Escaping hadn't been that difficult but Ebony's group had to shake off their opponents before they dared to look for their allies. Mr kidnapper incinerated a large area and made many fake open paths to buy time. If things went well, Ayla and a couple of other mages and rogues from the first assault squad would have found a way to hide their tracks and location. It was tough due to having too few strong rogues and there was no environmental cover to hide behind or under. No one else other than Ayla was a user of shadow or darkness magic. But, their enemies weren't known for having good scouts or perception in general.
It took them a good hour to find tracks of the militia, they must have sped up and changed directions a couple of times. They raced forward to catch up with the vanguards.
"Finally back, anyone on your tails?" Athena was relieved, she did not like taking command.
"Yeah, don't stop and move further east. Midnight's camp is stretching out, you diverged too far off." Commander Wil commented.
"Heard that!?" she turned back to pass the message.
Ebony found Ning Xin jogging lazily, she must be using this 'slow' pace as a chance to rest.
"Commander Wil, what will you do? We are going back to Fifth Tide, we'll separate once we reach the Imperial's territory." He questioned the old man.
"Hmm…I'll be convincing them to stay and join up with the militias here. We have no place back at Fifth Tide, the city's defence would not tolerate us. Except for mages who volunteer their mana or expert archers who can supply their own arrows."
"Ya sure you wanna go back? Ah, I guess the two of you would be more than welcome." Cap Dwarf then warned them that the path back may not completely be safe either. Even if it was within army bases, they might be stray Trolls if they were unlucky.
"Mmm, we have to go back." Ebony was worried about the situation back at Fifth Tide. He sure hoped the Frost Elves were able to get their combatants out. The horrendous numbers and survivability of the Empire's enemies showed him that he wasn't capable of pushing them back. The reach of his powers wasn't nearly wide enough.
"Don't get yourself killed. Watch the lass too, she's too impulsive." Cap Dwarf seemed to be the most caring one. He did feel like he was a grandfather, constantly watching out for the younger members of the militia.
"Mmm."
"Take this, it'll let you into their bases without a question." Old man Wil tossed a small metal badge with a club insignia on it to him. He recognised the durable metal, ulstire and it was of Epic rarity. Even his own equipment wasn't made of materials of that quality. Ulstire was a metal that the Empire used for statues in the Sovereign Temple of Heroes. It was durable but not mana receptive so they didn't use it for soldiers' weapons or armour.
The metal was very popular amongst pure warriors though, many freelancers dream to have Rare Ulstire equipment. But the metal was pretty expensive, he had seen Grandmasters fashioning Uncommon Ulstire armour.
They followed the militia till they found the forward camp for Fourth Tide a day and a half later. They only bid farewell to the first assault squad members who they interacted with more. The members grumbled about not having tasty food or equipment maintenance but cheered when they found out that the militia here were better equipped with actual Dwarven blacksmiths and cooks.
Ebony didn't provide better repair work but his runic moulding and mana imbuement made their armour tougher. The smiths should have far more specialised skills so losing him on this account didn't mean much. The taste of food was never guaranteed on the field so it was nothing new to them to have dry rations for weeks. The only real loss for them was on the battlefield. Members from the first assault squad weren't impacted fatally but the others would see a rise in death rates without him to support them.
"Race ya!" Ning Xin was just as worried about the small village of Frost Elves as he was.
They didn't use any body enhancement but he was lagging behind less. His choppy memory of the next tiers of his footwork was being experimented on and he was beginning to see noticeable improvements aside from the increase in skill level. Their regular training regime had changed immensely, their bodies and minds required far greater pressure to improve. Although training times did get a little irregular due to their current situation, they always put some time aside to condition themselves. The only problem was that it was hard to stick to one routine, they were pumping out new skill ideas whenever they could.
Ning Xin wasn't much of a spell caster and her lightning and wind magic weren't used to their full potential. She couldn't multitask that well but she was improving by the day. Warriors would transition from completely physical to 'hybrid' or implement mana or elements sooner or later. They had a headstart but that's all, her talents lay in her swordsmanship and fire magic.
He sort of understood why many of them didn't have good opinions of people who used both physical and magical skills. The majority of the warriors he saw in the militia didn't use any elemental magic, he found out that they had little to no elemental affinity at all.
Maybe 4 out of 10 used some sort of mana blast skill with their weapon and body enhancement with non-elemental mana. These people performed worse than other pure warriors. With reasonable skill levels, their buffs weren't that bad but they don't use it much. Their performance drops when they get a headache from a lack of mana and their low Wisdom means their mental recovery was weak as well.
They understand that they'll need it sooner or later so there are many who ask for tips for manipulating their own mana. Many first assault squad members and the arcane warriors used body enhancement consistently and excelled in battle.
Age tends to be a good indicator out here, there are very few 'young' people who survive multiple battles.
Ebony chased Ning Xin's shadow till they reached another Imperial base. They simply jumped over the wall and alerted a couple of archers who were too slow to react. It didn't even take 10 minutes to pass over the huge base that held hundreds of thousands of soldiers. It was a bona fide town here. Fifth Tide's numbers seemed pathetic in comparison.
"Were they shouting at us?" The lead runner had wind protect her ears and the speed they were moving usually meant that they couldn't perceive sounds accurately. He caught up as they did their best to stay above ground or they would destroy the structures. He was much better with flight compared to her but they were both more than a dozen times slower in the air.
"Mmm. Look." He pointed back to the soldiers chasing them.
They waved the soldiers goodbye. He had to stop a few arrows when they passed over the wall again but he didn't blame them. They could have gone around but chose to go straight and invaded the base. They did the same when they came across another base. By then, night fell but he pushed the tired girl onwards. They had little time to rest after wasting much of their time with the militia. The night didn't change the scenery much, the thick corrosive cloud already made the battlefield very dim.
Fourth Tide rested above the cliff and he could see where he once stayed for an extended period of time with Kong Jing with his impressive eyesight. Where they stood had once been a beautiful sea now covered up.
"Ow!"
He hurried forward when he heard the lead runners cry of pain from their link through the callstone, all his enhancement snapped on in an instant.
Ning Xin was found on the floor, attempting to rub her forehead but her mask was in the way.
Ebony laughed at the sight, there was a small crack floating above the ground much like cracked glass. It faded away in seconds but he knew that she rammed into the barrier.
She was stunned for a moment, "It's not funny."
"Sorry. That's why you need to look where you're going." It wasn't the first time he laughed but not to this degree. 'What did Muse really do to me?'
"It's invisible!" She argued.
"Only to the eye." It has always been weird to him that he imagines her every expression and can't even take note of others' expressions. This time, he imagined a girl pouting. Maybe the mask adds to the mystery.
The city's guards were alerted the moment the two of them were visible but they didn't expect the small figures to move at such speed. Barriers were set to deploy automatically against attacks, it probably determined her charge as an attack. They might not be right at the front lines but the guards weren't slacking, they addressed the threat as fast as they could.
"Identify yourselves!" The guards landed with a bang from the cliff, they had steel knees. These guys carried those rifle-like guns and folded crossbows on their hips but were wielding spears.
"What's for breakfast?" He asked the house chef.
"Omelettes, toast and baked loaded russell?" She pondered, putting her finger on her chin area.
"Answer me!" One of the guards demanded.
"Can I have my eggs scrambled today?" Ebony noticed that the barrier did nothing to muffle or stop sound, it appeared to be a weak spot but they probably left it that way for bards to amplify their soldiers. Their enemies on the border don't exactly use sound magic. It allows for calls and information to pass from city to city as well.
He reached into his robe and smashed Commander Wil's badge into the barrier. Not enhanced enough for flames to cover his body but he glowed like a lightstick. With some help from vibrations, he pushed the badge till it was stuck in the invisible barrier.
'If I cast Sonic Overlay on our bodies I think we can just phase through it. Well, melt-through might be more accurate. Wait, is there curse magic on this? Meh…'
"Sure! We need meat too…I'll just steam the dumplings I've already wrapped." She decided on something she could prepare without too much time. The potatoes might take more time, perhaps she was feeling lazy.
They continued to talk about food but the barrier hasn't been deactivated. Two of the guards ran up the stairs dug into the cliff instead of flying or jumping back when they saw the badge. The other 4 simply stood and listened when they realised that the blue and red-haired couple ignored them.
Ning Xin ignored them because she was distracted by food, all part of Ebony's plan. He didn't talk to them because they hadn't put their weapons aside and those above were still taking aim.
"Let them in." Ebony overheard the soft words, they came from one of the guard's callstone but his senses were too sharp to miss it.
"We can enter now." He attempted to wave his arm into the barrier but was proven wrong. Sonic Overlay allowed him to push his hand up til his wrist but he reached something hard that felt as if vibrations weren't passing through.
He was about to put in the effort and use some other magic but the resistance disappeared.
"You'll pay for the damage right?" Marquis Kenley Rey Briggs the city lord questioned.
"Hi, Briggs." Ebony greeted the city lord who commissioned stuff from Kong Jing in the past. The man was personally pretty rich as he had a company that had many branches throughout cities in the Empire. They didn't start off on the right foot but he had no grudge against the man. Of course, Kong Jing never made anything for him.
Ebony on the other hand found some time to spar against some knights. He was more focused on studying at that time so nothing fruitful came out of those spars. The knights overpowered him since he didn't use magic and was only a Journeyman at that time. None of them used a greatsword and even if they did, they wouldn't teach him.
The nobleman hired him for a time. It was a weird relationship that Kong Jing probably didn't know. The high-ranked nobleman bought flowers from him. The military city had no florists and one fateful day on his errand run for groceries he overheard the nobleman asking an old lady not to leave the city. His mana sense was found out from dozens of metres away and the Grand Knight locked onto him.
The old lady and the Grand Knight were acquaintances and he was buying flowers from her personal garden. The old lady wanted to move to another city as her son, a fisherman, died in an unfortunate accident. She had no reason to stay in the city with her only family member remaining having passed away and needed to look for a job elsewhere. For some odd reason, the nobleman shared his tale with Ebony. It might be due to the old lady's presence. His wife never wanted to move out to a border city but for the Marquis and his occupation, she never said a word about it. The unexpectedly faithful husband knew of her silent support and showed his love through flowers that she loved. But the big man was prideful and he wanted to keep the fact a secret from his soldiers and the public. Long story short, Ebony became his gardener for a short time.
He proposed for the nobleman to make a personal garden to give to his wife. It was a secret project and had been quite fun. Sadly the old lady didn't want to be reminded of the sea that took both her husband and only son. She was escorted to the closest city by the nobleman's personal retainers. Ebony was hired to plant the secret garden and the Grand Knight designed it with all his wife's favourites.
It was an interesting experience. He went during his grocery trips to complete the garden. The nobleman brought in a personal gardener after the secret garden was presented to his wife. It took him quite some effort to hire a gardener, fortunately, someone was available before he had to leave.
"It's Commander Briggs to you." The Marquis was momentarily stunned by the other masked lady's presence.
"Some Duke is here as a General?" Ebony was as direct as always. It was only natural that the lower-ranked noble got his post taken away from him.
"...Where did you come from?" The man chose not to answer
"Fifth, we were trapped in between. The rest of the militia joined up front."
"Why haven't I been informed!?" He yelled at the gate knights.
"They only rejoined yesterday. Your scouts or the calls might not have gone through yet." Ebony also reported about the large fires they caused and the possible repercussions of it. The information was more useful for the forward camp but it still had to be reported.
The Marquis 'tsk'ed in annoyance, updated information was very important but their technology wasn't up to standard and manual methods were slow.
"That badge…never mind." Kenley Rey Briggs led them up the stairs and into the city after passing many knights.
"This is her cousin, Scarlet. He's the city lord. Are you still?" He was smart enough to mute their conversation or these loyal knights would've drawn their weapons and treated him as an enemy.
"How rude!? A military general has a higher status in my own city in times of war but I'm still the city lord!"
"Do you have information about Fifth's situation?" Ning Xin couldn't care for small talk at the moment.
"We sent reinforcements but they haven't received another attack since they got pushed all the way back to their city. That young General isn't cut out for something of this scale when it's her first war but we're lacking good commanders and Fifth is about the best place for new officers. Ah…you didn't hear me make that comment okay?"
"Is the Midnight Shepherd still recovering her mana?" Ebony made an educated guess.
"Likely, she probably requires around ten to fourteen days to recover her entire pool or till she's comfortable with starting a fight." Kenley didn't appear to hide the information from them.
"There are so many free soldiers in your mid and rear bases, can't you send Fifth Tide more?" He asked, they passed by more soldiers resting than they could count.
"No. They are barely able to keep our opponents at bay. Even now, their numbers are increasing by the hour." Kenley was adamant. The Imperial Army was stretched thinner than he imagined.
"How? Hundreds of thousands must have been killed by now." Ning Xin knew how many deaths happened just in their small militia's operations.
The numbers must be greater when these people were better equipped and those offensive and defensive magic towers dealt massive damage. Fire mages were relatively common amongst mages and it wasn't as if the Imperial Army didn't have their special mage units. She gave a lower estimate since the presence of Shaman squads in this area was causing those giants to have far greater vitality than most monsters.
"...I would love to know as much as you do." The Marquis definitely knew more. Ebony didn't even need to ask Ning Xin to see that he was hiding something. He read novels, this city lord had to know much more than he let on.
"Alright, thanks for telling us." Whatever the reason was, it was none of his business.
'None of my business? Or is it? Damn it, I got knocked out of Tranquility again.' It flickered back on instantly.
"Wait, you're going back to Fifth?"
"Mmm. We'll only be having our meal here."
"Can we just fly past the roadblocks?" Ning Xin asked for permission.
Warm light hit their skin when they got out from the stairs carved into the cliff. The city was lit by fire lamps instead of phos.
"They probably wouldn't shoot you down but I'll pass the notice that two of you will be passing by."
"Communication on the mainland is still working?"
"Short distance and across the Tides."
They were settled in a recently emptied barrack to use the kitchen. The bulk of the soldiers left the city so there were plenty of empty barracks they could take residence in. He could already hear the whispers once Kenley left. The soldiers questioned his identity as it required the city lord himself to escort them.
"How was his strength?" He might have better perception but the swordswoman had far better Intuition when it came to danger and probing someone's strength
"Decent. It might take some effort to defeat him and he might cause some harm if we messed up."
"5 minutes?"
"Maybe 8 to 10."
"That's pretty good. He's only a 317 Grand Knight so I guess that's pretty good." The Marquis levelled a few times since he last saw the man but not by much.
They were pretty generous with their praise. Anyone who could fight them for a few minutes was pretty powerful. The Swordwoman's Intuition had been getting sharper and sharper. The occasional spar with Cap Dwarf and Mr Kidnapper helped to sharpen it further. Athena was the only other person who could spar with them in a one-on-one fight.
Only Cap Dwarf sparred with him though. The freezing cold he emitted wasn't something Athena could handle and her weapons would break. Mr Kidnapper was so good at avoiding him that Ning Xin had to ask him to go away so that she could find the man to challenge. She hasn't even won once and commented that the man was practically fireproof.
"Fifth Tide should be fine at the moment, you should take a nap after we eat. I want to conjure more Glacial Models since we have the leeway."
"Mmm." His chef went to clean the kitchen before she got started while he sat in the middle of the barrack's training grounds and further cleansed his slightly disturbed mind. Glacial Models were spawned into existence with care as he imbued his Will into each and every one of them.