Overwhelming Firepower

After getting the agents of the Hawk’s talons to join his side, Lucen was planning on turning them into the intelligence division of Thornefang.

’Now I just need someone to lead them. Cassandra is out of the picture since she would need to play a more important role... Among the people I know, the best one would have been Lysette Crowlorne for sure. As the future spymaster and revolutionary leader, she’s perfect for the job.’

Lucen could not help but remember that always-smiling girl. It was always hard to tell what she was really thinking, and her actions always seemed all over the place.

Every time they met, Lucen tried his best to tell what was the truth or what was a lie, but as expected of Lysette, that was hard to do.

Sometimes he suspected that even Lysette herself didn’t always know which version of her words was real.

She spoke lightly, joked easily, yet her eyes never stopped observing people, exits, reactions, and weaknesses.

If she were here, the decision would have been simple. Lysette thrived in shadows and half-truths. She understood how to lie without sounding like one, how to smile while weighing ten different outcomes in her head.

More importantly, she knew how to make people move without ever realizing they had been guided.

’Still, it was fun hanging out with her. But I can’t just hire the youngest daughter of Marquis Crowlorne for this job... For now, I guess that old man among them would be fine as the leader.’

While he was thinking about what to do with the hawk’s talon agents, Lucen headed to Sasha’s room, where Cassandra was.

”How is she?” Lucen asked as he looked at the sleeping Cassandra. Unlike yesterday, she was no longer breathing erratically or saying something under her breath.

”She still hasn’t woken up. I was able to stabilize her mana and aura; she’s doing well. There’s no problem with her body, so all we can do now is wait.”

Sasha tucked the blanket a little higher around Cassandra’s shoulders as she spoke, her movements careful, practiced. The sun shone through the window, making Lucen see Cassandra properly for the first time.

She looked a little different from the one in the game. It was not that she wasn’t pretty, but in the game, her beauty was something many gamers talked about.

He then stopped thinking about it; this was no longer the game, but a real-world difference in looks was to be expected.

’It’s also possible that after becoming a saintess, she got a buff to her beauty... Whatever that’s not important right now.’

He cut the thought short. Lucen then turned around as he spoke. ”That’s fine for now. Please inform me once she wakes up... Thank you, Sasha.”

”No need for thanks, this is, after all, my job. I would have done this even without you telling me to do it.”

Lucen smiled, hearing Sasha’s reply as he left the room. The next stop on his day was the training grounds he needed to do a few sparring matches since his body was a little bit excited.

He had been holding back for a while, but the trait battle-crazed wouldn’t let him calm down. The fight with Cassandra was not satisfying enough.

’The merits of the Battle-Crazed is nice and all, but this irritating feeling of not being able to fight to the end is quite something.’

It wasn’t just restlessness; it crawled beneath his skin, it was like a hunger that knows no end. He wanted to fight some more, he wanted to attack, to get hit, and to grow from battle.

That day, a few people from Thornefang were beaten up by Lucen in the guise of training. Of course, Lucen did not hurt them too much, just enough that they needed to rest the entire day to recover.

***

A few days had passed since the attack. The agents of Hawk’s Talons were currently on standby and were staying at the Thornefang base.

They were quite surprised that Lucen did not make them sign some sort of contract or even make a promise using the Goddess Thalara’s name. He simply allowed them to do what they wanted while waiting for their first mission.

This was unlike when they were under Marquis Valeire’s command, where they were being constantly monitored, constantly tested, their loyalty measured not by results alone, but by how completely they surrendered their will.

Here, there was nothing. No oaths etched in blood. No divine witnesses invoked. No invisible leash tightening around their thoughts.

This feeling of freedom was something they had long forgotten. At first, the sense of freedom unsettled them more than any command ever had.

”Hey, new blood, are you joining us in training today?”

Harlik spoke to the former members of the Hawk’s talons. It had been two days since these people arrived, but they haven’t left the building.

The other members of Thornefang hadn’t spoken to any of these agents as they were focused on their individual training. Among them, only Harlik knew who these people truly were and what they had done.

Still, since their little leader had accepted them, the same as how he accepted him and the others before, that meant these people were now allies, comrades, family.

The agents looked at the person who had talked to them. They immediately knew who this was. The right-hand man of Lucen Thornehart, Harlik Veller.

”Are we allowed to join you guys?” One of the agents spoke.

”Huh? Of course you are. I don’t care who you guys were before, but right now, right here, you are part of Thornefang. As long as you don’t betray the little leader, you are part of the family.” Harlik pounded his chest.

Harlik’s words hung in the air longer than he probably intended. The words he spoke echoed in their ears... Family. It was a word the Hawk’s Talons had not heard directed at them in years, if ever.

The agent who spoke earlier hesitated, then gave a shallow nod. The others did so as well and agreed to join Harlik.

They followed Harlik to the training grounds, steps cautious, eyes sharp out of habit. The moment they entered, the sounds of Thornefang’s daily routine washed over them, steel clashing against steel, shouts of exertion, laughter breaking out between sparring partners who had just knocked each other flat.

This was completely different from the training they had done... It felt warm...

”It seems the new blood has finally arrived. Let’s get started with the basics, then.”

Sir Thalos approached the new group and, without any warning, made them wear weights on their hands and legs as he made them run around the city.

Even though it was hard training, and they were not allowed to use mana or aura, the former agents were unconsciously smiling.

Under Valeire, hardship had always been a test of loyalty; fail, and you were discarded. Here, exhaustion was followed by water, corrections, and curt approval. There were no threats to be heard, no disappointment, just the expectation that tomorrow, they would be stronger.

***

Despite the days passing by, Cassandra still remained unconscious. It was also at this time that a rumor started circulating in Norvaegard. Lucen learned about it from a letter sent by Lysette.

The rumor was about the increase in the Thorneharts’ military might. There were some people saying that Thornehart might actually rebel and start a coup.

Of course, the first time they heard this rumor, the people quickly dismissed it. They could never imagine the shield of Norvaegard to attack those of Norvaegard, especially the royals.

Everyone knows the first Duke and the First King of Norvaegard were basically brothers who had been together through life and death situations alongside the Ancestor of the Aeromont Family.

Still, after a while, a few people started to wonder. The doubt didn’t spread loudly. It crept through taverns, over shared meals, between whispered conversations late at night.

No one accused the Thorneharts outright, but fear rarely needed certainty. All it required was possibility.

A single vague idea would change the way they thought about someone; it was easy since, in the back of their minds, they already had that thought in the first place.

They understood that the Thorneharts needed powerful military strength to protect them from the threats outside. But they could also use that power to take the crown if they wanted to.

Despite being called the Shield of Norvaegard and knowing that their family had protected the lands for centuries now, a single doubt was forming in the back of people’s minds.

The Thorneharts thought noble and strong were still human in the end. Don’t they have wants as well, same as the others?

Realistically speaking, who would take the job of periodically defending against monster waves that were growing stronger, dealing with barbarian tribes, as well as the threats of other kingdoms, without asking for much compensation?

After reading the letter and learning about the rumors and the reaction of the people, Lucen could already guess that this move was made by those on Marquis Valeire’s side.

It was obvious that they were going to weaken the Thorneharts’ image before declaring war on them, most likely after or during the next monster wave.

’Manipulating people’s thoughts using rumors, that’s a very basic bad guy strategy. Now I could counter using rumors as well, but I think I can do one better than that.’

Lucen, who already had something in mind, took out some paper and a pen as he started writing.

Rumors were easy to start, and in his mind, only low-class bad guys use that strategy like this. Stories, on the other hand, can shape one’s thoughts.