Kairos gave the soldiers a nod then turned to his friends saying, “We’re leaving once we resupplied. How long do we need?”

Snow quickly tabulated and said, “We can go the next day.”

“How fast will it take for them to process our request?”

“For urgent submissions, the same day.”

“Then we leave tomorrow.”

The others were shocked however, and a few of them looked over with questions in their eyes.

“The men of the Keep can’t follow us yet, aren’t we going to wait for the permission to be granted?”

“If we stay here, the decision will come late. If we leave, they will have no choice but to approve quickly.”

“Wait, hold on, what you were saying had just jumped to a whole different plane, we haven’t caught up yet.”

Kairos smiled, then slowed down his thoughts and explained, “They want to hold us here as long as possible. If we stay and wait, they will take their time passing a decision. On the contrary, if we leave quickly for the battlefield, they will be worried if we get wiped out before they gave their response because at that time, it will be on them.”

What Kairos explained is common for those in power.

If getting away with criminal acts is easy, they will only have their own benefits in mind, but if they vulnerable to being exposed, then their attitude will change to the other extreme and suddenly become the most law-abiding people.

That night, the group had a great feast in the hall.

It is tradition that before a dangerous assignment, where there is a chance any of them might not return alive, the soldiers like to eat and drink to their hearts’ content and the higher-ups will do whatever is feasible to accommodate.

This night Kairos unloaded a storage ring full of provisions prepared by Laksa with a smaller portion that were made by him.

The men ate and drank the food Kairos had pre-prepared first and were filled with wonder and praises.

“The taste is so delicious! This food must be cheating! How could fish be made this way?”

“Why is it so tender… How did you make it? By steaming? You didn’t cook it over a fire?”

“What’s the brown sauce you douse over it? Soy Sauce… What’s that?”

“How is this chicken made? MY GOODNESS… You cooked it in boiling oil? That’s such a luxury… I can’t believe I’m eating this!”

All of the dishes brought out were piping hot thanks to the Thunder God’s Ring’s time freeze ability. Most Time-space rings only provide a time dilation instead of a total halt like the celestial treasure.

It brought to the soldiers a decadent experience they could not find in the keep.

When they tried Laksa’s food next, there was a complete silence in the hall.

Not just a few wept openly touched by a over-flowing joy, and many who were locked motionless from the first bite, as though their souls had flown away.

“I just remembered my late mother… strange, this food tasted nothing like the disgusting gruel she makes, but my tears won’t stop flowing and memories of her just keep gushing out.”

“This white fluffy thing is just rice, salt, and vinegar? How is it so … so…. warm?”

Kairos smiled to himself, “Looks like there’s still quite a distance for me to catch up to master.”

The next day, the Snowdrifts gathered for breakfast before the sun risen. The inhibiting effects of the alcohol they had the previous night was gone with a cycle of Ki rotation. They ate solemnly without the cheer and merry they had during the feast, then the group made their way down to the first level of the keep.

It was a large room made of metal filled with soldiers, vehicles of war and beasts of burden.

It reeked of blood and iron.

There was tension found here more than anywhere else in the fort. There were soldiers returning from the frontlines but plenty more setting off to replace them.

Scattered around the place, there are squads like them holding mission briefings and getting ready for war. At the far end, a company of ten thousand practitioners stood motionless as their Martial General addressed them – for many of them, it will be their last command.

Young men and women ran about, carrying food, water, and medical supplies, attending to the wounded that were carried back.

The Snowdrifts marched.

“Sirs!”

“Officers!”

“Martial Captains!”

Along the way, soldiers greeted them, until they arrived at the gate.

A group of stewards brought out their steeds. Three hundred Dragon Horses, and an assortment of two thousand more.

Only a portion of the mounts belongs to them while the rest are provided by the army. If there’s one thing that Saint Empire are not lacking, it is the funds spent on their military.

After handing to them the reins, two rows of soldiers stood on the left and right side of the gate in attention.

“Salute our heroes!”

The room fell silent.

A single clean and crisp stomp resounded as hundreds stamped their feet at the same time, followed by a dull thud of fists beating chests.

A short moment later, the heavy gates were pulled up revealing the glaring sun and invading cold.

They casted long shadows upon the Snowdrifts as they rode into the open field and the frontlines.

There was a blissful silence as the sun rays touched their skin. The sound of bird chirping, the gentle breeze, and the soft rustling of leaves in the wind made it seem like a pleasant morning ride but it also reminded them that they are no longer within Saint Empire’s borders.

They moved swiftly for the next week, stopping only for short respites and food.

The vegetation around, although still lush and green, now held thin layers of ice on the surface as the temperature falls further as they travelled northward.

As a usual practice, Kairos turned and said, “Scouts, once again, please check ahead.”

A few lithe figures charged forward with their mounts, heading towards different vintage points in front.

Half a day later, the first scout returned, and for the first time since they started, there was a report, “Sir, we found them! The frontline forces are two to three days away.”

“Excellent. Let’s increase the speed. We can rest when we arrive!”

The combat force was a shadow on the horizon at first, but as they approached, it spread into a great looming black that covered the earth. The noise of a fully operating army camp quickly became the only thing they could hear.

Even though, it is not yet a full-blown war with the north, there are already as much as three hundred thousand troops in this place.

They went forward to check the situation.

Seeing their group flying the flags of Dark Hall, the patrols did not stop their approach. When they came near, an old general with bushy beard rode out to greet them, “Young heroes, I am Gu, the Martial General of the Red Hawks. Are you the Snowdrifts soldiers?”

Kairos said, “We are. It seems you are informed of us?”

“You must be the Heaven’s Child, Kairos? It is indeed as you said! Everyone already knows that the Snowdrifts had volunteered to take down the Ku Kang army and slay their commander, the White Emperor.”

“In that case, it’d be easier for us to talk.”

“Come young lord, let us speak in the camp. Oh, and there might be a familiar face you might see,” the old general laughed then welcomed them in.

Kairos smiled cordially in return and they followed.

In the camp, there were a great number of soldiers wounded despite the battles had not yet escalated.

The soldiers quickly caught wind of the Snowdrifts coming to their camp and many who were on their free time tried to take a look.

“That’s the creator of the Star Rune weapons? Looks kind of scrawny to me.”

“Well, the man also made the Starfire battle array… Don’t think such a studious type will have the time to train up his body.”

“You guys better give him more respect, if not for him, many of us would be dead already. Even many of our generals owe him their lives.”

“I still think having more meat to his bony arm will do the boy good. Later during lunch, I’ll add more meat to his plate,” a cook said.

Kairos carefully looked around for the familiar face. It would be a waste of energy for him to scout around with his Soul Perception when the person might not be important. Besides, those that he cherish are already around him.

After take a few careful glances, he retracted his attention and went towards a large tent together with the Martial General.

“Here is the dining hall. Your men might refresh themselves here while we can go over to my tent and discuss the things you need.”

“Martial General Gu is too hospitable. It’d be impolite to turn you down. Please show the way.”

Kairos and the old general went towards a tent besides the central command station. There are 30 gazebos of such size in this place for the Marital Generals, and three larger ones for the three Great Martial Generals. There is additionally one more tent bigger than the other accommodations, reserved for the leader of the frontline army, a Martial King.

When he stepped into Martial King Gu’s pavilion, he immediately found the person aforementioned.

Kairos breathed, “Sihala?”