As the two knights walks and throded they way to the meeting table, silence just permeated the Main Camp, all the previous talks and chatterings just stops. And serious aura just unfolded inside which then makes the room stay in silence. But Balud just breaks the silence once again like last time.
"It's been a while, Lady Grace and young Rein"
"Heh, you are always late to the meeting when you are the one who conduct this huh Balud?"
"I can't help it, I have to go fetch this fellow for a while" he says while pointing his finger towards a man standing on his right side. The man pointed was quite arrogant and seems despise the other especially Rein, Emil and Shilling. But he is quite smart, masking his emotions and nature when facing Grace.
With a medium build and short brown hair, he emits an aura of an arrogant noble, this is a true representation of a noble in the Neixx Empire and Rein knows it well. They are full of deceit and pride. Then, Balud just introduced the said person.
"This man is my Vice Captain, Bernard di Aurete, he is my cousin" when Balud say this
The arrogant man just stand up and holds his hands, for handshake towards Grace, only her and they can see that he ignored the other. It seems like he seems to think that the other was below his level. This makes Grace snicker for a while while uttering her thought,
"Ahhh...Mr Bernard, nice to meet you, sorry but it is a custom for a woman in our clan to for holding any man hands except her husband"
Hearing that, he just retract his hands in shame, while his head are furiously turning red in embarrassment. Grace just outright rejected his advance. Seeing the wrong scene unfolded in front of him, Balud just correct her subordinate attitude,
'cough...cough'
"Bernard you should also greet young master Rein" Balud stare at him sternly
While Bernard just correct his pose hurriedly, while facing Rein he just bow his head and apologize hypocritically with his most insincere action.
"Owh , I apologized for my mistake Young Master Rein, I never thought you are here, it's my utmost mistake"
But Rein just shrugged it off , while raising his hands in gesture, indicating that he is okay. He could see through this Bernard facade clearly and he just don't care at all, because it's good as long he doesn't cause any problem or harm to him or his people. After settling those scene, everyone just go back into their seats preparing for their meeting.
Without wasting anytime, Balud just spread a new map in front of them all and explain their current situations.
" As each camp have their responsibility decided, now it's time for our next action"
"Even though, we have our mock battle and war simulation a few days ago, which could be considered enough"
"But just now, I just received a new order from the empire which is, they deemed our preparation are not enough"
"So they decide to further our territory, bases and pose for making sure we have a good result for this battle"
"And they suggest for an exploration method for solving this issue"
While marking the map with red ink pen, Balud pointed each area and described its purpose.
" The one that will stay in this camp would be Redmayne camp as they only consist of mages which is a key component in this war"
Before he continued, he just halted for a second and then sighed again, now he will present both the Golden stallion and Rein's camp positions.
" The golden stallion will be expanding our bases towards the western area, while Reins camp will be expanding towards the eastern side. While he convey this information, Grace once again grimaced her face in opposition for the current order,
"Huh, what a bold move again by the Empire, all of us know how the eastern side have never been explored before"
"Balud, isn't your camp have more experience in exploration than Rein's camp?"
"Hmmm..well Lady Grace, it's just..."
"What you wanna say again this time, it's an utmost order from the empire right!!"
Balud just stay silent, while Rein is currently contemplating his thoughts on the exploration. When they are still arguing, suddenly Bernard just chuckle while conveying his thoughts,
"Hahaha, it's not just a mere thoughts from the empire Lady Grace"
"What you want to say?" Grace stare at her sharply but the man remains unperturbed.
"From our previous exploration, the terrain in the western, are more suited for our gold stallion to march and explore,
"while from some information from our magic surveyor say that, the terrain in the eastern side are more of a high ground which will makes it's hard for the Calvary unit to navigate" he snicker happily,
"It's better for us to focuse
on a certain information that will benefits us, this is for the best" he continued
After hearing that, Grace just couldn't refute his answer. Then glanced towards Balud and directly towards Rein. She hope that Rein will counter Bernard arguement, Balud then asked again confirming Rein's decision,
"What do you think young Rein?"
And all eyes directed towards him, but he just firmly answer with an answer that makes Bernard happy but make Grace gritted her teeth in annoyance,
"I'll comply and I think what Bernard say is reasonable, we will do our best on the eastern side"
"Glad to hear your decision Young Rein"
"Hmmphh!!!"
"Then it's decided we will proceed with this planning starting tomorrow, we only have 3 months for preparation"
" After 3 months, we will gather once again here and proceed to expand the Middle side"
"Any objection?"
And all of them just comply with the decision after that. While still in some concern, Grace just asked Rein,
"Rein, I'll send few of my mages to assist you, okay"
"Thank for the assistance Grace" he says while smiling towards her
"Hmmphh, you are still inexperienced, as a good member, I should at least help this much" she says while facing him. Balud also nodded his head, agreeing with Grace action while he added,
" Then, in concern for your camp, I'll double your supply and resources for this 3 months period"
"Thank you, Captain Balud I appreciate it"
Seeing those scene unfolded in the camp makes everyone satisfied with the current planning except for one, that is Bernard, he could ignore Balud assistance on this matter, but seeing Grace concern and care towards the young teen makes him annoyed and irritated for some reason.
Bernard have seen Grace before, during his academy period, he knows her and he took notice of all her actions and achievement in the academy, since then he also started to held feeling for her, that's why he even ready to sacrificed himself to go for this war that none of the noble wants to take part. He deemed her to be her future wife, as he had the same standing as Grace,
Nonetheless, he planned to rack some achievements in this war so that he could show it to her and proceeded to get her interested in him, but seeing those interactions between Grace and Rein, makes his heart boiled in anger and hatred,
'what so good of such young teen, Moreover he is involved with the black tragedy'
'wait, black tragedy, I can used that, then he smiled Sinisterly ready to execute his plan.
After long, the meeting finally concluded and everyone was getting ready to return to their own camp. As Rein was already walking towards the entrance, Bernard suddenly question him, a question that halted his steps immediately,
"Young Rein, I have some questions that I want to ask since few minutes ago, can I?"
When he says this, all of the gazes turn towards him curiously,
"Yes?"
While continuing his question, he secretly grinned in his heart, he can't wait for the teen to get destroyed and humiliated in front of Grace and the other, thinking it would be a sight to behold.
"Lately, I have heard a rumour lingering in the empire"
"It says that you are main culprit in the black tragedy in the Antrim Mansion 2 years ago"
When he says this, all the people inside the camp suddenly became tense especially Emil and Shilling, showing their dissatisfaction, while Grace just stay silent, Emil immediately ready to take the next action, Grace was staying silent, because she also wants to know the truth from that person.
"Hey, Bernard what are you trying to do huh?" Emil asks while he sheaths his blade
"You shouldn't do this Bernard" Balud said while sighing.
But Bernard don't feels like retaliating at all, after seeing Grace face that is quite intrigued, which means that this information are new to her, Secretly grace just wanting to know the truth. Then he continue to utter his question,
"Is it true that, you that day became insane and killed your own father and brother?"
"This is the reason you have been marked by the Empire right?"
The situation became more tense everytime he utter his question while the person asked just stood there silently, everyone was holding their breath, Balud, Grace and Shiling stay in their position awaiting his answer, but Emil can't take the humiliation anymore and lunged towards Bernard with his sharp blade ready to fight the man to death,
But before that could happen, the person concerned just raise his hands to stop his Vice Captain from furthering his actions.
"Yes, I am the one who killed them with my own hands, and I take responsibility for my actions"
"Either it's being marked or faced with this death war punishment, I'll comply with it",
"Owh, thank you answering my question young Rein, I mean no offense as this information is important so that we could trust each other better"
Hearing those answer, all the other grimaced while Bernard secretly grinned, but Emil just watch his captain sadly, his back right now looks so weak and vulnerable, slowly Rein walks out from the camp, leaving them in utter silence while Emil followed him shortly and glaring at Bernard,
Then, the other two women walks out from the camp without voicing their current thoughts, seeing Grace without saying anything makes Bernard happy, because it seems that her trust towards Rein was already broken which he will surely benefits. Now however, there are only two figures on the main camp, Balud was quite dissatisfied with his Vice Captain as he utters his next words,
"You shouldn't do that Balud, this is detrimental towards our forces, what if the soldiers know this!!!"
"But Captain,the other should know the truth, it is important for each of us to know, what if he suddenly became insane again"
"You should conceal this secret well Bernard, not until the wars ends, if I hear leaks I'll take my own action" Balud warm him sternly
"I'll comply with that" Bernard say while bowing his heads but he just grinned once again, now everything will play into his hands.