Shadow Slave

The next conference room was much larger, and there were even some refreshments for the participants of the meeting. Sunny found the darkest corner of the room to settle in and tore open a packet of sweetened snacks - after making sure that there was no honey involved in their creation, of course.

Chewing on something that felt like a dried berry, he glanced around.

The most prominent figures of the First Army were arriving one after another. There were a few mundane commanders, but most of them were Ascended. Eventually, he counted no less than twenty-one Master - including the four Irregulars.

Naeve and Roan were also present, so he gave them a wave.

Master Jet, who was relaxing on a chair next to Sunny, gave him a curious look.

"What interesting friends you keep, Sunny."

He shrugged.

"What about them?"

Soul Reaper chuckled.

"No, nothing. It's just that here's a room full of government Ascended, and the two you're waving to are both connected to the great clans. If I didn't know you better, I'd think that you have a bit of a fondness for social climbing."

Sunny scoffed.

"The only climbing I'm fond of is... actually, never mind that. Weren't you the one who helped me broker a deal to get out of joining Valor, anyway? Surely you understand that a precious jewel like me doesn't need connections to earn the favor of a great clan..."

Hearing Jet laugh quietly, he added with a straight face:

instead of spending quality time here in Antarctica makes me feel slightly

from behind

recruit you. And you refused,

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

What do

Winter shook her head.

the clan. Either she was

retort, but at that moment, the door opened, and two people entered the room. The

just as striking as stem as Sunny remembered her. The second was a man with smooth ebony skin and perfectly white hair, his eyes glinting with shades of indigo and

man once, and from afar, but he

was in charge of the naval convoy that had delivered the field army to the Antarctic Center, and the Saint Sunny

also

in retrospect. The naval convoy was assigned to ferry the refugees across the strait, so of course, Bloodwave was involved. He was most likely in charge

there was actually a fourth

themselves with the ground operation, but the situation

the room, then proceeded to take a seat at the head of the table. Bloodwave simply leaned on the wall

...Sunny felt it, too.

'What an awesome man.'

through

what must

of the First Army contingent, the scope of tasks in front of them, as well as the enemy forces arrayed against them. Her voice was calm and composed, as though they weren't facing

honest, Sunny struggled to imagine Sky Tide losing

to never find

what she told them were things that he already knew to some extent, but hearing all of it listed in