After her visit to the clinic, Helia went directly to the imperial palace, where the convoy awaited her. As soon as the carriage came to a halt, she stepped down, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding bustle.
The palace's forecourt hummed with activity. Everywhere, knights were loading carts with provisions, weapons, and medical supplies, while others adjusted the horses' harnesses and ensured the mounts were fit for travel.
One of the knights in charge of the escort approached and issued his instructions to the four guards assigned to Helia's protection. Meanwhile, she observed her surroundings absently, her gaze wandering unconsciously in search of a familiar figure.
When she realized she was looking for Prince Arthur, she stopped herself abruptly, startled by her own thoughts.
Then, a voice behind her suddenly pulled her from her reverie.
"If you are looking for Mister Cédric Belmont, I regret to inform you that he will not be joining us on this journey."
She flinched slightly before turning to discover Doctor Caisus, accompanied by Elyes. Noticing her searching look, Caisus assumed she had been seeking Cédric, which, indeed, she ought to have done as a priority.
"I received a letter from him last night. He is unwell," the doctor explained calmly.
Helia frowned, intrigued.
"Unwell? Is it serious?"
"He claims to have been bedridden for several days with a severe bout of influenza."
A shadow of doubt crossed her face. Cédric Belmont was not the sort to miss an opportunity so crucial, least of all a project he himself had helped to develop. Regardless of his condition, he always found a way to mitigate his symptoms and present himself, no matter the cost. His absence was strange. Could it be connected to the incident during the presentation? But after a brief hesitation, she dismissed her suspicions. Perhaps this time he truly was too weakened to rise.
Without further delay, she followed the knights and took her place in the carriage alongside Doctor Caisus and Elyes. The journey was long, stretching over several hours through landscapes that alternated between wooded stretches and open plains, dotted with villages already lulled by the close of day. Unlike the previous journey, no ambush disturbed their progress, though the knights' vigilance never waned.
At times, she exchanged a few words with Caisus regarding the organization of the project in Cédric's absence, but for the most part, silence reigned within the carriage, rocked by the monotonous roll of the wheels over the packed earth. Each of the three occupants was absorbed in their own thoughts or reading.
By the time they finally reached the encampment, night had fallen, and military activity buzzed beneath the flickering glow of torches and lanterns. Upon their arrival, they were guided to their respective tents. Helia returned to the one she had occupied during her previous stay, while her four knights were settled nearby.
No sooner had she set down her belongings than she headed straight for the infirmary tent, eager to see Lord Bellair again. She found him bent over a soldier, skillfully binding a fresh wound. When he looked up and saw her, his expression immediately softened.
"Lady Helia, it is a joy to see you restored to good health," he said with a sincere smile, wiping his balm-stained hands on a clean cloth.
She inclined her head slightly.
"I am glad to see you as well, Lord Bellair. How are the victims of the venom faring?"
He sighed as he tightened the bandage around the soldier's wound.
"We are doing all we can. Those who received the remedy in time are stable; some are recovering more slowly… But fortunately, few have succumbed to the venom."
"At the clinic, the situation is much the same," Helia replied, placing a bandage and an anti-inflammatory salve on the table beside him, a gesture so instinctive it betrayed how accustomed she was to working at his side.
"However, the first patients treated with the remedy are beginning to recover gradually. Sir Leon has even been authorized to leave, though he is not yet fully restored."
Bellair thanked her with a nod and moved on to treat another of the knight's injuries.
"That is excellent news. I am truly glad to hear it. I hope the antidote will be found soon."
Helia let out a quiet sigh.
"The research is progressing, but not as quickly as we had hoped. We have achieved some promising results, and the scientists continue to work tirelessly."
Bellair nodded gravely.
"I have heard of the bait project, Lady Helia. I sincerely hope it will bear fruit."
She met his gaze with unwavering determination.
"I will do everything within my power to ensure that it does."
Before he could respond, a knight entered the tent and bowed briefly to Helia.
"Lady Sterallis, you are expected at the commanders' briefing."
She nodded and straightened at once, noticing that Bellair remained where he was.
"You will not be attending the meeting?" she asked.
He finished securing the knight's bandage before replying,
"I still have several wounded to tend to, and we are short-staffed here. But do not worry, I will be sent the report."
"Good luck," he added, before returning to his work.
She inclined her head and followed the knight. Aldric, who had remained nearby, fell into step beside her in silence as they crossed the camp toward the great command tent.
When she stepped inside the central tent, one she had never seen from within before, Helia discovered a large table at its center, covered with a detailed map of the Eastern forests.
Gathered around it were several high-ranking knights and military strategists, figures she had already encountered during her previous mission, along with Doctor Caisus and Elyes. Sir Suannel, the commander-in-chief and Leon's father, was also present, his stern expression further accentuated by the glow of the oil lamps.
As she entered, several knights, including Sir Suannel, inclined their heads briefly in greeting. While she made her way toward the doctor and Elyes, a familiar figure passed close beside her.
Prince Arthur came to an abrupt halt upon seeing her and turned slightly, his gaze settling on her. He looked as though he had come straight from the battlefield: his attire was still dust-stained, and his hair was thoroughly disheveled. Despite his evident fatigue, he still emanated the same aura of controlled power.
An almost imperceptible sense of relief washed over Helia. He had not accompanied the convoy… which meant he had arrived at the encampment earlier.
She bowed at once.
"Your Highness."
He acknowledged her with a brief nod before stepping toward the table. At once, the conversations ceased, and everyone took their places, ready to begin the meeting.
Helia positioned herself slightly apart, just behind Doctor Caisus and Elyes. Although she had played a key role in designing the project alongside Cédric, she preferred to let Caisus, more experienced in matters of strategic implementation, lead the discussion. Prince Arthur turned toward the group, his gaze lingering for a brief moment on her before addressing the three representatives in a firm tone.
"Please explain to everyone the nature of this bait project."
Caisus rose confidently, his movements measured as his gaze swept across the assembly. He allowed a brief silence to settle before speaking.
"As you are aware, the boars continue to threaten our borders. Their extreme aggressiveness, abnormal size, and uncontrolled reproduction have made securing high-risk areas increasingly difficult."
A heavy silence followed as the assembly once again took stock of the magnitude of the problem.
"After weeks of laboratory research, we have developed a bait containing substances capable of acting upon these creatures' endocrine system, that is, the system responsible for producing the hormones that drive their extreme behavior. Our objective is twofold: to reduce their aggressiveness and to curb their reproduction by inhibiting their precocious maturity."
Murmurs rippled through the tent, a mixture of hope and skepticism. One knight, a veteran marked by a scar running across his left eye, folded his arms.
"And how are these substances supposed to achieve such effects? The boars have already resisted our most effective poisons and traps."
It was a legitimate concern. Many projects had failed in the past, and even with the discovery of the remedy, morale among the troops remained dangerously low. For over a year, they had fought these creatures. Many of their comrades had fallen, while the boars continued to multiply. Despite their determination to try this new bait, a palpable skepticism lingered in the air. Helia studied the tense faces of the knights, feeling the weight of their losses.
Caisus had anticipated this reaction. He replied calmly, his gaze unwavering.
"The compounds were designed to act directly on the glands responsible for aggression and reproduction."
He then turned to Elyes, inviting him to continue.
Understanding the cue, Elyes stepped forward, holding the bait prototype in his hands.
"To maximize the effectiveness of these compounds, magical amplification is required. Mana will be used not only to enhance their effects, but also to activate two crucial enchantments."
He displayed the prototype to the assembly. It was a simple-looking pouch made of white polymer, with a slot designed to hold a mana stone.
"First, an olfactory enchantment will give the bait an irresistible scent to the boars. Second, an illusion spell will grant it the appearance of a rabbit, one of their natural prey."
This was the compromise Helia and Cédric had reached during the design phase. Rather than creating a bait that merely mimicked a rabbit's appearance and movement, or only its scent and taste, they had chosen to combine both appearance and odor. This approach both conserved the mana required for enchantment and maximized the bait's effectiveness.
As he spoke, Elyes inserted a mana stone into the designated slot. In an instant, the bait transformed into a rabbit of astonishing realism. A scent spread through the tent, evoking that of a living animal, a subtle blend of warm fur and fresh earth.
The knights exchanged surprised glances, visibly impressed by the illusion.
Elyes continued his explanation.
"The mana stone activates the illusion and olfactory enchantments immediately, making the bait attractive. The magical amplification, however, is only triggered upon ingestion, when the stone reaches the boars' internal body temperature, thereby maximizing the effects."
Doctor Caisus added,
"Furthermore, we have incorporated a powerful dye into the bait. Any boar that consumes it will develop a blue tongue, making it easy to identify."
Sir Suannel frowned, folding his arms with a pragmatic air.
"So what, precisely, are my men expected to do? Will they be taking unnecessary risks by dispersing these baits?"
Caisus answered confidently.
"We will require your most agile scouts. They will be tasked with placing the baits along the edges of high-risk zones and monitoring their consumption from a distance—perched at elevated vantage points or concealed far enough away to avoid danger. Their primary mission will be to observe behavioral changes in the boars after ingestion and to report their findings in detail to the Lady and myself."
Helia, who had remained silent until then, suddenly felt several gazes turn toward her, as though the assembly had only just remembered that a woman was present. The attention made her slightly uneasy. Fortunately, the looks quickly shifted away, all eyes returning to Doctor Caisus as he resumed speaking.
He paused to ensure his explanation was understood before continuing.
"Initially, the scouts are not to kill the affected boars under any circumstances. We must observe the effects of the compounds over several days to assess their long-term efficacy. However, after a few days, a limited number of specimens will need to be eliminated for in-depth analysis."
Suannel nodded slowly, considering the implications.
"And the majority of my men? They will continue their usual patrol duties?"
"Exactly," Caisus confirmed. "Only the boars without blue tongues are to be eliminated as a priority, in order to limit further spread."
Caisus paused, then raised his eyes to Sir Suannel.
"In your opinion, which areas would be the most strategic locations to place the baits? Your men know the terrain better than anyone."
Sir Suannel stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the map spread across the central table. He indicated several areas circled in red.
"Here, here, and there. These are the sectors where we have observed the most activity recently."
The Prince, who had remained silent until then, studied the marked locations, his expression hardening slightly. Then he spoke.
"It is a sound choice, but these areas are highly exposed. The boars are numerous there, certainly, but your men will struggle to approach without being detected."
He moved closer to the table and examined the map for a few seconds. With precise movements, he traced a line along the wooded paths.
"However, by placing the baits here, the terrain will provide better cover for your scouts. They will be able to observe from a distance without risking a charge. There are also many trees in this area that are easy to climb."
Sir Suannel narrowed his eyes, studying the Prince's proposed locations carefully. After a moment's thought, he nodded in approval.
"You are correct, Your Highness. These adjustments will reduce the risks."
Elyes then resumed speaking, detailing the precautions to be taken when handling the bait and the adjustments to be made based on the initial results. The meeting continued for several hours, addressing numerous additional aspects and determining the teams and roles to be assigned in the days to come.