Calmly Marching
"B-b-but since it is a quick change in decision by the higher-ups, Miss Yon here c-" Lionel added after feeling and seeing the silent glare from Yon. However, as he tried to amend things to a certain degree, that 'Miss' Yon snapped with her teeth showing and her glabella wrinkling the rest of her face. "I dare you to call me Miss, and I won't even need a reason to kill you and give you as food to my favorite monster!"
Heian Ciemnosc: Awww…
“A- I- I-... Ahem, commander Yon will be delegated elsewhere as a commander. I’m sure you know that now, heh heh- ahem.” Lionel started sweating slightly, much to the crowd’s amusement, and the 1 of the 3 following him. “You can take as many of these 800,000 student troops. However many want to follow you will be as many can go with you- except! Except for Heian Ciemnosc and his team, their… e-e-e- expertise is required where we’re going.”
“...” Yon fell silent. After looking at the young man Lionel until he started slightly trembling, she looked at Heian Ciemnosc with an at-ease expression before whispering into his ears, her words covered in Spirit Sense. “I will be going where Elena is. Don’t worry. I’ll send her to the frontline in as many battles as possible. But will take care of her, heh. I can’t attack the enemy’s First Step cultivators, but can they attack me?”
“...” Heian Ciemnosc said nothing, understanding, and kept silent. Yon nodded and turned around. She raised her right arm and ignored Lionel’s change of expression as she shouted with her Neutral Energy lasting off the air all around! “Anyone with the guts to follow me into battle, depart this place and start following me!!”
“!!” Lionel was left stunned. Not because Yon expressed her ways to deal with ‘difficult’ commands but because more than half the 800,000+ army of students allocated here left with her! He was thinking that, at most, 300,000 students would depart this place to face the enemy with that crazed, battlelusted Saberbone Diabolical Club member, but it was the exact opposite instead!
In the end, he and those beside him watched as more than 600,000 students departed from the area and left the place somewhat deserted. A few thousand above 200,000 students remained in place, waiting for Lionel’s orders as he wore a desperate face and took away some confidence they had grown. Heian Ciemnosc watched and did nothing, of course. And also waited for this army’s commander to at least say something.
“We-... we depart, now!” With a squeal on the last word, Lionel came to his senses and directed the army outside. Inside his head, he thought heavily about how everything had turned into a worse situation in just a few minutes. From what Lionel studied, the Academy’s operation in this part of the war would require about 500,000 students to complete it. He didn’t think Yon would take away even more than that amount!
Lionel looked at Heian Ciemnosc while covering his mouth with his left hand, his cheeks somewhat puffed as a hateful glint crossed over those eyes before immediately dissipating as he turned his head and led the way outside the Academy’s territory. Meanwhile, Heian Ciemnosc exchanged many items and tools with his team members as they walked amongst the crowd. Greedy and surprised eyes looked at them as Mortal Colorful Claws and Mortal weapons were exchanged with Heian Ciemnosc for silver coins.
Fuuu… At that moment, amidst his team members smiling and making him rich again, Heian Ciemnosc felt his medallion heat up. After he finished gearing up his team members, ensuring their protection and survival, he took his tri-colored-medallion out and read a message from Arla:
“...” Heian Ciemnosc was a little speechless as he couldn’t help but ask her back:
Heian Ciemnosc shook his head some more and stored his medallion. He looked at his team members, their things stuffed into their pockets and calmly speaking under their breaths. Heian Ciemnosc reminded himself of the medallion’s specifications about the war. Firstly, the Academy had a policy to not let the enemy escape. Thus, the Blackotia Kingdom’s spatial territory was brought under heavy security.
Secondly, any organization, previously friend, currently an ally or foe that joins the enemy under any circumstances was the Academy’s enemy. Their names and ways of entering the enemy’s side were to be written in one of the many medallion lists. And there were already quite a few names on the list, with a couple in gray, indicating they had been erased for good. After all, this second policy was to exterminate those organizations as much as the enemy would be.
The third one was the harshest. It was about dealing with inner struggle. Should there be infighting, a Teacher or someone of a higher status will rush to where it was denounced. It would be resolved in a swift manner if the report was ‘casual’ or not that problematic, but a direct killing strike would be sent instead if any student resulted in heavy injuries, destroying all parties involved. Not only did that count for both the passive, aggressive, and neutral parties from the conflict. Even if the commander was somewhat into it… they would also be put down.
All in all, the Academy had many sets of brand new regulations that, even for those students still lethargic and not believing their luck, became aware this was, in fact, war!
… When Heian Ciemnosc, his Concealed Ornament, and the army were in the Academy’s territory outskirts, they halted and waited as the commander entered the little, brand-new house at the side, probably built by a Supervisor. They were the first army set towards the north-east of the Academy’s territory and wouldn’t take any portals. It would be stupid to go through them outside of one’s range of controlled land.
And what’s more, the Academy wouldn’t dumbly send all their armies to the northern, southern, western, and eastern Cities to give them a slight advantage of time. The influx of millions and millions of students and some teachers into the large Cities would ruin their mobilization for at least a week, which would be detrimental to their livelihood and the Academy’s trading efforts.
Outside, Heian Ciemnosc and anyone in the army could see many large transportation ships that couldn’t be used for combat and only had a couple machine guns at the top in front and at the rear. They were extensive but not that much bigger than a Frigate. However, instead of having so many ‘important places’ that Heian Ciemnosc had a tough time figuring out how to build them, they were all replaced with seats and lodging so any cultivator could meditate and cultivate. Each of these transportation ships had good armor but wasn’t impenetrable.
They were ready to take off and had 2 smallish engines at the back. With Heian Ciemnosc’s brand-newly improved Spirit Sense, with a 16,000-meter range, allowed Heian Ciemnosc to scan through the transportation ships. He had some fun analyzing them and figuring a way to repair one completely, even if not make one. Finally, the commander came out of the little house with 4 different sets of silver keycards with white lines in his hands.
Walking up to the army, they formed before him with some order and heard out the commander, who spoke after most were in formation and standing before him. “In my hands are the keycards for the transporting ships. Now, I will choose 4 among you who will be in charge of driving these when necessary. We won’t always use them. They only use Star Powerful Stones, and the storage doesn’t have many. These keycards can let one pilot the ship and open that storage. Now, I will choose.”
Lionel then walked one step forward… before turning around and rapidly ‘gifted’ 3 of those keycards to the trio, always following him. He ignored the gazes of the student troops of his army before turning around again and facing them. “I will keep this one to myself. However, there are important things to announce. Firstly!”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Lionel commenced to walk among his troops, moving in a ‘certain’ direction as he shouted, paused, and continued. “We will travel from Division to Division. Only when we are too far away from the next City will we use the transporting ships. Otherwise, we will go on foot without using Fauna or array formation and tools. I hope that’s understood, now, secondly!”
“Every time we go on foot, we will need a scout. A scout is meaningful and significant. Don’t think that just because scouts can die before a battle, their job is worse than any other. Being a scout is an important thing. That’s why the best among you will be chosen to become a group of scouts.” Lionel slowly halted his steps, his voice becoming colder and dark. He looked down at a pale teenager, “For example: you.”
“...” However, even as Lionel tried looking from a ‘superior’ perspective, Heian Ciemnosc was half a head taller than him. He couldn’t look down but just bent his back and neck weirdly. Seeing no reaction from the teenager, Lionel grimaced and somberly asked loudly. “What is it? You want to refuse?! It is the first time I’m giving a job and the first time you have received one! Do you think you can opp-”
“Yeah, my team can do it.” Heian Ciemnosc calmly said, unusually entering everyone’s ears and shutting Lionel in a second. Lionel looked around sneakily and tried to see if anyone was looking at him. Catching the crowd looking at him expressionless thrice in a row, he finally stepped back before saying while giving Heian Ciemnosc some gratitude. “Good. That’s how you people- below me, should be. Don’t go acting like a hero. I’ll give you some more teams to accompany you. Their lives will depend on you from now on.”
“Their?” Heian Ciemnosc innocently asked, looking at the side at some student troops. Lionel reacted with dealy but did nonetheless, “E-everyone’s lives! Not just mine! All!”
“Now, get moving! We’re heading to Endless Desert Division. It will take a week, but with possible ambushes and harassment from unknown enemies, it might take half a month! Now, move it!!” Lionel left Heian Ciemnosc’s side and shouted with a rough voice. At once, the army moved and walked to the transporting ships. Each team felt their medallion heat up and received information on who from the 4 with keycards to follow.
Heian Ciemnosc’s Concealed Ornament Team moved to their own transporting ship. It was a tremendous cylindrical structure with many thicker layers of armor situated here and there, colored a dark navy blue, and it began to levitate as the cultivators entered it. Heian Ciemnosc and his team headed to where the strongest subordinate of the 3, Cari, was to pilot his transporting ship.
It was seamless when he and his team entered it, except for a few gloating eyes from the typical handsome hater in Heian Ciemnosc’s daily life. It was clear that Lionel’s actions and performances had somewhat given them a wrong idea of his team and himself. But Heian Ciemnosc didn’t bother about it and simply brought his team to their multiple bedrooms.
… After walking for a couple minutes, they entered the bedroom and saw at least 30 beds ready. Naturally, these transporting ships weren’t for only 50,000 people each, but possibly triple that amount, and that was with the place remaining somewhat free for more space. It would’ve been enough for 800,000 if a few cultivators in each bedroom slept on the ground, to dozens.
When Heian Ciemnosc and his team acclimatized to their bedroom, they didn’t go out to explore and, instead, listened to Heian Ciemnosc’s description of the entire place. Though it was a spaceship and the only one at the First Step peak, or the Spirit Formation realm, should have their Spirit Sense go through its structures, Heian Ciemnosc was too damn unique and powerful in that regard.
The ship was soon streaking across the skies in a slightly curving trajectory. They were to leave the Wrath Nihility Academy’s Region first, then fly a little more before going on foot for the first time until they reached the subsequent Division. If memory didn’t fail him, and it never would. One had to go through the Greentundra Division, followed by the Groundpecked Division, and the Ice Comet Division to arrive there.
It would be a long trip, especially since the Academy wanted them to confirm the overall control of a zone, Sub-Division, and a whole Division by going on foot. Though that was a monumental problem for many, Heian Ciemnosc couldn’t care less about his Spirit Sense. Besides, only a Second Step cultivator could neutralize his Sprit Sense even if a Spirit Formation realm cultivator could detect it.
His team was well equipped, and they could safely run unless the enemy had Frigates to spare and any enemy team owned one. They would be fucked then. But since the enemy’s forces were all about quantity, and the Academy was now ensuring no unauthorized spaceships came near the Kingdom, the troops going out to war were all protected from such tragedy.
“... Hey, look, this is nice~.” After a long time, the team was still in their bedroom when Sakura seemed to find something. Then, the ceiling ‘opened’ to reveal the sky. After Sakura pressed the button, everyone exclaimed silently before throwing themselves on the bed, their hands to the back of their heads and legs folded by the end of the mattress. Looking up, they saw the black sky and some flashes and glows coming and going from one point to another.
“What’s that?” Fengli asked from her bed. She pointed with her left hand at the spot in the sky where a large glow accompanied by cute, tiny glows sent trails of barely discernible lights. Heian Ciemnosc responded smoothly, “That’s a Carrier, the Crimsonbreaking’s one and only. And the little ones are the Academy’s fleet, I suppose.”
“Gasp!” Violet looked at Heian Ciemnosc’s face and saw a large, proud grin on his lips. “Heian Ciemnosc! Don’t tell me your master comes from the Ccrimsonbreaking Faction, too?!”
“Nah,” Heian Ciemnosc slowly shook his head with the back of it against his bed. “Master is from the Academy… in a way.”
“That’s right, team leader, when will you present us to your Master? It’s been a long time since we saw her. She was the one to pick us as your team members. We haven’t had the chance to pay our respects. I’m sure she’s actually nice and gentle, like a good mother? Hehe.” Violet spoke again, trying to tease Heian Ciemnosc, whose relaxed face slowly and slightly grinned.
“My Master isn’t sweet if that’s what you were wondering about.” Heian Ciemnosc said, his words were accompanied by the sight of many more glows appearing on the enemy’s side in the sky. Fengli pouted and said with a murmur everyone could hear. “That can’t be true. She’s your master! Like master, like disciple. When will we meet Her Excellency, hmmmm?”
“Oh. Yeah?” Heian Ciemnosc smiled. His flesh-devouring canines showed as it somewhat gave them a dark, cold feeling. But they were already growing used to that. He continued, his voice turning predominantly quiet. “Do you know why Master chose all Humans as my first subordinates?”
“Gasp… Is your Master racist?” Sakura asked, her voice turning less damn serious and more delicate. Heian Ciemnosc grinned with derision. “If she was, she would have never accomplished anything by herself. And she is all about a person becoming their own ruler, boss, and whatever else. Don’t be silly, Sakura. My Master simply wanted to ensure she wouldn’t have to ask the Academy to distract your patrons if your idea was to harm or even try killing me in case something happened. That way, she wouldn’t waste much time trying to connect with other Races. Everyone being Human, she could kill as much as she pleased and however she wanted.”
“...” His team members fell silent, their eyes opening. But slowly after, they relaxed, and Fengly even muttered with the boys subsequently laughing uproarously. “So… she is like a good mother, huh?”
“...” Heian Ciemnosc was speechless. He couldn’t refute them. Which parent wouldn’t go crazy-mode if they did this to their child? However, he also couldn’t tell them that… he didn’t see her that way.
“Eh?! They just went away?” Violet was laughing, glancing at Esteban as he looked at her, and they stupidly looked at each other as if they were in slow motion. Suddenly, Violet blushed and looked up to see the ongoing battle. With her eyes wide, she exclaimed and brought everyone’s attention. But Heian Ciemnosc had always set his eyes on the sky… Like he always does.
“Nope. That was a rocket launcher,” Heian Ciemnosc said. Everyone looked at him. They, of course, knew he was being mentored by none other than Teacher Puru. Seeing their glances, he knew there was no way out of their intense, war-interested glares.
“When one uses it, even the Baby Flood Dragon, it can obliterate any fleet without enough Cruisers and lacking anti-projectile turrets. Hmm, some say they are better than anti-missile. But the latter’s best chances of topping a rocket launcher’s ammunition are below 2%, so nobody truly cares. Only a Carrier would desperately use their anti-missile turrets like that to counter it.”
“From what I saw, those glowing dots from the enemy, the old and new, were nothing more but Low-class Destroyers. Only 3 of them were Cruisers. Nothing even a Carrier about to self-implode couldn’t deal with swiftly. But it says something about our enemy here, and ‘there’...”
“Mm? What’s that?” Fengli asked, her curious eyes not leaving the black sky as she moved her head. Heian Ciemnosc looked at the sky, everything much closer than they could see, even if it was still just lights. But even then, without enhancing his sight, he could understand all this thanks to his mentor. He softly said, “They can even bring Third Step organizations to attempt forming a blockade to our home… A pity they found themselves rivaling the Crimsonbreaking Faction.”
…