After finishing putting on his armor, Cristobal looked at the fire growing in the distance and commented:

—We have to get back to the camp; they're probably looking for us all over the town. Let's go around the fire and move quickly.

—Why go around it?—Tea asked, remembering that they had come through that way.

—We don't know how big the fire is now. If we go into the middle and can't find any live trees, we're done for. Never enter a dangerous place without knowledge of the area; it's basic—Cristobal replied with wisdom as he proceeded to show the way. From his height, it was quite easy to see where the fire had not yet passed.

Tea followed her uncle through the forest, trusting that he would find the right path to avoid the flames. Fortunately, nothing unusual happened, and in about an hour, the giant and the redhead emerged from the forest and reached the road that would lead them to the nearby town without seeing a single tree on fire. However, the smoke in the sky could be seen and smelled from almost anywhere.

After walking a few minutes along the dirt road surrounded by colorful fields, Apolo could see in the distance that a military camp had been set up on the outskirts of the forest. The camp wasn't very large, and given his education, Apolo could tell that there were at most five hundred soldiers in this place. However, considering how delicate all these military tents were, the deceased realized that they were probably quite well-trained soldiers or of high rank. Therefore, this military camp should belong to an elite squad or the escort of someone important.

Without even getting close to the camp, a soldier wearing armor made of broken bones approached them on horseback to deliver the following message:

—We finally found you, General. The forest is on fire, and I suppose it was you two since we found no sign of the enemy in the vicinity. While we have control over the fire, I remind you that we are a day away from the grand general, and he will be in charge of the siege. So, it's vital to avoid these kinds of "accidents" in the future.

—Yes, it was us, Isidoro. Tell my captains to meet in my tent—Cristobal ordered dryly, not wanting to give too many explanations about what had happened, while he anxiously looked at how high the smoke was in the sky, afraid that it might be noticed by the men in the siege.

—And the other officers?—Isidoro asked immediately, although his question seemed more like a forced invitation for these people than a sincere question—Remember that we have several important people cast here in the camp. While you can ignore what they say, you still need to invite these people to hear important plans.

—What a pain...—Murmured Cristobal as he grabbed his head; the giant had forgotten about these nuisances, but now he remembered that several nobles had sent their children to share in the military merit of completing the siege.

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—Sir, I remind you that the funding from the rest of the noble families was crucial, and it's necessary to maintain good relations with them. Your father personally ordered me to watch over this matter carefully, and I'm afraid that as the war is about to end, negotiations with the nobles who financed this campaign will become more contentious. So, it's vital to follow basic protocols well—Isidoro commented, trying to persuade the general.

—Tell all the officers to gather in the general's tent and make preparations so that I can explain my orders there—Cristobal replied, refusing to invite a bunch of strangers to his personal tent.

—As you wish, but I remind you that this plan must be approved by the grand general when he arrives at the siege. Don't forget to try to include all the officers in the plan, but considering that none of the officers should risk their heads. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll modify the siege plan myself—Isidoro responded, turning his horse to return to the camp and make preparations.

—You see, boy, things like these are what I hate most about war...—Murmured Cristobal when he saw that the horse was too far away for the soldier riding it to hear him.

—They provide the men, the weapons, and the money. Without those three things, we couldn't win any war, so we have to coexist with the other nobles. For these poor souls, going to war is practically being labeled useless by their own families, so it's best to make things easier for them and gain their support—Tea replied, listening to his uncle's complaint.

—And without us, there's a war, but no victories. Never forget that little detail, kid...—Added Cristobal grudgingly—When we finish the siege, remember to ask for a share of the loot from these idiots if you really don't want to keep living the life of a soldier.

—I'll consider it...—Murmured Tea, even though he wasn't entirely sure yet about what decision to make.

After a few minutes of walking along the dirt road, the nephew and uncle arrived at the camp, to be greeted by a large number of soldiers. It seemed that everyone in the military camp had become quite nervous due to their general's absence just when a sudden fire had broken out in the vicinity.

From inside the giant, Apolo watched with anticipation as a soldier wearing silver armor adorned with roses, identical to what the guards in the capital wore, approached Cristobal to inform him:

—General, the officers are gathered in the big tent, and they're eagerly awaiting your orders.

—Which tent?!—Cristobal asked, not hiding his anger, quite annoyed that a soldier referred to the general's tent as the big tent; from his perspective in a larger camp, there could be many "big" tents, so it was important to differentiate them.

—Uncle, don't make things more complicated...—Tea reminded him in a low voice.

—You mean the general's tent, I assume... The tent where a battalion sleeps is even larger than the general's tent, and when we go to the camp in the siege, I hope you won't mistakenly put the "officers" in that tent...—Cristobal corrected, ignoring the soldier and walking toward the largest tent in the camp.

Indeed, the general's tent was gigantic, and its size was disproportionate for the use of a normal person. However, the general of this camp was a six-meter giant, so clearly, all the tents he might need had been modified.

Apolo watched with anticipation as the doors of the tent, eager to see what it was like inside. This was the first time the deceased had entered a military tent in his life; he only knew them from descriptions in books or various anecdotes. In his heart, Apolo was quite interested in seeing the daily life of a true soldier from his family, something that unfortunately, he could never experience when he was alive, but fortunately, now his descendants could give him that opportunity.