The largest military base in the kingdom stood on the northern side of Omi's capital. This was the headquarters of the country's military and the seat of its highest-ranking officers. Omi had five generals who commanded the army, along with the supreme commander—the highest authority in military affairs.
It was rare for all the generals to be in the same room at once. In fact, many silently prayed that such a gathering would never happen. Outside of social events and ceremonies, the presence of all five generals in one place meant only one thing: war.
With the current state of affairs, it was no surprise that they were meeting.
In a small conference room within the military base, six people sat around a table, listening to the report of a young officer. His name was Major Harry Laxe. His deployment to Wize had been cut short, forcing him to return to Omi, where he now stood before his superiors.
Harry detailed everything that had transpired in Wize—the formidable power of King Jai, the sudden and unexpected attack on Eru, and how Jai had managed to outmaneuver them at every turn. It was clear: Jai had outplayed them, sending a warning in a single, decisive move. They were surrounded. Though they had yet to make their next move, their options were now limited to reckless ones.
"I knew allying with Jai was a bad idea," General Harvey Laxe spat after hearing the report. "Even after everything that has happened, we can't do anything to him. We could cripple his army, but no one anticipated him having a curse—let alone one that allows him to control beasts."
"I suggest we listen to me now and throw everything we have at Jai," he continued. "We cannot afford to appear weak. We must strike—"
"Strike how?" General Atilah interjected. "We are allies. We can't just attack an ally without reason. Not only would that put us in a bad position, but it would also give Jai justification to wipe us out."
"Not if we wipe him out first," Harvey Laxe countered.
"We don't know how many beasts he controls," General Atilah argued. "We don't even know the full extent of his abilities. If we attack recklessly, we might find ourselves in an even worse situation."
"We are already in a bad situation!" Harvey insisted. "Jai holds all the cards, and he knows we're afraid to make a move. That's exactly why we need to act now—to show him we're not afraid to spill blood."
"I agree with General Laxe," another voice chimed in. It was General Zira Gale, her tone calm and collected.
"Jai has always been sly and powerful. We all knew that before we allied with him. And while it's not our place to question the king's decisions, I believe it's in our best interest to advise him to take up arms and fight. Jai might not seem like an immediate problem, but he is a storm brewing on the horizon. We must deal with him before it's too late."
"You don't deal with storms brewing on the horizon—you run and hide," Atilah countered. "No one faces a storm head-on. It's a force of nature, and no one can counter nature or hinder it. We need to be smart when dealing with Jai. Though our alliance now is more of a farce now, he is still our ally. Eru, on the other hand, has been a real problem. I'm sure you all remember what we faced just two weeks ago on that island. They've been raising child spies for who knows how long, causing us endless trouble. If we should be spilling blood, it should not be that of an ally."
A silence settled over the room before General Orion—the king's brother and personal guard—spoke. His blue eyes, glowing with the distinct trait of royal blood, swept across the table.
"I have heard your opinions on this matter," he said. "Believe me, His Majesty is just as concerned about Jai as anyone in this room. As General Atilah pointed out, he is an ally—but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be cautious. After all, only an ally can betray you. We mustn't make a reckless move, but doing nothing would be even more foolish.
"For now, General Boise, General Laxe, General Kindel, and General Atilah—many eyes are watching you. If our kingdom makes a move, they will expect one of you to lead it. However, you, General Zira, are the least suspected to be the kingdom's spearhead. Not due to lack of strength, but because you are newly appointed. We need you to assemble and coordinate the army for battle—swiftly and quietly. We don't yet know where or when a battle will break out, but we must be ready to defend ourselves.
"General Atilah, your men will return to sea, but you will remain here. Your forces will move toward Frosnik, closer to Eru's waters. Like I said, we don't know who our target will be, but we must be prepared."
Then Orion turned his gaze to one of the silent figures in the room. "General Kindel, you've been quiet all this time. Do you have nothing to say?"
All eyes turned to the man known as the God Sword. Bale Kindel had yet to speak since the meeting began. He leaned back slightly, sighing.
"There are two things I want to know," he finally said.
His sharp gaze settled on Major Harry Laxe.
"Have there been any reports on the Prince of Wize?" Bale asked.
"None," Harry replied. "We barely heard anything about the prince while I was there."
Bale smiled faintly at the response. "So that's how it is, huh?" he muttered.
Then he spoke again.
"One more thing. Were you there when Jai clashed with the old dog at Jubai?"
"No," Harry replied. "We didn't even know when the king left for Jubai."
"Hmm," Bale muttered again before speaking up.
"Don't you all find it strange that the Queen of Eru has yet to make a move? Sure, she assembled her army after Conet fell. She sent Hazel to coordinate the troops and sent Dante to stop these two"—he gestured at General Harvey and General Atilah—"from destroying that damn spy-breeding island. But beyond that, she's been suspiciously quiet."
"Or maybe she hasn't," he added sharply.
"Are you trying to say something?" General Boise asked.
"Yes, General," Bale said. "I think we're overlooking something. There's a player in all of this we've ignored. Jai has outmaneuvered us time and time again—not just because he hides his full strength, but because he doesn't want us to see his weaknesses either."
"And you think it's the Prince of Wize?" General Laxe asked. "Last I heard, he was dead."
"Last I heard, Farouk doesn't bare his fangs just for anyone," Bale said. "He could have simply held Jai back until his men escaped, then fled himself. But instead, he fought to the bitter end—even saving strangers who weren't his men. I think he was protecting someone… or maybe fighting for someone."
Orion's gaze sharpened. "How do you know all this?" he asked.
"My son, Jo, was in Wize when Jai and Farouk clashed," Bale replied. "Don't worry, it wasn't for official reasons—more of a lovers' rendezvous. But still, it worked in our favor."
"Captain Kindel needs to make a full report," General Laxe said.
"He already did," Bale countered. "To the king and queen—long before he told me."
"I'm just hearing of this now," Orion said.
"Well, now you've heard, my Lord" Bale replied.
"But it might still mean nothing," General Zira Gale said.
"Maybe," Bale admitted. "But what if it does?"