"Mirielle," Eremund said in a quieter tone, though tension laced his voice. "Please tell me you're joking."
Mirielle crossed her arms over her chest, standing tall. "I'm not joking, Father. If we lack sufficient information about Dralven and the threats it poses, someone with analytical skills needs to go there directly. I'm that person."
Eremund walked slowly to the side of the room, his gaze fixed on a large map hanging on the wall. His hand traced the Glynthar Mountains and the Dralven region beyond. "Mirielle, do you understand how dangerous this request is? Glynthar is a harsh region, and Dralven is now a mystery that could hold deadly traps. Are you aware of the risks?"
"I am, Father," Mirielle replied without hesitation. "That's precisely why I must go. You said it yourself: uncertainty is our enemy. So why not take a bold step to face it directly?"
"Because there's a line between bravery and foolishness!" Eremund snapped, his voice rising louder than usual. "You are my daughter, my flesh and blood. If something happens to you, I will never forgive myself."
Mirielle stepped closer, her sharp gaze meeting his. "And if I don't go, Father, can you forgive yourself if this kingdom falls simply because we acted too late?"
Silence filled the room, broken only by the soft crackling of the fireplace, its flames casting dancing shadows on the walls. Eremund finally took a deep breath, attempting to calm his emotions.
"Mirielle, I know you're intelligent. Perhaps the most intelligent among us. But your wit won't protect you from swords, magic, or—" he hesitated, searching for the right words, "—or dangers we can't yet comprehend."
Mirielle lowered her gaze briefly, then spoke in a gentler tone. "Father, I understand your concern. But I'm not asking to fight on the front lines. I simply want to observe, to gather information. You know I'm capable of this. And I promise, I'll report everything I find."
Eremund shook his head, unwilling to answer immediately. For him, this was a monumental dilemma. Mirielle was his daughter, his flesh and blood, and his only heir. Yet, her argument was undeniable—there was no one better suited for this task.
Eremund returned to his chair, sitting heavily as he looked at her. "If I agree to this, it will be under strict conditions. You will not travel alone. I'll send my best guards with you."
Mirielle gave a faint smile. "Of course, Father. I never intended to go alone."
"And you must report daily via communication crystal. At the slightest sign of danger, I expect you to return immediately."
"Understood," Mirielle replied with a firm nod.
Eremund took a deep breath. "I dislike this, Mirielle. But I cannot ignore the fact that you're right. If you're certain this is the right course of action, I'll support you. But remember—your life is more important than any information."
Eremund stood, taking a rolled map from the table and spreading it open. He pointed to a route through the Glynthar Mountains, marking several circled points.
"We'll send a small team disguised as merchants. You will be part of them. This team will carry false goods for trade, but their primary goal will be to uncover who now controls Dralven."
Mirielle nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Thank you, Father. I won't let you down."
Eremund looked at his daughter once more, his gaze betraying the worry he couldn't hide. "I know you won't, Mirielle. But my only hope is that you return safely."
Cero was seated in his warm office, staring at the monitor on his desk when he suddenly sneezed loudly. Rubbing his nose, he muttered to himself, "Why do I feel like something troublesome is about to happen?" His tone was filled with reluctance, though there was no one in the room to hear him.
Just then, the door opened, and Sarah entered with steady steps, carrying a clipboard full of daily reports. "Director, the daily reports are ready. There are a few critical items you should review."
Cero massaged his temples, feeling slightly fatigued but accepting the clipboard from Sarah. "What now? Please tell me something less headache-inducing."
Sarah gave a faint smile. "Unfortunately, nothing is ever light around here, Director. You know how this world works."
Cero sighed heavily. "Fine, let's hear it."
A few days later, on a narrow path in the Glynthar Mountains, a contingent of Arcana ground soldiers tasked with monitoring the sole route to Dralven went about their daily routine. Their observation post was perched high on a cliff, hidden from view of anyone traveling below.
Two soldiers, Private Allen and Corporal Hughes, sat inside their small outpost. Allen, the younger of the two, was lazily chewing on a snack bar, while Hughes, the more experienced soldier, scanned the path below with binoculars.
"Honestly," Allen said, unwrapping another snack bar, "I don't get why we're even here. No one ever comes through. This route's too quiet, even for wolves."
Hughes lowered his binoculars and gave Allen a flat stare. "You should be grateful. If no one's coming, it means no problems. But if something does come, we need to be ready."
Allen shrugged. "I'm just saying it's boring, Corporal. We sit here all day with nothing but cold air and dry rations. Meanwhile, over in Dralven, they've got bars and—"
"Shut it," Hughes interrupted, raising the binoculars again. "Boredom is a lot better than dying. If you want entertainment, watch the snow fall."
But today felt different. The silence in the mountains was heavier than usual. Even the wind, which normally howled through the cliffs, seemed subdued, as if something was watching.
Hughes lowered the binoculars again, his brow furrowed. "It's too quiet today."
Allen, chewing the last piece of his snack bar, chuckled. "You always say that, Corporal. If you keep repeating it, I might actually believe it someday."
Hughes didn't reply, his focus still on the path below. "Allen, check our surveillance equipment. Make sure everything's working."
"Fine, fine. I'll check," Allen said, standing reluctantly. He walked to the corner of the outpost, where several monitoring devices were set up, including thermal cameras and motion sensors positioned around the main path.
As Allen inspected the equipment, one of the sensors emitted a soft beep, indicating movement.
"Corporal," Allen called, his tone shifting to seriousness. "We've got movement on the path below."
Hughes quickly joined him and examined the small screen connected to the sensor. A few dots were moving slowly along the path, approaching their observation point.
"Humans," Hughes muttered. "But it's a small group. Five or six at most."
---
"Adventurers again?" Allen asked casually, though a hint of tension crept into his voice. "We've dealt with enough of them already."
"Not sure. But they're too well-organized to be regular adventurers," Hughes replied, picking up the radio to contact the base in Dralven. "This is Glynthar Post-2. We've detected movement on the main path. Five to six individuals. No signs of a major threat, but they appear organized. Requesting instructions."
At the Dralven main headquarters, the report reached Cero's desk within minutes. Sarah read it aloud in her calm, measured tone. "Director, a small group has been detected on the Glynthar trail. The observation post reports they appear organized but are small in number."
Cero raised an eyebrow as he studied the report, his mind churning through various possibilities. "A small group? Just five or six people? That's not enough to stage an attack but enough for reconnaissance." He placed the document on his desk, leaning forward with both hands on the surface, his posture radiating focus. "I must say, they're bold to cross the mountains in winter. It's obvious they're spies. Do they think we're fools?"
Sarah, standing beside him with a clipboard in hand, spoke with a steady but confident tone. "Director, keep in mind this world is still at a medieval level of development. Even with magic, they don't necessarily understand modern combat strategy."
Cero nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he delved deeper into thought. "Hmm, you have a point. If their standards are medieval, then their courage borders on recklessness. Still, this is a risk. We don't know how much influence their faction holds over the Delos kingdom."
Sarah glanced at the document on the desk before asking, "What's your plan, Director? Do we let them pass?"
Cero let out a small scoff and sat back in his chair with calm deliberation. "No time for diplomacy. Capture them. I don't care if force is necessary, especially if they're armed."
Sarah raised an eyebrow slightly, as if weighing the command. "You're ordering an aggressive approach?"
"Yes," Cero replied without hesitation. "I won't risk them reporting back to their superiors. Capture them all, dead or alive. And if they're armed, don't hesitate."
At the concealed observation post in the Glynthar Mountains, the Arcana ground troops had received Cero's orders directly. The quiet tension in the post now deepened, punctuated by the sound of weapons being readied and coordinated radio chatter.
Corporal Hughes, previously leading the observation effort, now stood before his small team, giving final instructions. "We have clearance to act. The Director's orders are clear: capture them alive if possible. But if they resist or raise weapons, don't hesitate."
"Yes, Corporal!" his team responded in unison, though the tension was evident on their faces.
Hughes studied a small map in his hand, pointing to the path the suspected spies would traverse. "They're here, just a few hundred meters from a narrow choke point on the trail. Team One will block their path ahead, while Team Two will ambush them from behind. Don't give them a chance to escape."