"Wait, Aster!"
Hera called out to us, so I turned toward her. She still hadn’t moved from her spot.
I went back to her, and everyone followed me.
"Is something wrong, Hera?" I asked.
She stood with her arms crossed and nodded as she looked at me.
"I have a suggestion for your plan."
"A suggestion?" I asked.
"Yes."
I nodded.
"Of course! Please, go ahead."
Looking around, she began to explain.
"You want to map the area surrounding the fort. So, instead of sending everyone out at once, it would be wiser to send small groups to explore one section of the region and then return. Afterward, another group could continue mapping from where the previous group left off."
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.
"And what’s the reason for doing it that way?" I asked, wanting to understand her reasoning.
Hera was intelligent. I could learn a great deal from her, so whenever I had the opportunity, I should ask questions.
"I have two reasons for that."
She raised two fingers.
"First!"
"You’ll put less strain on the troops and increase the efficiency of the exploration."
"Second..."
She paused, thinking about how to phrase it without sounding insensitive.
"A safety measure."
I tilted my head, wearing a thoughtful expression.
"A safety measure?" I asked, unsure what she meant.
Hera sighed before answering.
"Yes! A safety measure... In case you’re attacked by something beyond the troops’ capabilities. That way, they won’t all be slaughtered at once."
...
"I hadn’t thought of that..."
I was being honest, and my expression grew slightly bitter.
It still hurt to realize how inexperienced I was. But there was nothing I could do about it at that moment.
Besides, what Hera had said might sound cruel, but it wasn’t.
Of course, knowing that did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest. My mouth tasted bitter, and my face twisted into a grimace. I stood silently, staring at the ground as a thousand different thoughts raced through my mind.
Silence settled over everyone around us.
The soldiers seemed to be reflecting deeply on Hera’s words. To them, this was normal. They had already lost several companions during their journeys. It was difficult to live with that reality, but her words were important. They served as a reminder that their careers were far from safe.
Death could come knocking at their doors at any moment.
Doriana lowered her head, looking sad. Despite being a mature and experienced woman, she was gentle by nature and had never dealt particularly well with death.
The only one who seemed entirely at ease was Hera. Not because she didn’t care!
Far from it.
She was simply someone who had seen everything life had to offer. Every kind of horror that war could produce.
Powerful warriors were born and died at every turn. She ruled over arrogant gods whose egos reached the heavens. Some adored war; others were little more than deranged killers.
Countless wars between the gods had brought death and destruction on a colossal scale.
Her heart had grown calloused from it all.
And her words were true.
Aster needed to understand that sooner or later, someone who served him... would die.
The path of conquest and governance wasn’t paved with roses.
It was paved with blood and flesh, accompanied by deafening screams of death and despair.
If he chose to follow that path, his mind would have to be prepared.
Hera continued watching Aster as he went through a moment of deep reflection.
He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
"Haaah..."
Then he opened his eyes, met Hera’s gaze, and managed a faint smile.
"You’re right."
After thinking it over and trying to find an alternative, I realized that this was simply the option that offered the least risk and the greatest efficiency. Read the latest chapters at novelping.com.
I wasn’t happy about that possibility in the slightest, but it existed. And it wouldn’t disappear just because I disliked it.
’Life does not bend to the will of man.’
I had heard that phrase at some point in my life, but I had forgotten about it.
For some reason, though, those words returned to my mind at that moment, reminding me that my opinions and desires couldn’t change the nature of life.
"All right... Everyone!"
I paused before continuing.
"Change of plans. We’ll form teams of two and conduct reconnaissance in shifts. Does anyone disagree with this order? You’re welcome to voice your opinions..."
I stopped for a moment and looked at everyone.
"As you can see, I’m far from knowing everything. I’m still learning how to be a good leader. I’m willing to listen if any of you have a different idea."
"None, Lord Aster.. I fully agree with Lady Hera," Hugo replied.
"I think our lady’s words were wise," Hugo’s companion added.
One by one, the other eight agreed as well.
No one objected to the decision.
"Then that’s what we’ll do. Let’s form the teams."
We spent some time organizing everything until the arrangements were complete.
Everyone was divided into pairs. Hugo and his companion, Lora, decided to join different teams. They selected the four most experienced soldiers and paired them with the others.
"Listen... As I said earlier, Doriana will be our guide during reconnaissance. I’ll be going with you as well. I can’t let you do all the work while I stay here. I also need to map the region with my own eyes."
I paused and continued.
"I also have a perception ability that will be useful, along with Doriana’s own abilities."
I turned toward Hera.
"Hera... Would you mind staying here to guard the fort? I don’t want to leave all our main strength in one place and end up leaving the other unprotected."
I asked with a smile.
She shook her head.
"I don’t mind."
"Go without worry. I’ll take care of things here while you’re away."
I took a deep breath and smiled gratefully.
"Thank you."
"Then that’s settled. Doriana and I will head out first, just the two of us. Use this time to get settled in the fort."
I turned my attention to the women among the mercenaries.
"Ladies, let’s divide up the living quarters so you can feel more comfortable."
"Men!" I called out more loudly.
"You’ll stay in the other section. For now, the bathroom will be reserved for the women. If you need to relieve yourselves, use the forest. And one more thing..."
I looked at everyone coldly.
"If I find out, or someone tells me, that any of you have tried to assault a woman or invade her privacy without permission..."
I narrowed my violet eyes, fixing them on the men with a frigid stare.
"You’re dead."
Gulp!
Everyone swallowed nervously.
"Understood?"
"Yes!" they answered at once.
I gave them a satisfied smile.
"Good."
Several quiet sighs rose from the men, while the women giggled at the situation.
I wanted to make that perfectly clear from the start. I hated men like that with every fiber of my being, especially abusers. They made me want to rip their heads off.
Hera and Doriana looked at Aster with broad smiles.
Once it was clear that everyone understood, we headed to the fort.
When we arrived, everyone began looking around and went to choose their places in the living quarters.
The smell of roasted meat filled the place. Mila was in the kitchen, preparing the wild boar.
Tina was helping her, while Luza came over to ask whether we needed anything.
"Luza, go help Mila and Tina for now. I’ll be leaving shortly, and Hera will be in command. Help her with anything she needs." Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Luza bowed.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
She and Hera headed to the kitchen, while Doriana and I went to the living quarters.
"Doriana, you can begin," I told her.
We were standing in the middle of the living quarters.
With her white wand in hand, Doriana commanded the wood, shaping it to her will.
A pillar rose from the floor to the ceiling, dividing a single room into two. A door appeared in the wall, opening onto the corridor.
"Remove that door and put it in the fort’s main corridor," I asked. "That way, the women won’t have to pass through the men’s section. They can go straight out into the main corridor."
Doriana nodded, sealed the opening, and created another entrance in the corridor.
"All done, my lord!"
I nodded, satisfied.
"Can we go now?" I asked, looking at her.
"As you wish, my lord."
She nodded, and we set off.
Once we reached the outside, a question occurred to me.
"Which direction should we start in?"
I looked around, considering every direction: north, south, east, and west.
"Any ideas?" I asked the woman beside me.
"Hmmmm..."
She thought for a moment.
"Honestly, my lord... It makes no difference which way we go."
She turned toward me.
"We’re going to explore the entire area anyway, so any direction will do as a starting point."
"True," I replied.
Looking ahead, I made my decision.
"Then let’s go straight ahead."
And so, we began exploring the region to the south.
For the first hundred meters, we found nothing but dense trees growing very close together. Their leaves and branches blocked out the sunlight.
I remained alert at every moment, using my physique’s perception ability.
Doriana was also carefully observing everything, searching for any abnormalities.
"No signs of animals, beasts, or monsters so far," she remarked.
I nodded.
"Yes, but stay alert."
We advanced another hundred meters, but the scenery remained the same: a sea of trees in every direction.
Two hundred meters.
Five hundred meters.
One kilometer.
Two kilometers.
As we approached the three-kilometer mark, we finally found something other than trees.
A small clearing, with a few trees scattered around it.
Small, round, pinkish fruits grew in clusters of bushes.
"Fruit?" I asked.
"Probably... Or something poisonous disguised as fruit."
"We need to be even more cautious here, my lord!" Doriana warned.
I was already on alert, but I wanted to understand why she was being extra careful.
"And why is that?" I asked.
"Because we might be close to the habitat of an animal or monster."
She turned toward me.
"These supposed fruits might be a food source for some creature living nearby."
Then she turned her attention forward again.
"Now we need to find out whether we’re dealing with prey... or a predator."