On the eleventh day of the 8th month of the year 20X, almost six years since he was last seen in the world, Baines had returned.
There was always a bitter feeling in knowing that, despite what had happened to him, the world still ran its course. Whatever happened to him was his business, and that his revenge was his alone to achieve. He was going to be responsible for his actions, their consequences, and the aftermath.
And of course, he was ready to shoulder them all.
It was evening when Baines left the panel and arrived at the next building, where he stood in a shorter line before receiving his uniforms, armor, and weapon of choice.
Then came the quarters, which were very modest and bare: a bed, a table, and a toilet.
This was the supposedly higher treatment he was given compared to his peer, but he didn't mind it. It was already several levels better than his room in the open throne room.
Alongside the clothing and room, he was also given access to the martial techniques of the empire's military and basic knowledge about the military, rules, regulations, structure, and hierarchy.
As he had recently figured out, the military stationed on the last front was in fact among the large imperial army of the Solaris Empire.
'To be more specific, this is the northern forces of the imperial army, and as their name suggests, this cold territory is the northern border of the empire.' He also got to know that whether the outliers existed or not, this place was still a military camp.
'But they are slightly different in that they constantly hire anyone willing to fight regardless of their reasons.' He knew that as someone who had met with the panel that accepted him. If it had been a standard military ground, they would have done everything to find out about him, perhaps even threatened his life.
The last front army was largely divided into three legions, consisting of hundreds of thousands of soldiers each:
The Sunblade Legion. This included the elite infantry and swordsmen in the army. This was the bulk force of the army. They contained the most skillful and best combatants in the army.
The Radiant Legion. This legion focused on long-range attacks. They specialized in the stationed weapons and moveable weapons used for long-distance fighting against the outliers, and the Pyre Vanguard, the fearsome force of magic-infused shock troops and heavy cavalry. This group stood at the forefront of any battle with a singular chant and formation, forward.
This group was the most involved against the enemy. They helped whittle down the number of enemies before the sunblade legion charged in. They were easily the strongest and most haggard among the three legions.
As an enlister to the Pyre Vanguard, Baines was also entitled to a warhorse and a battle lance.
In his plain quarters, he laid out what he had received from the military on the bed before delving through the martial technique books he was given.
A martial technique book contained the body and energy movement to perform a said technique. Usually, it would take days to read to understand the theoretical aspect before performing it practically.
However, Baines just flipped through, "Eye, scan this technique."
[SCANNING...]
Eye was able to catch the entirety of each page of the book with a single glance, and he did it for the other books he received.
While the scan was being processed, he moved over to the mirror to undress himself.
Except for the few times when he had sparred against himself, he hadn't seen himself through a mirror like this since he left his home.
Naturally, he couldn't believe he had undergone a stark change, but he didn't show it. His face remained slightly dull and emotionless.
His black hair had grown longer, long enough to cover his forehead and fall back to his neck. His face had a curvy V-shaped look that seemed to match his round black pupils.
Interrupting his thoughts was a mechanical voice,
[SCAN COMPLETE]
"Do it."
As he commanded, he winced and gritted his teeth as the flood of information surged into his brain. The volume of information wasn't much, yet, even as a master, the impact of a full transfer still affected him.
Once the pain faded, he gave a light nod.
"Not bad," he muttered.
For an army that claimed strength in numbers, its techniques did not disappoint. Though they didn't come close to those he had with him, they weren't bad.
He began donning his armor: a thin shock-absorbing plate for his chest, groin, knees, and arms, designed to block attacks. Over them, he wore his black uniform marked with elegant golden accents, and a thick flurry black cloak for the cold. Finally, he wrapped a black scarf tightly around his neck, covering his mouth.
He strapped on his sword, 'Time to go.'
Although it was his first day and it was still evening, their schedule began as soon as they were admitted. He was now a soldier, meaning he followed orders without complaints and was barely given any time to rest.
With that thought, he left the room and stepped out into the open.
Thirty minutes later, Baines stood silently behind a neat file with nearly three hundred other recruits in a wide field, all also donned in their uniform.
The Vanguard legion always had the fewest recruits. Most flocked to the prestigious Sunblade as they were the empire's main forces.
But Baines didn't care. He didn't come for glory. He came to fight.
The evening was freezing as droplets of snow dropped from the sky and settled on their cloaks and the ground beneath them. Perhaps due to the mood, it was even colder.
Unlike the line to the recruitment office, here, no one dared speak. As recruits, there was a slight nervousness in their gazes, but none of them spoke.
The first quality of the military was discipline, and discipline was survival. Especially in a battle-stricken place such as the last front, discipline could very well determine one's survival.
A few seconds after Baines' silent arrival, a massive man who seemed more a bear than a man appeared before them.
"WELCOME RECRUITS OF THE VANGUARD LEGION. I AM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER, BULL." Bull was the commanding officer of the Vanguard recruits training and a five-star master. Just like his looks, he didn't say flowery words. Soldiers didn't need that. Rather, he went straight to the point.
"RECRUITS! TODAY, YOU RIDE! THE KEY IS COMMUNICATION. CHOOSE YOUR MOUNT!"