The trip back was a silent one.

The Liesco knights refused to utter another word. Basking in the silence as though their lives were not in danger moments ago. As though Samael did not massacre dozens of wolves before their eyes.

But Samael remained nonchalant. He was far too used to such bloodshed. Spending time in the wild and facing abominations on a daily basis tends to change you.

As the group entered the safer regions, Samael finally broke the silence.

"We should take a rest here," Samael said.

Considering their location, the Liesco knights started a fire, warming themselves in the lush illumination of their bonfire.

They stared at the fire, unsure of what to do. This made Samael confused. They were knights who have been on the battlefield since this whole invasion began.

One would expect they would be battle-hardened veterans, as all of them survived this long when even those who had just joined met their fate early on.

Were they simply lucky? Samael couldn't help but wonder.

Or was it the fatigue? Samael shook his head, ridding himself of the unnecessary thoughts.

Samael wiped off the blood stains on his skin. Fortunately, he did not need to maintain Crimson Raven as the weapon feeds on blood.

"Would you like some water, sir Samael?" Vapad asked as he handed Samael a jug of water.

Samael glanced at Vapad briefly before shaking his head.

"Ah, very well," Vapad said as he sat back down.

After their brief exchange, the group proceeded back. Reaching camp near nightfall.

After their arrival, the Liesco knights went on their own. Vapad left the group the moment they arrived, giving them a good night's sleep as he left. It almost felt hasty.

Unfortunately, as much as Samael wanted to hit the hay, he had to file a report and gather his thoughts.

As he settled into his tent, Samael took out pieces of paper and a quill. Soon, scribbling noises filled the room, along with the smell of ink.

Samael wrote down the events that occurred and his findings. He also included his suspicions of the priest.

Vapad was not a battle priest. Why would the Church of Light send him in the first place? Usually, his kind are left in camps to tend to the wounded. Yet he's on the front lines.

Not only that, but it bugged Samael that the wolves were already far ahead of them when they arrived.

Wolves are territorial by nature. Once they've acquired land, they will defend it against other predators.

Some people may pass it off as a coincidence, but was it really? What were the chances of said abominations, who have a mission to conquer the Georgo Road and Tera Sanctuary, suddenly backing out? Especially considering Samael's mission.

It was simply too much of a coincidence to be true.

Is this the workings of the mole? Samael wondered.

But for my mission to be sabotaged, the culprits should've known in the first place, Samael thought.

The only people who knew of my mission were Ajax, the Liesco knights, Timeus, and Lucas Samael leaned back, his brows furrowed.

Ajax is already out of the equation. He's a trusted ally and my mentor. Timeus... I don't know too much about him, but if he really was the culprit, then the Georgo road would've been long lost, Samael pieced together.

Lucas... I don't know too much about him. He was the one who provided me with information regarding the knights. That said, the information did not warn me about Vapad's involvement. That priest... Samael tapped his fingers on the desk.

Vapad suddenly came out of nowhere. Even the personal information I requested contained nothing regarding him. Yet he's part of the Liesco knights? Samael couldn't help but inquire.

It was simply too ridiculous.

First, the wolves. Then the information. The moment he arrived, everything's gone to shit, Samael thought.

Is he the mole? Samael shifted his gaze outside.

He was far too uncertain. He did not have much evidence. Vapad could very well be the culprit, but if he simply pointed fingers, no one would believe him, and this could put the man on high alert.

Thinking about it, I talked to the Liesco knights in the morning. Vapad soon arrived after that. Surely he would've been warned of their mission. He had the entire day to sabotage my mission, Samael thought.

Samael rose to his feet as he left his tent, the cold night wind brushing his disheveled hair.

As usual, the camp was far too silent. There was nothing but the passing wind whistling in Samael's ear.

If Vapad was indeed the mole, how did he deliver the message to the wolves? Samael wondered.

Gathering his knowledge, the imgrave wolves were abominations with sufficient intellect, as they could form ambushes, traps, and even formations.

These creatures were also well versed in night raids, as darkness was their natural habitat.

Samael's forehead creased. He couldn't think of anything related to the priest. He lacked information to form a good enough conclusion.

The only way to know is to investigate. To see between the lines and find out what really is going on.

It seems he'll have to dig even deeper.

***

As the light of the morning sun progressed in the sky, Samael was off to a productive start.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

He went to the training grounds, where some of the warriors trained.

Eventually, some of them sat down for a break, wiping their sweats off as they noticed Samael.

"You must be Samael, right?" A watcher asked.

Samael gave a nod.

"Well, I suppose what Priest Vapad said is true," the watcher commented as he chuckled.

Samael's brows rose as he shot a glance at the man.

"What did he say?" Samael asked.

"Well, nothing much. He just mentioned you're the type of person who remains silent and observant," the man replied.

Observant? Did he notice I'm watching him? Samael wondered.

"He did tell us how you followed the nearly invisible trails of Imgrave wolves deep into the forest," the man added.

Samael breathed a silent sigh of relief. Luckily, Vapad didn't seem to notice his watchful gaze.

"Did he say anything else?" Samael asked.

"Not really. Vapad tends to drift from subjects to subjects. That's why he always has stories to tell," the watcher said.

"Is that so?" Samael asked.

"Hey, since you're new here, you should join us for our feast tonight. The Liesco knights will be present there. We can celebrate your guys victory," the watcher invited.

Samael wanted to refuse, but after hearing the Liesco knights would be present, he had a change of mind.

Perhaps I can learn more about the priest, Samael, thought.

"I will consider it," Samael said.

"Sure, I'll go back to training now. Nice meeting you," the man said as he rose to his feet.

Samael sat there for a couple more minutes, enjoying the cool morning wind and the sounds of blades humming in the wind.

As he went back, Samael took out his map, outlining the parts they went to earlier and adding new signs to parts they'd yet to see. However, Samael has a plan.

Instead of revealing his plan to the Liesco knights, Samael would instead undergo this mission alone.

So, he set up his gear, checking his weapon and potions as he set out without alarming anyone. With his set of skills, sneaking out was a mere cakewalk.

Soon, Samael dove into the forest, blending with the shadows as he went deeper.

Sure enough, the fog of decay surrounding him thickened over time. But Samael had his Void compass. Navigation was not a problem for him.

As the seconds ticked by and the landscape worsened even more, Samael's surroundings started to morph.

Due to this, Samael had to stop and redraw parts of his map. This was information the Stellaris camp would benefit greatly from.

Once he was done, Samael would march forward once more. He also left marks in the trees he passed by, making sure to imbue his essence to avoid it being tarnished and tampered with.

The farther he went on, the more changes he saw. Now, the trees were standing, decaying trunks of mess, and the earth exuded a scent of rot.

Not only that, but he saw pieces of skeletons lying about. Whether it was a human or not was not clear as it was mangled to pieces.

I'm nearing Samael thought.

He was capturing more signs of Imgrave wolves. However, uncertainty and anticipation welled in Samael's heart as he inched closer.

It was like this as well. The telltale signs were clear, but the wolves somehow avoided them.

Samael would advance unhindered, then take a short stop, marking his surroundings and updating his map. He's sure the other scouts are also doing the same.

However, on his next advance, Samael was interrupted as he felt three auras a few hundred meters from him.

"Abyss walk," Samael uttered as his aura darkened.

With his sounds concealed, Samael blended with the shadows, creeping closer to the auras he felt as he restricted his essence leak, completely erasing his traces.

Samael traced the aura closely, and changes soon appeared before him as he spotted multiple footprints on the ground along with the disturbed line and traces of blood.

Crouching down, Samael inspected the markings on the earth.

Paws... Wolves, Samael thought as he brought his hand closer, sniffing the blood.

Yes, wolves Samael concluded upon the putrid, gut-wrenching smell of their blood. Akin to a corpse and fish combined in a barrel for months.

Without wasting another second, Samael sprinted forward, closing the distance with ease as he halted his steps.

A few meters from him were three imgrave wolves, carrying along an abomination Samael named Forest Walker. A creature with six legs and a tail similar to that of a Scorpion.

The wolves were greatly wounded, and their furs were tainted red. However, they still had the strength to carry the beast, which weighed hundreds of pounds.

Their jaw powers are a force to be reckoned with, Samael noted to himself. It was another piece of information they could use.

However, three wolves are surely unable to defeat a forest walker on their own.

There must have been a few more of them. Are they a hunting group? Samael wondered.

If so, then the imgrave wolves resembled normal wolves more than they thought.

If they are indeed hunting groups, then they're bringing their catch back... home, Samael thought.

As the wolves struggled to drag the corpse of the forest walker, Samael silently tailed them, smearing himself with their blood to avoid them detecting his smell.

The wolves took a couple of stops to regain their breaths. But they would proceed as fast as they could.

All that time, Samael took the opportunity to measure the wolves even more.

They're exchanging turns while dragging the forest walker, showing signs of pact mentality, Samael noted.

They also communicate with growls, similar to wolves, he added.

However, his observations soon came to an end as he spotted a structure similar to that of what they encountered yesterday.

A metal cluster with a large entrance in the middle. Much like the previous one, it was far more decayed, and remains of what seemed to be other abominations lingered about. Albeit more fresh.

Not only that, but by expanding his Void compass inward, Samael could feel dozens of entities within.

The wolves dragged the corpse of the forest walker into the entrance before howling. It's howl echoed in the wide entrance of the wolf den.

Soon, multiple imgrave wolves came pouring out, surprising Samael due to the sheer size of their home.

52 engraved wolves in a single den? That's similar to the other one we found Samael connected the dots as he took notes.

Are there any more near this one? Samael wondered as he expanded his Void compass as far as he could. What he found made his eyes fly open.

A few hundred meters from him were four more dens with roughly the same number of wolves inside.

"Well, shit," Samael muttered.

If there were this many clustered up, then there was no surprise at how fast the warriors lost. Not only that, but it seems these abominations breed fast.

However, another thing bothered Samael.

The wolves this time did not leave their den to evacuate. They remained in their homes, unaware of his arrival.

Was it really a coincidence? Samael thought.

Was their sudden evacuation really just luck playing in the wolf's favor? Or was there really a mole in the Liesco knights?

Samael shook his head, ridding himself of irrelevant thoughts as he wrote down the coordinates of the wolf dens. He also updated his map.

Shooting a final glance at the feasting wolves, Samael left.

As he arrived at the camp, Samael was stopped at another checkpoint. It was the same guard as always.

"Sir Samael! You're lucky. I was about to close the road to join the feast. What are you doing out here, sir?" The knight asked.

"Hunting," Samael replied.

"Goodness! This party is held due to your guys contributions! You should take a break sometimes, sir!" The knight said as he heartily laughed.

Samael gave a nod as he went in. This time, the usually silent camp was loud and filled with bright lights casting shadows on the walls of the tents.

All the warriors sang to their hearts content, drinking liquor till they passed out. A spectacle you would not expect considering their situation.

In the middle of it all were the Liesco knights, sitting in front of a long table filled to the brim with dishes of all kinds.

However, Samael remained in the shade, watching silently as the celebration went on.

He simply could not bring himself to enjoy the feast. His mind was plagued by the people unable to eat due to the blockade of the major road.

Besides, the thought of lowering his guard when there is a possibility of a mole amongst them does not sit well with him.

As the party raged on, there were a few commotions that set the mood even more. Some drunk watchers did some circus stunts in the middle of the crowd, while others started chugging barrels of liquor in one go.

A few were already knocked out cold on the ground. Some were vomiting all the food they ate.

The Liesco knights lingered with the warriors, joining them in their crazy stunts, while Vapad chatted with the other folks as they ate pastries.

But everyone enjoyed the moment of peace they acquired.

Eventually, the thundering songs and chants quieted down as everyone fell too drunk to even talk. They simply fell to the ground, unconscious.

As the lights dimmed, Samael could only sigh. He saw nothing suspicious or out of place. He also kept an eye on the priest, yet he remained on his spot for the entire duration of the feast.

Samael quietly marched away— In the corner of his eyes, he saw a movement in the middle of the sleeping warriors.

Samael swiftly dove into the shadows as he shot a glance through the darkness, where he saw Vapad rise up, collecting all the leftovers before sneaking away.

Seeing this, Samael's gaze narrowed.

So he finally made a move.