The missions continued for weeks.
The purge of monsters eventually became routine.
A routine of blood, mud, and restrained tension.
The heroes advanced through devastated territories while the forces of the Duchy protected the flanks, secured the villages, and kept evacuation routes open.
Over time, that forced coexistence began to create small frictions.
Some were ridiculous.
Others could become a problem.
Thunder was grazing peacefully in a clearing.
His coat crackled occasionally with small silver lightning bolts. Each step made the grass crunch beneath his hooves.
Leonardo watched him from a distance.
The electric steed was impressive.
Even among Sofia Douglas's magical beasts, Thunder stood out.
And Leonardo couldn't help thinking the same thing every time he saw him.
A creature like that should be with him.
He was the Hero of Lightning.
Thunder was a lightning beast.
To Leonardo, the connection was obvious.
Or at least, it should have been.
Besides, the steed had belonged to Sofia before being passed down to Lusian.
If he could get Thunder to acknowledge him, it would prove that even a magical beast of such a high level could recognize the true chosen one.
And that would be his revenge.
Lusian had taken Isabella from him.
And he would take his magical beast.
Leonardo approached.
Thunder raised his head.
"Easy."
Leonardo slowly extended a hand.
"You and I are the same."
Thunder stared at him.
"We both belong to lightning."
The steed remained motionless.
Leonardo smiled.
"Come on. Acknowledge me."
Thunder flicked one ear.
Then he raised a hind leg.
Leonardo barely had time to react.
BAM!
The impact sent him flying several meters backward.
He landed on his back, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Ugh!"
Leonardo coughed.
A thin line of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Thunder lowered his leg again.
A spark ran through his mane.
Then he went back to grazing.
As if nothing had happened.
Leonardo remained sitting on the ground, completely dumbfounded.
"Damn animal..."
Thunder didn't even look at him.
"Damn horse!"
Nothing.
Leonardo clenched his teeth.
"And damn Lusian!"
Thunder raised one ear.
Leonardo decided it would be better not to say anything else.
At the other end of the camp, Alejandro watched Albert train.
The veteran swung his sword with precise movements.
Every slash released a small burst of fire.
There was no wasted motion.
No unnecessary movements.
Pure technique.
Alejandro watched him for several seconds.
"I've never seen anyone control fire like that."
Albert stopped swinging his sword.
"Practice helps."
Alejandro smiled.
"It isn't just practice."
He approached.
"You have incredible talent."
Albert looked at him in silence.
Alejandro hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"I've been thinking..."
Albert waited.
"You could come with me to the Temple of Ignivar."
The sword stopped moving.
"What for?"
"To receive a blessing."
Alejandro spoke enthusiastically.
"Your affinity could improve. Your power would increase considerably."
Albert remained silent.
"With your talent, you could become someone far more powerful."
He paused.
"You wouldn't have to serve a mere mortal anymore."
Albert stared at him.
Then he let out a small laugh.
There was no mockery in it.
Only disbelief.
"A mere mortal?"
Alejandro frowned.
Albert drove his sword into the ground.
"Tell me, boy."
All warmth had disappeared from his voice.
"Do you know how long I've served the Douglas family?"
Alejandro shook his head.
"Since before Lusian was born."
Albert looked toward the rest of the camp.
"I knew Sofia when she was still a child."
His expression softened slightly.
"I watched her grow up."
Then he looked back at Alejandro.
"I watched her get married."
A pause.
"And I watched Lusian be born."
Alejandro remained silent.
"I trained him."
Albert rested one hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I saw him fall."
"I saw him get back up."
His gaze hardened.
"And when his father died, I watched him become the duke."
Alejandro lowered his gaze slightly.
"That is an oath."
"No."
Albert slowly shook his head.
"It is a choice."
Alejandro looked at him.
"The Heralds could release you."
"I don't need anyone to release me."
Albert pulled his sword from the ground.
"My sword does not belong to a god."
He rested it over his shoulder.
"Nor does it belong to the Kingdom."
His gray eyes locked onto Alejandro.
"And certainly not to the Heralds."
He took a step toward him.
"It belongs to my lord."
Alejandro felt a chill run through him.
Albert walked past him.
"So you can stop trying."
He stopped a few steps away.
"I will not abandon my lord Lusian."
Alejandro slowly clenched his fist.
He didn't feel hatred.
Not at that moment.
He felt respect.
But not for Lusian.
For Albert.
That man was willing to reject the favor of a god rather than abandon his lord.
Alejandro couldn't understand it.
But he couldn't help admiring it.
And that bothered him.
Because for the first time, he realized that the Douglas family wasn't held together by strength alone.
They had men who believed in them.
Men who had stood by their side for decades.
And that made confronting Lusian much more complicated.
Lusian raised his head when he heard a loud crash.
In the distance, Leonardo had just landed on his back in the middle of a cloud of dust.
Thunder calmly returned to grazing.
Lusian remained silent for several seconds.
Then he looked toward the other side of the camp.
Alejandro was still talking to Albert.
Judging by the veteran's expression, that conversation wasn't going particularly well either.
Lusian narrowed his eyes.
He looked at Leonardo.
Then at Alejandro.
Then back at Leonardo, who had just gotten up and was dusting himself off.
Lusian sighed.
"Idiots..."
Umber, sitting beside him, raised one ear.
"At least they're not trying to kill me."
A pause.
In the distance, Thunder raised a hoof again.
Lusian watched Leonardo cautiously move away.
"...yet."