章 5: Military life
The atmosphere in the tent dropped to an extreme low; this significant discovery proved that the Thunder Tiger possessed incredible abilities.
On this sacred continent, there were numerous types of magical beasts, but most were not particularly strong or exceptional in their abilities.
The truly powerful ones always lurked in the shadows, observing quietly from behind the scenes.
Even in the *Beasts Compendium*, there had never been a mention of such an unusually capable beast in the Southern Province.
Magical beasts capable of using teleportation or other high-level magic were exceedingly rare across the entire continent.
It could be said that this Thunder Tiger was the first Advanced-level beast they had encountered.
The Praefectus Castrorum's heart was pounding, and any previous drowsiness instantly vanished.
"I have a general understanding of the situation. Do you two have anything else to add?" he asked.
Borne and Dillon shook their heads.
"Thank you for your hard work. You two should go and get some rest," Bennett said.
Borne and Dillon saluted once more before exiting the tent.
Bennett immediately arranged for the intelligence to be sent to the main legion.
After finishing their report and leaving the tent, they were greeted by the sight of the trees gently swaying in the morning breeze, dew shimmering on the leaves and grass, the air filled with a faint, refreshing dampness.
The sun slowly rose, and a few early birds flew over the tent, chirping brightly.
The scouts' tent was positioned at a corner of the camp, a little distance away from the other soldiers.
Borne reached his tent and pulled back the flap.
He was utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep.
He slowly walked over to his straw bed, immediately collapsed onto it, and closed his eyes to rest.
His thoughts gradually drifted back to the past.
A ray of sunlight shone on Borne's face.
"Wake up, Borne."
Following the voice, Borne saw his grandfather standing in front of him.
"Grandpa, isn't today the day we're going to the town?"
Borne asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Yes, the carriage is about to leave. Aren't you going to get up?"
Hearing this, Borne quickly turned over and jumped out of bed, brimming with energy, and said to his grandfather.
"I'll get ready right away. Don't trick me!"
With that, Borne hurried to the washroom to freshen up.
His grandfather chuckled while gathering several bundles of rough animal hides and horns nearby.
When he finished, Borne immediately ran over to his grandfather, urging him to get moving.
"Oh, my old legs can't move as fast as they used to," his grandfather said with a teasing smile.
Hearing this, Borne quickly took the items from his grandfather's hands and urged him again.
"Grandpa, I'll carry these for you; let's go."
His grandfather responded from behind, "Alright, alright, we're leaving right away."
As he watched Borne's energetic figure, the old man couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion in his heart; this child was growing up to be just like his father.
The two soon arrived at the town by carriage.
Along the way, Borne was filled with excitement, looking here and touching there.
Even though the old man repeatedly reminded him not to wander off, he could hardly contain his enthusiasm.
That's when he saw a striking blue candy; it looked stunning, exuding an aura of winter's chill.
"Grandpa, what is this?"
Borne asked, staring at the candy before him.
But this time, his grandfather did not respond.
Borne looked behind him and saw the crowd bustling, realizing that his grandfather was nowhere to be seen.
Panic set in, and he began shouting through the crowd.
But gradually, he noticed the people around him becoming more transparent.
Suddenly, everything spun wildly, and Borne felt himself falling into a deep abyss.
"Ah!"
Borne screamed as he awoke from the nightmare.
He sat up in a daze, breathing heavily.
"What's wrong?"
Dillon pulled back the tent flap, letting a ray of sunlight stream in.
The sudden burst of light startled Borne, and he quickly shielded his eyes with his hand.
"Come on out; today's lunch includes juice," Dillon said.
Hearing this, Borne quickly got up and took the cup of water from Dillon's hand, rinsing his mouth briefly.
The two of them walked along the main path to the cookhouse. The cookhouse was small, looking no different from the regular soldiers' tents.
However, inside, the cooks moved skillfully and efficiently, unencumbered by the cramped space.
Soon, they each received their meals.
Lunch consisted of two pieces of bread with cheese, a small portion of cured meat, a bowl of coarse grain porridge, and a cup of juice.
After finding a place to sit, the two began eating.
Borne took a sip of the juice, and the flavor spread through his mouth, reminding him of his grandfather back in the village.
"I wonder how the old man is doing," he murmured.
Dillon, noticing Borne seemed troubled, asked, "What's wrong? Worried about your grandfather?"
Borne nodded.
"I thought it was something serious. Don't worry; the folks in the village are like one big family; they'll look after each other," Dillon reassured him.
Hearing Dillon's words, Borne felt a sense of peace settle in his heart.
At that moment, Borne noticed two soldiers in the distance, sneaking into a tent with two bags in their hands.
Borne nudged Dillon beside him.
"Hey, I just saw two guys sneaking something into their tent."
Dillon took a bite of the cured meat and replied, "Probably some equipment they were awarded. It's nearly impossible to stash anything away here."
He wiped his mouth with his hand and prepared to get up for a second helping.
"Help me finish mine," Borne said, pushing his meal towards Dillon, then walked towards the tent.
Inside the tent, a few laughs could be heard.
"Hahaha, we've struck gold! I never thought these few Beast Cores could sell for so much money."
The men inside the tent were whispering among themselves.
But Borne's keen hearing caught every word.
He was stunned.
"These guys dare to hoard things for themselves!"
Since joining the army, Borne had always been a soldier who followed orders.
This was the first time he had encountered such blatant disobedience.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
If he reported this to the Praefectus Castrorum, he could receive a generous reward, but these men would lose their heads.
If he didn't report it…
Borne finally made up his mind; he decided to help them keep the secret.
"After all, they are our own. Let it go."
Night quickly fell, and after finishing his meal, Borne returned to his tent to check his equipment.
Dillon came over with a few sheets of paper and two quill pens.
"Here, take these. Write a letter to check in on the old man," Dillon offered.
Borne gratefully accepted the paper and pen, just about to thank him when Dillon cut him off.
"We're brothers; no need for thanks."
Meanwhile, in a much larger headquarters, a priest was holding the intelligence report about the Thunder Tiger.
He looked at it and said, "An interesting creature. Next time we meet, I'll make sure it doesn't return!"
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