We slept in foldable tents that were part of the supplies that we got from the Consortium. For guard duty, the elves happily volunteered, but just to be certain I also had one of us protect the sleepers. While I was 99% sure that they wouldn’t try anything funny, it didn’t hurt to be certain. Ayame, me, and Blossom rotated.
Aurora and Seraphiel were supporters who would die if a single arrow were to hit their throats or other vulnerable places, so they would make rather horrible sentinels, and Lucille was on the brink of being reliable, but I elected to be safe and only go with the three high leveled, sturdy combatants as nightwatch. While Lucille had more than enough HP by now due to her Strength and Vitality-focused build, but she was still very inexperienced. She could be tricked much easier than the three of us.
…
It didn’t take long for us to arrive at the indicated location where we would gather.
Unlike the heavily staffed and well-developed outpost where Black Fang grew her horrible psychedelic plants, this place truly lived up to the term ‘outpost’. A barren little place with not much going for it. At least so it seemed from the outside.
Two guards greeted us, both of the Lunar Adept rank. It might seem low at first since we’ve met Veil Walkers and even got the attention of an Obsidian Circle Member, but Lunar Adepts were already respected members of the Consortium.
Well, their having the honorable duty of guarding this place might seem contradictory to that statement of mine, but it’s likely due to the greenskins. Normal guards of the Dawn Initiate and Twilight Apprentice ranks would just be eaten alive, so they had to bring out the big guns.
During more normal times Lunar Adepts would be leading smaller teams. I’ve also been told that most of the untalented but very loyal and hardworking people plateau at this rank. It’s kind of the rank where a lot of older people are, who have been promoted simply due to decades of good service while not really achieving much that would elevate them further.
For reference, we can compare the ranks to those of leaders in the modern militaries of Earth. Of course, this is only for combatants. Civilians like Jasmine and Aurelion don’t count.
Dawn Initiates were the footsoldiers.
Twilight Apprentices were either footsoldiers or leaders of a minuscule team made up of Dawn Initiates, like a team of 4, so they could be the fantasy land equivalents of the Team Leader.
Lunar Adepts would be the Platoon Leaders, with a few dozen men and women under their command.
Eclipse Enforcers were akin to Company Commanders, with a hundred or so subordinates.
Shadow Vanguards were either Battalion or Brigade Commanders, having at least a couple hundred, but most usually a few thousand combatants serving them.
Veil Walkers were akin to Division Commanders, having command over thousands if not tens of thousands of people.
Obsidian Circle Members were more akin to politicians than military personnel, but in case of a full-blown war, they would likely take center stage, especially the department head responsible for the army, who would become the General/Field Marshal.
With that out of the way, we only had to show our dog tags that Wrinkle gave us before the first round of the Trials and they let us in. According to them, we were one of the last ones since the other candidates completed the first round before us.
With us inside the walls of the outpost, I could now safely say that the interior was just as mediocre as the exterior. Only a couple dozen houses were around, and most seemed to be bunkers instead of civilian homes. It was a prim and proper utility-focused military outpost.
“Ahhh! A good piss under the naked sky never ceases to be the most liberating activity a man could ever undertake!” A happy exclamation sounded suddenly from our left, and as I turned my head I came face to face with a strange short, young man.
He strolled out of his evident pissing spot while radiating a great deal of arrogance with each step. He had ashen white hair that was immaculately styled. His lavish robes were covered in intricate gold embroidery, clearly tailored to flaunt the depth of his pockets. He was carrying no weapon, making me believe he was some kind of a caster. His smirk was one of utter confidence as if the world was his to control.
(Picture)
Trailing behind him was a woman who contrasted him in nearly every conceivable way. She wore a shiny heavy armor that clinked with each step. Her frame was powerful with the physique of someone used to combat, built for both endurance and strength.
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What caught my eyes immediately however was the iron slave collar fastened tightly around her neck. The young man casually held the end of the leash attached to it, dragging her along as though she were nothing more than a tool- his personal bodyguard and, judging by her sunken expression, most certainly his unwilling meat shield.
Her steps were heavy and slow, weighed down not just by the heavy armor she wore but by the crushing weight of her reality. Her long, beautiful pink hair hung around her face like a veil that did little to hide the deep sadness in her violet eyes. She was a truly striking figure in her silver armor and strangely colored hair.
Her expression was distant, depressed, dejected. Her shoulders slumped in resignation as she clutched the hilt of the sword at her side and I could see a shield attached to her back, ready to be retrieved at a moment’s notice. Those were the combat tools she’d most likely mastered, yet they weren’t her own anymore- they belonged to the one holding her leash, just like the woman herself.
(Picture)
All twelve of us stood still as we watched the strange pair emerge from the shadows. My heart ached when I saw the youthful warrior woman be treated with so much humiliation for no apparent reason. The guy suddenly reminded me of Ian, Blossom’s old owner who liked to put her in ugly situations such as wiping his greasy fat fingers in her lush tail just to satisfy his sadistic tendencies. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Now that I think about it, I’m very happy that Ayame castrated him in the most cruel method possible. His desperate screams fill my soul with pure happiness whenever I remember back to it.
The arrogant guy finally noticed our presence and spat in our direction. “What are you staring at, masked fuckers?”