"How do you know all this?" Senior asked uncertainly. "Isn't that kind of information supposed to be highly confidential? I'm sure the gods of Olympus wouldn't want their reputation to be ruined."
"Heh." Junior let out a bitter chuckle. "More than ten thousand years have passed since then. Alexander's glory faded into history long ago. Only powerful rulers still remember his story and the lesson he left behind. Never go against the gods.
It just so happened that my grandfather was a Roman consul and knew certain secrets that were never meant to see the light of day. Maybe that's why he..." Junior stopped himself halfway through.
"Enough about that! I answered your question..."
"Wait!" Senior quickly interrupted him. "Answer one last thing. How did you survive when Apollo wanted to get rid of you?"
Junior frowned as if he had no desire to answer. But he understood that Senior shared the same body with him, which meant their fates were tied together. It was only fair to clear up the doubts that directly concerned their survival.
"I don't know!" Junior admitted bitterly. "Maybe he never wanted to kill me in the first place. Maybe he simply thought it was too disgraceful to personally deal with a child. Or maybe he wanted to prove he wasn't afraid of the prophecy and wasn't afraid to leave me alive. Who knows what goes on in a god's mind?!"
Those words were so painful to say that Junior almost burst into tears. No one understood better than he did how cruel it was to realize that his entire life had been both destroyed and saved by nothing more than someone else's whim.
He had to take several deep breaths before he finally calmed down and returned to the matter at hand.
"Are you done? Are we going to figure out what to do with those fucking cultists today, or are we going to keep wasting time on bullshit we can't do a damn thing about with our pathetic strength?"
That single sentence was enough for Senior to realize that Junior's patience had reached its limit and his emotions were slowly slipping out of control.
Right now, both of them needed to let off some steam and prove their worth. Those cultists would make the perfect stepping stone, one they would rip out by the roots.
"Let's forget about asking Lady Veronika for help. What if we report their activities to the Church of the One God? It's the official religion of the Magic Empire. They definitely aren't afraid of anyone, and they'd be happy to have a reason to get rid of heretics."
"I don't think that's a good idea. We already know the cult has close ties to the city lord, and he definitely works with the clergy. We're out on the frontier, and corruption runs rampant here. If we want the Church of the One God to take action, we'll need solid evidence. Better yet, we'd have to send the survivors there in person. But who's to say they wouldn't quietly get rid of them instead?"
"You're right, but we have to consider every option," Senior replied calmly. He had expected that answer. "In that case, we'll have to get our hands dirty."
"You're suggesting...?"
"Of course. It's obvious. We'd be fools to let an opportunity like this slip away."
"You or me?" Junior asked, more out of courtesy than anything else.
"You do it." Senior took control of their hand and flicked it as if brushing away an annoying fly. "Your subordinates should accept their leader for who he is, but it's better to give them some time to get used to your style..."
"If you say so." Junior rolled his eyes.
Just as the teenagers were about to dump the bodies into a deep pit, Grey clapped his hands and walked over.
Junior tried to imitate Senior's way of dealing with subordinates, so he smacked one of the boys carrying a corpse on the back of the head.
"Idiot. Why are you burying him with his weapon? Do you think I'm made of money?"
The teenager flinched and slowly turned around, staring into his commander's icy eyes.
"N-no, sir. I just... I just..."
"Enough. Fall in line. I have a few words to say."
"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."
Grey shook his head. He wasn't used to such a formal way of addressing him, but he found it rather satisfying. Fewer words, more action. That was his motto. The military way suited his personality well.
Once everyone had lined up, he stepped forward and calmly swept his gaze across them. Lili and Cheryl stood awkwardly behind him.
"You heard every word that cultist said, so you know the situation just as well as I do. They're searching for you everywhere. They won't stop as long as even one of the escapees is still breathing. And do you know what that means?"
Without waiting for an answer, he continued.
"It means they're panicking, but they still don't see you as a serious threat. It means we have an opportunity. It means our mission is now the same as theirs. We'll hunt them down one by one.
Starting today, until further orders, I am declaring the beginning of Operation 'Even a Lion Falls to the Pack.' We'll track down small scouting groups, lure them into traps, and eliminate them.
Any questions?"
Although Grey spoke calmly, without raising his voice or showing much emotion, the teenagers could sense the bloodlust behind his words. Their fists clenched, and a predatory gleam lit up their eyes. They could already taste what their revenge would be like.
"NO, SIR!" a chorus of voices answered.
"Good." Grey nodded. "And one more thing. If I ever see someone injure a teammate through carelessness again, I'll make you run around Thorn's Cloaca naked while shouting, 'I'm a worthless little piece of shit!' Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," the chorus replied, though with far less confidence this time.
...
Not far away, two women stood behind a tree, watching everything that had happened since the teenagers arrived and chose the site for their ambush.
"What do you think, Lydia? Are you satisfied with your daughter's performance?"
"Not bad for her first time, but the cripple still did better. I can't decide whether to praise her or scold her..."
"Let it go... He's the one in charge, after all. It would be strange if your daughter outshined him."
"What's so strange about that? Only the strongest can be a leader. Little Grey is an excellent strategist and a decent speaker, but he's incapable of bearing responsibility."
"Didn't you just say he did an excellent job? Why are you so certain?"
"He did, this time. But don't forget, their enemies were only a Centurion and two Legionaries. They're still mortals, just a little stronger than ordinary people. What does beating them really mean? As their cultivation level rises, the gap in strength will become an insurmountable obstacle for him. He simply won't be able to step onto the battlefield. The moment he does, he'll be killed."
"He doesn't have to appear there himself. Giving the orders is enough."
Lydia shook her head with a crooked smile.
"Do you really believe that yourself? I know he's handsome, and I want him to succeed too, but we live in a world ruled by the strong, and we're forced to play by its rules. Who would entrust their life to a weakling? How can you hold onto power when a single sneeze from one of your subordinates could cost you your life? On top of that, there's always the risk of an accident and a short lifespan.
Grey has a ceiling. Lili doesn't.
I only hope that girl doesn't grow too attached to him and sees their partnership as nothing more than part of her training."
They spoke without lowering their voices and showed no concern about being discovered, because Lydia had activated Psychological Invisibility, a high-level racial spell.
Anyone who had not reached her level would be unable to notice their presence, even if they were standing right in front of them. Every sound, scent, and trace of their presence would be perceived as nothing more than background noise, something not worth paying attention to.
"How cynical... Tsk... I'll never be able to trust you if that's how you think..."
"Hey, I'm a demon. The fact that I honestly told you what I think should already count as proof of my sincerity. Besides, you think exactly the same way. Otherwise, you would've lectured me a long time ago."
Lydia looked at her companion with a strange expression, as if she couldn't understand what the other woman had expected to hear.
The woman met the succubus's gaze without the slightest hesitation and smiled beneath her hood. Her smile was every bit as cunning as Lydia's.
"Care to make a bet?"
"Hey, do I look like an idiot? Of course everything changes once you add yourself to the equation. With your support, that little boy can do whatever he wants. But can you heal him?"
The woman remained silent.
"You're so boring... Fine, I'll stop teasing you. What do you think of the others?"
"The boy with the sword is good. He has the potential to become a true specialist. Talent like his is hard to find, though he's just as difficult to train.
The barbarian with the club is far more predictable. His future is already set. He'll grow into a very powerful fighter, as long as he doesn't get himself killed doing something stupid.
The archer didn't show anything impressive.
The assassin is the best one here. If I were choosing a subordinate, I'd take him without hesitation. His movements are precise and decisive, his mind stays cool, and his obedience is exemplary. Give him a little talent, and he'll become a terrifying figure.
Sunny is too restrained and thinks far too much. Someone like that won't survive on the battlefield.
And Cheryl... Well, she's Cheryl... She doesn't belong here at all..."
"..." She stared at her intently.
"What?"
"You weren't finished."
"You want me to evaluate everyone? Isn't that a bit much for such a short fight? I'm not a god."
"..." She continued staring.
"Fine. If you insist.
Achill. Is there even anything to say? He's a cultivation prodigy who reached the rank of Centurion at the age of twelve. If he doesn't die young, he'll grow into an extremely powerful expert.
As for the rest, they're mediocre. No training, no discipline. It's far too early to judge them. They haven't even begun walking the path of cultivation yet. What is there to talk about? I didn't notice any exceptional talent among them."
"And what about the little witch?"
"I hate witches. They're even more vicious than demons. Can I skip her?"
"..." She stared at her intently.
"She's Grey's foundation, and she'll never betray him. Unlike Cheryl, she has the potential to become strong. I still haven't seen her unique abilities, and I suspect she hasn't learned how to use them yet. She's worth investing in."
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Oh, get lost!" Lydia waved her hand as if she had already done more than enough and intended to ignore her companion from now on.
Grey turned and looked toward the forest. His eyes narrowed, and his brows furrowed.
At that moment, he felt someone cast a strange gaze in his direction. But since he sensed no hostility, he decided he had imagined it.
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