Yunho woke to the noise outside. Groggy with sleep and curious about the commotion outside, Yunho got up from his bed and exited his room. The air was slightly cool and blew against Yunho's night clothes and through his hair. The sky was a dim blue and cloudy. But the peace of the landscape was broken by the frenzy of the many people bustling around the base.
"Get into formation! We have to get going as soon as possible. The General needs our support," said one of the high-ranking soldiers who had been left at the base. He and the other high-ranking members were leading a crowd of soldiers towards the base's gate.
Yunho's eyebrows furrowed. He was confused, but a deep sense of unease began to creep into his mind. He decided to follow the crowd of soldiers. Looking around, Yunho could see he wasn't the only onlooker. All of the non-combat personnel, like the temple workers left behind and the canteen staff, were watching as well.
Yunho would've cared that he wasn't presentable yet if his stomach didn't feel like it was twisting.
The group of soldiers reached the gate of the base, and with a copy of the Duke's key, the gate was opened. Hurriedly, they set off, and the gate closed.
Yunho could feel his heart drop with the thud of the gate closing.
Last night, the Grand Duke had organized the forces so that both sides of the base would be covered while leaving people within the base to protect it. As a seasoned general, the Grand Duke knew that the base also needed protection in case of an attack, so for the man to forgo that and command his remaining troops to come in as support, Yunho knew something had gone wrong. Very wrong.
After all, the same thing happened in the original novel; the unexpectedness of the Bahitan fake-out strategy had caused the Duke to need backup, leaving the base vulnerable.
"But things should be different now... We planned for the fake-out," Yunho said to himself.
He didn't understand. What could've gone wrong?
Yunho decided to run back to his room and grab the communication stone the Grand Duke had given him.
"I need to know what happened." Yunho thought.
His legs burned as he ran to building 4. Yunho was at the pace of a full sprint. He had been feeling increasingly weaker lately, but there was no time to dawdle.
The spy was still here.
And now was their perfect time to strike.
Pushing open his room door, Yunho quickly found the communication stone and channeled a message into the stone. He wasn't even sure if it'd be received.
"The troops that were left behind at the base just left. What happened?" It took a frustrating amount of effort to channel the message, but Yunho forced it out anyway.
There was a moment of silence. Yunho sighed. He hadn't expected a reply, but he still felt disappointed.
Yunho was about to stuff the stone in his pocket when he heard a voice.
"There were far more soldiers than originally scouted. It seems that they gathered more troops, and based on the Intel from the Crown Prince's side, they only sent a small group over there to keep them busy while sending the bulk to our side." The Grand Duke said through the device.
Yunho was both relieved to get a reply and dismayed at the news. He couldn't help but feel guilty. Because of him... Because of the advice he gave... Everyone was now in danger.
But,
"This isn't what happened in the novel." Yunho thought. This wasn't the fake-out strategy Yunho had read. This wasn't what he had prepared for.
He had thought that he could save people. That his knowledge from the novel could change things. That he could change things.
"But I really can't do anything, can I?" Yunho thought. "You really can't beat fate, and here I was, hoping that I could save anyone when I don't even know how to save myself."
The back of Yunho's eyes burned.
He knew crying was pointless, but the pointlessness of it just made him want to cry more.
"I'm doomed to fail in all of my lives then?" Yunho asked, hoping that whatever force had brought him here could spare an answer.
Where did he go wrong? Yunho had asked to come along to prevent the unnecessary deaths of the innocent workers on the base, yet he had managed to wind up in the position he was dearly trying to avoid.
From spraying the perfume to scare away the Dewbirds to giving military advice based on the original novel, Yunho had tried his very best. Yet, it hadn't been enough.
Yunho sniffled.
"Don't blame yourself for this." The message from the Grand Duke cut through Yunho's mental spiral.
As always, it was like Dorian could read Yunho's mind. Yunho almost chuckled at the sudden memory of when he worried the communication device also transmitted the user's thoughts.
"Unplanned events like this happen often in battle. No one's omniscient. Preparation can only get you so far; it's the action that dictates how things go in the end," Dorian continued. The man paused before adding, "Just... stay safe. We can hold it down on our end, but the base is unprotected right now. Keep this communication stone on you. If anything is to happen, stay secure. The canteen's supply room has a big cellar that you should be able to stay in. The cellar door is infused with mana, so it's hard to break through. The key should be with the chef."
Yunho intently listened to the message. His tears were beginning to dry, and Yunho held the stone tightly in his hand.
Yunho channeled a final message into the communication device.
"Thank you. And, Dorian, stay safe too."
"...I will."
Yunho put the communication device into the pocket of his sleeping clothes and quickly wiped his face.
As Dorian said, it's action that dictates how things go in the end.
Would Yunho take the action of crying or the action of doing what he set out to do?
"I won't let this setback stop me. Even death couldn't stop me, so why should a little change in plan?"
He now had a new objective: Get everyone on the base into that cellar before the spy strikes.
Operation: Save the Base was now underway.
----
Dorian stared at the communication device in his left hand before placing it into a pocket. A light layer of red coated the object's smooth surface as well as the ground below. The clatter of metal and the whoosh of whirling arrows rang in the air.
A heavy iron scent punctuated his every breath. Horses and blades entangled everywhere, and the temple workers who were situated at the back of the squad were swamped with injured soldiers.
Dorian raised his blade and swung it back down on an enemy.
The rhythm of his motions mimicked a dance of sorts.
War was really hell. But it was in this hell that everything seemed to flow naturally for Dorian.
His red eyes settled over the scene around him. His heart thumped with adrenaline. Blood was dripping from a hit to his shoulder, causing Dorian to wince from the pain, but he powered through it anyway.
The "mad dog" raised his blade once again.
"Don't worry. I promise I will."
----
Yunho ran out of his room and to the canteen.
First, he needed to find Mr. Jon.
Yunho approached the entrance of the canteen and rushed inside. He didn't see Mr. Jon, but one of the canteen workers was cleaning up some of the tables. She looked up from her work, surprised to see Yunho.
"Is Mr. Jon here right now?" Yunho asked.
The woman pointed towards the back room.
"He's doing inventory right now. The door should be open if you need to tell him something." She responded.
Yunho nodded and quickly thanked her before entering the back room of the canteen.
Inside, Mr. Jon was tallying the amount of each ingredient left in the cupboards. The man turned around when Yunho entered the room and smiled.
"Oh, Iris! Did you need something?"
Yunho nodded, but he couldn't help feeling surprised and also uneasy that it seemed everyone was going about their regular tasks. He knew that there was nothing else they could do and that they didn't know about the spy or anything of the sort, but it was still surprising to Yunho.
But that wasn't what mattered now. Yunho had to find a way to convince Mr. Jon and then everyone that they needed to hide in the cellar. Yunho had no official position. Would anyone even believe him if he said that the Grand Duke had ordered it? Especially the temple workers that didn't see him so favorably?
Yunho sighed. He would just have to try his best.
"Mr. Jon, the base is unprotected right now. We should hide in the supply room's cellar in case anything happens." Yunho said firmly.
Mr. Jon paused.
"You're right. I felt anxious and didn't know what to do, so I started taking inventory. I've been using the cellar for my brewed wine, but it could fit a lot of people. But I'll go open up the cellar," Mr. Jon replied, placing his tally sheet down on a counter.
Before the man could leave, Yunho added, "Take the other canteen workers there, too."
Mr. Jon nodded in acknowledgement and left.
Convincing Mr. Jon had gone without a hitch, but now he had one last main place to visit: The temple workers' quarters.
----
End of Chapter 44