It has been 3 years since Dickon retired. He thought it had been long enough for him to grow out of his past. He thought he had moved away from the battlefield once and for all. But here he is standing in the middle of a battlefield. To avoid getting dragged into a battle again, he moved away from the royal palace and decided to settle on the peaceful eastern border over his hometown in the west which is having continuous conflicts with the savages. Dickon looked outside the wall, only 400 meters away from the wall thousands of enemy soldiers were moving into formation. He looked inside the city, close to 1000 civilians were formed into small groups of 50 membered units. Their body shook and trembled as they stood still having difficulties holding their spears straight. He sighed as he analyzed the situation, "The God of war seems to love me way too much." The battlefield he was running away from all these years has come to his door as if searching for him.

He stood still as his eyes moved through the citizens assembled below the wall. With every passing moment, his heartbeat started to increase. The more he observed the faster it became. His heart was beating fast not because of fear nor was it despair. As the battle drew near the tension and vigilance of the crowd created the atmosphere of the battlefield. The battlefield he wanted to escape was here yet he somehow felt relieved and excited. Maybe this intense environment was what he missed the most.

"You have done a good job," Dickon genuinely praised Devi for he had taken good control of the situation, not only he had calmed the citizens he had also arranged them into groups making it easier to command.

"I have only done my duty, sir," Devi said proudly.

"Hmm..." Dickon drew the sword from Devi's scabbard and slashed a cross in the kingdom's flag and ordered, "Beat the bells 3-1-2."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Devi has heard and seen him in action enough times to the point of having blind faith in him. So he didn't hesitate even for a moment after hearing such a peculiar order and relayed the orders forward. The warning bells rang throughout the city in a peculiar rhythm. Most of the people were confused at the sudden sound and looked at the wall near the bell with curiosity. The crowded atmosphere came to a momentary trans as everyone's eyes landed on the destroyed flag of the kingdom and a person standing next to it.

A middle-aged man with long black hair and a few white hairs in between was standing tall beside a half-damaged flag with a cut in the middle. Everyone was in a state of confusion seeing a crippled man without his right hand and a sword in his left arm standing in the middle of the wall staring down at them. The crowd became rowdy again discussing the identity of the man. Everyone was shocked and confused at the things happening in such a crucial situation, some even crushed the old man due to frustration. In the middle of this chaotic situation, some individuals were overjoyed. Faced with this weirdly ringing bell and the half-destroyed flag their eyes brightened, their dull body became energized and a smile appeared on their face. They started to move from their spots to the front of the gathering smoothly passing through the crowd not hindered by the random movement and chaotic atmosphere.

Soon a group of 44 individuals gathered in front of the civilians and into a new regiment altogether. Each of them draw out a red ribbon from their pocket and tied it around their left arm simultaneously. They all kneeled at the same time, putting one arm over their chest, and shouted in unison, "Sir, the heavenly squad is reporting for duty, sir."

[Silence]

The crowd that was is an uproar stopped still from the sudden event. Their eyes followed to the front of the crowd where the heavenly squad has assembled and went up the wall to look at Dickon. After a momentary silence along with a bit of observation everyone started discussing the same thing.

"The Heavenly Squad."

"That mysterious heavenly squad is here?"

"Then"

"Then the man up there?"

"That man is"

"is"

"Is the Sword Saint Dickon."