"Lord Baron, you summoned me?" Eric asked, bowing respectfully.
By then, Old Gordon and Fiona had already left. Only Raven and Eric remained in the dining room.
"I called you here today for three reasons. First, I want you to be prepared." Raven lightly tapped the tabletop. "We'll set out for the Bloody Highlands in half a month, on schedule."
The news came out of nowhere, leaving Eric rather surprised. "But my lord, Simon hasn't returned yet."
"Two months and six days," Raven suddenly said.
Eric froze. "...What?"
"Simon and the others have been gone for two months and six days." Raven's voice turned solemn. "I've always hoped they would return safely, but judging by the current situation, that possibility is extremely slim."
"They're... probably in grave danger."
Eric had anticipated as much, so he was not particularly shocked. He merely said, "If Simon doesn't return, we'll know nothing about the Bloody Highlands. Isn't it too hasty to set out like this?"
Raven slowly shook his head. "There's no such thing as perfect preparation or a flawless plan in this world. If you pursue so-called 'perfection' in everything, you'll never accomplish anything."
"Besides, our preparations are already thorough enough."
Hearing the resolve in Raven's words, Eric stopped arguing.
"Understood, my lord. Once I return, I'll get those rookie recruits into the best possible condition!"
"Good. You can let them know about this to some extent, so they'll have time to prepare." Raven continued, "The second matter is our specific course of action."
"If nothing unexpected happens, we'll split into two groups. I'll personally lead the Personal Guards, while you'll command the new recruits. You'll be the main force on the battlefield."
"What?" Eric hesitated before voicing his concern. "My lord, that doesn't seem wise. We don't have many troops to