Chapter 70: Plain Sight.

“Well, Brother Helios may know you better than anyone,” Aurien said with a soft, breathy laugh. “But I would like to believe I have learned a thing or two about you over the years. And there is nothing that gives you more joy than putting weaklings in their place.”

Ezra knew there was no hidden meaning in the words.

Aurien was not mocking him.

Not accusing him.

Just stating what he believed to be true.

Still, the comment sat heavier than it should have.

’He is not wrong,’ Ezra admitted inwardly.

But hearing it from Aurien made something twist faintly in his chest.

Because he had not always been kind to him.

Because he had only shifted his perspective once Aurien changed.

And Aurien likely knew that.

He must have.

Yet there was no bitterness in his tone.

Only amusement.

“Captain Ezra.”

“Hm?” Ezra blinked and realized he had drifted off. “Yes, Your Highness?”

Aurien tilted his chin toward the distant clock tower visible above the trees.

“Time is nearly up,” he said. “Should we go find Guy Man and Perrin Highflame?”

His lips curved.

“Perhaps this time you can show Guy Man that your foot can, in fact, reach his face.”

The tension in Ezra’s chest loosened.

Just like that.

He let out a quiet chuckle before he could stop himself.

’I suppose if he can change,’ Ezra thought, glancing sideways at Aurien, ’maybe I can too… or maybe I already have.’

“I would love to show him,” Ezra replied, a bit loudly. “I still do not understand how the Man family named their son Guy. They practically designed him to be bullied.”

Aurien shook his head, amused.

“It is unfortunate. And oddly unique. As a prince, I try not to react whenever I hear it.”

“Perhaps synonymous names equal ultimate masculinity,” Ezra mused dryly. “I would not be surprised if his middle name is Alpha just to show everyone who the ultimate Man is.”

Aurien laughed.

“Shall we go look for them? Do you have any idea where they might be?”

Actually.

Ezra did.

He glanced around slowly, taking in the trees, the spacing, the angles.

“Your Highness,” he said lightly, “would you like to see something amusing?”

Aurien lifted a brow. “Amusing?”

Ezra nodded.

He picked his sword up again, studying the blade as though deeply contemplating something.

Then he began humming.

Softly.

“Mhm… hmm… mhm…”

He took a few casual steps forward.

Not many.

Just enough.

He could feel the defeated knights on the ground watching him.

Nervously.

Confused.

“Mhm… mhm mhm…”

Ezra stopped beneath a particularly large tree. Thick trunk. Dense foliage. The branches were hidden beneath layers of leaves. From below, it looked impenetrable.

’Too obvious,’ he thought.

Without warning, he raised his arm and hurled his sword upward with full force.

The blade cut cleanly through the leaves—

And struck something solid.

“AH—FUCK!”

A body dropped.

Hard.

Branches snapped on the way down.

The impact against the ground was loud and painful.

Aurien’s eyes widened.

“Guy Man.”

Guy lay sprawled on the forest floor, the flag still strapped to him. A shallow cut bled along his arm where the blade had grazed him.

“You crazy captain!” Guy barked, scrambling up. “You almost killed me!”

Ezra crossed his arms calmly.

“Oh, please. If I wanted to, I would have given you a fresh haircut.”

Then he lifted his gaze toward the branches above.

“Perrin Highflame,” he called out evenly. “Do you like your hair?”

Silence.

For a second.

Two.

Then—

Thud.

Perrin dropped from the tree without waiting for another invitation, landing in a crouch before straightening slowly.

Leaves fell around him.

His expression was unreadable.

But his eyes?

Angry.

Aurien blinked once, then looked from the fallen Guy to the thick canopy above them.

“Since when,” he asked, genuinely curious, “did you figure out they never ran?”

Ezra did not look particularly proud.

“It is the oldest trick in my book,” he replied lightly. “In fact, I am fairly certain I invented it.”

Maybe, maybe not. But who was gonna deny Ezra’s claims?

Aurien tilted his head. “Invented?”

Ezra stepped closer to the tree, glancing up at the branches that had betrayed them.

“When someone is chased,” he began calmly, retrieving his sword from where it had lodged into bark, “the most predictable response is to run as far as possible.”

He pulled the blade free with a smooth motion.

“Farther. Faster. Away.”

He dusted a leaf from the steel.

“But that is precisely what the pursuer expects.”

’Especially if the pursuer is experienced,’ he added inwardly.

He glanced at Guy, who was still trying to regain his footing.

“In novels,” Ezra continued casually, “whenever the protagonist is being hunted, they always run. Hide deeper. Disappear.”

Aurien’s lips twitched.

“You read novels?”

“That is not the point,” Ezra replied dryly. “The point is this.”

He tapped the tree trunk lightly with his knuckles.

“The least expected place to hide is where the hunter would least expect you to stay.”

He looked up again.

“In plain sight.”

Aurien’s eyes sharpened.

“Close to where we started,” he murmured.

“Exactly,” Ezra nodded. “You do not run far. You do not run deep. You stay near. You wait. Because the assumption is that no one foolish enough would hide where they can be easily found.”

He shrugged lightly.

“I would.”

’And I have,’ he admitted inwardly.

Aurien let out a soft breath that sounded suspiciously like admiration.

“And you felt them?”

Ezra gave a small nod.

“I could feel the tree shift.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

“There was no wind. No reason for movement.”

Yet the branches had trembled.

Just slightly.

Not enough for most to notice.

Enough for him.

Perrin had already grabbed Guy by the collar and hauled him upright.

“I told you,” Perrin snapped, jaw tight. “I told you it was stupid. We should have just run.”

Guy shoved his hand away.

“It would not have mattered,” he shot back. “You saw them. We split. We coordinated. They still broke through.”

“That is not the point,” Perrin hissed. “Hiding in a tree?”

“It was logical,” Guy argued, gesturing wildly with his uninjured arm. “They expected us to run. So we did not run.”

Ezra folded his arms.

’He is not wrong,’ he thought.

Guy continued, voice rising. “Whatever choice we made, they would have caught us. It just so happens our captain here is annoyingly smart.”

Perrin shot Ezra a glare.

“Or you were careless,” Perrin muttered.

Guy bristled. “Careless? You agreed to it.”

“I agreed because you would not stop talking.”

“And you did not have a better idea.”

Their argument carried through the trees, sharp and heated.

Ezra watched them for a moment.

There was no arrogance in it.

Only frustration.

And pride.

’They wanted it to work,’ he realized. ’They truly did.’

Aurien stepped forward slightly.

“You chose logic,” he said calmly. “That alone was worth the attempt.”

Both men went quiet.

Guy rubbed the back of his neck.

Perrin exhaled slowly.

Ezra tilted his head faintly.

“And for the record,” he added, eyes resting briefly on Perrin’s angry glare, “it was not a foolish idea.”

He sheathed his sword smoothly.

“I am simply just very experienced.”

Silence settled again.

Perrin’s jaw tightened, but the edge of his anger dulled slightly.

Guy glanced at Ezra and then at Aurien.

“So what now?” he asked. “We just…lose, Your Highness?”

Yeah.

What were they going to do with Team A and Team F now?

Ezra looks at Aurien, who just smiles at Guy and Perrin.

“You succeed.”

“What?” Everyone, except Ezra, asks.

“You succeed.” Aurien repeats. “You all worked together, and although you were all beaten, and outsmarted, you chose to work together. I am willingly giving Team A and F the flag, and decided that both teams will succeed.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…what?”

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