Chapter 66: On the camp

As she stood there, frozen in place, the colonel's sharp eyes turned to the other officers. "We need to investigate this matter further. Secure the area and gather anyone who might have seen him. I want this camp searched from top to bottom. If Lucavion is still here, we'll find him."

The officers nodded in unison, their expressions grim as they dispersed to carry out the orders. Jesse watched them leave, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. Lucavion wouldn't just kill someone and flee—at least, not the Lucavion she knew.

Moments later, more soldiers entered the tent, their faces set in determined lines as they began to search through Lucavion's belongings. Jesse stood to the side, watching in silence as they rifled through his things, hoping against hope that they would find some clue that proved his innocence.

But with each passing second, her hope dwindled. The soldiers found his bedroll empty, his gear missing, and the few personal items he had left behind carefully arranged as if he had planned his departure. It was becoming increasingly clear that Lucavion had indeed fled.

One of the soldiers, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, looked up from his search, holding out a piece of parchment. "Sir, I found this tucked under the bedroll."

The colonel took the parchment, his eyes scanning the contents quickly. His frown deepened as he read, and when he finished, he looked up, his expression one of grim certainty.

"This is it," he said, his voice heavy.

The colonel handed the parchment to one of the other officers, who quickly scanned it before nodding in agreement. "It all points to him," the officer said, his tone resigned. "His equipment is gone, and there are traces of him leaving in a hurry. No one has seen him since last night."

The colonel's eyes darkened. And then, at that moment, someone else entered the tent.

"Colonel! Colonel Morgan had verified that he had indeed called Lucavion Thorne to give him the reward." S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"What was the reward?"

"A High-rank mana essence. Colonel said that Lucavion was dismissed around 7 P.M."

The colonel's grip tightened on the parchment as the new information was relayed. His mind raced, piecing together the puzzle as more and more evidence pointed to Lucavion's betrayal.

The revelation of the High-rank mana essence made everything even more complicated. Lucavion had been rewarded, yet within hours, he had seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving death and chaos in his wake.

The colonel turned to face the newcomer, his expression stern. "Dismissed at 7 P.M., you say? And after receiving a High-rank mana essence, no less…"

The weight of the situation bore down on the colonel, but before he could speak further, the general, who had been silent until now, finally opened his mouth. His voice was deep, measured, and carried the authority of years of command.

"He most likely had an artifact on him," the general said, his tone contemplative but laced with a hint of concern. "Something that helped him hide his strength. It would explain how he managed to remain under our radar for so long. Or…" he paused, his gaze sharpening, "he had an artifact that allowed him to amplify his abilities temporarily.

That could be why he was able to leave this place so swiftly after the deed was done."

The general's words hung in the air, a chilling possibility that made the situation even more dire. If Lucavion had access to such an artifact, it would mean they were dealing with more than just a rogue soldier—he was now a serious threat.

The general's eyes, sharp and discerning, turned to the colonel. "I want a full background check on Soldier Lucavion," he ordered, his voice brooking no argument. "I want to know everything about him—where he came from, who he trained under, any unusual behavior or reports. Everything."

The colonel nodded swiftly, his respect for the general evident. "I'll see to it immediately, sir."

The general's gaze didn't waver as he continued. "And I assume a pursuit team has already been dispatched?"

The colonel straightened, his voice steady. "Yes, sir. As soon as Rykard's body was discovered, we deployed the Hounds. They're tracking him as we speak."

The general's eyes narrowed slightly, a calculated gleam in their depths as he spoke. "Good," he repeated, his voice firm. "But don't let them dive too deep into the forest."

The colonel tilted his head slightly, a hint of curiosity flickering across his features. "Sir?"

"There's a reason that forest is known as the Shadowed Thicket," the general explained, his tone darkening as he continued. "It's not just dense with trees and undergrowth—it's a place where the natural order doesn't apply. Many who enter that forest don't return, and those who do… they're never the same. There are things in there that we don't fully understand.

It's a place of great danger, and sending men in there blindly would be a grave mistake."

The colonel's expression tightened as he absorbed the general's words. The Shadowed Thicket was a place whispered about in fearful tones; its reputation was shrouded in mystery and dread. He had heard tales, but the way the general spoke of it made the threat all the more real.

The general continued, his voice steady but grave. "If that bastard, Lucavion, has been hiding his strength all this time, it means he's far more capable than we initially believed. The Hounds are skilled, but they're not equipped to handle someone like him. At best, they can force him to flee deeper into the forest. But if that happens… he'll be in significant danger himself."

The colonel listened intently, his mind racing to keep up with the implications. The general was right—if Lucavion was driven into the heart of the Shadowed Thicket, his survival would be uncertain at best.

"There, he would either die or survive," the general said, his tone cold and pragmatic. "If he dies, it means he's punished for what he did. Justice, of a sort. But if he survives… that would mean he's already strong enough to take down the Hounds. And if that's the case, it would be illogical to sacrifice more soldiers when our situation on the battlefield is already so grim."

The colonel swallowed, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The general's reasoning was sound—there was no point in throwing more lives into the fray if Lucavion had truly become that dangerous. The soldiers were already stretched thin, their morale fragile after weeks of relentless conflict.

The general's gaze hardened as he delivered his final order. "We must silence everything about this matter. The soldiers' morale is already at an all-time low, and if word of this scandal spreads, it will only make things more complex. Lucavion's actions must be kept under wraps. We can't afford to let this weaken our forces further."

The colonel nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the general's directive. "Understood, sir. I'll ensure that the men are discreet and that this situation remains contained."

The general's expression softened slightly, though his eyes remained sharp. "Good. We're fighting a war on multiple fronts, Colonel. We can't afford to lose any more ground, especially to internal strife. Focus on the bigger picture. The less our soldiers know about this, the better."

The colonel straightened, his resolve firming as he absorbed the general's words. "I'll make sure of it, sir."

The general nodded once, then turned to leave the tent, his steps purposeful and measured. The colonel watched him go, the weight of his orders settling heavily on his shoulders. He knew what had to be done, but that didn't make it any easier.

As the general's figure disappeared into the darkness outside, the colonel took a deep breath, steeling himself for the tasks ahead. Lucavion was now an enemy—whether he survived the Shadowed Thicket or not, he was a threat that had to be dealt with swiftly and silently.

The battlefield was unforgiving, and in times like these, tough decisions had to be made. The colonel would ensure that those decisions were carried out with the precision and discretion demanded by the situation.

Without another word, he exited the tent, his mind already calculating the next steps to secure both the camp and the fragile morale of the soldiers under his command.

********

Thirty minutes passed, the silence of the forest only broken by the occasional rustle of leaves or distant howl of a creature. My breathing had steadied, and I could feel the energy slowly returning to my core. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep me moving.

Just as I was beginning to feel a semblance of readiness, I sensed something—multiple presences approaching from the direction of the camp, moving at a rapid speed. My eyes snapped open, my body going instantly alert.

'Hounds.'

The realization hit me like a cold wave.

The pursuit team was here.

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