Takahiro
The next morning, I woke up on the hard, uneven ground, my body aching from the rough night's sleep. Stretching, I rolled my shoulders to loosen the stiffness in my muscles. Sleeping on the floor was just as miserable as I had expected.
The sun hadn't risen yet, but the dim glow of the dying campfire gave enough light for me to see my surroundings. Gareth, Naiz, and Kenji were still fast asleep, while Yushiro and Donovan sat near the fire, engaged in their usual antics. They were tossing knives at each other—lightly, but still.
Are they serious? Isn't that dangerous?
As if sensing my gaze, Yushiro turned his head toward me, his violet eyes meeting mine. A smirk curled at his lips.
"My, my, Blondie. Did you sleep well?" he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.
"No. I hate sleeping on the ground," I replied flatly, rubbing my sore neck.
"Oh-ho, what's this? Is our sleeping arrangement too lowly for you, my lord?" He mocked, placing a dramatic hand over his chest.
"Stop talking nonsense, Snowball," I shot back.
His smirk widened, but he didn't push further. I stood up, careful not to disturb Kenji, who was still out cold. Grabbing my katana, I walked a little away from camp and began running through my sword forms. My movements were slow and methodical at first, gradually increasing in speed and precision. For an hour, I focused on nothing but the rhythmic swipes of my blade cutting through the crisp morning air.
By the time I returned to camp, the scent of freshly gathered herbs and meat wafted through the air. Apparently, Yushiro and Donovan had gone hunting in the middle of the night.
Were they just free to do whatever they wanted? Wait—if they were hunting, did that mean they left us unguarded?
I shot a glare at Yushiro, but he ignored me, nonchalantly tending to the fire.
By the time Kenji and the others finally woke, breakfast was nearly done. As expected, Kenji immediately began his morning workout. Once the food was ready, we sat together as knights, sharing the meal.
"Damn, this is good. I didn't know you could cook, Takahiro," Naiz said between bites, practically inhaling his food.
"Yeah, I thought we'd be stuck eating salty jerky for the rest of the trip," Gareth added. "But if we get meals like this, I won't complain."
I chuckled. "Ha, ha. Thanks."
My gaze flickered toward Yushiro. His expression was blank as he ate, impossible to read. As if sensing my stare, he glanced at me before looking back at his food, continuing in silence.
Once we finished eating, we packed up camp. By then, the sun had risen a little higher, casting golden hues over the landscape. As we prepared to move, Gareth gathered us to go over the mission details.
"Our primary mission is to defend the carriage until it reaches its destination," he began. "That means we need to set up a proper formation."
Kenji nodded, his expression serious. Yushiro sat cross-legged, listening with a relaxed posture but sharp eyes.
"Naiz and I are primarily offense," Gareth continued. "Donovan is more of a support unit. So, Naiz and I will cover either the front or back of the carriage, while Donovan stays in the middle to provide backup in case of an attack."
That makes sense… I'm offense too, right?
"Same goes for us," Yushiro added smoothly. "Blondie and Ken are attack-based, while I can switch between defense and support depending on the situation. Ken should take the front—he has sharp senses. Blondie is quick to react, so he'll be useful handling sudden threats."
"I see," Gareth said, nodding. "Alright, then. The final formation will be: Kenji and I taking the front to defend the first carriage, Yushiro and Donovan stationed between the two carriages, and Takahiro and Naiz bringing up the rear with the last one."
Everyone gave a nod of understanding.
"Right! That's the plan," Gareth declared. "Let's move out!"
With that, we set off once more, heading toward the first of the three towns we would pass on our journey.