The scent of rotting leaves crawled into Tony's nostrils as he peered through interlaced holly gaps, eyes fixed on cooking smoke rising from the valley below. Several yards away, Kaines crushed a four-leaf clover stem between thick fingers, sap staining his fingertips. He spat, the stem dropping silently onto layers of accumulated fallen leaves.
"A lion-kin female," Kaines' voice rumbled low as thunder rolling across ground, tinged with disbelief. "This godforsaken place... what a sight to behold."
He crouched behind dense undergrowth, a heavily worn gray cloak draped across broad shoulders, its edges frayed to threads. Beneath the cloak, scarred leather armor hugged his chest, metal buckles pitted with scratches and dents. Golden hair plastered to his scalp, thick whiskers nearly concealing his lower face—yet a vicious scar tore through this golden-brown thicket, crawling from mouth corner to cheekbone before vanishing beneath his right eye, adding savage menace to an already brutal visage. This was Kaines, leader of The Azure Rose Company mercenaries—a mystery whose rise defied comprehension. Five years ago, he and his company appeared like phantoms at the Kingdom of Isaac's borders. One rank per year—in just five years, they'd climbed from bottom-tier G-rank to the formidable B-rank. In the mercenary guild records across Eldendor, this bordered on legend. Mercenary advancement required blood and mission-earned points, growing exponentially harder at higher tiers. During peacetime, new companies seeking elite C-rank status typically required decades, even centuries of accumulation. Every active B-rank company boasted deep-rooted heritage—except for The Azure Rose Company anomaly.
"Boss," whispered Tony, a wiry rat-like man pressed beside Kaines, voice lower than rustling leaves, "this job... did we just strike gold?"
Kaines' mouth twisted into a vicious arc, scar contorting with it: "The gods favor The Azure Rose Company! Who could imagine a damned C-rank patrol mission would let us stumble onto an entire orc tribe's bounty? Devour them, and the brothers feast for a year!"
"Have your brains been gnawed by Battle Lions?" An icy voice splashed like cold water over their heads. The speaker stood in shadows behind Kaines—a woman wrapped in an oversized black hooded robe. Beneath the hood's brim, a delicate silver six-pointed star badge glinted in the gloom at her collar—a mid-tier mage's insignia. On Eldendor, mages themselves symbolized rarity and power, treasures coveted by kingdoms and factions alike. Mid-tier female mages remained rarer still. Adeline Frostwhisper—strands of flaxen hair escaped her hood, framing gentle features and a proud nose. Blue eyes currently glared sternly at Kaines. Years of wilderness travel had etched traces of wind and weather into her delicate skin.
Kaines twisted around, flashing Adeline a smile mixing appeasement with brutality, scar jumping as muscles shifted: "Relax, Adeline. Every Azure Rose Company brother earned his stripes licking blade-edges! Slaughtering orcs? That's our specialty! Double the bastards down there, we'd still swallow them whole!"
"I disagree," Adeline's voice remained unwavering, cold and resolute. "This is too risky."
"I'm the leader," Kaines' smile faded slightly, adopting commanding tones. "You follow orders. Success means an extra tenth of spoils for you."
"I'm also deputy leader!" Adeline stepped forward, blue eyes flashing beneath her hood. "I'm responsible for our brothers' lives! This is reckless!"
Kaines snorted, shoulders shifting: "Deputy leader? I appointed you! Without the B-rank requirement for a mid-tier mage, you think I'd spend such fortune recruiting you?" His casual dismissal cut like a blade.
"If you insist," Adeline's voice stretched taut as a bowstring, "I'll quit the company immediately."
Kaines' brutality instantly froze. He'd exhausted every method recruiting Adeline. A mid-tier mage's battlefield value could elevate an entire mercenary company's combat effectiveness by a full tier. Losing her would prove catastrophic.
"Tsk, don't threaten resignation over everything," Kaines softened first, adopting coaxing tones. "Hear me out. You lack orc-fighting experience, don't understand their patterns." His rough finger pointed toward the camp below. "Orcs typically cluster by blood tribe—wolf clans never house bearkin. That mixed settlement below has only one explanation: a high-ranking orc noble's private tribe. Only nobles command authority to recruit other tribal warriors as enforcers."
Adeline's gaze involuntarily followed his finger to that crude encampment.
"See those cubs? The females?" Kaines' voice dropped lower with predatory keenness. "This proves they're not a normal tribe—they're refugees, or a noble's shattered remnants! Misfortune drove them to this forsaken place. Fighting-capable warriors in that camp? I'd wager no more than fifty. Those willing to fight desperately probably number less than half a normal tribe!"
A flicker of grudging admiration crossed Adeline's eyes. She'd long known this outwardly crude man's calculating mind. Deducing the camp's origins and weaknesses from distant observation alone... such insight exceeded typical mercenary captain abilities.
Sensing Adeline's wavering resolve, Kaines struck while iron was hot: "Think about it, Adeline! Exclusive orc combat techniques, rare pelts, bones, magic cores, quality weapons and armor, plus those golden herbs only nobles afford... an orc noble camp's wealth exceeds imagination! You know how desperately the company needs funds! I still owe you back pay!" His voice gained persuasive urgency. "We're mercenaries! Our trade means hanging heads on belt loops! Without risking necks, how do we feed wives and children at home?"
Adeline fell silent for several seconds before giving an almost imperceptible nod, voicing no further objections.
"Boss," Tony seized the opening, voice tinged with mockery, "after this job, shouldn't you finally replace that outfit? The Azure Rose Company's a renowned B-rank outfit now! Your current appearance gets us mocked as country bumpkins by other companies..."
"Smack!" Kaines delivered an ungentle blow to Tony's skull, force nearly planting the small man face-first in rotting leaves. "Bullshit! Tony, you understand nothing!" He cursed roughly, boastfully tugging his worn leather armor's edge. "Open your rodent eyes and look! This is Exquisite enchanted leather armor! Countless blades couldn't penetrate it! And this cloak," he proudly shook the dusty gray garment's hem, "dragonhide! You ignorant fools!"
"Dragonhide?" Tony rubbed his skull, mouth twisting with dissatisfaction. "Gods above, how many years since dragons appeared on the continent? Your boasting..."
Nearby undergrowth suddenly rustled softly, cutting off Tony's grumbling.
Both men instantly fell silent, muscles tensing. Kaines' hand silently slid toward the two-handed sword hilt across his back. Blazing white light erupted in Adeline's palm, instantly condensing into a fist-sized, steadily burning fireball that warped surrounding air. Tony rolled like a startled forest rodent, vanishing into deeper brush shadows.
A figure parted branches, silently materializing. The newcomer wore tight hunting garb, lean build, eagle-sharp eyes, and carefully trimmed mustache that made him resemble an alert mountain cat. Angus, the company's finest scout.
Kaines released his sword hilt, tense shoulders relaxing slightly: "Angus, what's the situation below?"
Angus' voice remained steady and clear with scout-typical caution: "Orc warrior count ranges forty-five to fifty, mostly first and second-tier low-grade fodder. Including that female lion-kin and her two lion-kin guards. Spotted five mid-tier Orc Braves—no Orcish Warlord-level auras detected."
Kaines clenched his fist triumphantly, pumping it silently through air, scarred face radiating "exactly as expected" excitement: "Excellent!"
Angus paused, adding: "Only one complication. A wolf cavalry patrol circles the camp perimeter. Their Battle Lions' noses are too keen—approach too close and our scent will expose us."
Kaines' mouth twisted into a predatory grin as he growled toward Tony's vanished location: "Tony! Your turn! I know you can handle those beasts' noses!"
Tony's voice emerged muffled from deep undergrowth, tinged with cunning: "I'll gather wild chrysanthemums from the forest. Mix them with Trichrome Nightshade powder from our packs and burn the combination—that smoke will completely destroy those furry beasts' sense of smell!"
"Perfect!" Kaines' eyes shed their last hesitation, replaced by icy killing intent cold as winter stars. "Gather the brothers. When darkness fully descends..." His voice dropped low, more chilling than any roar, "...we strike."
Heavy dusk descended like a massive beast's shadow, silently pouring down from The Orlandian Mountains' peaks, slowly devouring the valley's final traces of daylight. Tony's figure completely melted into the thorn-choked darkness.