"What?" Rainer stared directly at Arkan, his brow slightly raised and his tone flat, hinting at confusion and a trace of tension.
"Yes, you heard me correctly..." Arkan replied calmly, his gaze fixed on the map spread out before him. "I'm asking you to carry out something in the Empire."
His voice wasn't raised, but each word landed like a slow, deliberate weight on Rainer's shoulders. The air in the room grew heavy with the silence that followed Arkan's statement.
Rainer stepped forward, eyes locked on the red-circled spot on the map. He didn't speak at first, trying to grasp the deeper meaning behind that marked location.
Then Arkan turned to face him, arms folded, posture radiating gravity. His gaze was sharp but not judgmental, as if to say that whatever he was about to explain had to be heard without bias.
"You'll be escorting Hongward," he said flatly, but the pressure in his voice made it clear this was no ordinary assignment.
