One Second-Class Merit and one Third-Class Merit... Catherine Cavendish's blue eyes were filled with surprise. She was astonished by her father's generosity tonight. In the Unicorn Legion, military merit meant a noble title, and a noble title meant land.
The Count of Blackport might possess all of Blackport County, but that was all he possessed. His land was finite. Yet these two precious awards of military merit had been granted for killing only a single D-Grade Mage spy.
After handing out such generous rewards, the Count of Blackport continued staring gravely toward the west of the city. The fires there were gradually shrinking. Once the 3rd Corps joined the firefighting effort, the blazes scattered throughout Blackport City would soon be brought under control.
At that moment, the crisp clatter of metal horseshoes on stone broke the brief calm of Toronia Square. Two intelligence cavalrymen rode at full speed directly up to the Count of Blackport.
“My Lord Count! The unidentified fleet offshore has ignored our warning! They destroyed the vessel we sent to negotiate and are continuing toward the military harbor!”
Count Leopold immediately issued the orders he had already been considering for some time.
“Pass the order! The Blackport County Naval Fleet is to put to sea immediately! The 3rd Corps will assemble at the harbor! Establish the command post outside the city! Take up your weapons and put on your armor. We will defend Blackport City tonight!”
Despite the urgency of his orders, the Count showed no trace of panic. He removed his red robe, revealing the lieutenant general's uniform of the Unicorn Legion beneath it.
The Corps Commander of the 3rd Corps held the rank of Lieutenant General. This was the first time Leo had seen a lieutenant general's uniform: a black military coat with a red collar and cuffs, gold collar insignia, shoulder boards, and aiguillettes.
The Count's personal attendant reached out to take the red robe. His movements were extremely quick, yet there was a distinct pause between each motion. With a precise rhythm, he folded the robe into a neat square, then held one forearm level as the red robe settled steadily across it.
Watching the personal attendant, Leo felt envious of the Count for the first time. As someone who had come from another world, he still viewed life here partly as an experience of the exotic. Even when he pledged his loyalty to the Count, it was only an act. But seeing that even the robe the Count removed was handled with such dignity gave Leo a few ideas.
A man ought to live like this...
I could take his place...
At seventy years old, the Count still stood straight and tall. He strode toward his warhorse, a Percheron standing more than 1.6 meters at the shoulder.
Catherine quickly stepped in front of him and said in a clear voice, “My Lord Count! The Cadet Officers of the Military Academy request permission to fight! Cadet Officers are soldiers of the Unicorn Legion too!”
The Count looked toward Willy Belloc. Major Willy was eager to gain more distinction and promptly repeated, “My Lord Count! Reserve Officers are soldiers of the Unicorn Legion too!”
The Count of Blackport nodded. “Major Willy, you will organize a hundred-man company of Reserve Officers. You will serve as its Company Commander!”
Major Willy came to attention, saluted, and answered loudly, “Yes, My Lord Count!”
Count Leopold continued, “Company Commander Willy Belloc! The mage Cadet Officers from all six counties of the Duchy of Cavendish are here! I do not want to see Cadet Officers from the other counties sacrifice themselves before the Cadet Officers of Blackport County! After tonight, Major Willy Belloc, you are to return to the 3rd Corps!”
Major Willy answered just as loudly, “Understood, My Lord Count!”
Leo and Brad exchanged glances. For a moment, they found the situation difficult to accept. Things had moved beyond what either of them had expected. How had they suddenly ended up going to war? And from what the Count had said, were they supposed to die before their mage classmates from the other counties?
They were all classmates who spent every day together. How could their classmates from the other counties not feel embarrassed by that?
Major Willy had already strode over to Leo and Brad. The two quickly put away their private thoughts and saluted him.
“Leo East! Brad Baker! You are hereby ordered to gather every second- and third-year Cadet Officer whose home county is Blackport County—a total of sixty mage Cadet Officers. Assemble at the West Gate in half an hour!”
“Yes, Major Willy!”
“From now on, address me as Company Commander Willy! This is not training with wooden sabers and wooden swords. This is real war!”
“Yes, Company Commander Willy!”
Company Commander Willy then turned to two other Cadet Officers, Catherine Cavendish and Caleb Winifred. Caleb Winifred stood more than 1.9 meters tall, broad-backed and wide-shouldered. He was the first-in-line heir of Count Sidney Winifred, the Count of Farpass.
Count Sidney Winifred was already the second Count of Farpass County. The first Count of Farpass had grown too old and had died long ago. That made Caleb Winifred the highest-ranking person at the Military Academy, and throughout the night he had remained with the Count on the reviewing platform.
Company Commander Willy said, “Caleb Winifred! Catherine Cavendish! You are hereby ordered to use this list to gather forty third-year Cadet Officers from the other counties. Assemble at the West Gate in half an hour!”
“Yes, Company Commander Willy!”
Company Commander Willy began rapidly writing out a list on parchment, but Caleb Winifred continued, “The soldiers of the Duchy of Cavendish make no distinction between yours and mine when facing an external enemy! On behalf of the Cadet Officers of the other five counties, I request permission to fight! At the very least, please allow every Cadet Officer from Farpass County to join the battle!”
Catherine looked at the tall Caleb Winifred, and something shifted slightly in her gaze. For the first time, she took the first-in-line heir of the Count of Farpass seriously.
Caleb enjoyed the way Catherine was looking at him. Children born to two mages had a higher chance of awakening. At eighteen, Caleb was already planning his future. In Caleb's mind, Catherine Cavendish—the beautiful second-in-line heir of the Count of Blackport—was obviously a very suitable spouse.
Major Willy shouted, “Carry out your orders, Cadet Officer Caleb Winifred! On behalf of Blackport County, I appreciate your goodwill!”
His suggestion had been rejected, but Caleb Winifred said nothing more. He shouted, “Yes, Company Commander Willy!”
At a moment like this, a soldier was supposed to demonstrate obedience to orders. One minute later, Company Commander Willy had finished drawing up the list and handed it to Catherine and Caleb. After the four of them saluted Major Willy, they split up to carry out their assignments.
Leo ran toward the north of the city while Brad ran west. Each took responsibility for one area, finding classmates who could help gather the unit. As for the south of the city, that was the slums. There would be no mages there. After all, now that Leo had money, he lived in the north too.
An hour later, Company Commander Willy Belloc's hundred-man company had fully assembled. This company, composed entirely of Cadet Officers, was going to be thrown onto the battlefield.
The situation had to be extraordinarily urgent. The Count evidently believed he needed to squeeze out the last of Blackport County's war potential, which was why these precious Cadet Officers were being rushed onto the battlefield.
Leo looked outside the city. If he had heard correctly, the sound coming from beyond the walls was cannon fire... If they had guns, then it was only reasonable that they would have artillery too. The West Empire had climbed very high up the technology tree.
Far out at sea beyond Blackport City, a Commander in the West Empire Navy reported, “Vice Admiral Helena! Battle preparations are complete!”
Helena looked up at the nearly full moon. “Night is unfavorable for our matchlock infantry and gunners. But not a single West Empire soldier is willing to wait another second. Taking this port will allow our navy to sail across the Mist Sea without any worries behind us.
“The Audrian blood spilled tonight is only the beginning. The humiliation of being driven into the sea fifty years ago must be washed away with even more blood!”
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