"Hmph! You better be! If you have any thoughts of surrendering, I'll send you a bullet before the Yan people kill you!"

"Once we've wiped out the Yan people, you can hang on the roof beam like a sausage and bask in the sun for a whole year, and I won't care about you at all!"

"And now, get back to your posts right now!"

Tachino slowly stood up, while low chuckles gradually rose around him. The soldiers had heard the conversation and were amused by Sylvie's whimsical metaphor at the end. It was a rare moment to lighten the heavy atmosphere, and some even felt relaxed.

Tachino blushed with shame, scratched his head listlessly, and walked towards the pine tree.

Sylvie whispered to the people around him, "Alright, guys, keep quiet. I don't want those bastards who're searching in the mountains to hear what's going on here!"

The soldiers' expressions hardened, and they gradually quieted down.

At this moment, Tachino, who had returned to the pine tree, squatted down, picked up the spear from his back, and leaned against the tree trunk, his gaze wandering, his mind wandering to all sorts of random thoughts.

"Squeak squeak".

The sudden cry brought Tachino back to his senses. He looked up and saw a red-bellied squirrel with an exceptionally bushy tail standing on a high branch, its small head swaying from side to side, its dark eyes seemingly looking around.

The sunlight shone on its silky smooth fur, making it even shimmer. Looking up from below, Tachino could see a fiery red patch on its belly.

"Squeak squeak".

"Squeak squeak".

The calls of the red-bellied squirrel grew more urgent, and it wasn't just one; sounds gradually came from other pine trees as well. Tachino couldn't help but exclaim:

"What a beautiful bunch of little guys."

"I remember it can fly, want to see it fly?"

As if it understood Tachino's words, the one on its head suddenly leaped up from the tree branch.

Its tiny limbs were fully extended, its fluffy tail floated in the air, and its fully extended body became much larger than usual, with its fiery red belly resembling a cluster of leaping flames.

Tachino watched in astonishment as the red-bellied squirrel flew to another tree and then vanished in the blink of an eye.

Not just this one, but all the red-bellied squirrels had disappeared. They all seemed to have returned to their burrows, and the urgent "squeaks" in the forest were no longer heard.

The vast pine forest suddenly fell silent, so quiet that Tachino could only hear the sound of the river flowing down the mountain.

The sunlight still shone brightly through the forest, dappling the ground covered with pine needles with scattered light through the pine branches. A gentle breeze blew through the forest, causing the light and shadow on the ground to sway.

Listening to the sound of water and smelling the scent of pine trees, Tacino was somewhat captivated by the tranquil scene. But just then, suddenly—

"Smack!"

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

A strange, crisp, and short sound came from an unknown direction. Tachino shuddered and his eyes widened as he looked toward the sky peeking through the tree branches.

In the pure, azure sky, without a single cloud obscuring the view, some black dots suddenly appeared.