Both Garrick and Lysara stepped out of the hut, their faces tinged with slight embarrassment, as if they had been caught eavesdropping.

Kaelor, on the other hand, couldn’t help but start thinking that the Merricks were a different breed entirely; their senses were a lot better than normal.

"Y-Young master, I can understand your point, but for me, survival comes first. Take such a big risk right when we’re this close to the end..." Garrick spoke right away, as if he had nothing to keep in his stomach.

Lysara, on the other hand, remained silent.

"Sir Garrick, you won’t need to risk your life at all. I have a simple plan that will keep you safe here, and the same goes for Miss Lysara."

From that point on, Theo began explaining what their roles were going to be.

Lysara was supposed to act as a healer for dire situations, but she would always be close to the gate so that if things turned hopeless and they couldn’t go on anymore, she could retreat immediately.

The same was with Garrick, but his role was slightly more critical.

"I want you to send your falcons with us. They will guide the bait team toward the beast, and through them, you will be able to see the entire situation in real time. Then, once we have drawn the beast’s attention toward us, the falcons will help us get back to the gate," Theo explained.

Garrick stared at him, slight hesitation evident on his face.

"I see..."

Theo met his gaze without wavering.

After an entire minute of being stared at, the guy caved in and agreed. "I-I can do that!" he blurted, his voice rising slightly, almost like a small shriek, making Lysara shake her head in disappointment.

She turned to Theo, her expression serious. "I will abide by this plan. But the moment I think this’s a lost cause, I will run inside the gate. Are you fine with that?"

Theo smiled and nodded. "Of course."

"Wait, so I am the only one who is risking my life alongside the young master?" Kaelor spoke, suddenly realizing that he had got himself into a trap.

Theo placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling lightly. "You can’t go back on your word now," he said jokingly, but Kaelor could tell he was talking about his honor.

Kaelor exhaled. "For sure..."

"Elder brother, I don’t need to give you an invitation. No need to keep standing there," Theo added with a smile, glancing toward the hut.

A moment later, everyone saw a poker-faced Lucien come out of the hut. Behind him, his attendant scratched the back of his head, letting out an awkward laugh.

"If you are going to risk your life, then I have no choice but to do the same," Lucien said, irritation clear in his voice.

Theo raised both his hands in light, playful cheer.

They spent more time refining the plan as much as they could, and now, only one person remained inside the hut.

Through his spatial sense, Theo had already noticed...

Merek had come to the entrance twice, only to retreat both times. It left a faint weight in his chest.

"Excuse me for a moment," Theo said before heading inside the hut.

Everyone knew who was in there, and they all understood... this could end really bad.

Elias wanted to get up and go inside too, but Clara stopped him. This was an emotional and social fight, something Theo had to handle on his own.

As Theo reached the entrance, his eyes met Merek’s.

For a brief moment, silence stretched between them before Merek’s face twisted with anger.

He clicked his tongue, looked away, and returned to his spot, lying back, as if to sleep.

Theo stepped into the hut with a calm, composed demeanor.

"Young Master Merek," Theo called out loud.

The man didn’t even glance his way, much less respond.

Theo decided to see this through. "I don’t know if you understand why I slapped you back then, but you made a really serious mistake trying to fight that beast on your own."

His voice was carried beyond the hut, drawing the attention of everyone outside, who were already listening intently.

Many had their own theories of why Theo was even saying anything to the guy, and they all were different.

"But no matter how right I was in slapping you, that wasn’t the proper way of handling things."

And with that same calm voice, Theo paused for a moment. He didn’t like saying this, but he knew he had to.

"My apologies."

Theo saw Merek’s head jerk slightly, as if he were caught off guard.

At the same time, the ones outside had perplexed emotions.

Lucien smiled faintly while Clara bit her lips, and though Elias kept a composed expression, a flicker of frustration showed in his eyes, clearly not liking how things had turned out.

"I know you know the whole plan," Theo went on. "And since our job here is done, you can either leave the first thing in the morning or stay behind to fight alongside us. I will take your answer from your actions."

Then without waiting for a reply, Theo turned and left the hut.

All eyes followed him as he returned and sat among the group, resuming the discussion as if nothing had happened.

No one asked him anything about it. No one brought it up.

They all just listened as he laid out the plans, adding their own thoughts where needed.

When it was time to sleep again, Lucien stopped Theo. Clara and Elias stood alongside him, while the others seemed to have seen their cue and headed back into the hut to get that much-needed sleep.

"I am proud of you for what you did, Theo," Lucien said, resting a hand on his shoulder with a warm smile.

Clara and Elias watched from the side with different emotions, their own unspoken thoughts in their minds. Theo let out a quiet sigh.

"Being a leader is tough, and sometimes you have to admit when you might be in the wrong too. It’s better than making enemies for no reason, elder brother," Theo spoke.

They all stared at him, their expression unreadable.

That night, they saw a side of Theo that they hadn’t known before, not even Clara or Elias.