Reivyn was pleasantly surprised to find that, despite what was said in the classroom and on paper, once they entered the field for practical application, the tactics and diversity of weaponry was much more complex than they were led to believe. Two platoons of regular soldiers, a squad of mages, and a squad of cavalry were pulled to assist with the training. They were equipped with javelins, pikes, halberds, swords and shields, hammers, and bows. Instead of having everyone in the unit equipped with just pikes and swords, half the squad was equipped with halberds. Everyone had a sidearm and a shield strapped to their back, and the last squad, the fifth squad, had bows and war hammers. They were a "just in case" kind of squad, and Reivyn could see how having heavy blunt damage could be useful against heartier monsters and armored foes. The pikes gave stopping power while the halberds added a finishing move or they could use their hook to unseat horsemen. The squads could be rotated out, but they didn't need to use four full squads for the task. As an average entire Tier higher than what he had encountered in Magron, the troops had much more Stamina, and they recovered faster. The first and second squads rotated with each other, the third and fourth squads rotated with each other, and the fifth squad was ranged and specialized. The individual troops were extremely competent in their tasks, and the Candidates took turns commanding squads in simulation to commanding a platoon. Sometimes they were given the opportunity to move the entire platoon around. Most of the practice in the first half of the week involved learning the proper commands to give for what situation, and how to maintain formation with the rest of the company. They were told that most of the tactics would be implemented by the company commanders assigned to them, and it was unlikely they would be operating independently, anyway. Reivyn wasn't entirely convinced of that, as every plan only lasted until the first arrow was launched. There was no telling what could happen when combat was initiated. They didn't completely ignore teaching tactics, though, it just wasn't as in-depth as Reivyn had hoped. The tactics demonstrated also incorporated combinations with the Mages and Cavalry, but Reivyn felt it could be so much more. They didn't attempt any kind of movement under fire, as he had told his compatriots, and the Mages were used more like an initial bombardment of the enemy. That was all well and good, and it was effective in its own way, but Reivyn thought they could do it better. He wasn't planning on usurping authority, or implementing his own tactics over that of the ones ordered by the commanding officers. That was a way to sow confusion and get people killed. He just felt it was better to be prepared. What if they got separated from the rest of the company? What if the company commander was incapacitated or killed? If he got into a situation where he was in charge, whether that was stepping up as the company commander or being separated from the rest of the unit, he wanted his troops to be prepared to execute his ideas. The concept of movement under fire would be largely irrelevant if he was simply separated from the rest of the company somehow, but that was no reason to ignore it. Flanking maneuvers were well understood and practiced, and the cavalry showed that they were more than just a battering ram to thrust into the enemy formation. They still didn't seem to use them to the extent of suppression that Reivyn would have liked, but they weren't ineffective by any means. Overall, I would say that they're much better in practice than they are on paper, Reivyn mused. Maybe that's because of the truncated classroom lessons. I don't know. There's still room for improvement, in my opinion, but it's not so bad as I had feared. Another significant portion of time was spent on navigating and Map Reading. The platoon of Candidates were split up into smaller groups. Reivyn and the others were blindfolded, sat upon a horse, and then led in random directions before being sent off into the distance without knowing where they were. Reivyn was helped off of the horse, and the instructor removed his blindfold. He was handed a Mana compass and a map. Two other Candidates were still blindfolded, seated on their horses. They would apparently have their turn at a different location. "Where are we?" The instructor posed. He indicated for Reivyn to use the tools provided to pinpoint their position on the map. Reivyn's Map Reading Skill had steadily ticked up, and it was now sitting at Level 12. He scanned the environment to get an understanding of the terrain. Off in the distance was a decently sized plateau and some rolling hills. In another direction, there was a smattering of desert brush on flat land. Off in the distance, he could see a dry river bed, and even further away on the other side of the river bed he could see a single mountain peak. Reivyn took the map and located a general area to the southeast of the city that had similar features. He took out the Mana compass, calculated the angles, and quickly had intersecting lines on the map. He poked the intersection with the pen, and looked up at the instructor. "Good," the instructor nodded. "Now, our objective is here," the instructor marked another spot on the map. "Take us there." The location on the map the instructor indicated was beyond the plateau, and there were several steep hills and cliffs directly between them and the destination. They wouldn't be able to simply go straight there, and Reivyn had to path a route that would take them around the obstacles. After some simple calculations and drawing on the map, Reivyn had an acceptable route to take that he believed was the quickest feasible route, and he mounted his horse to lead the team to the next testing site. The desert region, aside from the desolate sands he had initially been transported to, was basically just a dry and arid area. Other than a lack of forests, less farmland, and not as much greenery, the actual terrain was still fairly similar to what he was used to. There were still hills, mountains, cliffs, plateaus, ravines, and valleys. It wasn't just a flat plain, devoid of life, for miles on end. The exercise didn't end once Reivyn led the team to the next location. After they arrived and the next Candidate was given a fresh map to perform the same tasks, Reivyn's blindfold was reapplied. The team of candidates spent the entire day, rotating between themselves, moving from location to location to identify where they were and find a way to get to the next location. The sun was setting on the horizon by the time the Candidates arrived back at the base camp. "I can safely say that I don't think there's any possibility of getting lost anywhere nearby," Jek jokingly said as they got a quick bite for dinner. "Yeah, but how's your Map Reading Skill coming along?" Reivyn asked. His own Skill had reached fifteen during the exercise. He had an advantage to growing his Skill, but he couldn't deny the effectiveness of the method. "I reached seven at the last destination," Jek nodded his head. "Can't say they don't know how to teach Map Reading. That's some fast Skill Leveling. I don't even have any supplementary Skills to boost it." "I have Sense Direction, a Tier 3 Skill that helps me remember where I've come from and where I'm going if I get turned around," Furok supplied. "It's not exactly aligned with Map Reading, but my Skill reached nine earlier today." "Eight," Derik said, not expanding on the information. "What about you?" Jek asked Reivyn. "Fifteen," Reivyn answered. "Ahh, already had it?" "No, I have Map Making, though," Reivyn explained. "Even then, that's pretty quick," Jek said. "Even though I didn't have the Skill for it, I already had some experience other than making my own," Reivyn shrugged. The second week of lessons ended much quicker, it seemed, than the first week. They didn't have specific lessons on the tangential aspects of being an officer. They were just expected to incorporate them while focusing mainly on drill, tactics, and land navigation. Reivyn was actually impressed with the Candidates' abilities to command the regular troops during training. Now they would just have to see how they fared in front of the volunteers. The volunteers were a different breed than the professional soldiers. They had spent the same amount of time on brushing up their abilities to follow commands and fight in formation, but their mindset wasn't the same as the soldiers in the regular military. The Candidates were formed up in front of the barracks, in clean, crisp uniforms, and Major Dobrik stood in front of them. The Mage Corps Candidates were in their own formation off to the side, but they fell under the ultimate command of the Major, as well. "You have all worked hard and performed well over the last month," he addressed the Candidates. "Today, you're no longer Candidates. Shortly, you will receive your insignia, and you will be commissioned as Provisional Lieutenants. The rank of Provisional Lieutenant is equivalent to a Third Lieutenant: You're above warrant officers, but under Second Lieutenants. "The volunteers have also been training over the past month, learning how to fight and move in formation. After the weekend, you will finally stand in front of the men and women under you, and you'll have a week to acclimate them to your specific command. The end of the week will culminate in an exercise of the entire force, and then it will be time to depart to rescue the citizens of Kirlon. "They have been taken from their homes for a month and a half, and we can only speculate on the treatment they have received. I commend each and every one of you for stepping forward to partake in this mission. Together, we'll be able to secure peace and safety for the people of Drallo." The speech was short and sweet, just like every time the man had stood before the Candidates. Provisional Lieutenants, now, Reivyn corrected himself. This is probably the longest speech he's given, actually. Major Dobrik stayed where he was, and each of the men and women in formation was called forward to the front of the formation, individually, to receive their rank insignia on the collar of their uniform. Major Dobrik offered them each a salute, personally, and then gave a congratulation. Reivyn was called as the last one, and he smartly marched to the front with pride. The Senior Sergeant and Major pinned the red, metal bar to his collar. He exchanged salutes and marched back to his position. He didn't feel any different after the official transition from Candidate to Officer, but he was filled with pride as he held his head high. The Mage Corps was handled next, and Reivyn continued to stand at attention, eyes front. He was able to witness each of the Mages receive their commission as well, though, and he wouldn't be able to truthfully say he didn't watch Fira the entire time out of the corner of his eye. His face almost cracked into a grin as she received her insignia pinned onto her collar. I wonder what the regulations are for the royal family of Wispan serving in the military? Reivyn idly thought. I seem to have recollections of royal families sending their sons to serve as Lieutenants themselves, within the chain of command. I can't really think of where that was, though. "You can continue to wear your uniform over the weekend," Major Dobrik continued after Reivyn had resumed his position in formation. "The break is well deserved, but be ready to get to real work at the start of the week. We still have the mission to accomplish ahead of us, and I'm confident we'll be successful. "Dismissed!" Major Dobrik marched off with the Senior Sergeant, and the newly promoted Lieutenants cheered for themselves and each other. Reivyn only halfheartedly cheered, as he turned and searched for Fira in the crowd of Mages. An arm was thrown over his shoulder, and a body crashed into his. "I know the food was pretty decent there in the mess hall, especially with always being the first ones to arrive," Jek said, a jovial smile on his face, "but let's go celebrate at a real restaurant." "Sure, sounds good," Reivyn nodded his head, his eyes not leaving their target. "Let me just get Fira and Sera, and we'll go find a place." "Of course, of course," Jek said, disentangling himself from Reivyn. "Wouldn't want to separate you from your girlfriend." "That, too, but it's not the only reason," Reivyn replied. "She'll bring the friends she made, and we can confer with them on our plans for extended tactics." "This is supposed to be a celebration," Jek rolled his eyes. "Can't you give it a rest for just a minute." "No." "Well... Ok, then," Jek said, slightly taken aback at the simple rejection. "Jek," Reivyn faced the man, looking him in the eye. "I'm not against celebrating, or putting things to the side for a moment, but this is a good opportunity. We'll celebrate, don't worry, but that doesn't mean we can't talk about important things, too." "Alright, man," Jek said, holding his hands up. "Your advice has been spot on for everything so far, so I'm not complaining, or anything. I'm just trying to get you to relax a bit." "Thanks," Reivyn clapped the man on the shoulder. "I'll be sure to let myself have some fun." "That's all I'm asking." Fira walked over with three other young women in tow, Sera walking to the side. Jek's eyes lit up as they made their way over, and Furok and Derik made their way over to join them when they saw the Mages walking over as well. "These three young ladies are Hera, Valerie, and Sammy," Fira introduced the new Mages to the group of Martial Lieutenants. "These gentlemen are Reivyn, Jek, Furok, and Derik," Fira pointed to each of the men in turn as she finished the introductions. "I see what you were saying," Valerie said to Fira, glancing Reivyn up and down. "Hands to yourself, sister," Fira struck a pose, hands on hips. The other three girls giggled behind their hands, and Fira wasn't able to maintain the straight look on her face, either, her mouth splitting into a grin. "C'mon! Let's go eat!" Jek cried. "The list of new Lieutenants is available for perusal, sir," Major Dobrik stood at attention in front of Colonel Zok's desk. The Colonel picked up a sheaf of papers and casually flipped through them, not really reading them. "Alright, Major," Colonel Zok replied. "I'll be sure to inform the City Lord. Thank you for your hard work. Dismissed." "Sir!" Major Dobrik snapped a salute and departed in a crisp manor. Colonel Zok waited a moment for the man to leave, and then he straightened the papers up and followed him out. I'm not sure why we keep these paper records when we can just access the information through the System, Colonel Zok mused as he walked down the hall toward the Count Yaolo's office. Just another old holdover that we could probably do without. I'll see about passing down an order to streamline it better. He was pleased with himself and his decision to improve the efficiency of the military unit. It was only a short distance down the hall to the Count's Office, and Colonel Zok quickly made his way there. Major Dobrik could have delivered the information directly to the Count himself, but there was a clear chain of command. It was right and proper for the Major to pass the information along to his direct superior. I didn't get where I am today by allowing my subordinates to go over my head. Proper military protocol must be adhered to. Colonel Zok knocked on the door and waltzed into the office. The Count had an open door policy for his counselors, so he didn't have to wait to be called in. He marched up to the desk and waited for his liege to address him. The Count finished writing whatever missive he was working on, and then he looked up at the Colonel before indicating for him to take a seat. Colonel Zok placed the documents on the desk in front of the City Lord. "I've finished training the volunteer Candidates, and I've prepared the reports for you to look over at your leisure," Colonel Zok said, taking his seat. "They should also be ready for access through the System, now that it's become official." "Very good," Count Yaolo nodded his head. "You've done an excellent job, once again. Let me just take a quick gander at the information..." The Count got a far away look in his eyes as he obviously pulled up the System information, leaving the documents unattended on his desk. Colonel Zok noticed the unused papers, and his conviction to increase efficiency increased. "Hmm?" Count Yaolo had a frown on his face as he read over the information in the System. "What's the meaning of this?" "Sir?" Colonel Zok had a sinking feeling in his gut. "Have you not looked at the list of new Lieutenants?" Count Yaolo peered over at him, a skeptical look on his face. "I've briefly glanced over the papers, but I haven't gone into detail in the System, yet," Colonel Zok could feel sweat bead his brow. "Well, pull it up," Count Yaolo commanded him. Colonel Zok accessed his System interface, and pulled up his tab for the military units. He scrolled over to the new tab of Provisional Lieutenants. Provisional Lieutenants Unassigned: Lt. Reivyn (Prov) Lt. Jek (Prov) Lt. Keeron (Prov) Lt. Rejiv (Prov) ... Lt. Gaspar (Prov) "You looking at it?" Count Yaolo asked. Colonel Zok nodded his head. "Focus on the first name, the number one graduate, and tell me what you see." Colonel Zok followed the orders. He focused his attention on the name at the top of the list. Lt. Reivyn (Prov) Class: Light Magus, Tier 2 Level 7 Secondary Class: Fighter Age: 14 "Do you see what I see?" Colonel Zok nodded his head once more, the feeling in his stomach intensifying. "Explain to me, why is a Level seven Tier 2 not only a Provisional Lieutenant, but the top of the graduating class?" "Umm, sir," Colonel Zok choked on his words for a moment before taking a deep breath and calming himself down. "All of the more in-depth information is recorded on the sheets of paper provided. If you'll just take a moment to glance through them, all the answers should be crystal clear." Colonel Zok was mentally crossing his fingers, hoping his subordinates hadn't played a cruel prank on him. If there isn't an adequate answer available, especially after I assured the Lord that there was, there will be hell to pay. Count Yaolo picked up the documents. Reivyn's information, as the number one graduate of the group, was right on the top. He leaned back in his chair as he perused the document. His brows shot up on his head, and Colonel Zok was amazed to see that they continued to climb higher and higher, almost defying reality, as his lord continued to read. "Ok, I'm convinced," Count Yaolo nodded his head, returning the paper to the top of the stack. "Again, excellent job. Make sure this young man is appropriately placed." "Of course, sir," Colonel Zok bobbed his head vigorously. His sense of relief suffused his entire being. I'll need to see what that paper says. What can a Tier 2 Level 7 Light Magus have on his record that so easily convinced the City Lord that it's apparently natural for him to be ranked how he was? Colonel Zok stayed with the City Lord for several more minutes discussing the upcoming training session to evaluate the entire Auxiliary Corps. He left all of the details up to Major Dobrik, as he was placed in charge of the volunteers. Colonel Zok had a much more important mission that he had reserved for himself, namely the defense of the city with the bulk of the regular troops. After he was dismissed from the Count's presence, he made his way to the personnel office where the originals of the documents were being filed. He popped his head and took a glance at the administrative staff hard at work. He was immediately noticed, and the soldiers came to attention as his body followed his head in. "Good work, everyone," Colonel Zok said, a smile on his face. He clapped the shoulder of the closest man as he walked further into the office. "At ease, at ease. Continue what you're doing. I'm just here to follow up and make sure everything is running smoothly. Need to make sure efficiency is a priority, but we can't let speed interfere with accuracy, now can we?" Colonel Zok had an amiable smile on his face as he sidled over to where the documents were being filed. "Excuse me," Colonel Zok said, snagging a copy of the personnel records being filed. He pretended to glance through the information seriously before placing it back down. "Do you have the record for the honor graduate? Lieutenant Reivyn? Just want to make sure everything is as it should be." "Of course, sir," the staff member replied, quickly pulling the record and handing it over to the Colonel. "Excellent, excellent," Colonel Zok said, reading the information. He couldn't see himself, but he could feel that his eyebrows were doing the same reality-defying trick he had witnessed the City Lord do just moments before as he continued to read the record. He re-read the document several times, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, before handing it back to the staff member, his face once again a mask of neutrality. He could feel the question burning in the younger man, but he ignored it. "Well, everything seems to be in order," he said, smiling to each staff member individually. "Make sure you keep those records nice and safe. It's important that we have hard, physical copies of all the information on our troops. Your work is needed, and appreciated." "Thank you, sir," the staff member who handed him the record called out as Colonel Zok retreated back to his office. That young man is definitely qualified, he mused as he walked through the halls once more. The Count said to make sure he was appropriately placed. He and the second place graduate seemed to have a good relationship. I know just where to put them. Colonel Zok nodded to himself at his brilliant idea, prepared to place the two best graduates in the most appropriate company.