The two wolf-beast children watched Leo walk away, their expressions unreadable.
The older one turned to the younger one, his golden eyes narrowing. The little one tilted her head, her small, malnourished frame trembling slightly.
The older one glanced at her frail body, then back at the bowl of food. With a heavy sigh, he picked it up.
After a moment of hesitation, they began eating slowly, their eyes still darting around cautiously.
Not far off, Leo glanced back over his shoulder, catching the sight of them eating. A sly smirk crossed his face.
He turned a corner, finding the cover of a large tree. As soon as he was hidden, his composed demeanor shattered.
"That little brat bit me too hard!" Leo hissed, biting into his own hand to stifle the groan of pain.
Taking a few deep breaths, he muttered, "Alright, calm down. Act cool, act cool."
With a quick shake of his head, Leo plastered a neutral expression back on his face and walked back to where the knight was seated.
He sat down casually, as if nothing had happened, leaning back slightly and giving the knight a knowing glance.
The knight glances at Leo, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"What did you say to them that made them eat?" he asks.
Leo shrugs casually. "Nothing much. Just a pinch of truth... and a sprinkle of lies."
The knight raises an eyebrow but doesn't press further. His gaze shifts to Leo's injured hand. "Did it hurt?"
Leo follows his gaze, looking at the bite mark. "Nah, it's nothing serious."
The knight smirks faintly. "Is that so? Then why were you yelling like a wounded animal behind that tree?"
Leo freezes for a moment before letting out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, you saw that, huh? Well... it was, uh, part of the act! Yeah, totally intentional."
The knight shakes his head, chuckling quietly. "Sure it was."
Leo grins sheepishly, trying to shrug off the embarrassment, as he leans back against the tree, trying to regain his cool.
After a stretch of silence, the knight suddenly broke it.
"Adrian," he said.
Leo furrowed his brow, puzzled.
"Come again?"
"My name," the knight clarified, removing his helmet to reveal a mess of brown hair. "Adrian Westfield."
Leo gave a small nod, his lips curling into a grin.
"Nice to meet you, Adrian. Though I'm guessing you already know who I am, right?"
Adrian shot him a dry look.
"Yeah, everyone knows you. Hard to miss the infamous Leo Radiance."
Leo raised a brow, his grin faltering just a bit.
"Infamous? Really? That's the word we're going with?"
Adrian shrugged nonchalantly.
"Call it what you want. You've made an impression… just not the good kind."
Leo let out an exaggerated sigh, his head tilting back.
"Man, you really know how to lift someone's spirits, don't you?"
Adrian ignored the comment and stood up, brushing off his armor.
"Just a heads-up. Watch yourself around him."
Leo tilted his head, curiosity piqued.
"Him? Who're we talking about?"
Adrian gestured toward the man in golden armor without even glancing.
"You know exactly who I mean. The commander."
Leo's eyes flicked over to the golden figure, then back to Adrian with a smirk creeping onto his face.
"Ah… you mean Goldy?"
Adrian gave him a sharp look, his tone flat.
"Goldy? Really? That's what you're going with?"
Leo shrugged, his grin widening.
"Well, I gotta call him something, don't I?"
Adrian sighed, shaking his head.
"Call him whatever you want. Just don't let him hear you say it."
Leo leaned back slightly, tilting his head.
"Why should I be careful?"
Adrian sighed, clearly irritated. "Why? Are you serious? He's the Commander of the 18th squad! Not just that—he's from one of the most powerful royal families. His name is—"
Leo raised a hand, cutting him off. "That's enough."
Adrian blinked, startled. "What do you mean? It's important to—"
"There's no point in remembering a dead man's name," Leo said flatly, his voice laced with an unsettling calmness.
Adrian frowned, his confusion growing. "What are you talking about? Dead man? He's right—"
Leo got to his feet and began walking away, his tone casual but final. "Don't worry about it. You'll see what I mean soon enough."
Adrian stood, his frustration mounting. "See what? Leo, what are you planning?"
Leo didn't answer. His pace remained steady, his figure fading into the shadows of the trees.
"Hey!" Adrian called one last time, his voice echoing through the camp.
Leo didn't so much as glance back.
Two more days passed.
Leo crouched in front of the cage, sliding a bowl of food toward the wolf kids. Their once-hostile attitude had softened. The younger one tilted her head, her curious eyes fixed on him, while the older sibling sat protectively nearby, watching his every move.
Leo's gaze lingered on them, but his mind was elsewhere.
This isn't going anywhere, he thought. Goldy's sharper than I gave him credit for. He's keeping the guards tight around the cage, watching me constantly. I can't make a move while I'm being watched 24/7.
The younger wolf child tilted her head again, her wide eyes almost mirroring his frustration.
Leo let out a faint smile and gently patted her head. She didn't flinch this time, and even the older sibling seemed less guarded.
If this drags on, that musclehead in the black robe will catch up before these knights even locate the wolf clan, he mused, his thoughts growing darker.
He straightened up, brushing dirt off his knees, and whispered softly to the younger one,
"Just hang in there a little longer."
The younger wolf blinked up at him, while the older one simply stared.
Leo turned to leave, his lips curving into a faint, determined smirk.
I guess it's time to change the plan.
With that, he walked away, the weight of a new strategy already forming in his mind.
A short while later, Leo strolled over to the campfire where a cluster of knights were chatting animatedly. Without waiting for an invitation, he plopped down near them. The knights exchanged glances, their conversation momentarily pausing before they pointedly ignored him and carried on.
Leaning back, Leo let his gaze wander, his tone casual as he broke the ice.
"So… your commander," he started, a slight smirk on his lips. "Is he as legendary as everyone says, or is that just a bunch of campfire talk?"
The knights bristled at the remark, one of them turning toward Leo with an indignant huff.
"Legendary? That's an understatement!"
Another knight chimed in, his voice rising with pride.
"Our commander took on the Demihuman Rebellion alone. Thirteen of them, and they didn't stand a chance!"
The first knight nodded eagerly, his chest puffed out.
"He didn't just fight them—he wiped them out. Didn't even break a sweat!"
"Thirteen, huh?" Leo murmured, his brow lifting slightly. "And here I thought he'd need at least two hands for something like that."
The knights glared at him, missing the sly grin tugging at Leo's lips.
Not far off, the commander slowed his steps, his expression unreadable but for the faint smirk playing at the edges of his mouth. He didn't interrupt, content to let his men build his legend.
Leo tilted his head, feigning curiosity as he glanced toward the commander.
"Impressive," he said, the word rolling off his tongue like a challenge.
The knights didn't catch the subtle edge in his tone, launching into another round of stories about their leader's exploits.
Leo leaned back, a sly grin playing on his lips.
"It's Demihumans," he said, his tone light yet pointed. "The weakest, aren't they?"
The campfire chatter stopped abruptly, the knights turning to glare at him.
Leo shrugged, continuing as if he hadn't noticed.
"Don't get me wrong, wiping out a whole rebellion single-handedly is impressive," he said, his tone dripping with mock admiration.
"But still… for a Royal Knight Commander? That's it? That's the highlight of his career?"
One knight shot to his feet, his face red with anger.
"Watch your mouth, kid!" he snapped.
"You think it's easy to become a Royal Knight Commander? You wouldn't last a day in his boots!"
Leo raised a hand lazily, cutting him off.
"Eighteenth," he said, his voice calm yet cutting. "He's the eighteenth commander. Just two steps above the bottom of the ranks."
The knights' faces twisted with outrage, but it was the commander whose reaction caught Leo's attention.
Standing nearby, the commander clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he struggled to keep his composure.
Leo smirked, his gaze lingering on the commander for a moment before turning his attention back to the fire, clearly unfazed by the tension he'd stirred.
Leo leaned forward slightly, his smirk never fading.
"And I'm guessing this is your first time dealing with Beastmen, isn't it?"
The knights froze, their silence betraying their discomfort.
Leo chuckled softly.
"I thought so," he continued.
"It's been a week, and all you've managed to do is capture a couple of kids."
The knights gritted their teeth, their hands curling into fists. But no one spoke.
Leo stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes.
"Don't look so down," he said with mock reassurance.
"It's not your fault."
He paused, glancing over his shoulder toward the commander.
"It's just that your… commander is…" He smirked, dragging out his words.
"Too... weak."
The commander's eyes flared with fury. In a flash, he closed the distance between them, grabbing Leo by the collar and slamming him against a nearby tree.
His voice was laced with barely restrained anger as he demanded,
"What did you just say!?"
Leo met the commander's glare head-on, unfazed, his smirk still intact.