hooklinebooks Chapter 572
Chapter 572
Chapter 572:I Won't Go Down Quietly
"However, until we receive a reply, you need to stay in the camp, and you do not need to engage anymore, so just go and recuperate."
Ethan straightened himself slightly despite his weakened condition, and he gave a proper salute.
"Yes, sir," he said respectfully.
Then he slowly turned around and walked out while maintaining his composure, and his figure soon disappeared beyond the tent flap while the tension inside the room still lingered heavily in the air.
The moment Ethan stepped out of the tent, a wave of cold air brushed against his face, and the noise of the military camp rushed back into his ears while soldiers moved around in a hurried but controlled manner. The distant sounds of commands being shouted and metal clashing against metal never truly faded.
The atmosphere outside felt completely different from the quiet inside the tent, and everything around him carried a raw and heavy sense of urgency.
Messengers ran past while tightly clutching scrolls in their hands, and wounded soldiers were being carried toward the medical tents while some groaned painfully. The faint smell of blood mixed with medicine lingered heavily in the air, and it made the surroundings feel even more tense.
Ethan paused briefly near the entrance, and his shoulders relaxed slightly as if the pressure inside the tent had finally eased a little. But the relief did not last long, and it never truly reached his mind.
His face still looked pale, and his steps remained slow as he began walking forward. Every movement carried a faint strain as if his body still had not fully recovered from what he had done earlier.
He moved through the narrow path between the tents and soon reached the place where Hale had been waiting. The moment Hale noticed him, he quickly stepped closer while scanning Ethan from head to toe with a sharp and worried gaze.
"Well?" Hale asked as he folded his arms tightly.
"How did it go?"
Ethan did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly exhaled while staring ahead, and his tired eyes remained calm.
"It worked," he said after a short pause.
Hale quietly let out a breath that he did not even realize he had been holding, and some of the tension finally left his body as his shoulders eased slightly.
"So we are not getting dragged in immediately?" he asked while lowering his voice a little.
Ethan lightly shook his head.
"Not for now," he replied.
He paused for a moment and then added quietly,
"He is sending a message to the Emperor. Until then, I have to stay here."
Hale frowned slightly after hearing that, and his brows slowly pulled together.
"That sounds dangerous," he said.
It was not dangerous just for Ethan but also for him. He was currently using an Elf disguise, and if he was found out, then it definitely was not going to end well for him either.
Ethan gave a faint and tired smile while lowering his eyes slightly.
"It is, but what can I do," he replied softly.
The two of them began walking together through the camp while the uneven ground beneath their feet was covered with traces of mud and ash mixed together. Some soldiers glanced toward Ethan as they passed by, and a few of them quietly whispered among themselves after recognizing him.
His name had already spread throughout the camp.
Some soldiers looked at him with curiosity while trying to confirm if it was really him, while others looked at him with doubt and guarded expressions. A few even showed faint pity in their eyes, although they tried to hide it quickly.
Ethan noticed every single glance and whisper, but he did not react. His gaze remained fixed ahead while his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
His hand slowly tightened slightly by his side without him even realizing it.
"…Five Divine Knights," Hale muttered quietly while walking beside him. "That part… you really sold it."
Ethan's lips twitched faintly.
"I did not lie," he said calmly.
Hale glanced sideways at him and raised a brow slightly.
"Not entirely," he replied.
Ethan did not respond after that, and a faint silence settled between them while they continued walking through the endless rows of tents. The sounds of the busy camp filled the empty gaps between their thoughts.
After several more steps, Hale spoke again, and this time his tone sounded much more serious.
"So what now?" he asked while looking directly at Ethan.
Ethan slowed down slightly, and his eyes moved across the camp while quietly observing the movement of troops, the guarded expressions on soldiers' faces, and the tension hanging heavily over everything.
He watched soldiers training in groups, wounded men being treated near the medical tents, and officers shouting orders while moving from place to place. Everything around him reminded him once again that this situation was no longer simple anymore.
Hale looked at him for a moment before speaking again.
"…And if the Emperor's reply is not in your favor?" he asked quietly.
Ethan's steps slowly came to a stop, and for a brief moment, he did not move at all.
His expression barely changed, but his eyes gradually turned colder, and a faint sharpness quietly appeared within them.
Even he did not truly have an answer to that question.
But one thing was already clear in his mind.
He was not going to let himself be slaughtered.
He slowly let out a deep breath, and his gaze lifted slightly toward the distant sky that looked dull and heavy above the camp.
"…Then we deal with it," he said quietly.
His voice sounded calm, but the weight behind those words was unmistakable.
Hale carefully looked at him and remained silent, because he could already tell that Ethan had made up his mind about something, even if he had not spoken it aloud yet.
Ethan resumed walking again, and his pace remained slow but steady. Although his body still looked weakened, there was something firm and unshaken in the way he moved forward.
Because deep down, he already knew.
Whatever came next, he would not simply accept it.
And he would not go down quietly.