13 Start of the march

It was early, and the rays of the sun gradually began to bathe the rooftops of Vasbrusk. Fishermen and farmers rose and had their breakfasts with their families. Merchants set up their stalls at the corners of the wide central street, while the soldiers responsible for defending the city wall began to exchange shifts.

In this scene, Lydia rode slowly through the streets of Vasbrusk, capturing the attention of children who woke up and crowded around the windows of their homes, watching with curiosity and admiration in their eyes.

Marching behind Lydia, an army of 1,500 men could be seen. They were dressed in padded gambesons over chainmail, along with leather gauntlets. They were mainly armed with one-handed spears and shields, with short swords at their waists as backup for their spears. Among them were archers equipped with longbows, arrow quivers, and gladius swords at their hips.

This was the main division of the Vasbrusk army, composed of six battalions of 250 men, with four infantry battalions and two archer battalions. Most of these men were advanced-level Aether manipulators, with a few warriors among their ranks.

These divisions were led by a specialist each, who reported directly to Lydia's command. They were also divided into smaller squads of 50 men each, led by the few Aether manipulators at the warrior level.

Lydia was equipped with a white plate armor that glistened in the sunlight. Her metal gauntlets were adorned with engravings of a black crescent moon on the back, and her helmet shared the same engravings, with a crescent moon on each side, while a beautiful purple feather plume could be seen just above it.

At the powerful woman's waist, a large two-handed sword could also be seen. Its blade was as white as snow, while its hilt was black as darkness, with a beautiful purple gem embedded at the end.

The specialists in charge of each battalion were positioned just ahead of their respective units, dividing them. They were also mounted on horses and, like Lydia, wore powerful white plate armors, although theirs were much less luxurious.

Banners bearing the Darkmoon family emblem were carried by each battalion, proudly held high above the heads of the soldiers marching in rhythmic steps.

Every thud of their boots on the concrete streets of Vasbrusk resounded, awakening the few late sleepers, while children cheered, their eyes shining brighter as they recognized some relatives among the army.

Their childish yet proud gazes melted the hearts of every soldier, who already knew they were marching towards a bloody battlefield. In their minds, one thought dominated: "We need to return alive, for our mothers, fathers, children, cousins, and siblings."

Soon they passed through the gates of Vasbrusk and marched towards Solfosta, approximately 150 kilometers away. If they maintained a steady pace, it would take them about 3 days to reach their destination, marching approximately 50 kilometers per day.

Perhaps for a regular army, this would be an incredibly fast march, but each of these soldiers was a superhuman, more than capable of marching for 24 hours in a single day for weeks if necessary. The only thing preventing them from reaching the city before the next day's dawn was logistics—animals, carts, baggage, and supplies carried by the army.

As nightfall arrived, the walls of Vasbrusk had already disappeared on the horizon, and the plains slowly transformed into a dense, dark forest. As sunlight faded, torches were lit in every corner of the army, illuminating their surroundings. The few specialists and Lydia herself swept the forest with their Aether, searching for any threat, and they continued their march.

By midnight, the army came to a halt. While Aether manipulators didn't require frequent rest and could stay awake for days, the horses were different—they were exhausted, and they couldn't leave their entire burden behind.

Stopping her horse, Lydia let out a powerful shout. Her words were direct and clear: "Halt! Set up camp! We'll rest here today. We'll resume the march at dawn."

Upon hearing their commander's words, the army gradually stopped. They didn't have time to construct palisades for their protection, so they simply erected simple cloth tents and lit a few fires.

Once the camp was set up, the army divided. Some soldiers stood guard and kept watch over the camp, while others tended to the horses' needs and roasted some meat over the fires.

While it wasn't necessary for Aether manipulators, it was impossible to deny the morale boost that a good rest and roasted meat brought to soldiers in an army. Of course, it was accompanied by good beer, although it could only be consumed moderately, as getting drunk in such a situation would result in severe punishment.

Meanwhile, dozens of scouts, some on horseback and others on foot, were sent into the forest. Their main mission was to search for and alert the main army of any approaching danger.

Lydia dismounted her horse and handed it over to one of the soldiers and, with a grunt, she jumped a height of over 15 meters, landing directly on a thick branch of one of the many trees in the forest. She then sat on the branch, observing the camp, a gentle smile on her face as she unsheathed her sword.

"We haven't seen the blood of a true battlefield in many years, my dear companion... but don't worry, soon we'll have plenty of blood to bathe in," she murmured slowly, turning her gaze towards the horizon.

Perched near the top of one of the tallest trees in the forest, she had a clear view of the canopy of the lower trees for many kilometers, illuminated only by the moonlight. Appreciating the beauty, she closed her eyes and rested. Her heart beat slowly, and a gentle smile could be seen on her weathered lips as she caressed the blade of her sword.

She had been a soldier for many years in her life, a profession extremely rare for a woman, even those talented in Aether. She overcame any prejudice, lived for centuries, and personally killed thousands of men. The sword in her hands had been with her for over 100 years and had witnessed as much bloodshed as its previous owner's hands.

"You old fool... you could have at least said goodbye..." Then, she remembered Caesar. He was much older than her, at least 200 years older from what she knew. He had been her first instructor, her first battle brother, her first commander, her first companion, and even her first love... unfortunately, the loss of his former wife had shattered the man's heart, closing him off completely to any feelings she may have had for him.

And so time passed. Her love slowly changed and turned into nothing but intense respect and admiration. Besides the young Asterios, he was the only other person she truly cared about, and his death broke her heart.

Even as an old and bitter woman burdened by the pains of a life of suffering in battle, she still dreamed of seeing Asterios grow, perhaps even overthrowing Argus and taking the boy for herself, raising him in the way she believed was right.

With these thoughts passing through her mind, she laughed heartily as the image of deceiving Argus and fleeing Vasbrusk with the boy in her arms played in her head. Taking him to the central continent and speaking with some old friends, placing him under the tutelage of a grandmaster, a being at the pinnacle of this world who could prepare him to be more than just a minor power in a backward country, but a name that would make the entire world tremble.

"Just crazy ramblings from an old woman slowly becoming senile."

"I wonder if he will choose Anna as his future wife... damn, I need to stay alive to see that," she murmured with a sad voice, thinking about the battle she was about to face—dying was not an option.

With a heavy and melancholic sigh, she finally took one last look at the horizon before closing her eyes again and letting her mind be consumed by darkness.

[NT: A "mail coif" in the Middle Ages was a type of head protection worn by warriors, especially knights and soldiers. Also known as a "mail hood" or "maille coif," it consisted of interlocking metal rings forming a sturdy mesh. This mail coif was worn over the head and neck, providing protection against cuts, thrusts, and impacts from weapons such as swords, spears, and arrows. It was an essential part of the medieval warriors' protective equipment, complementing other armor pieces to ensure safety during combat.]

[NT: A "gambeson over maille plates" is a combination of two protective pieces worn in the Middle Ages. The gambeson is a padded coat or vest made of thick and quilted fabric, while the maille plates are interlinked metal rings forming a mesh. In this combination, the gambeson is worn underneath the maille plates. The gambeson provides cushioning and additional protection against blows, while the maille plates protect against cuts and thrusts. This gambeson over maille plates combination was worn by warriors and knights to achieve a more comprehensive and effective defense during medieval battles.]