372 You Still Have The Nerve To Ask Why? When Thirteen woke up the next day, he went to the training grounds of his Battalion to check how they were faring. The moment they saw him, all of them lined up and gave him a salute. "At ease," Thirteen replied after returning the salute of his subordinates. "I came here to brief you on this month's itinerary. But before that, I've got an important announcement to make." Thirteen paused to ensure that all his subordinates were paying close attention before he spoke. "I made a bet with Renz Elrod, and the winner will assume the role of Supreme Commander in a special operation that would allow the Dvalinn Federation to reclaim the Northern Lands of the Rigel Continent." The soldiers, including the spies whom the other Families had planted in the 69th Battalion, were surprised by their commander's announcement. The spies were also raring to report this information back to their employers, knowing that this news would fetch them a big reward. "Renz Elrod and I agreed to have a competition," Thirteen continued his explanation. "The first of us to defeat one of the Kings of the Rigel Continent will be the winner of the bet. If I win, I will be the Supreme Commander and call the shots. If I lose, I will become Renz Elrod's subordinate." Looks of disbelief appeared on the soldier's faces when they heard Thirteen's words. All of them had witnessed the battle between the Monarch, the Thrones, and the Bird Man who ruled the Northern Regions, where the Dvalinn Federation had built their outpost. They had personally seen how desperately Wendell Elrod fought against the Bird Man, but was unable to land a decisive blow to its body. However, their Battalion Commander had made the Bird Man disappear, allowing them to gain the upper hand in the battle. The spies in the 69th Battalion had already reported that news to their respective superiors within the same day and had received praise and rewards for their efforts. Now that they had gained intel about the competition between Zion Leventis and Renz Elrod, they felt that there was a fifty-fifty chance that their Commander would win, especially since he had also dealt with the Bird Man a few days ago. "I was the one that started this competition, so I will soon make a move. And now, I will tell you which King I wish to defeat." Thirteen stated. "It will be none other than the Brain Beetle, Evuvug. "The success of reclaiming the Rigel Continent hinges on defeating this Monster. Until then, all our efforts will not bear any fruit. I need each and every one of you to be mentally prepared to face it. Any questions?" "Sir, I have a question," Alexis raised his hand. "Ask." Thirteen gave his Captain a brief nod. "Isn't the Brain Beetle the monster with mind-controlling powers?" Alexis inquired. "Wouldn't it be dangerous for us to fight it?" "Good question," Thirteen replied. "The answer to that question is yes. Evuvug is a Rank 8 Sovereign that can mind control others. It has terrorized the expedition force several years ago by pitting Wanderers against each other." "And we are going to fight that monster, Sir?" "Not directly. You will only be fighting its subordinates." Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. He had already accepted that his Commander was an exceptional leader and was no longer hesitant to follow the latter's orders, but the threat of the Brain Beetle left a lasting impression on him. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢 His parents had been part of the expedition to reclaim the Rigel Continent several years ago, and they had seen how horrifying this monster was. "You don't have to worry about the Brain Beetle. My Grandfather will be the one dealing with it," Thirteen explained. "All I need you to do is massacre the Brain Beetle's subordinates, grab their Cores, and get the hell out of its nest. Simple, right?" The corner of Alcapone's lips twitched. None of what their Commander had said was simple at all. But he was confident that Zion Leventis would never order them to their deaths. Still, he clenched his fists and thought about taking a sick leave on that day! Fight against a Rank 8 Sovereign that specialized in Mind Control? No, thank you! He hadn't lived enough and hadn't clapped enough cheeks to participate in such a daring mission. Alcapone was a man who understood his limits. Even if he had to fake being terribly sick on that day, he would do it without hesitation! "Ah, before I forget, those who wouldn't join this expedition for whatever reasons will be expelled from the 69th Battalion," Thirteen declared. "It doesn't matter if you are sick or injured. When I ask you to mobilize, you will mobilize. Period." The leader of the 69th Battalion's Mafia almost coughed out blood then and there after hearing his Commander's declaration. He almost asked Zion if he could read minds because that was what he was thinking of doing! "Currently, the Leventis Family fleet will head to the Southeastern borders of the Rigel Continent," Thirteen said. "It will take us three to four days to reach our destination. Until then, I want all of you to physically and mentally prepare yourselves. "The Valkyries will also be accompanying us in this mission, so keep that in mind as well. Any more questions?" This time, it was Cristopher who raised his hand. "Sir, since the Valkyries will be coming with us, will they take orders from you as well?" Cristopher asked. "They will be taking orders from me," Thirteen answered. "If they don't want to, then they will not be allowed to participate in this operation. This is a special mission, so everyone must listen to my orders without question." Before parting ways, the Grand Marshal told Thirteen that he would talk to Marion and tell her that she would become Thirteen's temporary Vice-Commander. Lawrence didn't want Marion to resign from her position as the Commander of the Valkyries, so he decided to give her some time off by letting Zion take command of her forces. In fact, while Thirteen was talking to his subordinates, the Grand Marshal and Field Marshal were talking to Marion, informing her of their decision. Thirteen believed that the Valkyries would play a pivotal role against the Brain Beetle because its mind control abilities only affected a certain range. If they fly high enough from the ground, Evuvug's mind control would not reach them, allowing them to deal with his subordinates better. In fact, Thirteen planned to make the most of the Valkyries for this mission. This way, his Battalion could fight without the risk of being put under the Brain Beetle's mind control. "Sir, can we really defeat the Brain Beetle?" Pietro asked. "I know that your grandfather, Arthur Leventis, is strong. But is he immune to Mind Control?" "My grandfather is a henpecked husband," Thirteen replied. "As long as I make him wear earphones with my grandmother nagging at him on loop, I'm sure that even the Brain Beetle's mind control won't work on hi—ouch!" Thirteen wasn't able to finish his words because his grandfather, Arthur, suddenly appeared from behind and gave his head a good smack. The members of the 69th Battalion did their best to hold back their laughter, knowing that if they laughed, the Patriarch of the Leventis Family might take offense and deal with them accordingly. "Gramps, why?" Thirteen asked as he rubbed his head. He didn't notice that his grandfather had sneaked behind him because he was too focused on talking sh*t about the latter in front of his subordinates. "You still have the nerve to ask why?"Arthur replied in an icy tone. He was no doubt tempted to spank his no-good grandson in front of his subordinates and make the teenager lose face. But, he reigned in this thought. After all, he profited greatly from his battle against Amos, which the teenage boy had set up for him. Thirteen clicked his tongue before once again shifting his gaze to his subordinates. "We will end this talk now. But like I said earlier, make sure to prepare yourselves for the upcoming battle," Thirteen stated. "This will probably be one of your most memorable battles here in the Rigel Continent. So, remember this—no matter what happens. I order all of you not to die. Did I make myself clear?" The members of the 69th Battalion all saluted at the same time before giving their thunderous reply. """Sir, Yes Sir!""" Thirteen nodded before dismissing all of them to return to their tasks. While some members decided to clean and inspect their weaponry in preparation for the upcoming battle, several of Thirteen's subordinates returned to their room to report to their employers about the news. They believed that this information was something that their employers would appreciate, leading to some benefits for the effort they put into their work. Little did they know that they were pawns in someone's scheme. Of course, all of this was part of Thirteen's plan. He wanted to let the Monarch Clans and the Prestigious Families, as well as the other influential organizations in the world, know about his competition with Renz Elrod. This way, once he won their bet, all of them would rethink his strategic value for the human race, giving him another layer of protection. Right now, they needed all the help they could get to ensure that the Cygni Continent would not suffer the same fate as the Rigel Continent. Thirteen wanted to capture the attention of the Monarch, Douglas Griffin so that he could secure a favorable post once he and his battalion arrived in the Cygni Continent for the upcoming Jinn Invasion. He needed authority and power to move freely because two of the Cursed Artifacts his former Host had hidden were in the Cygni Continent. Thirteen believed that these locations had restricted entry. Only with the proper rank or position could he access these locations and retrieve the hidden trump cards for his own benefit.