Under these circumstances, Lei Mo received his call to war. He prepared his equipment, donned the armor bestowed upon him by the king, slung two Totem Pillars across his back, strapped a steel saber to his waist, and set off for the battlefield.
This time, Lei Mo wasn't going alone. A three-hundred-man escort followed close behind him.
The standard-bearer held aloft the Franklin family banner, emblazoned with two crossed black Totem Pillars.
Each Totem Pillar bore several Runes, all of them ones Lei Mo had mastered. Including the forward and reverse Anti-Gravity Runes, there were exactly eight.
At the point where the pillars crossed was a huge bull's skull, with ghostly blue flames burning in its eye sockets.
This family crest perfectly displayed all of Lei Mo's distinctive features, though no one else could see it.
To other people, those two Totem Pillars were simply the hard, unknown-material pillars Lei Mo often carried on his back.
As for the bull's skull, that was even more commonplace. Seven or eight out of every ten families had animals on their crests. Lei Mo had merely used an animal skull. What could be more normal?
The battlefield was just over two thousand kilometers from the royal capital. The capital already lay in the far eastern reaches of the kingdom, presumably with the needs of war in mind.
Half a month later, the several hundred people in Lei Mo's party crossed into the Keaton Kingdom's border fortress, Brest. By then, the fortress was already operating at full capacity.
Squads of soldiers streamed in, and supply wagons rolled in one after another, an unbroken procession.
Although the Lombardy Alliance appeared to have instigated the conflict, the Seti Alliance, represented by the Keaton Kingdom, had clearly been prepared for it as well.
Squads of soldiers and long lines of supply wagons like these couldn't possibly have been assembled in a short time.
After arriving, Lei Mo left his escort at the military camp and rode Divine Wind Bear Bill to the City Lord's Mansion.
Brest was a fortress city, but it had everything a city needed. The only peculiarity was that the city lord and commander of the Fortress Army were one and the same: Marshal Monba Erich Keaton, also known as Duke Erich.
The Erich ducal family was a branch of the royal family. It had split off hundreds of years ago, adopted its middle name as its family name, and took pride in it.
The current Duke Erich possessed only Level Eight strength, but he was a gifted military commander who had held Brest Fortress for nearly thirty years.
At the City Lord's Mansion, Duke Erich personally received Lei Mo.
Lei Mo went through the motions of a noble's greeting, then sat down without ceremony.
The strong did as they pleased. Lei Mo was already a paragon of noble decorum, so Marshal Monba didn't take offense.
"Viscount Franklin, both our forces and the Lombardy Alliance army have massed in strength at the front. War could break out at any moment. You've only just arrived, so take a few days to rest, then stand ready to provide support!"
Marshal Monba got straight to the point.
"Snap—"
Lei Mo gave a crisp salute, leaving Marshal Monba momentarily stunned. The army made allowances for Level Nine powerhouses; they weren't expected to follow any military regulations.
Lei Mo's behavior, on the contrary, struck everyone as strange.
But Lei Mo paid no heed. He finished saluting, then promptly left the City Lord's Mansion.
He went to the castle district inside the military camp and used the token provided by the City Lord's Mansion to find the corresponding small castle.
Although he had to stay in the military camp, there was no way a powerhouse would bunk with ordinary soldiers.
When he entered the castle, servants and maids were already cleaning. Lei Mo picked a room, put down his luggage, and began cultivating his battle aura.
His magical power would no longer grow. The only thing left was to seek insight into the world.
But his battle aura could still improve, and Lei Mo wouldn't let a single opportunity to grow stronger slip by.
A few days later, a messenger from the City Lord's Mansion came to summon Lei Mo to a meeting.
When he arrived, a deputy commander from the Magic Beast Knights' headquarters and several regimental commanders were already there. Lei Mo greeted them, then found a seat.
The Magic Beast Knights had originally wanted Lei Mo to establish another regiment, but he had declined.
So, although Lei Mo held the title of commander-in-chief, his only subordinates were his personal guards!
The Magic Beast Knights had a single grand commander. From the corps' founding to the present, that position had always been held by John Keaton. This gave Lei Mo reason to suspect that John Keaton had already reached the Saint Realm.
Below the grand commander was the chief of staff, a position similar to that of an executive deputy. The chief of staff handled all kinds of routine affairs, and when the grand commander was away, the chief's orders took precedence.
Next came the deputy commanders, who had to serve at headquarters.
Those who weren't stationed at headquarters held the honorary title of senior commander.
Below the deputy commanders were the commanders—that is, the regimental commanders. Commander was their rank, while regimental commander was their post, and every regimental commander was a Level Nine powerhouse.
Below the regimental commanders were the battalions, companies, and squads. Their actual strength depended entirely on the regimental commander's ability.
After Lei Mo sat down, several more officers from the Fortress Army arrived. He didn't know them and had no dealings with them, so he sat there, calm and unbothered.
"Good! Everyone's here. Let me brief you on the situation at the front!"
Marshal Monba was a decisive man who got right down to business.
"The Lombardy Alliance has assembled an army of more than three million this time. That alone isn't a problem, but a Magic Mage Corps is heading toward our front on the Keaton Kingdom's side!"
Marshal Monba's expression grew heavy.
"This force may not consist entirely of mages, but we can't afford to underestimate it. Everyone here knows the power of magic!"
Marshal Monba continued.
"What's frustrating is that the Lombardy Alliance has done such an excellent job keeping this under wraps! We've lost a great many spies and still haven't obtained specific information about this Magic Mage Corps!"
As Marshal Monba explained the situation, the powerhouses seated around the table furrowed their brows.
The powerhouses present weren't afraid of a single mage from the Magic Mage Corps, not even a single archmage.
The Level Nine powerhouses of the Magic Beast Knights all had magic beasts, and none of them feared a one-on-one fight.
But the Magic Mage Corps had a magic array. With the array's support, its strength was terrifying.
Even if the powerhouses present weren't afraid for themselves, none of them stood alone. Their subordinates would suffer heavy casualties.
Lei Mo was the most at ease. His guards generally didn't go to the front lines, and he had no subordinates. Level Nine magic posed no threat to him, and even if he couldn't withstand a forbidden spell, he could easily dodge it.
"Powerhouses, I'm telling you this not because I expect a solution, but to make sure you stay alert to the Magic Mage Corps. We don't know when they might hit us with a vicious blow!"
Marshal Monba then assigned the specific tactical tasks, and Lei Mo listened without much interest.
Warfare here was still rather primitive, like a battlefield in medieval Europe: meet the enemy head-on, or at most, flank them or launch a nighttime raid.
It couldn't compare to the dazzling maneuvers of Huaxia's ancient forebears. Lei Mo listened until his eyes nearly drooped shut.
"Lord Franklin!"
Lei Mo jolted, instantly becoming much more alert.
"You'll act alongside the Fortress Army's main force. Any objections?"
Marshal Monba asked gently.
"Snap—"
Another salute, drawing sidelong glances from the other powerhouses. Even Marshal Monba's mouth twitched a little.
"What's wrong with this guy's head?"
The marshal's guard captain in the hall was just as baffled.
"My lord, what happened to your dignity as a powerhouse? You're a Level Nine powerhouse! Why salute like an ordinary soldier?"
Lei Mo didn't care what they thought. He'd finally become a "counterfeit" soldier. How could he leave himself with regrets?
So he held himself to the strictest standards when it came to saluting.
From beginning to end, he did it by the book.
After the military meeting, everyone gradually left the City Lord's Mansion. Lei Mo returned to his castle in the military camp and waited for Marshal Monba's orders.
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