try it¡­ it is beyond her means, or anyone¡¯s, for that matter.¡±


    The path toward the capital was pretty straightforward, and the group didn¡¯t find many obstacles. Even the people going in the opposite direction seemed like they wanted to avoid trouble, probably because the horses they were riding looked like the ones used in wars.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, buddy. Even if they think that you are ugly, it is what is inside that counts.¡±


    Nightstorm grunted in annoyance. Zelos was just joking, but it looked like he didn¡¯t like it when his appearance was the reason for the joke. Even though it was obvious that Zelos bought him because he was impressive-looking and majestic.


    When the group stopped for lunch, Zelos was forced to give Nightstorm an apple to get rid of his bad mood. That kind of habit probably wasn¡¯t a good idea, but Zelos felt that it was all right. When the time came, he had confidence that Nightstorm wouldn¡¯t let him down.


    ¡°About how we will proceed once we arrive in the capital. We will just silently look for an inn that offers food as well, and then we will eat in our rooms. We will end up getting enough attention as it is, so we don¡¯t want to draw even further. Tomorrow, we will head to the palace and then look around for some guards who don¡¯t look suspicious from a distance, and then we will reveal that we have a gift from a merchant in the west called Reino. Once the message reaches the princess, she should be able to catch up to this.¡±


    ¡°... Do you think that not many people know Reina¡¯s name, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I would bet on no. It has been a while since anyone tried to get on their bad side, and people here should be more concerned about the power struggle in the capital.¡±


    It made sense. It had been a while since the group had seen Heirina using her head, but she was still sharp as usual. They confirmed that soon enough when they resumed their journey and soon found a small cavalry unit ahead moving in the opposite direction. They moved to the side of the path to avoid them, but the unit still stopped.


    ¡°Hold it.¡±


    An armored man with a spear on his back and without wearing his helmet suddenly jumped from his horse and then walked toward the group. Others of his underlings did the same, so Heirina was compelled to do the same. The man looked a bit like Hei, but he had a lot more grey hair on his beard and a bit spiky hair. He didn¡¯t pass a weird aura, but Zelos still moved his head a bit to be ready to grab his iron balls in case something happened.


    ¡°My name is Igor, a guard of the imperial capital. May I ask for your name?¡±


    The group wanted to stay incognito, so revealing their real names now would be a problem. However, lying also would be a problem if they were found out later. So, Heirina hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°My name is Heirina. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Your group looks like a group of young mercenaries. Did you hear about people looking to hire sell swords in the capital?¡±


    Zelos had grown quite a bit, so he didn¡¯t look much like a kid, but like a very young mercenary. Nightstorm also helped him look more imposing. The metal club on his back also helped his image as well.


    ¡°We have heard of that, but we are going to the capital for another reason.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­ Well, I wish you luck on your business. I just want to warn you that the capital is in a bit of disarray lately, so be cautious with those you interact with. Don¡¯t believe in the promises of people who might be wanting to lure you into something convenient and profitable.¡±


    ¡°I am thankful for the warning.¡±


    The guard nodded and then returned to his horse. Before long, the unit followed their journey, and Zelos and the others wondered what was about. Still, after checking that they had a bunch of wagons loaded on the back of their formation, he had an idea of what was going on.


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    ¡°It seems that they were reallocated to somewhere else¡­ he looked like an upstanding guy, the type that assholes in the capital planning to stir things up wouldn¡¯t want to be around when they put their plan in action.¡±


    Everyone nodded. That seemed like a fair assessment of the situation. Although there was no need for that, his followers were all wearing helmets, probably to hide their expressions instead of the real goal of the helmets. As soon as Heirina climbed back onto her horse, Zelos landed a question.


    ¡°Do any of you know how things work in the absence of the emperor?¡±


    ¡°... While the power is passed down in the imperial family. If the emperor is out of the picture, then the prime minister takes the reins of the situation until the emperor dies and his successor becomes twenty years old. Even if the heir is a male, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rule until his coming-of-age ceremony.¡±


    After hearing Heirina¡¯s explanation, for some reason, that kind of situation felt weirdly family-like for Zelos. He didn¡¯t recall hearing anything like that before, so he wondered why that was the case. Regardless, with that in mind, he wondered why, in that situation, the queen was supposedly poisoned, but one didn¡¯t have to be a genius to find the answer. It was to avoid her giving the emperor a male heir. Irlan showed a bothered expression after thinking about that.


    ¡°This is still all speculation, but¡­ it looks like the plan to fall the country started more than ten years ago. I find it hard that the prime minister would go that far¡­ why risk destroying the country when he reached that position? He is essentially at the top someone could have reached without relying on his bloodline, after all.¡±


    No one could explain that with certainty. They could only keep speculating, but that was a waste of time. It was better to focus on the mission before anything. A couple of hours later, the group was able to see the imperial capital in a lot more detail. The place was completely fortified with forty meters tall walls, a bunch of guards walking around on those.


    Despite that, they could see the numerous layers of the city thanks to its layered structure. In its foundation, countless rocks, probably made or processed with some special trait, gave birth to the first layer of the city, and then the rest was expanded as the population increased.


    Still, the upper layers are all made of high-quality wood structures. The houses looked brand new and well-maintained. Among all that, there was the imperial palace, which had many buildings connected together with small ones. There were several tall buildings that were also important places. Since they all looked like they were made of wood, they passed a weird feeling¡­


    ¡°Despite the difference in materials¡­ it looks quite a bit like the town of the natives.¡±


    When the group approached the city¡¯s entrance, they found only a couple of guards there, and they weren¡¯t stopping anyone. There was this weird aura among them, so Zelos wondered if they weren¡¯t working together or if they had chosen different sides. Either way, that worked for the group since they weren¡¯t stopped.


    Without wasting any time, they looked and found an inn and quickly rented some rooms in there for them. The place had a stable on the side for the horses, but it looked pretty dirty. So, soon after unpacking his few things, Zelos went there to make things a bit less annoying for Nightstorm.


    ¡°I know, I know. Stop your whining.¡±


    Zelos decided to give a hand to everyone¡¯s horses, too, since it would be troublesome if all of them had to leave to do that. They saw through the window of their rooms that Zelos gave them a hand with that, so they didn¡¯t come. When night came, the group had dinner in their rooms, but soon, they reunited in a single room to share what they had already found in the capital. Irlan started.


    ¡°It feels like nothing¡¯s wrong here. People are living their lives normally. No one looked at us for more than a few moments, so despite the warning of that man, the people here are still fine.¡±


    ¡°It is probably because no fight broke out yet. This could be a good thing for us. They won¡¯t do anything until the emperor¡¯s death is confirmed. We might have the chance to approach the palace without having to worry too much about it.¡±


    There was also the option of asking Kaitrine to look for anyone who seemed to be on the princess¡¯ side to find a way to contact her, but she was too tired after staying the night outside.


    ¡°We will go with the plan of yesterday without making any changes. I think that it will be better if we head to the palace without weapons. That will make us look less dangerous. I don¡¯t think that no one will try anything against us in broad daylight.¡±


    Everyone nodded, so they went to bed after that. Falling asleep was hard, though. They didn¡¯t know what would happen the next day or what the future held for them in the capital. All that they knew was the fact that a single mistake would put them in a bind and probably would cause a lot of problems for the clan and then to their families.


    Thanks to that, they woke up with bags under their eyes. They didn¡¯t sleep well, even Zelos, but he started to look much better after he ate something. Since the place looked safe enough, they decided to hide their weapons in their rooms. Zelos didn¡¯t do that since his weapons were so heavy that most people wouldn¡¯t even consider stealing them.


    ¡°Remember, stick to the plan and let me handle the talking.¡±


    Everyone nodded silently. They already were following the plan. With that in mind, they left the inn while Heirina was carrying the box surrounded by chains. Now that Zelos thought about it, it was hard to say when the chains started and when they ended or when they turned around¡­ it seemed like some sort of illusion¡­ one could only wonder how that could be opened, but the princess probably knew how to do that.

 Chapter 55 - Well, Actually…

    With the box in hand, the group ended up gathering some attention, even more so since they were heading to the palace. The place was around ten blocks wide and long, so a bunch of guards were patrolling the place while marching around and gathering at the entrance of the palace as well.


    The guards of the palace were all equipped with red spears, and they were also wearing a different kind of armor, it wasn¡¯t that heavy since it mainly protected the sides of their limbs, their chests, and backs like scale armor, but that meant that they could be pretty fast too. Heirina sighed when she felt their eyes on them.


    ¡°They already noticed us. We would only look suspicious if we looked around, only to return to this place later. Let¡¯s head to the front and talk with them.¡±


    Everyone nodded once again, and then they walked toward the entrance of the palace. Before long, the guards there assumed a defensive formation and began to hold their spears tightly. They weren¡¯t just simple guards who had been doing that kind of job all of their lives, and they had an aura of people who meant business.


    ¡°Identify yourselves.¡±


    Once again, Heirina decided to use her real name. Her name wasn¡¯t that uncommon, and she wasn¡¯t supposed to be famous yet. Even the leaders of clans should be relatively infamous in that part of the country. Only a handful of people that people for the clan¡¯s services would know their names.¡±


    ¡°My name is Heirina and I am an envoy of a merchant in the west called Reino. As the princess birthday is approaching, my master gave me the order to bring her this gift. Please confirm with her this. She already received some gifts from my master over the years and I have the order to delivery this directly to her hands.¡±


    The leader of the guards studied Heirina and the others behind her. He was a man who had a few face scars, and he also had a long mustache. Thanks to that, and his hardened expression, it was hard to read his facial expressions. Still, since he took a few seconds to respond, the group assumed that he was considering the option of doing exactly that. That kind of thing probably was common. In the end, he looked at one of his soldiers and then pointed to the palace.


    ¡°Wait here. We will pass on the message.¡±


    Heirina nodded. So far, so good. The group was able to keep their posture despite the glare of the dozen or so guards defending that side of the palace. Truth be told, they were too young to be considered envoys of someone, but there were a bunch of reasons someone would send a group like that to send the gift. To save money was the most obvious one.


    Only important people were supposed to know the birthday of the princess as well. Besides, at that point in time, everyone couldn¡¯t care less about it. They were more worried about when the emperor was going to die, and the prime minister would take the reins over the whole country. That made Zelos wonder¡­ even if the prime minister possibly caused the disease that was inflicting the emperor with some poison, he wasn¡¯t going further by killing him already. Maybe there was some sort of reason for it.


    Zelos had plenty of time for that since it took one hour for the guard to return¡­ the princess was either hiding, or those guys were slacking off and messing with them.


    ¡°Princess Liry said that he will receive you all. You will have to leave your weapons here.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have weapons with us.¡±


    The guards checked their clothes and confirmed that not like they would need weapons to do anything, but it would make it a lot easier for the guards to stop them if they tried anything, anyway. Regardless, four guards positioned themselves around the group, and soon they entered the palace.


    The tension was pretty hard to ignore as the group passed through the stone-paved paths toward the center of the palace. After crossing a few buildings on the way, they stopped in the middle of the palace and then turned to the right side.


    Before long, they entered a large group of buildings that seemed like the part of the palace where the princess lived. The group saw that the place was quite lively with bright colors there, most of them were light pink. There were flowers around decorating the place, and they looked brand new since their aroma was in the air.


    The place was quite big, around two blocks big, but the group didn¡¯t see anyone there. There were no servants to keep the place clean. However, they could feel a weird aura in the air, almost like they were being watched. The feeling decreased as they went further into the buildings, and that puzzled them.


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    Eventually, the group arrived. In the final building where they found a girl that looked like she was around fifteen years old. The group blinked several times since the girl looked like a younger version of Reina¡­


    Princess Liry was sitting on the ground using some cushions as support. She had very long light brown hair that one could think had never been cut. She had emerald green eyes that looked full of life, and she was wearing a simple green dress that suited her image of a princess.


    ¡°Thank you for coming, everyone. My name is Liry. It is a pleasure to meet you all.¡±


    Everyone dropped to their right knees, and then Zelos frowned. Heirina opened her eyes widely¡­ to think that Zelos didn¡¯t even know something that basic. In the end, after much hesitation, Zelos decided to copy them.


    ¡°Oh, please. No need for formalities. You can all sit. Thank you for bringing them here. You are all dismissed.¡±


    The guards looked at each other for a moment. The princess only had power in name, but the guards decided to follow her orders. If something were to happen, they could just blame those five, and no one would bat an eye on that. The situation was weird in the castle. Everyone was counting the days of her life to come to an end, but no one wanted to make a mistake and do that themselves.


    After sitting down on the floor cross-legged, Zelos realized all that. Despite that, the princess had this weird, unconcerned smile on her face. She couldn¡¯t be that clueless considering how Reina met her. That being said, it was hard to imagine that she actually had confidence in repelling any assailants; she didn¡¯t look that strong, and it wasn¡¯t the surprising appearances that people like Heirina and Kaitrine had while hiding their strength and skill. The princess truly looked frail, like a doll.


    ¡°It seems that they are finally far away enough¡­ you all can relax now, but don¡¯t raise your voice. I can¡¯t tell when there is one nearby that can hear us. Reina sent you all here, right? I thought that she would finally come, but I guess that is just like her¡­¡±


    The princess showed a sad smile. Zelos wondered if she was secretly hoping that Reina would come to rescue her from that situation. She wasn¡¯t that surprised, though, but she accepted it as if it was unavoidable.


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness. We need to introduce ourselves first. My name is Heirina, and these are Kaitrine, Edea, Irlan, and Zelos. Whatever this one here says or does, please don¡¯t mind. He was somewhat raised in the wild, so he doesn¡¯t understand manners.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? He doesn¡¯t look like that, considering his expression. He looks more comfortable than all of you, at least. I wonder why.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness probably won¡¯t like his explanation for that. Well, I also ask for apologies in advance since I am not used to this kind of situation. Perhaps delivering the gift as soon as possible will make things easier for all of us.¡±


    Heirina passed the box to the princess, and the chains disappeared immediately. Everyone blinked several times when they saw that. Was that some sort of trait? How did that one work? Zelos could only think that the chains had disappeared because they had reached the person that they needed. Aside from that, nothing came to mind.


    Liry opened the box and then showed a small smile, and then touched whatever it was inside. Then she closed the box again. No one saw what was there, though.


    ¡°This one was her best so far. Hopefully, I will be able to send one back to her next year. By the way, are you all in a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Not, really. Your Majesty, why do you ask?¡±


    Zelos knew that this would happen, but he still felt like he should do that. It was a bit funny, even if he didn¡¯t smile or feel like laughing at all.


    ¡°Usually, Kaitrine uses a very roundabout way to send me her gifts. No one ever showed up in the palace with the gift in their hands. You don¡¯t look like you live in the mountains with the natives, so how did you meet her?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a long story¡­ Basically, it is thanks to you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Heirina proceeded to tell the events that happened six months ago. Speaking of which, Zelos even forgot to ask what happened to the guys who hired those bandits to attack the town of the clan, since he was too busy with the expansion of his business. He finally learned that more than half of the merchants escaped once they learned about the failure and used the others as scapegoats. They tried to escape as well, but they only bought time for the others. They ended up resisting since they knew that they would be executed for treason, and so they died at the hands of Huxi and some of Lua¡¯s warriors.


    After that, the territory fell into Lua¡¯s territory. While the merchants had many businesses there, Lua was able to easily find people to take their place. After a single month, things were back to normal. The only issue was that the merchants escaped to the neighboring country. However, since their alliance failed, it was hard to know what happened to them afterward.


    ¡°Huxi didn¡¯t pass the details of that time¡­ I never imagined that things would have ended up this way. I thanked him, but he just said not to mention it.¡±


    This time, everyone raised their eyebrows to think that Huxi ended up getting the reputation for that incident¡­ Come to think of it, Zelos heard that Huxi worked in the capital, and since he received the letter from the princess and she didn¡¯t have any real power¡­ was he an ally or not?

 Chapter 56 - Too Cold

    ¡°Well, all things ended well, and our clan received a lot of help, so it doesn¡¯t matter who was praised for it. Thanks to Your Highness, we had the chance to meet someone impressive and learn a lot, so we are very thankful.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Liry. Whenever I hear anyone referring to me in any other way, I can only hear the sarcasm in their voices, but since you are friends with Reina, I think that I can trust you all to be my friends as well.¡±


    Liry showed this amazing smile after that which made the group feel a bit guilty. It was an innocent and bright smile like a pure rose in the middle of a dead forest. The group could understand why Reina said that. While showing a smile like that, most people would feel like helping such a sweet girl.


    Zelos only felt wary of her, though. The smile made him feel like he had eaten something bad during breakfast. It wasn¡¯t forced or some sort of trait, but he could tell that it made him feel sick for some odd reason.


    ¡°I can see some wisdom in her eyes, behavior, and words. A lot of wisdom, in fact. Despite that, she is able to maintain that kind of smile. I guess that must be why her smile makes me feel uncomfortable. It is the smile of someone who knows that they are in a bad spot and might die soon after losing the last family that they had, but they still don¡¯t lose hope. The issue is that she isn¡¯t planning to fight to her limits for her life.¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be my honor, Liry.¡±


    Heirina smiled, and she looked genuinely happy. At the same time, she was confused. She wanted to ask about Huxi, why she asked him for help, and why now she looked all alone. Still, that would be a troublesome topic in the first meeting.


    ¡°Since that is the case, do you want to stay for my birthday party? It will be in one week, and I am sure Dad will be happy to see more people there, too.¡±


    Everyone looked at Zelos in order to make him stay quiet, and they could tell that he was about to ask how many people would be there. He just shrugged.


    ¡°If there will be a lot of food, then I am game.¡±


    ¡°We will gladly accept your invitation, Liry. We will be staying in the city until then.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here as guests, then? We will have a lot of time to talk. I don¡¯t have much else to do here either.¡±


    Zelos wanted to ask how come she could say so many lonesome things in a row. He was even starting to feel a bit sad. Staying in the castle when they didn¡¯t know what would happen or when the emperor might die would be the worst thing possible for them. Still, Heirina ended up making her choice.


    ¡°We will gladly accept the offer. We just need to bring our things from the inn. I hope that you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! This will be amazing! I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Such a dazzling smile¡­ Zelos couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was being purified while looking at it. Maybe that was why he felt bad again. He needed his impurities to feel normal. In the end, the group got up and then left the palace and headed to the inn.


    ¡°Are we going to run at full speed back home now?¡±


    ¡°Zelos¡­ how can you say such a thing? I am starting to think that you are colder than the worst type of people I have seen on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I am. What about it?¡±


    ¡°... I gave her my word and we are going to return. I might be many things, but being a liar isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    ¡°I just hope that you have considered the merits and the demerits of this properly.¡±


    In the end, Heirina was the leader of the mission, so Zelos had to follow the orders until he knew that he would get himself killed by following those. Once that happens, it would be time to bail without hesitation.


    ¡°I wished that my sister were sweet like that.¡±


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    Everyone looked at Irlan with suspicious eyes. That had been a very weird statement. Still, no one disagreed that Liry was a very sweet girl. Maybe it was because of that reason that she hadn¡¯t been killed yet. Or maybe it was because of Huxi.


    ¡°What does Huxi do here?¡±


    ¡°He is one of the officers of the largest clan in the country, the only one that has five thousand people in it. I understand what you are thinking. He doesn¡¯t seem to be an enemy of the princess, but he can¡¯t control the clan to do what he wants like protect the princess. They receive direct orders from the emperor, but when that isn¡¯t the case¡­¡±


    ¡°The prime minister, huh? I guess he wouldn¡¯t go as far as to do anything troublesome that would make Huxi clan suspicious of him. In that sense, I guess all the sides in this power struggle are trying to find the best way to blame the death of the princess on each other.¡±


    Everyone nodded after hearing that as well¡­ It made perfect sense. They couldn¡¯t mess up now. A single mistake would cost years of power struggle in the country. Still, if Zelos and the others were able to realize that much, how come Huxi wouldn¡¯t have done the same? He seemed a bit foolish and free spirited, but it was hard to deny that he was pretty smart when it comes to battles since he always arrives on time.


    Before long, the group packed their things at the inn and then grabbed their horses and returned to the palace. The guards this time didn¡¯t try to stop them and they were informed about their invitation¡­ while seeing their confused expressions, Zelos realized something else. They couldn¡¯t stop Liry from doing a lot of things without risking getting on the bad side of Huxi clan, the princess knew that as well.


    Regardless, Liry welcomed them back with a large smile and soon guided them to some rooms close to her bedroom. The rooms were completely empty¡­ She was supposed to have some servants to help her, but that wasn¡¯t the case now.


    The group didn¡¯t even have time to unpack in their rooms and the girls were called by Liry to see her room and talk there for a while. She seemed like that type of girl and Edea as well, but the other two would feel like fish out of water.


    ¡°It feels like they will get along pretty fast¡­ what should we do in the meantime, Zelos?¡±


    ¡°What, indeed¡­¡±


    Zelos decided to train to kill time and think about what he learned that day before considering his options. The group found the princess, and they found it odd since she is a pretty happy-go-lucky girl despite the fact that no one wants to see her on the throne, a woman leading any country is unheard of, and she also doesn¡¯t look like she wants to lead it.


    Thanks to all that, Zelos wants to return as soon as possible since they finished the main mission, but Heirina had other plans. She didn¡¯t say that out loud, but she was interested in the princess and wanted to learn what kind of person she was on a deeper level. The reason for that was the fact that she was supposed to be the next ruler and Heirina didn¡¯t want to see some scheming people trying to rule the country. That would never work since they would see everyone else as mere pawns.


    ¡°We can¡¯t move freely in the palace, but we should be fine in the area where the princess lives. We need to be cautious to avoid problems.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ they will be fine as long as they are with Kaitrine, but I guess we will have to keep the perimeter a bit safer, huh?¡±


    Irlan wasn¡¯t good at that kind of thing, but he had good instincts. He would be able to tell if people around were spying on them somehow. In the end, they took a good look around the area, but they didn¡¯t find anything odd¡­ even beyond the area, things were way too quiet in the palace. Was it because of their arrival, or was it because of something else?


    ¡°The prime minister shouldn¡¯t live here, so people who want to bet on him would stay close to him. That would explain why this place is so empty¡­ people are flocking to him to get on his good side. Since he has the power while the emperor is sick, he can also decrease or increase the number of people working here.¡±


    Before long, lunch time came, and the girls left the room to grab the food. It seemed that Liry had to do even that now, but she didn¡¯t mind. The others also looked quite relaxed after talking with her for a couple of hours. In any case, Heirina stepped away a bit while they headed to the kitchen.


    ¡°Did you find anything odd?¡±


    ¡°No, at least for now.¡±


    ¡°Since we are here, we will have to keep our guard most of the time, but we won¡¯t be able to do that while interacting with Liry. At least not Edea and me. Kaitrine can, but you two will have to keep your distance and do that.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much.¡±


    Heirina nodded and then she joined the girls on the front. In the kitchen, they found some servants carrying food for the guards and they looked pretty nervous when Liry approached. Those guys were guilty because they wanted to keep their positions, but they didn¡¯t hate the princess for wanting to see her demise¡­ they just didn¡¯t want to get on the bad side of those who might be planning to dispose of her.


    Still, Liry ignored them and just grabbed some bowls of food for everyone and gave them. At least they didn¡¯t try to stop her. The only problem was that Zelos felt like asking for two more bowls just to be safe.


    ¡°Well, I will keep my eyes open to see if some food will be left. If that happens, then I will grab more the next time. I am not sure I can keep leaving the palace, so I should stuff myself here for free.¡±


    While Zelos was thinking about that, the group began to eat. During the whole time, Liry looked ecstatic¡­ It made Zelos wonder how much happiness she had daily when she was acting like that. If she were truly happy most of the time, she would have shown some signs that she was forcing herself, but not a single sign of that was shown.

 Chapter 57 - Privacy

    Whoosh, Whoosh¡­


    Since Zelos was bored out of his mind, he decided to push his limits with training. He occasionally does that on his days off, but he usually takes it easy after a couple of hours since he needs to keep his routine steady. Instead of trying to rush ahead to get stronger, he would increase his strength at regular periods. That was the key to getting stronger with as much efficiency as possible.


    ¡°Even if the room is free, Zelos, you don¡¯t have to make it smell like sweat so much.¡±


    Zelos ignored Irlan and kept swinging the club with one hand. Eventually, he stopped sweating, and steam began to leave his pores. He truly liked to reach that state when his body was warm. He felt like he was at his peak, and the training could show a lot of results. If only he could reach that stage faster¡­


    Eventually, night came and dinner time as well, so Zelos decided to stop finally. It was the perfect time for something to happen, after all. Zelos and Irlan kept their eyes on the surroundings once more, but things didn¡¯t look much different. The girls were talking pretty loudly in their room, though. Eventually, they came and even Kaitrine looked way too relaxed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get dinner and eat together in the hall. It will be more fun that way.¡±


    Zelos and Irlan looked at each other in confusion. They never thought that Heirina would say something like that. Still, Zelos soon recalled the night that the others went out and drank themselves almost to death. It seemed that they needed a breather, and the situation was providing them exactly that.


    The kitchen still had food, but it looked like the guards had already been served of their meal. It made sense. They would eat a bit earlier so that they wouldn¡¯t stay relaxed too much in the later hours and risk attacks. That seemed like a reasonable routine for them. Thanks to that, Zelos decided to grab three bowls for himself.


    ¡°You sure can eat a lot, Zelos? What is your secret? I want to be able to eat a lot and don¡¯t get fat too.¡±


    ¡°Use your head all the time and keep moving your body.¡±


    For all intentions and purposes, it sounded like Zelos told her not to be lazy and to keep her brain working, so Heirina couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He was as honestly brutal as always.


    ¡°Makes sense! That¡¯s the perfect way of thinking for a balanced and productive lifestyle. Keeping our minds sharp and our bodies active is key to staying healthy and achieving our goals. If we keep working all the time to reach our goals, we will consume the energy that we obtained.¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    As usual, Liry had way too much positive energy. Zelos¡¯s jaded way of thinking was completely lost on her, and she ended up seeing something totally different from what he said.


    After dinner, the group stayed in the hall of her part of the palace for a while and talked. Speaking of which, they met her pretty early in the morning, and she didn¡¯t do much aside from interacting with them. While it was rather normal for her not to have many visitors, it was a bit weird that she didn¡¯t try to visit her father that day. Did she forget about it because of the group?


    While Zelos was thinking about that, he realized that the atmosphere had shifted a bit. All of a sudden, he entered combat mode, and then he realized that he had messed up. He shouldn¡¯t have reacted like that.


    ¡°What is wrong, Zelos? Do you need to go to the bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, where is it?¡±


    ¡°On the left side of your room.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Liry smiled while Zelos stared at her¡­ did she notice that the atmosphere changed and covered for Zelos? He wasn¡¯t sure of that. It could be a coincidence. In any case, Zelos went to the bathroom and forced himself to use it for a short while before returning. In the end, Irlan also joined the talk. In the end, Zelos realized that he will have to do the heavy lifting by himself.


    For several hours, Zelos stayed in the corner of the hall, trying to meditate while staying focused to notice anything weird happening around. The atmosphere didn¡¯t change at all, so he imagined the princess was only being watched, and they were being watched as well.


    ¡°The level of discomfort is low, so only one or two people should be watching us. There aren¡¯t many places here that anyone can hide, but this palace should have been built with that idea in mind to spy anyone around to prevent trouble.¡±


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    There is also the possibility that some people with that kind of trait were working for the prime minister but then working before for the king. That kind of situation to consider was a bit troublesome. Zelos wanted to get used to quick thinking and finding weaknesses in the enemies, but that was much harder when considering things out of combat. There were too many factors, and the goals were numerous as well¡­


    In any case, soon enough, the group had to retreat to their rooms, respectively. Since that was part of the work and risks of failure would be too high, Zelos thought that it would be wiser for all of them to sleep in the same room, but the girls definitely would be against that.


    Once they returned to their room, Zelos checked the wall that separated them. He could hear the girls giggling. The wall wasn¡¯t that thick, so perhaps that was fine.


    ¡°What is wrong, Zelos? Are you finally interested in their talk?¡±


    ¡°Just go to sleep if you aren¡¯t planning to do anything useful.¡±


    Irlan laughed a bit and then yawned. While he didn¡¯t do much that day, he felt pretty relaxed and sleepy now. He felt like he was relaxing too much in the middle of a job, even by his standards. Still, he went to sleep, not minding that much.


    Zelos decided to stay awake the whole night just to be safe. He knew that nothing would happen on the first night of their stay there, and they would only be watched before anyone decided to do anything. They were a group of kids, relatively speaking, but since all the parties involved wanted to be cautious no matter what, it made sense that they would play it by the ear.


    ¡°Ah, politics¡­ No wonder I hate you so much. I guess I should train with the goal of becoming strong enough not only to protect myself but to also defeat politics with my strength. I don¡¯t actually have to use it, but making people fear it should be more than enough for the time being.¡±


    Zelos would have to work pretty hard for a while to reach that goal, but it was a fine goal to have, nonetheless. He knew very well the power of fear¡­ people fear what they don¡¯t understand and try to keep their distance instinctively from it until they can understand it and find a way to control it, but no one will truly control him.


    When morning came, Zelos felt a bit sleepy since he didn¡¯t rest that much. His body had rested plenty, but his mind stayed focused and sharp. Fortunately, he received a reward for his hard work. His resolve increased by one point.


    ¡°I guess forcing myself to stay awake can have that kind of effect.¡±


    At the same time, Liry looked a bit sleepy since she was yawning all the time. Maybe they went to bed later than he had predicted. Still, it was odd. Edea wasn¡¯t a morning person, but she looked fine since it was seven in the morning.


    ¡°What do you guys want to do today?¡±


    Liry eyes were shining full of expectation. The group looked at each other, wondering what they could do. It had to be in the confines of the palace, though. In the end, Heirina decided to ask her what she wanted to do instead.


    ¡°What do you want to do, Liry? We don¡¯t have much free time like this, so we don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Talk about yourself. You can always train for a couple of hours. There is no better use for free time.¡±


    Heirina felt like sighing¡­ as if Liry could join them in that kind of activity. Moreover, training with real weapons in the palace would be beyond stupid.


    ¡°I have some staves here that we can use for training. I used them now and then to learn some self defense, but it is hard to practice by myself. Still, I was thinking that it would be more fun to take a walk around the city today.¡±


    For someone who spent the day curled in the palace, it was surprising that Liry was in shape. She didn¡¯t have many visible muscles, but it was hard to say much when she was wearing that dress of hers.


    ¡°... Can you actually leave the palace, Liry? Isn¡¯t this a bad time, considering things?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually leave, but I should be fine with you all. It will be fun. You all don¡¯t know the capital that well either, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is true. Let¡¯s get going then. We also should buy you some gifts as well.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Your presence will be enough.¡±


    Zelos was thankful for that since he didn¡¯t have much money and all that he had was for emergencies, for food emergencies. In any case, while the chances of something happening in broad daylight were low, that was also a good chance for them to walk without having to worry about being heard. Zelos had the feeling that they weren¡¯t heard during all the time in that sector of the palace. However, the weird feeling that they were being observed stayed throughout the night. With that in mind, why would they be watched without being heard? He was almost certain spies with good hearing traits would have been around.


    Without wasting time, the group decided to leave the palace and walk around the city. There weren¡¯t many places for them to actually visit aside from some places that were selling sweets¡­ the girls ate a ton of them. All of a sudden, Liry stopped eating and smiling like a child and then looked around.


    ¡°... We should be fine now. You are free to ask whatever you want.¡±


    Zelos raised his eyebrows. The girl certainly knew how to change her pace all of a sudden. It was clear that she was no normal princess, but Zelos wondered when she began to eat again.


    ¡°... How can you tell that we are fine here?¡±


    ¡°I have developed a feeling after being watched for more than ten years. It will be helpful if you all also keep acting like usual and keep your expressions relaxed.¡±


    ¡°This is kind of hard¡­¡±


    Changing their gears that fast and acting like that weren¡¯t things that warriors were used to, but people that work in some areas that involve a lot of talking and analyzing other people should be pretty good at that. In any case, Zelos decided to take the reins for now.


    ¡°What should we know for now?¡±

 Chapter 58 - Moving Out

    ¡°... It pains me to say this, but the prime minister will try to dispose of me in all ways possible. The direct means like assassins are probably out of the question while Huxi is around, but he leaves pretty often. Still, me dying when he isn¡¯t here would be suspicious. So, he will use indirect means, like sending me to my death. Recently, I have heard that things in the South are becoming quite heated, so he will probably send me there to rally the troops, since we have been losing a lot there. Naturally, the order will come from the council, in the form of a gentle plea, but they are in the prime minister¡¯s hands.¡±


    Zelos studied the princess¡­ She was pretty well informed. She had a lot of time to consider many things, but it looked like she was still in a bind. Sending her to a war zone that was on the losing end would be truly bad news. Even if she doesn¡¯t die, she will lose support if she doesn¡¯t show her worth and change the tide of the battle. On the other hand, if she pulls that off¡­


    ¡°Do you think that you can turn this around and gain the upper hand? If you do it, you will be fine in the capital alone for a while?¡±


    ¡°It will be hard¡­ Considering what I know, the two sides are equal in terms of power, but we don¡¯t have good strategies. I might be able to even the field, but that won¡¯t be enough. I will need an extra card, but I believe that I will recover some support if I succeed.¡±


    ¡°Or some extra cards in this case.¡±


    ¡°... I can¡¯t ask you to do this. From what I can tell, Reina didn¡¯t give you the order to help me to this extent.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, she didn¡¯t¡­ still, it might be useful to have you owe us some favors.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°What Zelos means is that we are glad to help a friend, that is all. We are gaining a lot of information already, so it is time to repay the favor and keep doing it. Besides, Reina said that she will give us some extra if we decide to help you for a bit longer. So you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­ to think that my friends after Reina would be this nice¡­¡±


    The depression party started, and Zelos couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows. It was a talent in itself to be able to say that kind of stuff without hesitation. Regardless, that mood was too annoying, so Zelos decided to return to business.


    ¡°If you are certain that this will happen, then you should make the whole thing happen in the way that is convenient for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Declare to the council that you are going to the front lines to rally the troops in the south and then declare that we will go with you as escorts. To make sure that this will happen, we have to spread the rumor that you are going and the council will feel even more pressured to let you go. At the same time, you won¡¯t have to wait for the situation in the south to become worse.¡±


    Liry nodded after hearing that¡­ it made sense. In fact, it was a pretty obvious choice¡­ she never thought of that because she never had the chance to take control of things.


    ¡°Yes, we can do that¡­ and I know I can spread this rumor and make it very reliable to make it happen in one week or so. Let¡¯s finish the sweets and then we will start with that plan.¡±


    Her priorities were interesting, if anything. Still, it was better to take a bit slowly instead of moving suspiciously for now. One hour later, they decided to put the plan into action and then they walked to another large building in the city. It was half of the size of the palace, but it could house up to five thousand warriors¡­ It was Huxi clan.


    Even from a distance, one could tell that the place was filled with this aura that was hard to describe¡­ all the warriors around looked like they were ready for war, even though they were very far away from any real battlefield. Maybe they kept their fangs sharp in order to defend the capital in case something happened.


    ¡°Your Highness, how can we help you?¡±


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    One of the guards at the entrance of the base tried to soften his expression a bit, but that barely made any difference. Still, that didn¡¯t scare Liry at all.


    ¡°I need to talk with Huxi for a bit. Is he around?¡±


    ¡°No, your highness. He disappears from time to time, but he should be around and should return soon.¡±


    ¡°In that case, pass the message to him that I am planning to head south and help the troops there for a while, and I want his opinion. When he is ready, please tell him to come to the palace.¡±


    ¡°... Understood.¡±


    Liry didn¡¯t try to hide that, so the guards looked confused. For that kind of thing, it was better to let as few people as possible from learning of that in order to avoid trouble. Soon enough, they left, and the word began to spread. The only thing that the group didn¡¯t consider was the fact that the guards thought that she decided that, thanks to them.


    In the end, Hus showed up at the palace very flustered three days later and it looked like he came in a hurry.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ did I hear that right? I heard that you guys were with her as well, but¡­¡±


    As one would expect, Huxi was very suspicious of the group, but Liry had three days to consider that kind of possibility, so she was ready for it.


    ¡°Huxi, I have thought this through and I have been considering this for a while. Father is still sick, and I need to do something to ease his burden. There are others supporting him, but I can¡¯t sit on my butt the whole day. I didn¡¯t think that I would be able to do this alone, but now I found some people who want to help me.¡±


    Before coming, Huxi had done some research and learned that Heirina¡¯s group had come to deliver a gift to Liry, but it looked like they had another mission as well. He had no idea who sent them, though. He heard that it had been a merchant, but that was probably false information.


    ¡°His Majesty needs you here¡­ once he hears about this, he will probably get worse.¡±


    ¡°He has plenty of reasons to worry about me already. Nothing will change that or make it worse¡­ perhaps he won¡¯t even hear about this at all.¡±


    The mood grew heavy after those words¡­ Considering what Liry said, it was safe to say that the emperor was unconscious and had been like that for a while. Since Huxi didn¡¯t deny that, then it was a fact, and since Liry had come to terms with it, it was safe to say that her mother also experienced that and didn¡¯t survive it. Everyone knows that the body becomes much weaker and faster when a disease makes them lose consciousness for long periods of time.


    At the same time, Huxi felt even worse because of these words and because he couldn¡¯t mobilize the clan to act in place of Liry. He didn¡¯t have the authority for that. No one had¡­ only the prime minister and the council had that now that the kind was unconscious. They couldn¡¯t join some battle out of goodwill only or protect someone without being paid for it.


    ¡°The damage is already done. Plenty of people have heard about this now, and trying to deny it would damage your reputation and the imperial family as well. I will pass the message to some friends that I have there to help you. Just make sure to stay away from the battles. Your presence alone will be enough to boost their morale.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After that, Huxi left while considering some things. By the look of things, he was an ally, but one that couldn¡¯t do much. Reina probably knew that, or perhaps she didn¡¯t trust him fully, so she decided to use Heirina¡¯s group as a final resort¡­ come to think of it, what she did six months ago was probably some sort of test to see if they were up to the task.


    Regardless, the group just acted like usual and spent most of the time talking about random things while they waited for the results. Before long, Liry¡¯s birthday had arrived, and the mood got a bit weird since only a handful of people had come to congratulate her in the castle. They didn¡¯t stay for the feast, though. They felt that Liry deserved that much, at least, but they didn¡¯t want to get on the nerves of those who opposed her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Things have been like that for a while already.¡±


    Zelos was starting to respect Liry for her uncanny ability to smile so brightly while saying those types of sad things. In the end, only the group stayed for the feast¡­ not even the servants of the palace stayed once the food was ready. The idea of spending one¡¯s birthday alone was quite depressing, but it looked like Liry was used to that.


    Zelos didn¡¯t care much about that since it meant that there was more food for him, so he ate like there was no tomorrow. He didn¡¯t know if Reina¡¯s payment would be worth the hassle of the job, so he decided to enjoy the food at least.


    ¡°... They should send the message today, and then we will depart tomorrow.¡±


    While Zelos was enjoying the food, Liry suddenly said that¡­ it would make sense, even though it was a pretty nasty thing to do. In order to get at her, the prime minister would find a way to spoil her birthday party, which was already plenty sad. Heirina didn¡¯t know what to say, but she tried anyway.


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    ¡°It is fine, I already prepared mentally for this. Regardless, I want to say bye to Dad before this and also talk with him for a bit today.¡±


    The group nodded¡­ the talk was probably going to be one-sided, but the feeling was what was important. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the emperor¡¯s bedroom since it was supposed to be heavily guarded, but that was for the best.

 Chapter 59 - Absolutely Nothing

    Once Liry got ready, the group headed toward the largest area of the palace, this time, they found a bunch of guards stationed there armed to their teeth and ready to fight. The group stopped in front of it, but when Liry walked towards the room, the guards moved and then opened the door.


    The group didn¡¯t have the chance to take a glimpse inside, but Zelos was able to see a big bed ahead. At least the point of it¡­ it looked like the king didn¡¯t have anyone nursing him at the moment.


    The door closed and then the group went silent and tried to avoid the gaze of the guards as much as possible. At the same time, Zelos began to consider some things.


    ¡°This might end up like the last farewell to her, she already made up her mind about the trip and she knows how this disease works. She didn¡¯t mention anything about poison, but¡­ maybe she knows that eventually, she will be the next to be poisoned. Her enemies might people believe that this was a genetic disease or something and that will let them control the opinion of people by spreading around the word that perhaps the imperial family truly had to disappear.¡±


    That was some nasty shit, but it also should be bread and butter for people who work behind the scenes. For someone like Zelos who wanted to be a warrior through and through, he found that kind of thing very annoying, but he couldn¡¯t deny its necessity in some circumstances.


    Before long, the group began to fidget since Liry was taking her time¡­ but then after half an hour, she showed up looking quite refreshed, Zelos realized that the corner of her eyes were a bit wet, though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Everyone nodded and soon they returned to Liry¡¯s quarters. For a while, they stayed in silence without knowing what to say or do, but eventually, they began to hear a lot of footsteps approaching. Everyone grabbed their weapons, but soon they only found some retainer looking people approaching. They were wearing robes and a weird blue hat that seemed like something scholars would wear. Before long, they kneeled in front of Liry.


    ¡°Your Highness. The council and the prime minister have sent a message to you, please accept it.¡±


    One of the guys stepped forward and then passed a scroll to Liry. As soon as she received it, they bowed and then left. That indicated that Liry couldn¡¯t refuse the contents of the message no matter what. That was a bit weird since she forced their hands.


    ¡°It basically says that they want me to help in the south with morale until the enemies decide to retreat. They are also sending one hundred of the Imperial Guard as reinforcements.¡±


    Huxi clan was also considered part of the imperial guard, so probably one hundred of them would come with Liry. They wouldn¡¯t be of much use, but they would serve the purpose to make people think that the princess was receiving some support. Even if it only one hundred warriors wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    ¡°Those one hundred will depart in one week¡­ they might be expecting us to go with them and the battle will become worse for our side.¡±


    Heirina was worried about that and soon decided to voice her thoughts.


    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t wait for them. The issue is, will they try anything if we do that?¡±


    ¡°It is very unlikely¡­ the matter about staying there until the enemies are forced to retreat proves that. They want to keep me away from the capital for as long as possible and then eventually do what they have to do. While I don¡¯t have any real power, I still can cause problems like I did now with this plan. In any case, as planned, we will depart at sunrise. I will send s message for Huxi to find a carriage for us. We will need to carry some supplies and tools, after all. We won¡¯t be able to use the resources there.¡±


    It was finally happening¡­ The group could tell that an important moment in their lives was fast approaching. They were going to battle without informing anyone of their clan and they had to protect the princess too. One could only guess where that situation will end and what results they will obtain.


    In any case, the girls began to help Liry prepare for the trip in her room while Zelos and Irlan moved elsewhere. As usual, Zelos decided to train a bit. He did a test with regeneration, and confirmed that he could heal a broken hand in one hour¡­ he wondered where his trait would take him at that rate. Speaking of which, he never heard anyone talking about level limits in the traits.


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    ¡°What do you know about the situation in the south, Zelos?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I shouldn¡¯t have expected less. Your steel nerves never ceases to amuse me.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about it then?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything until earlier when I heard some guards talking¡­ it seems that the leaders of three of the five clans there had been executed by the enemy. Not defeated, but captured and then executed, thanks to that, the morale of the defenders is quite low.¡±


    ¡°That kind of thing is truly efficient, huh? The enemy this time should be pretty nasty, but smart, unlike the last two we faced.¡±


    ¡°The enemies in the south are better equipped than us, you will learn when we reach that area. The enemies in the west are more organized and their society is as you know already. The problem this time is the fact that we have to worry about our backs as well, and the enemy is trying to fight while saving their soldiers as much as possible. They don¡¯t care about expending a lot of resources, though. As long as they aren¡¯t human.¡±


    Zelos rubbed his chin thoughtfully¡­ he could imagine that the enemies this time would be pretty skilled since they came from a place that valued their lives a lot. Their side could take their time and they had more experience, while the defenders side couldn¡¯t take their time and their new leader was Liry. She will have to truly show her worth in one way or the other.


    ¡°Until now, I have been training with the goal of only improving my parameters and skills, but I can¡¯t keep only doing that. I will have to add battle experience to this and consider as fast as possible how I can improve.¡±


    Battles like that were also good ways to rack a lot of accomplishments and extra money, and all that would be useful for Zelos in the future, so that was a good chance for him. Still, things will be way harder than the previous battle since Reina won¡¯t be there¡­ he will have to show his worth as well.


    With those thoughts in mind, Zelos trained until he barely could move his arms and then went to bed. When morning came the next day, the group left the capital determined to change the tides of all the conflicts that they were involved and perhaps change the political landscape of the country as well.


    ¡°It has been a while since I left the capital¡­ this sense of freedom is just amazing.¡±


    Liry was sticking out her head out of the window of the carriage and smiling like a child. Thanks to it, Heirina couldn¡¯t help but force a smile. She wanted to ask if the last time was five years ago, but she didn¡¯t want to bring back bad memories for her.


    While Heirina wanted to ask about that, Zelos wanted to ask what Liry would be able to do if the push came to the shove. The chances were small, but she might have to defend herself at some point. So, she would need her traits.


    ¡°Over the years, the imperial family should have added to their bloodline some valuable traits. However, considering how small it is now, Liry shouldn¡¯t have many. She might get one very useful one when the emperor dies, but no one wanted to count on that in the middle of the battle. The reason for that is obvious.¡±


    It would be useful if Liry gained a new trait in the middle of the battle. However, that would affect her mind since it would be the same as confirming that her father died. In any case, it doesn¡¯t look like anyone was going to ask her what her trait can do and since they never asked each other either, Zelos could assume that this was practically an insult. She never did anything that gave some tips either¡­


    It was better to put that aside since the knowledge might actually cause more problems than help. With that in mind, Zelos decided to ask something else.


    ¡°What is the plan once we reach the battlefield?¡±


    ¡°I would like to take command of things there as soon as possible, but that might not be easy. I don¡¯t have real experience leading and if our side is losing, people feel even less compelled to follow my lead. With that in mind, we will have to change the flow of the battle as soon as possible to make everyone listen to us.¡±


    That made sense. No one in their right mind would let a princess who led a supposed safe life lead them when their lives were on the line. The battle there has been going on for a while, so people might be hostile towards her.


    ¡°I heard some reports about the battlefield, and things truly loom grim¡­ everyone is on their last legs, some people already deserted and since they didn¡¯t have the spares to look for them, more and more people look like they are ready to do that as well. As for the battlefield, it is filled with the decomposing corpses of their allies since the enemies don¡¯t let them even recover those to bury them.¡±


    After hearing that, Heirina showed a lot of disgust. They were all mercenaries, and honor wasn¡¯t their main concern when working, but everything has limits, and it looks like the enemies are fine ignoring those limits.


    ¡°Woah¡­ they are using all the dirty tricks in the book, huh?¡±


    ¡°So, we really to bring them down to make our allies there follow us. While we are young, with your skills, we should be able to pull that off.¡±


    After that, Liry began to tell them what they were supposed to do once they arrived on the battlefield. Pretty much every day, Zelos could see in the morning that Liry couldn¡¯t sleep that much, even though she had some people around that she saw as allies. The area around her eyes showed a lack of sleep that she tried to hide with a bit of makeup.


    Still, it looked like she used those sleepless hours to help come up with a decent plan for as soon as they arrived on the battlefield. She spent a while explaining the whole thing to everyone, and they all looked impressed and confident.

 Chapter 60 - Defense Efforts

    One week later, the group arrived on the southern battlefield. The area there was a massive plain land that in any other time of the year would have looked pretty nice, but even from a distance, the group was able to feel the aura of death in the battlefield. It didn¡¯t seem like the enemies were planning to advance anytime soon, so they were planning to make the defenders endure that oppressive atmosphere for as long as possible.


    The camp on the defending side was completely silent. It was mid-afternoon, but it didn¡¯t look like the soldiers had fought that day. Some of them looked truly exhausted, so they assumed that the enemies had used night raids as well to get on their nerves.


    Usually, a camp with a high morale was a camp with a lot of noise and people working everywhere. They would do things that would improve their odds of survival in the next battle, but no one was doing anything there. Things looked pretty nasty.


    Although the carriage and the five riders¡¯ arrival informed them that someone important had arrived, they didn¡¯t think that things would change that much. Before long, they reached the largest tent in the camp and stopped right there. Now they got the attention of the few guards who were there, and soon, they moved to block their path. It didn¡¯t look like they had been informed of the princess¡¯s arrival, so the prime minister was really trying hard to get on their way.


    When Liry left the carriage, the guards didn¡¯t recognize her. Few people had seen the princess, after all. Still, they dropped to their knees when Irlan introduced her. Things started to get noisy around¡­ when everyone looked in that direction, they only saw a group of warriors that perhaps was a bit too young to be there. The princess wasn¡¯t wearing clothes that made her look like royalty either. She had an elegant red cloak around her, but aside from that, she was wearing pants, a white shirt, and some long boats that would all work to improve her mobility.


    Without wasting time, they entered the large tent, and soon, they found one of the captains on the battlefield sleeping on his table. When he began to hear the noise, he woke up and looked around blankly.


    ¡°Hello, Captain. My name is Liry. Were you informed of my arrival?¡±


    The captain opened his eyes widely¡­ he indeed received the letter with that kind of information, but he thought that the higher-ups were messing with him. Why would they send the princess to a pretty much-lost battlefield?


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Please forgive me for not being ready to welcome you upon your arrival. I was expecting that you would come a bit later.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I decided to hurry up and come here to help as soon as possible.¡±


    The expression on the captain¡¯s face returned to normal after hearing that. It was the normal reaction¡­ help. As if someone who lived the good life away from the battlefields would be able to help them with their business. It was like expecting a kid to teach an herbalist how to handle their plants.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that we have time to waste here, so we should get ready for the next battle as soon as possible. My friends and I aren¡¯t going to get on your way, but it would be better if you were to follow my orders if things happen as I predict.¡±


    The captain wondered about the meaning of those words¡­ in the end, he called the other captain to hear from Liry about what was supposed to happen on the battlefield. Even without hearing anything so far, she assumed that the enemies would come at dinner time tonight and that they should be ready for it while pretending to be resting as much as possible.


    The two captains looked at each other and stayed like that for a second. They had expected that the enemies would do that, but they didn¡¯t plan to try to fool them like that. It was too risky since the enemies would have the chance to control the flow of the battle from the very beginning.


    ¡°I am aware that their mounted archers are a problem, but they won¡¯t be this time. Just let the groups stay in formation or in semi formation using the tents, that will give them enough room to react fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ how do you plan to handle them? They never expose themselves and only target us when they have total control over the battle. They are also extremely good at killing officials from their positions.¡±


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    ¡°I can¡¯t reveal that since that might put the parts involved in trouble. Anyway, the enemies will silently send other battalions of infantry to surprise us and then send their mounted archers when the combat has been engaged. Once that happens, we will just hold our ground and wait until their formation crumbles.¡±


    The two captains looked at the group behind Liry. It was clear that she was planning to use them to do that kind of job, but it was hard to imagine that those young warriors would dash in the battlefield without being noticed.


    Without wasting time, the captains decided to put the plan in action, it wasn¡¯t much and the risks were minimal, so they felt that they could try that much. If it fails, they won¡¯t have any reasons to listen to the princess.


    ¡°You all should stay in position for when night comes, I will be fine on my own here.¡±


    Zelos raised his eyebrows when he heard that. Leaving Liry alone in such a place would be too risky and they would be the firsts who would lose their heads in case something happens.


    ¡°Is that an order? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since you aren¡¯t paying us.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. Zelos. However, we will need everyone to be away. Otherwise, the two captains will know who will be responsible for killing the mounted archers.¡±


    ¡°Even if they know whom, they won¡¯t know how we did it. There is no real tactical value against the enemy to make those three be on the very front lines. Edea is also an archer and once she starts to pick the enemies, she will be targeted.¡±


    ¡°I am with Zelos in this one, Liry. Leaving you unprotected is too risky. Besides, in a nocturnal battle, no one will be able to see what happens to you and if you disappear, then we will have a hard time finding your traces. It would be better if we could surprise the enemies as much as possible today, but other chances will come.¡±


    Liry considered Heirina¡¯s words and in the end, she nodded. Both of them had a point and they would be able to fight better knowing that Liry would be well guarded.


    ¡°In that case, we should get closer to the front lines when the battle starts, we will be able to pass orders more effectively by then. If the enemies hear about me as well, we will be able to keep luring and trapping them.¡±


    Compromising under those circumstances probably wasn¡¯t the best of ideas. Still, Heirina knew that Zelos and Kaitrine would pull off their missions before the enemies offered any risk to Liry.


    Before long, the message to the whole camp began to spread, and the soldiers began to change tents while only carrying their own things. They felt that was a waste of time since the enemies would have the preemptive strike anyway, but orders were orders.


    At the same time, the group watched the whole thing and tried to see the enemy¡¯s camp in the distance which was three kilometers away. They looked the same as usual with no changes, but Liry could see several points where scouts could be hiding. Kaitrine could see that as well.


    ¡°I can see them, shall I dispose of them?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ the enemies will stay on alert if the scouts are disposed of right now. It is better to let them live for a while longer. At least until we decide when we should go to the offense.¡±


    Hopefully, that will happen soon. Battles were they had to defend all the time were the worst for rookies¡­ Zelos and the others certainly were total rookies when it comes to that kind of battle. Before long, the sun began to set and soon the group began to prepare as well¡­ Zelos and Kaitrine moved to the sides of the camp in order to assume their positions. Now the worst part of the job will have to start, the wait.


    For all intents and purposes, the enemy scouts should have noticed the fancy carriage arriving, but they didn¡¯t do anything out of the norm. Just as Liry had predicted, a first wave of infantry silently approached their camp throughout the darkness, but soon they began to hoar with all their might while charging.


    The infantry only had around five hundred warriors, but they were so eager to fight and made so much noise that they looked like they were two or even three thousand. Despite that, the defending side soon assumed their positions and formed their lines to fight.


    The sound of metal colliding and the screams of effort and pain echoed in the area. Zelos heard all that with his arms crossed two hundred meters away from the battlefield¡­ he couldn¡¯t engage now even though he was so pumped for a fight¡­


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for the enemies to send their second wave and even amidst the darkness, Zelos could see the mounted figures and without wasting time, he began to approach.


    Zelos tried to be as calm as positive, trying to blend in the shadows and without tripping on anything. Despite the fact that he could see his first target already unleashing some arrows, he didn¡¯t let that stir him up.


    In the end, that had been the right thing since Zelos soon found a group of right soldiers around the mounted archer. That guy was skilled and one of the lieutenants of the enemy army, so it made sense that he would have such a guard.


    Still, their formation was completely useless¡­ When Zelos was twenty meters away, he grabbed one of his iron balls and then threw it at the enemy''s head without any hesitation. The enemy who was about to nock an arrow suddenly fell from his horse and then hit the ground. Before long, his guards realized that something was off and then some confusion began to spread around as some of the enemy¡¯s warriors approached to see what was going on¡­ in that moment, Zelos infiltrated their army without being noticed.

 Chapter 61 - Risk and Reward

    Moving in the middle of the enemy¡¯s lines was a pretty risk, tt was almost suicidal, but thanks to the darkness of the night and the chaos, Zelos was able to do so without being stopped. Some people found it odd seeing someone moving from one side to the other of their formation, but they just assumed that he was a messenger or something.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to find another mounted archer, and then Zelos got closer and then threw an iron ball at him. Another skull was crushed, and the enemy fell to his death. When Zelos managed to kill the fourth mounted archer, he noticed that things were starting to heat up¡­ he tried to be faster than the word of those guys being attacked could spread, but it looked like he failed.


    ¡°Kaitrine should be doing better there¡­ there are dozens more of those, after all, and not all of them should have come to this attack.¡±


    Zelos began to run and eventually noticed some people looking at him with suspicious eyes. Before they could do anything, though, he used his charging technique and then impaled them and moved on.


    Still, when he found the fifth target, Zelos saw his guards completely battle-ready, with their weapons drawn and looking in all directions. In the end, Zelos drew his club and then increased his speeds to the limits. One side of the enemies guarding that target noticed his approach and then positioned themselves to face him, but as soon as they opened their mouths to alert the others, Zelos used his charging technique and then collided with them.


    The four guards were smashed between the club and the horse¡­ They survived the attack, but they lost the air in their lungs as their bones cracked¡­ the mounted archer began to fall, but Zelos still had the chance to swing his club at his head and then kill him instantly.


    When the other guards saw their leader falling, they soon got ready to face the enemy, they should at least kill the assailants, but when the horse fell alongside the dead lieutenant, they found only their wounded friends on the ground.


    ¡°This will be harder than I thought.¡±


    Zelos had turned to the side and then disappeared in the darkness of the back of the enemy¡¯s formation¡­ he will have to cross longer distances thanks to that, but at least he will be safer for a while longer.


    While looking over his shoulders, Zelos realized that in the areas he had passed, the chaos was unfolding since the enemies were still fighting, unaware that their officers had been killed. The same thing was happening on the other side of their formation¡­ and they never noticed it because the back and the front of their formations were too engaged in the combat. That was the demerit of trying to be overly cautious¡­ they knew exactly what they had to do and never went beyond that all in order to preserve their strength as much as possible.


    ¡°Kaitrine doesn¡¯t know how to pace herself¡­ so I need to hurry up.¡±


    That was a bit odd considering how much composed and calm her father was, but it looked like it would take years before Kaitrine managed to deal with her hot-headedness. While he was thinking about that, Zelos found the next target and soon changed his direction toward him, but as soon as he got closer, he saw the enemy looking in his direction and then readying his bow.


    ¡°I knew things wouldn¡¯t be convenient forever¡­¡±


    The enemy fired his arrow and Zelos was unable to see it coming, thanks to the darkness of the night and its speed. Still, he moved his club to protect his head and heart. The weapon trembled when the projectile hit it, but then it ricocheted and then hit Zelos¡¯s left shoulder.


    The impact made it lose some power, but it still pierced his flesh a fair bit¡­ enough to make him grunt in annoyance. Zelos ignored the pain and kept going, but soon, the enemy began to fire several arrows faster than before. They had lost their power, but their speed was still troublesome.


    In the end, Zelos moved his club to the side and then put all his strength in the next motion¡­ moving his entire body like a whip, he launched his club in the air and made it spin violently toward the enemy. No one expected a club like that to cross those forty meters¡­ much less cross it so fast, but it happened. The weapon not only blocked the arrows the enemy fired in the blink of an eye, it also hit his head, making him fall from his horse.


    In the next moment, his guards looked behind to see what had happened to him, but one second later, they turned only to see Zelos right in front of them, swinging his sword and claiming their lives.


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    ¡­¡­


    While Zelos was finishing that group of enemies, Liry was watching the battle unfolding before her while squinting her eyes¡­ Despite the darkness of the night, she could see some silhouettes two hundred meters ahead of her falling on both sides of the enemy¡¯s lines. At the same time, Heirina was holding her spear tightly since they were too close to the front lines¡­ one could literally see the enemies and their expressions of anger ahead while facing the defenders.


    ¡°Liry, we should retreat¡­¡±


    Liry was too focused on the enemy¡¯s lines to hear that, so her response was nothing like Heirina, Edea, and Irlan had expected.


    ¡°We need to advance. We need to rally up our allies right now.¡±


    Everyone stared at her blankly. That wasn¡¯t part of the plan they had heard before. Considering what they could see in the battle, both sides were even, so perhaps she had a point, but that was too dangerous.


    ¡°Zelos and Kaitrine are having a hard time facing the mounted archers, and they should have some guards or something like that. They aren¡¯t firing arrows at us because they are aware that someone is targeting them¡­ it is time to go all out and deliver a power blow to their numbers.¡±


    Heirina had many things to say about that, but she couldn¡¯t deny Liry¡¯s points¡­ if they wanted to change the flow of the battle as much as possible to their side, they had to do it now while the enemies were unaware of what was happening.


    ¡°All right¡­ but stay behind us, no matter what! Edea, stay behind and keep an eye on the surroundings. Put an arrow on the head of anyone suspicious that might approach us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Zelos thought that his cover was gone as soon as he got rid of those guys, but much to his surprise, things got even more insane in the area. He began to hear screams on the defending side, and then the enemy soldiers looked even more enraged and began to charge even faster.


    ¡°This is my chance!¡±


    Zelos began to run again toward the next target, but then he looked to the side and then saw for a moment Liry approaching the front lines¡­ she even had a sword in her hand and was raising it to rally the troops.


    That made Zelos even eager to make sure that her stupid decision would work without costing her life. To the point that he began to use his charging technique, even though he was fifty meters away from the next target. He decided to do that because he could feel his body reaching the peak in terms of warming up.


    Thanks to that, Zelos was able to cross that distance in three steps and in the blink of an eye as well. When the guards of the next target realized that something passed by them, Zelos had already cut the throat of their leader and he was landing on the other side of the horse.


    After using the technique two more times, he disappeared completely from the area and he still couldn¡¯t feel his legs suffering damage. He only began to feel some pain when he killed two more targets, but at that point in time, he soon stopped when he saw Kaitrine stopping ahead. She raised her eyebrows while sweating a lot¡­ she didn¡¯t expect that Zelos would have been that fast, but there was no time for that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave right now. They will start the encirclement and we will be found by the enemies.¡±


    Zelos nodded and then they soon began to run while taking a long arc away from the area. The enemies were trying to reach Liry with all their might, but the defending soldiers were roaring while facing the enemies without a shred of hesitation.


    While Zelos were circling around the enemy¡¯s lines to reach the defending side, the enemies began to retreat because they weren¡¯t receiving orders. Soon enough, they realized that their officers have been disposed off and we¡¯re forced to retreat, but the defending side keeps chasing them and killing them further until Liry gives them the order to stop thanks to the darkness of the night. All that only happened in just ten minutes, but the chaos seemed endless.


    When those two found the others, they saw that the group looked completely fine, but they were cleaning their weapons from blood. It seemed that some of the enemies reached them.


    ¡°WOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    The defenders began to roar in excitement for their obvious victory, but the group wasn¡¯t so sure if that truly had been a massive victory. There were a lot of corpses from allies on the ground¡­ a lot of them were from the ones that died a few days ago.


    ¡°Half of those who are fine form a line and stay on watch, the others who need medical attention retreat immediately. Help those that can¡¯t walk retreat!¡±


    The two captains were nowhere to be seen, but soon they appeared while helping the wounded. They had some scratches on their bodies as well, so it looked like they fought a lot¡­ that was a bold move, considering that the other three had been executed.


    The group retreated to the tent that they had set up for Liry and waited for the reports. The number of wounded was high, but they were all doing relatively well thanks to their high morale. Irlan didn¡¯t look that serious. It looked like he also had a fair estimation of the numbers.


    ¡°I think that fifteen hundred of the enemies were disposed of while we lost around five hundred. The problem is the number of wounded on our side.¡±


    The high morale made people fight more and better than they could, but that was also a double-edged sword since it could compromise their future fighting abilities. Regardless, soon one of the captains confirmed that¡­ the enemies lost a little more than fourteen hundred soldiers while the defenders¡¯ side lost 450. However, the number of wounded was almost two thousand, and that was two-thirds of the remaining forces. Liry held her chin while squinting her eyes.

 Chapter 62 - Commander

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the best of outcomes, but this isn¡¯t one of the worst ones either. We can still push the enemies a bit more, but the terrain ahead is a bit troublesome.¡±


    The terrain ahead had some hills, so the enemies will be able to set up some traps and ambushes. That definitely would be trouble¡­ moreover, they should know that the defenders will try to capitalize on that victor. Surprising them once again will be difficult.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s just rest and heal for tomorrow. You all should sleep in my tent. Or at least close enough in case we have to respond as soon as possible.¡±


    Liry tents were big enough for ten or so improvised beds, and since everyone was focused on the battle ahead. It was clear that they wouldn¡¯t have time to think about nonsense. They had been camping together for a while as well, so they were already used to that.


    In any case, Zelos set up a tent for himself, since he liked his privacy to train if the opportunity arose. He also wanted to keep an eye on Nightstorm. He tends to get troublesome when Zelos doesn¡¯t look after him like usual.


    ¡°Today¡¯s battle was relatively easy¡­ minus some cramps after it was over. Still, I think I am doing too much this kind of thing, ambushing the enemy instead of facing them directly. I can¡¯t tell if I am doing well with my training, thanks to that. I have the feeling that when I will have the chance to do that, I will have a pretty nasty surprise.¡±


    At least the battle made Zelos realize that he needed to warm up faster than the norm in order to use his charging technique and his attacks better. He didn¡¯t notice that earlier, but his attacks had been pretty sharp as well. Reaching that stage wasn¡¯t only good for his legs.


    Although he had moved and spent more energy than he usually would on a single day, Zelos still felt like he had more in the tank, so he had a bit of a hard time falling asleep. He felt eager to train¡­ It was probably thanks to the atmosphere on the battlefield. He felt like he should do more than usual in order to increase his chances of survival.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we will have to do even more than usual. I will have to do even more than usual. Showing more than one hundred percent in order to make this battle end faster. It feels weird worrying about home in a situation like this, but it can¡¯t be helped. I am also a businessman, after all.¡±


    While he recognized those thoughts, Zelos also recognized that something else made him feel that way. He wasn¡¯t sure of it, but he could only guess that he would understand it the next day the source of that feeling¡­


    Zelos woke up the next day as soon as then the sun rose on the horizon. It looked like the enemies didn¡¯t do anything out of the norm during the night. In any case, Zelos went to check the others, and soon he found Liry studying a map while the other girls were still in their sleep. She greeted him with a tired smile.


    ¡°Good morning. Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I imagine that the snore of those three kept you up all night. Regardless, you should give the orders and then rest a bit before anything happens.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to, but we will have to make a move in one way or the other to get the enemies. The sky is clear today and it will probably remain like that, and that is a good chance for us.¡±


    Zelos wanted to ask more, but he decided that waiting for the others to hear it would be better and save time. In the end, he stood silently in the corner of the tent and waited patiently for it. The camp outside was slowly waking up to a new day, and they felt really refreshed. They had the chance to cremate their fallen allies, so the smell of death had improved a bit.


    Around the same time Irlan woke up, the girls woke up as well and went to wash their faces. While they were used to the battlefield, they still didn¡¯t like the fact that they barely could have some proper privacy at such a time of the day when they thought that their overall appearance was the lowest. Even on the battlefield, girls would always be girls. If they had to fight, they at least had to look presentable, while most guys didn¡¯t care if they had forgotten to comb their hair before a large confrontation.


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    ¡°Good morning, everyone. I didn¡¯t have the chance to say that yesterday, but that was a very fine work. I am sure we will be able to do more today and try to end things here as soon as possible.¡±


    Heirina had some things to say about that, like the fact that she didn¡¯t want to let Liry do anything reckless there since that was essentially risking their lives as well. Who knows what would happen to them if Liry suffers just a scratch? Still, she was their commander, so they had to follow her orders. Even more so when her strategy was working.


    ¡°I will send the battle plan for the other captains soon enough, but for now, I want to hear your opinions about it.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other and wondered what was that about. Usually, a commander wouldn¡¯t ask for insights from his underlings unless he was unsure about his plans, and that was never a good thing.


    A commander¡¯s confidence on the battlefield is crucial for maintaining authority and ensuring effective leadership. When a commander appears confident, it instills trust in their subordinates. Soldiers are more likely to follow orders and believe in the commander¡¯s decisions when they see confidence.


    Confident commanders communicate more effectively. They speak clearly, make decisions decisively, and give commands with authority. This reduces ambiguity and ensures everyone understands their role and the mission objectives.


    Confidence is contagious. When a commander exudes confidence, it uplifts the morale of the entire unit. Soldiers feel reassured and motivated, even in challenging situations, knowing their leader is confident in the battle plan.


    ¡°For now, I just want to give everyone the chance to rest. We will make our move in the afternoon. Almost at sunset, here is why¡­¡±


    One hour later, the group split up. They knew that Liry needed some time to rest and wait for the response of the other captains, but it would be hard to assume that they wouldn¡¯t go along with her plan when their underlings were so wounded. They had some healers on their side, but they were working a lot.


    In the end, Zelos looked for a place to swing his sword and club alone without being bothered. While that could be considered training, he just did some experiments. He needed to learn how fast he could warm up his body to perform at the best of conditions, using both weapons.


    In the end, ten minutes of swinging both of them was enough to reach that stage. That was a tough thing to learn, since it was unlikely that he would be able to prepare that much before some big confrontations. At the same time, once his body reached that peak, his stamina would begin to decrease steadily. Staying like that for twenty minutes was his limit. Even if he forced his body by sacrificing his health instead, his performance would decrease by at least fifty percent.


    ¡°If we pull this off today, half of the battle will be over. The question is: Will the enemy fall for the trap? They are quite methodical, so the best option for them is quite obvious. They have to take control of the flow of the battle here so they can¡¯t lose again, and with that in mind, the best option is¡­¡±


    While thinking about that a bit, Zelos rested at the top of a hill and tried to see anything that he could from the enemy¡¯s camp. He only could see some smoke rising to the sky, nothing else, all thanks to the hills.


    Once he was done resting, Zelos continued with his tests to make his warming up even faster. That was possible, but that cut up even more the time that he could fight at his best. It was truly more efficient to start slowly and build up momentum. Perhaps he could change that with the food that he would eat. Food tends to affect one¡¯s physical condition as well, after all. Still, there was no time for that. The plan would be better if it worked that day and as soon as possible.


    Before long, the entire camp began to move. It was already mid-afternoon when Zelos was done with his tests. So he soon cleaned himself up and then joined the others. Everyone nodded at each other¡­ it looked like the other captains were fine with Liry¡¯s plan. That made sense, since they would take fewer risks. At the same time, they looked at that group of young mercenaries and wondered if they were right in the head¡­ they didn¡¯t know that they had a lot to lose by being complacent, after all.


    All the troops began to get ready, at least the ones that could still walk and run. That was around fifteen hundred warriors. Most of them still had bandages covering half of their heads and large wounds in other parts of their bodies. They could fight, but not for long.


    ¡°On me, soldiers! We will claim the head of the enemies¡¯ leader today.¡±


    Every single soldier looked at Liry in confusion as she took the lead of the formation while she was mounted, but soon they were filled with nothing but respect for her since she taking so many risks to reach their goals and end that battle as soon as possible. Still, that made their advance a lot more obvious to the enemies.


    Liry began to lead the formation while Zelos, Irlan, Heirina, Kaitrine and Edea protected her from the sides. The goal was to show her as much as possible to the enemy. If that doesn¡¯t lure the enemies in, nothing would. Still, they didn¡¯t have to wait for long to see the enemies in the distance. They were ready for combat. Edea squinted her eyes when she realized something.


    ¡°I can see a guy in the front of the enemy¡¯s lines¡­ he stands out like a sore thumb. He is quite tall and has a long glaive as well.¡±