The night erupted in celebration as everyone drank and partied to their heart's content in preparation for the battle ahead. Damien sat with his four-man unit, enjoying ale while the festivities unfolded outside their tent. Tension lingered in the air after he had revealed that he possessed no magic, and only Darrion made an effort to engage him in conversation.
Elizabeth and Von remained mostly quiet, occasionally exchanging words. They would all be sleeping in the same tent.
Their march into demi-human territory was set for early the next morning. The others weren't just upset about having a teammate without magic; they were scared.
The truth was, they were just kids, thrust into a battle they had no business fighting. But that was the life they had chosen. In this world, the quickest way to rise was to prove oneself in combat.
Damien glanced over at Elizabeth, recalling something she had said earlier that piqued his interest.
"What did you mean when you said 'this was their way of punishing me'?"
"...."
She remained silent, avoiding his gaze.
"Do you have some kind of grudge against nobles?"
"You shouldn't ask that, Lucas. It's a sensitive topic for her," Darrion interjected.
Elizabeth let out a deep sigh and spoke, likely influenced by the ale. "My full name is Elizabeth Mere, if that answers your question."
"Mere? Ah… So you're a bastard. The daughter of a noble, I presume. The illegitimate children of noblemen are often treated with respect, most retaining their nobility. Since you have the last name Mere, I'm guessing your mother was the one who committed adultery."
"What's it to you?!" she shouted, visibly agitated.
"Nothing… though when a woman commits adultery, they would normally slit the child's throat at birth. You are very fortunate to be alive."
"My father is a kind man. He raised me as his own, while the other nobles laughed and mocked him behind his back," she said bitterly, her eyes flashing with anger and shame. "I'll prove myself during this battle, no matter what it takes. For once, I'll make sure he never feels ashamed of me. I'll make him proud to be my father—"
"I would've slit your throat," Von commented. "No way I'd raise a child that's not mine, and I'd kill your whore mother too."
"Come on, Von, you've had enough to drink. You're clearly drunk," Darrion attempted to diffuse the situation.
"Whoever asked you?!" Elizabeth roared. "My mother was young; she fell in love with another man before they arranged her marriage. It wasn't her fault!"
"It was her fault. She shouldn't have spread her legs for a man who wasn't her husband," Von said with a smug expression, clearly intoxicated.
Elizabeth was boiling with rage, reaching for her sword until Darrion intervened to stop her.
'What a foolish girl,' Damien thought. 'Why reveal a secret that can be used against you? She could have just ignored me. Now I have a weapon I can use against her.'
At dawn, a loud alarm sounded as trumpets blared to wake the soldiers. At the sound of the horn, everyone stirred and began preparing for battle. They sharpened their swords and cleaned their muskets, some donning expensive armor.
"Hey, Lucas," Elizabeth called. "You were given armor, right? Why aren't you putting it on?"
"It's too heavy; it's going to slow me down."
"W-are you crazy? You can't go into battle without armor! Stop being a child and put it on; we were all given armor."
"Do me a favor and stop worrying about me. Worry about yourself."
"Just let him do what he wants," Von interjected. "We all know he'll be the first to be killed anyway."
"Fine, do whatever you want," Elizabeth said, glaring at Damien.
Damien saw no point in wearing armor, as it restricted his movements. Without magic, his only advantage was speed. To him, the armor was only good for protecting against scratches and small cuts; it wouldn't save anyone from a full-on magic blast. Everyone else was blinded by fear, unable to see that the armor couldn't truly protect them; it merely provided a false sense of security.
By sunrise, Edmond's troop of 250 men was lined up and ready to march. Edmond led the way on a black war horse, embodying the role of a general as he commanded the troops to advance.
Soon, they were marching through the demi-humans' territory, entering a thick forest. Their orders were clear: kill on sight. If any demi-humans surrendered, they would be taken back home to be used as slaves.
Each four-man unit spread out within the forest, venturing deeper and deeper inside. Damien's unit maintained formation, with Elizabeth at the front and Darrion and Von flanking her on either side. Damien stayed at the back, careful not to get in their way.
He gripped the hilt of his sword as he walked, his steps silent on the forest floor. In one swift motion, he swung his sword before the others could react.
Blood sprayed into the air, creating a crimson arc as a loud howl echoed through the trees. A severed arm, with claws extending from the fingertips, flew through the air.
"Dad!!!" a young boy with wolf ears shouted, tears streaming down his face. The boy rushed to his father's side, but before he could reach him, a deafening shot rang out, blowing a gaping hole through his chest. The impact sent the boy's tiny body flying twenty feet into the air; he was dead before he hit the ground.
"Kiba? No!! What have you done?!" the father howled for his son, but before his tears could even reach the ground, his head was already rolling.
For a moment, everyone stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Sneaky bastards!!" Von snickered. "They tried to ambush us! Where did they even come from?" His gaze shifted to Damien, a silent understanding passing between them.
Von had seen it: a demi-human with wolf-like features targeting Damien, yet he said nothing. A musket typically had a reaction time of fifteen seconds, but within moments of the attack, Von had struck back, killing one of them.
The demi-human had been perched atop a tree with his son. The moment the father attacked, Damien drew his sword and severed his arm, causing the demi-human boy to panic and began rushing towards his father. That was when Von shot him, and simultaneously, Damien beheaded the father.
"What happened?" Elizabeth shouted, panic setting in her eyes as she took in the horrific scene before her.
A small smile tugged at Damien's lips; it felt as if he and Von were playing a secret game that only they could understand.