April 8, 1157, Imperial Calendar. Saturday. The weather was clear, with a warm spring breeze blowing.
Today was Sean's third day back in Linshui City. Ever since Alice had offered herself to him on the first night, he had found himself lingering over the experience these past few days. Once he finished what he had to do, he would wait for Alice to throw herself into his arms. Especially at night, holding her fragrant, full body as he slept soundly until dawn left him refreshed and ready to begin a new day.
Today should have been no different, but early in the morning, Sergeant Jason arrived at Sean's residence. He presented him with an invitation to the Victory and Medal Ceremony jointly organized by the Lord's Mansion and the Noble Council. He then quietly revealed that Sean would receive a medal personally from the city lord, along with Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's private congratulations.
After Sean smiled and saw off Sergeant Jason, who had delivered the message, he turned and headed back to the sitting room. As he walked, he could not help thinking, According to Jason, I will be awarded the Imperial Second-Class Medal of Valor at the medal ceremony.
In a local force like the Garrison, being fortunate enough to receive a second-class medal was already extremely rare. Lieutenant Colonel Merkel must have put in considerable effort behind the scenes. This was not merely a reward for Sean's contributions in the Battle Against River Bandits; it also represented Merkel increasing his investment in him. That so-called private congratulations at the end must have been a hint of precisely that.
The Medal of Valor itself was divided into three classes. It was awarded by the Imperial Army to officers and soldiers who fought bravely in war, feared no hardship, and