Suddenly, Arslan burst out of the room, the door splintering behind him. I raised my arms to protect my face.

“Don’t come closer!”

His clothes were singed. He shouted toward Ursara and Blaria, who tried to rush to his side. Then Ama stepped out, her expression a mixture of regret and urgency. She shot a look of sorrow towards Arslan.

“I’m sorry. I just need time.”

With that, she left quickly.

“Should I follow her?” I asked Arslan. He shook his head.

“I’ll get her. This is… something I have to do.”

I nodded, understanding. But our foolish duo tried to chase after him, and without even looking, I slammed my fists into their stomachs.

“What the hell, human!” Blaria gasped, doubling over.

I sighed. “Seriously, how long do you guys know each other?”

“What kind of question is that? We’ve known them for years!” He protested.

“And you haven’t noticed there’s something between the two of them?”

I looked at their bewildered faces with amusement.

“It isn’t even like they’re trying to hide it. I figured it out in 20 days! Close your mouths, or flies will get in.”

I walked into the room, only to find my mug shattered on the ground, coffee pooling around it. The room was way hotter than before. I fell down to my knees.

“No! I was able to drink only a few sips!”

Ursara patted my shoulder. “We have more. Do you want me to make you some?”

“Yes, please.”

My overdramatic display was for nothing. Ursara brewed another batch, and I sank down to sit.

“Is the Silverfox family strong?” I asked.

“You don’t know?” Ursara replied, his tone grim.

“If I did, I wouldn’t be asking you guys.”

Their expressions darkened.

“We are not the first Black Claw. Morrigan Blackclaw’s father, Adriel Blackclaw, founded us. They fought for beastkin rights until…” Ursara paused, taking a deep breath as if summoning the energy to continue.

“Ayaz Whitefox, the current leader of the Whitefox family, slaughtered all of them. If it wasn’t for Chief Börü, the resistance would have been completely wiped out. Amaterasu’s parents were killed directly by Whitefox.”

Damn.

“If he’s that powerful and important, it’s probably not him coming. Still, we should lay low if someone related to him is on their way.”

I prepared myself for their protests. If they were this powerful things could get really dangerous.

“We may even have to abandon this operation entirely.”

I said as I looked at them, waiting for them to angrily shout at me “No!”. To my surprise, they didn’t argue. They simply nodded. Was their defeat that crushing? Just the name Silverfox seemed to drain the color from their faces. I had seen soldiers’ morale break after a brutal loss many times. Was this like it?

“Twenty Behemoth-class soldiers are headed our way, Sir. They’ll be in striking range in one hour.”

A bad memory surfaced in my mind. Morale was the most important factor in any combat situation. If soldiers had hope, they would fight without food, water, or even ammo.

I clapped my hands, rallying them. “Stop thinking like that. We don’t know who will be coming. Perhaps it’s just a fledgling, a young noble who has never experienced a real fight. Maybe they won’t even stay here for more than a night.”

I thumped their heads lightly. “Don’t let it get to your heads. This is a long fight.”

I finished my coffee and stood. “Anyways, I’ll draw up the layout of the barracks and guard posts to the best of my ability. But I won’t be able to smuggle out any more people. Security is tightening. I also won’t be able to come here as easily; the captain is making us do martial drills, probably because he wants to impress the Silverfoxes. You guys need to inform Ama and Arslan.”

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After wrapping up, I headed back to the barracks. I noticed everyone was in a rush right away.

“You’re late! Hurry, get in line!”

One of the soldiers yanked me toward the formation. Nearly all the soldiers were there. Before I could ask what was happening, a voice boomed:

“Attention!”

The Captain rode in on horseback, accompanied by a woman whose cold, distant gaze carried only disdain. Her silver hair was tied in a tight ponytail, and she wore light armor, two blades—one rapier and one sabre—strapped to her side. She surveyed us like we were pieces of shit, a look I was all too familiar with from my early military days. She was the hotshot official we had been expecting.

“I thought I ordered you to pick skilled men, Captain. Not even half of these men are useful,” she declared, her voice slicing through the air.

Wow, what a prick. At least she could have waited until we left before tearing us apart. Her gaze landed on me.

Oh, fuck. Well, shit.

“You. Step to the front.”

I instinctively placed my hand over my chest and looked around. Thankfully, a stupid bastard stepped forward. Damn, man. You shouldn’t be so eager when your superiors are in a bad mood. As she dismounted, I noticed she wore high heels. Not exactly optimal for combat.

“Let’s see if they know how to handle a weapon. Take your stance, soldier. Block one strike, and I will give you 10 gold coins.”

Ten gold coins! Damn. The monthly pay here was just three silver coins. One gold was worth ten silver—more than triple my monthly pay just for blocking one strike? Lucky bastard. But when I looked at him, I saw his hands shaking. His stance was pathetic. He clearly never had to use his sword in a real situation.

The guards here were awful people, but over time, I realized most were just poor souls who found a decent-paying job. That didn’t excuse their actions, but… I wondered if I would think the same way if I were in their position.

In stark contrast to him, she drew her sabre swiftly and gracefully. She may have looked cold, but I could tell she was skilled with her weapon.

“Argh!”

A huge gash opened in his chest, and he fell, screaming. Some soldiers rushed to help him, but she waved them off.

“You were paid, given uniforms and weapons, and this is the best you can do? He deserves to die.”

She made an arc with her sword, slicing the grass around her. How the hell did she do that? Magic, maybe. She slowly approached the remaining soldiers, who backed away instinctively.

“And all of you… you can’t even stand in a line. I’ve seen dogs better trained than you.”

She took a deep breath, her contempt palpable.

“One of you step forward. If even just one manages to block a single strike, I will not punish the rest of you.”

The silence was deafening. I was sure many would jump at the chance to earn that much money, but the scene they had just witnessed was too much. I sighed and took a step forward. If she changed everything, all the information I had gathered would go to waste.

She looked down at me, and her expression shifted slightly.

“At least one of you has some bravery. What is your name?”

“Poyraz.”

“My Lady. I am the granddaughter of Ayaz Silverfox. You will address me as My Lady.”

I knelt before her.

“I am sorry, My Lady. I am just a peasant boy.”

She turned back to the Captain, incredulity etched on her face.

“A peasant boy? We gave you the resources to hire the best soldiers, and you brought in a peasant?”

“He is more than he seems, My Lady. You'll see after testing him.”

The Captain tried to reassure her.

“I'll decide that,” she replied, her voice sharp and threatening.