The night before the expedition...

Inside the chief's house.

4 figures standing beside the table and looked at the map lying on it.

“And that is our plan for this war.”

A composed tone came from the man with sharp eyes. He's the said strategist from the capital that dispatched under Klann.

“Are you really sure? From my perspective, this is nothing but suicide mission.”

The man standing in front of the strategist voiced his opinion. It was Zel. He listened to the strategist's plan only to found it full of holes.

“Are you perhaps underestimating my strategy?”

With his pride questioned like that, the strategist narrowed his eyes. But before he was able to speak more, he was stopped by his superior, Klann.

“Now now, Allan. Being to hot-headed doesn't bring you to victory. You need to stay calm as a strategist.”

Golden long hair, green eyes, and silver sword with engraved mark. With a glance, everyone could know this person is not an ordinary guy.

Klann himself is one of [Level 4] users in the capital. He was known widely as a strong barrier user. Unfortunately, he himself doesn't get the same recognition as his skill.

“If you want to know what bring us to victory, it is I, Klann the Brave! No matter how insignificant you are, you will win everything as long as I'm with you!”

His unpopularity came from his haughty personality.

Ridicule everyone while raising yourself up in front of the person themselves. So far, no one was able to stay as his direct subordinates.

“Your presence won't change the war, general. You are but a single person. To top of it, your skill is a defensive one. Tell me, how can you be so sure?”

Zel pressed Klann with his reasoning, but Klann's haughtiness couldn't disappear with only that.

“Blasphemy. I may be a single person, but my presence itself worth a hundred... no, a thousand soldiers!”

Facing Zel, Klann didn't budge an inch, and he even won't stop praising himself.

The chief who were just silently listening to their conversation for a while finally gives his take.

"If we consider you as a thousand-man army, then, is it safe to assume you can go to the war by your own self, right?

Enemy's strength doesn't even reach three thousands. If we count our troops from the capital, it would easily reach more than three thousands. What is the need for our villager to join the war with an overwhelming advantage such as that?”

The chief looked at the strategist sharply.

He was chosen as the village chief not for nothing. He was once a full-fledged fighter who have been in many places.

His keen senses and fighting experience made him recognized by the kingdom itself. The late king wanted him to be his aid.

Alas, he declined and decided to worked on this village.

Twenty years has passed since that moment, but his skill didn't even get rusty one bit.

The chief asked the strategist the same question again, but the strategist can't say anything.

His silent was taken by Zel and the chief as his answer.

(They are planning something suspicious.)

Both of them already confused by the sudden warning, but with this, they are completely suspicious.

(... It's clearly fishy, but we can't do much.)

Zel really wants to press the strategist to spill the beans, but he can't do anything rash.

They were sent by the king, after all. You could say they are the king's envoy. If Zel does something unforgivable, he could risk everyone and not just him.

“Are you perhaps have finished your talk? This is a boring and waste of time. I told you, if we will win, then so be it.”

Between those stares full of hostility, Klann casually sat on the chair and raised his feet on the table.

“If you have any question toward my ability, then I will take it as you questioning the king's judgement. Do you get it, my friends?”

Klann was smiling, but his eyes certainly not.

He may look like a thick face person, but he doesn't like if people having doubt toward him.

“Hey you, big man.”

“Hm…?”

Klann called at Zel and pulled him, so he reached Zel's ear.

“I demand your cooperation for this advancement. I know your past and I know you're hiding it.”

“Mu…!”

Zel's face turned blue after he heard what Klann's saying.

“Stay low, and I won't speak a single thing. But if you try something funny, I won't hesitate.”

Klann gave Zel last warning and released him. Zel wiped off the part where Klann touched him as if it was dirty.

That gesture made Klann frown, but he shrugged it off.

“Anyways, that's all for us. We are here to formally gave you information about our advancement. We don't need your opinion regarding this, and that's final.”

The strategist who was silent finally talked again.

He took the map from the table and prepared to leave.

“Wait, there's still something--”

“No, you can't. You heard my subordinate, right? We have no obligations to listen to you.”

The chief still persisting to discuss it more, but Klann oppose it.

Then, he walked toward the front door and opened it slowly... before he turned back at Zel.

“Remember our talk back there, big man. We're good now... since I will be counting on you, Destroyer.”

Zel's eyes opened wide as he heard the name he never heard for a long time.

After saying the so-called goodbye, the room fell into silent.