Behind the wooden barricade, we waited for the wave to arrive. My expression determined, I lined up next to the master. He noticed me and smiled.
"You know, Rakahn," he said, his gaze drifting into deep thought, "I know you must feel frustrated. You probably wished that if the Dhakat clan ever perished, it should have been at your hands, right?"
I only nodded.
He was right. Those bastards shouldn't have died like that. They deserved more—more for having persecuted my clan for so long, more for taking my little brother from me.
But fate had other plans.
"There's nothing we can do about it…"
"Since you no longer have targets for your revenge, why not help me accomplish my goal?" he asked, his cinnamon-brown eyes staring into mine as if reading the depths of my soul.
"Your goal, master?" I asked, confused.
"Didn't I tell you? Maybe I explained it to Dahlia... She's always the clingy type, it's easier to have a conversation with her," he said, scratching the back of his head.
"That bitch!" I thought. "Always sticking to the master."
"Anyway, let's get back to the point," he added, clapping his hands.
"Sheep?" I asked, confused. "What is that? Can you eat it?"
He looked at me, biting his lower lip as if holding back laughter.
"Well... huh, you could interpret it that way," he said, glancing at me sideways. His wide grin was only confusing me more.
A few seconds passed, and his face grew serious. He placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Let's get stronger, Rakahn!" he declared, "and make this forest ours."
I stared at him, surprised by what he had just said. I looked around to see if anyone else had heard. I noticed Akumu watching us, then he lowered his head.
"He must be ashamed of hiding the fact that he was sheltering an enemy we fought against not so long ago," I thought.
I looked away, returning my focus to the conversation with my master.
"But, my lord, the forest is impregnable. Many have tried to conquer it, and many have failed," I said.
Before he could respond, I added, "To subjugate the forest is to attack the other clans themselves, my lord. Although we have grown stronger, we are not yet in a position to oppose them. That would be suicide."
"Haha! Rakahn, I know you're smart, so think about it," he chuckled. "You think I haven't considered that?"
"But, sire…" I wanted to respond, but I was too stunned to find the words.
"You're scared, aren't you?" he asked, his tone mocking.
"Am I scared?" I thought. Of course, I was. How could I not be terrified of the demonic creatures that lurked within the forest? And would the clans, who had struggled to survive for hundreds of years, just stand by and watch him claim it without fighting back?
"How do you plan to go about it, my lord?" I asked.
He smiled, tightening his grip on my shoulder.
"It's a pretty simple plan," he replied.
"Simple!!?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, the way we'll do it is straightforward," he continued. "We're just going to take advantage of the chaos."
"Does he plan to attack while the other clans are weakened? No, it's more complicated than that..."
Even though the master had been with us for only half a month, he had opened up to us. He told us about his old world, their way of life, and how he ended up in this one. His tone always grew darker when he touched on this subject. Ever since his summoning had failed, he found himself without a master, without anyone to unleash his frustrations upon.
"But, my lord, is my clan strong enough to keep up with you?" I asked, giving him a perplexed look.
"At first, I planned to create several hunting groups to subjugate the nearby monster camps, expanding your clan's territory and strengthening them in the process. But..."
His lips curled into a smile before he continued, "The arrival of the horde accelerated things faster than expected. However, it also presented an opportunity."
He didn't need to explain further—I already understood his plan. He wanted to take advantage of the moment when the underground creatures were heading toward us, so we could slaughter them without having to hunt them down.
"Two birds with one stone."
His smile widened as a loud roar echoed through the trees. Footsteps and human-like shrieks grew closer.
"THEY'RE COMING!" Akumu shouted as he drew his odachi.
I glanced back at the master, his katana already drawn. He leaped over the barricade. Moments later, Akumu, Dahlia, and I followed.
"My lord, what are your orders?" I asked.
"Slaughter them and steal their essences."
"What a stupid question!" I thought, chuckling to myself. Of course, that's what he'd say.
I drew the khopesh from my back and replied, "Your will is my command."