Leslie Westellis gathered all of his knights in a private room to discuss the mission they had been assigned. The match was scheduled for the following morning.

"Right, Folks! I don't think it's a secret to anyone that we'll be leaving the next day, according to Magnusson's schedule."

“It was with this in mind that I decided to bring you together here so you can share your thoughts about our trip.”

Edgar, Magnusson Bonnofal's nephew, was the first to speak out, asking about the early departure:

“Captain, wasn’t our departure scheduled for 4 days from now? Why are we leaving so early?”

“Excellent question! I have no idea."

"What-!" – Edmond was outraged by the unusual response provided by his captain.

“Calm down guys, are you going to start throwing a tantrum yet? Of course I know the reason, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought them together in this room.”

“To summarize, our informants spread across southern Aleonia have picked up on the imminence of a possible advance from the Galèsian front towards Lisithea.”

Leslie explained that an informant had spotted Galèsian soldiers planning a strategic retreat, leaving the Balterlutt area accessible for FIDELIUS to bypass the entire border of the Meclithic Valley, on the border between the feudal region of Livero and Lisithea.

"But this is-!" – Edgar was stunned by Leslie’s response.

“Yeah… that was shocking even for Magnusson.” – Leslie replied.

“So we’ll have to make a big detour along the route.” – added Leslie, emphasizing how drastic the changes in planning were.

“The Meclithic Valley*.”

“!-” Rudra expressed surprise at his leader’s statement.

“Oops…! Have you ever been there, knight?” – asked Leslie, based on the knight's reaction.

“Yes, there were always Galèsian invasions and we were sent every week to shoot down possible feints and surprise attacks”

"Nice. Then we will use the Meclithic Valley as a route, bypassing it, thus avoiding possible attacks.” – Leslie continued.

Augustus saw the strategic advantage, and Leslie confirmed the plan:

“I agree with this strategy, but aren’t we forgetting something?”

“The Valley is basically a minefield, where whoever steps on it either dies from an arrow to the head, or dies from being beheaded.”

“Ahhhh–! Are we going to die!?” – Bart, followed by Augustus' thoughts, began to hyperventilate with fear and anxiety.

Gael, concerned about the provisions, commented on the matter:

“And what about our supplies? How long do you think it will all last? Is the entrance to the Valley very far?”

“This time, I have no idea. All of this will depend on our conditions in the open field.”

“We’re going to be exposed to all sorts of spine-chillingly bizarre situations, so I hope there are no thieves in our midst.”

“We have sets prepared for the trip, and there will be assistance from our allies along the way.”

Magnusson made sure to prepare three sets of supplies that would be replenished at Lisithea before his return to the bunker. Thus, avoiding shortages along the way. The knights of the FIDELIUS group could sleep without worrying about their supplies

"Right."

“I must let you know that a journey between Caspper* and Lisithea* on horseback takes on average 2 weeks or even more, depending on climatic and territorial conditions.”

“Does anyone have any more questions?”

Alyfir gently raised his hand, and then began to ask:

“You can talk, fop.”

"Hey-! ahem… Do you happen to know what is so special about this letter, why would we risk our lives in such a way?”

Leslie closed his map, under the wooden table, and answered Alyfir's question:

"I don't know…"

“What do you mean you don’t know!?” – Lloyd stands up abruptly, knocking over the chair he was sitting on.

“...” – Leslie remains silent.

“Sir Leslie, say something. How do you know what’s in the letter?” – Asked Caspian, who was ahead of Bart in the circle.

“I don't know Magnusson's true ideals behind this, so much so that I can barely sleep because of it, believe me.”

“Magnusson has always been a closed and enigmatic man, but… one thing is certain.”

“He never puts a foot wrong, you can believe that.”

Leslie's words to his companions expressed such boldness and confidence in Magnusson's actions. The knights were astonished by such a declaration, that the weakest ones trembled with fear.

“Wow, what confidence, huh.” – commented Humbert.

“I am not trying to buy your trust with my empty words, so I ask you to reflect on this.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” – exclaimed Edmond.

“Edmond! Please calm down.”, Edgar spoke out in favor of agreement in the room.

“I agree, this remains very vague. How will we know if this is really worth risking our lives?” – asked Connor, the redhead.

“…”

“You guys are a pain to deal with.”

"What!?" – asked Bart.

“You’re free to cool your shitty heads, I’ll be back later.”

Leslie, who was frustrated by the numerous questions from his companions, was heading towards Magnusson Bonnofal's room.

“What’s their problem…”

Leslie walked with long, fast steps until she reached Magnusson's room.

“Magnusson, it’s me! Open it."

After a brief period of silence, Magnusson slowly opens the door. His pale, worried appearance took Leslie's full attention.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

“The Galèsians..! They are…"

...

With the preparations in place, the group was ready for the mission, scheduled to depart the following morning. As they left the meeting room, Rudra joined his companions in a shared dormitory, promoting better interaction between them.

Night fell on the rooms, and an air of tension enveloped the atmosphere. The members of FIDELIUS, each immersed in their own thoughts and concerns, were now gathered together, preparing for the next expedition.

Humbert Ellgarten, showing optimism, tried to start a conversation with Alyfir Erugenrrand, but Alyfir, absorbed in his own dark thoughts, did not pay attention, viewing Humbert's actions with disdain. Undeterred, Humbert approached Bart'Olimios, who begged:

"Please... don't talk to me", highlighting the increase in tension in the room. Humbert persisted, reaching out to several soldiers until he reached Rudra.

"So you're Rudra, huh?" asked Humbert.

"That's the name I'm known by.", the golden-eyed knight replied simply, confirming that it was the name he was known by.

Edmond Cassin, a soldier with a serious demeanor, warned Rudra not to pay attention to Humbert, as he had been like this since joining the group.

"Ignore him, Rudra. Humbert has been like this since day one."

Augustus del Belinor intervened, arguing for unity among the comrades now that they were a united front.

"Let's stick together, comrades. We're a united front now."

Connor, the grim-looking soldier in the corner of the room, sarcastically commented on the noise,

"I wonder, if you will chatter like that, instead of brandishing your swords on the battlefield?"

Caspian, the disciplined one, reminded them to save words for the battlefield.

"Brothers, words are best saved for the battlefield."

In the midst of the confusion, Edgar Bonnofall tried to calm everyone down. However, the situation got out of hand when Gael accused Lloyd of eating his dinner. A small uproar ensued, reflecting the tension within the group.

"Let's all calm down, please–"

"Lloyd, did you eat my dinner or not?"

“Eh– I didn’t… know.”

...

Meanwhile, in Magnusson's office, Leslie meticulously explained the plan. A sudden interruption occurred when an informant rushed inside, notifying them of Galèsian soldiers heading towards Caspper and Lisithea's lands, where Magnusson's bunker was located. The unexpected news required an immediate change of plans.

"Galèsian soldiers may apparently be heading towards the lands of Lisithea!" declared the informant.

Despite the initial division among the group, Leslie Westellis, the commander, conveyed an unforeseen decision – they would leave that very night.

“Here’s the thing, get ready, everyone!” – Leslie announced.

“What’s wrong, Leslie?” – asked Edgar.

“There has been a slight change of plans, so we will leave this morning.”

"What-! But-! I was already getting ready to go to sleep–” – Alyfir was abruptly interrupted by Leslie.

"Okay-! Okay-! Nobody cares, let's go! We have to go!" – Leslie exclaimed.

Thus, all the knights of the FIDELIUS group organized themselves for the sudden departure to the region of Lisithea. The reasoning was simple: the message had to be delivered quickly, and time was of the essence. The news left civilians surprised and in disbelief. Hurried preparations followed as they quickly prepared to leave for the night.

Before leaving, they had to quell unrest among the population with revised plans to avoid confusion. The journey promised challenges, but the FIDELIUS entourage was resolute in fulfilling its duty to deliver the message to the Lisithean Lord. Under the starry night sky, they marched into the open field, ready to face unpredictable events.

The scene returned to Bonnofal's office, with the presence of Arnold and the informant, shrouded in tension, as the realization sank in.

“Magni, could it be…” – asked Arnold, in a worried tone.

“Many Galèsian troops have been moving around the borders of Lisithea.” – said Magnusson’s informant.

“There is no doubt… your next target will be Lisithea.”

Magnusson paced from side to side, worried about the possibility of an obstacle in his path.

“ ...I hope that’s not what I think… ”

GLOSSARY:

Meclithic Valley: The border between Livero and the great road that leads to the capital of Lisithea. Several wars were fought in that desert valley, where dust and ash dwell.

Lisithea: Region in the northeast of the country of Aleonia and the main destination of the FIDELIUS group, it is known for being a region full of brilliant minds such as scholars, astrologers and the lowest birth rate in all regions of Aleonia.

Caspper: A region in the vicinity of Rista and Hault. For a long time, Caspper had a high demand for seafood because of its connection to the coast, just like Rista.

FIDELIUS: A clandestine group founded by Magnusson Bonnofal and Leslie Westellis, containing 12 fearless knights (including Leslie himself as leader) ready to fulfill their duties, discovering the reasons for war for the sake of world peace.