UNLOCK: I CAN SEE MY STATS

chapter 52 : Reka kingdom P2

"Here lies the role of the Kingdom of Rika..."

Marcus slowly raised his hand, as if every movement was calculated, before extending his finger toward the map laid out in front of them, precisely indicating a small gray spot located near the town of Nekolia.

"The Kingdom of Rika?" General Korvan asked, his eyes narrowing as suspicion settled across his face. "This kingdom... since ancient times, it has maintained strict neutrality, never once involving itself in any political or military conflict between the great powers..."

"I don't know..." Marcus said in a neutral tone, immediately noticing how Korvan’s expression deepened into an even harsher frown, as if Marcus’s words had failed to satisfy his curiosity or ease his doubts.

"Truly, I don't know. The information I obtained from the member of the Shapeshifters Clan was extremely limited, and it didn’t go beyond this..."

Darius, who had been silent for a moment, leaned forward slightly and said sharply, "Simply put, this information is useless!" His words were like a sharp blade, and he quickly began hurling a series of both veiled and direct insults. This time, no one intervened to stop him; instead, they all simply stared at Marcus with cold, unfriendly eyes.

After a few moments of silence, Korvan cleared his throat and spoke in a low but firm voice, "Alright, we first need to confirm the accuracy of this information before we make any decisive move..." He then added, waving his hand in a clear gesture to end the meeting, "You may withdraw now, surely the fatigue has weighed heavily on you after the exhausting events you have been through."

Korvan turned toward the soldier standing at the tent’s entrance and pointed at him. "Make sure to meet their needs..."

Marcus gave a quiet nod, then bowed slightly in respect before turning on his heel and leaving the tent with steady steps alongside Tina, following the soldier who walked ahead of them.

As they walked down the narrow path between the tents, Marcus caught a glimpse of Tina’s frown from the corner of his eye and asked her, "Why the long face?"

Tina let out a slow sigh and said, "Ah... I was just thinking about that General Darius..." The anger in her tone was unmistakable.

Marcus patted her shoulder, trying to ease her tension. "You’ll have to get used to people like that, there are far worse than him in this world..."

She gave a short, mocking chuckle. "Heh! You talk as if you’re some old man who has seen it all..."

Marcus paused for a brief moment, then laughed awkwardly. "Do I really act like that?"

Tina raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes. "Oh, man, your behavior is nothing like that of a fourteen-year-old... But that’s natural. You are, after all, the son of the famous Abomarian Clan leader..."

Marcus smiled, and inwardly he praised Tina’s cleverness. She had spared him the trouble of explaining a lot, even giving a convincing reason for his odd behavior herself.

"Who in this world would ever imagine that I’m actually someone who has lived for over four decades..." Marcus thought with inner sarcasm as he stretched his body and drew in a deep breath. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion—two days had passed with barely any sleep, and all the while he had remained in a state of constant tension and readiness. Worst of all, the continuous use of the All for One technique had drained his physical energy to the limit.

"Sir, this is the only tent available at the moment..." came the soldier’s respectful voice as he pointed toward a large tent standing before them.

"And who used to stay here before?" Tina asked, her eyes scanning the tent with curiosity.

"In truth, this place belonged to Colonel Hori, but he died just a day ago..."

"Oh..." Marcus murmured, recalling the squad he had encountered when he and Tina were surrounded in the forest by the Ironland soldiers, forcing him to use the All for One technique against his will.

As the soldier pulled aside the tent’s flap, he said, "Um, and as for food, you can head straight to the mess hall..."

Marcus and Tina stepped inside with slightly hesitant steps. Marcus cast a quick glance around the place, then nodded in satisfaction at the tent’s luxury and furnishings.

"Do you need anything else?" the soldier asked, standing at the entrance.

"No, thank you..." Tina replied quietly, though she kept her gaze on Marcus from the side, and Marcus in turn nodded toward the soldier.

"Alright, if you need anything, you can find me in the logistics tent. Just ask, ‘Is Ramzi here?’" the soldier said before turning and leaving, leaving the pair alone inside the tent.