Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

Lance led Camilla out of the command tent and towards his own.

As the duo walked, Camilla quietly examined Lance. She had heard of him in her father's letters, a man of dedication and love for his kingdom and people. 

Apparently, he was quite the mood lifter and moral support too. 

Yet as Camilla looked at the man before her, all she saw was the shell of a man who lost too much. 

"I'm sorry Lord Lance." Camilla said with a sigh, "I Shouldn't have spoken so harshly, you've been through a lot, haven't you?"

Lance looked back to Camilla with a small smile. "It's fine, I know I'm a terrible man, choosing the lives I hold dear over a kingdom with 17 million people." He shook his head slowly, "Your father was right, this war takes from everyone, not just me."

Camilla smiled softly. "You know, speaking of fathers, I met your son Alexander, and he is quite the charming character." She said with a giggle.

Lance's grin grew wider at the mention of his son. "I know, he's a wonderful kid." He paused, "he's a bit on the impulsive side though, last time I saw him, he picked this girl up from the city and brought her home like she was a Windwalker pup." He said with a chuckle.

"A girl?" Camilla asked curiously, tilting her head, "Do you mean Marcus?" 

Lance nodded. "Mhmm, she's a good kid, though she's a little shy when it comes to Alex." He explained, "She wouldn't even tell him she's a girl, in fear he wouldn't want to play with her anymore."

Camilla's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, I thought Marcus was just a really, really pretty boy." Camilla said with a chuckle, "But that makes sense."

"Well if you thought Marcus was a boy, then I guess that means she hasn't told Alex either." He sighed, "How is he anyway, my son."

"He's doing fine," Camilla said with a smile. "He's a really smart young man, kind, charismatic, and he's got your dashing good looks."

Lance's smile grew. "Now I really miss him." She said softly. "Hopefully when the war dies down a little, I can see him, and send Marcus off to a Pathfinder academy as well."

Lance then stopped before a small tent with the Daname family Banner. "We're here." He said softly, before stepping into the tent. 

Camilla took a deep breath before following him in. 

Inside the tent was a wooden table in the middle, surrounded by several bunk beds and pathfinders.

There were five in total, all dressed in the blue uniforms of the Fallen Kingdom, with the Daname family patch. 

"Lord Lance, how was the meeting with the commander?" A pathfinder asked. 

She looked extremely similar to Elise, except she wore a pixie cut rather than Elise's usual ponytail.

Lance sighed. "We have another mission." He explained, walking towards the table in the center of the tent. "And this time, it's deep in enemy territory."

The pathfinder- Sophia, walked to Lance's side and looked down at the map. "Alright then, what's the plan?" She asked. 

Lance paused, turning to look Sophia in the eyes. "It's a suicide mission, assaulting a position with over four hundred mages and fifty thousand infantry." He chuckled to himself, "If we get caught in a firefight, or bogged down even a little…"

"We would be fish in a barrel," Sophia said with a crossing of her arms. 

"I'm not taking this mission," Lance said to his men, placing his hands down on the table. "Not without your consent." He further explained. "We'd be outnumbered, deep in enemy territory, and with no hope of backup or evac."

A tense atmosphere befell the tent. 

The pathfinders began to exchange odd glances as they shifted uncomfortably. 

Lance studied them all carefully, his gaze scrutinizing over every detail.

Finally, it was Sophia who broke the silence. "We didn't become pathfinders because it's easy My Lord, we did it because we love our kingdom." She smiled as she crossed her arms. "And that's why we'll continue to serve because it's what we love."

"I second that Lord Lance." Another pathfinder said with a confident grin. "Besides, if every mission we took was easy, then are we really doing anything?"

A wave of agreement washed over the ground, each pathfinder stepping forward to voice their support.

"You can count me in My Lord." 

"I'm willing to serve."

"I'm at your command."

Lance looked around the tent with a wide grin. "You all are the bravest pathfinders I have ever seen." He stood up to salute those before him. Living his hills together as he placed a fist on his chest. "And I am honored to lead you into battle."

Camilla, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. "I may not be as brave or as capable as you all, but I will give you all I have for this mission. She looked at Lance with a smile. "So Commander, what's the plan?"

Lance grinned as he began to lay out the plans. "Tomorrow at 04:00, we'll move through the mountains here…"

— — —

As Lance prepared his unit for the assault in the factory, his son Alexander was riding back home along with his mother and friends. 

Alexander looked out the carriage window, watching as the city passed him by. 

His entire day had been spent shopping with his mother, and now he sat in a carriage filled with bags of clothes. 

"I think today was rather productive," Olivia said with a giggle as she looked down to the large brown paper bags that sat on the floor of the carriage. 

Alex looked down at the clothes, then up to his mother. "You said twenty minutes." He replied with a pout, " It's been hours."

Olivia laughed softly as she looked upon her son with a tender smile. "Ahh, I did say that." She said with a nod. "But, you had fun didn't you, it's not every day we get to spend time with each other."

Alexander sighed. It was true that this was the longest time he'd ever spent with Olivia, and it was fun to be with her. "I guess." He said with a small smile, he then paused, scratching at his cheek. "But uhm, how did we make enough money to afford all of this?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Do you not know how we make money?" She asked curiously.

Alexander nodded. In fact, now that he thought about it, he had no clue how nobility worked in this world. 

He expected it to be similar to earth nobility, but his family never collected taxes, and they didn't own any land besides the mansion and the surrounding area.

Not to mention pathfinders seemed to be a major component of all noble houses, having entire schools devoted to training them.

Olivia crossed her arms. "Hmm, well I suppose you'd have to learn at some point." She said with a nod. "Lance and his pathfinders take missions from the crown, the city, or the military." She began, "These missions can vary greatly, from exterminating pests to assaulting enemy military targets."

She continued. "These missions offer various amounts of pay, and pathfinders houses bid for them. In the end, whoever Offers the lowest bid while providing the best service, receives the mission and by extension the pay."

Alexander nodded as he absorbed the information. He realized that these missions were just military contracts, and pathfinder houses were essentially contractors. 

But does all nobility work like this?

"So then, does every noble household work in this fashion?" Alexander asked. 

Olivia shook her head. "No, only pathfinder houses work in this fashion. There are also eight major houses and the crown."

"Pathfinder houses are lower nobility, but a major house controls things such as territory, taxes, and other civil affairs." She then sighed. "Major house nobility is in an entirely separate class, if you think I spend a lot, you should see Countess Alice, an entire castle, she bought an entire castle."

Olivia looked distressed and envious. 

Louise, who had been quiet up until this point, chimed in. "That is only the case for most pathfinder houses." She said in her usual haughty tone. "The Nova family has been long-standing for generations, we are the tip of the queen's blade, first to dive into battle and last to leave it."

She then crossed her arms as she looked at Alexander. "We own an entire island, with bases and training facilities galore, our pathfinder numbers are in the thousands, and we are spread across the main and demon continent."

With a widening grin, she continued. "The queen herself comes to visit us regularly, and we are considered her finest."

Alexander looked at Louise with a raised eyebrow.

Who asked?

"Mhmm," Alexander replied.

"While the Nova family is well established, the Daname family is nothing to scoff at," Olivia said with a prideful smile. 

"Lance, right after he graduated from a Pathfinder academy, came to the Fallen Kingdom. He didn't go the usual route of joining an established house, no he created his own, alongside me and Erica of course." She added with a chuckle. "he began accepting missions on his own, for a low price, and he always over-delivered, in fact, he was so good, he stole contracts from well-established houses such as Statem and Killt."

Alexander looked at Olivia with wide eyes. "Really!?" He asked in excitement. He remembered his birth mother had told him about his father's exploits, but to actually hear about them was… Awesome!

He sounded like a legitimate anime protagonist, a real legend in the making. 

That was his father.

Olivia nodded enthusiastically. "That's right, I have no doubt that when we win this war, it'll be our house that will benefit the most. Lance has been given so many missions that the crown will be paying us out for years to come."

Alexander chuckled in disbelief. He may just have been the luckiest boy in the world. His father wasn't just a nobleman, but he'd be a decorated war hero, along with a massive influx of money.

He'd be set for life!

Alexander grinned as he looked back at Louise. "Ha, my family is better than yours," Alexander said with a triumphant laugh. "You talk all the crap about being the queen's tip of the blade, while my family is carrying the war on its back!"

Louise rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "You mistake your family's efforts, if it wasn't for my family, you wouldn't have a kingdom."

"Ahh, but if it wasn't for my kingdom, then it would be yours in danger," Alexander replied. "Remember that's what your sister said, my kingdom is fighting so that yours doesn't have to."

"Tch, the royal navy would crush any attempt made by the Western empire, that is a fact." Louise rebuffed.

Alexander chuckled. "You know, I think we could end this entire war if we got you to talk the enemy's ears off with your excuses."

Boom, mic drop.

Louise rolled her eyes as Alexander looked at Marcus with a thumbs up.

Marcus smiled as he returned the gesture.