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It was a big ask. Cousin Melchor's group had a difficult decision to make. They didn't want to get involved any further with the war than they already were. If they began openly supporting the RPMP, then there was no telling how that might complicate things later.

But on the other hand, they were already locked in a stalemate against the Killer of Krohin and his men. In all the time that Raul had spent away from Miro, the ongoing siege there still hadn't made much progress, apparently. Raul wasn't sure if that was a testament to the Killer's wisdom or to his cowardice.

In open battle, Raul was sure that Leo and Cousin Melchor would be able to win the day, but would they ever get that chance again? It seemed increasingly unlikely.

So when he heard that they decided to take the RPMP up on their offer, Raul was anxious about the news but not terribly surprised.

With the RPMP's help, they could safely move the civilians out of Miro and over to Ridgemark, where they could be either protected or taken out of the country.

But it also meant that Raul couldn't expect much in the way of help on his end. With everyone else busy protecting Ridgemark from being overrun and probably razed to the ground, manpower was difficult to come by.

But not impossible, apparently.

Raul got word that his brothers were coming to him. Adan and Esai.

Which was news that brought a faint smile to his face. It hadn't even been that long since he'd seen them, but somehow, it felt like ages. He wasn't accustomed to being on his own for even this length of time. It would be a relief to have them around again.