A few days later, Lewis returned to the frontline iron wolves camp.
It was a big surprise, for the grand knight had mistaken their disappearance for their death in the hands of the two druids that escaped the fire dagger tribe when hell broke loose and the two armies fought in a bloody battle.
And it had been one.
Lewis could tell that among the 800 imperial soldiers that had entered the battlefield, more than half were injured to some extent, and at least 100 lost their lives. Jorg and Eric Aurelius, however, were unscathed. A little investigation was enough to understand that Jorg had completely trampled on the barbarian chieftain.
For a month, Lewis had taken up the sword, cut barbarians, but he did much more.
After welcoming their return, Eric Aurelius gave them some time to recover. A day or two, mainly to treat the injured and to install some calm after a month of skirmishes and battles. Then, he summoned Lewis. This time, he was alone. Such was the privilege of being a Dalian Noble.
"Eric", Lewis bowed slightly according to the Dalian etiquette, with grace and authority
Eric Aurelius reciprocated the bow, and expressed his admiration: "When I was your age...I was still a squire. Hell, I had yet to participate in my first battle. The opportunities were there, but my master never allowed me on a battlefield, judging that I was not ready. Back in the days, I wanted nothing but one chance, one opportunity at proving my worth. I would have given ten years of life expectancy to be allowed on a battlefield and refine my swordsmanship..."
He paused for a moment.
But then, he sighed and continued: "But after my first battle, I realized I was foolish. From this point onward, I had responsibilities and they chased me towards these outlandish frontiers, fighting against barbarians in the crippling cold of the North...Yet, you have shown me during this past month that I was lucky...Because you are so much stronger than I was...than I ever was, and yet you are only 15, if my memories are right. To reach such a realm of strength at such a young age...You were not even allowed these days of innocence, were you?"
Lewis titled his head, not understanding his question.
Ignorance of children...In a way, Eric was right. In both lifetimes, he never managed to live a normal life. Since he was born, he was trained to fight and command battles. He never was innocent, or lacked responsibilities. As a noble and then as an imperial mages, he had a duty.
Thus, Lewis stayed silent.
Eric stopped his blaberring, used to the young noble's antics: "Anyway, I have already sent the report to the Emperor himself. Your achievements here will be rewarded, and your household's reputation will soar. I don't have much to offer you, but surely the imperial army will. The Dalian Empire is rough, but generous towards its guardian. As per the agreement, the reward will be sent to the Crimson clan through the teleportation array"
Lewis smiled, before taking a look at Eric's necklace.
After talking with the grand knight for a month, he was used to the man's equipment, but this was the first time he talked to the man without his armour set equipped.
The necklace was unremarkable, but the crescent moon symbol and insignificant ripples of arcane magic did not escape Lewis' perception. Hell, had he not become a blood human and increased his perception and arcane senses significantly, he would not have even noticed it. He had never heard of such a magical artefact before...
"Your necklace...Where does it come from?", Lewis asked
Eric smiled: "Oh? You recognize its value? This is a gift from the Emperor to its imperial grand knights, actually. All of us wear the very same necklace. According to what I have heard, it allows the Empire to keep track of our vitals. That way, if we die, this means that the army accompanying us has collapsed, since we are much more durable than regular imperial soldiers"
Lewis nodded, knowing that there were numerous magical entities supporting the empire, many of whom came from the [Noble Faction], one of the seven major factions of the Magical Court. Still, to craft magical artefact, even crude ones like the one worn by Eric Aurelius, was not something within the realm of regular acolytes. Only a handful of acolytes could achieve this after decades of persistent trials and errors, with the support of the wealthiest faction of all, the arcane faction.
The Noble faction, however, was much more different, more dedicated to the political whirlpool surrounding the empire than actual arcane studies. So these must have been passed down through generations, or bought.
The crescent moon necklace was a kind reminder that despite his experience and knowledge, there was still a lot that he ignored. Having become a blood human was a great boon indeed, but becoming complacent for having a head start compared to his past life would be utterly foolish.
Lewis smiled, and left the tent.
It was time to return to the Magical Court.