Since the Seventh Expeditionary Force plan was finalized, the entire Empire, from its usual tranquility, began to operate like a massive war machine that had been collecting dust for a century but was now restarted.
A continuous stream of soldiers arrived, and even the death row prisoners used for training were so numerous that they seemed inexhaustible. It was unclear whether the transport speed had increased or if the Empire's criminal law only had capital punishment left.
Rin's training plan continued methodically, prioritizing quality over quantity. Those who didn't meet the standards were immediately dismissed.
The training intensity, casualty rate, and elimination rate of the Seventh Expeditionary Force were undoubtedly the highest among all Imperial legions. The number of deaths and injuries even reached the same level as front-line combat legions. However, the treatment, income, benefits, daily life, and death benefits of the Seventh Expeditionary Force were also undoubtedly the highest among all Imperial legions. It was the easiest place to earn military merits and the fastest place for promotions.
Enemy heads counted as military merits; strength knew no old or new. Rin greatly differentiated the treatment received by people at each level within the Seventh Expeditionary Force, but she completely opened up a fair platform for competition. There was no equal treatment, only an equal arena. Being in a lower position was simply because one's strength was insufficient. This system thoroughly stimulated the enthusiasm of all legion members, because the sweat shed and blood spilled here were not for the sake of home and country, but simply for one's own better life!
Under the accelerated operation with the full support of the entire Empire, all construction targets in Rin's plan were drastically accelerated... Three years later... Rin stood on the outer wall of the Seventh Expeditionary Force's legion city, overlooking the brightly lit city below.
To select and train 100,000 elite soldiers that met Rin's requirements, the Seventh Expeditionary Force absorbed and refined over one million young adults who joined the military within three years. Even though the Seventh Expeditionary Force's death rate was comparable to front-line war legions, the exceptionally high benefits and fame still attracted countless young people who wanted to make a name for themselves by joining the army. Finally, the formation of the reorganized unit was completed half a year ago.
At this point, the three-year deadline Rin had agreed upon with the Empire was up, and the final training integration had also been completed. The day after tomorrow was when the Expeditionary Force would set off.
In the last six months, Rin once again made a request to the Empire for a major move. To stabilize morale and allow the departing soldiers to cast aside their worries, all civilian soldiers and officers' families of the Seventh Expeditionary Force were relocated to live in the outer city of the legion city, becoming the first residents to populate this military city.
Rin relieved all soldiers of their duties tonight, taking over all external defenses of the entire city herself. The soldiers all returned to their families for a reunion, making their final goodbyes before the expedition.
Standing high atop the city wall, overlooking the soldiers and their families reunited in the city below—their worries, encouragement, and final farewells—a military city no smaller than a large main city was enveloped in a final, peaceful atmosphere. Rin, standing alone against the wind, seemed out of place with everything. She had built this place into a home for every soldier, but it was not her home.
Rin's eyes, like a clear lake, gazed up at the bright moon with a ripple of longing. Perhaps by the heavens' grace, tonight was a perfectly full, brilliant moon hanging high in the sky. Although there was no Mid-Autumn Festival in this world like in Huaxia, it still evoked Rin's homesickness.
Sakura, Mother, Father, Touko, Aoko, Alice, Jalter, Saber... I miss you all... Looking at the full, bright moon in the sky, family, close friends, face after face from the deepest parts of her memory replayed before her eyes. Even though she was separated from them by a world's distance in space and time, the memories of the past had not blurred or faded in the slightest; they remained clear and vivid before her.
"One day, I will definitely go back..."
As Rin gazed intently at the bright moon in a daze, a tender call sounded beside her.
"Mama..."
Rin started, momentarily stunned, then looked to her side. Najenda, now five years old, had appeared on the city wall at some point and was running towards Rin. Her shoulder-length silver hair shimmered under the moonlight.
"Najenda? Child, why did you run all the way here? Didn't I tell you to sleep at your Aunt Suzaku's house tonight? It's so cold, climbing such a high city wall, aren't you afraid the night wind will blow you off?"
Perhaps nagging her children is a common habit for every mother. Even though Najenda was not Rin's biological child, Rin, who adopted Najenda as a mother, had developed a habit of chattering at her daughter at some point. It was now winter, and Rin was about to lead the Seventh Expeditionary Force on their campaign at the same time the main force of the Northern Native gathered to launch their invasion. She chose this time to annihilate the gathered main force in one go.
Looking at Najenda, who had run up to the top of the city wall, Rin couldn't help but speak with concerned reproach, immediately taking off her general's cloak and wrapping it around little Najenda.
"Oh, you child. Mama has work all night tonight. You and your Aunt Suzaku should sleep well at her house. I'll spend time with you tomorrow."
Little Najenda just shook her head silently, burying her small head in Rin's embrace, refusing to come out. Although little Najenda was already five, Rin could still easily hold her small body in her arms. While she scolded her, at a time like this, how could Rin not want her loved ones by her side?
In a blink of an eye, Rin had been in this world for five years, and this body had also just turned twenty. The tall girl's height had exceeded 170 centimeters, and her youthful and beautiful face was still stunningly gorgeous, but the childish innocence had completely faded. Her long tenure in a high position and time as a mother had imbued her with a mature and steady demeanor.
Rin held little Najenda, who was curled up, and together they stood on top of the city wall, watching the moon in the sky. Unconsciously, they blended into the peaceful atmosphere, with mother-daughter affection filling the loneliness in Rin's heart.
"Mama, are you going to lead everyone to war the day after tomorrow?"
Little Najenda suddenly looked up from Rin's embrace and asked Rin.
"Yes, it is everyone's duty as soldiers. Soldiers exist for war."
"Will many people die in war?"
"Yes, whether they are enemies or our own people, many will die."
"Then why still fight?"
"Because it is for a better world for us to live in, to take another step towards the life we hope for."
"Can't everyone just reconcile and coexist?"
Hearing Najenda's question, Rin couldn't help but sigh. Looking at the girl in her arms, she stroked her silver hair and said:
"Najenda, you must understand that it is impossible for people to completely understand each other. Precisely because of this, every person, every life, is an independent existence. One can only be oneself and not another, just as Mama will not be Najenda. When two existences that cannot understand each other collide, irreconcilable conflicts are bound to arise."
"The Native invade the Empire to obtain enough food for their descendants to multiply and thrive. From their perspective, they are not wrong; this is absolutely correct. Mama's colleagues guard the Empire's borders, resist the Native's invasion, and prevent them from entering the Empire's territory to protect the peace and tranquility of the Empire's people. This, of course, is also absolutely correct. However, precisely because everyone is correct, when they collide, there can be no compromise. One side, either the Empire or the Native, must fall to quell this endless conflict and disaster. What Mama must do is to quell this disaster that has lasted for a thousand years."
Najenda looked at Rin, not speaking, seemingly half-understanding. Rin, unconcerned, rubbed Najenda's small head; after all, she was still a five-year-old child, so she couldn't be expected to understand these things. Just then, a hurried figure appeared at the entrance of the stairs leading to the city wall.
"Najenda, you child! If you were going to find your Mama, you should have told me! You just ran off without a word. I searched everywhere in the entire city and couldn't find you; I almost died of worry! If you got lost, your Mama would skin me alive!"
Suzaku's figure rushed over from the stair entrance like a blur, running angrily to Rin's side and giving little Najenda, who had nowhere to hide, a hard tap on her forehead. Little Najenda, knowing she was in the wrong, sheepishly stuck out her small tongue, then buried her head in Rin's chest like an ostrich, too embarrassed to face anyone.
It went without saying that Suzaku, entrusted by Rin to look after the child, had taken little Najenda back to Suzaku's own home to reunite with her parents and relatives. It was truly difficult for Suzaku's elderly father, a retired naval officer, to be so supportive of his daughter's work, directly moving his entire family from a coastal city in the Empire's Eastern Sea to the Seventh Expeditionary Force's military city in the Empire's northeast without a second thought.
With the expedition scheduled for the day after tomorrow, the elder and the girl needed to have their farewells. Once they left, who could say if it would be their last meeting? As it turned out, this mischievous child, Najenda, took advantage of Suzaku's inattention and secretly ran off to find Rin without a word. Suzaku, having lost the child, had no heart to stay at home. She ran out that night, searching through more than half of the military city, and finally found her.
"Thwack!"
"Ah! Mama, why did you hit me too?"
"You naughty girl, your Aunt Suzaku is with us every day. You wasted the precious little time she had to reunite with her own family on yourself. Don't you think you deserve a smack?"
"Waaah—I just saw everyone reuniting with their families, so I wanted to be with you..."
Little Najenda looked at Rin with teary eyes, feeling wronged. Rin, who at some point couldn't bear to see a child's tears, also softened. She gently rubbed the spot where she had just tapped little Najenda's head, and her arms holding her tightened unconsciously.
Suzaku couldn't really stay angry at a small child. Looking at little Najenda, who was tightly clutching Rin's clothes and leaning into Rin's embrace, she smiled and said:
"This child is really clingy to you, Big Sister."
"Hmm, I can understand. Having tasted all the suffering in the world since birth, suddenly receiving happiness and family affection without reason always makes this child feel unreal, afraid that if she lets go, she will find everything is just a dream, and nothing is left."
At this moment, little Najenda had already fallen asleep in Lin's arms. Lin held her calmly and said. Suzaku also stepped forward, gently stroking little Najenda's smooth cheek, smiling, and then said with some worry:
"Big Sister, are you really planning to take little Najenda with you on the expedition? The battlefield is chaotic, and even you can't guarantee you'll always be able to look after her, can you? If anything goes wrong…"
"No, taking her with me is the safest option."
Speaking of this, Lin's expression turned cold.
"Compared to the enemies on the battlefield, I'm more worried about the so-called 'our own people' in the Empire. If I take Najenda with me, I can protect her at all times. If I leave her in the Empire, in the military camp city, who can guarantee her absolute safety? We have offended quite a few people in court. If someone in the Empire holds Najenda hostage to threaten us into retreating while our army is advancing, what do you think I should do?"
"Alas, that's true…"
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