Morning arrived quietly.
Inside the command tent, life had already begun to stir.
Groups of soldiers sat together, speaking in hushed voices as they ate breakfast. Others polished their armor or sharpened their weapons, preparing for whatever the day might bring.
Despite the activity, one corner of the tent remained unusually quiet.
"Hu... Hu... Hu..."
The slow, heavy rhythm of breathing echoed softly through the air.
Mia remained asleep within the glowing purple magic circle. Ancient runes revolved beneath her body at a steady pace, bathing the tent in a faint violet light. Heat radiated from her scales like a blazing furnace, causing the air around her to shimmer.
Leo sat beside her, knees pulled close to his chest.
Several times, he reached out, wanting to pat her head the way he always did.
Each time...
He stopped.
The memory of burning his hand yesterday was still fresh.
"..."
Instead, he simply smiled.
"Mia..."
His voice was gentle.
"Don't give up, okay?"
"I'm right here."
"So keep fighting."
"I know you can do it."
Mia's breathing never changed.
"Hu... Hu... Hu...Hu....."
Leo lowered his gaze before forcing another smile.
"You know..."
"When your growth phase is over..."
"I'm buying you so much food."
He chuckled quietly to himself.
"You're gonna be starving, aren't you?"
Still no response.
Only the slow rise and fall of the sleeping dragon's chest.
"..."
Leo's smile gradually faded.
His eyes began to sting.
"...So..."
His voice trembled slightly.
"...don't you dare give up, okay?"
"I'm waiting for you."
"So...just..."
Nothing but Silence and the quiet sound of Mia's breathing answer him.
After spending a little longer beside Mia, Leo quietly stepped out of the tent.
The cool morning air greeted him.
The camp was already bustling with activity. Soldiers moved between tents carrying supplies, while cooks handed out steaming bowls of breakfast to those beginning their shifts.
"Leo."
Vinson called him over.
Without another word, the count handed him a wooden bowl filled with hot stew.
"Eat."
Leo accepted it with a small nod.
"...Thanks, Father."
He sat on a nearby crate and took a spoonful.
It was warm.
Filling.
...But it wasn't quite the same.
Miss Korbi's stew is still better...
The thought made him smile faintly.
Still, he finished every last drop.
Wasting food was never something Vinson tolerated.
After returning the empty bowl, Leo wandered through the camp.
Soldiers who recognized him offered friendly waves.
"Morning,.young master"
"How's Lady Mia doing?"
"We're all praying for her."
Leo smiled and thanked each of them before continuing on.
Near the command tent, he caught a glimpse of King Cedric, Ebruhan, Emma, and several officers gathered around a large map.
They seemed to be discussing something important.
Not wanting to interrupt, Leo quietly walked past.
A familiar metallic sound caught his attention.
Near a stack of supply barrels, Tai sat on an overturned crate.
One of his mana revolvers rested across his lap as he carefully polished its barrel. Every so often, he opened the cylinder to inspect the glowing mana crystals inside before clicking it shut again.
Once satisfied, he holstered the revolver.
Then he reached behind his back.
With a smooth motion, he drew a compact black-steel hatchet.
A green orb was embedded into the center of its handle, faintly glowing beneath the morning sun.
Scrape...
A whetstone slid across the blade with practiced ease.
Only then did Tai notice the approaching footsteps.
He looked up and grinned.
"Morning, kid.Did ya sleep well?"
Leo nodded.
"I did, sir."
His eyes drifted to the hatchet.
"...I didn't know you used one of those."
Tai chuckled without looking up, continuing to sharpen the blade.
"Kid..."
He inspected the edge against the sunlight.
"...not everyone's kind enough to stay twenty meters away so I can shoot 'em."
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Sometimes..."
"You've gotta introduce yourself the old-fashioned way."
Leo tilted his head.
"So... you don't use swords?"
Tai let out a small laugh.
"I mean... we're not the same, right?"
He twirled the hatchet once before catching it by the handle.
"Besides..."
A grin spread across his face.
"I like hatchets."
He patted the flat of the blade.
"These little guys can do just about everything."
"Chop wood."
"Break doors."
"Split skulls."
"...Not necessarily in that order."
Leo couldn't help smiling.
His attention shifted to the green orb embedded in the handle.
"What about that?"
He pointed at it curiously.
"Is it... decoration?"
Tai blinked.
Then burst out laughing.
"Hah!"
"You're a curious one, kid."
"I like that."
He tapped the green orb with his gloved finger.
A faint pulse of mana shimmered across the weapon before fading.
"This isn't decoration."
"It reinforces the hatchet."
"Makes it a lot tougher."
"It won't chip or crack easily, even if I'm hacking through armor, stone... or whatever unfortunate thing gets in my way."
Leo's eyes lit up.
"I see..."
"Maybe I could learn to make something like that someday."
Tai immediately raised a hand.
"Whoa there."
"One step at a time."
He pointed toward Leo's sword hanging at his waist.
"You're still learning the sword, aren't you?"
Leo scratched his cheek.
"...Yeah."
Tai nodded approvingly.
"Then stick with it."
He rested the hatchet across his shoulder.
"Don't try to ride two boats at the same time."
Leo blinked.
"...Two boats?"
Tai laughed.
"It means if you try mastering everything at once..."
"...you'll probably fall into the river."
Leo thought about it for a moment before nodding and looked at Tai with obvious admiration.
"You know..."
"Back at the academy, we studied The Phantom of Aegis."
Tai's wolf ears perked up.
"Oh?"
Leo nodded eagerly.
"They said you held back a monster outbreak for two months."
Tai scratched the side of his head.
"...That's a bit exaggerated."
He thought for a moment.
"If I remember correctly..."
"It was one month and six days."
Leo blinked.
"...Really?"
"Yep."
Tai shrugged as if it weren't a big deal.
Leo quickly continued.
"And they said you destroyed an entire bandit camp by yourself."
Tai stared at him for a second.
"...Nah."
"I went there with my squad."
He chuckled.
"How exactly am I supposed to fight seventy bandits all at once?"
Leo hesitated.
"...So..."
"...the books aren't true?"
Tai rested the hatchet across his knees.
"They're true..."
"...sometimes."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"But people like stories."
"So they polish them."
"They make one person look bigger than life."
His expression softened.
"And in the process..."
"They forget everyone else who was there."
"The scouts who found the camp."
"The soldiers who fought beside me."
"The medics who kept us alive."
"I might've dealt with the leader..."
"...but I didn't win that battle alone."
Leo quietly nodded.
"I never thought about it like that."
After a moment, he smiled.
"You know..."
"You're really different in person."
Tai tilted his head.
"Oh?"
A teasing grin spread across his face.
"Because I'm a wolf beastfolk?"
Leo shook his head immediately.
"No!"
"Not that."
"I..."
He searched for the right words.
"...I thought someone called 'The Phantom' would be... scarier."
Tai blinked.
Then laughed so hard his tail thumped against the barrel behind him.
"Hah!"
"Kid..."
"If I acted scary all day..."
"...I'd scare away all the good company."
Tai finished sharpening the hatchet.
Satisfied, he ran a thumb lightly along the edge before sliding it into the leather loop on his back.
Click.
It settled into place.
Leo looked up at him.
"...Why don't you like being called The Phantom?"
"I mean..."
"You're a legendary warrior."
"You are—"
Tai raised a hand, stopping him before he could continue.
"...Legendary, huh?"
A faint smile crossed his face.
"And The Phantom..."
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"That title sounds far too sinister for my taste."
His green eyes drifted toward the horizon.
Soldiers were hauling supplies between tents.
Others repaired damaged wagons or laughed together over breakfast.
For a few moments, Tai simply watched them.
Then he spoke.
"You know..."
"Titles are strange things."
Leo tilted his head.
"How so?"
Tai rested his forearms on his knees.
"They stop being names."
"They become expectations."
He smiled bitterly.
"The moment people hear The Phantom..."
"They don't imagine some tired wolf who complains about sore legs after riding for a week."
"They imagine someone who never loses."
"Never gets scared."
"Never makes mistakes."
He looked down at his gloved hands.
"But that's not me."
"I'm just Tai."
"A soldier."
"A guy who somehow survived long enough for bards to start exaggerating."
Leo blinked.
"So... you don't want people admiring you?"
Tai laughed.
"Oh, I don't mind admiration."
"What I mind..."
"...is people forgetting I'm still just a person."
He looked back toward the bustling camp.
"Heroes die."
"Legends don't."
"And that's a dangerous difference."
For a long moment, Leo said nothing.
Then he quietly nodded.
"...I think I understand."
Tai grinned and ruffled Leo's hair.
"Good."
"Because I'd rather be remembered as Tai than some ghost people made up in stories."
As Tai spoke, an Aegis soldier approached at a brisk pace. The moment he reached them, he straightened and gave a crisp salute.
"Sir. His Majesty and the others are requesting your presence."
Tai gave a small nod.
"I'll be there."
The soldier saluted once more before turning and heading back toward the command tent.
Tai slipped the whetstone into one of his pouches before securing the black-steel hatchet across his back. The familiar weight settled comfortably against his shoulders.
"Looks like break time's over."
Leo chuckled.
"I guess so."
Tai looked at the boy for a moment before raising two fingers in a casual salute.
"Good talk, kid."
A grin spread across his face.
"See you around."
Leo returned the gesture with a smile.
"See you, Tai."
The wolf beastfolk turned and walked toward the command tent, his long tail swaying lazily behind him.
Leo watched him disappear into the bustling camp.
"...He's nothing like the stories."
The books described the Phantom of Aegis as a terrifying legend.
The man Leo had just spoken with...
Was just a laid-back wolf who liked revolvers, hatchets, and giving surprisingly sensible advice.
For some reason...
Leo liked that version much more.
When Tai stepped inside the command tent, the atmosphere immediately shifted.
The relaxed conversation from moments ago disappeared.
Around the large war table stood the highest-ranking figures in the alliance.
King Cedric.
Count Vinson.
Ebruhan.
Emma.
Generals, commanders, and senior officers from both Lumeris and Aegis.
A massive map of the borderlands covered the center of the table, held down by daggers, stones, and rolled parchments. Wooden markers marked troop movements, supply routes, and fortified positions.
Tai quietly stepped forward.
"Sorry. Hope I didn't keep everyone waiting."
King Cedric gave him a nod.
"You're just in time."
Tai's eyes drifted across the map before settling on the newest scout reports.
His relaxed expression slowly faded.
"...That's bigger than I expected."
The Norvoss encampment stretched across an enormous section of the map.Even from the scouts' estimates, the sheer size of the camp was obvious.
Tai let out a low whistle.
"They're not planning for a battle..."
His green eyes narrowed.
"They're planning for a campaign."
The tent fell silent.
Ebruhan folded his arms.
"They've committed nearly everything they can spare."
Tai studied the enemy positions for another moment before looking toward the distant marker representing the Lumeris border.
"...And they still have room to expand."
No one argued.
That was perhaps the most unsettling part.
One of the Lumeris generals rested both hands on the edge of the table.
His weary eyes remained fixed on the map.
"Unlike most wars between rival kingdoms..."
He traced a finger along the line separating the two armies.
"...we can't simply launch a direct assault on their camp."
Silence settled over the tent.
Everyone understood what he meant.
The Norvoss encampment wasn't a hastily assembled field camp.
It was practically a fortress.
Layers of trenches.
Wooden barricades.
Watchtowers overlooking every approach.
Countless soldiers stationed in organized formations.
Even if they somehow reached the camp...
They would have to fight through tens of thousands of prepared defenders on ground the enemy had chosen themselves.
The general let out a quiet sigh.
"So all we can do..."
He looked around at everyone gathered in the tent.
"...is defend."
The weight of those words lingered in the air.
Nobody disputed them.
Charging into Norvoss's defenses would only hand them the advantage.
One of the Aegis officers broke the silence.
"What will our plan be, Your Majesty?"
His gaze swept across the map before returning to King Cedric.
"We can't simply wait for them to attack."
"That would accomplish nothing."
Before Cedric could answer, Ebruhan spoke. his voice carried the same calm authority.
"Their greatest advantage is their numbers..."
He pointed toward the Norvoss encampment.
"...and those mana-restraining cannons."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Without those weapons..."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"...I can deal with them."
No one questioned that statement.
After what they had witnessed days earlier, everyone in the tent knew he wasn't boasting.
Tai, who had been leaning against the table with his arms folded, let out a quiet sigh.
"Problem is..."
He nodded toward the map.
"Those cannons are always protected by layers of magical barriers."
He paused for a moment.
"And the only person we've seen ignore those barriers..."
His green eyes drifted toward the distant medical tent outside.
"...is Lady Dark Flame."
The tent fell quiet.
Tai scratched the back of his head.
"And she's currently unavailable."
Several officers exchanged uneasy glances.
The Aegis officer spoke again.
"So..."
He looked toward King Cedric.
"What is your plan, Your Majesty?"
Cedric remained silent for several moments before answering.
"We have no other choice."
His voice was steady.
"But to defend."
A few officers frowned.
Cedric continued.
"We cannot afford to attack their encampment."
He rested a hand on the map, over the vast Norvoss camp.
"It would be no different than charging straight into a beehive."
His finger traced the enemy's supply routes stretching beyond the border.
"And even if we succeeded..."
"...even if we somehow captured their camp..."
His expression hardened.
"It would change very little."
"The Conqueror Empire still commands twenty-four conquered kingdoms."
"If this army falls..."
"They will simply send another."
The weight of those words settled over the tent.
Tai let out a long sigh as he studied the map.
"...This really is a bad situation."
He tapped the edge of the table with one finger.
"We're behind in almost everything."
"Numbers."
"Supplies."
"Artillery."
He gave Ebruhan a sideways glance before adding with a faint grin,
"...Well, except for having a dragon."
A few officers managed a quiet chuckle.
It didn't last long.
Tai's expression turned thoughtful.
"But..."
He looked back at Ebruhan.
"You said those magical barriers are the biggest reason the mana-restraining cannons stay operational, right?"
Ebruhan nodded once.
"Yes."
"They're designed to buy the artillery crews time."
Tai folded his arms.
"So..."
"If those barriers disappeared..."
He met the blue dragon's eyes.
"...could you destroy the cannons?"
Ebruhan didn't hesitate.
"Easily."
The answer came with absolute confidence.
Tai slowly nodded to himself.
"I thought so."
His green eyes drifted back toward the map, a faint smile beginning to form.
"...Then maybe..."
"...we've been thinking about this the wrong way."
Several officers looked at him.
Even King Cedric raised an eyebrow.
Tai rested both hands on the table.
"We keep talking about destroying the cannons."
He shook his head.
"Maybe the real target..."
"...isn't the cannons at all."
"It's the people keeping them alive."
The room fell silent once more as everyone began to understand where his thoughts were leading.
Tai was quiet for a long moment.
His eyes never left the map.
Then, without warning, a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"...I think I've got something."
Every officer turned toward him.
Tai scratched the back of his neck.
"But..."
He chuckled.
"It's going to be a little risky."
"A little?" one commander muttered under his breath.
Tai ignored the comment.
He stepped closer to the table before lowering his voice.
"Come here."
The commanders instinctively leaned in.
King Cedric.
Ebruhan.
Emma.
Count Vinson.
The Aegis officers.
Even the guards nearest the table found themselves straining to listen.
Tai began whispering.
His voice was so low that not a single word escaped beyond the circle gathered around the map.
Only the occasional change in expression betrayed the conversation.
An officer's eyes widened.
Emma blinked in surprise.
Vinson frowned thoughtfully.
Ebruhan remained silent, though his gaze sharpened.
Finally...
King Cedric leaned back slowly.
The tent was quiet.
"...It's possible."
Several officers nodded.
"It could work."
"If everything goes according to plan."
Cedric's expression, however, remained grave.
He looked directly at Tai.
"If it doesn't..."
His voice grew heavier.
"...you'll be placing your own life in extraordinary danger."
For a moment, the wolf beastfolk simply smiled.
Then he shrugged.
"Heh."
"Life's always been a joke to me, Your Majesty."
He rested a hand on one of the revolvers at his hip.
"So..."
His grin widened.
"...might as well make it a good one."
A few officers couldn't help but smile.
Others simply shook their heads.
Ebruhan let out a quiet sigh.
"...Only you could say something like that before volunteering for what is practically a suicide mission."
Tai laughed.
"Hah... I'll take that as compliment "