Meanwhile, in a certain Halfling-occupied town within the Dwarven Kingdom...
Inside the dimly lit command room.
Pins, markers, and rough sketches of dwarven terrain were scattered across the table.
The Halfling general, a sharp-eyed veteran with braided gray hair and a ceremonial blade at his hip, leaned forward with a frown.
"…It looks like the Human Kingdom has conquered more territory than we expected."
One of his aides stood nearby, nodding slowly.
"But since we don't have any open dispute with them, we're not allowed to interfere."
"Exactly."
The general tapped the edge of the map.
"King Edmund hasn't taken any of our zones. So for now… we stay still."
"Yes, General."
The room was silent for a moment.
Then—
The door creaked open, and a younger officer stepped in.
"General."
"Yes?"
"We still haven't received any report from the squad stationed at the small town near the Beastkin border… or from the unit at Gilikan town."
The general raised an eyebrow.
"Both?"
