Night had fallen, and the quiet of the forest wrapped around us like a heavy cloak.
The campfire crackled sharp in the stillness, like it was trying to burn away the ghost of the battle that had just ended.
After fighting through the Blood Bear and the other Monstrous Beasts, both our party and the Blood Raven squad had stumbled on a small clearing and set up camp for the night.
The flames swayed and bent, throwing soft light across the ground.
Countless stars blinked overhead, and somewhere far off, a beast's low cry rumbled through the trees, rough enough to scratch at the silence.
The firelight gleamed along Wolfgang's sword, still stained dark with the Blood Bear's blood, painting it in a cold, eerie glow. His eyes stayed fixed on that blade, carrying an unshakable certainty—hard, sharp, and absolute.
"…Your way of fighting," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them, "it really is… off."
Across the fire, Wolfgang chewed calmly on his dinner. He glanced up, unbothered, and shrugged as he turned the meat on its skewer over the flames.
"Off? How so?"
"You just abandon the wounded like they don't matter. If you keep doing that, you're going to bleed your own strength dry. Doesn't that bother you at all?"
My voice rose without meaning to, but Wolfgang just watched the fire as if my words were nothing more than sparks popping in the air.
"On the battlefield," he said, calm and even, "the only thing that matters is choosing the optimal move. If tending to the wounded wastes resources, then it's better to replace them. This world doesn't care about sentiment."
"So your allies are just… pieces on a board to swap out when they break?"
Lilis let out a thin, exasperated sigh.
"Wow. And somehow that actually works for you?"
"Works?"
Wolfgang gave a faint smile as he pulled the meat from the fire. There was no warmth in it—only steel.
"I don't make them follow me. I lead. Anyone who won't follow isn't worth having. The App chose this party as the optimal formation. We don't need pity. Or weakness."
"Doctrine of Selection… huh," Caina murmured from the shadows, voice low.
"You really think you understand the App's purpose?"
Wolfgang's gaze sharpened, catching in the firelight. His face tightened, all angles and shadow.
"What are you implying?"
Caina frowned, staring into him across the flickering flames.
"You talk like you're the 'chosen,' but who decided that? It's just Magitech code. A machine's judgment."
"That's exactly why it's worth trusting."
Wolfgang answered instantly. There wasn't the faintest waver in his tone.
"Human feelings are vague. Chance is sloppy. The App isn't. It selects without hesitation. That's what makes it rational."
"Perfect, huh…"
Marionaa's quiet voice drifted from the far side of the fire.
"But your party isn't flawless either, is it? There were injuries today. Was that part of your calculation too?"
Wolfgang's lips curled faintly as he turned toward her.
"Sigurd's wounds were light. The reason they didn't become fatal is because he made the right calls."
"And if his judgment slips even once?" I asked, heat creeping into my voice.
"Then that's his responsibility," Wolfgang said without blinking.
Cecilia slowly shook her head.
"But by your logic, if someone stronger than you appears, you'd be the one discarded next."
Wolfgang gave a small laugh.
"If that happens, then I'll be culled. The strong survive. The weak are erased. That's nature, isn't it?"
"Maybe so…"
Mariona's voice softened, though her eyes stayed firm.
"But your logic, however neat it sounds, can't create bonds. What I've learned on battlefields is this—trust, once built, can become strength you'll never measure with numbers."
"Old thinking."
Wolfgang's reply cut the air like a blade.
"Times have changed. We follow reason now. We chase the optimal path."
"…And yet," I murmured, "how do you know your 'optimal' is even right?"
Silence fell.
The fire hissed softly, and a cold night breeze slipped through the gaps in the trees.
The Blood Ravens sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts.
Sigurd kept rubbing at his arm, his face blank as he stared into the flames.
Lugas cleaned his spear in steady silence. Freya seemed to be replaying Wolfgang's words in her head, lips moving without sound.
And Elena had simply shut her eyes, her whole body saying she didn't care.
Wolfgang's gaze stayed on the flames.
He didn't answer.
After a while, he stood.
"Get some sleep. We move at dawn."
His voice was simple command. The others nodded and left without a word, vanishing into their bedrolls like pieces sliding off a board.
We did the same.
Still, as I lay there in the dark, I couldn't shake the feeling.
He had ended the argument, but not buried it.
Something was shifting inside him. I could feel it.
Far off, a wolf howled into the night.
It sounded like the edge of a coming storm…
Notes:
• Lilis - Agile rogue/thief — Leon's close friend and playful teaser. Strikes fast with twin daggers and vanishes into stealth. Petite, light-blonde hair, mischievous green eyes. Reminder: Playful trickster hiding sharp instincts.
• Caina - Calm, brilliant mage — the group's strategist and analyst. Uses lightning magic with precise, logical focus. Slender, silver hair, calm blue eyes. Reminder: Stoic thinker and precision spellcaster.
• Mariona - 'Flame Witch' scholar (v2c1) — Lilis's strict but warm mentor, holds deep Zelva lore and fire magic. Small, long white hair, keen amber eyes. Reminder: Stern teacher, secretly cares deeply.
• Sigurd - An archer of Blood Raven (v2c4). Calm and distant. Keeps his cool under fire, deadly with precise shots. Lean frame, pale-blond hair, sharp green eyes.
• Cecilia - Gentle yet firm healer (v1c11) — Leon's emotional support and moral anchor. Wields holy healing and purification magic. Graceful, golden hair, violet eyes. Reminder: Kind priestess with hidden resolve.
• Lugas - A spearman of Blood Raven (v2c4). Stoic and reserved. Rarely speaks, stands like a wall on the frontlines. Massive build, cropped brown hair, dark eyes.
• Freya - A fire mage of Blood Raven (v2c4). Composed and fierce. Fights with quiet intensity and controlled flames. Flowing red hair, steady amber eyes.
• Elena - A healer of Blood Raven (v2c4). Cold and detached. Treats allies like resources, heals only the useful. Small, short black hair, flat gray eyes.