Soren watched the little leopard struggle through each mouthful, her movements stiff and reluctant, as if she were being forced to swallow poison rather than food.
Her ears drooped lower with every bite. Her brows—if one could call the faint crease above her eyes brows—furrowed deeply. She chewed slowly, paused often, and every now and then shot the plate a look full of betrayal.
'Does she really hate it that much?' he thought, faintly amused and faintly concerned.
Then something clicked.
His gaze drifted to her earlier gestures—claws scratching an oval shape on the table, the odd birdlike noises, the almost desperate insistence.
…The egg.
Soren let out a quiet breath. 'So that's what she meant.'
Without saying anything, he reached to the side compartment and retrieved the cooked bird egg he had kept aside. He picked it up, feeling the faint residual warmth through the shell. With careful fingers, he began to peel it.
The shell cracked cleanly, flaking away in smooth fragments. The pale, firm egg white emerged, intact and fragrant.
He placed it gently onto her plate.
The little leopard froze for half a second, then snapped her head up. Her red eyes widened, pupils dilating almost instantly. A faint whimper escaped her throat—soft, broken, almost disbelieving.
Then tears welled up.
Before Soren could even comment, she lunged forward, completely abandoning any pretense of dignity. She buried her face in the plate and devoured the egg in seconds, small jaws working frantically, tail flicking with unrestrained joy. Not a single crumb was left behind.
When she finally lifted her head, her whiskers were damp, eyes shining, expression utterly blissful.
Soren watched her in silence.
So she could eat properly—just not that nutrient paste.
He leaned back slightly, folding his arms, golden eyes softening as he observed her licking the plate clean with obsessive thoroughness. There was something oddly satisfying about seeing her so focused and expressive.
The little leopard, now fully sated, curled into a tight ball on the chair, her tail wrapping around her small body. Her breathing slowed into a steady rhythm, her tiny paws twitching occasionally, as if she were chasing some dream prey, and a soft snore escaped her lips every few seconds.
Soren watched quietly for a moment, taking in the sight, noting how peaceful she looked now that her hunger and discomfort were gone.
Gently, he leaned down and lifted her from the chair, careful not to disturb her slumber. He carried her over to his bed, which had been prepared with soft blankets, and lowered her down with utmost care.
The little leopard stretched her paws instinctively, exposing the delicate white fur of her stomach, and a low purr rumbled from her chest, barely audible but steady.
Soren's fingers hovered for a moment over her soft ears before reaching out. He gently stroked them twice, watching as they flicked slightly in response. The small movements made a faint ripple through her fur, and she shifted slightly, loosening her paws and rolling onto her side. Her snore grew softer.
The sudden flash of his communicator broke the silence. Spade's message blinked urgently on the screen. Soren glanced down at the sleeping leopard, noting how the light of the display reflected off her fur, casting a gentle glow.
He allowed himself one more moment, observing her rise and fall, before finally rising from the bed. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he straightened and left the room.
Spade waited at the doorway of the next room, immediately offering a crisp salute. "Sir."
Soren gave a brief nod without speaking, moving past him into the lounge, the room where he conducted his work. He sank into the chair behind his desk, leaning back slowly as he closed his eyes for a moment.
"Sir, do you want to rest first before hearing the news?" Spade asked, silently weighing the commander's tolerance for additional information.
Soren shook his head slowly. He could feel the faint pulse of energy running through the black stone in his armband. The high-grade energy stone was more effective than any he had previously acquired from the master; it had already subdued the lingering effects of his recent Hysteria. Compared with past episodes, his body felt stable, almost unnaturally calm. There was no pressing need for rest.
"Then tell me," he said, voice low but edged with authority.
Spade's expression tightened, as though preparing for bad news. "Something… unusual happened with Duke Lyndon, who was hosting the royal banquet. His mansion in the imperial capital was attacked maliciously. The main building has been destroyed."
Soren's eyes narrowed, a faint flash of crimson light glinting in their depths. "Go on," he said calmly although his tone was carrying a quiet menace.
"No one was killed or injured," Spade continued, "but the royal banquet cannot proceed at the mansion. It will have to be held at a different location, and the schedule is postponed indefinitely."
Soren's lips tightened into a thin line. He leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers brushing against the armband, feeling the calm pulse of the stone. "No matter where they move it, you must ensure it is postponed," he commanded firmly.
Spade's eyes flickered with understanding. "Yes, Sir."
Spade knew exactly why Soren was so adamant. Duke Lyndon had intended to use the royal banquet as a stage for maneuvering—a plan to force an engagement between his daughter and the commander. He believed that presenting the matter in front of the royal family would leave the commander with no room to refuse. It was a typical power play, one grounded in arrogance and the assumption that Soren would conform to social expectations. But Soren was no man to be swayed by politics or appearances. Even the presence of royalty would not compel him to comply.
Rather than going to the banquet, he had a little leopard in need of his attention. Choosing the appropriate stone at Zeloria RT-01 was far more critical than entertaining a duke's schemes or attending a pompous banquet.
Soren lightly knocked on the armrest to catch Spade's attention. "Do a background check on the little beast. Find anything. Even if it's little."
Based on the behavior of the little leopard, she wasn't an ordinary beastwoman. The leopard couldn't speak, yet she clearly understood their language—sometimes too well. She reacted to tone, to implication, even to jokes. That level of comprehension didn't come from instinct alone. Someone had taught her and had taken care of her for a long time.
And yet, she had appeared alone.
"Yes, Sir," Spade replied. He turned to leave, then hesitated when he noticed the commander hadn't dismissed him yet. "Do you have something else to say, Sir?"
Soren lowered his gaze and unfastened the armband around his wrist. He removed the energy stone embedded within it. The moment it touched his palm, a faint warmth spread through his skin. Thin strands of light-like energy curled around his fingers, as if responding to him alone. His breathing unconsciously eased, the tightness in his chest loosening.
This stone was different.
Far more refined than the standard military issue. Even compared to the ones crafted by masters, this one felt… gentle. It didn't suppress his Hysteria by force; it calmed it, guided it into stillness. That alone was strange enough.
He turned the stone slightly, watching the way the light shifted within it. "Bring over the Energy Stone Analyzer," he said slowly.
Spade's eyes flickered briefly to the stone before he nodded. "Yes, Sir."
Spade brought the instrument over and placed it carefully on Soren's desk. The analyzer hummed softly as it activated, its surface lighting up with layered data grids and scanning symbols. Without hesitation, Soren removed the black dragon energy stone from his armband and set it into the designated slot.
The moment the stone settled in place, the instrument reacted.
Streams of data began to surge across the screen, numbers and waveforms fluctuating rapidly as the analyzer struggled to stabilize its readings. The indicator needle shot upward, skipping past the standard red warning line as if it didn't exist. It continued to climb—far beyond what Spade had ever seen—before finally slowing and stopping at 78%.
For a brief moment, the room fell completely silent.
Spade stared at the screen, his mind blank.
Seventy-eight percent.
That number alone was enough to overturn everything he knew about energy stones.
High-grade solid color energy stones were notoriously difficult to utilize. Their energy was dense, violent, and resistant. Even the most skilled master carvers could barely coax out more than 20% of their potential, and that was already considered an exceptional result. Anything above that belonged purely to theory.
And yet, the data was there.
Spade swallowed hard. 'Who is this godly carver?' he thought, his shock slowly giving way to awe.
He was absolutely certain this was not the work of the so-called master their commander had previously sought out. If it were, then Soren would never have suffered repeated Hysteria episodes. No master-level carver could achieve this degree of harmony between stone and user.
This was beyond mastery.
No matter who had carved this stone—no matter where they were—Spade felt an overwhelming urge to bow in gratitude. The soldiers under Soren's command followed him into life-and-death battles without hesitation. They were never afraid of enemies, never afraid of bloodshed. But they had been powerless in the face of their commander's Hysteria.
They had watched him grit his teeth through the pain.
Watched him isolate himself during flare-ups.
Watched him leave the aircraft mid-flight just to endure the torment alone.
It had hurt them deeply.
Now, with this energy stone, that future no longer loomed over them like a shadow. There would be no sudden eruptions, no forced retreats, no commander risking his life to protect his subordinates from seeing his weakness.
For the first time, there was hope.
Soren reached forward and calmly deleted all the recorded data from the analyzer. The screen returned to a blank standby state, as if nothing extraordinary had ever occurred. He removed the energy stone from the instrument and lifted his gaze toward Spade.
Spade stiffened instantly, his posture snapping straight. "Sir, I didn't see anything!"
Soren studied him for a brief moment before opening his armband and returning the energy stone to its place. The device sealed shut with a soft click, concealing the stone and its impossible numbers once more.
"Leave," Soren said calmly.
"Yes, Sir." Spade gave another crisp salute before turning and exiting the lounge, closing the door silently behind him.