Kiddos

Borne glanced at his comrades gathered around the campfire and lowered his voice before speaking again.

"Dillon, Victor, do you remember that mission we went on to scout the upstream area?" 

The campfire crackled, casting flickering shadows on everyone's faces.

The faint smell of smoke filled the air, and the distant laughter of soldiers could be heard in the background.

Dillon and Victor both nodded.

"Of course, I remember. That mission was exhausting."

Victor said, chewing on a piece of dried rations.

Dillon's eyes held a hint of complexity. 

Borne paused for a moment, as if deciding how to begin.

After a brief sigh, he finally spoke while gazing into the fire. 

"During that mission, I did find something strange, but I couldn't explain it to you guys at the time."

The group immediately fell silent, all eyes now on Borne.

"My gut instinct led me to a place—a waterfall.

Behind the waterfall, there was a cave. I walked inside a strange cave..."

Borne deliberately slowed his pace, adding an air of mystery to his words.

"A cave? What was inside?"

Albert asked, intrigued.

Clearing his throat, Borne continued, maintaining the sense of suspense.

"The cave was pitch black, nothing visible except for a faint light filtering in from outside. 

At first, I thought the place was ordinary, but then, as I ventured deeper, suddenly—"

He paused intentionally, looking around at the group and noticing that their eyes were glued to him, waiting for the next part.

"What happened next?"

Harley urged, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Suddenly, a woman collapsed in front of me!

Tall, cold, her clothes torn and tattered, and much of her body was exposed—her thighs, her back, all out in the open."

Borne went on.

"Whoa, just like that?"

Lucius exclaimed, eyes wide with fascination.

Borne chuckled and continued.

"I didn't know how to respond at first. Then..."

"And then what? Hurry up and tell us!"

Heywood pressed, leaning in closer.

"And then..."

Borne paused again for dramatic effect.

"The woman made a contract with me."

"A contract?" 

Victor and Harley exchanged confused glances.

Borne nodded, offering a simple explanation.

"Yeah, a life-and-death contract. If she dies, I die too."

The group erupted in shock, their eyes growing wide with disbelief as they stared at Borne.

"You must be joking!"

Lucius said, clearly astonished.

Seeing their reactions, Borne suddenly broke into a smile and relaxed his tone.

"Yeah, I was just messing with you all. Don't take it too seriously."

For a moment, everyone was stunned, exchanging puzzled looks as they tried to process the sudden change.

"You little rascal, you tricked us!"

Harley shouted, eyes wide with realization.

Borne stood up, dusting off his hands, still smiling.

"Alright, kiddos, that's the end of the story.

Now hand over your jerky—stories aren't free, you know!"

The group burst into laughter, teasing and throwing insults his way.

"You scoundrel!"

"Trying to trick us and still expect us to feed you?"

But the laughter was good-natured, and the atmosphere became much lighter.

With a sigh of resignation, Harley tossed a piece of jerky to Borne.

"Fine, fine. You win.

Consider this your payment for spinning such a tall tale."

Borne grinned victoriously, savoring the jerky as he watched everyone around the fire.

The group soon fell back into casual conversation, reminiscing about past missions and sharing laughs, but Dillon remained silent, his gaze focused on Borne.

As Borne's childhood friend, Dillon knew him well.

He could tell that Borne wasn't someone who would make jokes about such serious matters.

While Borne seemed relaxed on the surface, Dillon sensed an undercurrent of tension and unease beneath it.

Borne noticed Dillon's gaze and turned his head, meeting Dillon's eyes.

Dillon simply smiled slightly and nodded before turning to engage Harley in conversation, acting as if nothing had happened.

Still, Borne's heart tightened.

Dillon's knowing look made him feel uneasy.

He knew Dillon too well—Dillon didn't talk much but had sharp observational skills and never missed any details.

A sense of fear stirred within Borne.

Dillon must have already suspected that he was hiding something from the group.

Borne's expression tensed as he lowered his head, pretending to focus on eating the jerky, but his mind was racing with thoughts.

Meanwhile, inside the command tent, five priests were locked in a heated discussion.

A large map was spread across the table, marked with various notations and landmarks indicating the terrain and magic beasts in the area.

Everyone had received the latest reports from the scouts, and they were fiercely debating the strategy for the upcoming offensive.

Father Philips pointed to the northeast corner of the map, speaking with conviction.

"Despite the dense forests and complex terrain in the northeast, there are relatively fewer magic beasts there."

Father Carsey frowned, firmly opposing the idea.

"No, the northeast may have fewer beasts, but the terrain is incredibly tricky, with plenty of hills and hidden areas perfect for ambushes by magic beasts. 

We are the attacking force; they are in the shadows, and we are exposed.

Charging into such terrain is far too risky."

He pointed at several spots on the map marked with high ground and dense forest areas, continuing.

"Here, here, and here—all of them are potential ambush points. 

Even if the beasts are fewer in number, if we get caught in this kind of terrain, the losses could be catastrophic."

Father Philips' expression grew serious, but he remained firm in his stance.

"I agree that the terrain is complex, but we can send in elite squads as the vanguard to find the safest routes.

We can't let fear of ambushes stop us from advancing.

Besides, other directions have even more beasts and are much more dangerous."

Father Weiss studied the map and suggested his own idea.

"How about we go north instead?

There may be more magic beasts, but the terrain is easier to navigate, which suits our combat style better.

We can keep our formation intact and maintain defensive lines, making it a safer option."

Father Carsey nodded in agreement and added.

"That's right. Humans aren't naturally as agile as magic beasts. 

If we venture into the forests and narrow paths, we'll be at a disadvantage, losing room to maneuver. 

The open terrain to the north is better suited for large-scale formations.

Even though there are more beasts, we can use our formations to defend effectively."

The atmosphere in the tent was tense as the five priests huddled around the map, passionately debating the best route for the assault.

The northwest corner had already been ruled out due to its steep cliffs, making it nearly impassable.

The debate now centered on whether to head north or northeast.

Father Philips remained resolute in his advocacy for the northeast, believing the fewer beasts there made it a safer bet despite the tricky terrain.

Father Weiss, on the other hand, emphasized the benefits of the open terrain to the north, where they could better use their defensive formations, even though there were more beasts to contend with.

Neither side was willing to back down.

Father Raphael sat quietly at the table, his expression calm.

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the surface of the table, the sharp sound punctuating the tense air.

His eyes moved between the map and the latest reports, keenly listening to the opinions of each priest.