{The empire had to adjust to rain; it was one of those things talked about a bit in the lost history but never taken seriously.
Now that it had occurred, it begged questions on what more was overlooked and where to draw the line between plausibility or fictious in the dug up notes and books containing the old history.
Nevertheless once again humanity proved their biggest trait; adaptability — Over the course of the last six months modifications had been made to multiple infrastructure and Day to day objects to protect against rain.
Even clothing and transport were no exemptions to these changes, new clothings were sewn like coats for rain and thicker clothing to be protected from the cold that usually came with the rain
New wagons were also engineered, those with a canopy top unlike the normal open or wooden topped ones which weren't suitable for human transport.
Modifications where made to wheels and other body parts to avoid rusting and damage due to water, these modifications also applied to carriages.
And from what I hear there is a construction of gutters and other water paths in most towns, even in some developing settlements.
My favourite has to be the crafting of the umbrella, which also doubles as a protection from when the sun gets too hot.
Walls are also being built by the river due to overflow from rain, there will still be gates in those walls since water transport inter and intra sector is the go-to for the residents in riverine areas.
And also aiding fishermen since they're easily part of the backbone of the economy currently.
All this wouldn't be feasible if anyone else was in power but the current emperor, his competency is sometimes unreal.}
[Horses gallops were audible]
Two closed top wagons and multiple horses could be seen traversing through the main path of the third sector, the path that went along from the gate of the third to the gate of the second.
Such paths existed in all sectors, they weren't always paved, and when they were it was due to the fact that it was passing through a developed town.
On this very day, the ones who travelled through it were the military, the horses that were mounted numbered seven, not accounting for the ones pulling the wagons.
{There was a problem earlier in the morning with all the commanders opting out from the expedition.
They took a vote against it, the only ones who didn't oblige were Ren, Lana, Ricia the officiator of whose name I learnt is Gustev.
Heimlich; the man who gave that speech opted to join the expedition begging Supreme Heimer on his knees, it thought he would refuse but he accepted.
He chose to join due to the curiosity of Supreme Heimer's confidence and in return surviving this expedition would be the pardon for him to get back into the army.
Now there was a question of who was going to ride the horses, the unit had been trained on fighting, but yet had no experience in horse riding.
Using individual horses would be better for maneuverbility in the land outside the walls.
Lands which they knew next to nothing about and would for all they knew have no definitive paths.
Yet they had gotten in this dilemma, when asked which of the cadets were inept at horse riding only four raised their hands;
Rud, Paul, Saul and I.
Saul and Paul were put in charge of each wagon, both had resources and the other officers in them.
While I and Rud rode alongside the commanders, with Heimer and Gustev in the lead, Ricia and Lana at the rightmost side behind the wagons.
I and Ren at the leftmost side behind the wagons with Heimlich and Rud at the centre.}
Heimer was clad in gold armour with his axe nowhere to be found, Gustev's was also plated in gold with a large wide iron great sword holsted at his back.
The other commanders along with Heimlich wore high quality silver armour, and all wielded long swords with the exception of Ricia's mace.
The special unit however, wore thin-plate silver armour, with lots of free space at their joints and a black inners.}
"Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, we're more covered up than the fledglings.
However I might have to admit that some could be classified as adults.
I may have been blinded by biases at that time…" Heimlich looked at Rud who was at his left and the figure he embodied.
He was now more muscular than he was months ago, and his hair had grown out a bit, he noticed eyes watching his.
"Is there a problem sir?" He asked Heimlich.
"None that I know of, I was just admiring the walls of the military base that are still visible from here." Heimlich diverged.
"It is indeed very long" Rud agreed.
Over at the left flank Leo's mind was in turmoil, still shaken from emotions he hadn't processed.
He was disappointed in himself for not being able to tell her earlier, even if it was not a guarantee that she would accept his feelings, it was all he could use to cope.
"Would things be any different If I had told her five months ago…" Leo pondered.
"What is that troubles you Leo?" Ren's voice nearly unrecognisable due to the muffling of his helmet.
"Have you ever been heartbroken before." Leo asked with a firm tone.
"Of course I have.
Why do you ask, who broke your heart?
Is it a girl, actually what am I asking for, at your age it always almost is." Ren had a concerning tone with his question.
Leo nodded.
There was a brief silence between the two, which was broken by Leo.
"Actually, It would be better to say I did it by myself, I held my feelings back and it cost me.
Before I could confess she was beyond my reach…" Leo's tone was still firm, but a bit lighter.
"And how does that feel, it hurts doesn't it.
Maybe at the back of your throat, or the usual chest pains." Ren interrogated.
" Yes it does.
The pain I feel now is so bad, it's different from any other, I don't know if I can recover from it.
[Pfft]" Ren started laughing at Leo's statement.
He kept on laughing for a while.
"It's a part of life, most people pass through this stage you'll overcome it too.
It feels like there's a hole in your heart, and honestly speaking; there is.
But you'll have to leave it up to the greatest healer; time.
And if that might take too much time; which is the entire point...you can just fill it up with what was taken-" Red advised.
"Fill it up with love?" Leo couldn't link the dots.
Ren nodded in affirmation.
"Yes, but I'm not saying you should rush into falling in love with another person that might have little to no romantic interest in you.
Love exists in multiple forms and some are just very simple and innocent, like the love for ones belonging, hobbies or indulgences.
But the most important is self love.
Above all love yourself, don't beat yourself up, it's one of the easier things that you have faced.
As you overcame the last, so shall you overcome this." Ren tapped his finger against Leo's chest plate.
Leo looked forward, with his mind a bit more settled.
"How does marriage feel like?" He asked Ren, changing the topic.
"It's amazing, even now I'm still thinking of the one that stole my heart.
I don't know how to explain it in plain words, but in my life where everyday became a copy of the last it was a breath of fresh air" Ren replied.
"Well it sounds pretty nice.
Thanks for your previous concern." Leo loosened his grip on the noose a little.
"It's nothing." Ren waved it off.
"By the way, those two look really close, what is going on with them." Leo asked Ren.
"Who?" Ren asked.
"Supreme Heimer and commander Gustev.
It's weird, commander Gustev looks too old to have been a lieutenant and he is on friendly terms with the supreme." Leo voiced out his opinions.
Ren shook his head.
"You're too young to know, but commander Gustev and my father share a long friendship and rivalry in the army.
***
{He was a commander by the time my father enrolled into the army but they both became good friends during that time.
He was the one that led the platoon my father was in when he was still a private, up till his corporal days.
They completed platitudes of missions together with near perfection.
And my father even served as his lieutenant though they had more of an 'equals' dynamic.
By the time my father had ascended to become a commander, commander Gustev had ascended to join the board that oversees the army.
He is the one that filled up the space Heimlich opened up, so unlike the lieutenants that ascended to the rank of commander, he desceneded to our ranks.
His authority is above all that are present here, even my father's.}
***
"That is the type of power he can expend" Ren explained.
Leo's face stiffened up.
"More authority than the supreme…is he a sky above heaven itself?" Leo gulped at his thought.
The conversation might've stopped but the journey carried on.
They passed through few large towns and some smaller towns, charging on in full pace.
By nightfall they were already arriving at the wall of the third sector, the first day of the expedition was soon coming to an end.