Tanaka returned to Eldoris in silence. The gates closed behind him. For a moment, he simply stood there. The settlement was already recovering from the chaos of the night. The goblin patrol that had encountered the humans was being questioned by Eldrin. The wolves had returned to their posts. The kobolds secured the road. Sora bounced beside Tanaka. "That was exciting." Tanaka looked down at him. "Exciting?"
Boing.
You almost got yourself stabbed."
"I didn’t."
Sora replied.
"You got chased through half the settlement."
"I was faster."
Tanaka stared at him. Sora bounced proudly. Tanaka sighed. "Just stay out of trouble. Okay!" Sora bounced away. Tanaka watched him disappear around the corner.
The five soldiers hadn’t entered Eldoris on their own. Someone had sent them. Someone who wanted Tanaka to think it was Lucien’s doing. It wasn’t something Tanaka wanted to dwell on for the time being. For now, the humans had been caught. Lucien would deal with his soldiers.
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Inside the Imperial camp, Lucien stood by the light of a lantern. The five soldiers were on their knees before him, their weapons taken, their hands bound. Two Imperial soldiers stood behind the captives. Lucien studied each man’s face. "Start from the beginning." No one answered. Lucien’s eyes narrowed. "You entered Eldoris without my permission." No one answered. "You removed your armor." Still no answer. "You avoided the roads and patrols." The leader swallowed. Lucien stepped closer. The man’s head lowered. Lucien turned to the others.
"Who gave you the order?" The soldiers exchanged glances. Finally, one of them spoke. "We were told to investigate." "By whom?" The soldier hesitated and stopped talking.
"What were you told to do?" Lucien asked. The soldier continued.
"We were told to enter the settlement." Lucien’s eyes darkened. "And?" "Observe the monsters." Lucien’s expression hardened. "What else?" The soldier lowered his head.
"We were told to provoke them." The tent was silent. Lucien turned to the leader. "Was that your order?" The leader said nothing. Lucien’s voice was colder now. "Answer me."
"Yes." "Who gave you that instruction?" "We don’t know." Lucien stared at him. "You’re soldiers." "You follow orders." "Someone gave you an order." The leader swallowed and refused to answer. Lucien’s expression darkened. That was enough. Someone had deliberately sent soldiers to investigate Eldoris without informing him.
Someone wanted the Empire to declare war.
Lucien turned to the entrance. "Take them away." Two soldiers stepped forward. The leader looked up at Lucien. "Commander..."
Lucien stopped. The man hesitated. "We didn’t expect them to be so organized."
Lucien turned back to him. "What did you expect?" The soldier lowered his eyes. "A monster nest." Lucien said nothing. The five soldiers were led away. Lucien remained alone in the tent, staring at the shadows. His thoughts turned back to Eldoris, to Tanaka, to the wolves, to the goblins, to the strange little slime that had led the soldiers into an ambush.
Someone wanted those men to provoke a battle. But why? Lucien turned to the darkness outside the tent. He had a suspicion. But suspicion wasn’t proof. Not yet.
____________
The next day, nothing happened.
The Imperial Army remained outside the walls of Eldoris. Lucien did not send another patrol. Tanaka did not attack the camp. The two sides remained at an uneasy standstill.
By sunset, the tension between them was nearly tangible. Tanaka stood near the western gate, watching the Imperial soldiers as they prepared their evening meal. Everything seemed normal. Tanaka knew better. There was someone in that camp who wanted blood. And that someone was still there. Tanaka turned away from the camp. "Raizen." The Star Wolf King appeared beside him. "Yes, Great One?" "Increase the night patrols." Raizen nodded.
"Understood." Raizen looked toward the forest. "And don’t engage anyone unless they enter the Dominion." It wasn’t that Tanaka wanted to attack the Empire. He simply didn’t want to give Lucien an excuse. "Yes, Great One." Raizen disappeared into the night.
_______________
That night, Calian stood at the edge of the Imperial camp, watching Eldoris. The first squad had failed. Five men had been captured. Lucien had questioned them. And somehow, the situation hadn’t escalated out of control. Calian clenched his fists. He had expected Tanaka to retaliate. He had expected the monsters to attack the camp.
Instead, the monster leader had held back.
Calian hated that. Because it made things more difficult. He needed something to happen. Something that would force Lucien’s hand. Calian turned to the soldiers behind him. They were all grim-faced men, all of them eager to return to battle.
They had spent years fighting monsters, and many of them had lost friends. Some had lost family. Their hatred of the monsters wasn’t something Calian had created. He knew how to use it. Calian looked at them. "You know what lives inside that settlement." One of the soldiers nodded. "Monsters." "They’re organized."
Another soldier spat on the ground. "That doesn’t make them people." Calian remained silent for a moment. Then he spoke. "Tonight, I want you to investigate."
One of the soldiers frowned. "Again?" "Yes."
"What are we looking for?" Calian looked toward Eldoris.
"Anything that proves they cannot coexist with humans." The soldiers nodded. Calian turned away. He didn’t give them direct orders to kill. He didn’t need to. Their hatred would see to it that the Empire didn’t leave Eldoris alone.
____________
The second squad of soldiers entered the forest just after midnight. They were more careful than the first. They had studied Eldoris during the day. They knew where the patrols were stationed. They knew which roads were patrolled. They knew where the watchtowers were. And they weren’t afraid of what they might find. They hated it. The settlement remained quiet under the cover of darkness. A few windows still glowed with light. The Mana Birds perched on the rooftops. The Greater Goblins had finished their work for the day.
The Moonhares slept. The Greater Kobolds had closed their shops. The Greater Ogres had returned to the construction district. The Stoneshell Turtles rested near the southern road. The Star Wolf Warriors kept watch over the settlement. The soldiers watched from the shadows. "There." One of them pointed to a small building. A group of young goblins slept inside. The leader studied them. "They’re children." One of the soldiers hesitated. "So?" The man said. The leader looked at him. "Remember what we’re here for." The soldier’s expression hardened. "Monsters." They moved.
___________
The attack was quick. The young goblins didn’t have a chance to react. The soldiers fled before the alarm could be raised. They moved deeper into Eldoris. Their next target was a small kobold area. Inside one of the cottages, two young kobolds slept soundly. The squad entered the building. One of the kobolds opened his eyes. The soldier froze. For a moment, neither moved. Then the kobold saw the weapon. He screamed. The attack began. Within seconds, the room fell silent. The squad left the cottage. Four goblins and two kobolds were dead. No battle had been fought. No warning had been given. No weapons had been raised.
It was murder.
---
The first warning came from the Mana Birds. A cry echoed through the night. Then another. Then another. The Star Wolf Warriors immediately took to the rooftops. Raizen’s spoke once. "Humans." The message spread through the Dominion. Tanaka got the message. He didn’t ask what was happening. "Where?" "East district." Tanaka moved at once. The leaders of Eldoris followed him. The settlement stirred to life. Doors opened. Weapons were readied. The goblins marched toward the eastern district. The kobolds followed. The wolves disappeared into the night. Tanaka arrived at the eastern district shortly after the attack.
He stopped when he smelled the blood. His expression darkened. He entered the building. Four young goblins lay on the floor, their bodies lifeless. Tanaka remained still. Behind him, Raizen lowered his head.
Drakar’s grip tightened around his weapon.
Eldrin said nothing. Tanaka slowly walked to the bodies. He knelt beside them. They had been living, breathing people earlier. They had worked, played, and slept inside Eldoris. Now they were dead. Tanaka closed his eyes. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then another voice called out from the street. "Great One!" Tanaka turned.
"What?" He asked. "Two kobolds." Tanaka’s expression hardened. He walked to the next building. Two young kobolds lay on the floor, their lives stolen.
Tanaka stared at them.
He thought of the six goblins, of the soldiers he had captured, of the warning he had given Lucien. And he thought of the restraint he had shown. Tanaka slowly turned toward the street. "Find them." Raizen’s ears twitched.
The search began almost at once. The six attackers were found. They had almost reached the Imperial camp when a group of Star Wolf Warriors blocked their path. The humans drew their weapons, but the wolves were faster. Raizen stepped forward. "Drop them." The soldiers hesitated. One of them attacked, but a wolf knocked the weapon from his hands. Another tried to run, but a second wolf blocked his path. Within moments, the six attackers were on the ground, bound and helpless. Raizen looked up at them. "You killed our people." One of the soldiers spat on the ground. "They were monsters." "They were Eldoris," Raizen said quietly. The attackers were dragged back toward the settlement.
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Tanaka was waiting when they arrived. He stood in the center of the square, the leaders of Eldoris watching him closely. Raizen brought the prisoners to him. Tanaka looked at the six men. "You entered my home." No one answered. "You killed six of my people." The soldier raised his head. "They were monsters." Tanaka’s expression didn’t change. "They were children." The man’s eyes narrowed. "Monsters." Tanaka stared at him. Something inside him hardened. He turned to Raizen. "Execute them." The square fell silent. Raizen bowed his head. "Yes, Great One."
___________
Lucien was waiting when the gates opened.
He had heard the commotion and seen the wolves running through the streets. He looked up when Tanaka appeared. "What happened?" Tanaka’s eyes were dark. "Your soldiers entered Eldoris again." Lucien’s expression tightened. "Six of them." "What did they do?" Tanaka said nothing for a moment. "They killed six of my people." Lucien went silent. Tanaka continued. "I captured them." Lucien looked up at him.
"And?" "I executed them." Lucien’s jaw tightened. "Tanaka..." "I gave you a chance, Lucien." Lucien stopped. Tanaka’s voice was quiet, but it carried through the square.
"I allowed your investigation."I returned your soldiers alive."
"I warned you that someone was trying to provoke a conflict." He met Lucien’s eyes. "And someone did it again." Lucien looked away. He knew. This time, there was no mistake. Someone had wanted to escalate the conflict. "You should have brought them to me." Tanaka’s expression darkened. "Why?" Lucien met his gaze. "So they could be punished." Tanaka shook his head. "They already were." "What do you want?"
Lucien asked. Tanaka answered immediately. "Two days." Lucien frowned. "Two days for what?"
"Tell your king what happened here. Tell him Eldoris doesn’t want war. But tell him something else." Tanaka’s eyes narrowed. "We will defend ourselves." Lucien said nothing. Tanaka stepped closer. "You have two days. Leave peacefully. Or prepare for what comes next." Lucien studied him for a long moment.
Then he nodded. "I’ll send the message." Tanaka turned to the gates. "Good." Lucien stopped him. "Tanaka." Tanaka turned back.
"The Empire may not respond with peace."
Tanaka looked toward the distant horizon.
"I know." Lucien returned to his camp.
Now the empire had to prepare, for peace or war.
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