Bear School Astartes

Cassandra was just as Lann had anticipated.

To gain the trust of the Spartan soldiers, she took on many tasks in the camp.

She followed the Spartan forces, repelled the Athenian fleet attempting to dock in the bays and ports of Megaliss, and fought against infantry attacking from the north.

She once helped the Spartans turn the tide on the beach.

She hid behind rocks near the shore, and over the heads of the fully prepared Spartans, she shot several burning arrows, setting the sails of the approaching Athenian triremes on fire, and the ships were engulfed in flames before they could reach the shore.

As a result, Stantor glared at her like a vulture robbed of its prey.

In his eyes, Cassandra—having both the roles of a mercenary and a woman—should stick to things befitting her status off the battlefield rather than trying to claim the glory of participation in war.

However, Stantor couldn’t vent his anger, because before Cassandra stepped into the battlefield, she had already perfectly completed her mercenary tasks.

She first found the spy who stole the Spartan military orders and retrieved the corresponding tablet of those orders.

Then she single-handedly infiltrated a heavily guarded fortress, burned many tools and materials of the Athenian forces in Megaliss, and assassinated an Athenian commander.

Logically, after all Cassandra’s maneuvers, the dominant Spartans should have been able to expel the Athenians from the land of Megaliss as easily as adults beating children.

But in reality, the Spartans’ situation was worse than the Athenians’.

When Cassandra saw the dark circles under Stantor’s eyes and the sluggish steps of the Spartan soldiers, she knew the Spartans’ logistical situation was dire.

Although they smiled at hunger for dignity and reputation, the delayed grain carts meant many hadn’t eaten solid food for nearly half a month.

And rumors of Pericles dispatching a powerful army to support Megaliss to attack the Spartans and drive them back to Laconia seemed to become true.

At this moment, nothing could earn more trust from the Spartans than resolving the food crisis.

”And what about this sullen ’warrior’?” Lann nudged his chin towards Sipidio on the side. ”He seems quite resentful towards you, and by extension, doesn’t like me too.”

”He is Spartan support for me, which means he’s here to collect the food. As for being displeased seeing me with you...”

Cassandra laughed heartily, appearing generous, confident, and bright.

”Spartans express interest in women by directly grabbing them and forcefully kissing them. He fought alongside me, but when he tried that on me after battle, I kicked him between the legs.”

”It wasn’t light, and until early this morning, he still sleeps with his legs clamped together like a woman.”

Cassandra didn’t lower her voice at all while speaking, so Sipidio heard every word.

But perhaps due to Spartan tough education, he didn’t display intense anger.

In Spartan mindsets, it seems like this: you beat me, so nothing more to say.

”Let’s end the complaining here.”

Cassandra chuckled lightly and quickly adjusted her state. This woman seemed hard to be knocked down by negative emotions.

”What about you wandering here, what’s going on?”

Lann shrugged at Cassandra’s question.

”I’m not ’wandering’ aimlessly.”

Then, the Demon Hunter explained his thoughts and actions to Cassandra.

About him discovering unstable Spartan logistics on his first day in Megaliss and then voluntarily tracking and investigating the Athenian mercenary Icarus...

All of it astonished the Hawk Trainer.

Cassandra’s beautiful eyes evaluated the Demon Hunter up and down.

”I’ve never met anyone like you, Lann.”

”That’s only because you haven’t met enough people; I believe many can do this.”

Cassandra, with a mischievous ’as you wish’ smile, nodded indifferently.

”If that’s how you want to say it, I can accept.”

Lann immediately redirected the conversation to their mission.

”So now we understand how Icarus accurately ambushed the Spartan grain carts—his spy gave him the tablet with military orders. Thus, Spartan food supply routes were no secret to him.”

”Yes, I didn’t think a mercenary could create such trouble for the renowned Spartan army.”

The spy Cassandra captured claimed to be lured by a bounty offered by a mercenary named ’Icarus’ into infiltrating the Spartan camp disguised as a soldier to steal intelligence.

The information they each gathered at different places fit together at this point.

”Do you know anything about this troublesome mercenary?”

Cassandra and Lann were discussing together.

Unknowingly, she got used to consulting Lann and receiving guidance.

And so far, Lann seemed to have never made a mistake.

”The Athena Temple inside Mogala City started militarizing some time ago, doesn’t the timing seem too coincidental to you? Right when our ’friend’ started large-scale operations.”

Cassandra and Lann exchanged a glance, mutually agreeing it’s highly likely that the militarized Athena Temple was Icarus’s command post.

”Ha, fortunately, I’m a mercenary; our operations in Mogala will be convenient. Sipidio!”

Cassandra, smilingly, wrapped up her chat with Lann and called out the Spartan officer’s name who had come over with her.

”What do you want?” Sipidio asked rudely from a distance.

He wasn’t furious with Cassandra for beating him, but he was still annoyed.

”We’re going to solve Sparta’s real problem in Megaliss, you must go back and inform Stantor.”

”Malaka! Do you expect me to go back empty-handed? Do I need to repeat the task I received when leaving the camp for you? I must bring back food! If not, bring back my head! Do you think I’d neglect military orders for you and your pretty boy’s assignment?”

Cassandra outwardly frowned as if readying for a fight.

However, internally, she bore no resentment towards Sipidio’s term ’pretty boy’ for Lann.

At this point, still standing aside, Lann stepped forward.

He showed no emotion in response to the ’pretty boy’ comment.

”You want food? There’s food too. I know some refugees on this mountain, I handed over the food I found to them for safekeeping. They took some for ’storage fee,’ but the majority is still left. You can take it.”

Sipidio’s expression changed at first, but then he nodded.

”Spartan rations shouldn’t be taken by refugees... but it was originally lost goods, so no complaints about keeper’s fee. Let’s do this. I’ll take this food back to report.”

”For Sparta, happy hunting, Hawk Trainer.”

Sipidio saluted Cassandra, thumped his left chest, and then started heading up the mountain to get the food.