The town of Batna is a settlement of moderate size with a population of roughly 5500. Located only a few days’ travel time from the Amisos-Zamora border, it is a place where different people and cultures mix together. Although rural villages are far more common, they also tend to be underdeveloped and unsafe. This is why merchants and most people crossing the border will choose places like Batna as a station. Here they can trade with other merchants, resupply and stay as long as necessary before departing for their next destination. The town has a stone wall and good defensive fortifications, as well as a sizable militia. This is due to its proximity to the Western Plains, a vast land inhabited by archaic tribes who reject the authority of the kingdom and occasionally attack the people of Zamora.

For the past few days, Batna has been the host of around 1000 soldiers from the kingdom’s army. They stopped here to rest on their way to Amisos. Since there isn’t enough space for everyone inside the walls, tents and camps were set up on the outside. There are no worries about security because 1000 trained soldiers would easily stop any attack the disorganized barbarians could muster. There are no other threats worthy of their attention, at least for now.

The narrow streets are full of activity because the army is preparing to leave. Their numbers contain more than just soldiers. Men, women, children, traders and sometimes priests travel with it. They perform tasks that a soldier is not suited for, such as maintaining the army’s hygiene, preparing food rations, taking care of horses and livestock. The priests help with morale and religious customs. Some of them practice healing magic as well. Even though they aren’t technically part of the army, all of these people are a crucial part of their operations. Without their help, any army would quickly turn into malnourished, disease-ridden targets for the enemy.

Ordinarily, slaves would also be common. Most countries consider them a useful source of cheap labour. Amisos and Zamora are quite different. The practice of enslaving humans was officially banned in both kingdoms by the joint efforts of King Leo and King Hamal. The move worked after a while, though there was a lot of resistance from nobility who benefitted greatly from slave labor. This, of course, doesn’t mean that all slaves are now free citizens. Slaves still exist as illegal goods. Forbidding it by law cannot eliminate all instances of the practice.

Over the years, the town of Batna has seen many impressive people travel through its streets. High-class ladies with dresses and jewelry worth more than a farmer’s entire home, wealthy noblemen wearing silk shirts and fur lining, even King Hamal himself once passed through the gates of this humble town. Even so, they are surprised by the two people who appear unexpectedly on one particular day.

The first of them is a young woman with a gorgeous figure. She has brilliant, sapphire-blue eyes and white skin that radiates vitality. Her black hair that almost reaches the ground shines in the sunlight. Her scarlet lips pout slightly as she observes the town. A few accessories such as a mixed-crystal necklace and a silvery bracelet around the left wrist can be seen. Dressed in a white robe embroidered with what seems to be precious gems, she walks with supreme elegance that no noble lady could match. Every step is perfectly in balance, to the point where her silky hair doesn’t even sway as she walks. She emits the dignified aura of a queen, which prompts the people in front to get out of the way in a hurry.

“Gods above.”

“Aphrodite…”

“It’s the goddess herself in human form!”

Astonished by the spectacle, bystanders mutter the name of the goddess of beauty and desire. They would not be surprised if this woman was in fact divine.

Keeping pace with her is a young man with golden-blond hair that touches his shoulders. He is quite handsome himself, with hazel eyes that attract looks from female bystanders. Despite the white mage robe he wears, the sign of ample muscles is visible underneath. A mage’s physical strength would normally be average at best. After all, magic requires a lot of time to train the mind, leaving little room for physical exercise. A trained eye can also notice that his strides are different from ordinary mages. They are tightly controlled like a warrior’s. However, the hands and face do not carry the typical scars that mark most experienced warriors. His skin and hair are perfectly clean like a wealthy nobleman who has never seen a day of hardship in his life. Most of the townsfolk are convinced by this fact. Only those with keen eyesight are aware of the inconsistencies.

The two new figures are Rigel and Nashira who just arrived in Batna after an overnight trip. Nashira doesn’t need any sleep. She asked the reluctant Rigel to ride the horse so he could get some rest during the trip. Sitting on the saddle was a bit awkward due to his lack of experience. Of course, none could witness it during the night.

After arriving at the soldier camps that surround the town, Rigel asked by name for Captain Henin Asher. None of the soldiers knew who that was, so the two decided to enter the town and look around there. It was Nashira’s first contact with other humans in decades, so she was curious. Rigel also confirmed his suspicion that Nashira would attract attention. Even without the horns and cat irises, no one would think she looks ordinary. Chaos magic is a taboo subject. Books that talked about the Chaos Mage did not mention anything about her appearance, focusing only on propaganda or idealism instead. He once again lamented the sad fate of historians who must surely be frustrated by the amount of omissions and distortions contained in old documents.

They walk through the streets, each one with a different interest. Nashira is curious to see what has changed in human society since the last time she had contact. Rigel wants to stop being the center of attention and find Asher as soon as possible.

“Nashira, let’s go this way. It’s less crowded.” He indicates one of the side streets. Neither of them knows where exactly they are going, so they are just wandering until they stumble over someone who might know where Asher is. The soldiers didn’t know so the town guards probably have no idea either. Realizing this, Nashira comes up with a sensible suggestion.

“I believe you saw this man’s mana-aura before. Your senses are also quite sharp. If he is in this town, you may be able to find his unique aura by sweeping the town one part at a time.”

“Very true. I’m trying to find his aura as we walk but it’s more difficult than I thought. There is too much noise and it’s hard to concentrate. It’s the first time I’m surrounded by so many living beings since using Origin.”

“I understand. One month is not enough to master your new mana circuits. Take as much time as you need. Your meditation technique is well polished and has already sped up your progress. There is no need to rush.”

“This is a good chance to practice what you showed me. Give me a moment please.”

Rigel closes his eyes and takes in a long, drawn-out breath. He then exhales and opens his eyes slowly. He focuses on recalling his memories from the other day. While slowly turning, he scans the surrounding area. Mana-auras become fuzzier the farther away they are. By using his eyes to observe them directly, he can increase the distance and the amount of detail received. His mind filters out the weak auras of random people in the town, looking only for the bright auras of Asher and his friends. The captain mentioned he has 80 people under his command. Finding any of them would be enough.

He turns back toward Nashira and says “They aren’t around here. Let’s keep going. This town isn’t very big so it should be over quick.” She nods and they resume their walk.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

“Umm~”

Asher is looking at Rigel, his new recruit, who had unexpectedly brought along someone else. They found him drinking beer at a table in the local inn. Upon seeing Nashira, his initial reaction was bewilderment just like everyone else. This quickly gave way to curiosity and concern since Rigel didn’t mention he would come with anyone.

“This is my friend, Nashira. She is a mage who prefers knowledge over combat. She wants to use this opportunity to learn more about the world and will therefore accompany us to that end.”

Rigel breaks the stunned silence in the inn. He shamelessly states what he wants, using body language to imply that he won’t take no for an answer. The four Bloodmoon members who were drinking with Asher feel bothered by this attitude since they weren’t present at the negotiations between Rigel and their captain. They think “who does this kid think he is”, a normal reaction to the perceived disrespect toward their superior. They sit quietly in their chairs but would not hesitate to draw their swords and cut Rigel down if Asher ordered it. Such is the loyalty they hold for their captain.

Naturally, Asher knows better than to respond in such a violent manner to a simple provocation. What bothers him is something else. After their first meeting, his impression of Rigel was that he’s quite modest. He did not brag or demand a reward for his deeds. He was also humble in their negotiation despite the impressive skills he holds. Perhaps I misjudged his character, Asher thinks. One encounter is not enough to understand a person. He did suspect Rigel had help when fighting the barbarians. This woman may be the one.

“This isn’t a good place to talk. Let’s go to my room upstairs. You guys can stay here and enjoy yourselves while you can. We are leaving in the morning.” The second part was addressed to the other soldiers.

“Yes, sir.” The four men responded in unison.

The inn’s lobby is filled with noisy whispering due to Nashira’s presence. Rigel nodded and gladly followed the suggestion. The three of them went up the stairs together.

The private talk between Asher, Nashira and Rigel did not last long. It was mostly Rigel explaining and Asher listening. Nashira only spoke a couple of times. She deferred to Rigel when asked a difficult question. The explanations given were minimal. They did not mention Nashira’s real nature or her underground home. Rigel confirmed that there was no reaction to hearing her name, as he had hoped. The story of the Chaos Mage is not well known and her actual name was just an obscure detail in the annals of magic history. Only those like him who had studied exotic magic would know it. This means that Nashira could use her name freely without any fear of exposure.

Captain Asher was generous as well. He had some degree of trust in Rigel due to the recent events and did not press him too aggressively for information. There will be opportunities to test his allegiance in the future. Rigel was prepared to give some false information just in case, but was relieved when he didn’t need it. He wanted his connections to be rock-solid, and using lies could endanger this plan. Tell the truth as much as possible, but avoid revealing too much. This is the gist of his strategy going forward. It’s not very different from how he behaved at the Magic Academy.

The discussion ended without any serious problem. Rigel was informed that he would be introduced to his role in Bloodmoon the next day, something he had no qualms about. As they were walking out the door, Asher offered some parting words to Nashira.

“Miss, you may want to cover your head a bit, at least during travel. Men at war don’t have much contact with women, you see. Frustration tends to pile up. Some might get a bit too frisky and do something bad. You understand what I mean, right?”

“Thank you for the kind advice but it will not be needed. If any situation arises, I will resolve it peacefully. Please be at ease.”

Nashira spoke in a reassuring tone. She made a polite bow and then walked after Rigel, leaving a slightly confused captain behind.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Before the morning sun even appeared on the horizon, all 80 members of Bloodmoon were assembled on the outskirts of town, away from the army campsites. They stood straight on the grassy terrain in loose formations, all of them facing toward the two figures at the front.

“I want to introduce all of you to our newest member, Rigel. He is a mage whose skills I have verified with my own eyes. Everyone treat him well. If I see anyone doing anything that may bring shame upon Bloodmoon or our King's name… Well, you all know what happens.”

Captain Asher spoke with a commanding voice that stirred the morning breeze. He then nudged Rigel who was standing beside him to introduce himself.

“Um, I’m Rigel and I look forward to working with everyone.”

Unlike the loud and energetic Asher, Rigel’s voice seemed to lack any real motivation. It’s like he didn’t even want to be there, which made a few of the other members give him unpleasant looks. Rigel ignored the glares and waited for the captain to speak.

“Now, I will explain our course of action for the next few days. Everyone pay attention. If I catch you dozing off on your feet, you’re in for a painful wakeup call. Understand!?”

“Yes, sir!” Many voices responded in unison.

“Good. Our goals are as follows: we are to leave before the rest of the army and scout the path to the north. This is a reconnaissance mission. After we cross the border, we will split up with each team heading in a different direction. I will speak with the team leaders so we can coordinate our efforts and ensure that nothing goes unnoticed. Exactly two days after crossing the border, we will regroup and report back to the army. Clear so far?”

“Yes, sir!”

“The rules are the same as usual:

1) You have the right to defend yourself against attacks or threats of attack.

2) You must avoid combat as much as possible. If faced with an unarmed threat, you will use the minimum force necessary.

3) You may NOT seize the property of others in order to accomplish your mission.

4) Taking prisoners is authorized only for the purpose of security or self-defence. You will be expected to provide clear justification for any and all such cases.

5) Treat all persons with dignity and respect.

That is all. If you have any questions, refer to the head of your team. We are moving out as soon as the sun peaks over the horizon. Dismissed!”

The soldiers noisily split up and went with their respective groups in order to finish preparing for departure. Asher turned toward Rigel. His serious expression was now replaced by a confident smile.

“Everything I just said applies to you as well. Welcome to Bloodmoon, the King’s right arm. I expect you won’t disappoint us.”

“Noted.”