Joy dominated the streets of the capital. As the largest city in the Forgotten Kingdom, the people living here had more luxurious worries rather than struggling to make a living. Even the lowest class, the clerks, received salaries so high that they could never obtain them outside the capital. Otherwise, why would these people, who were already cultivators, do simple paperwork anyway?
Although everything seemed to be in its usual rhythm from the outside, there were vague topics that the public discussed in whispers among themselves. The people always gossiped. Yes, but the topic spoken of during this period was one that deeply disturbed everyone. In the markets and narrow streets, people avoided each other's eyes, wishing to ignore the calm before the storm. Before the kingdom's experts could silence them, the voices of the freakish templars coming from the west could be heard slightly, and rumors about why these men were being silenced and what they were spread from ear to ear among the populace. It wasn't just the common folk either; even the soldiers on the walls were aware of their steadily growing numbers. Patrols had become more frequent, the clanking of armor turning into the city's background music; the Forgotten Kingdom was in a tense state of anticipation, like a powder keg waiting to explode at any moment.
In the heart of the royal city, however, the situation was far more tangible and balanced than the fears of the ordinary citizens. Right by the still waters of the Lake of Oblivion, the high-ranking commanders of the kingdom were lined up side by side. In sweat and agony, with magical boulders on their backs and their heads bowed. These men, who commanded thousands of soldiers on the outside, were undergoing a rigorous training here in the relentless cold of the lake, as if they were ordinary recruits who had just joined the army yesterday. Everyone's breath was caught, their bodies pushed to their absolute limits. Because standing over them, pushing them to death throughout the day, was someone even more terrifying than those magical boulders, ruthlessly crushing their limits: Lord Commander Jiao.
Jiao dominated the entire square with the majesty of his armor and the thick smoke rising from the cigar that was never missing from his mouth. His white beard made his grumpy, harsh facial features even more pronounced, vibrating the surrounding air with every cough or command. With an unshakeable posture that defied his age, he scolded the commanders at the slightest mistake, working them until they were literally beaten to a pulp.
Right in the middle of this brutal training, a figure appeared at the entrance of the square. The newcomer was much younger compared to the senior commanders around Jiao, and held little value in the military hierarchy. In truth, he should have been part of this training as well, but he had... a special situation. Honestly, even after all this training, it would be highly difficult for these commanders to possess the ability to even touch him.
This person was Lu Jana. He had stubble and brown eyes. The clothes he wore were beautiful, in a way that didn't quite look like a military commander's. Quite clean and ironed. It didn't contain a single stain. The most remarkable feature about him was the black blood vessels emerging from his clothes and rising up his neck. Lord Commander Jiao had noticed these veins the moment he arrived. But he already knew Lu Jana's situation. Lu Jana was a guest commander who did not belong to these lands, present here only temporarily.
Despite the crushing and deadly atmosphere in the square, Lu Jana walked toward Jiao without the slightest hesitation in his steps. The brazen, rule-defying, and disrespectful attitude he displayed when appearing before the Lord Commander caused the other commanders in the square to turn their gazes toward him for a moment. Under normal circumstances, anyone behaving like this in front of a grumpy old man like Jiao would have their head flying into the lake within seconds; however, as the Lord Commander clamped the cigar between his teeth and looked at this young man, a strange expression appeared on his face. Jiao had always found Lu Jana's fearless and stubborn demeanor interesting. This mannerism set this man apart from the rest of the cultivation realm.
As Lu Jana surveyed the pitiful state of the senior commanders in the square, he took a step forward with a careless smile on his face. Looking directly into Jiao's eyes, he asked, "Why are you pushing these men so hard, old man?" without bothering to hide the disrespectful tone in his voice. "Not that I care, but because you keep them busy, Prince Yaila keeps constantly sending me away."
Instead of getting angry at this insolent question, the old man took a deep, thoughtful puff from his cigar. As the smoke drifted through his gray beard and blended into the haze of the Lake of Oblivion, Jiao's usual grumpy and distant demeanor reflected in his voice.
"Why isn't the first thing you do when you arrive giving a greeting?"
Lu Jana clicked his tongue. To be honest, complaining about his duties wasn't the only reason he came here. He looked at Jiao. The old man looked well, but was he truly alright?
"About your son—"
"You don't have to think about that. He made his own decision."
"But your granddaughter—"
"Enough."
For a moment, even the painful groans from the commanders fell silent. When the Lord Commander's transcendent aura momentarily enveloped the surroundings, they felt as if they were suffocating for a second. Despite this, the Lord Commander quickly calmed down and told the commanders to continue. Lu Jana, on the other hand, could only sigh beside Jiao. Just because they were from the same hometown, he had wanted to help with this father-son problem.
"It seems there isn't much time left before the poison relapses," the Lord Commander said. Lu Jana's face soured. The black veins on his neck seemed to become even more pronounced, even if just for a fleeting moment.
"Taking revenge, are you?"
In the end, the duo looked at the commanders for a while. Jiao didn't have to hide his reason for working the commanders this hard. Therefore, he began to speak regarding Lu Jana's first question.
"Because of the west," Jiao said, fixing his eyes on the horizon of the lake. Although the direction he looked at was east, they were talking about the exact opposite direction. "Everything is because of that damned activity in the west."
The playful expression on Lu Jana's face sobered for a moment at the old man's words. He knew the mentioned situation all too well. In the west, the 12 Chaotic Kingdoms, which had been turbulent with endless throne struggles for centuries, were recently dragging themselves into an irreversible civil war in their internal affairs. In fact, very serious rumors that the king of one of the kingdoms had been dethroned had reached the capital.
Moreover, the danger was not limited to this; even further west of the 12 Kingdoms, a great storm was brewing in the Fuimera Islands beyond the open seas. According to rumors, a powerful temple rising in the islands had managed to unite the entire region under a religious banner. The greatest propaganda and promise of this temple was, quite literally, to march east. Naturally, because of this expansionist policy, a major military tension had already broken out between Fuimera and the 12 Chaotic Kingdoms. It would not be surprising at all if the sparks of this colossal fire in the west soon leaped to the borders of the Forgotten Kingdom. This was why Jiao was training the high-level men of the army as much as possible. He simply wanted to increase their chances of survival and help them reach the next stage.
Lu Jana nodded to show he comprehended the matter, but arriving at the topic he was truly curious about, he asked: "But what about me? In the midst of this scenario of expected war in the west, what business does a low-ranking guest commander like me have here? Why did you call me here, Jiao?"
Jiao had been putting a lot of pressure on Lu Jana recently regarding their meeting. Lord Commander Jiao slowly removed the cigar from between his teeth. He turned toward Lu Jana and, with an inscrutable dark gaze appearing on his grumpy face for the first time, asked:
"Don't you miss your home, Lu Jana?"
This simple, ordinary question cut through the air like a knife. Lu Jana suddenly flinched at the words he heard; his body tensed, and the brazen glint in his eyes gave way to a deep alertness. Talking about Jiao's son was one thing, but directly speaking of his hometown was another.
Lord Commander Jiao blew another thick cloud of smoke from the cigar clamped between his teeth and continued speaking. "Crown Prince Yaila informed us that the princess will soon pay a visit to the Yellow City. She will go there and needs a guard."
Jiao maintained his grumpy yet commanding tone while scanning the surface of the lake. "The Golden Province and its surroundings are not safe these days. There will be numerous Ascended in the region, and hidden dangers lurk around every corner. Furthermore, there are things more important than just security; for the princess's prestige, being accompanied by an Ascended was a matter the crown prince insisted upon." The old man gestured with his cigar toward Lu Jana. "You are familiar with that region; you know both the geography and the balances within it. That is why I suggested you are the one who should go."
Lu Jana paused when he heard these words, the unhappy look on his face replaced by a deep hesitation. His gaze drifted behind Jiao to the men training breathlessly, drenched in sweat and blood in the freezing wind of the Lake of Oblivion. Each of those men suffering and being pushed around in that square was actually an Ascended representing the power of the kingdom. Each was a senior commander distinguished by their loyalty. Yet, this grumpy old man was offering this crucial mission to a guest commander who was far less reliable for the kingdom—namely himself—instead of the state's most loyal guardians.
Lu Jana's presence in this army was not much different from that of a mercenary. He was here for gold, self-interest, or his own hidden agenda, and Jiao was fully aware of this. Entrusting the kingdom's princess to a mercenary had to harbor much deeper intentions behind it.
Although Lu Jana felt his chest tightening, he did not project it outwardly. He turned his eyes back to the old man and said, "I will think about this matter." His voice was far from the playful tone of just a moment ago. He didn't think the princess would truly be in danger, but going there, returning...
It had been a long time.