(Please checked the book My Guardian System: The Trader and send powerstone.)

Meeting,

The long debate about their plan gave Eman a headache. They could not come up with a plan that was agreed upon by everyone. He was aware of the reason. 

Their disapproval of him as the commander was the cause of it. If this keeps on going… well, it would not affect so much, however. The promise he made to his majesty that if possible, he had to lessen the number of soldiers that might lose their lives in this mission. If not because of it, he would never hesitate to use them as sacrifices.

He was starting to get annoyed by this bunch of uncles. He sighed then asked. "Is there a shortcut that we can use to arrive at the village in the shortest time?" Silence descended in the room when they heard him.

"A shortcut?!" One of the captains raised a voice and broke the silence. It was Demyul.

"Yes," Eman nodded. But a nonchalant expression remained on his face. He asked once again. "Are there any like that?" Standing beside him was his assistant, Soldier Kanna, who was shaking her head like having a headache. It was her who spilled the beans on him.

While they were surveying the surroundings a while ago, she unintentionally told him that she heard before, from her friends, that there was a shortcut to the Sunville Village in which shorten the travel by one or two days.

Eman got interested in it. He wanted to learn anything from that village.

Surrounding the long rectangular table were the captains. Most of them knitted their brows when they heard his question. They had no idea about it. 

Suddenly, 

Thump!

"Young man!" Someone bellowed. "Do you know what you are talking about!" It was Demyul. He suddenly stood up. Then tapped the table forcibly with his hand which caused a crisp impact and took everyone's attention by surprise.

Currently, they are outside and in front of the bamboo house. He chose to hold the meeting here as there were several of them. This number was too much inside the bamboo house.

The other soldiers who were resting in the distance glance to where the captains were when they heard a clamor caused by the sudden impact. Then they came back to what they were originally doing when they noticed that it came from the meeting place.

However, before Demyul could say something again, something rapidly flew and hit him in the forehead. "Ugh!" Demyul groaned as he staggered back from his seat.

"Damn you!" He shouted angrily when he noticed there was a lump on his forehead. And it was in pain. His blood rose out of a sudden as he stared angrily at the person who was the cause of it.

Everyone looked at where the thrown piece of stone came from. It came from the woman beside their young commander.

"How dare you call someone of higher status than you without honorifics!" Soldier Kanna returned an angry remark as she sneered at Demyul coldly.

"Even if you disapprove of him, you have no right to disrespect someone who is personally appointed by his majesty. Showing disrespect on this man was equivalent to showing disrespect to his majesty!"

After hearing her, Demyul fell silent in annoyance. But he could not say something as it was true. Still, "Bitch." He whispered under his breath and went back to his seat in silence.

Eman was taken aback, he never thought this girl was so impulsive. Well, that was unexpected. Regardless, it had a good effect. So good job on this assistant.

"There is a shortcut but…" it was Demyul again who talked. But right now, he was calmed. Seeing that everyone was waiting for the continuation of his words. He opened his mouth once again. "That road is much more dangerous than you think," he said while crossing his arms across his broad torso. While he sided a glance at their commander. 

Eman almost chucked when he noticed the swelling forehead of Demyul. It lumped bigger than he thought. "Are you familiar with the terrain, Mr. Captain?" He asked.

He noticed the captain made a sigh. "I'm not, but…" he paused and sent a glance to his right. "Bross here must be more familiar with it."

The person, who had his name suddenly mentioned, blinked his eyes twice as he glanced at Demyul.

After noticing that everyone was staring at him. He unwillingly opened his mouth. "I-I am…" he nodded.

Bross was taken aback when he noticed that the young commander and the rest were looking at him with doubt. He wasn't afraid of the young commander, and he didn't feel any displeasure that he was the commander. He was one of those who didn't give much thought to whoever took the role of it. But, he felt scared at the impulsive woman beside the young commander. After what she did to Demyul, he thought that it wasn't good to be on the bad side of this woman.

Bross wasn't part of the assault squad. He was the captain of the healer squad. His squad would be acting both as support and medics for this operation.

"Bross is a former residence of Sunville Village, and he's familiar with the terrain around here and the Sunville Village." Demyul suddenly intervened.

"I see," they heard the young commander said it while massaging his chin. "Then, can you tell us about the shortcut, Captain Bross?"

"Oi, Demyul!" Bross called out to stop him, but it was too late. Bross sighed and nodded. "Since Captain Demyul already blurted out my secret. Well, it wasn't really a secret but I preferred if no one knew about it," Bross started saying in melancholy. "The tragedy of that time was still fresh in my memory."

"I was just seven years old when it happened. That night, most of the residents were already lying on their beds to rest their tired bodies from the whole day's work.

But everyone was awakened by the sudden smell of smoke and the clamors coming from outside their houses. The villagers were confused as they peeked outside. Then one of the villagers came running and shouting. "We are under attack! A group of bandits is—!" He wasn't able to finish his warning as his mouth was pierced by a flying javelin. Then blood dripped and sprayed. After that, everyone panicked as they ran without a clear destination. They ran everywhere while shouting on top of their lungs.

The countless bandits came flooding the village together with their beasts, mounts, and pets. Rummaging and doing all sorts of injustice acts typical of criminals. That night, I lost my whole family…"

"..."

Everyone fell silent when Bross suddenly started reminiscing about his past. Even Eman did not expect it.

"I see... that a sad story..." the young commander said.