A few days passed by, and Red continued to train like usual. The sect also received news from the Baron’s scouts from deep within the forest - his men had finally arrived in the dead section of the forest. The news they brought back was alarming.

They had found more undead in the region. Those were quick to be dispatched and proved no threat to well-armed soldiers, unlike the zombie Red and Narcha had fought. However, they continued to appear - undead hunters, bandits, or just village folk who were buried in the vicinity. Even animals were no exception. This indicated that undead rot had started to spread through the region.

According to Domeron, although the corrupted area had not yet grown, it had begun to affect the Spiritual Energy in the vicinity. The corruption hadn’t gotten powerful enough yet, but if it were left unchecked, it could expand to cover the entire forest in a matter of years. They had yet to receive any response from the Cursebreakers or sects, though, which left the Baron concerned.

The undead weren’t the worst part, however. The bandits had finally shown themselves. As soon as the Baron’s forces made their way into the dead forest, they were assailed by the brigands with increasing force, resulting in the loss of quite a few men. Not only that, but the bandits themselves were even armed with talismans and other magical items, proving to be a far bigger challenge than expected. Eventually, the Baron’s men had to give up on advancing, or else they would all end up dead.

This news took the entire town by surprise. It was the first time the bandits had acted against the town’s forces directly, and they had actually gained the upper hand. No one knew why they had decided to come out in the open, but they knew one thing: it was a declaration of war. The Baron also took it as such. No longer did he plan on taking a passive approach to the situation, and he had already declared his intentions of organizing a war party to eliminate the bandits from the region.

This war party included the Water Dragon Sect.

…

Hector had gathered all the sect members in the meeting hall, except for Allen, who remained in his room, and Goulth, who stayed in his workshop.

“Narcha, Eiwin, and Rog. You’re going to reinforce the Baron’s forces in the forest.” the elder said.

Narcha sighed in relief at these words. “Finally, you have us doing something!”

“That’s not all I have to say.” Hector interjected. “If you happen to find any signs of Imperial Forces in the area, you are ordered to retreat to the sect immediately.”

“Are you serious?” the woman frowned. “You want us to not act against them even in this situation? What if they attack us instead?”

“Hmph, don’t pretend to be dumb! I’m not saying you shouldn’t defend yourselves, but rather that you shouldn’t start a fight out of your own volition.”

“So what? Are we supposed to let the forest burn instead?”

“I’m saying this for your own good, you stubborn brat. If the Empire has actually brought any forces to the region, do you really think you can fight them?”

The warrior gnashed her teeth in anger. Before she could respond, though, Eiwin interjected.

“We understand, Master Hector.” she nodded. “We’ll follow your orders.”

Narcha looked back at her companion in surprise. Eiwin just stared at her in silence, and that seemed to be enough to calm the warrior down.

“Good.” Hector nodded. “You set off today.”

“Just us?” Rog asked in surprise.

“What, do you have something else to do?” the elder frowned.

“You do know they have a Lesser Ring Cultivator leading them, right?”

“Of course I do. The Baron has already sent General Horvat to the frontline in case Rickard appears.”

“Just one Lesser Ring Cultivator might not be enough to pin Rickard down…”

“Will you stop nagging, you slob?!” Hector lost his temper with the hunter. “I know it might not be enough, which is why I’m meeting with the Baron tomorrow to decide what we are going to do about this!”

Everyone around the table looked surprised at his words.

“Are you going to make a move yourself?” Narcha asked. “I thought you said you were going to let the Baron’s men handle it.”

“It all depends on how the situation develops.” Hector shook his head. “Now that we know the Empire is supplying the bandits, we can’t guarantee Rickard won’t be equipped with magical items. In that case, how can I trust those inexperienced brats to get rid of him?”

Narcha gave the old man a mocking grin. “And what if the Empire attacks you too while they’re at it? I suppose you’re just going to let them beat you up, right?”

Her words almost sent the elder over the edge. The old man’s face reddened in anger, and it looked like he was just about to explode. However, he eventually calmed down by himself.

He ignored Narcha’s words, much to the woman’s surprise, and said. “You have my orders. You can leave now.”

“What about me?” Red asked.

“You?” Hector frowned. “What about you?”

“Can’t I go too?”

“Don't confuse your luck for skill, brat - just because you managed to escape the bandits once does not mean that you can fight them. I don’t care if you want to take another shot at throwing your life away, but I won’t let you jeopardize the mission by dragging the rest of the group down with you as they try to protect your life. You can ask me again once you’ve opened a few more veins.”

The elder turned around and left the room before Red could say anything else.

The boy frowned, but he didn’t speak up in the end. He noticed Domeron staring at him and smiling. Red could imagine what he wanted to say with that expression, but this wasn’t the place to discuss it.

…

The next day, Red woke up after a good night of sleep.

‘Still no dreams…’

The boy couldn’t say he missed them, but he wondered why they had stopped so suddenly. After he left the underground, he had yet to have another dream where he was in another person’s body.

The only dreams he had over the past month were about the desolate dark-sand desert, which he assumed was connected with the crimson mist. Red had never shown much interest in discovering the meaning behind these visions, or why they looked so realistic. Yet perhaps now that he was on the surface, it was a worthwhile investment to investigate this matter.

He walked outside and looked around the courtyard. The forest group had left yesterday, and now the Sect looked emptier than usual. There was, however, one person in the same place as usual, in his rocking chair.

Red walked over to the swordsman.

“Have you decided?” Domeron asked before Red could speak up.

The boy, of course, knew what the man was referring to. “You said we were going to be joined by others, but they all left yesterday.”

“They did.” the swordsman nodded. “But they’re waiting for you in the forest.”

“They all agreed to this?” Red frowned. “Even Eiwin?”

“She was harder to convince, but that’s not the point. She thinks it's just you who's coming with them.”

“… You mean to say they don’t know about Allen?”

“Well, Narcha does. Rog didn’t really care, either way.” Domeron shrugged.

“What if Eiwin wants to return when she sees Allen?”

“I trust you and Narcha to dissuade her. Eiwin might be overprotective, but she is not unreasonable. Once you explain my perspective to her, I know she will agree to take him along.”

The man’s words did not convince Red, but there was nothing for him to lose in this situation. He was still going to investigate the imperials one way or the other. However, there was one issue he was quick to notice with their plan.

“If we are going to the forest, how are we going to investigate the imperial agents who only stay in town?” the boy asked.

Domeron laughed.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Yesterday, three of those agents left for the forest.”

Red was shocked into silence for a few seconds. “And Hector still allowed the mission to proceed? Didn’t he say he wanted to avoid confrontation with the Empire?”

“He doesn’t know about it.”

Once again, the boy was at a loss for words. Domeron only smiled at his reaction.

“Controlling things like this is one of the benefits of being the only connection between the Grand Elder and the Baron. Of course, he’ll probably end up hearing about it in today’s meeting, which is why we need to hurry.”

“Aren’t you worried?” Red asked.

“About Hector? Not really.” the swordsman shrugged. “I only aim to do what’s best for the sect, even if it goes against his orders. If he wants to punish me for it, then so be it.”

‘You’re insane.’

Red didn’t voice his assessment. Even if Red dared to violate Hector’s orders, the boy would never be so carefree about it. Even now, he still dreaded the consequences that awaited him once this was all over. However, this was still something he needed to do for his own sake.

“What is the plan?” the boy finally asked.

“We wait until Hector is away for the meeting and then you escape with Allen.”

“That simple?” Red didn’t dare to believe it.

“Indeed. Hector obviously accounted for Allen trying to escape, which is why he left him in my care during the time he would be away from the sect.”

‘And yet, here you are, betraying all the trust he placed in you.’

Red wouldn’t complain, though. “Will Hector come looking for us?”

“Maybe, but the forest is big even for a cultivator of his power. Not to mention, Hector never bothered to learn about the area outside of town, despite his strength. I trust that Rog can trick him very easily.”

Surprisingly enough, there were no obvious problems with the plan that Red could spot. All the consequences would come after the fact, however.

...

The two of them passed the hours by training, discussing the details of the plan, and also the meeting spot Narcha and the others would wait for Red at. The boy still wasn’t too familiar with the forest, but the spot was barely a few hours outside of town, and Domeron had provided him with a map.

Eventually, Hector came out of the main building looking for them.

“I’ll be on my way.” the elder said to Domeron. “Make sure this place doesn’t burn down by the time I'm back.”

Domeron just smiled in response. The old man nodded at him and walked out of the courtyard. Red looked at Hector’s back in surprise.

“He’s going alone… Just like that?”

“Of course.” the swordsman nodded. “In this town, who can threaten him?”

Red supposed this was a fair assessment. They continued training for a few minutes longer until Domeron called for a stop.

“You should be going.” he said. “I had two bags with supplies prepared for both of you near the meeting hall. Allen should be waiting for you in there.”

Red nodded, but didn’t immediately spring into action. “Did you tell Goulth about this?”

“I did. It was harder to convince him than Eiwin.”

The boy could imagine why.

“Then I will be on my way.” Red said and, without further ado, prepared to walk off.

Domeron, however, held him back. “Wait.”

The youth turned around to look at him with a frown.

“You know, I trust in your survival instincts above those of everyone else in this sect.” the swordsman said. “Make sure that by the end of this, you bring not only Allen, but everyone else back in one piece.”

‘If you were so worried about their safety, why would you put them at such risk? Why place such an enormous responsibility on a child?’

Red didn’t voice his thoughts, though, and just nodded. Despite his silent protests, he understood Domeron’s feelings. The man simply did what had to be done, even if it involved putting people he cared about at risk. The boy could admire such an attitude.

“Then I’ll be going.” Red said, then walked away.

After going through his room and collecting both his cleaver, bow and arrow, and the insectoid crystal, Red walked over to the main hall. Once he got there, he saw Allen waiting for him with a backpack already strapped to his back.

The young master’s face lit up once he saw Red.

“I knew you would help me! I always trusted my best friend would be there for me in the end!”

The youth didn’t know how to respond. However, he felt that if Allen knew this plan involved willingly putting their lives on the line, maybe his opinion about Red would change.