On the blood-soaked battlefield, no one had the energy to care about anything unrelated to the slaughter. At this very moment, above this man-made, bloody battlefield within the Empire's borders, a colossal dragon flapped its sky-obscuring giant wings, hovering in the air with its back against the clouds, casting the entire battlefield under a dragon's shadow.
Lin stood atop the Wind God Winged Dragon's head, like a goddess of war holding dominion over the conflict, looking down at everything below. Her arms were crossed, indifferent to the bloody battlefield, her expressionless gaze fixed on the earth.
She extended her small hand, fingers splayed. Her small palm was large enough to cover the entire battlefield.
"It's not that big, just one of my palms."
Her faint voice was filled with boundless arrogance. A war of flying flesh and blood, where countless lives perished, was merely a game that Lin could play with a flick of her hand.
"I have given you strength beyond your enemies, swords beyond your enemies, and armor beyond your enemies. If you still dare not fight and kill, if you harbor fear, then all you useless wretches shall be washed away here."
Lin had no pity or sympathy for the soldiers who died or were injured under her command. A month of high-intensity training was enough for every soldier to surpass the prisoners in physical fitness, strength, and explosive power. Yet, armed with weapons and armor, facing unarmed death row prisoners in prison uniforms, some still suffered casualties. Those who died or were injured deserved it; the inherent inner strength and acceptance of life and death were things Lin could not bestow.
This war, which should have been a massacre, dragged on until sunset due to the entanglement of inexperienced new recruits and death-defying death row prisoners. All surviving death row prisoners were finally executed, and subsequent cleanup and identity verification were progressively underway.
"Thump-thump-thump."
"Come in."
"Creak—thump."
Zhi Feng, holding a clipboard, submitted the record sheet clipped to it along with the clipboard to Lin, who was sitting in the office chair. She reported:
"Reporting, General, during today's entire assessment, 131 new recruits were killed, 2,315 suffered irreparable, severe disabilities, and 7,023 applied to leave the legion..."
The soldiers, after all, had an overwhelming equipment advantage. Even if some death row prisoners obtained weapons, the soldiers' armor was not shoddy. Therefore, only a very few were killed when ambushed by multiple death row prisoners, resulting in a very small number of casualties, which was negligible for a legion of ten thousand.
After casually flipping through the statistical report, Lin decisively signed her name in the final signature area. The legion's seal was stamped on it, approving it... "Deaths during training shall be given the same compensation as battlefield casualties according to regulations. Those with disabilities shall be reported to the military department; I will contact Wuxi City to arrange their placement. As for those who applied to leave, it's just as I wished; tell them to get out tomorrow."
Lin handed the report back to Zhi Feng, casually giving instructions as if it were an insignificant trifle, as if nearly ten thousand fewer people under her command within a day was nothing to be concerned about.
Zhi Feng had grown accustomed to Lin's attitude towards her soldiers. "A benevolent commander cannot lead troops"—this saying was perfectly embodied by Lin. After a slight sigh, Zhi Feng took the approved report, preparing to arrange matters for those leaving tomorrow, when her sigh was caught by Lin.
"Zhi Feng, do you think I went too far?"
Lin initiated the conversation with Zhi Feng. Her fingers were interlocked, propping up her chin and covering her lips. Her calm gaze was fixed on the carpet in front of the desk, not looking at Zhi Feng.
Unexpectedly called out by Lin, Zhi Feng, facing the door with her back to Lin, was momentarily stunned. Too far? Anyone would be indignant, wouldn't they? It was more than just 'too far.' As a commander, she showed no mercy or consideration for her subordinates, training her soldiers as much as possible like forging weapons, treating human lives as mere tools without a care. Even death row prisoners should be publicly tried and executed, not slaughtered like training dummies for soldiers.
"I can probably understand the General's intentions. Although it seems excessive, if everyone were kept until the end, then four years later, when they reached the battlefield, those who applied to leave would probably all die in the first battle. And due to the drag of insufficient manpower, how many excellent warriors would die as a result? Big Sister is now kicking out all those who would inevitably die on the battlefield ahead of time."
Zhi Feng turned to face Lin with a slight smile and said:
"Big Sister is working hard to help more people live better. Zhi Feng has always believed this; no one understands Big Sister's gentleness better than I do."
"If you insist on understanding it that way, then I won't explain."
"Mhm!"
... The next day... "You who have re-gathered here, even I have to admit that you are no longer a bunch of scumbags. Only soldiers who have seen blood and battlefields are qualified to be called soldiers. Although you haven't yet met my requirements, you are already considered warriors."
Back on the Seventh Legion's training ground, Lin stood atop the Wind God Winged Dragon's head, speaking to the soldier formation, which was noticeably smaller than yesterday.
"Starting today, compared to the previous purely physical training, I will begin to truly train you in the art of killing enemies on the battlefield. The days ahead will not be as tiring as before, but they will be very bloody. You will learn how cheap the word 'life' is. This is also the life that some of you, who remain until the end, will face when you follow me onto the real battlefield in the future. Be prepared."
"At this moment, I acknowledge you as qualified soldiers. Starting today, you will be responsible for the defense and steadfastness of the military camp garrison, as well as guard duty and patrols. The Seventh Legion's military regulations will also be officially conveyed to you later. Be careful not to forget them, or you might be executed without warning."
Compared to the previous two meetings with the soldiers, Tohsaka Rin's expression and demeanor were much more serious this time. Only now did she acknowledge that these people were true soldiers, and she gave them due respect.
"All military regulations will be taught to you in detail by your respective camp commanders. Here, I will only announce a few independent ironclad rules of the Seventh Legion. These regulations take precedence over Imperial military law within the Seventh Legion!"
"One: Superiors and military orders are paramount. Any who question, oppose, reject, or obstruct the transmission and flow of military orders shall, in peacetime, be imprisoned in the death row prison! Their military status shall be declared deceased, and they shall be counted among the death row inmates; in wartime, if such a situation arises, they shall be immediately executed without question! Those who turn a blind eye shall have their crime reduced by one degree."
"Two: Within the Seventh Legion, enemy heads count as military merit! Ten heads for a third-class merit, thirty heads for a second-class merit, fifty heads for a first-class merit. As long as anyone achieves a first-class merit, regardless of how many people, I, Tohsaka Rin, will personally recommend all of them to the Imperial Military Academy."
"Three: A full army martial competition will be held monthly. Apart from the new recruits whose status is still pending, all veterans and officers shall participate. Those in lower military positions may challenge those in higher positions. If the challenger wins, they will take the loser's position. If they lose, they will be demoted by one rank. All positions are open for challenge. If anyone can defeat me, I will give them the Legion Commander position!"
"Finally..."
Tohsaka Rin took a deep breath, a gentle smile appearing on her face as she said:
"Yesterday's battle was a great victory for you. I'm giving you one day off. Alcohol and women are permitted. Relax for a day, and prepare to face hell."
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh—!!!"
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