"I suppose that even if Princess Lila were standing merely a hundred meters from us right now, you'd still ignore her, wouldn't you? After all, His Majesty never commanded us to rescue Her Highness! Have you never heard the saying that commanders in the field need not obey orders? Fighting by strict orders? Ha."
Chris let out two mocking snorts, then lifted his chin haughtily.
"That's exactly why, despite being so much younger than you, I command this unit while you remain second-in-command."
This wasn't the first time Bart had endured Chris's arrogance. Had he been younger, he might have argued back, but after countless battles he understood there was no point in squabbling now.
So Bart exhaled slowly, composed himself, and spoke evenly.
"Chris, I don't mean to argue. I only want to say… let's be rational. Evan's been missing for nearly eight hours. We don't even know if he's been taken into Howling Castle. If he has, his chances are grim."
"I care for Evan as much as you do—but is it worth risking the entire squad for this?"
By the end, Bart's tone carried a note of pleading.
Confronted by the veteran's words, Chris's sneer softened—yet he had no intention of backing down.
"I think it's worth it," Chris replied firmly. "Evan is our brother. For him, it's worth it! Isn't that right, men?"
His final words invited the rest of the squad to weigh in.
They exchanged uneasy glances. None dared say rescuing Evan wasn't worth it, but they'd all heard of Duke Dracula's dread reputation—charging into Howling Castle on a whim felt like courting disaster.
Seeing their hesitation, Chris's temper flared. He balled his fists and punched the air a few times.
"What's wrong with you? Aren't we the bravest, strongest warriors in all of Winterscar? How can you cower now? Besides…"
He paused to touch the long wooden case strapped to his back.
It stood nearly five feet long; no one knew its contents, and Chris had never opened it. Yet at that moment, his fingers caressed the case with evident excitement.
"Besides, I have my trump card! I guarantee I'll bring every one of you out of here alive! Brothers, this is our moment to make our names! Just imagine—if we storm Howling Castle, take down that cursed Vampire Duke, and rescue Princess Lila, we'll be legends! We'll be sung by bards for generations! And His Majesty will shower us with rewards beyond imagining!"
"I suppose that even if Princess Lila stood a mere hundred meters from us right now, you'd still turn a blind eye, wouldn't you? After all, His Majesty never ordered us to rescue Her Highness! Haven't you heard that commanders in the field need not follow every edict? Relying on orders to wage war? Ha."
Chris let out two mocking snorts, then lifted his chin in haughty defiance.
"That, my friend, is precisely why I—though far younger than you—am the captain of this squad, while you remain merely the lieutenant."
This wasn't the first time Bart had endured Chris's arrogance. Had he been younger, he might have retorted, but after countless battles he knew there was no point in quarrelling now.
So Bart exhaled slowly, steadied himself, and spoke in a calm, measured tone.
"Chris, I'm not trying to argue for the sake of arguing. I only ask… let us be reasonable. Evan has been missing for nearly eight hours. We still don't know if he's been dragged into Howling Castle. If he has, his chances of survival are slim."
"I like that young man, Evan, but under these circumstances—is it really worth risking the entire squad?"
By the end of his plea, Bart's voice carried a note of genuine appeal.
Confronted by the veteran's words, Chris's earlier sneer softened—yet he had no intention of yielding.
"I think it's worth it," Chris said firmly. "Evan is our brother. For him, it's unquestionably worth it! What say you all?"
His final words were addressed to the rest of the squad.
They exchanged uneasy glances. None dared to say rescuing Evan wasn't worthwhile—but on the other hand, Duke Dracula's fearsome reputation was known to every man, and charging headlong into Howling Castle felt like courting disaster.
Seeing their hesitation, Chris's temper flared. He clenched his fists and punched the air a few times in frustration.
"What's the matter with you? Hm? Aren't we the bravest, strongest warriors in all of the Kingdom of Winterscar? How can you show fear at a time like this? Besides…"
At that, Chris reached back and ran his hand along the length of the wooden case strapped to his back.
The case was nearly five feet long. No one knew its contents—Chris had never opened it. Yet now, as he touched it, an excited smile spread across his face.
"Besides, I have my own trump card! I guarantee I will bring every one of you back out alive! Brothers, this is our moment to earn glory and renown! Just imagine—if we storm Howling Castle, take down that cursed Vampire Duke, and rescue Princess Lila, we will become legends! We will be the stuff of myths passed down through the ages! His Majesty will shower us with rewards beyond our wildest dreams!"
Bart said nothing, his gaze fixed on the wooden case—and then it hit him all at once!
Could it really be that thing inside the case? If so… damn, Chris's family must have spared no expense! If it truly is that, we might actually walk away unscathed…
For a moment, Bart wavered.
The rest of the squad picked up on his hesitation immediately. And, after all, Chris's pitch had been tantalizing!
Titles and lands, a name carved into history! Hell, even legend!
Isn't that why we all signed up to serve?
They exchanged glances again, and after a heartbeat, one soldier spoke up.
"Captain Chris is right—and with the captain holding an ace in the hole, there's nothing for us to fear!"
His words drew immediate agreement from the others.
"That's true—now that we've come this far, are we really going to turn back?"
"If we retreat now, we'll be the laughingstock."
"Yeah—think about it: Evan and Princess Lila are both stuck inside that godforsaken castle… we can't just walk away now!"
Seeing that the tide had turned, Bart realized no one else would heed a call to retreat.
He sighed in resignation and gave a reluctant nod.
"All right, then. We press on toward Howling Castle—but to be safe, we should leave a few men outside to cover our exit…"
His words were cut off by a sharp-eyed soldier pointing to the nearby thicket as he reported to Chris.
"Captain! There's something moving in those bushes up ahead!"
At once, Chris's hand went to the hilt of his sword. He lowered his voice as he issued his order to everyone present.
"All right, stay alert! Move with me—and report anything immediately!"
Though inexperienced, the Vanguard was well-trained. In unison, the eight of them crouched low and fell in behind Chris, advancing toward the thicket.
And through the branches above those bushes, the towers of Howling Castle already loomed into view.