The group trudged back from the town, their footsteps echoing softly in the early morning mist. Elena, perched high in a nearby tree to keep watch, spotted them first. Her sharp eyes noticed the increase in their numbers, and without hesitation, she leaped down, landing gracefully before them.

“Back already?” she called out, moving swiftly toward the group. As she approached, she counted more heads than before. “It seems you picked up a few strays along the way,” she remarked with a wry smile.

Derrick chuckled, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. “Found some cannon fodder on the way back. Thought it’d be a shame to leave them behind, so we brought them along as a present.”

The group shared a lighthearted laugh. Just like that, they returned to their makeshift camp. The No-Names had finished packing up and were ready to leave. Derrick and the others quickly helped load the supplies they had brought back, and soon enough, the group began their journey once again. Looking back, Edward realized that the week spent in town had been profitable and worth the trouble.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, with Edward and Rick returning to their training under the watchful eyes of Elena, Derrick, and Hans.

It took exactly half a month to finally reach the outskirts of Holt Town. With the town in sight, the tension in the camp grew; they knew that soon enough, they would be seeing blood.

Inside his tent, Edward sat deep in thought, struggling to come up with a plan. Frustration etched across his face, he ran his fingers through his hair. In the corner, Rick sat silently, cleaning his bow and checking his arrows. He glanced at Edward and sighed softly.

“You know, instead of racking your brains like that, you could just gather the most experienced people around here. You know, the more minds, the better, right?”

Edward looked directly at Rick, surprise flashing across his face. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that earlier.

“God, you’re right,” Edward exclaimed.

As he stood up, Rick flashed a warm smile at his brother’s reaction, then returned to his task. Edward stepped out of the tent and called out to one of the No-Names on guard duty.

“Tell Hans to gather ten reliable minds around here. He should meet me in my tent.”

“As you order, young master,” the No-Name responded before hurrying off to find Hans.

Edward returned to his tent and waited. Soon enough, ten people gathered outside, and Edward invited them in. As the senior members of the No-Names assembled, Rick stood by his brother's side, their expressions mirroring the gravity of the situation.

Edward took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the assembled group. “We all know what we're up against. King Richard III has undoubtedly set traps for us, and we can't afford to walk into them blindly. We need a plan—one that avoids unnecessary risks but ensures we get Lizzie out safely.”

Simon, one of the older No-Names, spoke up. “We could spend a month or two gathering intelligence. Spy on their movements, map out the traps. It’s not ideal, but it's better than charging in without a clue.”

Hans, standing with his arms crossed, furrowed his brow. “Spying might work, but that means we’d need to stay near the city, which could attract the authorities’ attention.”

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Derrick stepped forward. “What if we blend in? We can send some of the mercenaries and a few No-Names into town, posing as ordinary citizens. They can gather information for us while we set up a secret camp a couple of kilometers back. That way, we have a base of operations and avoid drawing too much attention.”

Edward nodded thoughtfully. “It’s risky, but it could work. We’ll need to be careful, though. Any slip-up could cost us dearly.”

The group exchanged glances, weighing the risks.

Finally, Elena spoke, her voice steady. “It’s the best plan we’ve got. We’ll have to move quickly and quietly. No mistakes.”

With the plan set, the group dispersed to make preparations. Edward, however, lingered, his mind racing with thoughts of the mission ahead. The weight of responsibility pressed down on him—the lives of his siblings and his companions resting on his shoulders. But he couldn't afford to falter now.

The group started their retreat, moving back two kilometers before finding a place suitable to set up camp. As the spies prepared for their mission, they disguised themselves and split up to enter the town from different directions.

Edward watched the preparations with a mix of pride and anxiety. Everyone was putting their all into this, knowing full well that if they were caught, they would face execution. The seriousness of the situation weighed heavily on him, but he knew he had to stay focused.

Once the camp was established, Edward and Rick returned to their rigorous training. The rescue mission was set for two months from now, and they needed to be ready. For Edward, this meant delving deeper into his magical studies.

He could already maintain a steady flow of magic for an hour during intensive exercises and up to three hours in more relaxed conditions. But he knew it wasn’t enough. The tasks ahead would demand more from him—more stamina, more control over his mana.

Since every spell required a specific amount of mana and manipulation, Edward had to become proficient at this. The more mana-intensive the spell, the harder it was to control. As a solution, Derrick introduced mana-manipulation exercises.

“What’s that?” Edward asked, puzzled.

“Well, as the name implies, they are exercises that help you control your mana much more efficiently,” Derrick explained.

“Oh! Okay, so how does that work exactly?” Edward inquired, eager to learn.

Derrick explained that to master mana manipulation, Edward had to first understand the spells. Spells were like magical structures that came with the relic. When someone cast a spell learned from the relic, most of the mana manipulation was done by the relic itself, allowing the wizard to focus on the mana consumption.

However, as spells became more advanced, there was a need for the wizard to handle the mana manipulation themselves. This reduced wasted mana and increased the power of the spell.

The exercises helped improve mana manipulation by turning off the relic’s function, forcing the wizard to do it manually with less mana-intensive spells. Derrick showed Edward how to turn off the function, and Edward attempted to cast a simple fireball spell—only to fail. But with each failure, he could feel himself improving.

Occasionally, Edward would stop casting spells due to his mana running out, and he would then join Rick in hunting exercises to train his dagger skills.

As the two months passed, the spies sent back valuable information. They mapped out the castle’s layout, identified guard rotations, and confirmed that Lizzie was alive. However, she was heavily guarded, making the rescue even more daunting.

When Edward and Rick received the news that their sister was still alive, a mixture of relief and anxiety washed over them. It was a small victory, but the danger was far from over. They knew they had to act quickly and decisively.

Finally, the time came to plan the rescue mission. Edward called another meeting with the seniors, gathering them in the main tent of their hidden camp.

The air was thick with anticipation as everyone took their seats, their eyes fixed on the young prince who had grown so much in these past months.

Edward took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the faces of those who had become more than just allies—they were family. The weight of their expectations pressed down on him, but he refused to falter.

“Thank you all for being here,” Edward began, his voice steady and clear. “We’ve come a long way, and we’re finally ready to take the next step. But before we do, I want you all to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

There was a murmur of agreement, the respect the others had for Edward palpable. They had seen him grow from a boy into a leader, and their trust in him was unwavering.

Edward nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?”