Silence filled the command hall.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The scout remained kneeling before Commander Elena, his head lowered.
"...The Beast King himself."
Those words lingered in the air.
Elena stepped toward the large campaign map.
"Mark their last confirmed position."
"Yes, Commander."
The scout hurried to the map.
A glowing crystal pointer appeared in his hand.
He placed it near the eastern frontier.
"They crossed here."
The marker glowed red.
Another officer stepped forward.
"Our border fort attempted to stop them."
"They didn't attack."
Elena looked at him.
"They didn't?"
"No, Commander."
"They simply continued marching."
Ben frowned.
"They ignored your fortress?"
The officer nodded.
"As though it wasn't their objective."
Kael rested both hands on his Frost Spear.
"They're heading somewhere."
Runa's eyes narrowed.
"Or toward someone."
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Calculating projected route.
...
Analysis complete.
Predicted destination...
Base 305.
Probability...
Ninety-eight percent.
Sam folded his arms.
"They're coming here."
Every Dragon Knight officer looked toward him.
Elena nodded.
"I reached the same conclusion."
---
One of the Dragon Knight captains slammed his fist onto the table.
"Then we should strike first!"
"We still have time!"
Another captain agreed.
"If we meet them before they reach our walls, we can force them into the mountain pass."
A third officer shook his head.
"The pass favors their heavy infantry."
"They'll crush us."
Soon...
The room erupted into debate.
"Attack!"
"Defend!"
"Reinforce the eastern forts!"
"Call back every patrol!"
One voice spoke over them all.
"Enough."
Elena hadn't raised her voice.
Yet the room fell silent instantly.
She looked at each of her officers.
"We will not decide out of fear."
Her gaze shifted to Sam.
"Commander Sam."
"You've fought a Regional Boss."
"You've commanded large-scale battles."
"What do you see?"
Every eye turned toward Sam.
He walked to the campaign map.
For several moments...
He simply studied it.
Then he picked up a blue marker.
Instead of placing it on the eastern border...
He placed it directly over Base 305.
Ben smiled faintly.
He already knew what Sam was thinking.
Sam looked around the room.
"If I were Bjorn..."
"I wouldn't waste soldiers attacking your forts."
He pointed toward the supply routes.
"They slow an army."
His finger traced another line.
"I wouldn't split my forces."
Another line.
"I'd march straight here."
He tapped the symbol representing Base 305.
"If this kingdom falls..."
"The eastern region falls with it."
Silence.
The Dragon Knight officers stared at the map.
One slowly whispered,
"...He's right."
Another captain clenched his jaw.
"We were thinking like defenders."
"He's thinking like the invader."
Elena smiled.
"And that's why I asked."
---
Before anyone could speak again—
BOOM!
The great doors opened once more.
Another scout stumbled inside.
Unlike the first...
He was covered in blood.
His armor was cracked.
One sleeve had been torn away.
He collapsed onto one knee.
"Commander..."
Elena immediately stepped forward.
"Healer!"
A mage rushed over and began casting.
Soft green light surrounded the wounded scout.
The scout struggled to breathe.
"We... made contact..."
"What happened?" Elena asked.
The scout swallowed.
"They never stopped marching."
"We tried to question them."
"They answered."
The room became perfectly still.
"What did they say?" Sam asked.
The scout closed his eyes, remembering.
Then repeated the exact words.
«"Tell your Dragon Commander..."»
«"The Beast King comes."»
«"Open your gates..."»
«"Or I will open them myself."»
Even the veteran officers felt a chill.
The scout continued.
"And then..."
He looked toward Sam.
"They gave us another message."
"For me?" Sam asked.
The scout nodded slowly.
"They knew you were here."
Ben's eyes widened.
"How?"
Leon, standing silently near the wall, finally spoke.
"Scouts."
"Not ours."
"His."
Everyone turned toward him.
Leon continued.
"They've been watching us since we entered the valley."
Inside his mind...
Rex confirmed it.
Commander...
Reanalyzing previous sensor data.
Hidden observers detected.
Estimated number...
Twelve.
Detection achieved too late.
Sam smiled.
"So..."
"They have an Assassin Corps too."
Leon's expression hardened.
"They're good."
A slow grin spread across Kael's face.
"I've been wanting a real challenge."
Runa crossed her arms.
"Don't get overconfident."
Kael laughed.
"I never do."
She raised an eyebrow.
Ben coughed loudly.
Zora looked at him.
"Don't encourage him."
"I'm trying not to laugh."
---
The wounded scout spoke again.
"The Beast King's final message..."
He took a shaky breath.
«"Tell the Necromancer..."»
«"I've heard your name."»
«"Don't die before I get there."»
Silence.
Sam's eyes remained calm.
No anger.
No fear.
Only curiosity.
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Behavioral analysis complete.
Bjorn.
Confident.
Disciplined.
Highly intelligent.
Unlike previous hostile Commanders...
He is provoking you deliberately.
Sam looked toward the eastern horizon beyond the command hall windows.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Then..."
"I suppose we shouldn't keep him waiting."
Far beyond the borders of Base 305...
Twenty thousand Beastmen marched as one.
At their head rode a massive warrior clad in black iron armor.
Across his back rested an enormous greataxe.
His golden eyes looked toward the west.
Toward Base 305.
Toward Sam.
Bjorn smiled.
"At last..."
"A worthy opponent."