Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 1264

Rafael's dinner had improved tonight. Dylan had caught a few small fish, grilling them until they were charred black on the outside. By the time they were finished, Rafael's mouth was full of the unpleasant combination of fishy and smoky flavors.

However, the improvement was relative. At least the meal wasn't nauseating-it was simply revolting. Tonight, it was clear that more people had gathered in the deep cave. Black-clad figures, their faces concealed, were making their way up the mountain. It seemed they were about to make a move. Rafael finished the grilled fish and swiftly climbed a nearby tree, his eyes scanning the area below. Dylan had already crawled close to the deep cave, near enough to hear everything. It was a place they'd been watching for quite some time. This was where the men would relieve themselves, and the stench was overwhelming enough to make one gag.

But this was also the ideal spot for an ambush. Most of the time, only two or three men would come here at once. A sudden ambush would be enough to grab them and drag them off to change clothes.

After crawling for nearly an hour, Dylan finally saw his chance. Two masked men in black appeared, heading toward the same spot. Without hesitation, Dylan moved in, striking swiftly and silently. Within moments, both men were incapacitated.

He quickly lifted one over his shoulder, then the other, and hurried back up the mountain to the small cave.

Rafael dropped from the tree just as Dylan returned. Together, they stripped the men of their clothes, swapping their outfits for the black garb. Then, they freed the men's pressure points. Before they could cry out, they each grabbed a throat, cutting off their shouts with a sharp slap. The men slumped down to the ground.

and the man's

knife in front of the men's faces, and the sight alone was enough to make them speak. They revealed that they were indeed headed to collect grain. Their role was to assist with the transport, an operation that occurred once every three months.

and masks, they explained that it was a precaution to keep their

mystery.

questioned further about who they served, the men didn't know. They explained that they had come to the mountains when there was no food to be had. Their work involved carrying grain and doing the heavy labor of farming. But unlike the villagers, they were only allowed to stay by the mountain's

asked if they had weapons or anything like that, they said they did-stored in another cave. This cave only held a small amount, but they couldn't go near the other one

the soldiers here were divided into distinct ranks. The men who did the laborious work of transporting and farming had

up with vines, securing

over," he said quietly, "someone will come to rescue

Dylan blended in with the group sent to collect the grain. No one questioned their presence. Dressed in identical black garments with their faces covered, they were indistinguishable from the others. The leader of the

outfits reeked of mold and decay. It was clear they only wore them when going

stench, though he had no right to complain. After all, he had spent countless days climbing the mountain, drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through and then dried with the accumulation of days. The smell now was nothing compared