Soul of the Warrior

Chapter 115: Unexpected Result

"Scrap the plan of continuing the patrol," Reivyn instructed Jekle and Paul. "Turn the men around and head directly back to the base camp."

"Yes, sir!" Paul saluted and quietly turned the platoon around to backtrack.

"Sir, there's something you should see," Jekle said, walking next to Reivyn.

Reivyn looked up at the man, and he indicated toward the bodies of the defeated enemy soldiers. The platoon had quickly dug a grave to put the dead bodies in, but two of the corpses hadn't been put in. Reivyn frowned as they walked over.

The two bodies had been laid next to each other, rictus scowls frozen on their faces. They were distinctly different in their dress and gear. They were both dressed in only trousers and no shirt, but one had been unarmed while the other had been equipped with a nicked, rusty sword. The unarmed man had crisscrossing scars all over his body, and while the armed man had some as well, they were to a much lesser extent. Most of the scars had obviously come from a whip.

The other difference was the complexion. The unarmed man had a much more tanned tone to his skin, and his hair and beard were both unkempt and wild. The armed man had slightly paler skin, and his hair and beard were neatly trimmed, though not styled or especially taken care of.

Reivyn noticed something on their foreheads that drew his attention, and he reached down to move the bangs of the unarmed man. He had a brand burned into his forehead. A single, vertical stroke. He moved his hand over and adjusted the bangs of the armed man, and he had a clear numerical "2" branded onto his forehead.

So that vertical stroke is a "1," Reivyn thought. Where have I heard of something similar?

Reivyn tapped his chin in thought. A passing rumor that one of his friends had mentioned in the Magic Academy crossed his mind.

Is the practice of branding more common than I thought, or are they connected? And if they're connected across more than ten million miles... Reivyn could only imagine the implications if that was the case.

"Have some men jerry-rig a couple of stretchers," Reivyn said. "We'll take the bodies back to the camp with us."

"Yes, Sir!" Jekle rushed off to see to it.

It only took a moment to make the stretchers. They had the supplies necessary for their construction in the platoon storage satchel in case of having to transport wounded soldiers. The bodies were loaded up, and the platoon stepped off, back the way they had come, with a much quicker pace than they previously had. Reivyn set the pace. He wanted to get back to inform the battalion command of the discovery.

If there's one group of reinforcements of equivalent size to the first army, then there could be more, Reivyn's face was grim. We could be Marching into an army of hundreds of thousands. We're not equipped to take on the first army in an actual collision, much less this.

Sten, Cinna, and Dowell aren't going to take this news very well. They're not in my company, but I've seen them around. They've been in high spirits as we've gotten closer to the goal, but there's no way we can accomplish the mission now. Not without help from Kefira's empire.

The hike back to the base camp went slowly and quickly in equal measure. It went slowly in that Reivyn was incredibly impatient to get back, and it went quickly in that they actually made really good time. Reivyn had considered sending one of the faster scouts ahead to make the report, but he rejected that notion.

It would only arrive twenty to thirty minutes ahead of time in the middle of the night, and Reivyn had a feeling that he would need to present the evidence to corroborate the story for it to be taken seriously. The command structure had proven to be less reliable than Reivyn had hoped for, but the bodies themselves should help pierce any doubts.

That didn't mean he didn't send anyone ahead. He crafted a note and had it delivered to Kefira in the Mage Corps camp. Her receiving the information was far more important in the grand scheme of things.

The soldiers of his company that had stayed behind that were manning the current fire watch were a bit surprised at the return of the platoon so much earlier than anticipated, but their faces turned grim as they spotted the bodies being carried along. Reivyn dismissed the platoon to get rest, and he had Jekle and Paul each take charge of dragging one of the bodies as he headed to the battalion command tent.

Reivyn made a beeline to the battalion staff, veering slightly to head to Captain Sanjin's tent. There was a time and place to go over someone's head to a higher authority, and while this might seem like one of those times, it wasn't. It was a trap to get into the mindset that monumental news had to be shared directly with the highest authority without going through the chain of command because it appeared to be an emergency.

That's a good way to get a superior officer to resent you, Reivyn mused. Sure, if you want to deal with a commander scheming against you, go for it. The trick here is to deliver the news in such a way that the captain can't ignore it or prevent it from being passed on.

Reivyn shared a look with his subordinates and nodded his head for them to drag the corpses to the most conspicuous position possible while he rushed to his captain's tent. Standing outside the tent, Reivyn raised his voice as loud as he could.

"Captain Sanjin, Provisional Lieutenant Reivyn reporting, as ordered, sir!" He infused a bit of his Commanding Shout into his voice.

A curse came from within the tent, followed by the sounds of someone rummaging about to get dressed quickly. Captain Sanjin came storming out of his tent, fury written on his face at being woken up in such a manner. He stalked up to Reivyn who was standing at attention.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?!" Sanjin fiercely whispered. Even though he was incredibly angry, he wasn't foolish enough to raise his voice as Reivyn had done and wake everyone in the battalion staff up, much less the Major himself. It was a foregone conclusion that they already had been, but Sanjin wanted nothing to do with that responsibility, despite Reivyn's wording.

"Yes, sir!" Reivyn replied, standing straight, eyes front. "After following your command to do 'everything necessary,' the patrol mission you ordered made a grave discovery that cannot wait."

Several senior staff sergeants and the Major's aide had already exited their tents, and before they could make their way over to the commotion Reivyn was causing, the two corpses that had been dragged into their midst caught their eye. They walked over to inspect the bodies for a moment before the aide rushed off to the Major's tent.

"The patrol mission I ordered?" Sanjin asked, confused. "I told you not to do anything unnecessary," Sanjin hissed between his teeth.

"Yes, sir, and I interpreted that order as to do everything necessary."

Sanjin stared at him for a moment, mouth a thin line on his face, before turning his attention to where the senior staff sergeants were conversing with Jekle. The aide was already rushing back alongside the Major.

"Don't drag me through the mud," Sanjin glared at Reivyn. He motioned for Reivyn to follow him, and they walked over to the two bodies to wait for the Major to arrive.

The aide had apparently already described the scene to the Major, and he simply walked up and looked down at the bodies. He looked up, glancing at each man present before settling on Captain Sanjin.

"You're the one who ordered the patrol to be sent out?" Major Dobrik asked Captain Sanjin.

"Err... Yes, sir," Captain Sanjin stood at attention, sweat beading his brow. "Provisional Lieutenant Reivyn, here, was the commander in charge."

"Excellent initiative, Captain," Major Dobrik nodded his head with a smile. Sanjin stood stunned for a moment before a beaming smile split his face. "Lieutenant Reivyn, report!"

"Yes, sir!" Reivyn responded.

Reivyn remained at attention as he delivered the report of the excursion. He colored it in such a way that he had been ordered to do so by his commanding officer from the very beginning, and Reivyn's interpretation of his orders made perfect sense to him.

Getting credit for coming up with the plan as well as executing it wasn't important to him. Getting the information passed along, as well as maintaining a harmonious relationship with his own commander was the goal. If Captain Sanjin looked good because of it, despite his attempts to stop Reivyn from doing exactly what he had done, didn't matter.

"It is my opinion that the rescue mission cannot be completed as we are, now," Reivyn concluded.

"Nonsense!" Major Dobrik rebuked. "You said the larger enemy force you witnessed was several hours away, still, and you only speculated that they were reinforcements. Do you have any hard proof to indicate they're not the enemy force we're after themselves?"

"No, proof, sir, but the evidence..."

"I'm not interested," Major Dobrik interrupted him. "We'll just need to launch our assault earlier. If they're the force we're looking for, then we'll take their camp for ourselves and ambush them as they return if the civilians weren't left in the camp under a smaller guard. If they're a reinforcing army, as you suspect, then we need to hit the enemy now while they're still away.

"Even if they get here while we're in the midst of battle, they've been traveling through the night. They won't be in any shape to put up any meaningful resistance."

"But, sir..."

"Captain Sanjin," Major Dobrik ignored Reivyn's protests. "You've shown excellent initiative the entire operation. You'll remain with me, coordinating directly with my Aide. Have your XO take charge of the company for you until further notice."

"Yes, sir!" Sanjin saluted. He motioned with his eyes, dismissing Reivyn.

Reivyn stood there in stunned silence for a moment, not believing the turn of events. He finally took a deep, calming breath, and he motioned for his two subordinates to leave the corpses behind and follow him back to the company. He only took a few steps before he noticed Kefira, followed by Serilla, rushing forward. Hope surged in his chest as he paused to see what she would do about the situation.

"Major Dobrik!" Kefira stormed forward, no longer wearing the uniform of a Mage Corps officer. She had an emblem pinned to her chest, distracting Reivyn for an embarrassing amount of time considering the circumstances. Major Dobrik's eyes noticed the emblem right away, and his eyes almost bugged out of his head.

"Yes, ma'am!" Dobrik replied, his body automatically assuming the position of attention. The rest of the staff in the area were dumbfounded by the change, and they instinctively came to attention, too.

"New information has been obtained that changes the circumstances. I am no longer able to function as one of your subordinates in light of the revelation. If I'm understanding the situation correctly, you're prepared to order the battalion to attack ahead of time? Despite the information you've just seen?"

"Yes, ma'am. The reports are unverified, and it is my professional opinion that an assault now is the most appropriate response."

"I disagree. In light of the circumstances, it is my duty to assume command of this operation, and I order you to retreat until we can receive reinforcements of our own. I have already passed the news up to the higher authority."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, ma'am," Major Dobrik replied, a commiserating look on his face. "While I appreciate your willingness to extend help, only an imperial order could supersede the proper protocols. A mere viscount can't usurp my authority, and you'll have to confer with Lord Yaolo, and possibly his superior, as well, in order to change the command structure.

"I would be immensely appreciative of your continued help, though, and you're welcome to maintain your position of authority over your Mages until such a time. If you'll excuse me, I have an assault to oversee."

Major Dobrik politely, but firmly, made his stance known and departed with his staff. Kefira stood there, fuming for a moment, Serilla shaking her head behind her. Reivyn walked up to her after the others had left.

"I knew that only bringing the identity of a Viscount would bite us in the ass," Serilla muttered.

"We had perfectly good reasons for doing so at the time," Kefira argued.

"I'm sorry, viscount?" Reivyn asked, walking up to Kefira. She stopped stewing for a moment to glance up at him, a small smile crossing her face at his presence.

"Yes," Kefira confirmed. "There are dangers with displaying my identity, and I've told you I don't have imperial authority to just willy-nilly do as I please. I'm not in an official position, yet, like my older siblings. As such, when Serilla and I go out for Life Experience in lower Regions, we only bring an identity token of a viscount. It's usually enough to stave off any problems that might arrive, and it's not high profile enough for anyone with nefarious ideas to take risks against us. The downsides to failing outweigh the potential rewards if they think I'm just the daughter of a lower landed noble."

"I see," Reivyn said. "That does put us in a small predicament, though. I'm still commissioned through a contract with the local lord, and I'm not going to desert or disobey orders. That would be a betrayal of my troops, too, so I have to stick around."

"Yes, hmm..." Kefira tapped her foot in thought. "I'll participate as well, hoping to stave off as much damage as this idiot is probably going to cause. One of my brothers was dispatched through the teleportation array with his staff as soon as I passed the message along, but it will still be some time before his own troops will be able to follow him. He'll just be able to assume command of the kingdom's forces, which are still far away from here."

"Better than nothing. I don't plan on getting killed, here. We'll have to work together to minimize the casualties moving forward."

"Yes, and along those lines, follow me back to my tent," Kefira peered up at him through her lashes. "I have something for you."

"Alright," Reivyn nodded. He ordered Paul to return to the platoon to cancel their rest and get ready for action, but he motioned for Jekle to follow him. He gave out instructions to his protégé as they walked.

"Go to my tent and get the map out," Reivyn instructed. "Study it and devise some appropriate escape routes. We don't know what's going to happen after we engage the enemy, so we'll need to plan for multiple contingencies."

"Yes, sir!" Jekle saluted before rushing back to their platoon.

Reivyn walked alongside Kefira, Serilla walking alongside her, a half-step behind. None of them spoke as the activity in the base camp began to pick up as people woke up and prepared to depart before it was even light out. They quickly made their way to Kefira's tent, and she motioned for Reivyn to follow her right in.

Kefira rummaged through her belongings by her field desk, and she came up with a rolled-up scroll. She walked over to Reivyn and handed it to him. It had a neat, blue bow holding it closed in place of a seal.

"Open it up and sign it," Kefira said.

Reivyn took it from her, a skeptical look on his face.

"What is it?" He asked, undoing the bow and unfurling the scroll.

"Standard request for Academic Transfer," Kefira responded. "I had my sister inquire about the specifics, and then I copied the contract using the appropriate Mana infusions she described to me. She also officially made the request in your name, so this contract is perfectly valid on all fronts.

"Once you sign it, you'll officially be transferred from your position as a student in a Tier 1 Academy to a student in our Tier 4 Academy."

"Ok~ay," Reivyn said, placing the scroll on the desk, preparing to sign it. "Why now, all of a sudden?" He signed the scroll.

"Excellent!" Kefira snatched the scroll up as a notification popped up in Reivyn's vision.

Notice of Academic Transfer!

Novice Reivyn has successfully transferred from Garoq Magic Academy to Wispan Magic Academy

Novice Reivyn has graduated to Apprentice Grade

Garoq? Reivyn idly noticed. Is that the name of the Tier 1 Region I'm from?

"I was going to wait until after the rescue mission, once you had achieved some merits to make it more palatable to others, but I think your achievements of defeating the enemy patrol and discovering multiple valuable pieces of intelligence are enough.

"Apprentice Magic Student Reivyn, kneel." Kefira's voice took on an odd timbre, and Reivyn could sense her using a particular Mana Affinity that he was unfamiliar with in a complicated braid.

Reivyn went to one knee, but he kept his head held high as he stared at Kefira. She beamed at him with a gentle smile. She pulled out another scroll from her spatial storage and opened it. She held it aloft, but she didn't read from it.

"In accordance with my lineage as a Princess of Wispan, I hereby appoint you as my Imperial Liaison. Your responsibilities shall be to coordinate the Imperial desires of Princess Kefira to the nobility and military of her vassals until such time as you are dismissed from her service by voluntary resignation or promotion.

"Do you accept the Appointment?"

"Don't worry about the details," Serilla whispered next to him. "Just say yes."

Reivyn followed the advice and didn't hesitate.

"I accept the Appointment."

The Mana braid being carefully maintained by Kefira burst forth and dug into Reivyn's being. It wasn't uncomfortable, and he felt a connection between them form that was as solid as a rock. He instinctively felt he would be capable of removing the link if he wished at any time, though.

You have accepted an Imperial Appointment!

Select a Class. You have 30 minutes to choose before Imperial Liaison: Fortune Teller is permanently set.

Tier 3 Classes Available Uncommon*:

Expert Hunter

Expert Laborer

Expert Mason

Expert Miner

Expert Story Teller

Expert Woodsman

Imperial Liaison: Fortune Teller

Cataphract

Expert Hunter *Wood

Expert Laborer *Earth

Expert Mason *Earth

Expert Miner *Earth

Expert Miner *Metal

Expert Woodsman *Wood

Marksman

Statesman

Recon

Soldier

Soldier of Fortune

Imperial Liaison: Wizard

Imperial Liaison: Arcanist

Assassin

Chevalier

Imperial Liaison: Elemental Swordsman*

Imperial Liaison: Mystic

Shade

Sharpshooter

Imperial Liaison: Sorcerer *Air/Earth/Fire/Water

Veteran  

Imperial Liaison: Arcane Elementalist

Champion

Death Knight

Juggernaut

Imperial Liaison: Sorcerer *Dark/Light

Warlord  

Edge of Duality

Imperial Liaison: Grand Arcanist

Justicar

Master  

Incarnation of Darkness

Incarnation of Light

Lost Soul

Soul of Duality

Reivyn reeled back from the sudden notification window taking up his entire vision.

"Wha-?" Reivyn took a moment to compose himself. He noticed out of the corner of his vision, beyond the notification window, Kefira stared at him with a huge grin on her face.

Reivyn turned his attention back to the notification window.

Pseudo-Divine Classes! He was once more astounded. Too bad none of them are available for selection. They're either incompatible with being appointed from a Magic Academy, or I don't fully meet the requirements. It's kind of a cruel joke for the System to show me what could have been possible.

The Imperial Liaison: Grand Arcanist is the obvious choice, and I've already perused most of the other Classes available for choosing. I seem to recall that I speculated Fortune Teller, despite its powerful implications, was set to Common, which would have precluded anyone who took it from advancing to Tier 4.

Wait... Could the Masked Man have had the same opportunity as me? If he can manipulate fate, and Fortune Teller mentioned it had limited ability to alter chance and minuscule threads of fate, then did he force a Tier 3 Fortune Teller Class as a Tier 2, opening that branch of pursuit? But isn't he from the Abyss? Do they have the same Classes? Reivyn shook his head. Now's not the time to think about it.

There weren't many additions that Reivyn could choose, as he was forced to take a Caster Class for his Appointment. Those other Classes will still be available when I really move to Tier 3 in the future, so I can take my time to read through them, then. I know I have thirty minutes to choose this time, and not just a minute, but there's no reason to waste time.

Reivyn focused his attention and selected his Class.

Imperial Liaison: Grand Arcanist The very fabric of reality bends to your will.

The Grand Arcanist is the peak of Magical veracity. They have an understanding of Magic far beyond their Tier. Things that are impossible for others are a mere moment of concentration away from them. All levels of Spells, of all Elements, are available for them to use.

Advancement: 9 Unassigned Stats/Lvl (Tier 3, Pseudo-Mythic)

STR: +2 INT: +9

VIT: +7 MAG: +14

DEX: +2 CLA: +7

CHA: +1 PER: +7

LUK: +1/2

Class Skills:

Magic Spells (40): Level 1 2MP, Level 2 10MP, Level 3 20MP, Level 4 50MP, Level 5 100MP, Level 6 500MP, Level 7 1,000MP

Deconstruct (55): Pick apart Spells to their base Elements. Bonus to understanding Weaves, Knots, and Patterns. Bonus to Mana Manipulation +75%

Will of the Realm (12): Your Will is True

Available: Enforce, Impart, Mana Well, True Mana

"WHAT?!" A scream from Kefira brought Reivyn out of his musings. "My.." Kefira cut herself off with a cough, composing herself. She continued in a whisper, "Mythic?! When you told me you were aiming to force a Tier 3 transition, you weren't aiming low, were you?"

"Wait, you can see that?" Reivyn raised an eyebrow. Serilla was staring at him with an open mouth from Kefira's outburst. She had moderated her voice so she didn't shout it out to the entire base camp, but Serilla was standing right there.

"Of course!" Kefira said, striking a pose with her hands on her hips, chin lifted. "You're my Liaison. The System grants me information on you as if you were my subordinate."

"Subordinate?"

"Hey! Our relationship isn't going to change just because of a System technicality," Kefira frowned. "As Serilla told you, don't worry about the details. I used my one opportunity to secure a powerful ally in the future in order to help you out. I don't regret it for a second, and I have zero misgivings. It's only a System technicality. You're not my subordinate."

Reivyn got up from his kneeling position and walked up to Kefira, wrapping her up in his arms and planting a kiss on her lips. He pulled back and smiled at her.

"Even if I was temporarily your subordinate, I wouldn't have minded," Reivyn clarified. "I would have just felt a bit conflicted about this," he waved his palm up and down, indicating the two of them embracing. "I think I've made my stance on the matter pretty clear, though."

"Mmm, perfectly clear," Kefira tilted her head back, inviting Reivyn once more. Serilla coughed to the side.

"We don't really have time for this right now," she pointed out.

"Of course," Reivyn stepped back, squeezing Kefira's hand as they separated. "I need to take charge of the company. Captain Sanjin was pulled away from his command. I don't know if that's a nod to me, or if the Major is really rewarding the captain, though. It doesn't really matter. I'll be able to take better care of the company without his interference."

"Yes, go, go," Kefira said, though her face showed her reluctance. "I'll manage my Mages, and I'll urge my brother to get here faster."

Reivyn nodded his head as he exited the tent.

Finally breaking through the Tier 3 Transition is going to be a game changer, Reivyn thought excitedly. I'll check my full Status after I make sure the company is in order. I can already feel the changes, but that's not the priority right now.

Reivyn felt just a little better about the situation.