Part 1
General Ulises Montero had been marching for days with a caravan of ten thousand soldiers toward Mist Valley — a region forgotten since the war against the lycanthropes.
With every step, the air grew denser, and the fog thicker. That land was infamous for its perpetual mist, so impenetrable that most explorers deemed it uninhabitable.
But Ulises knew something lived there.
Something the maps could not record, and that the men of the kingdom pretended not to see.
If a force from that valley had defeated the war hero Hector Balliard, it could not be taken lightly.
When the army reached the border where the mist began to devour everything, the heroes stepped down from their carriages. That single gesture was enough to irritate the exhausted soldiers who had walked the entire journey on foot.
Kaede Minazuki was the first to approach the general.
"With all due respect, General… do you really think we can cross that fog?"
Ulises looked at her calmly.
"The problem isn't the fog, girl… it's what's hiding inside it."
Moments later, Haruto Kagawa crouched down, pressing his palm against the damp ground.
"I don't sense bloodlust, or any movement nearby…" he murmured. "It's as if nothing alive exists here."
Riku Daigo came up from behind and threw an arm around Kaede's shoulders.
"Don't worry, little one. If anything happens, my shield and I will protect you."
She slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me, idiot. This isn't a game."
Ulises dismounted his horse without paying them any mind. The young heroes still didn't understand what the silence of a dead field meant.
Each step he took toward the edge of the mist made his body tense a little more.
Throughout his career, he had faced horrors few could imagine, yet something in that air… something in that stillness… chilled his blood.
For the first time in years, his hand trembled.
Not from exhaustion.
But from fear.
The soldiers had already set up a large tent in the center of the camp. Ulises made his way there with the heroes as the mist slithered slowly between the tents, as if trying to listen to what they were planning.
Inside, the air smelled of iron, leather, and dampness. At the center stood a wide table with a map spread across it, covered in markings and notes.
"General Montero, we've been expecting you," said a young man in silver armor as he entered. His bearing was proud—almost arrogant—and he wore a medallion bearing the emblem of the Dragon Riders.
"Good morning, Sir Patrick. We finally meet," Ulises replied with calm composure.
Then he turned toward the heroes.
"I know you haven't had much time to get acquainted, so we should make the proper introductions."
He gestured toward the young man in shining armor.
"This is Sir Patrick Colem, officer of the Dragon Riders."
He turned toward a man with gray hair and thin glasses who was studying the map with a weary expression.
"To his right, the man with the spectacles is Sir Hugh Mird, officer of the Circle of Mages."
The elder gave a faint nod, his gaze never leaving the lines of the map.
Ulises continued.
"Next is Dame Belle Diries, officer of the vanguard."
The tall, well-built woman smirked and winked playfully at Kaede.
"And last, but certainly not least…" the general pointed to a short man with an unshakable expression. "Sir Jack Stelot, commander of archers and lancers."
The man barely lifted his gaze, offering a curt nod.
Silence filled the tent for several seconds; only the wind outside beat against the canvas like a distant drum.
Ulises leaned over the table, studying the map and the army's positions.
"I'll be honest with you… I'm against this attack," he said bluntly. "But the king's orders are absolute."
"Oh, come on, with your usual paranoia again. It's just another conflict," Belle replied with a calm smile, resting her elbow on the table. "I'll watch your back—and those brats', too."
Ulises didn't find her words amusing in the slightest.
"Whatever it is that's in there, according to Nanami Chiba's reports, it wiped out the city… and Balliard."
The mage spoke up in a tired tone.
"We know you held Balliard in high regard, but he wasn't even a shadow of his former self. Just a drunk who liked to bully his students."
Ulises clenched his teeth.
"Damn it, why won't anyone listen to me!?" He slammed the table violently, making the metal goblets rattle. "I couldn't care less if Balliard was a despicable man—he was a general who protected Arkenfel, the most important city in the kingdom!"
His voice thundered through the tent.
"He was stronger than all of us combined!" he added, breathing heavily with restrained fury.
The young Dragon Rider smirked mockingly.
"Then tell us your plan, Ulises. We're tired. Strategy's your thing, not fighting… so leave it to us."
Ulises closed his eyes for a moment, holding himself back.
He clenched his fist in frustration.
"As you wish…" he muttered, turning his gaze back to the map.
He took a deep breath and began issuing orders with military precision:
"Belle's vanguard unit will enter first, along with the squires. Behind them, the lancers will cover the rear."
"A second unit, commanded by Jack, will advance from the east with the paladins and archers."
"The Dragon Riders will fly over the area and assess whether they can clear a path through the center."
"Hugh, your group of mages, the cavalry, and the heroes… will come with me."
"The operation begins tomorrow at 0800 hours. That's all. You're dismissed."
Murmurs filled the tent once more as the officers dispersed.
To them, it was nothing more than a reckless assault on emptiness—a complete waste of time.
Meanwhile, Ulises slowly stepped away from the map, knowing he had just signed everyone's death sentence.