A royal party approaching the gates of Yuva was not the big surprise but rather it was finding that there were already people waiting at the gates to welcome the party.

  The most important visitor frowned but thought that since it did take a few days to reach Louvaros from the royal capital then surely news of their travel would have spread.

  Since they hadn’t announced their arrival, one ordinarily would have thought that they were heading to the city to see the duke rather than going to the military base. The accuracy of the Louvarossy army’s information network was a little alarming to the visitor.

  Colonel Beran and a rather unimpressed Colonel Wrona sat next to him on an equally impatient horse. Quite honestly everyone had better things to do than entertain the royal party, but someone had to receive them especially if they had lost a bet.

  The visitor saw a man with dark tousled hair and a smile that could be described as easy going but calculative, dismount from his horse and walk towards their party.

  “Welcoming this royal party to our humble stronghold,” said Beran loud enough for the person in the carriage to hear.

  There were a few royal guards in front and a small number of royal army officers behind the carriage. Wrona’s face almost twitched at thinking that they dared to visit a military base unannounced with this many people.

  Surely the Louvarossy army grounds were being mistaken for a playground. The curtain in the carriage was pulled aside.

  “Thank you for the welcome Officers. I trust General Kasabien is here?”

  “Indeed, your Royal Highness Prince Levon. I’m Colonel Beran and that’s Colonel Wrona who’ll be leading the party to meet the General. We’ve had a few things happening lately so he’s preoccupied with important developments. Excuse the mess.”

  Although addressed as your Highness, the young man felt as if the soldier had spoken to him too casually, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what made him offended.

  The woman behind Beran, wordlessly turned her horse around for them to follow her into the gates as he walked back to his own horse.

  He sat and waited for the party to pass through the gates. The army officers included a familiar face to which he nodded an acknowledgement as they rode past, and they nodded back.

  Prince Levon wasn’t sure what he was expecting but it was not the scene he saw. Yuva was a military stronghold but it was almost like a small town on its own and the soldiers, workers and servants were the residents.

  For most armies, they had a small number of permanent soldiers and if a war erupted, common citizens were drafted to make up the numbers which had its own disadvantages.

  Since the Louvarossy troops were stationed at different parts along the border in shifts and never really had to gather in one place, all the soldiers were permanent workers.

  In establishing such a system, their stronghold would be busier and have all the auxiliary services and workers that an army would need such as armour, leather and weapon smiths, cooks and even facility maintenance staff.

  There were also a few administration staff who were not soldiers or military officials.

  The soldiers had the reputation of being well trained and vicious since they fought all year round along the border, but the people he saw seemed rather laidback.

  They could even be considered disorderly, noisily engaging in bare fisted martial arts matches and other such amusements.

  There were those busy grooming and training huge wolves or was it dogs? This was also one of the unique features of this army. They were known for their training and use of malicious hounds which hunted and fought alongside the soldiers.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  The region itself was understood to have all sorts of big beasts and wolves prowling in the mountains and forests even in winter when the land turned a stark white.

  Although the culprits couldn’t be seen, there were even sounds of drunken laugher and people openly engaged in gambling at their little tables.

  Having been around the royal barracks, Prince Levon was not unaware of soldiers being crude since most were commoners and peasants after all, but this chaos was a new level.

  Wrona whistled to the group who was sitting outside one of the buildings and gambling. The group leader wore a loose black undershirt with signs of stubble and a tobacco rollup in his mouth.

  He used his foot to gesture to one of the youngest looking officers who then obediently ran over to Wrona.

  “Oi, Pup, go and check guest arrangements with the garrison commander’s office.”

  “Yes Mam,” said the youngster before rushing off in another direction.

  It seemed the soldier was used to the address of “pup” and didn’t hesitate once when given an order.

  The General was not in his office but rather watching a fight on the training grounds. The people fighting were precisely Mahalia and the captain always seen at Officer Roux’s side.

  Prince Levon wondered if watching a fight was part of the “important developments” Beran had mentioned which stopped them from receiving a royal party.

  “Your Highness, what brings such important guests to our humble Yuva?”

  “It’s nothing to worry about General. His Majesty merely wanted to check on the recovery of his subjects.”

  In all his subtlety, the prince didn’t fail to remind the general that they were still under the king as if they would forget.

  “Let me introduce royal Colonel Sarkis and I’m sure the man next to him is familiar.”

  “Of course, welcome back Officer Clawe.”

  Some chairs and strong wine were quickly set up right there in the viewing area of the training grounds. They had been expecting to at least go into a meeting room, but they couldn’t now reject the hospitality even if it was rather… basic.

  The fight on the grounds raged on. Mahalia expertly swung the glaive with killing intent in every swing. The other captain was suddenly a little overwhelmed with this sudden onslaught as her face didn’t match her actions.

  In fact, she even looked calmer than usual but for those that knew her like Lark, they could tell she was fuming.

  The onlookers were so intensely focused on the fight that they weren’t even cheering or making a sound anymore. Suddenly Lark felt a tug on his ear and silently lamented in his heart.

  “I leave for one patrol and people are already trying to kill each other,” said Sorin while Lark rubbed his ear.

  “I think he must have said something that pissed her off. I can’t be blamed for not holding her back. According to official ranks I’m not her commanding officer. Also, I think it’s good for the pups to learn what not to say to her.”

  Soon after Lark spoke, the opposing captain found himself on his knee. Mahalia’s glaive swung down, stopping a few centimetres shy of the back of his neck.

  The dust had barely settled when cheering erupted from one side of the crowd. How could anyone possibly doubt their captain and her abilities now? The losing party stood up while trying not to look annoyed to death.

  Mahalia was smiling and celebrating with her soldiers until she turned and saw Sorin at which she slowly turned in the opposite direction and started walking away as if he wasn’t looking straight at her.

  Everyone else scurried into place while a few people helped clean up the losing captain.

  “Captain Ilao.”

  “Yes, Venerable Sir,” she replied while turning and then flashing a large smile.

  They looked at each other and then she slowly started walking towards him like a child that had done something wrong and got caught for it. Lark was off on the side trying not to laugh but very visibly failing.

  “It’s a good thing that you won otherwise this would have been much worse,” said Sorin while patting her on the back.

  The pats didn’t look rough, but she did shrink a little with every pat as if it weighed a hundred tonnes.

  “What did I say before about picking fights now that you’re a commanding officer?”

  Mahalia mumbled something under her breath and found herself defending against Sorin’s oncoming hand. Right, left and she managed to block both incoming blows until he feinted a left but flicked her on the forehead instead.

  Before she could block it, his hand swiftly held onto the root of her braided ponytail as if he was holding a rabbit by the ears and shook her head a little while she made a face.

  “I can’t hear you.”

  “I’ll inform the princess that Colonel was being a hooligan demon overlord.”

  There was a slight pause in the shaking movement.

  “What makes you think she won’t be impressed by it?” asked Sorin with a little sneer.

  Mahalia thought she had finally found something to get her some leniency but it seemed that she was wrong, so she had to switch strategies again.

  “Big Brother, this little sister knows she was wrong,” she pleaded again while rubbing her hands before he released her to which she pursed her lips while adjusting her hair.

  Lark stood with his back to them while whistling and had to block this childish little scene from everyone while the others continued with their exercises.