When we left the cave, I went to where I left Glacien and she appeared to be in a bad mood since she couldn’t move and a lot of people were moving in the area.
“Rejoice, we have the chance to help someone who might be backstabed at any moment. You want to help her too, right?'“
“Squeak! Squeak!”
“As for me, I don’t want to help anyone for free, so I will ask for that quiver as payment.”
“Grrr…”
“Good intentions don’t put food on the table.”
Glacien decided to stop complaining after hearing my excuses. Besides, she knew that we had to move soon since the targets were also moving further in the Elven territory. They began to expand to the sides as well in order to make sure that they would find any possible people spying on them, so that made things a bit more difficult for us. Still, I decided to stay inside their formation in order to keep that guy in my field of vision as much as possible.
If something happens, I want to take him down as fast as possible and then move on. I wanted to help Clarice to some extent, but I couldn’t let that desire dictate my actions and interfere with my goals.
‘If the worst comes to the worst, I will have to kill this guy and then keep a close watch on her to learn how the one close to her is working for the empire. Given how the information is being spread, it is clear that the empire is controlling information to make the war happen no matter what… they didn’t need to do that against the orcs, goblins, and ogres because they were more simpleminded, but things are different when their goal is also different this time around.’
I couldn’t help but sigh since the empire was causing me so much trouble… I didn’t want to waste time with their shenanigans, but it looked like they would keep moving like this for a while using this rift as an excuse and everyone would allow that.
When night came, the large group finally arrived in the area where the other Elven army was. They began to set their camp to prepare for the battle. The dwarven war towers that had come earlier were a bit ahead, so they weren’t worried about ambushes.
‘Well, what now?’
The target was leading the elves that joined the dwarves. Both groups weren’t there close to work together, but they had more or less the same goals. I still didn’t know much about the dwarven side, but I knew that the Elves, at least the low rank ones, were worried that they would lose their standing if the empire obtained too much influence in their society. With that in mind, I didn’t want to do anything too drastic against the dwarves.
I also didn’t want to do anything too crazy against the elves either… I just wanted my target dead and those who worked with him as well. To pull that off and reach my goal as well, it would be better if I captured the target without being noticed.
‘This would give me some time to interrogate him and kill him if I find him too troublesome to deal with.’
The best chance to pull that off will be tonight. If they are going to start the war soon, they won’t expect something like this to happen at such a moment. Until they couldn’t say what my plans and goals are, but they would learn it as soon as I began to move, so failure wasn’t an option.
“All right, you will stay hidden again while I am going to grab that guy for a nice chat. This shouldn’t take long, so get ready to leave at a moment’s notice.”
“Awoo…”
I let Glacien hide a few hundred meters away from the enemy camp and then began to move silently toward the target. She wasn’t fighting much lately, so I imagined that she was getting restless since her experience gain should have slowed down considerably.
The elves in the camp appeared composed and focused, showing no signs of hesitation or concern despite the battle against their own kind. Their resolve seemed unshakable, as if they had already come to terms with the conflict and what it demanded of them. Yet, I couldn’t help but reflect on the broader implications of their determination. Similar scenes would undoubtedly unfold across the Elven territories, each camp preparing to face its brethren in a large clash.
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Did they truly grasp the magnitude of what lay ahead? Their land would be engulfed in the flames of war, its beauty marred by bloodshed, its people fractured. Thousands of lives hung in the balance, and I wondered if their focus on the present fight blinded them to the price their world would pay. Could they see the big picture? Or were they simply soldier, obeying orders and bracing themselves for a storm they had no power to stop?
If their goal was to change the Elven society, they sure were going to do that, but not in the way that they were expecting… the Aeloria Dominion will lose too much power once the war is over… the insurgents will have more influence than before for sure, but the empire will have much more influence over them.
‘Well, not my problem… I just want to kill my target and move on.’
Worrying about how the world was going to change wouldn’t change a thing for me… sure, I was worried about Clarice, but I couldn’t change the world all that much.
When I was one hundred meters away from the camp, I was able to see the target giving some orders to the elves around. He took a look behind and then saw the dwarves that followed his group from behind getting ready as well… They were wearing heavy armor and they also carried some tools to help with their weapons. Since they couldn’t run fast, they decided to focus on defense.
‘Dwarves won’t be able to chase me, and the elves will have a hard time finding me in the darkness… the only problem is those guys.’
The target always has six Elves by his side… his personal guard. I either had to kill them in the blink of an eye without letting anyone notice, or I had to pass by them and capture the target before they noticed it. Both options were quite difficult.
I checked my surroundings and soon found what I should do.
… …
“Send reinforcements to the sides. We will leave the Frontline for the dwarfs to guard. The members of the unseen arrow who aren’t on our side will make their moves at night and we can’t afford to let them infiltrate our formation.
Arias was giving orders to the elves with his arms crossed and a serious expression on his face, but deep down, he had a smile of satisfaction that was quite hard to hide.
‘Finally, it is time to make changes in this old place…’
Arias was the man that Regulus was looking for… he was one of Arslan’s oldest friends and allies, at least he was. When Arslan took command of the silver bows, he couldn’t help but feel that his time had finally come… Arslan was smart and pragmatic. It was clear that he would reward those who were skilled and loyal, Arias was both. At first, his guesses were right. He was given some level of authority and even some people to command. He even was the leader of the groups that went to take over the Hellblazer labyrinth, but soon enough, he changed his mind.
Maybe it was because he didn’t take control of the labyrinth soon enough or for another reason, but his position in the Silver bows didn’t change. He got results in other aspects, so he expected to be recognized by those, but that never happened.
Time passed and soon Arias realized what was going on. Arslan was given preference to those who came from families of higher standings in Elven society. Even if those had accomplished less than Arias, that was still beneficial since Arslan secured the backing of some powerful families.
It didn’t take long for Arias to connect the dots… rather than being a skilled and loyal friend, Arslan just saw him as a useful elf of lower standing. That enraged Arias so much that made him abandon his position in the silver bows without telling anyone.
It wasn’t long before Arias found himself contacted by a group of like-minded individuals, elves who, like him, harbored a deep resentment for the rigid structure of their society. They shared his disdain for the system that placed rank above skill, perpetuating a cycle where talent and ability were stifled beneath the weight of birthright and privilege. In theory, anyone could climb the ranks through effort and achievement, but in practice, those at the top wielded their influence to keep the lower tiers firmly in their place. Advancement was more illusion than reality, a hollow promise that only served to sustain the existing power structure.
These new allies spoke his language, echoing his frustrations and feeding his resolve. They, too, saw the inherent hypocrisy of a society that prided itself on tradition while ignoring merit. It wasn’t just about ambition; it was about fairness, about breaking the chains that bound capable elves to mediocrity simply because they had not been born into the right families.
As Arias listened to their stories and their grievances, a plan began to form. The fools who clung so desperately to their ranks, who dismissed skill and potential in favor of maintaining their status quo, would soon feel the sting of their own complacency. The very system they cherished, the foundation of their power, would be turned against them. Arias and his allies would ensure it.
For too long, these so-called elites had wasted their time playing politics, guarding their positions, and undermining anyone who dared to rise above their station. But their era of dominance was coming to an end. Arias could already see the cracks forming in their carefully constructed façade. All it would take was the right pressure in the right places, and their house of cards would come crashing down.
“We will depart at sunrise, so be ready for when the time comes.”
After finishing giving his orders, Arias headed to his tent with his guards. Still, before they could head to the commander's tent, four large explosions took place around them.