The battlefield was finally quiet.
Not peaceful—just quiet. The kind of silence that feels unnatural, hanging over Ridgebrook like a heavy blanket soaked in blood and smoke. The flames along the outer trenches crackled in the distance, painting the morning sky with streaks of orange and gray.
Bodies lay everywhere. Enemy soldiers, villagers, shattered shields, broken spears, burned ladders. The aftermath of the siege was uglier than the battle itself.
Leonidas stood at the center of it all, swaying slightly. His wounds bled freely down his side and shoulder, but he kept himself upright through sheer force of will. He refused to sit until he knew every enemy soldier had fled and every villager was accounted for.
Liam rushed to him, heart tight. "Leonidas—sit down! You're bleeding out!
Leonidas grunted. "Later."
His vision blurred, but he forced it steady.
Nearby, Elias lay on his back, gasping weakly. His breakthrough had saved Leonidas, but the exertion had drained everything he had. He blinked up at the sky, chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.
Liam knelt beside him. "Elias! Hey—stay awake."
Elias managed a tired smile. "Did… did we win?"
"You saved us," Liam whispered. "You saved him."
Elias looked toward Leonidas. "I—I only did what he taught me…"
His eyes fluttered, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
"Get him to the healer hut!" Liam shouted.
Two villagers hurried over with a stretcher, lifting Elias gently. Leonidas watched silently, expression unreadable.
L
Orin moved among the bodies, dragging wounded militia back toward the village. She was covered in blood—some hers, some not. Cuts lined her arms, and her shoulder was bandaged hastily.
She stopped at one fallen villager, a young man who had trained beside her. His chest was pierced clean through.
Orin knelt and touched his hand. Her breath hitched. She didn't cry loudly—just small, broken sounds that cracked the air more sharply than screams.
Liam walked to her and rested a hand on her back. "I'm sorry."
"We were training together yesterday," she whispered. "He was joking about how he'd survive this just to brag to everyone…"
Her shoulders trembled.
Liam had no words. There were none.
Vlad stumbled by them, dragging the corpse of the Rank 3 captain with a thick rope tied to the man's ankles. His face was smeared with soot, blood dried along his jawline. He flashed a crooked grin.
"Dead men are lighter than they look," he said casually.
Orin stared at him in disbelief. "Why are you dragging him by the legs?!"
Vlad shrugged. "He almost killed all of us. I show him proper respect."
Liam rubbed his forehead. "Why does that sound worse when you say it?"
Vlad dropped the corpse near the wall. "This one died well. Worthy enemy."
Leonidas limped over, wincing. "He was strong."
"Yes," Vlad agreed. "But not immortal."
Leonidas felt the ache in those words.
Sun Tzu approached the group, hands behind his back, eyes scanning the battlefield with calm analysis. "We must begin cleanup immediately. If bodies remain too long, disease may follow. And the smell will break morale."
Liam swallowed. "Right. Right. I'll gather groups."
"No," Sun Tzu said. "I will. You must rest your body and mind. A leader must not collapse before the people."
Liam wanted to argue, but his legs shook as he stood. He conceded with a nod.
Sun Tzu spread orders with calm efficiency:
"Move all wounded inside first.
Burn enemy bodies outside the wall.
Bury villagers near the oak grove—give them the respect they deserve.
Repair the eastern wall before nightfall.
Reinforce the trenches.
And gather all unburned spears—we may need them again soon."
Villagers obeyed instantly. They trusted Sun Tzu more than ever after witnessing how he guided them through the siege.
Leonidas suddenly staggered forward, catching himself on a broken spear. "Damn…"
Liam rushed to his side. "Sit. NOW."
Leonidas finally relented, lowering himself onto a piece of fallen timber. Blood dripped steadily from his wounds
Orin gasped. "Someone get bandages!"
Leonidas waved her off weakly. "Save them for others."
Orin glared. "Don't talk like that. You're not dying today."
Liam called to a healer. "Bandage Leonidas first. That's an order."
Lira and the healers hesitated. "But—others—"
"Do it," Liam said sharply.
Leonidas sighed. "You are stubborn."
"You're welcome," Liam shot back.
As the healers wrapped bandages around Leonidas' chest and shoulder, Liam looked over the battlefield again. Everything was broken. Burned. Scarred.
But it was theirs.
Sun Tzu soon returned, face thoughtful. "Liam. A word."
They stepped aside.
Sun Tzu lowered his voice. "The death of a Rank 3 captain will not go unnoticed. Rathmore will send word. Perhaps even to the kingdom itself."
Liam tensed. "Meaning… trouble?"
"Meaning attention," Sun Tzu replied. "And attention is often worse than trouble."
Liam swallowed. "Can we survive another force like this?"
Sun Tzu looked toward Leonidas, Vlad, Orin, and the villagers still working despite wounds and exhaustion.
"Perhaps," he said quietly. "But not alone."
Liam exhaled. "We need allies."
"We need time," Sun Tzu corrected.
Time they didn't have.
Liam checked the Ledger again, heart sinking.
[NEXT SUMMON: 24 DAYS]
Still too long.
Too long without reinforcements.
Too long without another genius, warrior, or craftsman to help rebuild what was broken.
Too long if another force arrived.
Sun Tzu watched Liam's troubled expression and misinterpreted it. "Planning again?"
"Always," Liam muttered.
Leonidas pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth. "What's our next move?"
Liam looked at his people—broken, bleeding, exhausted… but alive.
"We survive today," he said. "We rebuild tomorrow."
Leonidas nodded. "A good plan."
Orin managed a small smile. "Finally, something simple."
Vlad cracked his neck. "And after tomorrow?"
Liam stared out over the ruined battlefield.
"After tomorrow… we prepare for whoever comes next."
Sun Tzu's gaze sharpened. "Then we begin immediately."
The villagers gathered the bodies of their dead, placing them on wrapped cloth. The enemy corpses were dragged to a pyre outside the walls. Smoke rose as Ridgebrook claimed its victory—and its grief.
The siege was over.
But the future was only growing darker.
Ledger update:
[NEXT SUMMON: 24 DAYS]