Kaito stood motionless before the large, faintly glowing receiver crystal dominating the study in Stonecrest Hold. Multiple smaller images shimmered within its depths – live feeds relayed magically from the Scry-Shards carried by his Shadow Ravens positioned around Oakhaven. He saw it all with chilling clarity: the impossible insectoid creatures bursting from the earth near the well, the woman falling in, the man identified as Hinaria's father being brutally dragged down moments later. He saw the Goblins and Grak auxiliaries surge from the woods, the winged beasts raining fire from above, the thatched roofs igniting, the villagers scattering in terror.
It was brutal. Far more brutal and complex than the raid described in the e-book. The multi-pronged attack, the varied enemy types... this was a coordinated assault, not random savagery.
A young servant boy assigned to him stood nearby, his face pale green, eyes wide with horror as he watched the unfolding massacre on the crystal. He looked like he might be sick.
"Enemy counts?" Kaito spoke aloud, his voice steady, directed at the crystal itself, seeking quantifiable data amidst the chaos.
A low, rasping voice emanated directly from the receiver, devoid of emotion – Raven-One, reporting from the forest edge. "Difficult to ascertain exact count due to smoke and terrain, Master Lian. Hundreds. Goblins, Grak, the subterranean type... overwhelming force. Enemy forces converging on the village center. Total encirclement imminent."
"Maintain observation," Kaito replied, his tone flat. "No interference. No action."
The servant boy flinched, turning to Kaito with wide, pleading eyes. "Master Lian! Wouldn't it be better if we helped them? There are women... children down there."
"I know," Kaito responded, his gaze fixed on the crystal feeds, watching girl still frozen near the hole, watching the blacksmith finally fall, watching the flames climb higher. "But we cannot interfere." His voice was cold, detached. This must happen, he thought, steeling himself against the horrific images. The raid, the destruction... it's the catalyst. It's the event that brings Hero here. Interfering now, saving the village prematurely (if it is possible even), could prevent his arrival, could shatter the entire sequence of events he knows. His foreknowledge depends on letting this tragedy unfold as written, however... elevated the brutality seems. Non-interference wasn't just strategy; it was essential for preserving his only advantage. He had to wait for the hero.
Another rasp from the crystal, Raven-Three this time, positioned path to Stonecrest. "Master Lian. Small group of Goblins, maybe a dozen, breaking from the main assault. Moving north-west. Towards Stonecrest Hold."
The servant boy gasped, taking a step back.
"Do you require engagement orders, Master?" Raven-Three asked.
Kaito considered for less than a second. Stonecrest was fortified, the guards were alerted, the defense runes active. A hundred Goblins were a negligible threat to the manor itself. Engaging them would reveal his Ravens' positions prematurely. "No," Kaito replied calmly. "Maintain observation. Let the Hold's own defenses handle any direct approach."
The servant boy looked terrified now, glancing nervously towards the study door as if expecting Goblins to burst in. Kaito ignored him, his attention fixed on the unfolding tragedy in Oakhaven, waiting. Waiting for Aelric. Waiting for the protagonist to arrive as the narrative dictated. Waiting to see how the battle unfolded according to the script he knew.