The next morning was quiet, almost too quiet.
Leo and Victor sat at a wooden table near the edge of the camp's command center.
A chessboard was set between them, along with a pot of tea and a plate of simple snacks—biscuits, dried meat, and a few fruits they had managed to preserve.
Most of the soldiers were still out in the wilds, hunting beasts and leveling up. With so many of them gone, the camp felt strangely hollow.
Only a few guards patrolled the perimeter. The soft breeze carried the scent of wet soil and distant blood, but there was a peace to the emptiness too.
Leo pushed a white pawn forward, opening the game with E4.
Without looking up, he asked casually, "So, Victor... when do you think we should start the conquest?"
Victor didn't rush his move. He stared at the board thoughtfully, then shifted his knight in response. "Two weeks," he said.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Two weeks?"
