After Haco was rehabilitated, the training camp continued for another month. The last bit wasn’t as intense and focused more on the military tactics and survival in the wild.
Someone talkative explained without having to ask, why the training was ordered in such a way. Apparently, it was found a waste of time teaching knowledge to people that would probably die of physical overload.
Haco has told him many times to “Piss off!”
But it never worked.
‘I don’t trust this guy…” judged Haco. His appearance had undergone a bit of transformation. Obviously, he had packed a bit of muscle. More than that, his expression had hardened, looking very stern and unapproachable when standing with arms crossed.
The training camp had come to an end when Esdeath brought them back to the Capital.
Nyau settled Haco and the other new recruits in a barrack, where the veterans waited and showed them great hospitality.
They forced the newcomers to do the worst chores. Cleaning the toilets, washing uniforms, and polishing armor.
When Haco was given a bucket with water, he threw it right back in the face of his superior. Nonetheless, a fight happened.
After Haco beat his superior up, he kicked his roommates out and took the room as his own.
‘There’s no way I’m getting any sleep with them in here.” On a bed, Haco took a well-deserved nap.
Going through the palace halls, a young, beautiful woman with a long silver braid had just been summoned by the Emperor and was on her way to the throne room.
She walked with a surprisingly gentle air, but firm expression.
Just before reaching her destination—outside the doors to the throne room—she suddenly stopped because of the arrival of another fellow general.
Stepping out of the shadow, Esdeath greeted with a smile, “If it isn’t Najenda. You have been summoned too?"
The familiarity in Esdeath’s greeting took Najenda a little off guard, ‘We have never met, have we? But this is the rumored General Esdeath?’
Naturally, there wouldn’t be a second woman in the Capital with Esdeath’s gorgeous appearance, not to mention, one being able to walk freely in the palace.
Not wanting to appear rude, Najenda quickly confirmed, “Yes. You too it seems. Do you know what the summoning is about?”
Shaking her head, “I don’t, but it must be important if they need to summon two generals.”
The hall turned quiet for meager seconds as Najenda couldn’t help spot some anticipation in Esdeath’s eyes. Or she wasn’t sure, after all, they’d just met.
But Najenda couldn’t help a little frown and think, ‘She must be eager for merits.’ before the two generals got a tacit understanding of entering.
Interrupting his sleep, the sound of an unpleasant brassy trumpet began playing, soon to be mixed with a pulsating sound of military boots branding the wooden floors in the whole barrack.
It was a bugle call. A sign that gives soldiers 10 minutes to wear clothes, get into armor, and grab their weapon, before getting into formation outside.
Being late would mean severe punishment—Haco wasn’t an exception.
‘I should hurry up and find a way to escape this crap. I have things to accomplish.”
At the second, Haco almost arrived late and stood far behind the lines, with no one looking at his back.
Then Esdeath and the Three Beasts arrived on horseback.
“Follow me!” ordered Esdeath after having seen none being unpunctual.
The soldiers—and Haco—followed in unison, step by step, making a sharp sound of soldiers marching. No questions were asked. The soldiers just walked with hardened expressions under their helmets through a specifically designed street for military movements.
Before exiting the Capital’s gates, they were ordered to stop.
They didn’t wait long for a foreign sound of armor clattering to come closer.
On a horse, Najenda was leading an army of her own. After designating her army beside Esdeath’s, she kicked her horse and arrived beside Esdeath.
Haco observed the newcomers. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but they looked different. One guy was specifically looking at the silver-haired newcomer with reverie.
Then Esdeath seemed to back off a little with a bored expression and let Najenda do the explanation.
“As you all know, the savage tribes in the south-west have risen to revolt. The Empire had dispatched an army of 120.000 to deal with around 10.000 savages, but reports keep coming in that they’re quickly being pushed back by the terrain disadvantage…”
Giving the soldiers time to show their dissatisfaction, Najenda continued—
“We have personally been tasked by the Emperor, to aid them and end this war. Together, we will bring peace back to the Empire, are you with me?"
The soldiers screamed in affirmation, Esdeath’s army clearly boosting more energy.
Haco didn’t scream, instead, he noticed the clear feeling of difference in them.
Najenda and Esdeath turned the horse around, followed by the Three Beasts behind.
“Then march!” Najenda commanded.
Through everything, Haco kept glimpsing at Esdeath, confused at why she was so indifferent, and let another take the lead.
A theory did come to mind, “Does she find peace talk boring..?"
It took a few days of march before they arrived at the Empire’s camp in the southwest.
Saying the sight was disappointing was an understatement. The soldiers having been stationed here were drained. Utterly lacking any will to fight. While most had lost the will, others turned to internal fighting to release built-up frustrations.
Haco slowly pushed his way through the back and took a position near Esdeath and Najenda, wanting to hear the conversation they were having.
“Unsightly. Let’s just get this over with.” Clear content mixed in Esdeath’s words.
“General Esdeath. You’re in an awfully bad mood.”
“Of course I am… The minister’s orders were to use out Teigus to ‘stamp down the revolt swiftly.’ I was looking forward to overcoming the local disadvantages, but this is such a boring command to be given—”
“—Oh well, as I said. Let’s just get it over with.”
Haco had heard the term ‘Teigu’ before and inquired an unfortunate soldier about it. He was especially surprised to learn they were powerful relics left behind by the 1st Emperor—the same man that created the Gravekeepers' Secret Art. At that time, Haco’d pinned a mental note to be more observant, as apparently, the Three Beasts had a Teigu each.
Taking over the reins, Esdeath led her soldiers to the river. The sole reason the savages had been able to fend off the Imperial Army for so long.
On the other side, the merged village, consisting of many tribes from this region, could barely be seen on the horizon. That’s how wide the river is.
Except for the open river, the village was shielded by a chain of plateaus going around it.
Getting off the horse, all eyes followed Esdeath to the edge river's edge, “Whether it’s beasts, bugs, or pestilence—” she bent down and touched the surface with a hand.
“—all will freeze before me!!!”
An insane chill surrounded Esdeath before the colossal river turned into an ice zone. Everywhere but before Esdeath was filled with big ice pillars, making only the route before her the only entrance to—or exit from the village.
Haco’s mind was numbed.
He knew Esdeath was strong. That she wasn’t fighting with full power prior. He’d heard Teigus were powerful weapons made of strong Danger Beasts, but this...
‘How strong was that Danger Beast when it was alive?’ Haco couldn’t help but wonder. More than anything else ‘How hard would one have to train to reach that level of power?’
He gave Najenda a glimpse, further wondering if all generals were this strong.
“…!!!”
“Wh-what power!!!
But Najenda—together with her horse and men—was quivering in fright by the power display. If you focused, the agitation could be heard; men shaking inside their armor. Exclamations continued being spit when they asked the partner beside for a reality check.
The only thing that could bring Najenda some piece of mind was the fact Esdeath’s next words.
“Of course, after this, I won’t be able to use my power for a little while.”
As a signal, Nyau’s well-trained horse reared in confidence, while he himself was yelling, “The river’s frozen! We can cut across it to annihilate the bulk of the enemy’s army!”
The veteran soldiers charged behind Nyau and attacked on horseback. He had to slow down a little as someone was charging faster than him.
Daidara quickly overtook the charge and met the enemies first with a decapitation as first blood. With every swing of his ax, an enemy was felled.
When the savages pulled themselves together and got over the initial shock of the river being frozen, they reorganized and were about to confront the invaders head-on.
“Open fire!!!” Yelled Liver with such intensity that every soldier on the river could hear and get out the way.
The Firing Squad had already gotten in the best formation possibly to fire. The front row was kneeling, while those behind, stood aiming over the heads—at the enemy.
**Bang! Bang!** **Bang!..**
While the rhythmic melody of bullets going off was quite beautiful, the impacts weren’t.
The agile savages were riddled with holes. Bullets with calipers that tore arms off and open cup-sized holes in heads.
Liver looked back at the new recruits and ordered, “Move!”
Everything went so fast they couldn’t believe it.
From behind Najenda, Haco was the first to walk out on the ice.
He had decided. A plan to greatness had been in front of him all this time.
‘I wanted to escape? Have things to do? Ridiculous.'
Those things could wait.
The essence of strength had revealed herself in front of him. Fate had made him a subordinate to Esdeath. Wouldn’t it be a waste to ignore the blatant benefits he could potentially harvest if he stayed?
‘Followed by the strong, comes the inevitable stronger.’ Resonated in his mind. It was something Haco’s father often said to encourage him to seek fights. When Haco grew strong enough, he abandoned the creed as he wanted to pursue peace and freedom.
Now...
It seems the creed has to be dusted off.
“When the enemy’s been slain, it’s time to reap the rewards—“
“—Do whatever and take whatever you please!!!”
Esdeath announced generously to tremendously boost morale.
