Stephen’s POV
I dropped the barbell and wiped my hands on the towel. Alaric stood near the glass wall, reading something on his tablet. The elder of the military was on screen, waiting for me to respond to his report.
“They’re moving through the mountains again,” the elder said. “Our patrols found three villages empty, burned, but not looted. The rogues are not stealing or taking prisoners. They just clear everyone out.”
I frowned and took the towel from my neck. “You’re saying they destroy, not occupy?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the elder said. “It’s a pattern. Mountain sides and valleys. They’re building something, maybe a base. It’s too coordinated to be random.”
Alaric lowered the tablet slightly. “Odd behavior for rogues. Someone’s leading them.”
The elder nodded. “That’s what I beli
