The two convoys moved together for a while before separating when they reached a monitored intersection. This place was one of the three Eastern Front's leading intersection outposts built and operated by the soldiers under Duke of Fonterra's order.
"Commander! I'll be making my way further west to the Mayflower Town. Please remain vigilant on your journey back to the eleventh camp." Eidos Luther said.
If it was someone else who said something like this, he would be immediately arrested and imprisoned for spouting nonsense. But since the one speaking was Eidos Luther, one of the commander's favorite Leading Officers, he had some leeway to speak what he had in mind.
"Come back quickly after you're done with the mission. The camp still needs you to make sure everything runs smoothly." the commander smiled after listening to what Eidos Luther had to say.
"Also, this is our influential Sauro Kingdom's territory. How can it be dangerous for our fellow soldiers to move around? Am I correct, everyone?" the commander suddenly added.
"YEAH!" all the soldiers that followed him raised their voices and puffed their chests higher. They all seemed confident in going against anything that dared to come forward.
"Safe trip, Luther." the commander whispered before leaving.
The carriage filled with the graduates was finally on its way again towards the famous Fonterra's eleventh camp. It was an utterly verdant journey at first, with forest and green fields on their journey.
But on their last quarter of a mile, everything changed.
The atmosphere of their surrounding changed to thicker, heavier air. It felt like the carriages had driven into a place with stronger gravity and Aura all over the place.
"What kind of place is this? How can the intensity and air here feel so heavy and suffocating?" most of the weaker graduates inside the carriage starts to suffer from dizziness and nausea from all the discomfort in the air.
It felt like they just came into a location unfit for people to live inside.
"Everyone. You'll feel some discomfort initially, but don't worry about it. You'll gradually get used to it after a while. You might not believe it at first, but this kind of atmosphere is perfect for training your mental power."
"I think you won't need me to explain further how important it is to train your mental power." said one of the knights serving the commander. Under his guidance, the carriage stopped outside one of the registration camps.
"Get out of the carriage and start your carriage process. There'll be officers ready to handle your registration further." the knight added.
The process of their registration started right after everyone got out of the vehicle. Starting from measuring the strength to personal skills, physique, and Aura if it had manifested.
During the process, these graduates were briefed on the rules and current situation of the eleventh camp. They were eventually divided into groups in different departments based on their expertise.
But the one that took the majority is, as expected, the Vanguard Division. Perhaps due to the high demand for manpower here, it took 70 of the graduates out of the 98 people. The remaining 25 were evenly distributed to the Supplies Division, Espionage Division, Strategic Division, Processing Division, and Medical Division.
Only three people were taken in by the Commanding Division, reporting straight to the commander himself.
The trio is precisely Victor, Lucas, and Hespar. There's no further reasoning needed, as out of the 98 graduates successfully arriving this time, they're the only few with the potential to become an Aura User or already one themselves.
Between the trio, there's no doubt Hespar is already one, based on his Aura User identity token. Still, it seems that Lucas is the second individual to become one very soon, with Victor chasing closely from behind.
"Alright, listen up. As a part of the Commanding Division, I hope you're mentally prepared, as we expect more from you than your peers. Except for Hespar, you will be paid a basic wage of two silver coin pieces."
"Those from the Commanding Division also have the right to partake in additional assignments available to choose from for extra cultivation rewards. If curious, go to the other departments for the assignment catalog. All the requests there are clearly explained, so you won't have an issue with not knowing what to do."
"But again, a reminder to all of you. You're not allowed to fail. Failure to complete an assignment will penalize you into one of the other six departments for an entire month, with a forfeited salary throughout the period. So, pick them wisely."
"As for Hespar, you're considered one of the officers, so your responsibility is slightly different. Unlike Lucas and Victor, who need to care for themselves and train at their discretion, yours is a compulsory subject. The command will soon distribute a few people into your team, as we will start training you in leadership."
"Your salary will be five silver coin pieces a month. But you'll also receive an additional bonus for each assignment you and your team complete. There is no limit on how many you can take at a time, but a similar condition applies. Failure will get you demoted immediately."
"Had I made myself clear of the basic rules in this eleventh camp?" asked the chief administrator responsible for briefing the trio. He was one of the Aura Users in this camp as well. More precisely, there are only Aura Users here in this Commanding Division, which is the cream of the crop of the entire eleventh camp.
"Yes, Sir!" the trio placed their fist over the left chest as a sign of acknowledgment.
"Good. Go out there, familiarize yourself with the camp, and so on. While we expect more of you, we also expect you to blend well with everyone and contribute to the country. As long what you're doing isn't counted as extreme, you have all the freedom to do what you like."
"By the way, my name is Silver. First-Class Leading Officer, Silver Tank." the officer introduced himself again before leaving them on their own.
"Thank you for your time, Sir! We'll try our best to contribute to the camp." the trio straightened themselves as a response to the officer until he left the tent.
All three of them were still in a daze as they found everything hard to believe. Joining the military belonged to the Duke of Fonterra was one thing, but being accepted into the Commanding Division was unheard of.
From what they know through talking with Eidos Luther's subordinates, the number of people accepted into the Commanding Division is one out of a hundred. And even if you're an Aura User, it wasn't an assurance that you'll be accepted.
"So, where are you heading, Hespar?" Lucas asked. He seemed to be very interested in checking their accommodation first. It was said that one of the perks of being a Commanding Division member is having your own room.
"I think I'll be going to pay a visit to the Supplies Division." Hespar chuckled in his reply.
"Then... Let's be on our own way for now. If there's anything, let us get in touch again. We will likely be placed in adjacent rooms to one another, anyway." Lucas nodded and left with Victor.
(Alright... Should I go check things out?)
Hespar seems quite cheerful on his way towards the Supplies Division.
...
"Is there anything I can help you with?" a female receptionist in soldier uniform asked after she noticed the insignia on Hespar's uniform. This was the quickest way to recognize who should be given priority first.
"Good afternoon, soldier. I heard that we're allowed to pick up an assignment or two here. Can you guide me on the process?" Hespar decided to approach this amicably. Furthermore, since he was new here, it would be great if he knew the hooks and crooks on how he could complete the task.
"Of course. Second-Class Officer. Please, follow me while I get the catalog from my shelf." the female receptionist responded to Hespar politely and proceeded to grab a thick folder out of the shelf.
[Catalina]
Hespar noticed there was a name on each of the catalogs. A few of them belonged to a female, but one or two occasionally belonged to a male. If his guess weren't too far apart, these catalogs should be unique to each one of the receptionists.
"I'm afraid we don't have any seats available for now. My name is Catalina, and this is the catalog I'm supposed to show you. Was this your first time attempting to choose an assignment? I could notice it from your manner and speech." the female receptionist said.
"Yes," Hespar answered. He had a smile on his expression because his suspicion was correct about the catalog and its names.
"Alright. To make it easy to understand, the assignment taker has the right to choose which receptionist's assignment to take. And the service will be one-to-one."
"If you took the mission from me, I would be responsible for guiding you to complete the task and providing all information to help you succeed," said Catalina.
"How's the compensation going to be?" Hespar asked.
"If you're choosing my assignments, the cost of my assistance will be a third of the rewards," Catalina answered.
"Wow... A third is quite a hefty fee, huh?" Hespar chuckled. But he knew why would the rates vary between the receptionist. The reason for the commission rate differences is that each receptionist had its own pros and cons.
"Of course. You're talking to one of the best in the Supplies Division. My mission reward is good, and my support is always precise too." Catalina proudly responds to Hespar.
"In that case, how about you bring up an assignment for us to start building some trust?" Hespar continued.
"That's what I've been waiting for from you. What about... The task to hunt some Mountain Lizards?" a piece of paper was taken out from the catalog while she responded to Hespar's sentence.