"Is it really Hornbeast?" one of the other commanders asked.
"Try for yourself," Bavrik replied.
The other officers each took a piece of meat and bit into it, chewing slowly as their eyes widened in surprise.
"It's… really that." Then, turning toward Velira, the man asked, "How'd you catch so many Hornbeasts? They're not just powerful—they're far too intelligent to be caught by any trap."
A thought seemed to strike another commander, and he leaned forward. "Are they all young Hornbeasts?"
Velira shook her head. "Nope. They're all adults." She paused for a moment. "And they've all been hunted with precision—no damage to the body, perfect for meat." She glanced toward Bavrik.
Bavrik narrowed his eyes, pinching his eyelids shut for a moment before opening them again to study her closely. "Did you reach the Master rank?"
His question seemed to stun everyone present.
Velira shook her head. "Can you reach it in one day?" she asked, eyes fixed on Bavrik.
"No," he murmured.
"Then who?" His voice dropped low, as if asking himself rather than her.
"You want to know?" Velira asked, one brow arching as a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"S–Sure?"
"But first… you'll have to bring the best chirurgeon in the battalion." She waited a beat. "Alayne. Alayne will do."
Bavrik rubbed his chin, thinking. "Can I know the reason?"
"You'll know once you get Alayne here," Velira replied.
Bavrik turned his gaze toward a certain man at the table. "Ewald."
The man nodded and immediately shouted, "Silas!"
From outside, a boy stepped in—a sword hanging from the belt at his hip, the silver of the pommel catching the lamplight. He bent into a low bow. "Silas greets Platoon Commander Ewald."
"Alright, alright," Ewald waved him off. "Bring Alayne Veynar from the camp here."
Silas nodded once and slipped out.
The commanders returned their attention to Velira—then to Bavrik—an unspoken question hanging in the air. Bavrik understood.
"Now, tell me."
Velira waited a moment before answering. "Alright, I'll tell you."
She took a seat in one of the chairs, then began explaining how she had gotten lost chasing a Gravemaul Stag deeper into the mountains. By the time she found it, the creature had already been brought down—by a Dreadmane. And when the beast's gaze shifted to her, she became its next prey.
Velira staggered back, wanting to run, but the Dreadmane was far stronger than she had imagined. She didn't stand a chance; it toyed with her like a predator savoring the hunt. And when it was about to end her life—when she had already accepted her fate—a man, half-naked, suddenly bolted from the canopy above. With a single strike of a tree branch, the ground itself trembled, and the Dreadmane jolted back.
What happened after that… she explained all of it.
But certainly not the juicy part—her cheeks warmed at the thought, but she kept it to herself.
The commanders—and Bavrik among them—gasped. They exchanged glances before one of them murmured, "Dreadmane…" The word alone was enough for the rest to grasp its weight.
A beast so rare, one would scarcely find it even in the deepest reaches of the wilderness beyond the kingdom—unless one was actively seeking death.
The commanders' eyes all turned to Velira."Are you sure it was a Dreadmane?" one asked, his voice edged with disbelief.
Velira nodded firmly. "What do you take me for? I'm still a Highvale. I know what I'm talking about."
The commanders glanced at each other again.
"What kind of arts did he use? Is he a Spirit Mage too?" Bavrik asked.
"No," Velira replied. "Just a sword arts user."
"You know his lineage? Which attribute sword art did he use?"
She shook her head. "None of the four, as far as I could tell. Not Light, not Fire, not Water, and not Darkness. I can't say for sure—Darkness is rare; only Duchess Elowen Stormraven wields it, and I've never even seen her, let alone see her in a battle."
She paused, then added, "But from what I've heard from the soldiers in her battalion, it doesn't seem like he uses Darkness either…" She tucked a hand under her chin as the table fell into thoughtful silence.
The food began to cool before one of the commanders finally broke the pause. "Shall we start?" he asked, a bead of water already forming at the corner of his lips.
Bavrik blinked out of his thoughts. "Oh yes, dinner… I almost forgot." Then, smiling, he added, "Let's finish our meal, then meet the man Velira's been talking about when Alayne arrives."
The other commanders agreed, turning their attention back to the feast, and Velira smiled to herself.