Soul of the Warrior

Reivyn stood to the side and watched the stream of Conscripts March by. Their ability to keep step and pace properly was much improved from when they had first arrived in the city, though Reivyn wasn't sure whether or not any of them had had the opportunity to unlock Forced March, yet. He wasn't planning to push them so hard that they would, either.

Only one of the mercenary platoons led the way in front. There was one platoon in the center and the remaining two were in the rear. If they ran into any trouble, it was likely to come from a flanking action or from behind. Reivyn wasn't expecting to run into any trouble, but that was no reason not to array his troops in the most appropriate fashion.

For most observers, there wasn't a noticeable difference in the ranks of the Conscripts. For Reivyn, with his Divine Sense which provided him far more subconscious information than simply looking with his eyes, he could clearly discern the loss of 10% of their population. He had already grieved for the fallen and offered solace to those who sought it in the hours after. Now he maintained a hard face and demeanor. He projected an air of no-nonsense. He couldn't have the youngsters assuming that his friendliness from before was reason enough not to take his orders seriously.

He hoped that his mercenaries' attitude of instant obedience to orders would rub off on them. It would be a disaster if the Conscripts allowed themselves to relax and they really did run into a random roving band of invaders this side of the lines. Considering their numbers and mobility, it wasn't completely outside the realm of possibility.

It wasn't just a desire to have his orders adhered to instantly and to the letter. He also hoped that the attitude would rub off on them, as well. With proper role models, the Conscripts could learn a lot about their role as members of the military. Prince Allik hadn't gone into details about what the Conscripts would be doing, but he had implied they would continue with another mission. If he had planned on releasing them, then he would most likely have something about escorting them home instead of to the capital. The distinction was faint, but it was there.

Reivyn wasn't too concerned with whatever mission they would be receiving in the capital, but felt a sense of camaraderie out of shared experience with the younger Conscripts so he wanted to do what he could to improve their chances of success with whatever they did. If he could instill some additional professionalism into them with simple demonstration, there was no reason not to.

Prince Allik and the other command staff stood off to the side watching the procession as well. The other companies didn't form up to see them off, but there were many soldiers standing to the side calling out well-wishes and encouragement. They had earned the respect of the soldiers with their willingness to train and stand their ground during the times they integrated with the others on the wall. They had all shared in the tragedy of losing 10% of their force as well, and nothing solidified brotherhood quite like shared suffering.

It was a sad truth, but one that often led to eventual good outcomes. Reivyn had no doubt that the survivors of this campaign would one day go further than they would have otherwise, as long as they were able to safely retreat from the conflict in the future. He didn't know what was in store for those that had been captured, and there was no way to know how many more would succumb to such a fate in the future, but he hoped it wasn't as bad as he assumed. He had never seen any of the cannon fodder soldiers have a zero branded on their foreheads, so they were probably going to be relegated to some sort of civilian workforce if his understanding of their society held true.

"Good luck out there," Prince Allik said to Reivyn.

"You, too, sir," Reivyn replied. He looked over at the prince and his commanders. The officers subtly shifted their stances to stand a bit taller under his scrutiny.

Reivyn offered a final salute to the prince, and after receiving one in return, he Marched off to integrate himself into the central platoon among the long line of soldiers. Marching in step allowed large forces to move much quicker than if they were in a simple mob, and so it wasn't long before they exited through the rear gates onto the highway headed to the capital.

The procession Marched on tirelessly for several hours, eating up the miles. Even the Conscripts, with their additional Stats from their Tier 2 Classes as Tier 1's, had enough Stats to maintain a steady pace and March for a long time before they needed to stop and rest. Instead of resting a bit for each hour, Reivyn had his officers and NCO's keep an eye on their Stamina levels as best they could, and he devised a routine where they stopped for a quarter of an hour every three hours.

Chow was constant in the field, so they didn't stop specifically for lunch. Everyone just munched on their rations as they walked. They weren't performing in a parade, so they didn't have to March with perfect bearing in lockstep. He had his scouts out surrounding the procession, and he operated the entire force exactly the same as he would for an individual platoon or company.

There was no official chain of command as Reivyn was not an official soldier, but he had been given plenary powers as an acting Battalion Commander. The officers attached to the Conscript companies had all been switched out and were competent veterans under Prince Allik. They had all witnessed Reivyn and his mercenaries in action. That combined with Reivyn's Heroic Skills ensured that they were all more than comfortable falling under his command.

He was still nominally the company commander of the mercenary company, but they had been in enough situations where it was easy for Reivyn to assume the role of the higher rank with Jekle taking on the main responsibilities as the commander of the company. Refix didn't take charge as the commander, not because he didn't want to or wasn't able to, but he assumed the role of the battalion XO alongside Reivyn.

Reivyn had drilled his officers and NCO's with the importance of being able to assume the role of ranks up to three levels above them. He wouldn't require his men to be able to do something he himself was unable to do. Transitioning over to commanding a battalion, in this situation, wasn't too dissimilar to being in charge of one company. As the company commander, he filtered his orders to the men through the platoon commanders. As the commander of a battalion, he did the same thing, but now it was to the company commanders.

Everything went smoothly, and there was no sight of any enemy forces. They still had a long way to go, though. Reivyn expected it would take them a little over a week to reach the capital at the pace they set. There was still plenty of time for things to go wrong, but Reivyn was optimistic. The further they Marched away from the front lines, the less likely it was that there would be any kind of enemy action. From previous experience, Reivyn knew that it wasn't standard for the enemy to send patrols of any kind deep into their territory. They preferred to fight straight on.

As evening approached, Reivyn indicated for Jekle to find a suitable location to stop for the evening. There weren't too many places in the local terrain that stood out, so they ended up choosing a small hill near some forest to set up camp. Jekle led the procession off the road a short ways and took them most of the way up the hill, but they didn't crest it and stop at the very top.

Work parties were sent out and Reivyn could see confusion on the faces of most of the Conscripts. The regular officers and NCO's didn't bat an eye, though, at the orders. A simple palisade and moat was quickly built and sentries posted. Come of the Conscripts were taken along to do the work and showed what to do and why, and word quickly spread, alleviating their confusion.

I guess their previous commanders just had them pitch tents without building proper fortifications for the evening, Reivyn thought. Lazy and incompetent.

Reivyn had no respect for the officers that had shown up with the Conscripts. Everything about them screamed their unwillingness to do even the bare minimum effort. They could have gotten a lot of people killed with their attitude, and Reivyn assumed Prince Allik was going to put a boot up their backsides where he kept them on the front lines. Their lack of professionalism would be more hindrance than help in whatever mission the Conscripts undertook in the future.

The days passed uneventfully. There was no time for additional training for the Conscripts, and there weren't any random monsters roaming about for them to get some Experience off of. lt was more common in the lower tier Regions to run into bands of goblins in the countryside and such. The higher tier Regions were home to stronger base monsters, but they were also a bit smarter and tended to stay further away from civilization.

The Conscripts only opportunity for learning came from observing the mercenaries and interacting with them when they stopped for the evening. The mercenaries were more than happy to show them the ropes and explain in great detail all the questions they had. They could possibly learn more from the NCO's and officers, but it was a bit intimidating to speak to the leaders so casually. That didn't mean it didn't happen, but only those who showed a bit more tendencies towards leadership sought advice from the higher ranked soldiers.

It was just like any other day on the road. They were making good time and were a bit over half way to the capital. Reivyn was engaging in idle conversation with some of the other captains as they Marched, the pace much too slow to pose any kind of strain on their physical Stats. Reivyn sensed the scout approaching with his slowly, but steadily increasing range of Divine Sense. He held up a hand to forestall the conversation and looked up in the direction the man was coming from, waiting for his arrival.

The scout approached Reivyn from the front of the formation, the last place Reivyn would expect news of enemy encroachment. From the lack of halting the procession from the first platoon up ahead and lack of urgency in the man's movements, Reivyn assumed the scout wasn't reporting an imminent clash with the invaders.

"Sir, a group of soldiers bearing the mark of the Imperial Family is approaching along the highway," the scout announced. The man didn't offer a salute as they were in the field. Reivyn waited for the man to continue, knowing that wasn't the end of the report. "Lady Kefira is with them. It looks like a contingent of the Imperial Bodyguards were dispatched to escort her to the front lines."

Reivyn's eyes lit up with excitement over the news. It had been many months since they had last seen each other. If they were meeting here, it made sense that they hadn't received word of Reivyn and the Conscripts returning to the capital. The plans had been made and orders issued, but news probably hadn't circulated throughout the military and capital before they left.

"Excellent," Reivyn said. "Thank you for bringing me the news. Dismissed."

The scout nodded his head and turned to jog back to his assignment. Reivyn didn't order the soldiers to do anything different, but he did excuse himself from the other captains and made his way to the front of the procession. Jekle had apparently received word from the scout as he wasn't surprised in the least to see Reivyn show up alongside him at the very front of the line.

Reivyn looked ahead, activating his Eagle Eye Skill to see further down the road, and the line of cavalry with streamers indicating the Imperial Family came into focus. They were still a ways away, and he noticed that they were moving to the side of the road. They apparently had their own reconnaissance methods and had gotten word that they were approaching.

"Have the men take a break up," Reivyn ordered Jekle. Now was as good a time as any to take a break, and the approach of the other group gave plenty of reasons to call a halt.

"Yes, sir," Jekle responded. He ordered one of the NCO's to pass word back to the other companies about the impending halt.

Reivyn didn't stride ahead in front of the soldiers. He stayed with them and they moved to the side of the road when they approached the other group. It was finally at this time they he stepped forward, and he saw Kefira and Serilla step away from their escort. There were a few others with her, and he subconsciously noticed them with his Divine Sense, but his eyes and mind were all focused on Kefira.

They didn't run into each other's arms in dramatic fashion, but they did immediately embrace in a hug. Serilla had a strange, smug look on her face that Reivyn didn't understand, but he didn't pay it any mind.

"I missed you," Reivyn whispered.

"I missed you, too," Kefira replied. "It seems like we came back a little too late. Are you heading back to Wispan already?"

"After escorting these Conscripts to the capital, our contract is over," Reivyn confirmed.

Kefira had obviously read the contract as the nominal leader of the mercenaries, so she quickly grasped the meaning behind the words.

"Is it that bad?" She asked.

"Yes and no," Reivyn replied. "We can talk about it later."

The two separated and stood back from each other.

"Can you believe this guy?" A familiar voice entered Reivyn's ears. "We let him out of our sight for just a couple of years, and he completely forgets about us!"

Reivyn looked up at the teasing voice and saw a face he hadn't seen in years. It had matured from what he remembered, but it was unmistakable. He had noticed him and his companion with his Divine Sense, but he had focused entirely on Kefira to pay any attention to the others.

"Teilon!" Reivyn exclaimed with a grin.

He stepped past Kefira and embraced his best friend in a firm, manly hug. They patted each other on the back and laughed at their reunion.

"Kimberly," Reivyn pulled back from Teilon and gave Kimberly a brief hug, as well.

"Reivyn, it's good to see you again," Kimberly said with a smile.

Reivyn assessed his friends and noticed a subtle aura about them. The way they held themselves and the distinct air of Mana contained in their core told Reivyn that they had already achieved their fourth Tier Classes.

Reivyn stepped back and his hand automatically searched out Kefira's, grasping it in his. There were a few others present, and one young man among their group frowned slightly upon witnessing Reivyn's casual action. Reivyn turned with Kefira to bring them along back to the formation he was leading.

"How dare a mere liaison..." The frowning young man stepped forward to berate Reivyn, but that was all he managed to get out before spluttering to a stop.

Reivyn didn't pay the kid any mind. He simply put his hand up and thrust his palm into the other boy's face as he walked past, completely ignoring him otherwise. He wasn't going to let some noble from Wispan who didn't know the facts interfere with his actions. Kefira, Teilon, and Kimberly barely seemed to even notice the interaction as they all walked towards the resting soldiers.

With his Divine Sense, Reivyn picked up Serilla smirking at the other young man.

"All that work you've done, gone in an instant," she snickered before following behind Kefira.

The young man's frown turned into a glower as he stared at Reivyn's departing back. Reivyn mentally snorted in amusement, but that was all the attention he paid to the boy.

"Come on, I'll introduce you the friends and companions I've made since I've been gone," Reivyn said to Teilon and Kimberly.

---

Royrik frowned as he watched the assault from the concealment of the trees. He had gotten in the habit of watching the daily assaults on the defenders after having made note of the unusually strong mercenaries, and his obsession with them had only intensified after he had been literally smacked like a bug by the young commander. Many of the others among his rank would have taken it as an insult, but it only spurred his desire to capture the other young man and add him to their cause further.

He had suffered more damage from that one strike that had barely bypassed his defenses than he could remember receiving from a single blow in a long time. The fact that his Inspection Skill notified him the young man was only Tier 3 only intensified his curiosity.

He knew that the young commander didn't normally participate in the daily defense of the city, but he had been present more often than not recently. At first, his absence hadn't been much cause for concern, but as the days wore on and he failed to appear, Royrik began paying more attention to the actions of the rest of the defenders.

"Something isn't right, here," he said after a while.

"What's not right?" Lorily asked, glancing over at her companion.

"Their resistance isn't right," Royrik clarified. "Their not putting up as much of a fight as they should be."

"Of course they're not," Ulvid snorted. "We just put them in their place. Their morale has to be rock bottom at this point."

"No, it's more than that," Royrik shook his head. "It's like if you cut off someone's finger, but the next time you fought them, they only used one arm. Losing a finger and losing an arm are two completely different situations."

"What are you trying to say?" Kulman asked.

"The mercenaries... Where is the mercenary company?" Royrik asked.

He had only been paying attention to a select few among their numbers, not the mercenary company as a whole. His blind desire to only focus on a few individuals had come back to bite him, and he was only now realizing the entire company was completely missing.

"What does that matter?" Lorily asked.

"The four people we had scouted were part of the mercenary company," Royrik said. "The only other person worth wasting our time on is Prince Allik, but the regular soldiers can handle that.

"Wait here a moment, I'm going to go speak to Sol'Ran."

The others murmured assent as Royrik took off toward the commander. Their fifth companion remained stoically quiet like always. Royrik had long since recovered from the wounds he had received from his short exchange with the young mercenary commander. The limp had come more from his uncontrolled fall through the forest than what the young man had been able to inflict on him, but it was a consequence of his strike, so he had counted it.

He quickly strode through the army. They were lined up and ready to push through the city fortifications at a moment's notice. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, though. They always brought a force capable of defeating the defenders every time day. They just didn't do it.

The change in schedule had only affected them for a while, and they were about to accelerate their operations to catch back up to where they were supposed to be. If they hadn't suffered the setback caused by the System - something that had never happened before that any of them were aware of - they would have already pressed past this city and been headed toward the next defensive stronghold.

Royrik didn't concern himself with any of that. He wasn't an officer in the military proper. He and his companions were more powerful than the generals, but they stood outside of the chain of command. They had to curtail their actions to accommodate the local commanders as much as possible under normal circumstances. Only the Lord-General could actually command them.

Royrik brushed past the guards protecting the command tent. They were used to his and his companion's way of doing things, so they didn't even twitch. Royrik ducked into the tent and zeroed in on General Sol'Ran. He walked over, immediately catching the other man's attention.

"The mercenary company is absent," Royrik said without preamble.

"Hmm, that makes sense," Sol'Ran said. He and his commanders had obviously noticed the difference, too.

"Their commanders have been scouted for priority recruitment," Royrik continued. It wasn't entirely true, but he had discretion in these matters. "I'm going to take some of my companions and go after them. It would be a great loss to the cause if they're allowed to get away."

"Sure," General Sol'Ran easily agreed. There wasn't much he could do otherwise, anyway.

Royrik nodded his head once and turned to exit the tent. He quickly made his way back to the others he was grouped with.

"Who's up for a chase?" He asked with a smile.