The moment Rhoslyn’s voice faded, all the tension disappeared as well.

No jeering or mocking words followed Thea’s display.

No encouragement or pretend sympathy.

The mercenaries left with no further words. Orderly and quiet.

Likewise, the recruits also stuck together in silence, helped Thea to her feet, and walked away.

The defeated girl glanced at me once, something unknown in her gaze, and followed the others.

Two minutes later, I stood by myself. All the hostility and noises became smoke, blown away by the vespertine breeze. Only a handful of fresh marks told the story of the duel.

Those and the headless body in front of my feet.

A sigh escaped my lips.

My troop had seen no battles yet, but it was time to bury the second casualty.

Back in the fortress, the recruits kept their distance from me. Some fled my approach, some stayed inside their tents and watched through the entrance gap, and others would watch the ground with their utmost concentration.

Their behavior displayed the entire range of emotions.

Fear, anger, uncertainty. Even silent reproach.

Every gaze was different.

But none was positive.

The atmosphere was so tense, I even expected someone to jump out of a tent, block my path, and challenge me to a fight over my position. Or maybe someone would confront me and demand revenge for their fallen comrade.

Yet nothing happened.

My accommodation was the leaders’ hut. One of the few finished buildings and home to the upper ranks of the recruits. Drew, Torphin, Thea, and myself. The same as all the other huts, but with fewer people squeezed inside.

Inside, Thea lay on a bedding made of straw and linen. Her gaze still the same, before she turned her back to me.

I ignored her.

There was nothing I could say to her at this moment.

Her actions had been foolish, but Rhoslyn’s words were punishment enough.

Furthermore, her behavior had also undermined any authority I might have left. Thanks to that, I also had no words to build her up. There was no >at least you tried< or >worth a shot<. Only >what the hell< and worse.

Sometimes it was better to say nothing instead of the wrong things.

Hence, I simply grabbed a shovel and returned to the edge of a forest.

More digging for me.

Though I would rather dig another section of the ditch.

It took me two hours filled with depressing thoughts to excavate a simple grave and bury the unknown recruit.

Why was I even doing this? Why would I pay respect to this man when even his comrades left the body behind?

Today’s events had reinforced my feelings.

The thrill of the battle and the joy when we defeated the leprechauns under Rhoslyn’s command. The satisfaction when her men would listen to my shouts without question and things worked out. Or the brief moments of happiness in between.

Whereas my actual troops would rather groan and question my orders. They even disregarded my position and challenged their benefactor to a duel. A complete mess. Everyone focused on their benefits and honor.

“Well. At least that we had that in common.” My self-deprecating became the recruit’s eulogy. “Everyone for themselves. For honor, for glory, for riches. The devil may care.”

Afterwards, I took the now ownerless armor with me and made my way to the washing area.

It was a cloudless night, and the two moons illuminated the path beside the river.

No smog or light pollution.

The sky of another world.

And below the night sky sat a lone girl, bathing her feet in the water, an unknown song on her lips. Her silver hair danced through the breeze and sparkled in the moonlight. Little explosions of light that would soon burn up. As if a swarm of fireflies danced around the girl.

A beige dress replaced the metal armor. No longer a fierce commander, but a girl.

I stopped my feet and listened to her song. One I had never heard before.

A horse ran through forests and meadows, crossed mountains and rivers, and followed its heart until it arrived at a clearing, finally greeting its master beneath the night sky.

But it was her voice that entranced me more than the words. Not the heavenly voice of an idol or the spotless voice of a modern pop star, but a rough one filled with emotions. Sorrow, longing, and regret.

It was an unknown song to me, but her rendition forbid any interruption.

“And then the horse ended up in this forsaken land.” Rhoslyn’s greeting disrupted the peaceful moment. “A commander shouldn’t lurk in the darkness and prey on the woman.”

“I’m an innocent sheep on the way to wash my fur.” I presented the armor in my hand. “But I was ambushed by a fairy and put under a magic spell.”

“So now it’s my fault?” Her unburdened laughter echoed through the night. Once again, the innocent girl that would sometimes shine through her commander personality. “Then I’ll allow you to move while you keep me company.”

“I never heard that song before.” I sat to her left. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s a song from my homeland. My mother would sing it for me whenever I was alone or scared.” Rhoslyn answered, her gaze directed at something far behind the horizon. “And now I sing it for myself whenever I feel alone.”

“Alone?” I didn’t understand her words. She was the commander of the mercenaries, respected and venerated, and the men would follow her every word. Honor, reputation, fame, even wealth. The young sword maiden already achieved what many could only dream of. And yet she still was alone?

“Sometimes it’s like that.” She sighed and nodded towards the leather armor in my hand. “Especially when I have to kill.”

Her explanation confused me even more. She had no problem beheading a recruit on the spot, but afterward she would feel alone?

“I kill because I have to.” Rhoslyn recognized my confusion and continued her explanation. “My men put their lives into my hand and it is my duty to keep them safe. I will behead one man if that can quench a fire that would consume ten or even a hundred men. I will defend their honor until my last breath and take any actions necessary. But that doesn’t mean I enjoy what I do.”

“I’m sorry.”

“And you should be. But why are you apologizing? Because your men act like children playing with sticks? Or is it the slander against my men? Or your girl and her challenge? What are you apologizing for?”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s not an answer to my question. That’s just an excuse.” Her voice became a bit agitated. “You evaded the actual question. So once more. What are you apologizing for? That your man dishonored our duel? That you forced me to kill another human? Or do you regret you didn’t stop the duel in time?”

“I’m. Sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. Wasn’t all of that the right answer? After all, whether or not I wanted it, these were my men and their actions became my responsibility.

An exasperated sigh displayed Rhoslyn’s view before she turned to our left and called one of her men. “Ollier!”

“Yes.” One of the men who had just emptied his bladder jogged towards us and stopped before Rhoslyn.

“It’s a chilly night, so go and replace Eadmund. Let him enjoy the warmth of the fire for a few minutes before you go to sleep.”

“As you wish.” The man implied a bow, nodded towards me, and jogged into the darkness.

No discussion or whining. Not even displeasure over the lost sleep. He just accepted the command and acted.

“What do you think?” Rhoslyn returned her attention to me. “Do you understand now? That should have been your answer?”

“I… what?”

“It’s not about men who are discontent or a girl who follows her emotion. Those things can happen everywhere. They are just clueless and don’t understand the reasoning behind some decisions. Your responsibility lies elsewhere.” Her eyes caught my gaze and showed her seriousness. “If you want your men to come with us and fight, then train them to fight. If you want them to defend the fortress, then train them accordingly. You can even hope my men will stay long enough to fight for you. But regardless of your choice, there is one thing you are missing.”

“What?”

“Your men don’t know what their duty is. They don’t understand why they do things. In fact, you even change their tasks based on the volume of their nagging. They’ll never stop when there is no line that can’t be crossed.” She gestured towards the darkness. “Did you notice? Ollier never asked where Eadmund was or what he was doing. Instead, he already knew all the information needed. In fact, all of my men know both their tasks and those of the others. And more importantly, they also understand their limits.”

“I… see…” So in the end, the entire incident was my fault? Not because of their actions or delusions, but because I yielded to their nagging? Because it was too annoying to put down my foot and force them to work? Because I left things to Thea who couldn’t understand my thoughts? “Thank you for your guidance.”

“Don’t chew yourself out. You should have seen my men’s reaction when they saw me for the first time.” Rhoslyn chuckled. “See this as apprenticeship premium you had to pay and learn from it. Use it to grow as a leader. Because right now, you are a great warrior on your own, but no leader to these men. But no matter how strong you are, someone needs to watch your back or a single strike will fell you.”

“A single strike?” Was that even possible?

“The strongest man I’ve ever known was killed by a single arrow. You and me, even together we wouldn’t be able to leave a single scratch on him. But a single arrow to his heart was enough to end this warrior.”

This tale scared me. A warrior strong enough to take on the two of us should have a level in the double digits and enough hitpoints to withstand an entire rain made of arrows. So this differed from the game.

I had checked my wounds after each fight with the Leprechauns and they became smaller and more shallow with each new level up. Hence, I had concluded that hitpoints and damage worked just like in the game. But how would a high-level fighter die in one hit?

Did this world contain new Hitzones for one-shot kills? But if so, why would a hare still need multiple hits to the head? Or was there a chance to inflict critical damage that would pierce the skin and tear deep wounds no matter the level difference? It was even possible that the ambusher had the higher level and a stronger weapon, leaving a deep wound that slowly killed his opponent in the following battle.

I couldn’t find the answer and that scared me.

Because without answer, my game knowledge would become less and less valuable.

“But we shouldn’t waste our time with these old stories.” Rhoslyn smiled to dispel my dark thoughts. “I don’t know when the Freiherr will call for my presence, so let’s use our time wisely.”

And following her words, we continued our talk throughout the night, exchanged stories and laughter, even discussed ideas for better leadership. In fact, she would talk the most, while I listened and learned.