Chapter 173: Back at home

"So this is where we part ways. It's been a pleasure serving with you guys. May the next season bring us even more fortune."

While it wasn't obvious for the people not connected with the mercenaries in any way, there was a dry period for this work just as well as there was one for others. Even if there were some exceptions, in general, warfare would be put on hold during the winter. It was still possible to conduct it, but the cost of keeping one's troops up during the snowy period would often prove to turn the entire military enterprise unworthy of its price. 

And the same could be said about the job of mercenaries. Once the first snow would appear in the Kinarian lands, it was only a matter of a week or two before both the empire to the south and the kingdoms to the north would turn into blizzardouos place, where people would find it challenging to live, not to speak about conducting any serious warfare. 

But that didn't mean that Fen and his friends could just rest easy and await the results of their own actions. Just like it was the road that they decided to walk on, pushing them to increasing their engagement with everything they were doing, their situation was forcing their hand in this winter break season as well.

"Make sure not to slack off during the break. Now that you will go back to Gauna with a mantle of glory, you better make sure not to waste away in the arms of the girls doing everything to experience the legend…"

Nudging Fen's side with her basic mechanical arm constructed by one of the smiths that journeyed the land with them, Orsha smiled. Her new relationship with Victor already managed to move beyond certain steps, putting a definitive end to the purely physical relationship that the two of them had before. 

What attracted the girl to the young man, was definitely not something that could keep her by Fen's side. But instead of lamenting over it, the young man was surprisingly mature enough for his age to accept the situation and even wish luck to his friends. 

"I won't. I'm too hyped for the idea of setting the foundations for my academy. I would rather say that you two should be careful not to spend your entire break on being lovebirds. Don't you dare to forget that we still have a kingdom to conquer."

Already down on the ground, Fen smashed his hand against Victor's shoulder before tightly hugging the girl beside him. The cold, metallic touch of her prosthetic arm only reminded the young man about his promise.

'It seems that I will have a busy break this year…'

Only when this thought appeared in Fen's mind did he realise what did it mean. 

This would be ultimately the first winter break season for him in the Kinarian Republic. Given how he joined the academy during the previous break, all his lessons could be conducted as per usual, with winter not influencing it at all. But right now, with his actions already proving his capability to be considered alumni of the academy, he could enjoy the splendour of someone who went out of his way and actually achieved something!

"Don't worry, brother. We are not giving up on being kings and queens yet."

Responding with a smile after their hug ended, Orsha looked to the side, implying what has to happen now.

"I wish you safe travels. May we meet in a few months and discuss what we all achieved in the time from now on!"

Raising his hand to wave the two of them goodbye, Fen was finally left all on his own. Only about an hour walk from the gates of Gauna, he decided not to fly there. After all, with all the problems that he caused at the front, it would be no wonder if appearing in any grand manner would only spark the conflict with those that he wronged with his plans.

And there was inevitably a huge group of people that would belong to this category. From those aiming to conquer at least part of Shalia, through those who didn't want the war to start in the first place… 

Basically, outside of the people that pushed to start the war as soon as possible, everyone else would be happy to kill him once they would learn that he was responsible for spiking up the hostilities!

That's why, it was of the utmost importance for the young arcanist to appear in the city in a calm manner, fit for someone who has yet to create a legend for his name. This way, Fen could take his time dissecting the political situation in the city and even visit the academy to give the report to the dean. While there was absolutely no point in lying to that powerful man, Fen was quite certain that by limiting himself to recounting the plan of getting rid of the nobles with the help of Kinzarian monarch would be enough to score some brownie points with the ruler of the academy.

After all, if even the highest educational power in the country wouldn't be pleased with the creative use of the limited means aimed at achieving whatever was one's target, then what would be said education be worth in the first place?

'Gosh… I wonder how it will end up…'

In reality, Fen's career both as a mercenary and as a student of the Gauna academy wasn't all that long. With only a year of experience to speak off, it could be quite hard to push his important agenda on the academy forum. And this was the main objective that he was supposed to accomplish during the break.

Instead of laying low and waiting for the opportune moment to rally the troops once again and take over the emptied province to the north, Fen was about to lay the foundation for the academy that would be established in the capital of the new, mercenary kingdom!

But in order to do that, he needed three things.

Firstly, the logistical stuff. With the land already secured, this entire, often the hardest point at setting something new, could be crossed out of the list. As soon as the taxes from their lands would start appearing once again, as soon as they would return to the northern province and push their weight around for a bit, it would be only a matter of time before a grand campus would be established.

But then came the next problem. As one of the three commanders of the mercenary kingdom and one of the five rulers of it, Fen had pretty limited time that he could spend on teaching others. Even if he could miraculously double the time that he had, there would still be only a limited amount of people that would be willing to study under him.

The second problem that Fen had to somehow solve while resting in Gauna, was finding students capable and talented enough to become the teachers of the first generation of mercenary arcanists. With the national summons of all the respectable figures in place, this could be easily done just by coaxing other mercenary groups to join their cause or just looking for the people who would take the place of the old cadre. 

But then, the third and most important problem came. 

Where would the students come from?

Some could be obviously found in the province itself. Most of the countries across the continent could only rely on their own population to give birth to talented people. But Fen wasn't willing to wait for several generations just to create some basic arcanist force within the country. 

'I guess I will have to poach the heck out of the rest of the continent…'

While there were some practices in place that made it easier for the qualified arcanists from one country to enter the academies in another, those programs were sadly limited to those who could show their brilliance at the very early stage of their development. Everyone else who lacked just a tiny bit of talent to cut the line would be condemned to doing their best absolutely on their own.

And this was something that Fen could easily change. But what was important, he had to make other people come and ask for this kind of help first. In the game that Fen had in mind, the one who revealed his intentions first would be the one to lose the entire match!

With those thoughts roaming through his head, Fen finally managed to approach the gates of the city. By flashing his student insignia of the academy, the guards at the gate didn't bother to annoy him with even a second look, simply disregarding his presence and moving their attention at the next person.

With nothing blocking his path inside, Fen quickly followed down the main street, making sure to keep the right side of the river. Even though it was only a few months since he left the city for his mercenary adventurous, it was already a tough challenge to find his way back to a place that he was told to treat like a home for the rest of his days.

But then, a moment of enlightenment struck him. 

Instead of randomly walking around the city in hopes of chancing upon the building he was looking for, Fen simply followed the path of the river to the main inner-city bridge that he would often pass with his former girlfriend while on their way to the academy. Retracting his steps from there, it took him only a moment to find the building he was looking for.

Because this was the only place where he could get even a single day of rest without anyone bothering him all that much.

Approaching the doors, Fen knocked on the wood of the blockade. In the next moment, the doors opened up, allowing Fen's eyes to lay down on the cute face of a young girl peeking outside.

"Oh, Fen! Welcome home!"