As the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon, that day's battle finally came to an end.
The last groups of demons had retreated to more distant regions of the battlefield, while soldiers and adventurers took advantage of the brief pause to reorganize their formations. The constant sound of clashing swords had faded away. It was now replaced by tired voices, military orders, and the relentless work of the healers.
I was exhausted.
Even sitting on a simple wooden crate near one of the tents, I could feel the weight in my body.
That day's battle had been much greater than I had imagined.
When I was given command of the adventurers, I thought leading simply meant organizing strategies and making important decisions.
The reality was very different.
Every order I gave could save lives.
But it could also cost lives.
And that was something that was beginning to weigh on my shoulders.
I looked over the enormous military camp set up near the front line.
Hundreds of campfires illuminated the approaching night.
Soldiers walked between the tents carrying equipment.
Some transported supplies.
Others carried wounded comrades to the medical areas.
The smell of smoke mixed with the scent of blood still lingered in the air.
It was impossible to ignore.
I let out a slow sigh.
"You're thinking too much."
I looked to the side.
Scarlett had approached without me noticing.
She was holding a metal mug filled with something hot.
Without saying a word, she placed the mug in my hands.
"Thank you."
"You look like you haven't slept in days."
"That might be true."
She let out a quiet laugh.
"If you keep this up, you'll collapse before you even face Vaelthor."
"I'm trying to avoid exactly that."
Scarlett sat down beside me.
For a few moments, we silently watched the activity around the camp.
It was strange.
Even in the middle of a war, those small moments of peace felt incredibly precious.
A little later, others began to approach.
Liriel was the first.
She carried several medicinal herbs in her hands.
"I finished helping the healers."
"How's the situation?"
She remained silent for a few moments.
"Better than I expected."
"But..."
"But?"
"There are a lot of wounded."
She lowered her gaze.
"More than I would have liked."
I didn't answer.
Because I knew exactly what she meant.
Some people would never return home.
It was a reality that couldn't be ignored.
Soon after, Elara and Vespera arrived.
Both looked exhausted.
Especially Vespera.
She had spent most of the day firing her bow without stopping.
She sat near the campfire and let out a long sigh.
"I never imagined a war would be so different from a mission."
"Do you regret it?" I asked.
She immediately shook her head.
"No."
"But now I understand why so many stories talk about the burden of war."
Elara nodded.
"On a mission, you fight monsters."
"In a war, you fight to stop thousands of people from dying."
No one answered.
Because it was true.
A little while later, Rai'kanna and Lyannis also arrived.
Rai'kanna carried a massive sword resting on her shoulder.
Even after hours of combat, she seemed to have enough energy to fight again.
She sat near the fire and grabbed a piece of bread.
"The demi-dragon soldiers are impressed with you."
I looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because you fought on the front line."
"To them, a commander usually stays behind."
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"And that greatly boosted the adventurers' morale."
"I noticed that too."
She then spread a small map across an improvised table.
"But there's a problem."
I looked at the map.
"What is it?"
"Fatigue."
Her expression was serious.
"Many adventurers used more mana than they should have today."
"If we keep this pace for several consecutive days, we'll run into trouble."
She was right.
It was something I had already begun to notice.
Even though they were experienced adventurers, few were accustomed to battles that lasted this long.
Fighting for hours was completely different from completing an ordinary mission.
I ran a hand through my hair.
"Then we need to create rotations."
Lyannis nodded.
"I was thinking exactly the same thing."
"We should also increase the rest periods."
"I agree."
The conversation continued for quite some time.
We discussed strategies.
Formations.
Supply routes.
Possible demon movements.
The more we analyzed the situation, the more one simple truth became clear.
This was only the beginning.
After a while, the group dispersed.
Some went to rest.
Others decided to help the soldiers.
I remained by the campfire, watching the sky.
The night was clear.
The stars shone above the battlefield.
For a few moments, it seemed impossible to believe that a war was taking place just beyond us.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds.
Then I heard footsteps approaching.
It was King Drakarion.
The King of the Demi-Dragons walked over to the campfire.
"May I sit down?"
"Of course."
He sat down calmly.
For a few moments, he simply watched the flames.
"You fought well today."
"Thank you."
"But you're tired."
I let out a quiet laugh.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Very."
He smiled.
"You remind me of someone."
"Who?"
"Myself."
I looked at him.
Drakarion rested his arms on his knees.
"When I was young, I believed I had to solve everything by myself."
"It took me many years to realize that was impossible."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"You have good companions."
"Trust them."
I looked toward the tents where the girls were.
"I do."
"Then don't carry the entire burden alone."
His words remained in my mind.
Perhaps because they were true.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Drakarion stood up.
"Get some rest."
"Tomorrow will be a difficult day."
I nodded.
He said goodbye and returned to his section of the camp.
I was alone once again.
The campfire gradually grew weaker.
Around me, the camp remained busy.
But something was different now.
A shared exhaustion.
A silent feeling that everyone was beginning to feel the weight of the war.
I was too.
I looked at my hands.
I could still feel the impact of the blows I had exchanged throughout the day.
I could still feel the constant drain on my mana.
And that had only been the first day.
If the battle continued for many more days...
How many more people would fall?
How many soldiers would survive?
How many adventurers would return home?
None of those questions had an answer.
I sighed.
Then I stood up.
I needed to rest.
Tomorrow there would be another battle.
And then another.
And another.
Before entering the tent, I looked north one last time.
Somewhere in that direction, far away, was Vaelthor.
The First General of the Demons.
The man responsible for leading that army.
The enemy I would have to face sooner or later.
But at that moment, one thing worried me even more.
It wasn't Vaelthor.
It was the exhaustion.
Because for the first time since the beginning of that campaign, I felt something I hadn't felt before.
My body was beginning to reach its limits.
And that made me realize that the true war might not be decided by strength alone.
Perhaps it would be decided by whoever could remain standing until the very end.
With that thought, I entered the tent and prepared to rest.
The next day's battle was already approaching.
And I knew it would be even more difficult than the last.