Gideon and the others said their goodbyes. Since none of them had any magical affinity, it meant the four of them had no chance of ever using magic.
Mitsuko could no longer help them—there was no way to grow an affinity inside their bodies.
The information on the map she gave them might still be useful. The four of them needed it far more than the kitsune race, who were already familiar with the lands around them.
They left the residence. Luke was still upset about his lack of affinity. Lyra remained sad. Lena felt relieved—and proud.
Gideon? He didn't feel anything in particular. Not happy, not disappointed. He never really expected magic to begin with, especially considering he had plenty of ammunition and weapons to defend himself.
He already knew the quality of the kingdom's soldiers. A 5.56 x 45mm NATO round could pierce through their iron armor, punch through chainmail, and strike straight into their hearts. Nothing could save them from such an instant death.
"What do we do now?" asked Lena, stopping Luke, Lyra, and Gideon in their tracks.
The four of them stood together in a circle, with Gideon still holding the map. From it, he could see a dirt road stretching from the wolf village and kitsune village toward the nearest town in Moko territory: Mischo.
"For now, Lena and I will stay and keep watch here in the village to make sure the patients have recovered," Gideon said firmly, looking at the three of them.
"Copy, Captain!"
"Luke and Lyra, you two return to the wolf village. If we decide to go visit Mischo, we'll need to gather as much intel as possible," Gideon continued.
"Tch! Nick's not here. He's the best at espionage and intel-gathering," Luke muttered.
"What about you?" Gideon asked.
"I still need to finish setting up the electricity and the light bulbs."
Gideon paused. He narrowed his eyes, realizing they were short-staffed. He couldn't send Lyra to Mischo—her skills were better suited for strategic and tactical planning.
"Alright."
"I'll do the recon," said Gideon.
"Lyra, stay here with Lena."
"Understood, Captain," Lyra replied firmly.
With their roles assigned, Gideon and Luke left the kitsune village, leaving Lena and Lyra behind. The two villages were close enough that it only took them under thirty minutes to reach the wolf village.
Once there, Gideon saw many wolf men working together to string wires across the village. The wires were connected to metal rods mounted on wooden boards near the water wheel.
"In two or three days, this village will be lit up by the lights we brought in the logistics crates," Luke explained.
"But to light up every house, we need to make basic light bulbs," Luke added.
"What do you need for that?"
"Thin iron filament, glass tubing, charcoal, and clear crystals."
"I've been able to talk to them just fine. So, they'll probably help me find the materials I need," said Luke.
"Right. They'll be happy to help you."
One of the wolfkin men approached Luke. Luke pulled out his phone and activated the translation app. He spoke to the man—who seemed to need Luke's help with something.
Luke followed him, and Gideon stepped inside the house to prepare the gear he needed: helmet, night vision, binoculars, ballistic vest, military uniform, rifle, ammo, drone, and his phone.
That night, Gideon planned to do a solo recon on the town. He'd move into the forest, climb the hill, and scout from there when the view was clear.
That way, he could learn what was going on in the city without ever having to enter it.
The sound of night insects began to rise with the passing time, filling the wolf village that was still lit by the soft glow of torches in every home.
The noise was also a clear sign—it was time for Gideon to leave for his mission.
He left the village fully equipped and entered the forest on high alert. He lowered his night vision scope and scanned the area around him in a green hue.
With that tool, he could at least see animals—or enemies—in the dark forest, even when there was no light source at all.
By Gideon's estimate, the distance from the wolf village to Mischo was around 3–4 kilometers. Not far with a vehicle, but quite a trek on foot.
Along that route was a 780-meter-high hill that overlooked the city with the best landscape view. It was the perfect spot for a scout mission.
After half an hour of walking, Gideon reached the base of the hill. To get to the top, he had to enter deeper into the forest and hike up the slope, which would take him another 20–30 minutes on foot.
Suddenly, Gideon stopped in his tracks. He immediately went prone and camouflaged himself in the tall forest grass. He had caught a faint sound, the rhythmic stomp of horses getting closer.
He lay still near a tree, turned his head slightly, and spotted a small cavalry patrol. Three riders in total.
From their armor and the fact that they were near Mischo, Gideon could tell they were Moko soldiers.
'A patrol squad... what are they doing out here?'he murmured.
They rode south along the forest trail. Gideon didn't know where they were headed—but his guess was that they were patrolling near the wolf village.
Once they passed, Gideon got up and resumed his climb. He reached the hilltop under perfect conditions: no fog, minimal clouds, and a cool breeze with only mild wind.
The spot was ideal for surveillance.
Gideon opened his military rucksack and set up the UAV drone gear. The small bag only had room for one drone—but one would be more than enough for this mission.
"UAV drone connected to my phone."
The drone's propellers spun rapidly. Gideon launched it into the sky, guiding it through his phone.
To his surprise, Gideon spotted a large military camp near Mischo. The Moko soldiers had set up hundreds of tents in an open field—clearly visible from Gideon's position.
"If one tent holds 5 to 10 people, that's thousands of soldiers," he muttered.
'What are they planning?'
'Does the wolf village have some kind of resource they want?'
Gideon crouched, removed his night vision scope, and pulled out his 10x42 binoculars. It also had thermal and night vision modes—just a quick lens rotation away.
He watched the camp. The Moko soldiers were drinking and partying around a large bonfire.
No major movements. Just camping. Probably waiting for their commander's orders.
'They attacked the wolf village before. Attacking them back wouldn't be smart,'Gideon thought.
'I should stay focused—observe and gather intel.'
He turned the binoculars westward—toward the city of Mischo. It was surrounded by a 2–3 meter thick stone wall, with a height of around 7–10 meters.
From this angle, Gideon could see two gates: the south and the west. He wasn't sure if there was a northern gate—his view was blocked.
Still, he gathered plenty of intel on the city, especially its fortress-like defenses.
'Do all cities in the Moko Kingdom have these kinds of walls?'
Each gate had two guards stationed in front, and five archers patrolled along the top with bows ready.
They checked every visitor one by one—commoners and merchants alike.
Gideon couldn't tell what the exact entry requirement was, but after watching the southern gate long enough, he noticed something.
All visitors had to show some kind of document before being allowed in. No document, no entry.
'What kind of document is that? Some kind of permit?'
"I'll need to ask the wolf elder and Lady Mitsuko about this," Gideon said quietly.