"Hespar, son of the 300-men squad leader, is present!" Hespar made his way up the stage and kneeled on a knee before the baron. The official uniform matches so well with his figure, which further enhances his presence.
"With my authority as a titled baron appointed by his majesty, James Sauro, I will be promoting you to a 100-men assistant leader. Furthermore, you'll receive an official letter and token of an Aura User." the baron said.
"Long live to his majesty!" Hespar quickly responded to the baron's words.
The reward itself made everyone look at Hespar with jealousy. But inside their heart, they knew they were incapable of getting it.
"Good. The Sauro Kingdom has high hopes for you, assistant leader Hespar. We'll look forward to your excellent performance on the eastern front." the baron added and presented Hespar with an Aura User token, an army authority token, and a sword.
The name "Hespar" was engraved on the blade's body, which solidified his position as an army officer. To the soldiers, this is the first official identity they will receive upon promotion.
His following promotion would be a "Sir" or "Squire" position in nobility, which allows him to become a landowner when retiring. Inside Lavos Village, only the academy headmaster and Hespar's father had this status.
The tedious ceremonies continued, with a similar award for the second to the fifth seat. The graduates were then taken to a dinner banquet, where they'll be given total freedom to communicate with one another.
This would be the only time for them to leave their memories here, as the hundred graduating youths here would be taken to the eastern front the day after tomorrow. From what they were told, the construction of this new battalion would likely complete in a month.
They were the first hundred recruits, as Lavos Village was the baron's first stop. The other remaining recruits would gradually be transferred to the eastern front at a different date until they reached a thousand men strong.
...
...
...
"Son. Come out here for a while." Hector called Hespar as soon as he returned from his duty that night. It should be something important, based on his tone.
"Yes, father." Hespar came out with one hand holding the military sword and a polishing rag in the other hand. There's an apparent metallic reflection on the blade, hinting at how attentively Hespar was toward his first and personal weapon.
"This boy... What would you do next? Polishing your Authority token until it was as reflective as a mirror?" Hector chuckled at his son's eagerness. He felt like laughing at Hespar.
"Stop with that haughty attitude of yours. The child always inherited those bad habits of the father. Didn't you do the same when you got your 300-men token?" Catherine knocked Hector's head with the soup ladle in her hand.
If the father and child's favorite weapon is a sword, then for Catherine, it's no doubt the kitchenware.
"Alright. From what I heard, you'll be departing to the eastern front the day after tomorrow, did I get it correctly?" Hector asked. His words surprised Catherine because she never thought her child would have to leave the village this quickly.
"R-Really? Does it has to be this rush?" Catherine asked although she knew she couldn't change anything from asking.
"I was told by Torres that the situation on the eastern front is not too optimistic. They were not only frequently under siege by the soldiers from Fennis, but the surrounding monster population also seem more active than before."
"Perhaps it's due to these pressing matters that the new battalion has to be formed as soon as possible." Hector shared what he was told by Headmaster Torres. As someone in charge of Lavos Village, Hector, Torres, and the Village Chief had full authority to share the information between them.
Of course, each of them had their own responsibility. Torres was responsible for internal affairs, while Hector was responsible for external affairs. As for the matter and trade between villages, the duty fell to the Village Chief.
"In that case, won't it be dangerous to our Hespar?" said Catherine. It seems that Hespar was still Catherine's baby boy, no matter how much he had grown. A mother's natural protective mentality would always come out without reason, as long as it protects her child.
"Calm down first, Catherine. It's not like we can disobey the royal command. This baptism is one everyone has to go through after reaching adulthood." Hector said. He, too, was reluctant to let Hespar go to such a dangerous place, but a royal order is absolute.
"But..." Catherine still wanted to object, but she toned down after Hector placed his hand on her shoulder and gently shook his head. She soon realized there was no point in panicking as that would make Hespar feel uneasy when departing.
Instead of panicking, she should trust her Aura User son more. After all, he's someone who inherited both their talents and perhaps had more potential than them.
"Let me ask you first... How much do you know about your Aura?" Hector believes that the best he can do for his son is teach him how to efficiently utilize the Aura. This kind of lesson is something only an Aura User can teach another.
And beside Hespar were two skillful users who once served in the Duke of Fonterra's first army.
"Maybe... Just the basic?" Hespar replied. He had a recollection of his ability but dare not to went too deep into his consciousness to understand the Aura further. There's also a reason for his hesitation.
"Are you worried you'll get lost in there if you dive too deep?" Hector asked. As a fellow Aura User, how could he be oblivious about how an Aura User tap into their own potential?
"Don't worry. You won't be lost in there with both of us here beside you..." Catherine gently touches Hespar's hair to give him some confidence.
"I've applied for a day of leave. Torres and the Village Chief will be covering for me while I help you with your training. This was the most I could do for you as your father. And the moment you step outside the village, you will be on your own."
"Just remember everything I've taught you until now. The knowledge would serve you well as the basics on how to survive out there. As for other matters, such as politics, relationships, and everything else... Handle them like an adult. I won't question you and the choices you've made." Hector said.
"T-Thank you, father... And... Mother," Hespar held their hands tightly. The feeling of being trusted unconditionally by them feels great.
"Let's not waste anymore of our time. Get yourself comfortable and start going into your consciousness. Understand your Aura as much as you can, and tap into the power it holds. Be confident as the owner of this Aura, and stay strong without swaying away from the path you should take." Hector continued.
Hespar nodded at his parents and shut his eyes. As a newcomer to this, the most efficient way for him to concentrate was to keep his eyes closed and worry about nothing except trying to dive deeper into his consciousness.
Unsure of how long had it passed, Hespar finds himself arriving at a verdant plain.
The moment he stands firmly on the ground, two tents appear out of nowhere and start producing wooden puppets with the appearance of a soldier. In the background was the sound of waterdrops, coming once every few seconds.
Two wooden puppets would be stepping out of the tents for each drop of water noise it made. When the number of puppet soldiers reached ten, five tents appeared around him, forming a star formation.
Unlike his tent, which produces two wooden puppets for every drop of water, the opposing tents weren't held back by this restriction. The puppet soldiers were pouring out without a hint of stopping.
'Oh, Shit!' Hespar immediately tried his best. The urgency in his mental state made him activate his Aura unconsciously and wrapped his ten puppets with white light.
'Is this a test? A trial that I have to overcome?' Hespar asked, but he received no reply to his questions. All he could see were hundreds of puppet soldiers surrounding him and his soldiers.
"If this was a test, then bring it on! I won't lose to any trials!' said Hespar as a sword appeared in his grasp. While in reality, his hand holding the sword was shaking moderately.
"Looks like it started... I wonder what kind of test he's going through..." Catherine slowly took a step back, as the hand holding her around was now shaking in excitement.
...
Back to Hespar's consciousness...
He was fighting against the opposing puppet soldiers without holding back. Even if he wished to do so, it wasn't up to him to make that choice.
Hespar had no idea how long it was, but the number of opponents remained as much as he could count. This made him feel a little despair because he couldn't thin their number after fighting for so long.
Felt he had no significant result from fighting so far, Hespar changed his tactic slightly. Instead of fighting against the puppets aimlessly, he chooses to charge toward one of the five tents.
Hespar's reckless act brought demise to himself immediately as sparks of fire appeared around the puppets spawned from that tent. Their attacking strength is half-a-fold harder than before.
The sudden increase in attacking strength immediately defeated Hespar and his ten wooden puppets. This was the first time Hespar felt so helpless, even with the assistance of the power from his Aura.
And before he was kicked out of this domain for losing, a few words came into his mind.
[Mortal's Authority]