We rode east for two days until we encountered the other teams Asher sent out. The prearranged meeting place was different from the point where we split up. The nature of Bloodmoon’s work requires that we maintain low visibility whenever possible and stay unpredictable for the enemy, or so I’m told. As a result, we change course often and take the smaller roads instead of the big ones. We slowed down and rode through a patch of forest at one point, which I’m guessing also has something to do with staying invisible or whatever.

At the meeting place are only 4 of the 15 other teams. Our mission ended faster than most, so we arrived here before them. Our mounts still don’t look exhausted even though we have been travelling at top speed for over a week. They must be really well bred and trained, unlike the common horse. I’ve been travelling on foot a lot lately and I’m finally starting to see the advantage of having a good horse. This advantage would be lost if we went through a thick forest though.

We set up camp on top of a grassy hill, away from the main road. The hill works as a vantage point and higher altitude means drier ground. It has been raining a lot lately.

“We’re waiting for everyone to arrive before returning, right? What happens if we wait a week and one or more teams don’t report back?” I ask out of curiosity.

“A week is too much of a delay. If they’re not here within a few days, I will take everyone we have and then go trace the missing team’s path until we find them. Accomplishing the mission comes first, but I won’t leave anyone behind if I can help it.” Asher’s responds nonchalantly. I understand why he’s not worried. We’re still in ‘friendly’ territory.

“What if we can’t find them?”

“Depending on the situation, things will become complicated. Let me worry about that though. In the meantime, you could go talk to Gamo. I hear he asked you about something?”

“Hm, yes. He wanted to have another mock duel for practice. I asked him to wait for another time. I’m not feeling too well right now.”

The captain frowns and says “If you’re sick or something, you should tell me first.”

“Oh no, it’s nothing serious. I’m just tired mentally is all. It’s a mage problem and will be fixed by a little rest and meditation. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“Alright, but tell me if it gets worse. We have a few experienced healers among us.”

“I know some healing magic too if it’s necessary. Well then, I will go and rest.” The captain nods.

He’s acting out the part of a commander who cares about his troops. Regardless, I wouldn’t say anything even if I was sick. It is my nature to be self-sufficient as much as possible. Bloodmoon is full of sketchy individuals. There’s no way I’m going to ask any of them for help.

I wish this headache would stop though. I’ve had a fair number of headaches during my time at the academy, but this one is far worse. It started yesterday and my head has been pounding non-stop. Even sleeping was very difficult. It wasn’t lying when I said my mind is tired. I already missed a night of sleep at Delfoi and this is only making things worse. It’s particularly bad for mages. Our spellcasting skills depend on a rested and healthy mind. Missing sleep is never a good thing. If this continues, my health won’t be the only problem. An exhausted mage is a danger to everyone around him.

Healing magic isn’t going to help. There is no visible injury. Without knowing what the cause is, injecting additional mana into my brain would be stupid. If Nashira were here, she might be able to figure out something. It seems all I can do is rest and hope my body can solve the problem on its own.

After notifying the captain, I walk alone into a nearby patch of forest. I sit down on the grass with legs crossed in the usual manner. Although the ground is still a bit wet, it doesn’t matter to my impermeable robe. I listen to the sounds of birds and the trees rustling in the wind while clearing my head of unnecessary thoughts. Being surrounded by nature and wildlife always helps me relax and meditate. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. No sign of trouble in the mana flow.

After a couple of hours, the headache eased up. It didn’t go away completely, but any amount of relief is appreciated. I ended up meditating for the rest of the day. Sleep came more easily during the night. Thus, I decided to keep doing it the next day. In late afternoon, Gamo comes looking for me.

“Hey, there you are. You’re meditating again today? Are you still not feeling well?”

“I’m feeling better than yesterday. Like I told the captain, it wasn’t anything serious to start with. Must be the change in climate. I’m not used to travelling on horseback for days.” Seeing my country devolve into anarchy didn’t help either, I think to myself. He walks over and sits beside me on the rough grass.

“I understand. It can be very hard sometimes. The business of war is devastating on men’s health. I’ve been through a few wars in my life and seen many good men and women wasted on meaningless conflicts. To be honest, you don’t strike me as a soldier or mercenary type. I don’t get why you accepted the captain’s invitation” he explains with a small shrug.

Oh? That’s an interesting observation. Let’s hear more about this.

“Can you explain? Is there something I’m missing?”

While looking forward at the trees and bushes surrounding us, Gamo makes a thinking pose with his chin resting on his hand. Even while sitting down, he is a head taller than me. He also seems older than I initially thought, now that I have a closer look. His light-brown hair has a few strands of grey in it. A small scar on the chin is visible through his thin beard. I doubt he’s any less than 40 years-old. His aura, on the other hand, is clean and refined, the sign of a lifetime of training.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t say you’re missing something. You’re more than strong enough to be a soldier. I can think of many so-called ‘elite’ mages in this unit who are weaker despite being older and having more experience.

I suppose the best way to think of it is that war doesn’t suit you. Almost all of the people here have either an innate thirst for blood or a strong desire for the glory and excitement of battle. From you however, I don’t get that impression at all. You seem… out of place, if that makes any sense.”

A thin smile floats across my face. “Good judge of character. You’re probably right. I don’t really belong among warriors and assassins. However, I have some unfinished business in Amisos and Bloodmoon’s goals happen to coincide with that. I’m sure some of you still have your doubts about my allegiance and I’m doing what I can to alleviate that. I will regard all of you as comrades as long as you do the same for me.”

“Don’t mind it, you’re not the only one with a shady background. Bloodmoon is a collection of shady people. As long as you follow orders in good faith, the captain won’t mind. If anyone else tries to meddle, you can just tell them to get lost.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” A few minutes pass by in silence. “Want to join me in meditating?”

“Sure, why not. A mage is never too old to sharpen his mind.” And so the two of us sat in silence until nightfall.

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

After two whole days of waiting, all of Bloodmoon was gathered at the campsite. From the looks of things, none of them had significant problems. So far so good. After everyone reported to Asher, he concluded that there won’t be any changes in our schedule. Without further delay, our trip resumed. We travel south toward the 1000 soldiers we left behind at Batna. It did not take long before the army was in sight. We have been gone for a while. Even though they move 3 to 4 times slower than us, the army made it past the Amisos border by the time we reached them.

Naturally, the first thing I did after we were dismissed by Asher was look for the only person I knew among them; Nashira. I found her near the front, riding at a leisurely pace on a horse that carried all of her belongings. I didn’t recognize her immediately because the clothes are different. Instead of the white, mana-absorbing robe from before, now it’s a shiny blue gown. I don’t remember seeing it among her things, so she must’ve bought it from a merchant in town. Wait, did she have enough money for such an expensive-looking gown?

“Welcome back, Rigel” she greets with a gentle smile as I approach. “Have you been well?”

“Yes, I was in the company of some very capable people and I learned a lot. It was an interesting experience.” I will omit the events that happened in Delfoi. She doesn’t need to know the depressing stuff. “What about you? Is everything alright?”

“Indeed, there have been no problems. My presence here was not a major concern it seems. Everyone is kind and courteous.”

That’s a relief, but there’s something I should clear up first. With a cautious attitude, I ask about the dress. “Out of curiosity, where did you obtain that? It looks pretty expensive.”

“Clothing norms have changed over time, so I looked for something more appropriate for modern society. After I inquired at one of the local shops, the kind merchants offered me this gown free of charge. Such a generous gift, I felt it would be rude to reject it. Was it a mistake?”

“Generous, eh…” I mutter to myself. Nashira tilts her head with a slightly confused expression. “Ah, no. It’s fine. It’s my fault for not thinking of such things in advance.”

Not being familiar with the market price for high-quality women’s clothing, I can only guess this gown is worth the same as several months or years’ worth of food for the average family. Even if my estimate is way off, it’s definitely not cheap even for a successful merchant. Furthermore, I suspect the intentions behind it were not as pure as Nashira believes. The gown does fit her quite well. Its blue color matches with the blue of her eyes. Some golden stripes decorate the shoulders, sleeves and waist. There is a V-shape cut in both the front and the back which reveals a considerable amount of skin. It’s pretty obvious why this gown in particular was given to her. It even looks a bit tight for her size, especially around the chest area, but if she is comfortable wearing it then I won’t object.

We started talking about more serious topics after that. We are heading toward a highly unstable war zone and it would be irresponsible not to tell her. Outside of Bloodmoon’s covert activities, Asher didn’t mention any specific restrictions on what I’m allowed to say, so I explained what I heard about the destruction of Delos and the ongoing civil war in this country. I also said that the situation is complicated and the nobles are not trustworthy, though I didn’t explain why.

She seemed curious to know more so I kept talking for hours. I went over some of the things I remember from my travels, such as the beautiful gardens of the Royal Palace in Delos and the docks and markets at Lapithos. Of course, I took care to avoid any sensitive information since eyes and ears are all around us. Even though I’m not hiding my name anymore, they don’t seem to suspect who my father is. Artemia is a somewhat common name. That works to my advantage. Even if I claimed to be a prince, they would probably think it’s a joke. That’s good enough for now.

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

Over the next 2 weeks, the army steadily marched through the countryside. Asher did not summon us during this time, so we are free to do as we please. Surely enough, it is quite boring. There isn’t much to do. The army moves at a steady pace of 10 to 15 kilometers per day, which I’m told is pretty fast considering that most people are on foot. Of the 1000 soldiers with us, less than half actually have mounts to ride on. Carts full of heavy supplies and equipment accompany us. The soldiers are organized in such a way as to keep the important stuff in the center of the formation. This includes the commanders and other VIPs.

Less important stuff such as tents and equipment for foot soldiers are at the back. I have nothing better to do, so I decide to take a look around while the horses rested. Swords, spears, bows, shields of various sizes, pieces of metallic armor and some leather armor; nothing unusual here. There are no siege weapons, which is a bit disappointing, but they do have some magic catalysts and a sizable supply of mana-crystals. These rather expensive objects are held in locked containers. I can feel the mana inside due to my abnormally sharp senses.

I also take a look at the personnel in the army. As expected, the vast majority among them are common soldiers, albeit well-organized. Even when including Bloodmoon members, there are only 22 with the aura of a mage and 39 others who are borderline mages.

At one point, Gamo took notice of my custom-made magical clock and asked how I obtained it. As a response, I introduced him to its inventor.

“I am Gamonias Pavo. Pleased to make your acquaintance, My Lady” he declares while making a proper bow. This makes me, who is standing behind him, chuckle slightly. He thinks she is nobility? Wasn’t he present when I introduced her to Asher? Guess not. Maybe he’s just trying to flatter her.

“I am known as Nashira Malik. Likewise I am pleased to meet you.” She responds with a slightly awkward imitation of a lady’s bow. It doesn’t seem like she knows modern etiquette well enough to pass for a noble lady yet, not that she needs to.

The conversation became somewhat weird after that. Gamo started out with formal language and then occasionally forgot to use it, which sounded funny. He courteously asked Nashira about the principle behind the mana clock. Upon hearing the question, Nashira glanced at me. I responded with a shrug. What she wants to say is her choice. She simply smiled. As expected of someone with her level of honesty, Nashira unleashed all of the technical jargon at her disposal without holding back. Gamo understood very little in the end. The same would be true for me if I hadn’t been involved in the manufacturing process. The concepts involved cannot be fully grasped in a single afternoon.

Later that same day, I was talking with Gamo about bloodstone and counter-magic when a curious topic suddenly came up.

“By the way, what is your relationship with Miss Malik? The two of you speak so casually, as if you’re close friends.”

“Ah, well… It’s quite simple really. We met by chance some time ago because we’re both magic researchers. A lot happened and we became engaged.”

“Pfft—!”

Gamo chose the wrong time to take a sip from his drink. He choked and spit it out in shock. I burst into laughter at his hilarious reaction. I never thought someone like him would be so flustered because of a joke! He was caught completely off guard. Even though I was bombarded with silly questions after that, it was a fun evening.