B3 - Chapter 42: New Squad

Seth didn't check to see if Elena was bluffing. He scrubbed away the layers of blood, ash, and grime in the steaming bath before eventually collapsing into a deep, dreamless sleep in the bed she had provided for him.

When morning light finally filtered through the wooden shutters, Seth pulled on a fresh set of underclothes and began methodically fastening his gear back into place.

A sharp knock echoed against the door before he had finished.

"Seth, can I come in?" Elena's voice called from the other side.

"Yeah," Seth answered while tightening the leather straps across his chest.

The door opened, and Elena stepped into the room, drawing Seth's attention.

She wore a deep blue robe embroidered with intricate silver runes along the hem, the fitted fabric designed for unrestricted movement in combat. In her right hand rested her polished ebony staff crowned by a brilliant sapphire that pulsed softly with blue light.

Seth's eyes drifted over the weapon.

"You're going to train this early?" he asked.

Elena shook her head and tightened her grip on the staff. "No. I'm heading back into the Warfare Rifts today."

Seth froze, hands stilling over his belt.

The noblewoman seemed to notice the reaction and stepped closer. "I specifically asked the Marshal to transfer me into a squad deploying this morning," she explained. "I need to fight more than once every three weeks."

Seth opened his mouth to tell her the idea was foolish, but the words died in his throat.

He had absolutely no right to lecture anyone else about throwing themselves into danger anymore.

Elena stopped directly in front of him. Without hesitation, she reached for his forearms and began to tighten the leather straps around his wrists, her fingers securing each buckle one by one.

For several seconds, her attention remained fixed on the armor. Then she finally looked up, and her emerald eyes met his.

"Thank you," she said, voice soft.

Seth frowned. "For what?"

"For actually taking a night of rest," Elena replied. "I know you only agreed to it because of me."

Seth looked away and adjusted the fit of the freshly secured gauntlets. "It's nothing."

Elena stepped back, allowing Seth to grab a thick piece of crusty bread from the nearby table.

Together, they left the quiet warmth of the Surani outpost and stepped out into the cold morning air.

Seth tore off a large bite while keeping pace beside Elena through the awakening streets of Veretia.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to head straight back into the Rifts?" the noblewoman asked with a glance at him as they turned onto the main street.

"Yes," Seth answered between bites before swallowing the dense bread. "I am."

The city was actively coming alive around them. Shopkeepers were unlocking wooden shutters, while laborers and merchants gradually spilled onto the cobblestone streets to begin the day.

Yet, within only a few minutes, the normal rhythm of the morning started to fracture.

A baker standing outside his shop froze after spotting Seth moving through the street. The man smacked the apprentice beside him with the back of his hand before pointing across the avenue.

"It's him," the baker whispered.

"Are you sure?" the younger boy asked while squinting through the pale dawn light.

"Yeah."

His gaze locked directly onto Seth's face.

"Look at his eyes."

Seth grimaced and briefly considered pulling his hood lower.

He'd begun permanently wearing Morsh's ring to conceal both his name and attributes, but the unnatural gold of his eyes remained impossible to truly hide from anyone paying close attention.

Elena noticed the tension in his face and bumped her shoulder against him.

"You should probably get used to this," she said with a faint smile. "You're going to attract attention everywhere from now on."

"I don't think I'll ever enjoy it," Seth muttered, trying to ignore the growing number of stares now following them through the streets.

"Devus and Jenna are going to be furious with me once they realize I didn't drag you off to see them before you returned to the Warfare Rifts."

Seth tossed the last piece of his bread into his mouth. "Tell them it was my decision. I'm fine taking the blame."

The two of them quickened their pace and eventually passed beneath Veretia's outer gate before stepping back onto the expanse of the neutral zone.

Seth adjusted his belt while scanning the distant horizon. "Which group are you deploying with today?"

"Squad Five and Squad Six from the academy," Elena answered. "They are both mostly composed of third-years. Marine and I received permission to join them yesterday. My brother will remain with Squad one for now."

Seth's eyes narrowed.

Was this transfer truly Elena's decision? Or had Marshal Vancaws simply found another convenient opportunity to secure additional Seeds?

Elena kept her eyes fixed ahead toward the sea of people appearing in the distance. "We've never really fought alongside them before, but I also know I need to start taking real risks if I want to make a difference."

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Seth opened his mouth to argue, but Colossus was quicker.

"Do not worry, Elena," the giant scorpion said aloud. "I will personally protect you inside the Rift."

Seth's eyes widened, his stride almost halting dead in the dirt.

"Thank you, Colossus," Elena said, looking at the area near where the teardrop necklace was resting against Seth's chest beneath his gear.

'What? You don't want to enter the same Rift as her?' Nightmare's amused voice echoed through Link. 'I'm sure a terrified man or woman would happily surrender their spot to you, just like everyone else has been doing.'

Seth didn't respond right away. His boots crunched heavily against the dirt as an unexpected feeling tightened in his chest. Why was he hesitating at all?

Hadn't he chased after all this power specifically so he could protect the people he cared about?

'Maybe you simply don't want her seeing what you become inside those Rifts,' Nightmare added casually, reading the direction of Seth's thoughts.

'Don't be ridiculous,' Seth retorted through Link.

As they reached the deployment grounds, the full scale of the Kastal army came into view.

Dense groups of soldiers crowded the staging area, some preparing to cheer for the incoming formations while others stood in grim silence, mentally bracing themselves for their next deployment.

Seth quickly spotted Marine near the front of the gathering. She stood beside Marshal Vancaws and Director Ryehill, both men watching the assembly and chatting.

Elena started heading toward them, but Seth reached out and lightly caught her shoulder before she could move too far away.

"I'll join you in a second," he said.

Elena nodded before continuing forward; the crystal atop her ebony staff caught the pale morning light as she walked away.

Seth veered to the right, directing his stride toward the center of the neutral zone.

His gaze swept the distant formations of the Empire before moving to the summary of the war and the contribution list.

BRIDAN EMPIRE: 2154 DEATHS | 146 CAPTURED

KINGDOM OF KASTAL: 2326 DEATHS | 0 CAPTURED

BRIDAN EMPIRE:

1. Celess of Solaria - 15775 points

2. Jaz of Ryswell – 14400 points

3. Kaelen - 7350 points

4. Morsh – 7150 points [Deceased]

5. Elysha of Spyre - 6950 points

KINGDOM OF KASTAL:

1. Seth – 71550 points

2. Marine Vancaws – 3750 points

3. Jaxar Linster - 3550 points

4. Elena Surani – 3450 points

5. Will Cranner - 2950 points

The numbers were absurd. On the Empire's side, the top five contributors combined accounted for only around twenty percent of their nation's total kills. On Kastal's side, Seth alone represented nearly thirty percent.

Beside the shimmering display, the two NEVAK representatives had returned to their usual observation posts. The towering Spirit hovered silently at their side.

The creature slowly turned its smoky head toward Seth, its hollowed eyes locking onto him. Then a grotesque smile spread across its shifting face.

The cosmic entity appeared thoroughly pleased that its favorite source of entertainment had returned rather than fleeing or taking an extended break.

Seth tore his eyes away and looked toward the elevated platform hosting the Empress's throne. The woman hadn't yet arrived to watch the morning deployments.

Can I truly kill enough of her soldiers to force a surrender? Seth wondered, gritting his teeth.

The steady thud of armored boots against the dirt pulled his attention away from the thought.

Sergeant Tirus was approaching him.

The veteran's weathered face remained set in a grim line as he stopped several paces away. "Seth... how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," Seth answered flatly.

Tirus studied him for a brief moment before nodding. "I'm glad you actually rested last night."

"Yeah," Seth muttered. "I was basically forced into it."

His gaze flicked toward the left side of the staging grounds, where Elena was currently speaking with Marine and Marshal Vancaws.

The Sergeant cleared his throat, his expression hardening.

"I wanted to personally let you know that the others of your squad have officially been merged into the academy's Squad One," he said. "Director Ryehill acknowledged that the original formation suffered catastrophic losses, but they brought a massive victory to the kingdom, so he wanted to improve the remaining survivors' chances for the rest of the war."

Seth's eyes narrowed and crossed the staging grounds to find Director Ryehill, then to Marshal Vancaws beside the man.

It obviously wasn't the real reason.

The old bastard simply wants me protecting his precious granddaughter, Seth realized. And to guarantee it, he's using the survivors of my own squad as leverage to force me into the same deployments.

"I see," Seth finally answered. "Thanks for the information, Sir." A dangerous edge then entered his voice as he asked, "Do you know when their next scheduled deployment is?"

"In four days," Tirus responded.

Seth took a deep breath. "Then I'll make sure my next battle is over long before that."

The Sergeant remained silent for a moment before giving a slow nod.

Seth acknowledged him with a brief gesture, then turned back to head toward Elena, Marine, and the others.

As soon as he approached, Marine flashed him a massive grin and leaned forward.

"Well, well. If it isn't the People's Champion himself."

Seth ignored her entirely. Instead, he looked straight at Director Ryehill.

"Is there anyone in their squads' assigned formation I could replace, Sir?"

The Director blinked, caught off guard, before clearing his throat. "Ahh... sure. I'll find a volunteer to step down."

Marine's grin faded into open curiosity. "Oh? You're actually joining our deployment?"

Seth didn't even turn toward her, instead looking at Elena.

"I'll wait near the Rift portals."

Before Elena could answer, Marine frowned and moved closer, boots scraping against the dirt. "Why are you suddenly in such a terrible mood?" she asked. "You seemed perfectly fine when you first got here."

Seth's gaze swept past the noblewoman to meet the Marshal's calm stare.

"I don't particularly enjoy people trying to control where I go," he said flatly. "That's all."

The Marshal let out a scoff. "Duly noted."

Not interested in either the Marshal's or Marine's game, Seth turned away and resumed walking toward the swirling light of the Warfare Rift portals.

As he neared the shimmering gateways, a sudden commotion drew his attention toward the left side of the imperial staging grounds.

The Empress had finally arrived.

She crossed the staging grounds with regal poise, every step measured and absolute—as though the battlefield itself existed just for her. A flowing robe of deep imperial crimson draped her tall frame, the fabric threaded with subtle golden patterns that shimmered beneath the rising sunlight like veins of molten metal. Black armored plates guarded her shoulders and forearms, blending elegance with unmistakable lethality, while her dark hair was pinned into an elaborate arrangement held together by crimson rods.

A younger woman walked at her side, sharing the same sharp features and commanding presence, though she lacked the terrifying weight the Empress carried so effortlessly.

Seth narrowed his eyes and cast Identify on the newcomer.

Seth didn't need confirmation to know that the woman was Celess of Solaria.

The Empress noticed Seth looking and, without the slightest hesitation, altered her course to walk directly toward him. Four elite guards followed close behind her, while the younger woman—who from her similar appearance seemed to be either her daughter or a close relative—remained at her side.

The imperial group came to a stop roughly a dozen feet away.

Behind him, Seth heard a stir ripple through the Kastal ranks; numerous soldiers shifted their footing and tightened their grips around their weapons.

The entire battlefield fell silent.

The Empress studied him from head to toe. "I hope that short rest served you well, Seth of Draeria."

Seth smiled. As if her knowing the truth about his origin would change anything.

"It sure did."