Inside the medical tent Unicy lay in bed, bored out of her mind and surrounded by groaning.

How long am I going to be lying in this bed? I wanna stretch my legs already...She thought to herself when the light mage Adster suddenly loomed over her with a smile that made Unicy shiver.

“Ho? You're my next patient? Good, good. I wanted to know how you scream.”

Unicy started sweating, remembering Fatty and the others’ screams of pain when they got ‘healed.’

“Nonsense… s-shouldn’t there be more pressing— more wounded people that need your touch more, dear sister?”

Adster leaned downward and moved her fingers along Unicy’s body, causing bumps to appear in their wake wherever they trailed.

Eyes still smiling, Adster blew in Unicy’s ear, “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, most of the heavily wounded have already been treated. I saved you just for last to reward myself. To be able to hear the cavalry commander’s healing voice... will be quite a treat.”

Someone, for the love of god, please save me from this torture.

“Now you lay still so I can buckle you in. Don’t want you to open that wound without my permission.”

Just before Adster could finish securing the last leather belt trapping Unicy, someone entered the room.

“Urist has decreed that all heavily and moderately wounded people are to digest a bowl of healing soup immediately.”

“Tsk.”

Oh thank god, Urist.

But the messenger wasn’t finished, “Oh yes I almost forgot. Ubel added that all the heavily wounded get the soup with the exception of Unicy, as her wound is too severe. She is to be immediately healed by Adster and then spoon fed the healing soup.”

Anger bubbled in Unicy as she tried to break out of the leather straps, “Ubel you bastard! How dare you do this to me! I’ll have my revenge on you, you soulless bastard! Just you w—”

Before she could finish speaking, Adster secured the last binding and strapped a gag over her mouth.

Unicy began to tremble, staring at the smiling Adster who whispered. “You heard the commander. We need to follow orders don’t we Unicy~. So don’t stain your voice, leave that for when we do the healing ok~.”

A single tear ran down Unicy’s cheek, Oh god. Not like this… Ubel you demon… I’ll get my revenge!

As the wounded left the tent to get their soup a muffled high pitched girlish scream rang out behind their backs.

***

“Begin the operation.” Sitting in his chair with tired eyes, Ubel ordered the now refreshed Reaver.

“Understood, sending out the scouts.” Reaver replied, sending out a squad of ten kid fox-kin with tigers as mounts.

After making sure they were gone she spoke from the couch, “Are you sure we shouldn’t send out the hunters? I’m sure Joy and Valkus could easily accomplish this task.”

“They could but I want to give the fox-kin some achievements. It isn't good to always rely on one force. Remember this Reaver, you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. You have to diversify so you are not pinched for options. Also, this is a good opportunity to gauge how good they will be as scouts with that teleporting ability.

“So they are just lab rats then?” Reaver remarked.

“Yah, they are and they agreed to do it too. I gave them the cold hard facts. They might not make it back alive so don’t try to shame me for my tactics and do your job.” Ubel shot back.

Reaver snorted, “Understood.”

***

Outside of the village, Agate was focusing on the cores at hand. With the formations Bishop gave him and all the helping hands scurrying around, he was in a good pace.

Although I could be quicker I want to draw this out and make it seem much more difficult than it actually is. If I don’t put on a show for these insects they might tell Ubel it wasn’t that hard and I might get less rewards. Agate uselessly thought as he changed the line connections on his second core.

It wasn’t that hard to turn the cores into bombs since all he had to do was wrap Bishop's formations around the cores, alter the energies inside both slightly, and place them inside caskets that Empty created under his order.

He has good craftsmanship and didn’t screw up. Worthy enough to be an underling after I take over. Another line down, six more to go. Hmmm, should I try to convince Bishop back to my side? If I tell him what I did I bet he’d understand that these guys are pushovers. Then we could be brothers once again!

Heh, I can’t wait to see his expression. It’ll be priceless. And then we can make this mountain a New Red Mountain and once again be overlords. Yah, that’ll do it. I'll talk to him after I finish up this work today.

I’m sure he’ll see that we can’t live peacefully. We just have too much blood on our hands to live that way. Yah, it’ll be just like old times.

Agate smiled at the thought and kept on working, lost in his own world.