At dawn, Seraph gathered everyone to brief them on the battle plan for the day.
He divided the forces into four groups and assigned each their positions with clear precision.
Group One would remain hidden behind the cave,
consisting of twenty mages and ten trainee soldiers.
Groups Two and Three formed the left and right wings.
Each group contained fifteen mages and twenty-five trainees,
lying in ambush on both sides of the forest line.
Group Four, the remaining ten soldiers,
was tasked with luring the Calami out of the cave.
Seraph continued his explanation.
The plan would rely on three signals.
The first signal would be a long-range attack to provoke the Calami into leaving the cave.
After that, Group Four would draw them toward the cliff.
At the second signal, Groups Two and Three would close in from both sides,
forcing the Calami to remain trapped between the cave entrance and the cliff.
At the third signal, Group Four was to retreat immediately from the cliff's edge.
At the same time, the mages of all three groups would cast water spells,
firing them along the cave's path to sweep the Calami over the cliff.
Seraph emphasized one final warning—
all soldiers were to withdraw from the attack zone as soon as the signal was given.
Once the briefing was complete, he ordered the troops to form their assigned units.
Ryn and Goran were placed in Group Four.
Soon after, the order to advance was issued.
As they marched, Goran muttered as usual,
"Here we go again. You've been put in the most dangerous position again."
Ryn chuckled softly.
"This time it's different."
Goran frowned.
"How is it different? The last two times, you were on the front lines too—
and you're not exactly built like a fortress."
Ryn replied calmly,
"After what you've seen these past two missions…
if you were the commander, where would you place me?"
Goran paused, then nodded in realization.
"Yeah… you're right. I'd put you in front too."
Ryn simply smiled faintly.
When the army reached the Calami's cave,
Seraph raised his hand and silently signaled the troops to disperse to their positions.
He and his aide withdrew to the rear to oversee the operation,
while the Warden was sent to command the right flank.
Once everything was in place,
a fire spell was launched from the Warden's position straight toward the cave entrance.
BOOM!
The explosion thundered through the air, and the Calami swarm rushed out of the cave at once.
The moment they emerged, they collided head-on with the soldiers of Group Four.
The creatures roared ferociously and charged after the troops who served as bait.
Group Four fought while retreating, doing everything they could to hold the Calami's attention and lure as many of them forward as possible.
Everything unfolded exactly as planned.
The signals were given, and Groups Two and Three moved in from both sides, tightening their formation to trap the Calami within the designated zone—
between the cave entrance and the cliff.
Then, at last,
the final signal was fired.
The soldiers of Group Four immediately scattered away from the cliff's edge.
At the same time, the mages of every group began casting water spells in unison.
Streams of water surged in from all directions, merging into a massive torrent that swept the entire Calami swarm over the cliff.
Their bodies were carried away by the raging current, smashing against the rocks below until their lives were finally extinguished.
Some Calami that avoided being swept over the edge were quickly eliminated by the remaining soldiers, until the very last one collapsed.
Wild cheers erupted from both soldiers and mages alike.
The victory had been astonishingly easy—
a triumph achieved with minimal effort, all thanks to Seraph's carefully crafted plan.
Seraph and Rennford, though pleased with the outcome, couldn't help but feel relieved that their strategy had worked so perfectly.
The two rode their horses to the cave entrance and dismounted.
The sound of celebration still echoed loudly.
Seraph raised his voice.
"Silence! The mission isn't over yet!"
The cheers gradually faded until the area fell nearly silent.
He scanned the surroundings before calling out,
"Sir Ryn."
The nearby soldiers stiffened in surprise.
The divine commander was addressing Ryn with clear respect.
Seraph continued,
"I ask that you—and your comrades in Group Four—enter the cave with us."
He paused briefly, then added,
"This is not an order. It is a request.
I don't know what awaits us inside, but if you all accompany us, I will feel far more at ease."
The ten soldiers of Group Four exchanged glances.
Still riding high on the thrill of their easy victory, they urged Ryn to accept.