The Mourning of Aurelion
On the following morning, the capital of the Kingdom of Aurelion awoke to grief.
The news spread like winter frost through the streets and stone corridors alike—
Sir Leo had fallen.
Shops did not open. Market bells did not ring. Even children, too young to understand politics or war, wept because the adults around them wept.
Leo had not been a cruel man.
He was known among the people as a knight who bowed his head to commoners as readily as he did to nobles. Among his comrades, he was steadfast. Among the citizens, he was gentle.
And so the capital mourned.
⸻
His coffin, draped in the royal standard, was borne by the knights of his own division. Steel armor gleamed beneath a sky heavy with silence.
Eulogies were spoken.
Veterans recounted battles fought at his side.
Young squires spoke of the patience with which he had trained them.
Servants whispered of kindness shown in small, unseen moments.
At last, Arthur stepped forward.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, in a voice low but unshaking:
"Leo… was my sworn brother in arms.
We took our oaths together. We bled under the same banner."
His hand tightened at his side.
"His sacrifice will not be forgotten.
And on this day, before the crown and the people—
I swear this."
His gaze hardened.
"Hawk Hollows will be eradicated."
The knights present struck their fists to their chests in unison.
Steel echoed like distant thunder.
⸻
The Royal Decree
Within the palace, grief turned swiftly to fury.
King Aldric rose from his throne, striking the armrest with enough force to silence the chamber.
"Three nobles have perished," he declared.
"This is not mere banditry. This is defiance."
His eyes burned.
"Hawk Hollows is to be apprehended immediately. Send word to our neighboring kingdoms. We will not face this insult alone."
Messengers hurried from the hall.
Ministers bowed deeply.
Nobles whispered among themselves—some refusing to believe Leo was truly dead, others already calculating the consequences.
In Aurelion, grief had become policy.
⸻
War Camp
After the funeral rites, Arthur stood within the military encampment of the Royal Knights.
A map lay stretched across the war table, marked in ink and blade scratches.
Outwardly, he appeared composed.
Inwardly, he was a storm.
He traced possible routes with his finger, calculating supply lines, escape patterns, ambush terrain. Hawk Hollows was no ordinary criminal faction—they struck cleanly, vanished completely.
A hand touched his shoulder.
Arthur turned sharply.
For a heartbeat, his eyes were those of a killer—cold, lethal, stripped of softness.
Before them stood a silver-haired female knight, her armor fitted tight and fluid like the body of a venomous serpent, standing in absolute silence.
Then he recognized her.
Jane.
His childhood companion.
She studied him carefully.
"You look as though you're ready to kill someone," she said lightly, though her tone carried concern.
Arthur exhaled.
"Jane… When did you arrive?"
She smiled faintly.
"King Vareth dispatched me. I am to assist you in the operation against Hawk Hollows."
At the name alone, something shifted in Arthur's expression.
"Hawk Hollows," he repeated quietly.
"They will be finished."
Jane stepped closer, her gloved hand rising to touch his cheek briefly.
"I'm sorry about Leo," she said softly.
"But we'll end this. Together."
Arthur placed his hand over hers.
"Yes. Together."
⸻
At that precise moment, the tent flap burst open.
"Good afternoon, Sir Arthur!"
A young female knight stood there, grinning brightly—Bonnie of Jane's division.
Arthur and Jane stepped apart a fraction too quickly.
Arthur cleared his throat.
"Good afternoon… Bonnie."
She tilted her head playfully.
"Of course it is. I'm here, aren't I?"
Jane moved to escort her out.
"Come on. We have preparations to finish."
As she was dragged away, Bonnie called back with a mischievous grin:
"You were the one leaning toward him first, Captain Jane!"
For the first time since the funeral, Arthur allowed himself a brief laugh.
It did not erase the grief.
⸻
When word spread through the encampment that Jane of Vareth's royal guard—the famed Viper Knight—had joined the campaign, morale shifted.
Confidence returned.
With Aurelion's steel and Vareth's venom united—
Hawk Hollows would not escape.
Or so they believed.
At that moment, a special rescue unit of Hawk Hollows found Violet and Nyssara and brought them safely back to the homeland of Hawk Hollows.
The wounds Nyssara had sustained from the battle were not life-threatening, but they were serious enough to prevent her from participating in operations for some time.
While she remained inside the medical camp, the reconnaissance unit members who had stayed behind in the Hawk Hollows homeland gathered there.
The squad sent for the Joshua elimination mission had been almost completely annihilated
Those who had remained behind now stood in grief, mourning their fallen comrades. Their voices—some restrained, some openly broken—could be heard even outside the medical camp.
Violet stood there silently, listening.
For the first time, she truly understood:
A reconnaissance unit was not just "shadows."
They were people. With names. With bonds.
⸻
A black-clad female elf passed by her, moving with an almost ethereal grace. The staff in her hand was no ordinary wood; faint veins of magic pulsed within it.
She was Serenna Vale, Captain of Magic, Intelligence, and Communications.
Behind her walked a dwarf — small in stature yet broad in build, with extremely long beard and a stern gaze. He was Drogan Stonebound, master weaponsmith and captain of the defensive division, regarded as the "shield" of Hawk Hollows' homeland.
The two of them entered Nyssara's camp.
At that moment, Kael, captain of the assault division, noticed Violet and walked over to stand beside her.
For the first time, he was not smiling.
In a calm, grounded voice, Kael spoke:
"Violet… do you hear that sound?"
His tone was low, but heavy.
"It is the sound I hate hearing the most…"
Violet felt the full weight of his words deep in her bones.
An empty feeling welled up inside Violet.
It was just like the days when she had been a slave.
Kael noticed. Forcing a smile that was clearly strained, he said,
"Come on. Let's go in together."
When they entered, Nyssara had already risen to sit upright on the medical cot. She withdrew her gaze from Serenna and Drogan and turned to the members of her reconnaissance unit. In a soft, weakened voice, she said,
"You may leave now."
The reconnaissance unit members nodded, holding back tears, and filed out past Kael and Violet one by one.
Nyssara greeted Kael and Violet with a faint smile.
With a voice still drained of strength, she said,
"Serenna. Drogan. This is the girl I told you about — Violet Zereth. A dark elf of the Zereth clan."
Drogan stroked his beard and gave a slight bow.
"My name is Drogan Stonebound. I am captain of the defense division."
Serenna bowed lightly as well.
"Serenna Vale. Captain of the magic and communications division. Thank you, sincerely, for saving Nyssara and returning alive with her."
Intimidated by their formality, Violet trembled slightly.
"My name… my name is Violet," she said.
As always, Kael attempted to lighten the air with a faint chuckle.
"Come on now. We're Hawk Hollows. We're home. Can we drop the formalities already?"
Nyssara, Serenna, and Drogan let out small laughs. Violet, however, kept her gaze lowered.
Nyssara smiled faintly.
"Kael… you truly never change."
Kael laughed proudly.
But Nyssara's expression soon turned serious.
"In this operation, there was someone far stronger than we anticipated. A knight of the Kingdom of Aurelion… he was the reason for this outcome."
Serenna, Kael, and Drogan immediately grew attentive.
Nyssara continued,
"I truly never imagined Aurelion had someone like that… Within a single clash, my unit was nearly wiped out. If Violet hadn't been there… I would have died as well."
The three captains fell into silent contemplation. Nyssara's unit was not a weak one. That meant the Kingdom of Aurelion truly possessed formidable individuals.
At that moment, a voice came from the entrance of the medical camp.
"Exactly. As you're all thinking — the Kingdom of Aurelion and its neighboring Vareth Dominion are both extremely powerful."
Eryx Hollowmark stepped inside.
Everyone turned and bowed in greeting.
"I've heard what happened during the Joshua elimination mission. Nyssara, my condolences to your unit. But train your people better."
Nyssara understood the deeper meaning of his words.
"Understood, Eryx," she replied, sounding almost remorseful.
Eryx's gaze hardened.
"You will not participate in any operation until you are fully recovered."
Suddenly, Violet burst out angrily,
"How can you say that?! Do you even know how hard Sister Nyssara tried?!"
Drogan, Serenna, Kael, and Nyssara were all stunned into silence. Only Eryx remained calm.
He slowly raised his hand toward her. Realizing her outburst, Violet shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself.
But instead of punishment, she felt a gentle hand pat her head.
Eryx smiled — for the first time.
"Caring about your comrades is a good trait, Violet. It seems my eye for people has not failed me. But next time you behave like that, you will be punished."
The others let out quiet laughter. Violet's face flushed red.
Eryx's smile faded into seriousness.
"Since all captains are present, I'll be brief. My personal informant in Aurelion has sent word. An official order has been issued by both Aurelion and the Vareth Dominion to capture us."
Serenna, Nyssara, Drogan, and Violet listened intently.
Kael gave a light chuckle.
"They always do that. What's new?"
Eryx looked at him.
"This time, the operation will be led by Arthur of the Kingdom of Aurelion."
The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
Arthur…? Who is that? Violet wondered silently.
Eryx continued,
"And that's not all. The knight known as 'Viper' of the Vareth Dominion — Jane — has joined forces with him, along with her division."
Serenna's eyes flared with sudden anger, and the air in the tent grew suffocatingly tense.
The others understood. Jane was connected to Serenna's past.
Only Violet did not fully grasp the weight of it.
Finally, Eryx addressed them all.
"To all division captains: for a time, we will refrain from major operations. We will move quietly and slowly. Understood?"
Inside the medical camp, everyone answered in unison,
"Understood."
Eryx turned and stepped out.
The medical camp fell into silence.
Outside, the wind moved through the trees of Hawk Hollows' homeland.
Across two kingdoms, blades were being sharpened.
And neither side intended to yield.