The capital city of Vairo, Vairen, was equal parts similar and different to Willowan. It wasn't quite as grand, in Reivyn's opinion, but that didn't mean it wasn't prosperous. Reivyn couldn't see the signs of a nation at war, though, as he had previously pointed out. The people moved about their daily lives like nothing extraordinary was happening in their empire. Reivyn didn't pay it any mind, though, as their destination was on the front lines. It didn't matter to him if the citizens in the capital were mobilized for war as long as he had everything his company needed. It might cause problems for the military down the road if the same issue persisted in the other cities of the empire, but Reivyn didn't know for sure that that was the case. It could very well be that it was just the capital that wasn't affected. The emperor could be trying to keep the morale up by not burdening his people. The city wasn't as large as Willowan. Reivyn didn't know the reasons behind the disparity, but it was something to take note of. It could be a difference in manpower in the Tier 5 Regions. As far as Reivyn could tell, most of the empires operated similarly, and there wasn't too huge of a disparity between the talents of the individuals in the empires. Maybe they didn't have as many or as successful of expeditions securing them more advanced resources. Reivyn led the company through the city. They ignored the stares from the people watching them go by maintaining their professional bearing. It wasn't as important for them to appear to be as stoic as the local military for the populace, but Reivyn was going to ensure they had a good, professional reputation. The cohort of extra soldiers sent off to secure additional supplies eventually returned, and Reivyn motioned for Jekle to come over again. "Make sure a proper inventory is done," Reivyn instructed. "This is our first mission, and most of our funds are provided by the Wispan Imperial Family. We can't be too loose with our cash, and we definitely can't allow supplies to be misappropriated when walking into conflict. Have some of those soldiers go and purchase some horses, too. We're going to need scouts, and I don't see any reason why we should make them run when they can ride. This isn't the desert." "Yes, sir!" Jekle performed a salute and strode off to take care of the task. By the time the mercenary company Marched out the gates of the city, they had procured thirty horses. Reivyn wasn't going to assign that many scouts at a time; they were just one company of just over 200 people, but the extra mounts were a necessity. In a pinch, they could even cobble together a small cavalry strike force. Even though there were four hundred miles to the front lines, Reivyn immediately sent the scouts out, and the mercenary company trundled down the highway at double-time. Everyone had the Stamina to spare, and the forced March might help some of them unlock the valuable Skill even though there wasn't any kind of emergency. The orders that they had received so quickly upon arrival weren't because it was urgent. The general had just been waiting for their arrival and sent the orders over as soon as he knew they were here. Reivyn suspected that Prince Alwin wasn't actually part of the official delegation considering his overall lack of knowledge. He had probably just seen the opportunity to approach Kefira and had taken it. Reivyn could at least give him points for initiative if that were the case. The weather was pleasant, with scattered clouds in a blue sky, and the topography was very similar to Wispan. The fields were verdant and gold with crops outside the capital city, and Reivyn could see forests in the distance. The direction they were headed had hills in the distance, but there were no mountains visible on the horizon. Other than moving at double-time, the March was a pleasant affair, and there didn't seem to be anything to suggest that there was an invasion of the empire. There was still foot traffic that made way for the troops, and life seemed to go on as usual everywhere that Reivyn could see. They made good time on the mostly flat terrain, and the first settlements they passed through were comprised of the farming communities surrounding the capital. It was very reminiscent of Reivyn's time in Magron. The first true city that they passed through, approximately sixty miles away from the capital city, was more of the same. The people were going about their daily lives without a care in the world. It seemed that the people living near the Vairen were either unaware of the impending threat or they weren't taking it too seriously. They hadn't experienced a quick advance from the enemy forces like he had seen reports of in other places, after all. It wasn't until mid-afternoon on the third day when they were about halfway to their destination, that Reivyn saw signs of preparation and worry. The mercenary company jogged into a village about the same size as the village where he had been raised, Haluville, and Reivyn immediately spotted the difference. There was not a single person walking the streets alone. Not only that but even the obvious Lifestyle Classers were armed everywhere he looked. Gazing down one of the side streets, Reivyn even saw a group of people that were dressed in everyday work clothes and aprons, practicing Marching and wielding spears as a group. A couple of militiamen were standing to the side overseeing the practice. Reivyn waved down a passing couple of teenagers armed with clubs. They shared a glance and hesitantly approached Reivyn as he stepped away from the company. "Hello, I just have a quick question for the two of you, if you don't mind giving me a moment of your time," Reivyn addressed the two teenage boys. They looked like they were around the same age as Reivyn, but he had a completely different aura about himself after years of military service and active Dungeon delving. The two local boys looked like they didn't have combat Classes, and they still had the air of carefree youth about them. "Certainly, sir," one of them bobbed his head. "What did you want to know?" Reivyn gestured down the side street at the group of people practicing their formation. "Are the Lifestyle Classers being conscripted?" Reivyn asked. The two boys followed his gesture and turned back to Reivyn with understanding looks. "Not exactly, no," the first one replied. "There has been a round of conscription, but we haven't moved on to the Tier 2's, as of yet, much less the more established Lifestyle Classers. Just because they haven't been conscripted doesn't mean they can't fight, though." "Yeah, everyone's been practicing to participate in the militia," the other youth added. "Micah and I are Tier 2's, almost Tier 3, so we weren't subjected to the conscription, but we've all still participated in the same training. Our Skills won't grow as fast as those with Combat focused Classes, but that doesn't mean we can't raise them at all." "I see," Reivyn nodded his head. "So everyone is gearing up for a fight, then? What about simply evacuating the civilians?" "That's Plan A," the first youth responded. "Obviously, we hope we can all get away, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared to fight to cover other people's retreat." Reivyn considered the words of the two youths. He smiled and clapped the first one on the shoulder. "That's exactly right. You got people like us to hold the line, though, so hopefully, you'll never have to find out if it's useful or not." Reivyn turned and jogged back to his position leading the company. The two teenagers watched him go for a moment before turning back to their previous destination. "What was that about?" Kefira asked as he walked up. "I was just gauging the mentality of the people," Reivyn said. "It's good to know the mindset of those we're ostensibly going to be protecting. We won't find any hidden masters among their numbers, but in a pinch, we can probably expect some of them to step up to fight. Let's hope it never gets to that point, but it's good to know." "Is that your plan?" The head maid asked, frowning at Reivyn. She had been walking slightly behind Serilla, though the company protected the other maids in the center of the formation. "You're going to place your hopes on the people stepping up to fight with you?" "That kind of a foolish question doesn't deserve a response," Reivyn dismissed the girl. She was clearly just acting out, using her status as Silfa's agent as a shield. "You're only here as a mouthpiece for my mother, and your responsibilities have nothing to do with the mercenary company," Kefira reprimanded the maid. "I don't want to hear another word, even if it's praise, about military matters. Do you understand?" Kefira leveled a fierce glare at the older woman. She held up under the withering glare for a moment before bowing her head. "Yes, princess." "And don't think I've forgotten about you contradicting me in front of Prince Alwin. That's not your place to interject yourself." "Yes, princess." Reivyn gave a sly smile to Kefira. She winked back at him. Everything that she said and did would be reported back to her mother so there was no reason to be particularly antagonistic with the head maid, but that didn't mean she could let her get away with acting however she wanted. She was used to acting with Silfa's presence looming in the background, but that protection was absent. Even if Kefira's actions were relayed to her mother, she wouldn't be punished for disciplining the head maid. The other woman probably hadn't realized that fact yet. The little village was just a blip on their journey to Piori. After seeing the populace taking the matter of the invasion more seriously outside the influence of the capital city, Reivyn noticed more and more signs of it. The farming communities had skeleton crews manning them, and only the stronger, higher-Level men were there. The women, children, and family members were nowhere to be seen. Reivyn suspected that they had made the journey to the capital or one of the surrounding towns. He hadn't noticed a glut of population increase in the closer villages where the civilians had been training as militia. Even in these situations, they were never alone. They worked in pairs and had ample lookouts keeping an eye out. They made good time, traveling about eighty miles a day, and by the time they were within fifty miles of their destination, they began to run into patrols sent out by the commander in Piori. Reivyn inwardly praised the commanding officer. He wasn't solely focused on scouting beyond the lines, but he kept an eye out for anyone infiltrating beyond their lines. A group of mounted soldiers crested a low hill. They weren't riding along the main road, but upon seeing the line of mercenaries in formation, they immediately headed toward them. They pulled up at a distance, and one of the riders rode out a few more feet. "Hello! Identify yourself!" He shouted. The rest of the patrol remained ready to leave at a moment's notice. They were only a twenty-man unit, so if Reivyn's company was hostile, there was nothing they could do being outnumbered ten-to-one. The fact that the mercenary company didn't react to them and attack allowed them to converse with them, though. "We're the Vynn Mercenary Company, employed by the Imperial Family with orders from the General of the Army to report to Piori," Reivyn hollered back with Commanding Shout. He had spoken with Kefira at length about the name of the company, and she had agreed to let him leave a legacy for his fallen homeland by naming it after them. His mother and father had been rather appreciative of the gesture, and it warmed Reivyn's heart to be able to do something for them, even if it was purely sentimental. "Do you have proof?" The patrol leader asked back. Reivyn could see some of the tension leave the shoulders of many of the riders after he announced who they were. It was good that they were vigilant, but if he ever ran into their commander in a more private setting, he might mention it to the man. They were a little too trusting to lower their guard so soon. Reivyn banished the thoughts from his mind and summoned one of the scouts. Kefira handed over the envelope containing the orders to the man, and he rode out alone to hand it over to the patrol leader. The man verified the contents and gave it back to the scout. He rummaged in his pack for something and handed it over with the envelope. "Here, attach this pennant to a pole," he called down to Reivyn. "It has a unique Mana imprint on it, and it can be used to verify your identity as one of us. It's only a spare, so you'll have to return it to me later after you get your own from the commander." "Thanks!" Reivyn called back up. The scout returned to Reivyn, handing over the goods, and the patrol leader commanded his men to continue their mission. "Wasn't that a little too easy?" Reivyn muttered under his breath. "They were far too trusting. What if we had counterfeit documents?" "Not really," Kefira replied next to him. "You didn't really ever look at the orders, but the signature has a unique Mana imprint, as well. I'm sure the patrol leader was checking that." "That makes sense," Reivyn mused. "It's much easier to encode little things to increase the speed of verification than having to wait around all the time for a third party to confirm things. I hadn't thought of that, but seeing as how they have one on a pennant, it seems it's a widely used strategy." "Yeah, we have them, too," Kefira said. "You've just not been exposed to it before." "Someone get that attached to a pole," Reivyn said, handing the pennant over to Jekle. "And let's get moving. We're almost there." The surroundings remained pleasant. The weather was good, and the countryside was beautiful. As they got closer and closer to their destination, though, Reivyn started getting a strange sense. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he kept glancing around. He felt like he should be able to spot something different. "You notice it, too?" Refix asked. Reivyn and Kefira both looked over. Noticing their reaction to each other, Reivyn and Kefira shared a look as well. "I can't put my finger on it either, but there's a strange feeling to the atmosphere. It's not like the Dungeon break forever ago, but it gives me a similar vibe." "Yeah, it's like there's something strange with the ambient Mana, but I can't tell what it is," Kefira said. "The concentration isn't different, but it's like a nettle poking me in the back of my mind." The strange atmosphere only continued to increase the closer they got to Piori. Reivyn almost felt like they should be riding through a dead countryside. He kept expecting to look up at a distant forest and only see bare trees, dead with no leaves, but everything was still vibrant. The wind sent chills down Reivyn's spine, even though it wasn't particularly cold. "I'm sure we'll figure it out before long," Reivyn said. "Or someone will just tell us what it is." The mercenary company continued its journey. It must have been because of their sensitivity to the Mana that they were the first to notice anything out of the ordinary. Soon after the initial discovery, the members of the Mage Corps platoon began to fidget and shift about. They were also looking around to figure out what was distracting them. Kefira went over and spoke with their leader, and she was able to get them to calm down. It took some time to adapt to the strange sensation, but everyone was able to do so. The next group of people to be alerted to the difference were the few Tier 4 individuals who had just unlocked their Mana and Affinities. Their sensitivity was the lowest of those able to use Mana, but they could pick up on the strangeness after being subjected to it long enough. Finally, even the group of people who made up the majority of the force, the Tier 3's without Mana or Affinities, began to notice the subtle difference. They were twenty miles away from Piori, and everyone in the mercenary company was aware that something strange was going on with the ambient Mana. Reivyn hadn't expected it to be quite so influential that even those without Mana Skills were able to notice it, and he really wanted to understand what the cause was. There was no difference in his ability to access his Mana Skills or Affinities, and his Spell casting abilities were unaffected, as well. He could still absorb Mana just fine. There didn't seem to be anything to worry about, but there was just this nagging sensation in the back of his head that was coming from the ambient Mana. It must have something to do with the invaders, Reivyn realized. Aeriella was there to subjugate that giant spider matriarch. The invaders here must have a purpose as well. They've probably discovered what it is that they're looking for, and they're already tampering with it. A purely defensive strategy probably isn't the right call in this situation. Reivyn was just a mercenary captain this time. He had a say in the tactics during operations planning, but his opinion would most likely be mostly ignored in the overall strategy. He would need to speak with Kefira to figure out a way to leverage her identity if he wanted a voice with the big shots. He didn't know for sure they were dealing with a group of people already accomplishing their mission, either. He would need to do some more investigation and inquiring to piece things together, and considering that at least a portion of the front-line soldiers was located in a spot where it could be felt by everyone, there was no way the commanders didn't know something was going on. The best thing that he could do currently would be to simply explain the situation they had encountered in Drallo. "I think you're going to need to relay the information about the spider matriarch to the general in Piori," Reivyn turned to Kefira. "You think they're doing something similar here?" She asked. "Yeah. That wasn't an invasion, according to Aeriella, but it was still an intrusion. We've gotten multiple reports of true invasions of other empires, but this one doesn't look similar to those. They aren't pushing toward the capital, at least not yet, but they're probably the cause of the ambient Mana phenomenon. "It's not our job to take charge and win the war for them. We're mainly here as an experiment to expand the acquisition of experience for the people of Wispan, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do our best to have a positive result for our employers." "I'll see about getting a private meeting with him after we get settled in. Bringing it up as soon as we get there might not be the best choice, as I'm sure he's busy. He'll want to pen in an appointment to discuss it at length without having to worry about messing up his schedule. I know I would appreciate that. It's not like the information we have is life or death in this situation." "Sounds good." The walls of Piori finally came into view in the distance. Despite the sky being blue with just a little overcast, Reivyn had the impression that everything had a gray tinge to it. The only sounds that were carrying on the wind were those of the military stationed in the city, and he didn't hear the tell-tale sounds of ordinary life like the ringing of a blacksmith's workshop or the hollering of people bartering for goods in the market square. Those sounds, despite the city walls, were usually carried far enough that they could be picked up by Reivyn's enhanced Perception. There was a dreary tone to the day as the mercenary company approached the city gates, and after inspecting the pennant with a tool from a distance, the portcullis was opened for them. Reivyn led the troops inside the city, and he was met with the scene of a military fort. It was like the entire city was one big military installation, and there were hardly any civilians to be seen out and about. They were there, of course, but they were hurrying along with their heads down. There were no throngs of people in the streets, just orderly patrols of soldiers and guards Marching about. Reivyn peeled off to the side with Refix and Kefira, Serilla still trailing her with the head maid also in attendance, to approach the guard captain at the gates. Kefira handed over the envelope when they approached, and the man perused the contents briefly. "I'm guessing you want directions?" The man looked up, quirking an eyebrow. Reivyn nodded his head. "Just follow the main road to the administrative buildings in the center of town. Prince Allik has taken up residence there. He's the commanding general." "Thank you, Captain," Reivyn said with a nod after glancing at the man's rank insignia. "No problem. Your men can follow the wall to the left along that road," he pointed off to the side. "There are some empty barracks down that way where they can stay in for now. I'm sure if you tell the admin guys about this, they'll make it so that it's their permanent lodging." Reivyn nodded his head once more and indicated for Jekle to lead the mercenary company that way. He continued into the city proper with the others in tow. The city was about the same size as Magron, and in better times, Reivyn could imagine the streets being swarmed with civilians. He could faintly hear the phantom calls of the people as they walked. He glanced around everywhere, taking it all in. He didn't know how many soldiers were stationed here, but they could be seen everywhere. That also didn't include the fact that there were obviously multiple patrols on either side of the city, as well. "This is just a corner of the front lines, and there have to be forty or fifty thousand troops stationed here," Reivyn commented. Refix glanced around and nodded his head in agreement. Kefira just gave him a curious look. The head maid spoke up, though. "I'm not doubting you or anything; I'm just curious, but what do you base that assessment on?" She asked. Reivyn gave her a look and saw that she really wasn't trying to stir up trouble this time, so he gave her a candid answer. "Just on what can be seen and what can't be seen," he replied. "You can't just look at what's in front of you. You have to extrapolate what it means. We can see dozens of squads on patrol in the streets. It's unlikely that they're all on patrol right now, though. Ten squads patrolling indicates there are ten more squads not patrolling. Taking into account the rotation of duties, we can also extrapolate how many companies there are, and we can guess how many people are in the companies based on the squad size. "You also have to consider that there are going to be units training, units out in the field, units manning the walls, and units resting. There's also the fact that we know they've conscripted people from the surroundings, as well, but we haven't seen any of them yet. If you operate at 100% capacity at all times, then your soldiers will get worn out. I would guess that they're operating at 20% capacity at any given time." The head maid gave Reivyn a strange look, processing the information that he had divulged. He knew that his estimation in her books had gone up, but he didn't really care one way or the other. The small group eventually arrived in front of the administrative building, and with another check of the orders in the envelope, they were directed to where they could meet the commander, Prince Allik. "Alright, time to find out what we're going to be doing for the next several months," Reivyn said.