As Hawk had assumed, this wasn’t the right time for Duke’s wife to get pregnant. From Duke’s perspective, Kisha was still brimming with plans, ideas for the base, ambitions for her own growth, and paths she wanted to explore. Motherhood could wait.
So after giving Hawk a brief look, Duke merely raised an eyebrow before turning away and walking off.
Seeing that Duke hadn’t gotten angry, Hawk became even more convinced that his conclusion was spot-on. Fired up with renewed determination, he nodded resolutely, silently vowing to carry out his master’s "orders" to the very last detail.
Afterward, Duke led his team back into the Territory Space. As he was about to step into the portal, he saw Tristan emerging, escorting four blindfolded warriors. Tristan held two in each arm, while the remaining two were guided by the two STAUs, who had no other responsibilities at the moment.
"Master, we’ve arrived," Tristan called out as soon as he saw Duke. Duke simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"You’ve done well. You can leave them in Eagle’s care and return to your station. Thank you," Duke said, then shot Tristan a meaningful look, silently reminding him to make sure the warriors and STAUs keep quiet during the supply run. Dracon’s people were still being monitored and couldn’t be fully trusted, so the portal’s existence had to remain a secret.
After catching Duke’s signal, Tristan nodded in acknowledgment. Duke then entered the portal and led his team inside to conduct the soil test necessary. Meanwhile, Tristan immediately guided the six people he had brought out of the forest.
Once they reached the forest’s edge, just short of the open space in front of the building, Tristan halted and gestured for the two STAUs to remove the blindfolds from the warriors they were assisting. He did the same for the two under his own escort.
As soon as the blindfolds came off, Tristan spoke, his voice steady and clear. "I brought you here to assist with the supply run. It’s a chance for you to gain real combat experience instead of being cooped up inside the base all the time. Opportunities like this don’t come easily. Most missions outside the city are dangerous, which is why they’re usually assigned to team leaders and their squads."
He paused, giving the four warriors time to adjust. After being blindfolded for so long and subjected to multiple space jumps, they were still disoriented, their heads light, and their stomachs unsettled. It took them a moment to acclimate to the light and steady themselves before they could fully register his words.
"You understand what I’m saying, right?" Tristan asked.
Their expressions hardened as all six of them nodded, including the two STAUs. They all understood that opportunities like this were rare and not to be wasted.
For the four warriors, the fact that Tristan had personally brought them here, going so far as to use his teleportation ability to take them far beyond the HOPE Base, sent them soaring with excitement.
The chance to gain real experience, personally arranged by an important person in the base like Tristan, left them elated and deeply grateful. In their exhilaration, they failed to realize one crucial detail: they were no longer in City B, nor even anywhere near it. They were now hundreds of miles away.
Thanks to Tristan’s teleportation, there were no familiar landmarks, no sense of distance traveled, nothing that might raise suspicion. The warriors accepted everything at face value, believing exactly what Tristan wanted them to believe.
As for the two STAUs, they knew far more than the others. Yet they offered no explanations. They had long since pledged their loyalty to Kisha, and revealing her secrets, even unintentionally, could put her in grave danger. Human greed was unpredictable; no one could say who might be tempted to betray everything for something as simple as a piece of meat.
Because of that, the STAUs remained silent, choosing to go with the flow.
"We understand, Secretary Tristan. We’ll do our best and prove our capabilities. You won’t regret giving us this opportunity," one of the warriors said, his posture straight and resolute.
"Yes, me too!" the second echoed without hesitation.
Seeing that they truly understood, Tristan continued, his tone calm but firm. "I’m glad you do. I also want you to know that this will be a joint operation between the HOPE Base and another base affiliated with us. However, as you all know, trust must be built carefully."
His gaze swept over them, steady and serious. "We can’t afford to be careless. That’s why you must stay alert and refrain from sharing unnecessary information. Answer only what is required, nothing more. The less said, the better."
And once people believed they were trusted, they would do everything in their power not to disappoint.

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