"Quite a bold move, huh?" Luke asked.
Gideon said nothing, just smiled faintly.
Bian carried out the orders of his new leader. No one dared to rebel, and no one questioned him.
Everyone followed Gideon's commands—loyal and respectful.
There are only two ways a leader earns respect: by being loved or being feared.
Gideon's tough personality was shaped by the strict discipline of the US Army.
He didn't really know how to be the kind of leader people loved.
To him, a soldier's love was shown through obedience—and survival.
That's why leading through fear worked better for him than trying to be loved.
Gideon would make sure they respected him and his team.
He wanted them to believe his authority was absolute.
Bian led an expedition team to a nearby village of a mythological race along the southern coastline.
Gideon was targeting these villages with one goal: to gather allies with the same mission—resisting human colonization.
Norton arrived from the north, not alone, but with ten elite soldiers.
One of the Kitsune villagers had gone to inform Norton about the twelve wounded Moko soldiers.
They didn't just bring soldiers—they brought horse-drawn wagons too, with empty carts in the back.
Three wooden wagons that could carry all twelve wounded Moko fighters.
Norton arrived just outside the Wolf village but hadn't entered yet.
He turned his head, clearly noticing something was wrong inside. But he couldn't figure out what.
"What's going on here, Commander?" one of his men asked.
He stood frozen, shocked, unsure how to respond.
His face was still, lips sealed, unable to say a word as he witnessed the tragedy in front of him.
"I don't know."
Gideon's attention shifted as he saw Lena walk out of the green tent, her hands covered in blood.
She took off her white gloves and untied her hair, letting it fall loosely over her shoulders.
"Commander Norton?" Lena greeted.
"Miss... what happened here?" Norton asked, curious.
Lena smiled. She wasn't obligated to answer Norton's question.
Instead, she walked beside him, guiding him away from the village.
She didn't want him to see the horror inside from the battle the night before.
"You came to rescue the twelve Moko soldiers, right?" Lena asked, her M4 rifle still hanging from her neck.
"That's right."
She wasn't wearing that weapon before... Now she's always got it on her. What's really going on here? Norton wondered.
They both turned their attention forward. Lying on the open field near the Kitsune village were the twelve Moko soldiers.
It was morning. They lay on their backs, white bandages wrapped tightly around their stomachs.
Their eyes were open—they saw Norton clearly as he approached.
Norton remained silent, stunned but grateful that Lena and Gideon's team had managed to save them.
"How are they doing?" Norton asked.
"Some of their wounds reopened because they were forced to walk after surgery," Lena replied.
"Meaning?"
"They haven't fully recovered yet. That's why I asked you to bring the wagons."
Norton looked back. He had brought the wagons, just as she asked.
Lena nodded. The capacity and design were more than enough to carry the twelve injured Moko fighters back to Mischo City for proper care.
Lena smiled. One by one, the twelve soldiers were lifted and placed inside the wagons.
Though one wagon could carry 5–6 people, Norton chose to place only four in each—for comfort.
That way, all three wagons could carry the twelve wounded safely.
"Where's Captain Gideon?" Norton asked.
"He's... taking care of something in the Wolf village," Lena replied, standing in front of him.
"What really happened there?" he asked, trying to understand.
Lena smiled again, her eyes closing tightly. "Nothing."
***
Three days later.
The reconciliation process between Gideon's team and the villagers was going smoothly.
Slowly, people began to understand the root of the conflict.
Gideon couldn't deny that the Wolf village had changed since his team arrived.
But he had made up his mind. He wouldn't take the leadership role of the Wolf village.
He wasn't one of them—he didn't belong to their race. His team would gather their supplies and head somewhere safer.
Is the Kitsune village really safe? Who knows? Gideon couldn't be sure.
What he did know was that the Kitsune could end up just like the Wolves—conflict born out of clashing interests.
If Gideon wanted to stay neutral and avoid personal agendas, then he had to build his own village—his own shelter—one that didn't rely on any other race.
"But please stay here, Mr. Gideon. We don't know what'll happen to the Wolf village without your team," Bian said.
"I know you aren't to blame. But trust is hard to rebuild after what happened. The best thing for all of us is to grow in our own way, on our own terms," Gideon replied.
Bian hated to admit it—but he couldn't deny the truth.
What the village elders had done to Gideon was beyond forgiveness. Hui even threatened to kill him if he didn't hand over his rifle.
That was no longer just a disagreement. It had become a power struggle.
"Then where will you go?" Bian asked.
"We found a place that suits us. We'll stay there and build our own independent shelter."
"Anyone who wants to join us is welcome—but they'll have to follow my rules."
Gideon's goal was clear: avoid power struggles.
If no single race was in control, he could shape the shelter into something that truly worked.
Bian sighed and looked around. Many others agreed with Gideon.
They knew the Wolf race had wronged them. Rebuilding trust after betrayal wasn't easy.
Maybe the only way to heal... was to walk away.
"Alright. But what about choosing a new leader?" Bian asked.
Gideon walked forward confidently. His fist clenched tightly, aimed directly ahead.
PUNCH!
Without warning, Gideon landed a solid blow on Bian's face—knocking a tooth out.
Bian staggered back, shocked and furious. He had no idea why he'd been hit.
"What the—"
PUNCH!
Another punch. This time, Bian didn't just stand there. He got up and fought back.
The two of them brawled in the middle of the village, and no one stopped them.
Lena was shocked and started to move forward to break it up, but Luke blocked her with his arm.
"Stay back. Just watch," Luke said.
"But he's—"
"That's how the captain passes down leadership to Bian."
"Bian's going to be the new alpha of the forest wolf clan."