"Lord Lock! Warrior Captain Gazef and Mayor Panasolei of E-Rantel request an audience!"
The voice came from outside the main tent—firm, disciplined. Lock opened his eyes at once. He recognized it immediately.
Barker.
Captain of the First Squad of the Tiger Knights. One of the earliest knights to follow Lock when the Albert territory began its silent expansion.
"…Have them wait."
Lock's voice carried faint irritation.
Morning displeasure lingered in him—a habit forged in another life, when waking early had never been optional. Power had since freed him from such obligations, and he indulged that freedom without guilt.
He turned slightly.
"Vier. Wake."
He tapped the maid's shoulder lightly. It took a second touch before her eyes fluttered open.
"Good morning, Master."
Her voice was soft, still clouded with sleep. She rose immediately and began attending to him, movements practiced even before full awareness returned.
This was not his castle. No servants waited with prepared meals. After a brief wash and a change of clothes, Lock stepped out of the tent, Vier at his side.
"Good morning, my lord," Barker greeted, striking his chest in salute.
"Mm." Lock acknowledged him. He shaded his eyes against the sunlight and frowned slightly. "What time is it?"
"Approaching mid-morning."
"…I see. Where are they?"
"At the perimeter gate. Without your permission, I did not allow them inside."
"Correct." Lock nodded. "Escort them to the council tent. And send breakfast there."
"At once."
Lock stretched his arms as he walked toward the central tents, rolling his shoulders loose. Vier followed in silence.
The Tiger Knight camp was built with brutal efficiency.
An earthen wall two meters high encircled the entire site, reinforced and compacted to resist collapse. Tents were arranged in layered rings, funneling any intrusion inward through narrow approaches. No matter the direction of attack, an enemy would be slowed, exposed, and isolated before reaching the center.
At the gate stood two Tiger Knights in full silver-white plate, spears grounded, posture rigid.
Between them waited Gazef Stronoff and Panasolei Gurljey Di Ritenmeier.
Gazef felt it immediately.
Pressure.
Not hostility—control.
The two knights had not shifted their stance, nor tightened their grip. Yet Gazef's hand slid instinctively toward his sword. His warrior's instincts screamed warning.
If he moved incorrectly, they would kill him.
Not hesitate. Not question.
Kill.
His jaw tightened.
So this is their discipline…
Panasolei, lacking Gazef's sensitivity, did not perceive the threat directly. But when his gaze drifted inward—toward the rows of massive tigers resting in their earthen enclosures—his face stiffened.
Those were not beasts tamed by fear.
They were restrained by something stronger.
When one tiger's eyes flicked toward him, the naked predatory intent chilled Panasolei's spine. Only the knights feeding them seemed to exist outside that killing instinct.
Then Barker appeared.
"My lord will see you now. Follow me."
Gazef and Panasolei exchanged a glance and proceeded.
As they walked, Panasolei spoke with a practiced smile.
"Captain Barker, your knights are extraordinary. To command beasts that even Platinum-ranked adventurers avoid…"
Barker replied without turning his head.
"With sufficient strength, anyone can do it."
The answer was flat. Final.
Panasolei's eyes flickered. "Even Warrior Captain Gazef could likely slay such a beast—but taming one would be difficult, no?"
Gazef glanced sideways, recognizing the trap, but said only, "Perhaps."
The implication was obvious.
If such knights existed in such numbers, why had they never appeared in the Kingdom's wars? Every noble was obligated to provide troops. If Lock had fielded soldiers of this caliber, the battlefield balance would have shifted drastically.
Which meant—
Hidden forces.
A crime, if proven.
Panasolei waited for Barker to react.
He did not.
Because Barker did not care.
To him, Gazef Stronoff—the Kingdom's strongest warrior—was an opponent he could kill cleanly. The mayor's insinuations were beneath notice.
The Kingdom's laws meant nothing.
His loyalty belonged elsewhere.
My god is Lord Lock.
That belief was not Barker's alone. Every Tiger Knight shared it. When secrecy had been lifted, when their strength was no longer concealed, they understood one thing clearly:
The sky over the Kingdom was already changing.
Panasolei fell silent.
They reached the council tent.
"Enter," Barker said. "My lord awaits."
Gazef and Panasolei stepped inside.
Lock sat at the head of the tent, posture relaxed, gaze sharp and unreadable. Vier stood just behind him, composed and attentive.
"Welcome," Lock said calmly.
"Warrior Captain Gazef. Mayor Panasolei."
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