Chapter 511: Clarity
(Planet Tithia, later in the evening)
Although the First Elder had skimmed over quite a lot of crucial details, fortunately, when evening had rolled around, a proper military lieutenant arrived at their assigned quarters to provide Leo and Veyr with a far more comprehensive and structured briefing— one that clarified every key point that the First Elder had failed to explain.
The man, dressed in standard-issue combat uniform, bore the hardened expression of someone who had seen real combat, and carried himself with the quiet authority of a seasoned operative.
He walked them through the mission’s finer layers with disciplined precision, outlining not just the surface-level objectives but the embedded expectations that came with impersonating officers of the enemy.
He spoke of Lieutenant Aaron and Lieutenant Larry not as names on a sheet, but as breathing, living men. Their daily routines, the cadence of their speech, the officers they favored, the subtle tics in their posture, even the way they usually nodded during briefings, all of it was laid out with clinical accuracy, as though they had been under observation for months.
More importantly, the lieutenant explained how the required information was to be extracted without raising suspicion.
There were no brute-force data hacks or reckless raids involved, only a careful series of minor disruptions and psychological plays: intentionally delaying certain duties, misplacing tools, over-requesting equipment, and watching how command structures reacted.
It was about pressure, timing, and quietly logging vulnerabilities without ever being seen as suspicious.
To aid them, he handed them small disruption tools such as thin frost talisman paper to burst pipes without leaving a blade mark, and explosion sound talisman, that could recreate the sound of a massive explosion, without ever actually causing one.
If used correctly, both of these tools could create opportunities for them to probe more information, and he even explained exactly how to do so.
"In case you’re exposed, find a narrow maintenance tunnel running beneath the east wing dormitories.... It will lead you out into the surrounding woods, just a few kilometers from the emergency hut." The lieutenant explained, as unlike the First Elder who only said stuff arbitrarily, this man gave them thorough directions and a proper briefing.
Five hours later, by the time the session ended, Leo found himself reclining ever so slightly on his chair, his breath easing as the tension that had gripped him since the morning finally began to fade.
There were still major risks involved with this mission, but now, at the very least, he had a vision about what he was supposed to do and how to do it.
And that was definitely a massive improvement over what he had been handed in the morning.
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"What do you think about the current Dragon Army size, Cousin?
Thirty million soldiers have already completed six weeks of basic training, and another ten million will be ready within the next week.
So by the time we launch this assault, we’ll have forty million men at our disposal," Veyr said, as Leo rubbed his chin thoughtfully in response.
Compared to historical standards, this marked the largest initial Dragon Army enlistment in over three centuries, a number that was nearly double what Noah had commanded during his first major campaign.
Even so, Leo wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about leading a force that had barely endured six weeks of training and had yet to experience the realities of actual war.
"Our command structure isn’t bad. Quite a few retired military generals and Transcendent-tier warriors have volunteered to serve under the Dragon’s banner.
But I still question the overall competence of our troops.
Six weeks feels far too short to throw them into real battle.
And I fear we’ll suffer heavy casualties during this first deployment.
Still, I suppose it can only improve from there, since the survivors will gain experience, and the replacements who come in afterward will inherit a better-trained environment."
"For now though, I’m not even sure those numbers mean anything, especially considering we have no intel on how many soldiers the enemy has stationed on Koral," Leo concluded, as Veyr nodded in agreement, appreciating the honest evaluation.
"I hope Monarch Charles has prepared you better than the Twelfth Elder has prepared me, because to be honest with you, Cuz, I have no idea what the hell I’m doing out here.
I’m scared. I feel overwhelmed. And right now, I’m just going with the flow.
Because if I stop to think, I’ll probably panic, run off, and bury myself in a hole," Veyr admitted, as Leo cast him a firm, cautionary glance.
"Do NOT do that.
There is no version of this where I’m ready to take the lead role as the Dragon.
I’m going with you on this mission. I’ll guide you the best I can with what knowledge Charles has poured into me.
But at the end of the day, this is your role.
That army belongs to you.
The glory of this victory will be attributed to you.
And the burden of their deaths, our people’s deaths, will also be yours to carry.
I’m just a representative of the Cult Army, here to provide tactical insight and structure where needed.
But this war is not mine to lead. That weight isn’t mine to carry," Leo said clearly, as Veyr released a long, exhausted sigh.
This wasn’t what he had hoped to hear from Leo, but deep down, he knew it was what he needed to hear.
"You think we’ll be okay out there on our own, Cuz?" he asked, his voice a little softer, as Leo shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Well, as long as we’re not up against any Monarchs, I don’t know about you, but I trust my skills enough to at least survive and escape if things go sideways," he replied, prompting a grin from Veyr.
"In that case, since I’m clearly stronger than you, I guess I’ll be just fine too." He said, as Leo immediately protested by wagging his index finger.
"Nononono .... I remember whooping your ass in a very public match not long ago.... Despite me being a whole tier weaker!" He recalled, as Veyr shook his head in denial.
"Old news Cuz, I’ve grown stronger since then. Right now, I’m number one..." He said, as the two began to banter on who was stronger, the atmosphere around them lightening as a result.