The days following the council's decision were filled with activity. The usually tranquil Ardelia fortress now resounded with the sounds of soldiers' footsteps, commanders' shouts, and the clang of clashing swords.
On the main square, the Solaris and Ardelian armies stood face to face. The Ardelian steel lines were straight, their every move nearly flawless. In contrast, the Solaris forces appeared more fluid—trained in harsh battlefields, with a fast, improvisational fighting style.
"Close formation! Shields in front, spears behind!" shouted an Ardelian commander. The Solaris soldiers, unaccustomed to rigid orders, exchanged glances and tried to adjust.
The first clash didn't go smoothly. A Solaris soldier advanced too far, loosening the defensive line. The Ardelian commander charged immediately, but Elric stepped in quickly, closing the gap with a swift movement. The clang of metal rang out, and the formation stabilized.
Ardyn, observing from the edge of the square, sighed.
"This will take a while longer," he muttered.
Lady Seraphine stood beside him, her black robes swaying in the breeze. Her gaze was sharp, but not merely fault-finding—she was assessing.
"Your troops are brave, but they have many flaws. They are accustomed to fighting by instinct, not by disciplined marching."
Ardyn turned, his tone calm but confident.
"And your troops are too rigid. They are accustomed to following rules, not responding to the changing battlefield. If we can combine the two—Ardelia's discipline and Solaris's instinct—we will create a force beyond mere foot soldiers."
Seraphine stared at him for a long moment, then nodded slightly.
"How bold of you to speak like that before the Council. But I cannot deny... you may be right."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Counselor Theon approached Darius, who was teaching the Solaris soldiers how to hold a clash formation. His voice was low, as if every word were a secret.
"You have fought in the north, have you not? I saw your sword style. It is not pure Solaris... it has the influence of the ice warriors."
Darius looked at him with a raised eyebrow, not expecting the counselor to be so knowledgeable.
"That's right. I once participated in a campaign there, before joining Solaris. I suppose you know more about it?"
Theon smiled faintly.
"A lot. Because the enemy we face may not be just a monster. There's an ancient force stirring in the mists. Something that… was once written about in ancient books."
Darius stared at him for a moment longer, but Theon didn't continue. He simply patted the old soldier on the shoulder, then walked back to the stands, leaving a large question mark behind.
Meanwhile, Kaelen stood far away at the edge of the field, his gaze burning as he watched Solaris mingle with Ardelia's forces. His fists were clenched, his jaw clenched.
"Ardelia submitting to outsiders… This is a disgrace," he muttered under his breath.
A young soldier approached.
"Commander, do we really have to train with them?"
Kaelen turned, his eyes filled with cold anger.
"We follow the council's orders. But mark my words... these outsiders will bring disaster. And when that time comes, Ardelia will regret trusting them."
He turned and stepped into the shadow of the tower. No one heard his next whisper, except himself.
"If the council cannot see it... then I will open their eyes myself."
That night, Ardyn was summoned to the royal chamber again. A large map lay on the round table, marked with small wooden flags. Lady Seraphine stood at the north side of the map, while Theon scribbled notes with a quill.
"We need a secure supply route," Seraphine said. "If the monsters move from the south, we can't rely solely on the fortress's defenses. We need a rendezvous point somewhere in the middle."
Ardyn looked intently at the map, then pointed to a valley that stretched between the nearly destroyed Solaris and the Ardelia border.
"Here. Asterion Valley. A narrow, but defensible passage. If we station a joint garrison there, it will be the first line of defense against the mist."
Seraphine stared at him intently, then nodded.
"You're right. It's a bold choice."
Theon smiled faintly.
"Not just bold. It's a choice that will bind both armies. There's no longer Solaris or Ardelia there—only soldiers standing together."
Ardyn stared at the two of them, realizing something: the council might accept this alliance politically, but only Seraphine and Theon truly believed in his vision.
Outside the window, the evening bells tolled softly. The voices of soldiers still training echoed faintly, as if Ardelia's fortress was now breathing a new rhythm—the rhythm of the alliance.
But behind all that, Kaelen's shadow continues to move silently, looking for loopholes to overthrow the trust that is being built.
And Ardyn knows that the enemy they face is not only darkness from outside... but also division from within.