Rudra:
"What are you talking about? I've never heard of any accident ."
Elden (serious):
"Let me tell you, Rudra. Seven years ago, our captain—Alex—had a son. Sir Patrick Wan. He was kind, gentle, merciful. A rare soul. The captain trained him personally and passed on everything he knew."
Rudra (surprised):
"Wait—what? Captain Alex had a son? I never knew that!"
Elden:
"I told you to be patient. If you want to interrupt, you can leave."
Rudra (raising his hands):
"Alright, alright—I'll shut up. Tell me what happened next."
Elden:
"Patrick was assigned a mission. A group of bandits had been causing chaos in the Velmora region. Naturally, the captain sent his best man—Patrick himself."
Rudra (half-mocking):
"Oh, I see… so he's still out there on that mission, huh?"
Elden (grimly):
"What happened to Patrick was far worse than just getting lost. It carved a permanent scar into the captain's heart."
Rudra (leaning forward):
"Wait, wait—what was the name of the bandit crew again?"
Elden (darkly):
"They called themselves The Mountain Leopards. A vicious group made of former soldiers, assassins, and mercenaries. Disgraced elites—utterly loyal to one man… Grave Maddox."
Rudra (raising a brow):
"Grave Maddox…? Sounds like something from a horror story."
Elden:
"You've got no idea. Some of his crew are stronger than you or me. And Grave himself? He's rumored to be as skilled as Captain Alex."
Rudra (laughs sarcastically):
"Now that's just crazy talk."
Elden:
"You don't believe me because you've never faced someone better than you."
Rudra (shrugging):
"Whatever. Just finish the story already."
Elden (somber):
"Patrick was brilliant. Tactical. Physically strong. But he lacked one thing—ruthlessness. He believed in honor, in mercy. That… was his undoing."
"When he reached Velmora, he spent weeks gathering intelligence from local informants. He mapped out every movement, every route. His plan was flawless—on paper."
"But one of his 'trusted' informants was a double agent. That night, as Patrick and his men were about to move in, a little boy stepped out from the bushes."
Rudra (frowning):
"A boy?"
Elden (nodding):
"Patrick thought he was lost. He knelt and asked if the boy needed help. That child stabbed him in the gut. Twisted the blade so deep that Patrick's intestines spilled out."
"Bleeding, Patrick staggered to the rendezvous point—only to find every one of his men brutally slaughtered.
"
"Some had their throats slit. Some had their eyes gouged out. One was dismembered—legs, arms, head… gone
.
"
"It shook Patrick to his core. He had never seen such evi
l."
Rudra (wide-eyed):
"What kind of monsters do that...?"
Elden:
"When Patrick turned back, the same boy stood there. He smiled and asked, 'Aren't you going to help me, mist
er?'"
"Patrick, shaken but furious, fought the boy—and won. He pinned him down… but he couldn't bring himself to kill a c
h
ild."
"That hesitation cost him everything. The boy stabbed him again—this time clean through the heart—and cut him in
half."
Rudra (quietly):
"…So that's what happened."
Elden:
"When Patrick didn't return, Captain Alex contacted the Guild. They had no idea what had happened. Eventually, a search party was dis
patched."
"They found decomposing bodies in the woods. Insects crawling over them. Vultures tearing at their flesh. Patrick's body was among them—unrecognizable, but still clutching hi
s sword."
Rudra (holding his stomach, nauseous):
"Please… that's enough. I get it."
Elden:
"That's why our captain is so harsh—especially to rookies. Every soldier who dies under his command… adds to that weight."
Rudra (softly):
"I understand now… I'll be more careful."
Elden (nodding):
"Good. One more thing."
Rudra:
"What's that?"
Elden:
"If you ever see someone with a snow leopard tattoo on their hand… report it immediately to HQ. That mark belongs to the Mountain Leopards."
Rudra (saluting):
"Aye aye, sir. I won
't forget."
He turned towar
d the exit.
Rudra (smiling faintly):
"I don't plan on dying, not before I finish
my revenge."
With that, Rudra left Division 7 HQ and began his journey toward Thornhelm.