Kai took a slow breath
"I'll tell you everything, General."
Rony remained silent, listening closely.
Kai continued,
"A few days ago… those two arrived at our village."
"They were travelers. Just passing through."
He paused for a moment, recalling the memory.
"But they didn't arrive peacefully."
Rony's eyes narrowed slightly.
"They were under attack."
Kai nodded
"A serpent beast. An A-rank monster."
Rony's expression shifted slightly. Even that alone was unusual.
Kai continued,
"It attacked near the outskirts of the village. We were not prepared. Some of our people got caught in the chaos."
His voice grew quieter
"We were already facing casualties…"
He clenched his fists slightly.
"But those two…"
"…they defeated it."
Rony leaned forward a bit.
"How?"
Kai shook his head slowly.
"That's the thing…"
"…they made it look easy."
A brief silence followed
"The man… Aragorn…"
"He used shadow magic."
Rony's eyes sharpened
"And the elf?"
"Jessy…."
Kai replied,
"She used wind magic….."
Rony nodded slowly, absorbing every detail.
Kai continued,
"They said they were adventurers."
"Traveling between kingdoms."
"They only wanted a place to rest for a few days."
Rony folded his arms.
"And your chief allowed it."
Kai lowered his head slightly.
"Yes…..."
"My grandfather… assigned them an empty house. It was abandoned, so they stayed there."
Rony exhaled slowly
"And after that?"
Kai looked up.
"…Everything was normal."
"For a while."
A pause…..
"Then… the attack happened."
Silence filled the tent again.
No one spoke for a few seconds.
Rony leaned back in his chair, thinking deeply.
"So…"
He spoke slowly
"A shadow magic user…"
"An elf companion…"
"Both strong enough to defeat an A-rank beast with ease…"
"And then…"
"…a shadow army appears out of nowhere."
Kai didn't respond ,Rony's gaze turned distant.
"…And a man powerful enough to erase a Double S-Rank monster like it was nothing."
The weight of the situation settled heavily in the room.
Rony closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"…This is beyond anything I've seen."
He looked back at Kai.
"You may leave."
Kai blinked slightly
"…General?"
Rony's tone softened, just a little.
"You've done enough."
"You've survived."
"That's more than most could."
Kai stayed silent for a moment… then nodded.
"…Thank you."
Rony added,
"My soldiers will escort you and the villagers to the Wolfden Kingdom."
"You'll be under our protection."
"For now… you will be treated as refugees."
Kai accepted it without resistance.
"…Understood."
Rony gave a slight nod
"You can go."
Kai stood up, gave a respectful bow, and left the tent.
Once he stepped out the tent fell silent again.
Rony sat alone. His fingers tapped slowly against the wooden table.
"…Aragorn…"
He muttered the name under his breath.
"…Who are you?"
A moment later, he called out,
"Messenger!"
A soldier immediately entered.
"Yes, General!"
Rony straightened his posture.
"Prepare to write."
The soldier took out a scroll and pen.
Rony began speaking clearly and firmly.
"Report to the King of Wolfden Kingdom."
"Subject: Emergency Response at Grimfang Village."
The soldier wrote quickly.
"Upon arrival, we encountered a large scale monster invasion consisting of multiple species, including wolf type, serpent type, and buffalo type beasts."
"Among them… a Double S-Rank entity identified as the 'Buffalo King' was present."
The soldier paused slightly… then continued writing.
Rony's voice grew more serious.
"The situation was beyond expected threat levels."
"However, during the battle, an unknown individual,identified as 'Aragorn', was observed engaging the enemy using shadow based abilities."
He paused briefly,
"Additionally, an elf companion was present, supporting with wind magic."
The soldier kept writing.
Rony continued,
"During the later stage of the battle, an unidentified shadow army appeared."
"Highly organized…Extremely disciplined."
"No known records match their existence."
The air inside the tent felt heavier.
"And their commander…"
Rony's eyes hardened slightly.
"…possesses power beyond conventional ranking systems."
He continued,
"The Buffalo King underwent an evolution during battle, increasing its threat level beyond Double S-Rank."
"Despite this… it was eliminated instantly."
A pause…..
"By the same shadow commander."
The soldier's hand trembled slightly… but he kept writing.
Rony finished,
"The shadow army and its commander retreated into the forest immediately after the battle taking Aragorn and the elf with them."
"No pursuit was made due to unknown threat level."
He leaned back slightly.
"End of report."
The soldier rolled the scroll carefully.
Rony looked at him.
"Deliver this to the King."
"Immediately."
"Yes, General!"
The soldier saluted and rushed out.
Rony remained seated.
Silent...
Thinking….
"…This changes everything!!"
Far away, In the Brightshore Kingdom…
Inside a secured building guarded by soldiers, the Intelligence Bureau.
A quiet room…..
Dimly lit...
Filled with maps, scrolls, and reports from across the continent.
At the center a man sat calmly on a chair.
Sharp eyes...
Composed posture...
A presence that did not need to raise its voice to command authority.
Commander Arthur....,Head of Intelligence, Brightshore Kingdom.
A man known for seeing truths others missed.
A soldier entered the room.
"Commander."
Arthur didn't look up
"Speak."
"We have received a report from the unit sent to Duskmire Village… under Commander Luther."
Now, Arthur slowly lifted his gaze.
"…Proceed."
The soldier stepped forward and handed over a scroll.
Arthur opened it. His eyes moved across the lines silently.
The room remained still.
After a few seconds,He spoke,
"…Twin blades."
"…Wind magic."
"…Green attire."
A faint pause…..
"…An Adventure…."
His fingers tightened slightly around the scroll. He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Then,
"Dismissed."
"Yes, Commander."
The soldier left immediately.Arthur leaned back in his chair. The room was silent. His gaze shifted toward the window.
"…So you're alive."
He muttered quietly.
Then a name escaped his lips.
"…Aragorn."
A faint, unreadable expression appeared on his face.
"…Where are you?"
The lantern beside him flickered...…