Norman stepped out of the building, his rigid soldierly demeanor vanishing almost instantly. The stern posture he had carried moments ago loosened, and his expression softened the moment they were away from prying eyes. Asher had heard and seen everything that had transpired between Norman and the Captain; he had no issue spying through Omni Perception, after all. From tone to intent, nothing escaped him.

"Follow me. Let me get you both healed first," Norman spoke calmly. With that simple instruction, he turned and began walking in another direction through the desert, his steps steady and purposeful. The others followed without hesitation.

Asher's eyes drifted skyward as they walked. Above them was what appeared to be a shimmering white barrier, vast and almost ethereal, stretching across the horizon. It seemed to originate from the massive wall through which they had entered the frontier. The barrier rippled faintly, as though alive, responding subtly to unseen forces. Asher guessed it was protecting the soldiers from something, perhaps hostile entities, environmental hazards, or even large-scale assaults, but he could not be bothered to ask. For all he cared, it could simply have been protection against rain.

They soon arrived at a particular building, noticeably sturdier than the others around it. Norman exchanged a few brief words with the healers stationed there. His tone was respectful but direct, as though this was routine. The healers wasted no time and immediately got to work.

William and Finch were easily healed, the faint glow of restorative energy enveloping their bodies. The lingering pain, stiffness, and fatigue vanished almost instantly. Aiden, Daniel, Samuel, and Clara also received their own round of healing. Although they were not exactly injured, it never hurt to be thorough. After all, nobody was more sneaky than an assassin, and unseen wounds were often the most dangerous.

"Sigh… I never thought I would be so happy to get healed," William intoned as he stretched his body, rolling his shoulders experimentally. His injury had previously limited his battle efficiency and mobility quite a bit. Moving the wrong way risked reopening the wound entirely, forcing him to fight cautiously. Now, however, he felt whole again, no pain, no resistance, no lingering weakness.

"Same. Perfect health has always been underrated," Finch replied enthusiastically as he bounced lightly on his feet, testing his balance and flexibility. His face practically glowed with relief.

Asher did not join the discussion. To him, nobody was more efficient than Virelass. The rapier, as though sensing his thoughts, hummed faintly in satisfaction at his side, its presence steady and reassuring.

With the healing complete, Norman led them away once more, guiding them through the military encampment. Eventually, he brought them to two different buildings. One was designated for Aiden, Daniel, Samuel, and Clara. The second was where Asher, William, and Finch would be staying.

"I will be back," Norman said, turning to face them. "But in the meantime, people will come by with food and other necessities. Nobody here is a maid or anything like that, everyone here is a soldier." He made it clear he wanted no misunderstandings between them and the troops stationed there.

Receiving nods of understanding from everyone, Norman departed to handle the remaining instructions given to him by the Captain. Without wasting any time, each group entered their respective buildings.

Arriving at their room, William, Asher, and Finch wasted no effort. The moment they reached their beds, they collapsed onto them. They had been sleeping in the forest for the past several days, enduring rough terrain, cold nights, and constant alertness. Although the room was not aesthetically pleasing compared to what they were accustomed to, it had solid walls, a roof, and real beds, luxuries they were grateful for.

Within minutes, food arrived. The boys gave it an honest try, but their palates, long accustomed to high-quality meals, could not settle for the bland military rations. The taste was tolerable at best.

As usual, Asher took food out from his system space and shared it with Finch and William. The difference was immediate, both in aroma and quality.

"I've been meaning to ask," William said between bites, his eyes turning toward Asher, "just how large is your space ring?"

"Whatever size you have in mind," Asher replied casually, "multiply it by a thousand." He offered no definite answer, but the implication alone was enough.

Hearing Asher's response, William did not push further. He simply nodded and returned to eating. The room was arranged with three separate beds, spaced evenly apart. After finishing their meal, Finch rose to his feet and headed for the shower. William went next, followed by Asher.

Once they were done, the trio lay back on their respective beds, staring up at the ceiling, each lost in their own thoughts.

"I won't lie," Finch said calmly, breaking the silence. "I genuinely thought I was going to die when those assassins came for us. I was already planning to use my teleportation scroll."

"Well," Asher replied from his bed, "I'm sure every mission will make you feel like that. You'll just have to get used to it."

Asher's mind, however, was far from calm. It swirled with thoughts of Blue's words and the Rank 5 Emovira he had encountered, along with all their implications.

'Will we encounter another round of assassins when we're heading back toward the Whale Barony?' Asher thought to himself. 'Sigh… this is getting too tiring. But it doesn't matter. I'll just wipe them out if they come.'

Unbeknownst to him, his worries were entirely unnecessary.

"Sigh… we only have one more mission together," William said quietly, still staring at the ceiling. "After that, we'll have to break up."

"You make it sound like the three of us are in a three-way gay relationship," Finch joked, even though he perfectly understood what William meant.

William's eyes shifted toward Finch, a fleeting urge to punch the fat idiot lying to his right flashing through his mind. In the end, he merely sighed and abandoned the thought.

"I'm sure either of those you plan to work with would be good enough to replace me," Asher stated with a neutral expression.

"Since you're leaving, let's go big on the last mission. What do you think?" Finch suggested with a bright smile.

"I'm fine with that," William agreed, "but you're the weakest here. You'll just drag us down." He could not resist adding the jab.

"This again?" Finch clicked his tongue in frustration. "Whatever. I'm going to sleep. I'm done talking to you." He turned around and pulled the duvet over himself.

William shook his head at Finch's antics but paid him no mind. His gaze shifted toward Asher, who seemed unusually lost in thought.

"You've been thinking a lot lately," William said after a moment. "Ever since the assassins came after us… do you know something?"

The question snapped Asher out of his thoughts. He exhaled audibly before responding. "Not really," Asher said calmly. "Just a few guesses. Nothing concrete."

William did not push further. After all, he had his own suspicions as well, but without evidence, they remained nothing more than guesses.

"When are we leaving here?" Finch asked from beneath the covers. "I still have my family to visit."

"Early tomorrow morning," Asher replied. "There's no need to waste time."

With that final exchange, the room fell silent. One by one, exhaustion claimed them, and the team drifted into sleep, unaware of what the next day would bring.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.