2500 HOURS.

SATURDAY, 27 AUTUMNSUS 1441.

GLACIES, YONDEL.

Mike was in a large bathroom, and by bathroom he meant that the pool used for bathing was enormous. The clock had already passed Earth’s midnight, and now at 25:00, time slowly passed as he stripped himself of his mud crusted gear. For the past week ever since the evaluation was initiated, Oliver had been driving his Rangers to stay in peak physical condition while also having them attend private lessons in the castle library. He of course was doing this so that no one would be out-of-shape, or dumb enough to get killed, but the days of constant training were begging to wear on everyone, and it was only during this long stretch of night did the captain decide to give everyone liberty for tomorrow. Mike partly felt like he was a VIP in this place. He was all alone in the large bathroom, and he was provided with luxury soaps and other types of shampoos to clean himself. Of course, he had no doubt this was done for an impression to be imprinted upon him, but at the same time he wouldn’t argue about being treated as a human rather than an expendable weapon. Naturally caveats came with such brash decisions. This, however, was something he was willing to put up with.

Upon entering the room, Mike felt the warm steam coming from the magically heated pool of water. Looking around, the sergeant was easily able to determine that the Kingdom of Yondel followed lifestyles and cultures commonly found amongst the Eastern European and East Asian nations found on Earth, more specifically Germany, Poland, and Japan. This bathroom was more appropriately compared to an Onsen in Japan as there were a collection of water basins to the right and the pool of water had warnings around it no doubt referring to cleaning one’s body before getting in the near-sauna temperature water. Even with all the luxuries provided by the kingdom, Mike was still reluctant like his fellow soldiers to stow away their weapons in their state room. He kept his pistol with him at all times, and now he was toting around with it as he took a seat at one of the metal basins. He placed the .45 caliber pistol on the shelf in front of him and he took his time washing the dirt that stuck to his skin. After ten minutes of scrubbing away, he felt clean enough to get into the main pool; and that he did with a gleeful smile as he sunk into the water letting it rise to his shoulders and neck.

A week has passed since the examination.

Adding on two or three days and it had been a total of ten days since they were dumped into this world.

Raising his finger, the sergeant traced the scar that was on his neck, It wasn’t big by any means. Just two and a half inches in length and no bigger than half the width of his pinky finger, the scar replayed endless memories through his mind. He had gained the scar during an incident in Africa. Alpha Company, Third Platoon, Fourth Squadron. He was nothing more than a newbie in the Regiment then. Just a kid out of Ranger School with a chevron and an arc. How he breezed through the rank of corporal and suddenly ended up as a sergeant at twenty-five years old was still mind-boggling to Mike. Sure, he had an enlistment advancement due to his bachelors in electrical engineering, that’s what got him the rank of E3, and sure he was in an advance position due to his proactiveness in taking college course classes in high school shaving off nearly a year, but to think that everything he went through would build up to not only when he gained the scar but also where he was now, it was hard to believe he survived in those environments.

At twenty-three he had seen more corpses than a morgue could ever hope to host. Some of them were those in his unit, some, weren’t. He was a bright-eyed Ranger, one that often humbled himself, but one that many said he would rise into a position of command. Now? He didn’t know. Those compliments and helping hands meant nothing in this world. And all he had left were those within the loosely held-together squadron, and a link to the outside through Princess Leccamaradel. How many countless nights had he spent pondering over what he should do, there was little breathing room to get more information, and now he was expected to be nothing more than what he was trained for. Could he complain? No. There was a reason why he chose this life.

Then there was more, trial and error. The kingdom had repeatedly sent out scouts to the Frontier in the hope of confirming the threat of the Demon Lord. Still, even with the constant search parties, the reports that came back were abnormal, varied, and unreliable. A picture was established that there indeed was an increase contact rate of monsters of pure fantasy, but without seeing it for himself, all Mike could do was doubt the information being passed to the squadron, let alone being told to the princess who was in charge of all of them. Was it sabotage that they didn’t want to share unconfirmed information? Perhaps it was more being kept out of the loop. Being kept on a need-to-know basis. Operation Silver Shield was like that. The Rangers didn’t know what they were going to be facing, let alone be doing within Task Force Spare, so why should this be any different?

The scar on his neck was living proof that he could live through anything and escape with his life.

He would be damned if he didn’t do it again.

“Holy Knight Randall.”

Snapping his hand next to his pistol, the sergeant fought the urge to confront the person that had just snuck up on him with hostility. It was his fault for letting his guard down. If he were still in Ranger School or RASP, the Cadre would have made him into a sugar cookie and ran him around the base until his legs were on fire. The sloshing of the water, his movements echoed around the room as Mike turned around to the person that spoke to him.

“Who is it?” The questioned answered itself as the sergeant saw both the princess and her butler standing at the entrance to the bath, “Shit!” Ensuring that the towel around his waist was tied properly, the sergeant quickly nodded his head as he walked past the princess into the next room. In a rush the Ranger threw on at least some underclothes, nothing more than a pair of underwear and an undershirt.

“Princess, sir, why are you here?” he asked in a hesitant and panicked voice.

Lecca seemed amused by the display. The sneering smile looked abnormal on her face, but Mike supposed that even a person like her could crack an ugly smile at such an embarrassing display. He let out a strong sigh as he used his towel to dry his short-cut hair. He did not want to deal with this, especially in the middle of the night. Still, he felt quite exposed, and all he could do was fold his arms over his chest and not expose any more skin than he had to. The princess’s eyes flickered around his body before it returned to his face. Different cultures? Mike dwelled on this question.

“So, again, what can I do for you? I’m afraid I can’t do much in my current state,” Mike said.

“Tomorrow morning the Holy Knights will be departing for the city of Bishmark. The king has organized the trip for the purposes of bolstering the defense of the city, and as a chance for you all to expand your knowledge on the kingdom.” Beside the princess, Harold, her butler answered her. “Due to the nature of the mission, you have all been provided with civilian attire, and your combat garbs will be taken for cleaning and repair.”

Mike understood what the older man said, but he couldn’t help feeling dumbfounded, “Wouldn’t it be better to tell us all tomorrow morning?”

“We did tell everyone else. However, you weren’t present after training.”

Mike had pawned his responsibilities on Anthony during the day. The argument he had for doing that was that the corporal had been not so subtle flirting instead of training.

“And our gear? Our weapons?” Mike asked, averting that topic.

“They’ll be stowed away in the carriage we take to Bishmark.” Lecca cut in as she opened the exit from the dressing room, “Care to take a walk, Mike?”

Mike lowered his head and looked at the clothes he was wearing, “Give me a second.” Soon enough he was decent enough after he had slipped on his pants, boots, and pistol. The princess and the sergeant strolled out into the empty halls that were only illuminated by scattered torches and rays of moonlight. Harold had opted to stay behind providing the explanation that he was collecting the articles of clothing that Mike left behind to clean.

Passing a patrol of knights, Mike caught up to the princess in the darkened hall. Stopping near a large window, Lecca was silent as Mike breathed quietly as he stepped next to her. He didn’t know what to say, the princess had invited him out on a walk but nothing else; he felt odd, this wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Sure, he had been on ‘walks’ with people on earth, but even those were cases where he just so happened to tag along as a third wheel. To be invited specifically was something he wasn’t used to, but he could manage. Turning to the window, the gentle moonlight shining from the clouded heavens above painted the hall in an almost ethereal aura. The only time where the sergeant could see such clear skies and shining stars was during the time he had spent deployed in Africa.

“When are we going to do something? I know we’ve been cooped up here to learn more about this world, but if we stay here any long, I might just go stir crazy,” Mike murmured daring to break the silence. His frustration had won.

The small smile that the princess wore faded. She did not expect this line of conversation, “The mission to Bishmark is supposed to be an evaluation,” She revealed growing uncomfortable with what the king had put her up to accomplish. “I do not agree with wasting the experience you all have, though, there is only so much I can do as your commanding officer. King Aldrecht is in control of all military-related matters.”

“He’s stonewalling us. Guess the guy doesn’t want us to leave so soon,” Mike speculated.

At the end of the hall, the echoes of footsteps snatched the attention of the two. In an ironic fashion King Aldrecht happened to turn the corner and upon seeing both standing by each other, his expression brightened as he swiftly walked over. Compared to everyone else, the king stood out, naturally. The velvet and red colors of his tunic and cape moved with his movements and sat still as soon as he reached the princess and Mike. “I’m surprised to find you both up this late. You’re not getting into any frisky adventures, are you?”

His attempt at teasing both adults had failed miserably. Lecca face palmed while Mike bothered to answer, “Not exactly your majesty. We were discussing what was going to happen tomorrow.”

“Ah, I see,” Aldrecht grew silent. It was apparent he did not want the princess to share what he was to brief the Holy Knights on. “I was not aware that you were informed about the security issue in Bishmark. We have reports of nearby raiders knocking on the city’s borders, up to the size of a single legion, and I want you to cooperate with local forces to handle the situation. The reason I instead for you to be there is to assure that high-value assets are not lost. And, I have a favor to repay to someone, so this is why I’m doing this.”

It can’t be… Mike took a moment to think. He needed to consider this mission in a strategic light. “Personal gain, sir? Not that I’m against it, especially if critical resources are present. However, we were summoned here to take out a Demon Lord; if that’s the case, then handing security won’t get us anywhere. Unless you suspect that some insurgents are connected to our primary target,” It was his best prediction. He had limited information, and there was little he could do with the lack of knowledge surrounding the Demon Lord and his armies.

Aldrecht opted to remain cryptic, “I’ll leave that to your imagination, holy knight.”

“Seriously?” Mike was not impressed.

King Aldrecht folded his hands over each other and stepped back. He provided a sly smile and turned to walk away. Mike simply stared, completely dumbfounded as the man vanished behind another corner at the end of the hall. The brief interaction held between the three answered none of the questions that was brewing in the sergeant’s mind. He didn’t know what to expect anymore. The lack of information, and now being purposefully left in the dark about crucial details related to missions that could very well kill him and the other Rangers was something that enraged Mike. This wasn’t a game, yet the king and his circle were finding out the best option to get them killed in a single engagement that did nothing to change the bigger picture.

Shaking his head, he rid himself of any unsavory feelings. “What is Bishmark like?” he asked, curious about where he and the others would end up soon. He’d much rather have an idea of the environment he would be working in rather than going completely blind.

Lecca hummed quietly as she looked away from the moonlit sky. Mike’s eyes widened as her silver hair shimmered and her pale skin glowed angelically. He was almost distracted as she provided an answer, “Many call it the “Crown Jewel” of the kingdom. It is the nexus of trade and acts as a hub where merchants from foreign lands come to spread their goods and influence. The city has grown large enough to where foreign traders are beginning to invest their earnings into newly established companies and trading firms.”

“Sound like New York,” Mike said with a growing smile.

“New York?”

He chuckled to himself as he recalled a distant memory; one where he walked the streets of Manhattan with his family as a young teenager. “It’s like Bishmark. New York, more Manhattan, is the central nexus for everything stocks, bonds, and investments. Trades is a bit smaller, primarily due to that being handled by San Francisco, but the market in the big apple is the largest as it encapsulates the entire world.”

“I would like to visit your world. It is truly different than ours, and dare I say my curiosity has been bugging me to no end,” Lecca bashfully aid imagining the city that Mike had described. “I think it would be a worthwhile experience, and perhaps I can bring some idea back here when I get into the higher echelons of the kingdom. I hope your homeland would work with me on that.”

“Well to bring a foreign lady such as yourself, let alone someone from another world might raise some questions, “Mike let out a hearty chuckle. “I can only imagine how the CIA would react to me escorting someone from another world through New York. I wonder how my sister would react to it.”

Lecca could feel the waning emotions that the Ranger beside her displayed. He fell into an emotionless state. It was as if he was pulled away by a memory that he couldn’t relive. “Perhaps it would be best to continue this at a later time?” she asked softly. Mike turned to her, his complexion returned to normal, and a smile just barely showed on the edges of his lips.

“Yeah, talk to you tomorrow, Lecca.”

Publicly Available Information: Information Brief 6 — Investors and Merchants:

Acting as the economic lifeblood of any nation, Merchants move goods from foreign lands and introduce new technologies and cultures to nations all over the world.

Investors give the ability for merchants to expand their reach and hold greater wealth amongst the common people.