Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 531: Marching for Lechia 1

A few days passed in a controlled rush of preparation, every hour filled with movement, adjustments, and final confirmations. By the time everything was ready, the encampment no longer felt like a temporary camp of allied forces, but like the edge of a blade drawn tight and waiting for release.

Armies stood in formation across the fields beyond Valerion’s temporary command grounds. Blackmare’s five thousand had fully integrated into the structure of the allied forces, their discipline evident in the way they moved and assembled without confusion or disorder. Valerion’s remaining three thousand stood alongside them, smaller in number but hardened by continuous conflict.

At the center of it all, the leadership gathered one final time.

King Highmoor stood with his arms folded behind his back, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the first phase of the war would begin. Beside him, the Empress remained silent, her presence calm but imposing, as though she was already seeing beyond what others could perceive.

The King of Blackmare stood opposite them.

For a moment, he did not speak, simply observing the assembled forces that now carried both his kingdom’s weight and Valerion’s intent.

Then he exhaled slowly.

"I suppose at this point," he said, "there is no point in remaining unnamed among allies."

King Highmoor glanced at him.

A brief pause followed.

"My name," the Blackmare king said, "is Renly."

The name settled into the air.

Not announced with grandeur, but spoken plainly, as something that had always existed and simply had not been shared until now.

The Empress regarded him for a moment before giving a small, acknowledging nod. "Then it is fitting that we no longer refer to you only by title."

King Highmoor’s expression remained steady, though there was a subtle shift in how he regarded him now. "Renly," he repeated once, as if confirming it.

The Blackmare king gave a slight nod. "It is done."

There was no further ceremony.

No need for one.

Because beyond them, the armies were already in motion, final formations locking into place, commanders moving along the lines, signals being prepared for the moment of departure.

And while the leaders stood at the center of it all, another preparation was unfolding elsewhere.

Lucas stood within his breakout unit’s designated area, away from the main forces, where movement was quieter but no less serious. The atmosphere here was different, more focused on precision than scale.

The covert team had been finalized.

Damian and Bartho stood nearby, already familiar with the structure of the mission, while Vorde observed in silence, as if mapping the invisible routes they would soon take.

The two Blackmare celestials remained present as well.

Lucas stepped forward.

Jennifer stood closest to him.

She had been assigned command of his main squad during his absence, and she carried herself with a seriousness that suited the responsibility. Unlike before, there was no uncertainty in her stance now, only readiness.

Lucas held out his hand.

In it rested the Core of Dominion.

The energy within it was restrained, but even so, it carried a faint pressure that made the surrounding air feel subtly denser.

"This will be yours to control till I’m back," he said.

Jennifer did not hesitate as she accepted it, though her grip remained careful, as if understanding the weight it carried.

Lucas watched her closely as he began to explain.

"You do not force it," he said. "You guide it. It responds to intent, not pressure. If you try to dominate it directly, it will resist."

Jennifer nodded once. "And the squad."

He glanced toward the others.

Each member of the main squad stood equipped with a gauntlet, each one linked to the Core of Dominion.

"Each gauntlet is synchronized," Lucas continued. "They amplify connection between you and them. You will feel their position, their condition, their stability. Use that awareness to maintain formation."

Lucas’s eyes moved briefly across the rest of the squad.

"You are not waiting for me to return before acting," he said. "You are maintaining structure while I am gone. That is your function."

There was no resistance to that.

Only acceptance.

Behind them, the larger army continued its final preparations, unaware of the smaller operation moving in parallel, just beyond the edge of their awareness.

Two fronts.

Two objectives.

One war preparing to begin in full.

Lucas turned slightly, his attention shifting away from the assembled squad.

"Tom," he said calmly.

Tom stepped forward immediately. "Yes, my lord."

"Get me Patrick," Lucas said.

Tom hesitated only for a fraction of a second before nodding. "Right away."

He turned and moved off without delay, weaving through the encampment with purpose.

Lucas remained where he was, his gaze briefly distant as the weight of the upcoming mission settled more clearly in his mind.

There were two objectives in Rus.

One was official, structured, bound to the alliance’s larger strategy.

But the other was personal in a way he had not ignored.

A promise.

Patrick’s expression when he had first spoken of his people had not been something Lucas had forgotten. There were things that did not need repeated reminders to remain important.

Moments later, Tom returned with Patrick in tow.

Patrick’s expression was immediately alert the moment he saw Lucas, as if he already understood this was not a casual summons.

Lucas stepped forward slightly.

"You are coming with us," Lucas said without preamble.

Patrick did not react with surprise, only with focused attention. "To Rus."

"Yes," Lucas replied.

A brief silence followed as Patrick processed it, then he nodded once. "I understand."

Lucas studied him for a moment before continuing. "There are two missions. One is official. The extraction of the Rus emperor."

Patrick listened closely, his posture firm.

"The other," Lucas added, "is yours."

Patrick’s eyes sharpened slightly.

Lucas met his gaze. "Your loved ones. The promise I made."

That alone made something shift in Patrick’s expression, relief and resolve.

"You intend to go through with it," Patrick said quietly.

"I do not make promises I do not intend to keep," Lucas replied.

A short pause followed before Patrick nodded again, slower this time. "Then I am with you."

Lucas gave a slight nod in return.

"You will also assist Vorde," he continued. "You know the structure of the usurpers better than most. That knowledge is useful inside Rus."

Patrick exhaled lightly, as if already adjusting his mind to the weight of what was being asked. "I was once one of them," he said.

"Yes," Lucas replied. "That is exactly why you are valuable."

Patrick did not argue.

Instead, he simply nodded.

"I will do it," he said.

Lucas studied him for a moment longer, then turned slightly toward Vorde, who had been observing the exchange in silence.

"You will work together," Lucas said.

Vorde gave a slight nod. "Understood."

Patrick glanced briefly at Vorde, then back at Lucas. "We will manage."

Lucas’s gaze settled on both of them.

"Good," he said.