Inside the cave, Haruto sat atop a roughly carved log, surrounded by the group that now looked very different from what he remembered. The once frail goblins had transformed into sturdier, taller hobgoblins, their presence filling the space with a newfound solidity. There was strength in the air now—raw, unrefined, but undeniably real.
Beside him, Hana sat cross-legged, absentmindedly tracing shapes along the dirt floor with her finger, her expression caught somewhere between boredom and quiet curiosity as she half-listened to the discussion.
Haruto, on the other hand, had his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping across everyone as he began.
"Here's the situation," he said calmly. "We're standing right in the middle of something dangerous. The Crimson Battalion isn't just a threat—they're overwhelming. I don't think I need to explain that part."
The response was immediate. Every head in the cave nodded in unison.
"Good," he continued, slightly adjusting his posture. "Then if we're actually serious about building a home, it can't just be anywhere. It has to be somewhere they can't reach easily… or at the very least, somewhere we can survive if they do."
He raised three fingers.
"There are three main requirements."
His tone shifted, becoming more deliberate as he began counting them down.
"First—habitability. We need access to clean water, fertile ground, and enough surrounding forest to sustain ourselves. It doesn't all have to be right on top of us, but it needs to be close enough to rely on."
A brief pause followed before he raised a second finger.
"Second—natural protection. The environment itself should work in our favor. For example, going underground shields us from fire, lightning, and even certain aerial threats. But in exchange, we become vulnerable to flooding or structural collapse. On the other hand, building above ground—like on trees—means dealing with wind, instability, and fire hazards. Every choice has risks. The key is choosing the ones we can manage."
Then, the third.
"Third—visibility and control. We need a layout that allows us to monitor incoming threats. Open terrain is ideal for defense, but even better would be something like an island. A controlled entry point limits how enemies approach us. If we reinforce that properly, we can turn defense into an advantage instead of a weakness."
He lowered his hand, glancing around.
To his mild surprise, every single one of them was listening intently.
Not just listening—but thinking.
For a moment, the cave felt less like a shelter and more like the early foundation of something structured.
Then, a hand slowly rose.
Luna.
Haruto nodded toward her. "Go ahead."
She hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "About the underground aspect… could we use that against them as well? The Crimson ants rely heavily on tunnels for movement. If we understand that structure… maybe we can turn it into a weakness."
Her voice wavered slightly at first, but she pressed on.
"If we set traps underground… collapsing sections, or triggering explosions… we might be able to trap their forces inside. And if we built near a water source…" she paused, her confidence faltering just a bit, "then maybe we could redirect the water into those tunnels. If they try to dig toward us, they might end up flooding themselves."
She trailed off, unsure.
But Haruto had already picked up the thread.
"Use the water flow as a countermeasure," he said, thinking aloud. "Force them into their own disadvantage. Since they rely on tunnels, turning those same tunnels into death traps makes sense."
Luna nodded nervously, her eyes flickering between him and the ground.
For a brief moment, silence settled.
Then Haruto stood up and walked over to her.
"You've got good instincts," he said, a faint smile forming as he placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair lightly. "That's solid defensive thinking."
Her entire body stiffened.
He continued, raising a finger as he expanded on her idea.
"If we refine that approach, it becomes a specialized counter against the ants themselves. Flooding is especially effective. Earth-based collapses are something they might recover from, but water? That's harder to deal with—especially for something adapted to heat."
His gaze sharpened slightly as the logic aligned.
"And if their internal temperature runs higher, that makes them even more vulnerable to extreme cold or rapid cooling. There's a pattern there. Something we can exploit."
He glanced back at her.
"But like any tactic, it can't be our only option. Still… the way you're thinking ahead like this? That's exactly what we need."
A small pause.
"Keep it up."
The reaction was immediate.
"Great job, Luna!"
"That was really smart!"
"You thought of that all on your own?"
Voices overlapped as praise poured in from all directions.
Luna froze.
Her face flushed a deep shade as she lowered her head, completely overwhelmed. Her fingers curled slightly as if she didn't know where to place them, her usual composure crumbling under something as simple as approval.
It was unfamiliar.
Too unfamiliar.
She had spent most of her life being the odd one out—the one who asked too many questions, who overthought things, who complicated what others accepted as natural. That curiosity had never been rewarded. If anything, it had only ever caused friction.
And yet now—
Someone had acknowledged it.
Valued it.
Haruto noticed the shift almost immediately.
Ah… so she's not used to this.
A quiet understanding passed through him.
Without making a big deal out of it, he stepped back and lightly cleared his throat.
"Alright, settle down," he said, redirecting the room's attention. "Let's focus."
The chatter died down almost instantly.
His gaze swept across them again.
"Does anyone know a place that fits those conditions?"
This time, the silence lasted longer.
Then, slowly, another hand rose.
"Frenia, right?" Haruto asked.
The girl nodded, though hesitation lingered in her expression. "There… is a place. It matches most of what you described. But… it's already part of lizardmen territory."
Haruto's interest sharpened slightly. "Go on."
"The main tribe resides on an island within a large lake," she explained. "And within that lake, there is a second island. That area could work, but… it still belongs to them."
Before Haruto could respond, another voice cut in.
"My lord," a male hobgoblin spoke, stepping forward slightly. "I've been there before. I would strongly advise against approaching them."
Haruto tilted his head. "They're that dangerous?"
"Not exactly," the man replied carefully. "But they are extremely hostile toward outsiders. Especially humans, elves… and dwarves."
Haruto exhaled quietly.
So… territorial to the extreme.
The hobgoblin continued, his tone growing more serious.
"That particular tribe is said to descend from ancient dragons. While they are not true dragons, nor even half-breeds, traces of that lineage still remain."
"Which means pride," Haruto added, already understanding.
"And strength," the man confirmed. "Their chieftain, in particular… is said to rival the ogre chieftain in both combat ability and experience."
A low hum escaped Haruto as he folded his arms again, his thoughts turning.
Before he could speak, Hana's voice cut in from behind him.
"Then we drop it," she said bluntly, now sitting where he had been earlier. "There's no way we fight something like that just to claim land."
Haruto glanced at her. "What about negotiation? Trade something for the territory?"
She didn't even hesitate.
"No."
The firmness in her voice made several of the hobgoblins straighten instinctively.
"Even if we somehow got the land," she continued, "we'd be placing ourselves right next to a stronger force. That's asking for trouble. Negotiations only work when both sides are equal—or at least close enough that betrayal has consequences."
Her eyes met his.
"We're not there yet."
The cave fell quiet.
Haruto couldn't argue with that.
She was right.
The hobgoblins seemed to grasp it as well, their expressions shifting slightly as reality settled in. Compared to both the Crimson Battalion and other major forces in the forest, their current strength was… insignificant.
That awareness alone was enough to tighten the atmosphere.
Haruto noticed it immediately.
The weight.
The doubt.
And just as quickly, he pushed past it, forcing his thoughts forward.
If direct strength wasn't enough, then positioning had to compensate.
"There has to be something…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
His mind sifted through possibilities, discarding one after another.
Then—
Something clicked.
His gaze snapped toward Hana.
"…Wait."
She raised a brow.
"What about the Lake of Nightmares?"
...