Because they don’t have to move stealthily anymore to avoid the eyes and patrols of wolf-kins—Verc and his army traveled back to the village much faster and comfortable.

They don’t have to take a detour around small hills and move slow anymore.

And because of that, with Scally and Skul’s lead—they got back in the village in only 4 days.

The two small scouts ran ahead without any fear of triggering an ambush, pointing out every single natural shortcut and solid dirt path that could accelerate the army’s overall pace.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

Back to the village--

"Lord Verc."

"Welcome back, My Lord."

The seven kids; Tatum, Jed, Ashley, Maya, Moro, Neit, and Jai—they greeted Verc as soon as the gates were opened and they entered the village.

The smiles on their faces were big, and they had no intention of asking Verc what happened with the expedition.

Their expressions were bright, their eyes tracking the broad, uninjured shoulders of the returning vanguard with absolute confidence.

After all; they had no doubt that their lord and the others succeeded with their goal.

The very idea of Verc experiencing a setback in the wild woods was completely non-existent in their minds, their devotion to his strength rendering any concern entirely useless.

That’s how strong their trust is in Verc.

They stood tall, their postures straight and disciplined as they welcomed the column back into the safety of the perimeter.

And their assumption were confirmed after seeing the wolf-kin prisoners at the middle of their formation.

The long line of bound wolf-kins shuffled through the mud, their heads lowered and their long ears flattening against their skulls as they took in the organized stone buildings of the settlement.

The prisoners were dragged inside the village not long.

"Bring them to the prison, assign the orcs who were left here to guard the village to keep an eye on them—and those who were in the expedition; rest."

Verc ordered as soon as they got inside the gates.

"We’ll handle it, my lord."

And at his words, Jed and Tatum stepped up. Volunteering on taking the prisoners to the prison.

The two boys stepped forward, their expressions serious as they immediately began directing the perimeter guards to take control of the transport ropes.

Verc nodded his head, and with that—he dismissed everyone.

The returning soldiers let out a collective sigh of relief, their shoulders loosening as they began to break formation to head toward their respective homes.

Moro, Jai, and Neit followed Tatum and Jed.

"Ah, can the two of you make a meal for the army that went with the expedition? We’ve been travelling for about two weeks without proper food after all."

Verc looked at Ashley and Maya and asked that.

He turned toward the two girls, his tone softening slightly as he requested the logistical support for his exhausted vanguard.

"We’ll do it right away, Lord Verc."

The two girls nodded their heads with a smile on their faces.

"Thanks. Have the others help you."

Verc replied.

He offered them a brief, appreciative nod before shifting his focus back toward the main castle gates.

Then walking forward—He adjusted the collar of his dark coat, his boots clicking softly against the stone steps as he approached the entrance.

"Where are Nara and Onyx?"

He asked that to the two.

"They’re at the library."

Maya answered.

Verc nodded his head, and with a small smile—he excused himself and left.

He was holding Bong’s leash as he walked away.

The large beast followed behind him with a slow, docile pace, its heavy hooves clopping softly against the cobblestones.

*****

Before entering his castle—Verc passed by the barn and left Bong there; the horse deserve a good rest.

The wooden structure was cool and well-ventilated, filled with clean straw and fresh water that the stable hands had prepared earlier in the morning.

Verc left Bong in the barn and gave the horse some fruits he got from Grainne, safe for animal consumptions.

Bong seems to like them all.

Verc patted him before leaving the barn and going inside the castle.

He scratched the beast behind its long ears one last time, ensuring its lead was securely tied to the wooden post before sliding the barn doors shut behind him.

... ... ...

After getting inside his castle—Verc turned left and immediately headed to the library.

The wide stone corridors were completely silent, the heavy rugs absorbing the sound of his footsteps as he navigated the path toward the research wing.

Tap.

He quietly went inside, and there—he saw Nara and Onyx playing.

The massive room was lined with towering shelves filled with old human records and ancient texts, but the center clearing had been transformed into a temporary play area.

Nara was playing with a doll she bought from the City of Sven.

She was sitting cross-legged on a soft rug, carefully adjusting the small fabric dress of the toy with absolute concentration.

While Onyx was chewing on a ball of cloth.

The tiny pup was rolling around on his back, his small paws clutching the tightly wound fabric as he let out tiny, harmless growls of victory.

Verc smiled and thought they were cute after seeing that.

The peaceful, innocent sight provided a stark contrast to the violent battlefield he had been, a brief reminder of why he was working so hard to secure this forest.

"How are the two of you doing?"

He let his presence know by asking that question.

His voice was quiet, carefully controlled so he wouldn’t startle them in the middle of their quiet room.

And hearing his voice—the two turned to looked behind them and saw him.

Their eyes locked onto his position near the entryway, their expressions shifting instantly into absolute delight.

"Ah...!"

-Arf!

Nara let out a small gasp of surprise, dropping her doll onto the rug as she scrambled to her feet with a massive grin.

The two immediately stood straight and approached Verc.

Onyx abandoned his cloth ball completely, his tiny tail wagging with such speed that his entire hindquarters were shaking back and forth.

Nara bowed her head a little while Onyx ran around his owner.

The little pup was really happy seeing him again after a long time.

He let out high-pitched yips, occasionally jumping up against Verc’s shins to demand immediate attention from his master.

"You two doing fine?"

Verc crouched down; he patted both of them on the head and asked that.

He extended his hands, scratching Onyx behind his ears while gently resting his palm on Nara’s dark hair to acknowledge her presence.

"We’re doing fine, My Lord! We’re taking care of the library."

Nara answered with a bright smile.

She stood tall, her voice proud as she reported her daily duties of keeping the massive collection of books organized and free of dust.

Verc originally thought that he would just check on the two and go straight to his room to train and rest.

He had planned to indulge in a hot bath, review his mana pathways, and sleep off the residual exhaustion of the expedition.

But after seeing them—his plan changed a bit.

"You two can continue playing—I’m just here to read."

Verc said, taking the nearest novel from where he was.

He reached out to a nearby shelf, randomly sliding a thick, leather-bound volume from the middle row without looking at the title.

"Okay!"

-Arf!

The two responded happily, and ran back to their toys.

Nara reclaimed her position on the soft rug, while Onyx gave his owner one last affectionate lick on the finger before pouncing back onto his cloth ball with renewed energy.

’Onyx can understand me properly now, huh... he’s unusually smart.’

Verc thought looking at them.

He watched the tiny beast pause its play to look back at him, its intelligent eyes tracking his movements with a level of cognitive awareness that exceeded a normal animal.

Verc just shook his head and ignored it because it’s not a bad thing anyway.

Instead, he sat behind the desk where Nara usually sit, and there—he started reading the novel he got.

The stone surface was clean and organized, providing a perfect vantage point to overlook the center of the library floor.

He kept an eye at the two from time to time.

He flipped the yellowed pages with a slow, methodical rhythm, his crimson eyes occasionally drifting over the top of the book to check on the small pair as they played in absolute silence.

... ... ...

After a few hours, Nara and Onyx fell asleep, tired from playing.

The continuous rolling and laughter had finally drained their energy, causing the young girl to curl up on the soft rug with her doll tucked under her arm, while the tiny pup rested his head directly against her ankles.

Verc was also done reading.

He shut the heavy cover with a soft click, letting out a quiet breath as he leaned back against the stone chair.

The novel he got was compilation of short stories about heroes—he wasn’t able to finish the book—but the stories were repetitive anyway where the heroes kill the demon kings and the world was save.

The narratives followed the exact same predictable pattern of human righteousness triumphing over the classic dark forces, offering absolutely zero tactical substance or deep historical value for his current situation.

Anyway, Verc carried the two and placed them in Nara’s room at the library—he laid them on the bed and tucked them in before leaving and heading straight to his room at the top floor afterward.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

*****

The next day—Verc called a meeting.

The morning sun had barely cleared the horizon when the large double doors of the strategic council room opened to admit the primary leadership of the village.

The leaders were present again and the generals at the last expedition.

Groo, Pwyll, Bernia, Rick, and the four orc family heads occupied the heavy stone chairs around the central oak table, their expressions serious as they waited for their lord’s new directives.

And here, Verc declared that they will be resting for a week before the next attack—

"Our forces have performed exceptionally well, but a solid recovery period is essential before we expand our borders further."

Verc stated, leaning forward.

This time he said that there will be two forces; same amount of warriors like last time, but the ones left behind will be included in the expedition this time.

Also; Groo, Pwyll, Bernia, Rick, and the orc family heads will be left in the village this time.

"Your squads have handled the frontline. You will remain behind to secure our current territory and monitor the wolf-kin captives."

Verc explained, looking at his commanders.

Tatum and the others will be the generals for the next expedition.

"The others need direct battlefield experience as well. Tatum, Jed, Ashley, Maya, and the others will lead the primary column into the northern woods."

He added, trusting the kids fully.

And the second force—

"The second force... well, it will be my all alone."

Verc declared that it will be him and no one else!

"...?!"

"Hmm?!"

The announcement caused a sudden, brief silence to fall over the entire council table, the generals staring at him with wide, stunned expressions.

He was going to attack a whole different tribe while his army attack another one.

"My Lord, running an offensive campaign completely isolated from the main vanguard is highly irregular."

Bernia noted, her brow furrowing with concern.

"Don’t worry, I’m nowhere near being regular.."

Verc replied, his crimson eyes flashing with a cold, absolute confidence that silenced any remaining objections from his circle.

"We will strike two tribes simultaneously in a week. Get ready."

Verc ended the meeting with that.