Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

"Heh! I wouldn't be surprised if the guy gives the same excuse not to show up when our squad runs into some trouble."

Eren didn't reply to Sid. But he had decided that he would kill the guy and blame it on the Badlands if he found a chance to do so. The butcher preferred the act of biting instead of barking after all.

"Has everyone gathered?"

A young yet dominant feminine voice suddenly rang out. Eren looked up and saw a girl in her early twenties standing at the tip of a branch on a tree not far from their place. She seemed as tall as the current Eren.

This girl was also wearing a military uniform. But there was a single star on her strap– hinting at her position in the squad. She was the captain of Eren's group.

"Yes, Captain Altashia. All 14 of us are accounted for now that Eren is here. We are ready."

Arjun replied while bowing a bit. Altashia was not only their captain but also a superior ranker to all of them. At such a young age, she was an Ace ranker in the solid stage, just a step away from ranking up. That alone was impressive enough. But her family's military background and her status as a Royal Ren student enabled her to dominate almost everyone in her team with her presence alone.

Plus, she gave off a unique aura. An aura that stated that there were plenty of things about her that made her dangerous.

Arjun was no pushover. But he respected his captain because of her talents. The guy had challenged her plenty of times already with no single win to his name.

Altashia looked at Eren briefly before nodding. She seldom chatted with anybody. So Eren didn't feel odd about her non-verbal gestures. He also understood that she was an introvert like his past self. So he too decided to adapt to her preferences and simply nodded.

"Alright. Today. We have to clean up an orc tribe that is getting too close to the neutral border. The recon team has stated that the tribe has five Orc Leaders and 17 Orc Soldiers."

Eren raised his eyebrows and looked at his group when he found out about the enemy's strength. There were 14 of them equipped with military gear. Seven of them were in the Ace rank while the rest were in the Novice rank.

Monsters had their stages of evolution. Their reference names would change as per their strengths. An Orc Soldier was equivalent to the Novice ranker whereas the Orc Leader was similar to the Ace ranker.

In short, Eren's team held an overwhelming advantage. Their numbers were overkill. He shook his head when he realized its connotation. The army was about the efficient deployment of forces to the right place. It would never allow a team to have an easy time on its mission because it was not cost-effective.

'That can only mean one thing. The recon team has an unconfirmed target.'

Eren quickly came up with the conclusion. And in the next moment, his conclusion turned out to be true.

"The recon team also has a reason to believe that the tribe has an Orc Lord amidst it."

Altashia spoke next and jumped from the branch. A gale of warm wind cushioned her fall. A crow of average size zipped past the tree's branch and landed on her left shoulder. It rubbed its head affectionately against her neck.

Altashia patted the bird with her right hand as she watched as her teammates started having stressed expressions on their faces. An Orc Lord was equivalent to a D-Rank entity after all.

"Don't worry. According to the recon team, the Lord has lost his claim to power and his territory. He was banished from his place along with the tribe members who supported him.

He'll be injured from his duel with the young Lord and probably waiting to recuperate in silence. That's why the recon team couldn't confirm his existence.

That being said, an Orc Lord is not something you guys can handle. So I'll take care of him. You get the ones that are left behind. Understood?"

Altashia spoke softly but her voice was heard by everyone. Eren had to say Altashia was a beautiful girl even though she gave off a cold and domineering aura. She was almost his height with her long legs. Her arms were also long and slender. Her figure seemed petite despite her tall stature. But her ample bust made up for all the curves she was missing on her hips.

Alterashia let her shoulder-length blonde hair fly. Her blue eyes added extra charm to her already-attractive facial features.

Everything about Altashia spelt perfection. It was no wonder that she had so many admirers in and outside the army. Sid was no exception to her charm either. The guy was smitten by her. This was the reason he was extra hurt by not being allowed to be a deputy vice-captain. He had lost so many valid reasons to be with her by losing that position. And that too, to a brat who didn't seem to appreciate Altashia's charms.

Contrary to Sid's assumption though, the butcher was indeed interested in his captain. He just didn't like to show it so overtly like a certain bull-headed idiot.

'I'll plough this beautiful woman when the time is right and make her submit to my Sin. Hehe!'

The butcher thought to himself as he listened to the tactical plan his captain had come up with. She had crafted a simple setup that would enable her team to get the maximum monsters remotely before the frontal crash unfolded.

Years of experience shared by all the teams led to well-defined military practices. In addition, the month-long incubation period in the military ensured that the most standard tactics used by army squads were known to those who had just joined.

Altashia retrieved a rectangular-looking, array-inscribed platform after she was done briefing her team. This slab was 3 meters in width and 6 meters in length.

The Ace rank artefact levitated from the ground at a fixed height. It was a standard utility vehicle issued to every captain to transport their team.