Chapter 84 - Taking Chances

“It was in my plan to fight them anyway, but I am surprised that you didn’t tell me to interfere in their battle with the others and the captains.”

“The truth is, I want to do that, but I don’t want to cause discord among us by forcing people to do what they don’t want. Still, this is truly annoying, so I will think of ways that will help me avoid this kind of nuisance in the future.”

Liry was annoyed, and for once, she didn’t bother to hide it. It was clear to her that people were allowing their pride to cloud their judgment, and she found it frustrating. While she could understand the desire for individuals to protect their pride, she struggled to comprehend how something immaterial could be more important than tangible results that affected the real world.

In Liry’s eyes, the battlefield was no place for ego or vanity. Lives were on the line, and the outcomes of battles had real and lasting consequences. She couldn’t fathom how some individuals prioritized their own pride over the well-being of their comrades or the success of their mission.

To Liry, what mattered most were results: achieving victory, protecting lives, and accomplishing the objectives at hand. She believed that success on the battlefield required pragmatism, adaptability, and a willingness to set aside personal pride for the greater good.

“I hope that it will be something interesting. Well then, I am off.”

Zelos wanted to use all the chances that he had to train and not waste them, so he soon left the tent. At the same time, the others couldn’t help but feel a bit bothered by that. They were the guards of the commander, their job was the most important and yet, they felt like they weren’t doing enough thanks to Zelos’s hard work.

“We will operate close to the front lines this time around. In case these reinforcements are better than I predicted, then we will have to show everything that we have.”

The group looked at Liry, wondering if she was talking about her voice… their instincts told them that it was better if they didn’t rely on that, and with that in mind, they began to think about what they could do to improve their odds on the next battle.

The best option appeared to be Kaitrine… with her speed, she could take down most enemies in the blink of an eye, but her trait wasn’t one without demerits. Kaitrine’s speed trait, while advantageous in many situations, could become troublesome for her in the middle of a battlefield with thousands of people around.

With her heightened speed, Kaitrine may find it difficult to control her movements, especially in crowded or chaotic environments. She could inadvertently collide with allies or obstacles, disrupting formations or causing unintended harm.

In a battlefield filled with thousands of people, there’s limited space to maneuver. Kaitrine’s enhanced speed might make it challenging for her to navigate through the throngs of soldiers, potentially leading to her becoming trapped or surrounded by enemies.

While her speed can help her evade direct attacks, Kaitrine may be more susceptible to falling into traps or ambushes. Her focus on speed may cause her to overlook potential hazards or fail to detect hidden traps lying in wait.

It was a tough call to make and in the end, they couldn’t tell others to take that many risks.

……

While the others were thinking about that kind of stuff, Zelos went to train behind the hills once again. While swinging his sword, he couldn’t help but let his heart race… the idea of facing enemies that came from an unknown land truly excited him, it made him realize how big the world was. It wasn’t just made that single continent with twenty or so countries.

Now that he thought about it, Zelos realized that perhaps sticking to a single place and fighting for the country that enslaved him certainly was a bad move. Putting his business aside, he had all the reasons to leave. Working for other countries as a sellsword and learning and visiting other parts of the world seemed much more exciting.

Still, acting based on emotion or excitement wasn’t Zelos’s style. He had to be more pragmatic about things. He was slowly building his business, and it reached a point where he didn’t have to worry about money or food. Since he didn’t live a life of luxury, he had more than enough for him.

“My roots are already here… perhaps I can make this shitty place improve for the better. At the same time, there are some people here whom I want to help.”

Besides, it wasn’t like everyone there was a piece of shit. Reina was someone who deserved his respect, and he believed that someone like her probably could make a lot of changes soon if she desired to do so. The only problem was the fact that she didn’t want that until now.

“I guess if I want changes, I will have to make them happen.”

The truth of the matter was that every single country in the continent was always waging war when they wanted to. This meant that simply moving to another country and working for their whims wouldn’t work for Zelos. In the end, he had to use the system and the conditions to reach his own goals.

In a world where conflict was rampant, and allegiances shifted like the wind, Zelos understood that there was no escaping the reality of war. No matter where he went, the cycle of violence followed. Aligning himself with a different nation wouldn’t change this fundamental truth.

Instead, Zelos recognized that he had to navigate within the system to achieve his objectives. He couldn’t afford to be a mere pawn in someone else’s game. By understanding the political landscape, leveraging his skills and abilities, and making strategic alliances, he could carve out his own path amidst the chaos.

While the thought of working for countries that had once enslaved him might seem distasteful, Zelos realized that he could use their resources and influence to further his own agenda. It wasn’t about blind loyalty or patriotism; it was about survival and achieving his goals by any means necessary.

In the end, Zelos managed to stay focused on training during the rest of the day, but when the next day arrived, scouts came and informed them that the enemies were making large moves with all of their troops. Zelos soon went to join Loan at the front lines after his breakfast and found him a bit more serious than usual. While that wasn’t something he usually would do, Zelos decided to ask.

“What is wrong?” 

“You tell me,” 

“You are the one who is looking like needs to go to the bathroom but can’t since a battle is approaching. You should know how things end badly for those who end up holding their shit in the middle of a battle.”

“Your sense of humor is quite weird. You must be thinking that we are a lot more stupid than you assumed for worrying about our pride in the middle of a battle like this, don’t you? Even more so, not saying that we would follow our orders given by Her Majesty.”

“For me, it is whatever. You can follow your code, and I will follow mine. It isn’t like I consider the way of thinking of others when I am planning to reach my own goals, after all.”

Loan was grateful for Zelos’s honesty. He could tell that Zelos was a lot more pragmatic than most warriors, and while he didn’t know the specifics of Zelos’s motivations, he sensed that he had his reasons. Still, this put them in a difficult spot since Zelos didn’t fully agree with the elite group’s objectives.

Zelos’s straightforwardness was a breath of fresh air to Loan. In a world where deception and hidden agendas were commonplace, Zelos’s honesty stood out, considering how close he was to the princess. It was clear that Zelos wasn’t blindly following orders or adhering to the traditional ideals of honor and glory in battle. Instead, he approached the situation with a practical mindset, focused on achieving his goals by whatever means necessary.

Despite not fully aligning with the elite group’s beliefs, Loan respected Zelos’s perspective. He recognized that Zelos’s pragmatism could be a valuable asset, especially in the unpredictable and treacherous world of warfare.

In any case, that conversation will have to continue later since Zelos felt the ground shaking, and soon Loan felt the same thing. When they looked in the distance, they saw a massive sea of enemies charging at them. 

“Assume your positions. It seems that this one will last for a while. It is finally time to finish things here, everyone. Unless those cowardly invaders decide to run again.”

The warriors shouted in response to Loan’s words, and soon, they began to roar even more for some reason. When he looked behind, Zelos saw Liry and the others approaching the battlefield. It looked like they were planning to make the enemies quite eager to charge toward them.

‘We truly have to finish things here as soon as possible. So, I will have to take my chances as well.’

Zelos took a deep breath… from the very beginning, he was willing to fight to the death to reach his goals. That was his level of determination, but it was the first time that he was actively seeking something like that. Against powerful unknown enemies, the best way to deal with them is to make them think that they got him and then got them before it was too late… it was truly a suicidal tactic.

In any case, tension on both sides increased as the armies approached each other. At that point, it truly felt like the tension was becoming physical since Zelos felt something pressing him down, making him feel like his body was getting heavier. Still, at the time, he didn’t hesitate and charged toward the enemies alongside Loan and the others.