Chapter 2

The four years of war had instilled in Locke the habit of eating quickly. After finishing his meal, he wiped his hands and said to Hans, who was standing beside him, "Hans, let's go."

Locke returned to the supply camp. It was noon, and most people were either sleeping or at the tavern. Locke walked straight to the rear of the supply camp, where the post station was located. He took the money pouch from Hans and entered the station.

"Warner! Warner!" Locke called out loudly.

"Damn it! You're going to get it! Damn you, Locke, I heard you. You can't even let a man have a proper nap, you damn guy!" Warner, who was responsible for the post station, walked out from a room inside, complaining. "Are you sending money home again? Come on, give it to me!"

"Here, this is mine, and these are from the guys in my squad. Don't mix them up!" Locke instructed.

"I know, I know. It's not the first time I've sent money for you. No other squad is as fussy as yours!" Warner was still annoyed that Locke had woken him from his nap, grumbling as he spoke.

"You little brat, if you mix them up, I'll make you pay." Locke gritted his teeth at the lucky fellow. He called him lucky because, as the post station manager, Warner not only enjoyed the pay of a third-class soldier but also held a safe position. After all, everything else could go wrong, but logistics couldn't. Moreover, in this position, he didn't have to worry about people's attitudes; even a squad leader wouldn't dare to provoke Warner. However, there was no promotion path here. When Locke was a third-class soldier, Warner was already in charge of the post station. Now, Locke had been a second-class soldier for over a year, and Warner was still in the same position. However, it was rumored that Warner had a relative who was the butler to the baron, so he would likely have a way to advance in the future.

"Okay, okay, do you have any other requests? Any messages to send?" Warner had dealt with Locke for a long time and knew that he always had a few words to send home when he sent money.

"Sure. Tell my parents to take care of their health, and tell my sister not to save money. If she wants to buy something, she should buy it. I'm not short of money now." Locke had already thought about what to say. He believed his sister knew what he wanted her to buy—a silk ribbon for her hair. This was Locke's obsession.

"Got it. The caravan heading back to our Kaidoqi fief leaves tomorrow. It will first go to the occupied Peters fief in the eastern Tiel province, then to the capital, Flore City, and finally back to our southern Del province. It should arrive in no more than 20 days." Warner said. After a brief chat, Locke bid farewell to Warner. He didn't want to disturb his nap. Although it seemed quiet now with only Locke, it would be busy in the afternoon because today was payday.

Leaving the post station, Locke and Hans returned to their squad's tent. "Hans, what do you think our village looks like now?" Locke asked as they walked back. They were from the same village, and their families were neighbors.

"Probably the same. The maple tree at the village entrance should be bigger now. My older brother had another son this year, so I now have three nephews. The land at home won't be a problem, and the harvest this year is said to be good. The village killed a pig for the military families, and every household got a share. And..." Hans, usually a quiet person, couldn't stop talking once he started, rambling on until they returned to the tent.

"This war has been going on for four years and is almost over. I really want to go back soon," Locke sighed.

When Locke and Hans returned to their squad's tent, everyone except the on-duty servant soldier, Phil, was napping. Those who had been in battle knew that ample energy could help them survive longer on the battlefield.

Locke walked to his bed, took off his coat, and got into bed, but he couldn't sleep. He was thinking about how to advance to a first-class soldier. The Fostan Kingdom's army had its own promotion system: servant soldiers, the cannon fodder, were new recruits who had undergone two months of training; third-class soldiers, the main force of the kingdom's army, needed at least two years of service (one year during wartime) and the ability to handle three servant soldiers; second-class soldiers, who led 10-man squads, needed at least three years of service (two years during wartime) and the ability to handle three third-class soldiers; first-class soldiers, the elite fighters, led 100-man companies and needed at least four years of service (three years during wartime) and the ability to defeat at least three second-class soldiers. Yes, defeat, because first-class soldiers had the right to cultivate martial arts. As for the promotion from first-class soldier to knight, the army did not specify, likely because it was not public knowledge until one reached that level.

Locke knew his own strength. He could handle three second-class soldiers of the same level in a short, desperate fight, and he had the required service time. However, he was unsure if he could be promoted, as there were many others in the camp with similar strength. Two months ago, their battalion suffered a third of its casualties, and the third and fourth company commanders were killed, leaving two vacant positions. Many people were eyeing these positions.

Thinking about the battle two months ago, Locke shuddered. It was the second most intense battle he had experienced after the Battle of Gordon Heights. To capture the Felmer Grand Canyon, which led to the enemy's heartland, the kingdom's three major legions had been throwing lives into the fray without regard for casualties. To break the deadlock, the three legions took turns launching assaults on the canyon heights. The enemy, reportedly with only one legion, could hardly hold on. The battle was extremely difficult, and the enemy fought with all their might to defend their last line of defense. Locke had seen severely wounded enemy soldiers, surrounded by his own forces, launch desperate attacks. Was this to protect their homeland? Locke asked himself. If his kingdom were invaded, would he do the same? He thought about what his army had done in the Peters fief after defeating the main forces of the Charlot Kingdom last year—burning, killing, and looting. People with assets were reduced to slavery, and women of beauty were either taken by nobles or forced into military brothels. Thinking of his simple parents and kind sister, Locke understood his opponents, as he would have been even more ruthless in the same situation.

Faced with such determined opponents, Locke felt a deep respect, but he did not hesitate. This was war, and his comrades were also dying.

The three legions took nearly a month to capture the Felmer Grand Canyon. Locke's battalion belonged to the Eagle Legion's Second Infantry Regiment, Fifth Battalion. In that battle, the Second Infantry Regiment was the vanguard of the entire legion, and their battalion's Third and Fourth Companies were the vanguard of the battalion. The initial assault was led by these two companies. The sounds of slaughter never ceased, and even Locke, who was resting in the rear, could hear the screams, curses, and clashing of swords. Fireballs and lightning occasionally streaked across the sky, the power of magic. The sky was stained red with blood.

When it was Locke's and the First Company's turn to attack, the Third and Fourth Companies, which had returned, had already lost nearly half their men, causing panic among the soldiers. However, Locke, who had been in the war for four years, suppressed his fear. He knew that on the battlefield, one must not be timid; the more afraid you are, the faster you die. In that battle, under Locke's command, his squad avoided several waves of magical bombardment. Locke did not engage the enemy head-on, as such determined foes were the most dangerous. He suggested to the company commander, Uncle Joshua, to attack the canyon's flank, which was easier to defend against arrows and magic and had fewer enemy troops. Occupying the high ground on the canyon's flank was a significant achievement.

War is war, and Locke's squad still lost two men: a third-class soldier, Garry, a strong shield-bearer, and a servant soldier, Gar, a humorous young boy, only 16 years old. In that battle, Locke personally killed a lightly wounded second-class soldier, a third-class soldier, and five or six servant soldiers, at the cost of a stab wound to his right chest and several minor injuries. In the end, their squad killed one second-class soldier, five third-class soldiers, and over ten servant soldiers. This significant achievement was not only due to their numerical advantage but also their strong cohesion.

After killing the enemy, they could exchange their enemy's identification tags for military merit. A servant soldier's tag was worth 1 point, a third-class soldier's tag was worth 5 points, and a second-class soldier's tag was worth 10 points. Locke had accumulated nearly 50 points of military merit. In the camp, military merit could be exchanged for promotions; 100 points could be exchanged for a first-class soldier's rank. It could also be used as currency, allowing soldiers to buy anything they wanted from the supply camp, which was more versatile and valuable than silver ducats. Finally, it could be exchanged for money, with 1 point equaling 1 silver ducat. Most soldiers chose to exchange their military merit for money, as the Fostan Kingdom had experienced two years of drought, and food prices were high. Most soldiers joined the army to support their families, and the money exchanged from military merit could not be embezzled by the nobles or the military. Sending this money home meant their families could survive.

Locke had previously exchanged his military merit for money, but after the Battle of Gordon Heights last year, he changed his mind. If he couldn't survive, how could he make his family's life better? The most vulnerable and quickest to die on the battlefield were the low-ranking soldiers, especially servant soldiers, who died the fastest in high-intensity battles. Even he, a third-class soldier with some strength, had to hide in a pile of dead bodies to survive after exhausting his strength. After that battle, his strength improved significantly, and with the help of Uncle Joshua, who had been promoted to company commander, he became a squad leader, moving out of the ranks of the common soldiers.

Considering his current strength, he was in the middle of the competition. Although his military merit might not be the highest, it was certainly higher than most. There was a good chance he could be promoted this time, and he believed Uncle Joshua would help him.