Ren followed Aisen into the tent.
The last light of dusk was immediately blocked out by the thick curtain, leaving behind a dim space, so quiet that the rustle of the tent fabric in the wind could be clearly heard.
There was nothing lavish here, just a worn-out cloth spread across the ground, seemingly used to insulate from the cold, damp earth.
At the center of the room stood a simple wooden table, its surface worn and cracked with age. On it, scrolls and documents were neatly stacked, orderly as if reflecting the personality of the one who worked there.
Seated behind the table was a man.
He had short, neatly cropped hair streaked with silver, and dark, weathered skin bearing the tone of a battle-worn Dark Elf.
High cheekbones, deep-set eyes as cold as if they'd just walked out of a storm. He was bent over a scroll laid open before him, fingers slowly tapping on the table's surface as if weighing something of great importance.
Only when the footsteps stopped did he raise his head.
His gaze swept past Aisen, then landed on Ren. There was no surprise, no rush, only a cold, steel-like assessment that made the air inside the tent suddenly heavier.
Aisen was the one to break the tension first.
"Commander," he stepped forward, voice as casually light as ever. "I brought someone in from outside. He supported us at the northern forest edge. And I think… you should meet him."
The commander didn't look up. His voice was deep, dry, like a blade sliding over a whetstone.
"I don't have time to entertain strangers."
"But he helped me," Aisen pressed, this time his tone more serious.
The commander raised his head. That icy gaze bore into Aisen, then flicked to Ren, like eyeing a strange bloodstain on a war map.
"And you think that's enough reason for me to risk this entire camp?"
Aisen opened his mouth, but the man's voice cut sharper:
"The situation is already unstable. I don't need another doubt added to the pile."
His eyes returned to Ren, sharp as a sheathed sword.
"What guarantee do you have that he's not a Forest Elf spy? A handshake? A sincere look?"
He folded his arms, voice even but filled with suspicion.
"We do not place trust in outsiders, Aisen. You know that well."
Aisen froze for a moment. His gaze flickered, as though weighing his next move.
Then he chuckled quietly, quickly slipping back into his usual playfulness. He stepped forward, hands raised, palms up in a gesture half-pleading, half-mocking.
"Alright then… let's say he is a spy," he said, one eyebrow arched. "What kind of spy gets ambushed by the very Forest Elves he's supposedly working for?"
The commander didn't budge. His reply was curt, voice dry as ash, "Could've been a poorly staged act."
Aisen tilted his head, clicking his tongue like he was impressed by the man's suspicion. But then his gaze shifted to Ren, his eyes dropping slightly, unexpectedly serious for once.
"Maybe," he said softly. "But… I don't see that rotten feeling in him like the Forest Elves have. He doesn't look at me like I'm some item to be bartered. Besides, the two people that Knight Kizmel brought back, weren't they considered trustworthy?"
He turned back to the commander, no longer smiling. "And sometimes, instinct is worth more than a hundred reports."
The commander gave no reply, just stared silently at Ren, gaze sharp enough to pierce flesh and bone. Then he exhaled faintly, a breath barely audible, like a suppressed sigh.
Aisen didn't let the silence stretch. "I know I talk too much. But this time, I'm sure. This kid isn't the kind we need to tie up and interrogate."
The commander furrowed his brow slightly. His knife-like gaze passed over Ren once more. He tilted his head, voice dropping even lower, each word like a slow thud on the quiet earth.
"Raise your head, human. What is your name? Why are you here?"
Ren raised his head. The motion was calm, unresisting.
His eyes were steady, not blank, but lit with the quiet reflection of someone carefully reading every word, every glance in this tent. He drew in a soft breath, as though pulling his voice from deep within his chest.
"Ren," he answered, voice hoarse like wind sweeping through dry grass after a long, silent journey. "I don't know… He just dragged me to your camp, like this."
He glanced at Aisen, not accusatory, just a straightforward acknowledgment.
Aisen shrugged, smiling faintly, hands still tucked into his cloak. "Half the time I don't know what I'm doing either, Commander."
The reply made the commander's eyes narrow slightly. No clear reaction, just a heavy silence in his gaze.
After a moment, he gave a small nod.
"I don't trust you. But if Aisen is willing to take responsibility, I'll allow you to stay… within limits."
He turned away, eyes settling on an open map.
"How long you survive within those limits… is up to you."
Just then, a soft series of electronic chimes echoed faintly in Ren's ears. A system window appeared before him, pale blue light standing out in the tension-filled tent air.
[You have activated a Hidden Event.]
[From now on, you can interact with and receive quests from the Dark Elves.]
[However, they will not easily place trust in a suspicious outsider.]
[You must build your credibility and reputation among them.]
[Relationship with Dark Elves: 0] (Neutral)
[Relationship with Forest Elves: -1] (Neutral)
Ren glanced at the notification, then immediately turned it off.
He said nothing, but his eyes shifted slightly.
In that moment, it felt like everything around him suddenly became... clearer.
Ren followed Aisen out of the tent.
The air outside was a bit easier to breathe, but it still carried the lingering scent of burnt wood and rusted iron, the signature smell of a military camp stretched thin in the middle of a forest.
The sky had sunk completely into darkness.Around them, torches were lit, casting a dim amber glow over the fabric tents.
Faint lights inside had also been turned on, forming flickering shadows behind the thick layers of canvas.
The fog seemed to be thickening, crawling past each footstep, sending a shiver through Ren's skin with its creeping cold.
Aisen slumped his shoulders with a sigh, then started rambling, as if he no longer cared to hold back:
"See? Told you. Talking to him is like throwing a rock into a stagnant pond. The surface looks calm, but the second the rock touches it, all the muck comes floating up."
He tilted his head back, looked at the sky, clicked his tongue in weary frustration, then shook his head like he'd just finished a test with no right answers.
"Our commander, huh... looks all cold, cool, the whole 'strategist' vibe… but deep down? Just a stubborn old man no one can stand."
Aisen glanced sideways at Ren, smirking. "Don't let that dignified look fool you."
He stepped closer, gave Ren two pats on the shoulder, light, but full of meaning.
"But hey, at least you made it out alive. No beheading, no crucifixion, no getting kicked out of the camp. I'd call that a decent start."
"Well then, enjoy your first night here... make it memorable."
Aisen chuckled softly, half blessing, half teasing. Then, without another word, he turned and slowly walked off into the darkness between the rows of tents.
Ren watched him go, confused for a brief moment.
Only when Aisen's figure was almost out of sight did he suddenly remember something important.
"Wait…! You still haven't told me… where do I sleep tonight?"
He called out, voice filled with confusion and a hint of desperation.
But Aisen was already too far.
Maybe he didn't hear. Or maybe… he heard, but didn't care to stop.
Ren let out a sigh, eyes still fixed on the direction Aisen had disappeared.With no other choice, he quietly turned back, heading toward the barricade where a few guards stood watch.
He nodded in greeting, trying to keep his voice steady, "Hi… I just wanted to ask…"
But no one responded.
One of them glanced over, their eyes cold, brushing past Ren's face like he was a stranger who'd wandered into forbidden territory.
Ren bit his lower lip, then tried walking around the camp, striking up conversations with a few others, warriors sharpening their weapons, support staff carrying crates, even a girl tending a fire in the corner of the camp.
It didn't go much better.
They ignored him.
Or if they did look, it was with wary, suspicious eyes.
Ren came to a halt in the middle of the open space inside the camp.
Under the pale torchlight, he scratched his head, face tinged slightly red with embarrassment.
'I need to do something to speed up my relationship with them… otherwise no one's going to trust me.'
Ren paused, glancing around again.
The night wind swept through the tents, carrying faint rustling sounds from deep within the forest.
He was starting to feel lost.
Was he really… going to have to sleep outside tonight?
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Ren clenched his fists, turned around, ready to head back to where he'd come from, when...
A dark figure swept across his vision.
Startled, he stepped back nearly a full stride.
It was a wolf, but not an ordinary one.
Its body was much larger, its sleek black fur shimmering faintly as if coated in moonlight.
Its eyes, golden like amber, stared directly at him.
Ren reflexively reached for his sword hilt. But then… he froze.
The wolf didn't growl, didn't pounce.
Its gaze was simply… cautious. And slightly curious.
Not the mindless aggression of a wild beast.
Something in its steady stance and the way its eyes seemed to be "assessing" him made Ren realize, it had been trained, or at the very least, tamed by the people here.
Ren lowered his hand from the hilt, took a deep breath, and began stepping closer, slowly, without sudden movement.
He just wanted to see… if he could approach it without getting bitten.
The wind kept blowing, and the wolf didn't budge, neither backing away nor moving forward.
As if… it was waiting to see what Ren would do next.