The Branch office of the Resurgent Army in Briele. Leo had been inside the communication room for a while now.

“That concludes everything I needed to report for now,” said Leo.

On the other end, was the Supreme General, the current leader of the Resurgent Army. She said, "Good job. We will take care of everything else.”

“I will continue the inspection and closely follow this matter as well.”

“Little Leo, how is time away from mutant beasts?” The Supreme General asked him.

He thought about the little time he had spent away from the frontlines. He knew that this inspection was meant to be a small vacation for him. He let out a deep sigh.

“I will be fine, General.”

“Glad to hear that. After you are done with the work at Briele, go to Sinoke with the caravan.”

She spoke the last sentence in a serious tone. Leo realised there might be trouble near the city of Sinoke.

“Is that thing acting up? Should I head there right away?” He asked.

“It shouldn't have a reason to act up right now. The exact situation is unclear. You will have to investigate more on your own. The matter doesn't appear urgent; finish your current task first.”

“It would take around 4 weeks if I traveled with the military caravan. Will everything be fine?”

“You will probably need desolate beast material in Sinoke. Travel with the caravan.” She replied.

“Understood.”

Their conversation thus came to an end. He could leave the matter of desolate beast bone ash to others. He kept his earphones in its case.

He looked at the communication machine in front of him with awe. He admired Terrans who had left behind such technology. This technology was crucial to the Resurgent Army.

It was often said that the Resurgent Army's success was due to their knowledge of Terran ruins. The Army had studied Terran ruins extensively. They found many antiques inside the ruins. They army these antiques to gain an edge over other forces. Then, over the decades, they widened this gap.

Terran ruins were not that rare. Any decent force could organize a search for ruins and antiques. However, Terran ruins had excellent security measures. Unskilled search parties would definitely lose their lives.

Being able to use any antiques found was even harder. Decent knowledge about Terran technology was required to use them. Most forces had some Terran antiques that they didn't know how to use.

Research was required to learn using these antiques. The Resurgent Army realised this early and created a full-fledged Science division. They slowly developed an understanding of the lost Terran technology.

Once they began to use the Terran antiques, the Army made huge advancements. Only then did the other powers realize the importance of these antiques. They helped the Resurgent Army during battles as well as outside battles.

They could make a real big difference. So, others developed their own science divisions as well. But the head start was not that easy to overcome.

The Resurgent Army sold some less important technology to their full-affiliation partners. It was a move much welcomed by them. This was a scheme to drive powers to ally with them. Everyone knew that, but it still worked. Many powers were forced to consider affiliating with the Army.

The communication system was one of the biggest game changers. It was most likely the Army's most prized Terran antique. It was retrieved from an underground bunker like ruin.

It consisted of one central hub machine and many remote relay machines. The central hub was placed in a secret location. Even among the higher ups of the Army, few people knew about it. Remote relay machines were placed in all branch offices of the Army, even in small settlements.

It seemed wasteful to put a remote relay device in each of the settlements. But it allowed the transfer of information on a much wider scale. It had several other applications as well.

The Resurgent Army had found a method of earning money using the communication machines. They allowed merchants and others to safe keep their money with the army. The Resurgent Army had established its own bank!

The bank was a great tool of trade for merchants. It promoted the use of currency over barter. It saved time and boosted security. One could deposit money in one place and withdraw in another. In a business deal, if the two sides had bank accounts, the transaction amount could be transferred directly.

A convenience fee was charged to use these facilities. So, it was mainly used by larger spenders. These people considered paying the fee to be better than carrying a lot of money. Physical money could be lost or damaged. Today, the army served as a bank for a large number of customers.

The influence of Terran technology on the Resurgent Army was clear. He shoved these thoughts to the back of his head. He went outside the comms room with the intention of talking to Chief Lyde. He noticed that the excitement of the soldiers outside had yet to subside.

'I should organize a war exercise for them if there is a chance.' He had the intention of giving the soldiers a good practical experience.

…

Leo exited the army building. This building was just an office of the army. The actual base was located in the outer region of the town. He entered the Town Hall built opposite to the army office. He walked to the Town Chief's Office.

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The office had huge glass windows. It was well lit with natural light. Chief Lyde sat in his chair, lost in thoughts. He was probably imagining the mountain of money headed his way.

However, this mountain of money would not be easy to digest. As desolate beast bone prices increase, Briele would become an attractive pie. More people would want to take a bite out of it.

Chief Lyde noticed the commander's arrival and attended to him. The two sat down opposite each other. He served a tea made of special leaves procured from God's Valley.

He dismissed everyone so that no one could hear their conversation. The content of their conversation needed to be kept secret until the Army controlled enough desolate beast bones.

“Chief Lyde, where did you learn that desolate beast bone ash could be used this way?” Leo asked.

“Pardon, sir? I don't understand what you mean.” asked the town chief, confused.

“Excuse me for being blunt, but neither you nor your two younger sons are capable of achieving this feat. Who found out about this matter? Who conducted this study?”

Listening to his words, Chief Lyde made an embarrassed face. 'Sure enough, his eyes miss nothing.'

“You are right, Commander. Neither me nor my two sons were the ones who conducted this study. It was my daughter.”

“Your youngest daughter? But isn't she just...”

“She turned sixteen this year.” Chief Lyde nodded “It's hard to believe, even for me, her father.”

Leo had expected that there was some third party involved in the experiment. But it turned out to be the town chief's daughter. Being able to design, conduct and document an experiment at the age of sixteen. She was a prodigy. If guided well, she had the potential to be a great researcher.

He gave it some tought and said “Chief Lyde, I'd like to have a few words with your daughter. I want to invite her to the Military Academy as a student.”

The town chief had a serious expression listening to Leo's words. He thought of his eldest son, who had joined the Resurgent Army. 'Is one of my kids not enough already?'

Before he could voice any opinions, Leo continued. “Briele and other towns at the edge of God's Valley will soon attract hungry wolves. The Army can help Briele for some time, but ultimately, you will need to bolster your forces. At that time, you will need strong support.”

After saying so, he stopped speaking further. He focused on the tea he had been served in an earthen cup. It had a unique scent. It also had beneficial effects like Briele's fruit wine, but milder. He sipped slowly and gave the town chief time to think.

Chief Lyde was experienced in politics. He understood that a strong backing would deter a lot of problems. When the news about the bone ash would be released, the ones targeting Briele wouldn't be enemies. It would be his own allies.

Forces affiliated fully with the Army called themselves "Allied". They called semi-affiliated forces "Neutral". Non-affiliated forces were called "Hostile".

Allied forces usually didn't have to be worried about getting attacked by neutral or hostile forces. On the other hand, they could attack these powers with the Army's permission.

But conflicts could arise within the Army's allied forces. The Army discouraged these conflicts but didn't forbid them. It was impossible and impractical to do so.

Instead, they created a systematic way of having a brawl. Humanity's resources were already limited. If they were wasted on wars, no one would really win. People understood this reasoning and accepted the arrangement.

Private grudges between members of two forces were solved by a duel. The fight was conducted under the Army's supervision. Fights ended at surrender or inability to continue. You could fight personally or choose a representative to fight. The winner decided the fate of the defeated one.

The Army investigated the people involved in a duel. They were monitored in future as well. One was not allowed to casually demand a duel.

Fights between forces over resources were much more complicated. Such a fight was more like a battle. The Army acted as a supervisor for that too.

There would be a wager associated. It could range from a portion of revenue to even the management rights of a settlement. The wager needed to be approved by the Army. A cut of the wager went to the army.

The challenger had to pay a huge sum to initiate a challenge. The format was chosen to favor the force getting challenged. A force could issue a challenge only once in a year.

All these measures were to discourage fights. However, totally forbidding these fights would make the allied forces weak. The threat of these fights kept the allied forces in shape. It also ensured that no weak forces would try to take advantage of the Resurgent Army.

There were many more rules and regulations. They were also revised as new situations arose.

The town chief was aware that their clan would have to fight in these battles soon. If they were unable to stand ground, others would take their position. There was no room for weak powers. He had taken steps to prevent such a situation.

He had not made the experiment results public. Instead, he gave them to the Resurgent Army to use. By doing so, the Cold Pine Clan had done a service to the Army. He expected that in return, the Army would likely provide them with immunity from fighting for a few years. In that time, their clan would have to strengthen itself.

As he was wondering how his daughter joining the Military Academy would help his clan, Commander Leo spoke. “Commander Magnus seems to be looking for a disciple.”

These words caused Chief Lyde's eyes to widen. His thoughts went wild. Commander Magnus, just like Commander Leo was one of the Seven Commanders of the Resurgent Army.

If his daughter could become the disciple of a Commander of the Army, the Cold Pine Clan would gain tons of benefits. However, he immediately calmed down. He realized there had to be some catch.

Leo continued, “If she is successful in becoming his student, your clan will have a form of deterrence. However, she will stop being part of your clan. She will be a full-time member of the Resurgent Army.”

It wasn't assured if his daughter could become the Commander's disciple. If she did, she would no longer be a part of the Cold Pine Clan. She couldn't use her new position for her former clan's benefit.

But plain words didn't sever the heart's attachment. Everyone knew that she would watch over her former clan. So, her clan was likely to be treated better by others. They would also not cross a bottom line when dealing with her clan.

The town chief knew joining the Resurgent Army would give his daughter access to great resources. He had no doubts about her talent. Even if she couldn't become the Commander's disciple, she would make a place for herself in the Army.

His original plan was to boost his clan's strength during their period of immunity. If his daughter managed to impress Commander Magnus, it would add another layer of protection.

“What do you say Chief?” Asked Leo.

“There is nothing for me to say, sir. This decision, I will leave it to my daughter. She is smart enough to make her choice.” Chief Lyde said with a heavy heart. Honestly, he was reluctant to let his beloved daughter go. He had three sons but only one daughter. But he knew his daughter could achieve greater things.

“Then I look forward to having a chat with her whenever it is convenient,” said Leo. He finished his tea and stood up from his chair. He didn't intend to insist on seeing the girl immediately. He even had respect for the town chief for not giving a reply in his daughter's place.

As he was leaving the room, the town chief said, “Commander Leo, Briele will be celebrating a Spirit Summoning Festival in a couple of days. I invite you to witness the rituals.”

Leo asked “Spirit Summoning? You guys do that in Briele?”

“Well, we are located on the edge of the Divine Valley. A lot of people who grow in Briele venture into the valley.” replied the town chief.

“Hmm... That makes sense. I've seen spirits in action, but I've never witnessed a Spirit Summoning Ritual before. I'll take you up on that offer.”