Capítulo 194: War of Flags VI
My lips curled into a quiet smile as I received Jin's report on the success of our plan. It had gone even better than expected. Twenty of Slatemark's students eliminated, including one of their Captains, while we had only lost five. Those were the kind of numbers that would make this war winnable.
Rachel, resting her head against my shoulder after a long day of healing the students who had returned from fighting mana beasts, lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Her soft breath warmed the air between us, and a smile tugged at her lips.
"Looks like something good happened, Art," she said, her voice light, a gentle teasing to it. She looked angelic, her golden hair slightly disheveled from exhaustion but still managing to glow.
"Something good did happen," I confirmed with a nod. "But we need your help again. Jin's unit needs healing."
She let out a small, exaggerated sigh and pouted in that familiar way, though she didn't resist as she stood up, stretching her arms over her head, a few faint pops echoing from her joints.
"And here I thought I could finally rest," she teased before yawning. "Seraphina's unit isn't back yet?"
"They will be," I reassured her. "The supply depot they went to is practically ours for the taking. It's too far for the other academies to bother. Frostspire and Serpentstone might be tempted, but they'd be walking into our trap if they tried."
Rachel raised an eyebrow, clearly still not awake enough to fully appreciate the intricacies of our plans, but she smiled anyway. "I'll take your word for it."
She wandered off to tend to Jin's group, and I leaned back, thinking about the rest of our moves. There were still resources scattered around the island, hidden caches waiting to be found in the ruins, though not nearly enough to keep everyone going. We'd have to be careful about what we used and when. The center was where the real treasure lay—the city district filled with supplies—but it was too risky to rush in blindly. The other academies would be swarming it soon, if they weren't already.
I had dispatched Lucifer and Ren with their units to scout the area. With both of them wielding the Gift of God's Eyes, they were the best choice for such a delicate task. Their abilities to perceive the flow of mana and reality itself would let them see threats coming long before anyone else could. I had full confidence in them, though it meant they'd be late returning.
"What about Lucifer and Ren?" Rachel asked, now attending to a wounded student from Jin's unit.
"They're scouting the center," I said, glancing out toward the distant skyline. "It's a dangerous place, but if we're careful, we can gather enough intel without getting tangled in any unnecessary fights."
Rachel nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. "Seems like this island is going to get a lot smaller, really fast."
"Yes," I agreed, looking at the sky, which was starting to fade into shades of twilight. "It'll be our second night soon. And things are only going to get more complicated from here."
The first night had been quiet—too quiet, if I were being honest with myself. The calm before the storm, as they say. But the second night would bring movement, shifts in strategy, and perhaps even the start of true battles. Everyone would have tested their strengths and gauged their weaknesses by now, and soon enough, alliances and betrayals would be made under the cover of darkness.
I stood, stretching my legs, and made my way to the window. The view of the desolate landscape, broken ruins and jagged cliffs, stretched out before me like a battlefield waiting for its first clash. Somewhere out there, Jack was moving his pieces, as calculating and cunning as ever.
But this time, I was ready for him.
"It's going to be a long night," I muttered, the weight of the coming hours pressing down like a storm brewing on the horizon. The battlefield may still have been quiet for now, but silence rarely lasted in a war of minds.
Jin approached after Rachel had finished healing him, his steps measured, though his expression was harder to read. He leaned in close, his voice low and sharp. "What are you going to do with Leon?"
That was the question, wasn't it?
Jack wasn't stupid. After today's events, he would have realized that Leon's information had been compromised. The cracks in his trust would widen, and soon, Jack would see Leon for what he was—useless. A spent pawn. Keeping Leon around any longer would only raise suspicion. There was no real benefit to having him near us now, especially since Jack would know he had been outplayed.
Worse still, if I continued to toy with everyone like this, I risked losing something far more valuable than a game of tactics: trust. Trickery and deceit were fine tools, but only in small, well-placed doses. Too much, and you poison the very well from which loyalty flows.
"I'll deal with him," I replied, giving Jin a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "For now, let's focus on what we've accomplished. You did well, Jin—better than I expected."
His eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his usually stoic face. He hadn't expected praise, especially from me. He hesitated for a moment before pressing his lips into a thin line, nodding.
"I just did my job," he muttered, but there was a hint of pride in his voice. "Now do yours, Head Strategist."
I couldn't help but smile at his words, nodding in return. Jin had exceeded expectations. Sure, I had given him an advantage—environmental control, careful planning, and superior intelligence—but leading his unit to eliminate fifteen of the twenty-eight of Slatemark's forces while losing only five of his own was no small feat. The gap in strength between the students wasn't wide enough to guarantee success, and Jin had led his squad with precision.
"You've done your part, Jin," I said, my smile widening. "Now it's time for me to do mine."
As he walked off, I turned my thoughts back to Leon. The game with him had reached its end, and I couldn't let him become a liability. He had served his purpose, but now it was time to clean up the pieces, before the trust I had built within Mythos Academy started to fray.
Soon enough, Lucifer and Ren returned and the other units also returned, turning in for the night.
It was time for our strategy meeting.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Jack clenched his teeth as he read through Liora's report. The words on the page burned more than any fire spell he could cast.
Twenty students eliminated. Kevin—gone, sacrificed along with them.
He had been outmanoeuvred.
'Did Leon lie?' The thought slipped into his mind like a shadow, but he quickly dismissed it. No, it was impossible. The Gillwood family was tightly in his grasp, and Leon had been carefully cultivated as a pawn for far too long to slip out of his control now. Deception wasn't in Leon's nature—not against him.
Which left only one conclusion: Jin Ashbluff and Ren Kagu had fed Leon false information.
"They must've figured it out," Jack muttered under his breath, his hand tightening around the report. "They must've realized Leon was a spy."
But why give a false scouting report? If they had discovered Leon's betrayal, why not eliminate him outright? Why not confront him? Jack's mind whirled with questions, but none of it mattered now. The damage had been done.
Leon was compromised. Whatever role he played as a spy had reached its end. He had been valuable—one of Mythos Academy's strategists, privy to their movements, their plans, their secrets. A sharp blade in Jack's arsenal. But now, like any blade dulled by use, he was no longer of any service. His usefulness had been spent on this ploy, a trap that had cut into Slatemark Academy's side instead of their enemies.
So Jack would discard him, like any other pawn on the board that had outlived its purpose.
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting out across the camp. The night had fallen heavy over the island, stars piercing through the velvety sky, indifferent to the struggles below. Tomorrow would mark the third day of the festival, and with it, the beginning of something far more decisive.
Jack folded Liora's report, slipping it into his coat with a slow, deliberate motion. He needed to reorganize his forces, rethink his approach. Mythos Academy had drawn first blood, but the war was far from over.
"Tomorrow," Jack whispered to himself, his voice carrying the faintest echo of a promise. "Tomorrow, we'll make our move."
In his mind, the board was resetting, pieces shifting into place. There were still moves to make, strategies to unfold. Jack had not come this far to be bested by the likes of Arthur Nightingale or Lucifer Windward. He would adjust, as he always did, and by the time they realized what was happening, it would be far too late.
He stood, straightening his jacket, a smile creeping across his face. The game was still his to win.
And Jack never played a game he didn't intend to finish.
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