"Eldian Revival Army? Why change the name?" an Eldian soldier asked in confusion.
Serena cast a subtle glance outside the tent, then said calmly, "Because the theories of the Eldian Restorationists have become somewhat illusory and impractical. This time, we have a new goal—one truly worth fighting for."
In the corner outside the tent, Yago stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the canvas as he listened to Serena's meeting with her subordinates.
This was something he and Serena had agreed upon. He was still undercover within the Marleyan military and needed the identity of a Marleyan officer as cover. It wasn't convenient for him to appear before the Eldian Restorationists—who should now be called the Eldian Revival Army. However, Yago's ideas could first be conveyed through Serena.
"Unite all Eldians? Revive the Eldian nation!? That does sound more inspiring than restoring the Eldian Empire!" Serena's subordinates were visibly astonished.
Serena nodded. "You must make arrangements as soon as possible to spread the ideology of our Eldian Revival Army. This time our objective is even more noble. I believe more of our compatriots will join us!"
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.
"Wait, there's one more thing. Our Eldian Revival Army also has a spiritual leader. Due to special circumstances, I can't introduce him to you yet. However, the ideology of the Eldian Revival Army was proposed by him. Believe me—under his leadership, we Eldians will rise again!" Serena declared solemnly.
"There's such a thing? Understood!"
As the core members of the Eldian Revival Army walked out of the tent, they were still discussing excitedly. But the figure who had been eavesdropping outside was already gone.
"It's really exciting. It's just like the great foreign revolutions we read about in books. Aren't our goals similar?" one Eldian soldier said to his companion, who nodded in strong agreement.
Little did they know that because of those two soldiers, the Eldian Revival Army would later gain another nickname—the Eldian Revolutionary Army. But that is a story for another time.
Watching her subordinates leave, Serena finally let out a sigh of relief. She suddenly felt the burden on her shoulders lighten. Previously, all the hopes of the Eldian Restorationists had rested entirely on her, which had put immense pressure on her. Now things were much better. Having a leader to take the heat was certainly easier.
Unaware that he had already become the "leader who takes the blame" in Serena's eyes, Yago was currently wandering aimlessly around the military camp.
Passing by the training grounds, he saw Eldian soldiers practicing target shooting. Bursts of gunfire rang out. Thanks to Yago's earlier assistance, the Third Regiment had received sufficient supplies, which gave them the confidence to let the soldiers train with live ammunition. In the past, they had counted every bullet—they would never have wasted them on target practice.
Feeling the itch as he watched, Yago couldn't help but take a rifle from one of the soldiers and fire several shots in succession. The recoil only made his body sway slightly.
Though his posture looked impressive, when he glanced at the target, he had hit only one out of five shots. The smile on Yago's face immediately vanished. What future was there in playing with guns? Vertical Maneuvering Equipment was far cooler! He shot a fierce glare at the Eldian soldiers who were suppressing their laughter.
Then he turned and continued strolling.
As he walked, Yago arrived at the training ground for the Warrior Candidates. Tall Marleyan soldiers stood guard. Outsiders were forbidden, but Yago was not stopped.
Inside, several children were running laps under the blazing sun with huge packs on their backs, following behind Colt, who led the pace.
It was clear from their faces that they were utterly exhausted. Especially Zofia, whose stamina was weaker—she was obviously running out of strength and on the verge of collapse.
Among the children, the one performing best was perhaps the brown-haired girl closely following Colt—Gabi.
After an unknown number of laps, Colonel Koslow, who was in charge of training, finally blew his whistle to announce a break. Then he hurried off, apparently to attend to something urgent.
At that moment, even Colt couldn't hold on any longer. He collapsed onto the grass, gasping for breath. The others did the same. Only Gabi remained standing, hands on her knees.
"Gabi, take a break. It's too exhausting," Falco urged while rubbing his aching calves.
But Gabi replied excitedly, "No need! I can handle it! This time I'll prove that I'm the best candidate for the Titan Warrior!"
Before she could finish boasting, a tall and upright figure appeared above her in the sunlight, casting a large shadow over her.
Gabi turned her head in shock—and saw the man who had haunted her nightmares for days. That Marleyan officer!?
She froze in place, her eyes darting nervously.
A calm voice sounded from in front of her.
"This Warrior Candidate seems very afraid of me."
Gabi hurriedly shook her head. "N-No, you misunderstand. I was just daydreaming."
But Yago raised an eyebrow. "So when Warrior Candidates see an officer, they don't greet him?"
At those words, the candidates quickly stood up and shouted in unison,
"Greetings, Commander Loya!"
After glancing at the candidates a few more times, Yago finally turned and left.
The oppressive aura Yago exuded was overwhelming for Gabi—almost suffocating. Only after he departed did she feel a bit relieved. Yet the memory of being choked that day flooded back into her mind.
The slight excitement she had felt earlier instantly vanished, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
With his hands in his pockets, Yago was suddenly approached by a rushing figure. Looking closely, it was Colonel Koslow, the instructor of the Marleyan Warrior Candidates. Why was he here?
But Koslow was clearly coming straight for Yago. He rushed up, grabbed Yago's hand, and said anxiously yet excitedly,
"Loya, war's about to begin! Orders just came in—every unit is to march immediately to the front lines! We're taking the Middle Easterners' fortress!"
Yago was still processing the news.
"The war has started?"
Before he could say anything more, Koslow had already dashed into the camp to gather the Warrior Candidates and the Marleyan Guard Corps.
Yago stroked his chin. The war had come too suddenly. Just in case, he'd need to secure more supplies and medicine. After all, there were many members of the Eldian Revival Army within the Eldian troops—and they were essentially Yago's subordinates. He had to think of something.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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