The night was nearing its end, and in a few hours, the darkness would give way to dawn. In the mountainous terrain, the main border between the free nations of the south and the central kingdoms, an army was encamped in the valley that connected the central continent to the southern continent.
The visible exhaustion on each soldier's face would awaken compassion in even the most vile of men. The difficulty of maintaining the army's supply line amidst the rugged and steep terrain not only made it difficult to have a good diet, but the immense geographical disadvantage caused excessive stress on the soldiers.
The question was not whether the enemies would attack. Given such a strategic advantage, the question was when.
The bonfires scattered throughout the camp did not serve their purpose well, as the fire did not eliminate the cold of fear of a sudden attack. Every soldier cursed and swore at the commander's name from time to time. It was obvious even to those of the lowest ranks what the HQ's plan was, influenced by the pompous nobleman who resided in the central command tent.
"I still think the bet is too big, Lord Ferron. We will be attacked, and if the master of space does not intervene as you expect, it will be a massacre."
The perfectly toned bass voice belonged to the general of the Yam Nation. Like the other generals present, he found it risky to capitalize on the pain of someone as powerful as Khaled. Being a master in any elemental discipline was more than achieving a high level of prestige. The elemental masters were the final words in their respective areas of study and expertise. The power they wielded caused shivers even in the royalty of the entire continent.
"There is no reason to worry, Lord Darren. It has been proven that the poisoned blade that killed the master of life came from the enemy army, and specifically from the Taurus Kingdom. Since the main enemy force is the Taurus, it is impossible for the master of space not to attack as soon as they make an offensive."
The optimistic nobleman, who unscrupulously was more than willing to use the pain of a master for his personal agenda, was Lord Ferron, the commander of the alliance of free nations. His nation, Gofer, was the assault force of the alliance, being directly responsible for more than seventy percent of the towers and catapults. His arsenal based on Gofer wood was top-of-the-line material, and extremely valuable in all continents.
The various generals gathered, even though they disagreed with Lord Ferron, did not have enough prestige or position in the alliance to go against the nobility. They could only comply, being grateful for at least being warned in advance.