Hugo and Valen sprinted through a tunnel that seemed to have no end, guided by the flickering light of a torch Hugo kept prepared for a moment like this.
"Hey, Hugo! Where does this path even lead?" Valen asked.
"You'll see soon enough," Hugo replied.
"I don't have time for a scenic route. I need to get east and find my siblings," Valen snapped back.
"I know... and that's exactly where we're going."
"Tell me something—why are you actually helping me?" Valen asked.
"Like I told you, the dream told me to... but honestly? There's a feeling in my heart that's pushing me to help you. I can't explain it myself," Hugo admitted.
Valen fell silent, watching Hugo's silhouette as he led the way through the dark with his torch and spear. After a long trek, they reached a stone staircase. At the top, Hugo shoved open a heavy stone door, and they stepped out into the crisp air at the base of the mountains right behind the city. After sealing the entrance, Hugo turned to her.
"Follow me. We're going to my headquarters."
"Headquarters? Since when do you have a base?" Valen asked, skeptical.
They hiked up a small ridge and looked down into a village hidden in a valley. Armed men patrolled the perimeter, but there were also many women and small children living there.
"Welcome to the mountain bandit camp," Hugo said.
"Hoho... so the infamous mountain bandits terrorizing the west—that was you all along?"
"Hahaha, yeah. When I tore through here to rescue my mother and killed the old leader, they decided to make me the new boss. I use them for intel and to raid nobles or lords heading south. My main goal is usually to free their slaves," Hugo explained.
"And I suppose you use the loot to buy all these women, right?" Valen said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Hahaha, believe what you want... but those women down there were treated just like my mother was by those 'noble' knights and lords. I just freed them. They're the ones who refuse to leave," Hugo replied.
"Whatever. Men are trash," Valen muttered.
"Drop it. Let's head down."
They descended the narrow trail into the heart of the village. Hugo was immediately swarmed by bandits, women, and children. He picked up a young kid, laughing, and headed into a large cave. Valen watched him, a small smile playing on her lips before she followed him inside.
Once inside, Hugo called a meeting with his top lieutenants. They reported that things in Castletown were boiling over; security had doubled because of Gerald Rochele's arrest, and various lords were already making moves to seize northern territory.
"Interesting," Hugo managed.
"There's more, Boss. Word from the port is that House Levent attacked the Black Continent looking for two fugitives from the Eastern Monastery. Rumor is they got slaughtered—lost at least two hundred men and one warships," his man reported.
"Two fugitives?" Valen asked.
"Probably the Saint and her guard my mother mentioned," Hugo said.
"This makes me even more worried about my siblings," Valen said.
"Anything else?" Hugo asked.
"Yeah. A merchant just got back from Al Nahar. He says the Demon and Barbarian tribes have moved. Likely they're mobilizing for a massive war."
Hugo's eyes lit up. In his dream, he had seen a Barbarian girl beside him and a Demon army at his feet. "Perfect. This is getting very interesting."
He spread a world map across the table and pointed to the Monastery in the east.
"She and I are heading east. You guys keep things running here, but double the weapons and supplies. Stockpile everything," Hugo ordered.
"Are we going to war, Boss?"
"I can feel it. War is coming to the central continent. We're going to be ready, and we're going to pick the winning side. We need the loot," Hugo said with a grin. "Get two horses ready immediately. And don't skimp on the supplies."
"On it, Boss!"
After the man left, Hugo ordered his team to dig up everything they could on Alex Reinald and why he was murdered eighteen years ago.
"So you really are a bandit king," Valen noted.
"Stop, you're making me blush," Hugo teased.
"It wasn't a compliment."
"Listen, we can't go through the north or the center because of the tension. We'll head south through Seriyan and loop around to the east," Hugo planned.
"I understand... and... thanks," Valen said softly.
"What's that? Did the 'Invincible Valkyrie' just say thank you?"
"Don't push your luck," Valen snapped.
"Hahaha, sorry,"
"How many people do you have here?" Valen asked.
"About three hundred fighters. Eight hundred total if you count the families," Hugo said.
"Not bad," Valen whispered.
"Get ready. The kings from the south are coming," Hugo replied.
As they studied the map, the man from earlier returned. "Boss, the horses for you and your wife are ready."
"Wife?! Since when am I his wife?" Valen barked at the man.
Hugo stayed silent. He was thinking about the dream—the way he had been holding Valen's hand on that balcony. He could still feel the warmth of it.
"Hey! Don't just stand there! Say something!" Valen yelled, hitting him on the back.
"Hahaha, well, having you as a wife wouldn't be the worst thing," Hugo joked.
"Why you—!" Valen swung a hand to smack him, but Hugo caught her wrist.
"Cling." A ring slipped off Valen's finger. Hugo let go and caught the ring before it hit the floor. When he looked up, his lieutenant was backing away in shock. Hugo turned to Valen and froze.
Five bushy red tails were swaying behind her, and a pair of fox ears had sprouted from her head. Hugo looked at the ring; it was made of the same material as his bracelet.
"Valen... you?"
"Yeah. I'm a five-tailed half-fox. Now give me my ring back," Valen said, her face flushing.
"I'll be damned. You're a Beastman too? I thought it was just me and my mom."
"Just give it back!"
Hugo handed the ring over, and she instantly transformed back. Hugo turned a cold, murderous glare toward his lieutenant.
"You didn't see anything. Keep this to yourself, or you're dead. Understood?"
"Y-yes, Boss! Crystal clear!" The man scrambled out of the cave.
Once he was gone, Hugo looked at Valen, who was still red-faced.
"Relax. You've seen what I am. Why didn't you say anything back then?"
"I don't talk about this with anyone. Not even my siblings know," Valen replied.
"When did you realize? When we were kids at that party, you seemed normal. And where did that ring come from?"
Valen explained that a year ago, the ring—a gift from her mother—had started burning her finger. When she took it off, she saw her true form. Her father had brushed it off as a joke, insisting Beastmen were extinct.
But six months ago, she met a massive, bald man in black armor who had been captured by her soldiers. He had looked at her and instantly known she was a Fox Beastman. He told her she was a survivor from a hidden village that Gerald Rochele's expedition had destroyed. Gerald had saved her from the flames only to raise her as a lie.
The man had told her his white eyes saw everything, even when closed. Valen had spent months investigating and finally found the proof. She wasn't Gerald's daughter, and she hated him for what he had done to her people.
"Wait... a massive bald man in black armor? Muscular? Around thirty?" Hugo asked.
"Yes. That's him. He's the reason I know the truth."
"Then my mother was right. My dream is a vision. I saw that man in my dream, standing with us. Where did he go?"
"I don't know. When I let him go, he just said he had to go back east," Valen said.
"Then it's settled. We're going east," Hugo said.
"Yeah. Let's move."
They left the cave, mounted their horses, and kicked them into a gallop. "Hyah!" They disappeared into the distance, heading south toward Seriyan before making the long turn toward the Eastern Territories.