Krau narrowed his eyes, wiping the dust off his hands as the three guards remained dazed around him.
Then, his gaze slid to Alessa, who had let her guard down for the first time all day. Her arms were crossed, but her eyes were locked onto the man approaching from the shadows: Korvus.
Krau tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.
"Well… I didn't know you had such old friends. Tell me, is he another guard? Because if he wants to try, I can make him see stars too."
Alessa turned to him, horrified.
"Krau, no…"
Korvus let out a light chuckle.
"Defeat me? It's been a long time since someone underestimated me this cheerfully. I like you, kid."
He ran a hand over his scruffy beard, never wiping away his mocking smile.
"Come on. Show me the strength you used against those guards. Or at least entertain me for a while."
Krau growled and charged without hesitation, launching a sidekick.
Korvus stepped back with elegance, as if dancing to a tune only he could hear.
"That was nice. Useless, but nice," he commented, laughing.
Krau didn't stop. He swung a punch directly at Korvus's face.
Korvus tilted his head to the side and dodged it by mere inches.
"Is that all? I thought you had something special."
"Shut up!"
The boy kept attacking with growing fury—kicks, punches, feints. Korvus dodged effortlessly without even raising his hands. His movements were minimal, almost taunting.
"You're wasting a lot of energy. Is your winning strategy just badly channeled rage?"
Krau roared. For a split second, his punch was faster.
Korvus noticed. He blocked with his forearm and stepped back, this time without smiling.
"Aha… There you are."
Krau threw another punch. Korvus deflected it, spun on his axis, and with a fluid movement, grabbed the boy's arm and slammed him to the ground. This time, it wasn't a soft fall—it was firm, definitive.
In the blink of an eye, Korvus was on top of him, a knee pressing into his back, his arm pinned.
"Would you like to join the Bastion of the Paladins?" he asked, as if he hadn't just knocked him down.
"No," Krau spat without hesitation.
Korvus let out a brief laugh and released him.
"Good answer. I thought you'd cry before saying it."
Alessa narrowed her eyes at him.
"And that's it? You make him an offer, he refuses, and you mock him like it's nothing?"
Korvus crossed his arms.
"I'm not Stelios. If he doesn't want to, he doesn't want to. Sometimes things shouldn't be forced. He can sleep on it tonight."
Korvus offered his hand to Krau. The boy accepted it reluctantly.
He said nothing, but his ragged breathing and the slight tremble in his fingers betrayed his internal storm.
Join them? Those shiny-armored idiots… Not in a thousand years. I'm not like them. I don't want to be like them. …Or do I?
"But if you change your mind," Korvus added, "the offer still stands."
On the other side of the kingdom, in the High Council's deliberation tower, Darion strode to the center of the room.
His steps were firm. In his hands, Eldros's report. His face was stone.
The council members observed him from above, hidden behind heavy robes like ancient judges.
"I request the immediate reinforcement of the troops within the walls," Darion said in a clear voice. "General Eldros has sent precise reports. Eleven villages destroyed. No pattern. No warning."
"Exaggerations," a trade councilor interrupted. "How many times have we been told 'they are coming to destroy the kingdom,' and yet, here we are?"
Darion clenched his teeth.
"I'm not asking for much. Just at least four thousand soldiers to be prepared. Listen. The cattle and the crops can recover. Trade routes too. But if those beasts cross the walls, there won't be enough resistance on this side. Not with the little we have."
A councilor in a crimson robe stared at him coldly.
"Captain Darion, you are a soldier. We safeguard balance. Pulling troops from our trade routes and storages could create panic. What do you suggest? A capital besieged by its own fear?"
Darion took a deep breath. His voice came out like steel.
"I suggest you stop thinking like peace administrators and start acting like defenders of the people. Because when those creatures arrive, they won't ask whether your coins are safe."
A murmur spread through the room.
"You are out of line, captain," one said.
"I'm exactly where I need to be," he responded, firm. "In the name of the Silver Cross Guard, I demand that Eldros's warning be heard. Not tomorrow. Not when you're ready. Now."
The white-bearded councilor cleared his throat harshly.
"We will take your report into account. But any decision will be assessed by the council… and communicated in due time."
Darion stepped back. He bowed his head. But his eyes burned.
When we're all dead, there won't be any time left to assess anything.
In a corner of the room, a councilwoman murmured:
"What if Darion is right?"
The other simply shook his head.
"Even if he is… it's not the time."