Emergency Mobilization

Near Lakeheart Town, New Recruit Training Camp.

The Morning Star was still twinkling in the iron-gray sky when the barracks door hinges suddenly let out a piercing creak. Before long, the night-duty officer emerged from the gate holding a brass lantern. The lantern swayed constantly in the cold wind, making the shadows of the sentries flicker as well.

The weary soldier immediately straightened his back and gave his superior a vigorous salute.

The officer was just about to return the salute when a burst of hurried hoofbeats suddenly came from the distance.

Both men at the gate grew alert. They turned their gazes and saw a group of mounted figures emerge from the mist. When they recognized who had come, both were startled.

Leading them was Paul Greiman, their lord.

Several others followed at his side: Catherine, Schroeder, Bryce...

"Salute!" The officer's entire body tensed as he raised his hand in salute, even shouting the command in his nervousness.

Schroeder urged his horse forward and said calmly, "Emergency mobilization!"

The officer sucked in a breath. The thing most feared during new recruit training had arrived.

No matter what, once the order was issued, it had to be carried out without compromise. Those little brats had better live up to expectations!

For a moment, urgent bugle calls tore through the camp's silence. In less than half a minute, every barracks had erupted into commotion.

"Emergency mobilization! Pack your rucksacks, put on battle gear, and form up on the drill ground!" The officers' voices, filled with all their strength, echoed through the corridors.

The bare-chested young men climbed unwillingly out of their warm beds, pulled down the coarse wool uniforms hanging at their headboards, and hurriedly put them on. The uniforms still bore the salt crust left behind by the sweat that