Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Command Before Fatherhood

"Hmm, you're right. If it's you, you might indeed pose a real threat to the Bloodmoon Werewolves," Vidas agreed with a nod, then added with a more serious tone, "But you know as well as I do how dangerous the battlefield can be. The situation now is far worse than when you retired. The numbers of Bloodmoon Werewolves and Venomous Serpentkin have surged, and the other orcs are more aggressive too. Our casualties are much higher than before."

After saying this, Vidas grabbed Rhett's shoulder, his tone growing even more solemn. "If… you really intend to go, you must be extremely cautious. I… can accompany you for one more battle!"

Rhett smiled appreciatively, placing a hand on Vidas' and shaking his head. "There's no need for that. You're in a better state for settling down somewhere and recuperating. If you were to die because of me, I would never forgive myself. Stay here instead—I need your help. The Fire Vein Village needs an experienced leader. The work isn't too demanding, and it's a perfect fit for you."

"Me?"

"Yes, unless you don't want to stay here?"

"Uh… it's not that." Vidas hesitated briefly, then quickly shook his head. He then awkwardly said, "It's just… I don't want to trouble you."

"Pfft!" Rhett playfully punched Vidas in the chest. "Do you know who I am? The lord of this land! What trouble could it be? And you're acting all polite with me now?"

The punch to his chest sent a warm feeling through Vidas' heart. He was inexplicably moved and forced a smile. "Thanks, Rhett."

"No need for thanks—just drink!" Rhett dismissed the sentiment with a wave.

Vidas took a deep breath, and as he looked at the candlelight on the table, the shadows in his heart seemed to dissipate a little. He raised his glass, "Let's drink this one down—tonight we're drinking until we drop!"

"Ha! Who's afraid of that?"

...

Both knights and mages have no concept of a hangover, so the next morning, the two men were up and about outside the castle. The previous night, after drinking to their heart's content, they had even discussed the upcoming battle training.

Vidas had offered to assist in the upcoming training, hoping to be of help. Rhett gladly accepted, knowing that Vidas had a better grasp of the current battlefield situation, given that Rhett had been away for two years, whereas Vidas had only been off the front lines for two months. Their morning discussion even led to a special plan…

As the stars faded and the sky filled with the colors of dawn, Tuck, Ryle, and the others had been stationed in the Thorn Forest, perched in trees and hiding in tree hollows for a full day and night. Though their bodies weren't too uncomfortable, their minds were growing restless. However, Rhett had given a strict order—no one was to move without his command.

The training went well for Makov, Tadel, Kurs, Sheelin, and the others. They were seasoned veterans with rich outdoor survival experience, having faced countless dangers and unusual situations during their time away. Rhett's three sons, on the other hand, were slightly less adept but were at least willing to follow orders and learn.

Makov, bored, rested his chin in his hand, peering through the leaves at the gradually brightening sky. He wondered when Rhett would finally end this ambush exercise.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure slipped past the base of his tree—an unfamiliar face.

"Hmm? Who's this? I've never seen him before," Makov mused, remaining still since the figure was only a second-level knight and wouldn't be able to detect his position.

To his surprise, the shadowy figure stopped beside the very tree where Makov was perched.

"Makov, Lord Rhett has ordered a secret mission for you. He's waiting by the river—please come with me," the figure's light voice floated up.

"What's Rhett up to?" Makov thought, narrowing his eyes. After a moment of consideration, he decided not to move.

The shadowy figure waited for two minutes, then left alone.

Makov rubbed his chin, his eyes glinting as he pondered Rhett's intentions.

Shortly after, the shadowy figure arrived beneath Ryle's tree and repeated the same message, only substituting Ryle's name. Yet, several minutes passed in silence—no one took the bait.

The shadowy figure, who was actually Vidas, looked up at the dense foliage and smiled to himself, thinking, "Impressive. Rhett's subordinates are well-trained and disciplined."

After surveying the area and following the route Rhett had described, Vidas headed towards Tuck's position.

In a thick clump of bushes, Tuck lay prone, his large eyes fixed on the gap before him. Suddenly, a voice floated from directly ahead: "Tuck, your father sent me to tell you in secret that Vanessa hurt herself. You should go back and take care of her immediately. The situation is urgent, so sneak away quietly."

Rustle... Rustle...

The bushes parted.

"What?!" Tuck jumped up, trembling. "How did Vanessa get hurt?"

Seeing this, Vidas' expression suddenly turned cold. "Tuck, you've failed."

"Huh? Failed?" Tuck stood there, bewildered.

Vidas looked at him with disappointment. "On the battlefield, following orders is paramount. It's clear you didn't follow them. Stay here and don't move."

With that, Vidas hurried to the next location.

"So it was a trick… None of it was real…" Tuck sighed in relief, grateful that Vanessa was okay. But frustration soon overtook him as he scratched his head. "Ugh, I failed. I didn't follow Father's orders."

Next, Vidas reached Talyas' hiding spot, the base of a wide tree hollow.

He considered for a moment before saying, "Talyas, your father has changed plans. He wants you to assist Henke with potion-making instead of going through pre-battle training. There's no need to waste time here."

"Really?" A voice came from within the tree hollow, and Talyas climbed out, laughing as he pulled out a piece of bread from his pocket. "I'm starving—why didn't he tell me earlier…"

"You've failed too. Stay where you are!" Vidas' cold voice echoed in Talyas' mind. Stunned, Talyas stood still, holding his bread. "I… failed?"

"You tricked me!" Realizing the truth, Talyas leaned back against the tree, frustration evident in his voice. "This must be Father's idea—how cunning! How could he make up such an excuse?"

"Excuses have no place on the battlefield," Vidas replied, shaking his head as his earlier satisfaction turned into disappointment.

"Sigh, I hope the last three do as well as the first two," Vidas thought as he moved on.

Fortunately, the remaining encounters lifted Vidas' spirits. Tadel, Kurs, and Sheelin all performed admirably, refusing to be swayed by his deceptive words and following Rhett's initial orders to remain still.

...

An hour later, Rhett gathered everyone in the Thorn Forest. Vidas was also present.

Tuck and Talyas stood alone, while the others formed a line. Through their exchanges, it became clear that this had been a surprise test and that some had failed to meet expectations.

Rhett was far from pleased. In fact, he was downright angry. With a stern expression, he walked over to Tuck and Talyas, shouting, "This was just a test to see if you could strictly follow my orders. There's no room for mistakes on the battlefield, yet you two were so careless! How many times have I said that even in training, you must treat it as real? But you two… why didn't you follow orders? Why were you so easily fooled?"

With that, he punched Tuck hard in the chest and smacked Talyas on the head.

Thud, smack.

"I'm sorry, Father," Tuck replied, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry too," Talyas mumbled, hanging his head.

"Call me sir! How many times do I have to tell you? During training, you call me sir! On the battlefield, you can ignore your father's words, but you must obey your commander's orders!" Rhett roared.

Tuck and Talyas shrank back, nodding quickly without speaking.

Taking a deep breath, Rhett's eyes hardened as he continued, "Don't think that just because someone is human, their words can be trusted. Humans can be traitors bought by the orcs. The enemy isn't always on the other side—they could be among us! They may have access to our intelligence! So, no matter what anyone else says, no matter how true or confidential it sounds, they could be a spy. I'll say it again: on the battlefield, if the order doesn't come from me, you cannot trust anyone. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Tuck shouted with conviction.

"Yes, sir!" Talyas' tone was equally serious.

The air grew cold with tension. Tadel, Kurs, Sheelin, and Makov all looked thoughtful. Although they hadn't been fooled by Vidas, they had relied on instinct and experience rather than considering the deeper implications. Rhett's words brought clarity to the situation, making them realize the complexities of the battlefield. Not only would they be fighting orcs, but they'd also have to watch out for potential traitors among their ranks.

Though Rhett was dealing with his own sons, he forced himself to set aside his role as a father and act as a commander. A mistake was a mistake, and it had to be addressed without mercy. Strict discipline before battle was far better than dying on the battlefield.

Staring at Tuck and Talyas, Rhett paused before ordering, "Both of you, run a hundred laps around Sun Lake. When you're done, return to the team for regular training."

Hiss.

"Sir, Tuck might manage, but I'm not sure Talyas will be able to," Ryle said with concern.

"If he can't, Tuck will have to help him. This is also a lesson—on the battlefield, when things go wrong, your comrades are your only support," Rhett replied calmly.

"Understood!" Tuck puffed out his chest, showing no hesitation.

"The rest of you will patrol Thorn Forest. Always be on the lookout for orcs that could appear at any moment!" Rhett gave his next command.

"Yes, sir!" the others responded in unison.

As they dispersed, Rhett and Vidas headed toward Fire Vein Village.

The land around Fire Vein Village was a deep red, growing more intense the further south they went. As they emerged from the Thorn Forest and looked at the setting sun, the sky grew darker, and night spread across the land like a blanket.

"This is Fire Vein Village—your future post," Rhett said, glancing at Vidas. "Most of the villagers are miners, many of whom were once drifters. But the security here has always been good—no major issues have ever arisen."

"Hmm, I like the simple lifestyle here," Vidas said, observing the rows of wooden houses. He turned to Rhett and added, "In fact, I was a drifter before I joined the army."

Rhett led Vidas into the village.

As dusk deepened and the stars began to shine, the miners finished their day's work and made their way back from the mines. Moving through the crowd, Rhett spotted a familiar figure—a hunched old man with a cane.

He called out, "Jovan, come here for a moment!"

Jovan had already been making his way towards Rhett after spotting the lord from afar. The rocky terrain of the mining area made it difficult for Jovan to walk, and by the time he reached Rhett, he was panting heavily, leaning on his deep yellow wooden cane.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Jovan asked, "Welcome, Lord Rhett. Have you come to inspect the mining operations? The past month's worth of ore is all stored in one place—I can show you."

"No need, Jovan," Rhett replied with a shake of his head. "I'm here to inform you of a change. The man beside me is my old comrade, a peak second-level knight—Vidas. I appreciate all you've done, but from now on, Vidas will take over as the head of Fire Vein Village. I believe he's a better fit for the role."

"I see…" Jovan's eyes revealed a hint of sadness, but he quickly composed himself, loudly declaring, "I obey the lord's command. From this moment on, I relinquish my position as village head. These old bones could use some rest, anyway."

There was a trace of loneliness in his last words.

"You don't have to retire, you know," Vidas interjected unexpectedly. "I'm new here, and I'll need time to get familiar with everything. Managing the whole village alone might be too much for me. So, if you don't mind, you could assist me—we could run the village together."