Sometimes Joan showed the sort of expression one would expect from a young girl.
Like now, as she stared in bewilderment at a unit of cavalry in fiery red armor hurrying into Grand Marshal Garkin's camp.
Were her eyes playing tricks on her? Or did she miss home so much that she had mistaken a similar-looking unit for the Hellfire Legion?
Before long, she saw another unit of cavalry in the same fiery red armor enter the camp.
Joan rubbed her eyes hard.
She really must not have woken up yet. Why else would she keep seeing units from back home arrive and then disappear...?
"You don't want to? Even the Empire agreed."
In the main tent at the center of camp, Grand Marshal Garkin was speaking with Annan through a Portal.
Annan was talking about Political Commissars. He hoped to introduce them in the Kingdom. Calling it an experiment on the Kingdom sounded harsh; this was a win-win. The Kingdom would gain the Dual Command System and grow stronger, while he would get firsthand data.
Grand Marshal Garkin disagreed, but he did not argue with Annan.
Like many others, he had mixed feelings about Annan. He admired Annan's talent and convictions, yet Annan's chaotic ideas and private life irritated him to no end. On that, he agreed with the Old Housemaster.
Perhaps that was what came of growing up without an elder to guide him...
But no one could have expected the Reeves family to suddenly sell off its assets for the position of City Lord of Breeze City, much less that Augusta would dare collude with the Ratfolk. By the time the other Kings of the North reacted, it had all already happened.
And even if they had noticed something at the time, they might not have