Leonhardt leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms as he watched Alistair slowly sip his tea. The old mage looked way too content for someone who just spent half the day rambling about mana theories and getting absolutely nowhere.
Leonhardt clicked his tongue. "You sure enjoy wasting time, huh?"
Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Says the man who spent an hour making fun of me for not realizing Sylvaine was a woman."
Leonhardt smirked. "I still can't believe it. A veteran mage, someone who claims to have a deep understanding of the world… and you couldn't even tell?"
Alistair put his cup down with a sigh. "Like I told you before, she's an assassin. She concealed her identity so well that even I couldn't see through it."
Leonhardt scoffed. "You couldn't see through it because you're old."
Alistair twitched. "Excuse me?"
Leonhardt shrugged. "It's normal for old people to have bad eyesight."
Alistair narrowed his eyes. "Leonhardt, do you know how mana flows through the body?"
Leonhardt blinked. "…What?"
Alistair leaned forward. "Do you know how to control it? Shape it? Guide it?"
Leonhardt hesitated. "…Not exactly."
Alistair smirked. "And yet, here you are, mocking a seasoned mage while not even knowing the basics of mana manipulation."
Leonhardt crossed his arms. "That's different. I never claimed to be an expert."
Alistair took another sip of his tea. "Exactly. Now sit down and listen."
Leonhardt sighed, resting his chin on his hand. "Fine, fine. Just don't turn this into another long lecture."
Before Alistair could continue, the door to the inn suddenly swung open. A soldier marched in, his gaze scanning the room before landing on them.
"Leonhardt Vaelstrom. Alistair Vaughn," the soldier called out.
Baik, aku adjust balik dialog tu supaya sesuai dengan fakta yang Muller lebih muda daripada Alistair.
Leonhardt and Alistair walked through the stone corridors of the castle, their boots echoing off the walls. The summons from Captain Muller had come unexpectedly, leaving them both curious about what awaited them.
"You know, I was actually hoping for a quiet day," Leonhardt muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Alistair scoffed. "A quiet day? In the military? Dream on, kid."
Leonhardt shot him a look. "By the way… why the hell do you still call me 'kid'? I swear you're just doing it to annoy me."
"Oh, absolutely." Alistair chuckled. "But also, because you are younger than me. Respect your elders."
"Tch. If I'm the kid, then you're the grandpa."
Alistair rolled his eyes. "If I'm a grandpa, what does that make Muller? My rebellious teenage son?"
Leonhardt snorted. "Makes sense. He does act like he's trying too hard to be cool."
Before Alistair could respond, they arrived at the war room. The door was already open, and inside, familiar faces were gathered—Reiner, Garrick, and Sylvaine, who was still rubbing sleep from her eyes. Captain Muller stood at the head of the long table, his expression as serious as ever.
"This is our first official mission as a unit," Muller began, his deep voice cutting through the room. "Several villages near the border have been attacked. No witnesses. No survivors."
Silence filled the space. Even Alistair, who always had something to say, remained quiet.
"Any signs of enemy forces?" Reiner finally asked.
"None." Muller shook his head. "No banners, no bodies of invaders. Just blood… and people missing."
Leonhardt furrowed his brows. This didn't sound like an ordinary raid. If there were no bodies of the attackers, then who—or what—was responsible?
"Could it be monsters?" Garrick suggested.
"No," Sylvaine interjected, leaning back in her chair with arms crossed. "If it were mere monsters, the local garrisons would have handled it. This… sounds like something worse."
A tense silence settled over the room after Sylvaine's words. Everyone knew she wasn't the type to exaggerate. If she suspected something worse than mere monsters, then the situation was dire.
Leonhardt tapped his fingers on the wooden table. "So, what's the plan? Are we investigating the site or waiting for more information?"
Muller exhaled, crossing his arms. "We're moving immediately. If we wait, more villages could disappear."
Alistair sighed. "Of course. Why gather intel first when we can just walk straight into the unknown?"
Muller ignored him. "Our priority is reconnaissance. We're not engaging unless absolutely necessary."
"That's going to be difficult," Garrick muttered. "If the enemy is wiping out entire villages, we won't have many places to hide."
Reiner leaned forward. "How much do we know about the missing people? Are they being killed or… taken?"
Muller's gaze darkened. "That's what we need to find out."
The weight of his words settled on them. Taken. That single word suggested something far worse than a massacre.
Leonhardt's mind raced through possibilities. If this wasn't a typical invasion, and it wasn't just monster attacks, then—
"What about magic?" Sylvaine suddenly asked.
Muller nodded. "That's another concern. Some of the knights stationed in those villages were capable fighters. And yet, not a single one managed to send word before disappearing."
Alistair's expression turned grim. "That means whatever we're dealing with isn't just physically strong. It's fast. Efficient. Maybe even magical."
Leonhardt clenched his jaw. "So we're dealing with an enemy that's powerful enough to silence entire villages before anyone realizes what's happening?"
Muller met his gaze. "That's why we need to act fast."
No one argued further. The room had already fallen into a shared understanding—this mission wasn't going to be simple.
A Day Later
At dawn, they rode out. The morning mist clung to the earth, blurring the horizon as the group advanced towards the border. Leonhardt rode next to Reiner, while Sylvaine scouted ahead. Alistair, despite his constant complaints about riding, kept pace with Garrick.
The closer they got to the affected villages, the quieter the world around them became. Birds no longer chirped. The usual rustling of small animals in the underbrush had vanished. It was as if the land itself was holding its breath.
"This place is too quiet," Reiner muttered, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Leonhardt nodded. He felt it too. An unnatural stillness, like something unseen was watching them.
Then, they reached the first village.
Or rather, what was left of it.
Burnt-out homes. Bloodstains without bodies. Weapons dropped mid-strike, as if their owners had simply vanished. The air reeked of charred wood and something fouler—something wrong.
Alistair dismounted and knelt by a blackened patch of ground. "This wasn't a normal fire. There's mana residue."
Sylvaine was already moving ahead, her dagger drawn. "We need to spread out and look for any clues."
Muller nodded. "Be on guard. If whatever did this is still nearby, we need to be ready."
Leonhardt unsheathed his sword, stepping cautiously over the ruins. His heart pounded—not from fear, but from anticipation. Whatever was responsible for this devastation…
It was still out there. Watching. Waiting.
And soon, they would find out exactly what it was.
TO BE CONTINUED.....