Second Place

"You've had a good few years, haven't you?"

"I've had a very fulfilling few years, Father."

Upon hearing Sigismund say this, Dorn knew that Sigismund had learned a great deal in Nostramo.

He became very agile.

I asked him if he was doing well, and he replied that he was very fulfilled.

They really know how to play Tai Chi.

"Fulfilling?"

"Yes, Father, just as I mentioned in our correspondence, I have obtained my bar license in Nostramo."

"In the same year, I became the top real estate agent in Barbarus. In the years I've been a real estate agent, I've sold countless houses and processed countless cases. I feel very fulfilled."

"And this sense of fulfillment has truly made me stronger, Father."

How strong is it?

"Based on strength comparisons, I am currently ranked second in the Evernight Legion Reserves."

Second in the Evernight Legion Reserves?

Sigismund's statement made Dorn very concerned.

"Sigismund, you are the finest warrior of the Seventh Legion, without a doubt, you are legendary and great. Why compare yourself to the Reserves of the Evernight Legion?"

Upon hearing Dorn's question, Sigismund smiled and shook his head, his smile containing a complex meaning.

There was resentment, challenge, and helplessness.

"Father, I was referring to the Evernight Legion Reserves, not the Eighth Legion's Reserves. There's a world of difference between the two."

Let's talk in more detail.

In reality, the entire Imperium 'Legions and their Primarch had a very vague understanding of the Evernight Legion's strength.

Their level of cognitive ambiguity was similar to that of Sigismund when he first arrived in Nostramo.

"Father, six years ago I came to Nostramo as you instructed, and then I was defeated by the Reserve Myriarch of the Evernight Legion."

"Reserve Myriarch?"

"Yes, Father, and a Reserve Myriarch has been retired for over a decade."

Upon hearing Sigismund's words, Dorn instinctively clenched his fist.

He then immediately took Sigismund back to Nostramo.

There are too many people and too much gossip here, so you need to be careful. Nostramo is a better place.

"Father, please come with me. I bought a house here; it'll give you a Settlement."

After the two entered and took their seats, Sigismund began to recount what he had seen and heard.

"At first, I wanted to challenge Sevatar because we had a verbal agreement when they first came to Terra that we would have a match."

"But I remember it very clearly, that day Sevatar was on leave, and he assigned me to the Assault Master Impetus."

Did you win or lose?

"I lost, I lost completely. My opponent used a pair of Short Swords, but he completely overwhelmed me with his left hand, while his right hand gave me a death sentence."

He suppressed Sigismund with his left hand?!

You must be kidding.

What kind of monsters are the people in the Eighth Legion?

"After that incident, I learned from Defensio that my actual strength was equivalent to Slazov's."

"Machine Gun Slazov? That soldier who dared to arrest even the Chancellor?"

"Yes, Father, it was him. And it's true, as Defensio said, that I fought him to a draw. But later I learned that he had been retired for over ten years."

"His involvement in the Terra anti-corruption was purely by chance. If it weren't for that incident, he might have spent his entire life selling houses in Nostramo."

"My father, that's the kind of person he was, a semi-retired veteran, who fought me to a draw."

Sigismund's words plunged Dorn into a long, utter silence.

"Also, Father."

"If there's anything else, say it all at once."

Nostramo is a very dangerous place.

"Danger?"

"Yes, it's very dangerous because demobilized personnel like Slazov make up 20% of the entire Nostramo."

"I can't guarantee that everyone is as strong as Slazov, but many of those 20% were at least centurions during their Reserve."

"Even within these demobilized Reserve circles, if someone hasn't become a centurion or achieved corresponding honors before their demobilization, they will automatically remain anonymous and not acknowledge their Reserve status to the outside world."

Only a centurion can openly call himself Reserve, but what about those below him? How many elite soldiers are there?

"Moreover, even now, with the Eighth Legion's Space Marines numbering a terrifying 150,000, the Nostramo people still consider the Legion's numbers too small."

"During my time as a real estate sales intern, I even heard a rumor circulating among the public."

What kind of rumor is it?

According to popular belief, every family must have at least one member who has served as or was Space Marine in the Eighth Legion.

Clang!

Upon hearing this news, Dorn jumped to his feet.

Are you sure that's true?

"Of course this is true, Father. Do you know why blacksmith shops still exist in Nostramo today?"

"Why?"

"Because in Nostramo, the only legal institution to manufacture and sell replicas of the Eighth Legion Space Marine Power Armour is the blacksmith shop."

"And in those six years, according to my rough estimate, at least every single one of them had a set of those replica armors."

"You mean the whole nation is a soldier?"

"That's right, Father."

Upon hearing this affirmative answer, Dorn slumped into his chair, unable to fathom what the Nostramo people were preparing.

Are they going to burn the entire Milky Way Galaxy to ashes?

Let's set aside the Peaceful Star System for now and focus on the Planet Nostramo.

Nostramo's total population has reached 8 billion.

If the age for military service is 18 to 40, then the number of people that can be mobilized for war has reached a terrifying 3 billion!

In other words, 3 billion people are ready to become soldiers at any time, while the remaining 5 billion constitute a formidable logistical force.

Is the world about to end?

What kind of future did Nostramo foresee?

After hearing what Sigismund had to say, Dorn was less inclined to investigate why he was working in real estate sales.

At the very least, he received this information that shocked him, but was indeed useful.

"Then tell me about yourself. You just said you're second in the Reserves. Who's first?"

"You know the first-place winner too, Father."

"I know him?"

"Yes, the first place winner is a young soldier named Nova Spears."

"What?!"

He had seen that kid before; only a few years had passed.

The opponent was even stronger than Sigismund, and Sigismund had studied at Nostramo.

Is this even reasonable?

"Father, from a practical point of view, my ranking as the second-best in the Reserves already surpasses the vast majority of people."