Seven Beautiful Goddesses Want Me, But I Just Want My Revenge Chapter 132: Co-captain with Grumpy pants... #25

"Careful now," dea whispered in his ear, her voice like ice. "One wrong move, and this could be your last day."

Before the captain could respond, a voice bood from behind them. "Enough!"

dea stepped back, lowering her sword as the crowd parted to reveal a tall, imposing figure. The general of the army. His presence commanded respect, and the soldiers imdiately straightened, their playful attitudes fading as they recognized the authority before them.

The general's eyes flicked between dea and the captain, his expression unreadable. "What's going on here?"

dea sheathed her sword, her posture relaxed as if nothing had happened. "I was just observing your training," she said casually, "but your captain here seed to take issue with that."

The captain opened his mouth to protest, but the general silenced him with a look.

"Follow ," the general said to dea, his tone curt but not unkind. He turned and began walking toward the barracks, and dea followed, her curiosity piqued.

Once they were out of earshot, the general spoke again, his tone more thoughtful. "I've seen enough to know that you've survived real battle. Your technique is far too refined for soone who's never been on a battlefield."

dea glanced at him, her eyes sharp. "I've seen countless battles," she replied simply.

The general nodded. "That's what I thought." He paused for a mont before continuing. "I need soone like you to help prepare my soldiers. There's a feeling in the air, and I suspect war is coming."

dea's expression didn't change, but her mind sharpened with interest. "What war?"

The general's eyes darkened, and he lowered his voice. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. But trust , it's coming."

Curiosity piqued by his earlier remarks, dea followed the general through the barracks. He walked with the calm confidence that cos from having experience in war, but the way he talked about an impending conflict made her nervous.

"Tell more about this war you're expecting," dea probed as they passed groups of soldiers engaged in various drills.

The general glanced at her sideways, his brow furrowing slightly. "I don't have all the answers yet," he admitted, his voice low enough to avoid being overheard. "But there are whispers—rumors of growing tensions in the east, close to our borders. My sources say there's movent—armies gathering, but no clear direction."

dea frowned, mulling over his words. "And you think they'll make a move on Zarpha?"

The general sighed, rubbing his chin. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. But I don't like being unprepared. We need to tighten up our ranks, train harder, faster. That's why I need soone like you."

dea raised an eyebrow, sensing he was leading to sothing. "Soone like ?"

He stopped walking and turned to face her. "You know what you're doing. It's obvious from how you handled my captain—" his lips twitched slightly, "—and how you've observed the n. You've survived real battles. I need soone to help whip these soldiers into shape before sothing breaks loose."

dea let the complint hang in the air for a mont, her sharp eyes scanning his face for sincerity. She was intrigued, but she wasn't about to throw herself into anything just yet. "And what exactly do you have in mind?"

"You've got a sharp eye," he said, breaking the silence. "That much was obvious from how you handled Vale." He paused, extending a hand toward her. "General Aric Venloris by the way. I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

dea took his hand with a firm grip as she t his gaze. "dea," she replied simply, though with respect. "And no, we haven't."

The general nodded, releasing her hand. "Vale's a damn good captain, but he needed humbling. You gave him that."

dea raised an eyebrow. "He'll get over it. n like him always do."

Aric let out a low chuckle, his scarred face breaking into a slight grin. "True enough. I have to say, though—your technique. It's more refined than anything I've seen from a rcenary or a noblewoman who's dabbled in swordplay. You've fought in real wars, haven't you?"

dea's expression didn't change, but her mind flickered with mories she preferred to keep buried. "I've seen my share," she replied quietly. "More than I'd like to rember."

The general studied her for a mont. "I figured as much. That's exactly why I need soone like you."

She crossed her arms, her lips curving into a slight smile. "So, what are you proposing, General?"

He t her gaze, his expression serious. "I want you as co-captain, alongside Vale. He's a good leader, but we could use your experience. Together, you could whip these n into shape."

dea let out a short laugh, her eyes gleaming with amusent. "Co-captain, huh? With Grumpy Pants?"

Aric smirked, shaking his head. "Vale's one of our best, and stubborn as hell. But don't worry, he'll co around. He just needs to learn that being the best doesn't an you can't learn sothing new."

dea's smile widened. "I can live with that."

Aric clapped her on the shoulder. "Good. Let's get back to the n. They need to hear this from ."

By the ti they reached the training grounds again, the soldiers had gathered, their faces showing curiosity as the general raised his hand for silence.

"Listen up!" the general's booming voice cut through the chatter. "Today, we've had the pleasure of witnessing soone with skills beyond what most of you have ever seen. This here is dea, and she'll be joining us as co-captain alongside Vale."

There were scattered murmurs of surprise, and all eyes turned toward dea, sizing her up.

Captain Vale, still recovering from his earlier humiliation, stepped forward. His expression was more subdued now, a mixture of grudging respect and lingering pride. He extended a hand toward dea, and she accepted it with a firm shake.

"I owe you an apology," Vale said, a bit more sincere this ti. "I misjudged you."

dea smirked. "Apology accepted. Just don't make it a habit."

Vale chuckled, loosening up. "I won't. But I'm looking forward to a rematch."

dea's smirk deepened as she teased. "I'll go easy on you next ti if you ask nicely."

The captain laughed, shaking his head. "I need you at your fullest."

dea leaned in, her voice lowering to a playful challenge even though she ant her words. "You wouldn't be able to handle my fullest."

Vale's eyes glead with the thrill of the challenge. "We'll see about that."

The general, watching the exchange with amusent, clapped his hands again. "Alright, enough of that. Let's get back to work."

Vale turned to dea, gesturing toward the soldiers gathered around. "Okay… Where do we start, co-captain?"