The road east was quiet.
Too quiet.
Tall trees surrounded the narrow path, their branches stretching overhead like interlocked fingers. Sunlight slipped through the leaves in thin golden lines, painting the ground in shifting patterns.
At the front of the delegation walked Sam.
His black cloak moved gently with the wind.
Behind him walked Ben and Zora.
Beside them moved Kael, his Frost Spear resting across one shoulder.
Runa walked several steps behind Leon, her bow held loosely in one hand.
The Goblin Warlord King marched silently near Sam's right side.
The Goblin Mage floated near his left, crystal mana circling faintly around its staff.
And hidden throughout the forest...
The eight Shadow Scouts moved without sound.
This was not an army.
It was a diplomatic delegation.
But no one in the group was defenseless.
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Distance to unidentified kingdom decreasing.
Estimated arrival: less than one hour.
Sam nodded.
"Any signs of hostility?"
None confirmed.
However, organized patrol activity has increased.
Leon raised one hand.
The entire delegation stopped instantly.
Ben's hand moved near his sword.
Zora's eyes sharpened.
Runa's fingers brushed the string of her bow.
Kael lowered his Frost Spear from his shoulder.
Sam looked toward Leon.
"What did you find?"
Leon crouched beside the dirt road.
Fresh footprints.
Light armor marks.
A snapped branch.
A tiny carving on the side of a tree.
He studied it for several seconds.
Then smiled faintly.
"They're good."
Runa stepped closer.
"Scouts?"
Leon nodded.
"Yes."
He pointed toward the carving.
"That's a patrol marker."
Runa narrowed her eyes.
"I almost missed it."
Leon glanced at her.
"Almost?"
She smiled.
"I'm Captain of the Archers for a reason."
For a moment...
Their eyes met.
Kael looked between them.
Then grinned.
Ben noticed.
Zora noticed Ben noticing.
She quietly whispered,
"Don't."
Ben whispered back,
"I didn't say anything."
"You were about to."
Ben sighed.
"...I really was."
A Shadow Scout suddenly appeared beside Leon.
He knelt.
"Captain."
Leon turned.
"Report."
"Four observation points confirmed."
"No ambush formation."
"No siege weapons."
"No monster presence."
"Human scouts."
Leon nodded.
"Return to position."
The Shadow Scout vanished again.
Kael shook his head.
"I swear, one day I'm going to put bells on all of you."
Leon looked at him.
"You'd have to catch us first."
Runa laughed softly.
Kael pointed his spear at Leon.
"That sounded like a challenge."
Leon calmly turned back toward the road.
"It was a fact."
Even Sam smiled.
The delegation continued forward.
The forest slowly began to thin.
Eventually...
The trees opened.
A vast valley appeared before them.
And at the center of that valley...
Stood a kingdom.
Massive stone walls surrounded the settlement.
Watchtowers rose above every corner.
Dragon-shaped banners fluttered in the wind.
Soldiers patrolled the battlements with precise discipline.
Along the inner courtyard...
Armored warriors stood beside powerful drake mounts.
The emblem on every banner was the same.
A silver dragon with its wings spread wide.
Ben slowly exhaled.
"That's not a settlement."
Zora nodded.
"It's a military kingdom."
Kael grinned.
"Now this is interesting."
Runa studied the walls.
"Their archers are already positioned."
Leon stared silently for several seconds.
Then spoke.
"They've known we were coming."
Sam looked at him.
"How long?"
"At least an hour."
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Kingdom identified.
A blue screen appeared before Sam.
Human Kingdom Confirmed
Kingdom Designation: Base 305
Commander: Elena
Commander Class: Dragon Knight
Regional Rank: 2
Alliance Potential: Extremely High
Sam read the screen quietly.
"So this is Base 305."
Ben looked toward the dragon banners.
"The second-ranked Commander."
Zora's gaze remained on the walls.
"And a Dragon Knight."
The Goblin Mage's soul flames flickered faintly.
The Goblin Warlord King stood firm, silent and imposing.
Leon suddenly raised his hand again.
"Commander."
Sam stopped.
The others stopped with him.
Leon pointed toward the open field between them and the walls.
"This is close enough."
Runa looked ahead.
"Bow range?"
Leon nodded.
"Maximum effective range."
"If we move farther..."
"They'll have to decide whether we're guests or invaders."
Sam looked toward Base 305.
Then nodded.
"We stop here."
Ben smiled faintly.
"Respecting their border."
Sam answered calmly.
"This is their home."
"We wait until we're invited."
Zora smiled.
"A wise choice."
Kael rested his Frost Spear against the ground.
"So we just stand here?"
Leon glanced at him.
"You can try not to look threatening."
Kael looked down at his spear.
"...This is my friendly stance."
Runa covered a smile.
On the walls of Base 305...
A scout captain lowered his spyglass.
"They stopped."
A Dragon Knight beside him frowned.
"Why?"
The scout captain looked again.
His eyes narrowed.
"They stopped outside our bow range."
Silence spread across the nearby soldiers.
Another guard muttered,
"They know military etiquette."
The scout captain nodded slowly.
"They're not careless."
He raised the spyglass again.
First, he saw Ben.
A powerful warrior with the bearing of a commander.
Then Zora.
A mage whose calm presence made the air around her feel controlled.
Then Kael.
A spearman standing casually, yet ready to move at any moment.
Then Runa.
Her eyes were already studying their walls.
Then Leon.
The scout captain froze.
For a second...
He lost sight of him.
Then Leon appeared again.
Standing in the same place.
The scout captain's hand tightened around the spyglass.
"...Dangerous."
Then he saw the Goblin Warlord King.
An undead warrior with the aura of a battlefield general.
Then the Goblin Mage.
A floating undead spellcaster with crystal mana swirling around its staff.
Finally...
His gaze settled on Sam.
Commander Sam of Base 101.
The man who had defeated humanity's first Regional Boss.
The man who had turned Base 101 into a Silver Kingdom.
But he wasn't standing alone.
And he wasn't trying to intimidate them.
He stood quietly...
Surrounded by people who clearly trusted him.
The scout captain lowered the spyglass.
"Inform Commander Elena."
"Commander Sam of Base 101 has arrived."
Inside Base 305...
A woman in silver armor walked through the command hall.
A crimson cape flowed behind her.
Every Dragon Knight she passed struck a fist against their chest.
"Commander Elena!"
She did not slow down.
Her blue eyes were calm.
Sharp.
Focused.
A soldier hurried toward her and knelt.
"Commander."
"Base 101 has arrived at the western border."
Elena stopped.
The hall fell silent.
"Commander Sam?"
"Yes, Commander."
"How many soldiers?"
The soldier hesitated.
"Not an army."
"A delegation."
Elena's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who came with him?"
"Several captains."
"Two undead."
"And scouts we cannot fully locate."
For the first time...
A faint smile touched Elena's face.
"So the rumors were not exaggerated."
She turned toward the western wall.
"Prepare the Dragon Knights."
A captain nearby asked,
"Are we engaging?"
Elena looked at him.
"No."
"We are receiving guests."
Moments later...
Elena stepped onto the western wall.
The wind caught her crimson cape.
Below her...
The delegation from Base 101 waited patiently outside bow range.
She took the spyglass from her scout captain.
One by one...
She studied them.
Ben.
Zora.
Kael.
Runa.
Leon.
The Goblin Warlord King.
The Goblin Mage.
Then...
Sam.
He did not wave.
He did not shout.
He did not demand entry.
He simply waited.
Elena slowly lowered the spyglass.
"Interesting."
The scout captain looked at her.
"Commander?"
Elena's gaze remained on Sam.
"He came with strength..."
"But stopped with respect."
She turned toward the gate captain.
"Open the gates."
The captain saluted.
"Yes, Commander!"
Across the valley...
A deep sound echoed.
BOOOOOOM...
The massive gates of Base 305 began to open.
Sam watched silently.
Ben stood at his right.
Zora at his left.
Leon, Runa, and Kael waited behind him.
The Goblin Warlord King and Goblin Mage remained still.
Hidden in the forest...
The Shadow Scouts watched every movement.
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Diplomatic contact with Base 305 is beginning.
Sam's eyes remained on the opening gates.
"Good."
He took one step forward.
And for the first time...
The Commander of Base 101 walked toward the Dragon Knight of Base 305.