A group of six Magi departed from the southern entrance of the camp and slowly made their way toward the lands belonging to the Southern Federation.

The group consisted of two teams. The first one was Adam, Edward, and Lisa. The other was Johnathan and the two other people who were on his team. One was a middle-aged man named Elvlin, and the other was a young man in his early twenties named Dudley.

These two men had been teamed up with Johnathan ever since the Magi of the allied forces had set camp within the Murky Mountains.

They had gone through many dangerous situations together and had since formed a sort of fellowship with one another.

Adam, as usual, was riding atop Ennea. Meanwhile, Edward and Lisa were together riding Aquila. As for Johnathan and the rest, they were on their respective familiars.

The forest was alive with the sound of birds chirping and small creatures rustling about in the underbrush. The smell of damp earth and fragrant wildflowers permeated the air.

Furthermore, there was also the stench of blood.

These were the ominous jungles of the Murky Mountains, after all. This was a place where danger lay hidden at every corner.

"So our objective is not the City of Misken itself, but a small settlement near it?" Adam asked with a solemn expression.

"That's right." Lisa, who was riding beside him, nodded. "According to intel, Misken is one of the two strongholds that is still under the control of the orcs. If these two cities are liberated, the war is practically won."

"Then what about the large battle that is to take place back up north?" Johnathan chimed in from behind.

"If I'm not wrong, that is just to deal a massive blow to all the Magi within the orc population," Edward ventured a guess that he felt was not far from the truth.

Adam remained silent, his expression grim. His lips then parted and he muttered solemnly, "Anything can happen in war. We can't say for sure what the outcome will be until the war is over."

"You're right." Lisa nodded.

"Anyway, what's the name of this settlement we're headed to?" Adam asked, "And what exactly is our mission objective?"

"It's a town named Omai," Lisa began. Her voice was loud enough for everyone in the group to hear. "This small town has become a critical supply base for the enemy."

Edward added, "We need to infiltrate and get rid of the enemy forces."

"What about the strength of the enemy?" Asked Johnathan with a pensive look.

"Less than a dozen orcs," Lisa replied. "This information is based on the scouts sent by the Magi in Misken. The information is further verified by a Rank 2 Magus, so I believe this is very accurate."

"And what about the corrupted magical beasts?"

"All of them are busy attacking Misken," Lisa muttered as she read over the parchment paper that detailed their mission objective this time.

"There could still be a few beasts loitering around Omai, so we need to be careful."

Everyone else nodded. Then, Lisa passed over the parchment paper for everyone to go over once again.

Adam suddenly turned around and glanced at Elvlin and Dudley. He deeply stared at them for a while, his eyes narrowing.

"You guys have been really quiet since we left camp," the raven-haired youth stated with a slight smirk. "Feeling nervous today?"

Elvlin, the older of the two, turned his attention toward Adam and laughed anxiously, "Truth be told, our team has never participated in such a dangerous mission before. And this mission it is far too important."

Dudley chimed in with a vigorous nod, "T-That's right, Adam. It's just the six of us. The enemies outnumber us, and who knows how many corrupted beasts are there in the vicinity of Omai."

"You guys" Johnathan turned around and glanced at his teammates with a sigh. "Don't lower the morale like that. I told you before, didn't I? Adam and his team are very strong. So don't worry too much."

Elvlin and Dudley could only helplessly nod. But the fear and panic in their eyes didn't subside a single bit.

Adam glanced at the two people. In the end, he could only shake his head with a sigh.

He would have much rather preferred to be teamed up with Farald and the other two dwarves. But ever since he'd returned from that last mission, he hadn't heard anything about them.

As the group of Magi rode through the forest, the atmosphere between them was one of nervous anticipation.

They knew they were on a mission of great importance. Their mission success would determine if the City of Misken would be subsequently liberated by the allied forces.

The stakes were high and the weight of this responsibility pressed heavily on their shoulders.

Despite all that, their eyes flashed with determination.

On the day after they left camp, after having traveled non-

stop and only stopping to rest at night for a couple of hours, the trees began to thin. The group was almost near the forest edge.

They had arrived at the border where the Murky Mountains met the lands of the Southern Federation.

After more than five months, they had finally returned to their homeland.

However, it was a far cry from what they remembered.

The once lush and vibrant landscape was now filled with destruction and ruin. The fields where golden wheat crops used to once sway gently, pulsing with life, were now charred and barren, disheveled from the remnants of war.

Adam and the rest of the Magi's expressions turned extremely solemn when they looked at what lay ahead of them.

Corpses of both allies and enemiesmostly corrupted beasts, thoughwere strewn across the land. The air was thick with the nauseating smell of death and decay, mingling with the scent of blood and smoke.

Lisa's hands involuntarily covered her mouth as she gasped, "W-What happened here?"

Adam's countenance twisted in intense fury as he spat through gritted teeth, "War."

The next moment, he urged Ennea to run further inland, toward the small Town of Omai. "We must hurry. The quicker this war is ended, the sooner we can rebuild our homeland."

Edward, Lisa, and the rest looked at each other. Despite their overwhelming sorrow, there was a spark of resolve brilliantly flashing in their eyes.

They exchanged hopeful glances before following behind Adam and Ennea.

If they were quick enough, they would reach Omai by sunset. And if everything went well, they would have achieved their objective by tomorrow sunrise.

However...

In life, things seldom go according to plan.

But it is in those unexpected twists and turns that we find our true strength.

That we find courage.

That we find our way.