Pikemen and arquebusiers stood in a tight formation, lined up shoulder to shoulder. Men with greatswords stood alongside them. A few men in the column were carrying drums and flutes rather than weapons. While unarmed, they were vital to the army's communication. All the mercenaries in the formation wore helmets and cuirasses. Some of them had tassets hanging over their legs.

Armand rode in front of them, inspecting the line. There was a hard expression on his face, and he stopped every once in a while to inspect a weapon. The boy finished with a nod.

"These mercenaries are as ready as ever," he thought as he pulled out a trumpet. "I have our logistics networks ready. So, we'd best get moving."

The boy was about to blow into the trumpet when a masculine voice caught his attention.

"Hold on a second!" it called out.

Armand turned on his horse to see a group of six men and three women riding towards him. They were all wearing bright blue robes that flowed over their horses. On their clothes was a pin in the shape of a Caduceus. The group stopped in front of Armand.

"What business does the Order of Hermes have with me?" he asked.

The man on the lead horse was old, at least in his 60s, and had a long white beard. His head was bold. Yet, there was a strength about him that could not be denied. He rode up to Armand with a soft smile on his face.

"Spellcasters usually don't act as mercenaries, so we figured that you could use some extra help," the old man answered.

Armand's eyes were filled with skepticism.

"Why would the Order of Hermes want to help me? I've never had anything to do with you," he spoke before thinking. "And in my last life, you were all wiped out in the war with the monsters."

"Your book, Lord Armand. Most do not believe you, but we do. We hope to cooperate more with you in the future," the old man said.

Armand nodded slowly.

"Very well. You may aid me. Thank you," he replied.

The old man gave him a pleasant smile and inclined his head.

"No, you have our thanks. I am Septus of the Order of Hermes. I am one of the six masters under Grandmaster Arcsus."

"And you know who I am," Armand said. "Tell me, do any of you have any experience with war?"

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Some of the other members fidgeted with nervousness. A few of them whispered amongst themselves. Armand's eyes narrowed with increased skepticism.

"Most members of the Order of Hermes are purely scholars, clergymen, and spellcasters outside of combat," Septus explained. "However, the nine of us here all have some experience with fighting. I myself was a knight in my youth before I joined the order."

Armand nodded.

"And the others?" he asked.

"Most of them just have dueling training. A few were involved in minor disputes between lords, barons specifically," Septus answered.

He then chuckled with grimness.

"Well, I suppose that's the downside of staying out of politics. When we have to fight, we have no experience with it," he said.

"Most of the clergy get involved in politics to some extent or another, but the Order of Hermes are almost monks in their isolation," Armand thought before speaking. "I hope you will be fine with being commanded by lay spellcasters, then. My family has combat-experienced sorcerers in its retinue. They know much of the magic of war."

Most of the members of the order shared looks. There was some grumbling amongst their ranks. Septus turned back to them.

"Do any of you have objections?" he asked.

"Master Septus, it would be inappropriate for the clergy to subordinate ourselves to laypeople," one of the Order answered.

Septus grimaced.

"Are we not doing that by aiding Armand? And is it not inappropriate for clergy to go to war?" the master questioned.

"Yes. We're taking it far enough already," another member of the order replied.

Septus nodded.

"Perhaps we are, but our orders come from the Grandmaster himself," the old man started.

Armand blinked in shock.

"The Grandmaster? My book got his attention? That explains how Septus was able to get that many members of the Order of Hermes together, but I didn't think I'd get his attention," he thought.

"However," Septus continued. "Our best chance at making it out of this mess alive is if we listen to those who are experienced at war."

Another of his order objected.

"But you were a knight! We can just listen to you!"

"Years ago, yes. War has changed since then. We must listen to those who know the state of war in the modern era," Septus said.

His eyes flickered with sadness as he spoke.

"And I would rather not lose any of you if I can avoid it," he stated. "Even minor conflicts like the one we are getting ourselves involved in can be as deadly as large wars. Do you understand?"

The various members of the Order of Hermes nodded. While they grumbled, not one of them raised an objection. Septus then turned to Armand.

"We will obey those who are more experienced," the master said.

Armand nodded.

"Good," he replied and blew the trumpet.

At his signal, men in the formation started playing drums. When those further down the formation heard the drums, they started playing too. The instruments were far louder than Armand's voice could ever hope to be and the whole army got their signal after a few moments.

They started moving, bit by bit. The mercenaries kept enough of a distance so they could walk comfortably but kept a line formation, ideal for marching. Armand was at the head of it, guiding the men towards his lands. He was calm outside, but a part of the boy was nervous inside.

"Going to war is never easy. And it's even worse when my family is directly on the line," Armand thought.

Images of blood and bodies flashed through his mind. Gunfire, pikes, swords piercing flesh and sending out a stream of liquid. Armand forced them out of his thoughts.

"I will not fail. I will save my family."