In the blink of an eye, another half year had passed. Renji, who had been training tirelessly and hardening his body, had now experienced the gentle warmth of spring, the searing heat of summer, and the cool breezes of autumn. The white poplar tree next to Dragonspire's vacant training field would always scatter its dry leaves to the ground whenever the wind blew. The leaves slowly whirled down and covered the entire training ground. By then, the sky had gradually darkened. Today, there was an unusually large number of people within the training grounds, nearly three hundred.
"Today's evening training session ends now," Draven announced, smiling. "Before leaving, however, everyone needs to first congratulate this next crop of children who are about to leave Dragonspire and join the army."
With the end of autumn came the season of military recruitment. When the entire continent was in an age of war, every young man thought that being a strong warrior was a glory and an honor. Of course, not everyone wanted to become a warrior; some wanted to become mages. However, becoming a mage is very difficult. Perhaps only one out of ten thousand had the qualifications to become a mage. With this kind of possibility, an ordinary person wouldn't even dare to consider it. It was much easier to become a warrior. As long as they reached the age of sixteen and were at least first-rank warriors, they could easily enter the army.
"Uncle Draven, thank you!" One hundred twenty-six children, all seventeen years old, reverently bowed in the direction of Draven. These children no longer came to train, as they were all adults now and had their own duties to perform. There was no need for practice. But since Draven had trained all of them since their toddler days, they all felt that Draven was their kind master. So before joining the army, they all came here to bid him farewell.
Looking at this batch of energetic and ambitious seventeen-year-olds, Draven had countless mixed emotions. He knew all these children were eager to join the military. After ten years of military service, how many would come back alive? "I hope at least half of these one hundred twenty-six will be able to return alive," Draven prayed silently. Draven stared at the children and said clearly, "Brats, listen up! You are all Dragonfire Clan warriors. The warriors of the Dragonfire Clan must clench their chests, welcome any challenges, and accept no fear. Am I understood?"
Those seventeen-year-old youths all stood straight, ramrod, and their eyes immediately burned with a hot ardor for military life. They all replied loudly and simultaneously, "Understood!"
"Good!" Draven was standing straight too, his cold eyes radiating an aura of the military. "Tomorrow, all of you will set off. Tonight, get a good preparation. I know how strong all of you are. All of you will have no problem joining the army! I, Draven, will wait here for all of you to make your glorious return to Dragonspire!"
Those youths' eyes instantly lit up.
Return home with honor.
This was the dream of every single one of them.
"Now, I order all of you, go home immediately and start preparing. Disperse!" Draven said in a cold, fierce voice.
"Yes sir!" One hundred twenty-six youths saluted respectfully before leaving. Almost two hundred remaining youths looked after them with adoration in their eyes. Tomorrow, they would start on a whole new path.
"I still have two years. When I reach the legal age, I also want to participate in the army."
"I would really like to live this interesting, heart-throbbing life of a warrior. If I had to live here all my life in Dragonspire Village, even if I lived forever, it would be futile." A group of thirteen-year-olds chatted amongst each other. All of them longed for that exciting, vigorous life. All of them wanted to accumulate merits and establish a reputation. They wanted to be adored by the girls and esteemed by their relatives. This was their dream!
"Renji, your father, Lord Kazuki, has some extremely important business with you. Don't go off playing with the other kids. Come home with me." Draven walked to Renji's side. Gazing at him, Draven felt very proud. Renji was exceedingly smart. Under the tutelage of his father, Lord Kazuki, since a young age, he had learned many words and could read most books. Reading was a very luxurious thing. Usually, only the scions of noble houses could read.
The Reshin clan was a very ancient clan and owned a tremendous amount of books.
"Uncle Draven, I know already. My lord father has already reminded me three times. My lord father has never been so insistent about anything. I won't go off and play." Renji grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth, perfect but for the fact that one was missing. Renji was already beginning to grow permanent teeth.
"That is enough. You are missing one of your front teeth. When you smile, you let the wind in," Draven laughed. "Go, go home."
In the old front courtyard of the Reshin manor, after dinner, Renji was playing around with his little brother.
"Big brother, hug, hug!" Little Kenji looked at Renji, pure and simple love shining in his eyes. Unstable, he raised a chubby, small hand toward Renji and tried to hug him. Renji wasn't far away and silently waited until little Kenji reached him.
"Go on, Kenji! You can do it!" Renji encouraged. Little Kenji's steps were so unsteady that one feared for the worst, that he might drop onto the ground with every step. Yet in the end, Little Kenji rushed into the arms of his big brother. His skin was smooth like water, and a little bit red. He had big, round eyes, staring at his elder brother, and in a baby voice, he said, "Older brother, older brother."
Looking at his baby brother, Renji's heart was filled with boundless warmth and love. No mother, no grandparents. Having only his father and family caretaker to depend on for care, Renji, who was mature for his age, looked upon his little brother with a great deal of love and protection. In Renji's eyes, being the big brother meant taking charge of his little brother.
"Kenji, what have you learned today?" Renji asked with a smile.
Kenji scrunched up his face, a very cute expression. He was thinking for a little while when suddenly he clapped his hands and said, "Today I've learned how to use rags!"
"Rags?" Renji's face couldn't contain a smile. "What did you wipe?"
Counting on his fingers, little Kenji said, "First I used the rags to wipe the floors, then the toilet chamber pots, and lastly I wiped… wiped… right, I wiped the plates!" He looked excitedly at Renji, awaiting his praise.
"You wiped the chamber pots, and then wiped the plates?" Renji's eyes were wide.
"What, did I do it wrong? I really wiped them clean." In Kenji's little head, his eyes were filled with blank incomprehension staring at his big brother's face.
"Young master Renji, your father is looking for you. Let me carry young master Kenji." A brandy-nosed old man walked over. This brandy-nosed old man was the Reshin clan's housekeeper, Hiroshi. In the entire manor, aside from the housekeeper, there wasn't even a serving girl. Renji no longer had any time to chat with Kenji. He immediately handed Kenji over to Grandpa Hiroshi and went towards the guest hall.
"I wonder why Father summoned me?" Although he was young, Renji could sense that this time, his father had called him for something important.
Exiting the guest hall, Kazuki, Renji, and Uncle Hiroshi, who still held Kenji, followed the blue stone path towards the back manor. Deep autumn was at its pinnacle, and the air had turned very cool. The front courtyard of the manor would still be warm, but towards the back of the manor, it would visibly drop in temperature.
This was because there were ancient woods behind the manor. Tall and tightly packed trees from the ancient woods directly smothered the ground with a thick layer of fallen leaves. The ancient woods gave off something of an ominous feel.
"Father, where are we going?" Renji looked up at his father.
Kazuki smiled warmly. "We're going to the ancestral hall. Your grandfather wishes to speak with you."
"The ancestral hall?" Renji was taken aback. The ancestral hall was a sacred place of the Reshin clan, where the spirits of their ancestors were enshrined. Renji had only been there a few times, each visit marked by solemnity and reverence.
"Yes, the ancestral hall. It's time that you learned more about our clan's heritage and responsibilities," Kazuki said. They continued to walk, and as they approached the ancestral hall.