Evening was slowly beginning to descend over the forest.The sun was slipping its last crimson rays through the trees, and long shadows were slowly stretching across the ground.
The battle had just ended.
Exhaustion had settled over everyone. Some soldiers were sitting on the ground catching their breath, some were tending to their wounds, while others were silently looking up at the sky. The smell of burnt wood and the heavy scent of damp soil had mixed into the air.
Lane, however, was different from the others.
He was sitting on the ground, slightly pulling his knees toward himself and looking at the ground in front of him.
But his eyes were not really seeing the ground.
His mind was working.
The things that needed to be done in the evening, the arrangement of the camp, placing the wounded, the issue of food… he was thinking through all of them one by one. This place was no longer just a temporary camp. Lane was aware of that.
After a while, as if cutting off his thoughts, he lifted his head.
Then suddenly he stood up.
His eyes scanned around and found Edwick.
Edwick was sitting a little further away, crouched on the ground. His elbows were resting on his knees as he quietly rested. Lane walked toward him with slow steps.
When he approached, he crouched down on the ground as well.
Edwick slightly lifted his head and looked at Lane.
"Did something happen, Lane?" he asked.
Lane shook his head.
"Nothing happened," he said calmly."We have food for dinner… but we need to gather some firewood."
He paused for a moment.
He took a deep breath.
Then his voice took on a more serious tone.
"From now on it won't be enough to just use this place. We need to both hide it and protect it."
Edwick began listening carefully.
Lane gestured around with his hand.
"You saw how tall the trees are. If we build a tall castle here, it will be very hard to notice us from outside. We can hide within the forest."
Then he began drawing a few shapes on the ground with his finger.
"My plan is this… there will be a tall castle in the center. The main structure."
With his finger he drew imaginary lines around the castle.
"There will be some buildings around it. Storage buildings, living quarters, watchtowers…"
Then he widened the lines.
"And we will surround all of it with walls like a fortress."
He paused for a moment.
"But it won't look like stone walls."
Lane smiled slightly.
"We will camouflage the walls with trees, bushes, and vines. Anyone looking from outside will think this place is just a dense forest."
Edwick silently listened to him.
Then he fixed his eyes on Lane's face.
There was a strange sparkle in Lane's eyes while he was talking. As he explained his plans, his voice sped up slightly and his hands kept moving.
Edwick thought to himself:
"He's really explaining this with excitement…"
A smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
Lane stopped speaking and looked at him.
He slightly raised his eyebrows.
"What do you think?" he said.
Then he narrowed his eyes and added,
"Hey… put those strange thoughts in your head aside and speak."
Edwick paused for a moment.
Then suddenly he burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!"
He tilted his head back slightly.
"It's not like that!" he said while laughing."I just saw the way you were explaining the plan… you look very serious but at the same time like a child who is excited. That's why it looked funny."
Lane remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he narrowed his eyes and looked at Edwick.
There was a faint expression on his face.
But inside, he was thinking something else.
Because for him, this was not just a plan.
This…
Was the first step of a new beginning.
Lane slightly nodded his head.
"Then let's start setting up the campfire," he said."Let's gather everyone. Night is coming."
After saying this, he stood up.
Edwick immediately stood up after him and walked behind Lane.
Lane walked a few steps forward. Then he raised both of his hands and clapped strongly.
Clap! Clap!
The sound echoed through the forest.
Conversations stopped one by one. People turned their heads and looked at him. Within a few seconds, everyone's attention was focused on Lane.
Lane took a deep breath.
Then he began speaking with a loud and clear voice.
"Everyone who fought here today… from the youngest to the oldest…"
He paused for a moment. His eyes moved across the people.
"I thank all of you."
His words were short but heavy.
"This… was the second battle we fought."
"And from now on we will fight many more battles."
Lane continued.
"But know this…"
His voice became more determined.
"From now on I will do everything in my power to protect you, your rights, and this union."
Then he took one step forward.
"I will do what is expected of me. And I expect the same dedication from all of you."
There was a moment of silence.
Then Lane shouted with all his strength.
"LONG LIVE THE SAPHFIRE UNION!"
The forest fell silent for a moment.
Then…
Shouts erupted.
People raised their swords into the air.
"LONG LIVE!"
"LONG LIVE!"
"LONG LIVE!"
The sounds of metal clashing echoed as excitement spread like a wave. Some were striking their shields against the ground, others were raising their swords toward the sky.
Lane watched them for a few seconds.
Then he raised both of his hands. He signaled them to calm down. Slowly the noise faded.
The shouting stopped.
Everyone looked at him again. This time Lane spoke with a calmer voice.
"Now…" "Gather the remaining food."
Then he smiled slightly.
"Light the fire. We will celebrate today."
Then he added over his shoulder,
"And bring the drinks."
Suddenly the crowd began to move.
Someone shouted joyfully.
"HURRA!"
Some were laughing, some were running to start the preparations. The exhaustion was still visible on their faces, but now something else had been added on top of it.
Hope.
Lane silently watched all this movement. A small smile appeared on his face. Then he stepped slightly away from the crowd.
He crossed his arms over his chest. And silently watched the preparations.
Wood for the campfire was being carried, pots were being prepared, and people were slowly easing the exhaustion of the day with laughter.
Today…
For them it was not just a victory.
This…
Was the beginning of a new order.
After a full hour of preparations, night had completely fallen.
The forest was covered in deep darkness. Between the trees, only the orange light of the large fire burning in the middle of the camp flickered. The flames occasionally rose higher, and the crackling sound of burning wood broke the silence of the night.
Thick logs brought from the forest had been arranged around the fire.
Everyone was sitting on those logs.
The firelight illuminated their faces, and shadows trembled along the tree trunks.
After a while the food was distributed.
For the first time after the battle, people were truly beginning to relax.
Some were eating almost aggressively from hunger. Others were filling their cups and drinking alcohol one after another. Exhaustion, victory, and alcohol were mixing together.
Laughter began to rise, and conversations gradually became louder.
At that moment Lane stood up. There was a cup in his hand. He stepped forward and spoke with a loud voice.
"Everyone look at me!"
The noise suddenly stopped. Heads turned toward him one by one. Lane slowly raised his cup.
The firelight reflected inside the glass. His voice was heavier this time.
"There is only one reason we have come this far."
He paused.
His eyes moved across the people.
"The soldiers who fought with us… and lost their lives on this path."
No one spoke.
Lane continued.
"The wounded… the fallen… They walked this path with honor. Because of their noble hearts, we are standing here today."
There was a moment of silence.
"This drink…"
Lane said while narrowing his eyes.
"Let it be in their name."
Suddenly everyone stood up. Cups rose into the air. The firelight shone through the glasses.
And they all shouted together.
"TO THEIR HONOR!"
The cups clinked together. The drinks were swallowed in one go. A short silence fell around the fire. Lane stood there for a few seconds. Everyone who knew him knew that Lane was always cold-blooded. He rarely showed his emotions.
But this moment was different.
Because two things in Lane's life never changed.
Family.
And the respect he had for his soldiers.
For him, war was not just strategy.
These people…
Were his responsibility.
Lane slowly lowered his cup.
The flames of the fire flickered in his eyes.
Evening had come, so Sara and Gorn had taken a short break. After their long march, they had stopped by the side of the road to rest. On the horizon, far away, Cornelo Forest could now be seen—like a dark mass of trees forming a shadow against the fading light.
Sara stared at that dark silhouette for a while.
Then she slowly walked closer to Gorn.
There was a faint trace of worry in her voice.
"I wonder if Lane and Edwick are alright," she said."My heart just doesn't feel at ease."
Gorn took a deep breath. His eyes briefly drifted toward the forest.
Then he lightly shrugged.
"If I know that boy even a little," he said calmly,"he has probably already cleared that forest by now."
He paused for a moment.
Then he slightly frowned.
"But still… yes. It's hard not to feel uneasy."
He shook his head.
"A forest that people avoided for years, said to be full of cursed creatures… being cleared by a ten-year-old child."
"And with a strategy he came up with himself."
Gorn let out a short laugh.
"If someone had told me that before, I would have laughed. I'd say, 'Is this some kind of joke?'"
Listening to Gorn's words, Sara felt slightly relieved. The anxiety inside her had not disappeared completely, but it had at least eased a little.
At that moment, someone who had been listening to their conversation from a distance began walking toward them.
Morris.
He approached them with slow steps. Looking at them, he spoke.
"Seems like you're worried deep down, Sara."
Sara gently nodded her head.
"Yes," she said quietly.
Morris smiled faintly.
"You all still underestimate him too much."
Gorn and Sara both looked at him.
Morris continued.
"He is already a very intelligent and cunning child."
Then his voice took on a more meaningful tone.
"But that's not where it ends. He carries the blood of both his father and his mother."
Hearing this, Sara raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Morris began explaining.
"Once, because of work, I had to visit the SkyDrane Dynasty."
He paused for a moment, as if recalling an old memory. Then he looked at Sara and Gorn and asked,
"Do you know why that kingdom has never truly been threatened until now? And why it still stands as a single kingdom?"
Gorn answered without thinking.
"Because they descend from dragon blood?"
Morris nodded. "Yes, that is part of it."
Then he slightly tilted his head. "But that isn't the real reason."
His eyes grew serious. "The real reason is the way their kingdom is governed."
He took a step closer.
"They have a system completely different from the other empires. And most importantly…"
"In their army, merit is valued above everything else."
His voice hardened slightly.
"From a military standpoint, no one can compete with them."
Gorn listened carefully. Morris continued.
"In war they have their own unique discipline and tactics. Every soldier is raised for battle from childhood."
Sara frowned with curiosity.
"If they are that strong," she said, then why did they lose the Talas War?"
Morris took a deep breath. "From what I heard…"
He paused.
"The real reason they lost that war was betrayal from within." Sara and Gorn listened silently. Morris finished his words.
"And despite fighting with a much smaller army…"
He narrowed his eyes and added, "They still managed to destroy more than half of the armies of two empires."
Morris continued speaking about the SkyDrane Dynasty.
"The dynasty Lane belongs to," he said slowly, "had three marquisates and two duchies."
He paused and looked toward the sky as if searching through his memory.
"One of the duchies already came directly from the royal bloodline. The duchy Lane's mother belongs to also comes from the same family name."
Then he slightly frowned. "If I remember correctly… the Fifth Patriarch made his own brother the Duke of SkyDrane. That is why they share the same surname."
Gorn listened quietly. Morris continued.
"That is also where the white hair trait comes from." He slightly nodded.
"That duchy is the second backbone of the dynasty. They are especially famous for using dragon mana in their magic."
There was a hint of admiration in his voice.
"In the past, many powerful mages came from that lineage." Hearing this, Gorn nodded in agreement.
"Yes… yes, I remember now," he said. He paused for a moment as if thinking about the past.
"The Patriarch before the current one… during the war against demonic creatures, he inflicted even more damage on the monsters than the Holy Empire did."
Gorn smiled slightly. "Their mages were truly powerful. I remember."
Sara, however, remained silent as she listened to them.
This was the first real information she had ever learned about Lane's family.
And deep inside, she began to realize something.
Lane came from a far greater legacy than she had ever imagined.