After the heartfelt and emotional reunion was completed, Patrick and the others finally got a complete picture of what was going on. Nova, with help from Kolar, was preparing for an expedition outside the fog. They would travel through the Fog Clearing and establish a proper forward base outside the fog area which was the first step in a grand plan.
Although this was not the first time such an attempt to cross the fog had been made, all previous attempts had resulted in failure. What made this time different from all previous cases was that this would be the strongest military force attempting to cross the fog, since this time would be sponsored by two countries together. .
Edward did not explain the reasoning behind such a decision, but it was obvious at a glance that this decision was not made lightly, and that there were many considerations behind it.
That’s not what concerned the trio. The only thing that concerned them was that Patrick could not be allowed to return to Kolar. For all intents and purposes, Patrick was officially considered killed in action. For him to appear now would not only disprove that, it would make him guilty of reneging on his duties of being stationed in Kilachi.
Until a proper solution was found to his issues, he could not return to Kolar. To those on the outside, it may seem like Edward’s actions were frivolous and that he always did as he wished, in truth he was very meticulous. He only acted within the domain of his authority, or when he knew his actions would be covered.
More importantly, this training opportunity in Nova was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and may bring him endless benefits in the future.
Invictus, who held a special place in the Hammel family, and within Whisper Guard, had to go back to Kolar to resume his special training as well. Irene, similarly, had been drafted. Until her mandatory five years were complete, she had to do what the army told her, and Edward did not have the authority to order her around.
Their mission report of everything they had encountered in following Clear Path had already been submitted, and any subsequent actions would have nothing to do with them. Considering the relationship between the Eldruin cult and Clear Path, they would not be spared even if their base was hidden within the Deadwood Forest. How exactly that destruction would unfold was not something the trio could be involved in. Thus, the three of them no longer had any involvement with this matter.
Out of the three, Irene was the one who felt the most distraught by their separation. For years, she had been separated from Patrick, and even when they had been reunited, Patrick said nothing about the real reason he had been sent to Kilachi, or why he knew he would go. Instead, all he stated was that he knew he would survive.
"Don’t be demoralized by this small interlude," Edward said to Irene as he saw her and Invictus off onto the military ship that would take them back to Kolar. "The world is becoming more dangerous than it used to be. Getting stronger will be the only way you can ensure a safer future."
Irene nodded, unsure of what to say.
"Listen, Irene, do you mind if I ask you a slightly private question," Edward asked, sounding slightly awkward.
His expression and tone, in Irene’s eyes, actually seemed quite adorable. She could not understand why Patrick insisted that his father was actually a devil - the man seemed like the most harmless in the whole family.
"You can ask anything father-in-law," Irene said politely, yet that caused Edward to flinch.
"Father-in-law sounds too distant, you can call me... dad, if you wish. Or just... never mind. Forget that," Edward spoke feeling incredibly awkward, but his harmless and awkward expression only made her chuckle.
"What I actually wanted to ask you about was Nero’s tattoos," Edward said. "Can you tell me what spell model you imbued in his tattoos? They seem to have undergone some... changes."
Irene was taken aback. She wasn’t sure if she should reveal Nero’s private details, but then again, this was his own Dad, and Nero did have a tendency to be a little overdramatic. Must be a family trait. Having someone look out for him would be a good thing.
"It’s an anti-tracking spell model," Irene said. "If someone tags or marks Nero in any way that relies on aether, as long as the target is his body, the tattoos will alert him. Furthermore, he can also use the tattoos to slowly wear away the tracking. However, since I was only an Initiate when I made the tattoo, the spell model within is only at the 2 star level. There’s room for improvement, but it will have to wait till I become an Arcanist."
Edward frowned, and then shook his head.
"Before I came here, I ran into Nero," he said. "He finally became an Initiate, but he seemed to have experienced something... unexpected. The nature of his tattoos has changed. I fear the spell model within may have been changed, or it may have naturally mutated."
The news startled Irene, for this was entirely unexpected.
"I’ve never encountered such a situation before. How did the tattoos change?" she asked, confused. That was not normal ink, but was aetheric ink, often used in the manufacturing of Eldrim cards. It shouldn’t have changed or been affected so easily.
"The first time I saw the tattoos, they looked like a tribal design, with no clear shape. But this time, when I saw him, the tattoos seemed to have moved a little, and vaguely formed the outline of two eyes."
Irene was startled, and tried to come up with a plausible explanation for what had happened, but could not.
"I’ll have to go check his tattoos when I return," she said, to which Edward only nodded.
He did not want to interfere too much in his son’s decisions - children needed to make their own mistakes and learn from them. He just needed to watch out for anything excessively dangerous.
Invictus, feeling entirely ignored and uncared for, silently grumbled. He felt like the reason he was so unimportant was because he had not married into the Grant family. But they had no daughters, so how could he do that? More importantly, the Grant family did not rule the world. He just needed to get through this mission, and things would go back to normal.
Yes, things would surely get better once he returned...
Eventually, the ship departed, and Edwards’ figure standing on the docks faded, as if he was never there to begin with.
Patrick had also entered the list of soldiers to undergo training under a new identity, and Vanessa never knew what shenanigans her bodyguard had been up to while supposedly protecting her.
Without anyone’s realisation, several plans had been silently set into motion.
Meanwhile, Nero had long returned to Fordham. His days, now, became extremely routine as he completed his treatment while also familiarising himself with the base and his future duties there.
It did not take long before he was discharged and came completely under Corporal Thomas’ command. It was his first taste of actual military life, and it was far more relaxed than he had imagined.
While on duty, all the soldiers were extremely serious and meticulous, but every single chance they got, they would begin joking or pulling each other’s legs. Most of their interactions involved making fun of each other, giving each other embarrassing nicknames, talking about girls, or about food, or the most beloved topic, sleep.
Despite them being older than Nero, it felt like they were his age. Actually, it felt like he was just dealing with slightly mature high school students.
Of course, besides joking around, they also spent a significant amount of time talking about Eldrim cards, about combat strategies, and about new teamwork strategies, though that was usually during official meetings.
Even though they seemed casual when they were relaxing, each and everyone of them was a professional, and that much was apparent every time they sparred. Although Nero was now an Initiate like most of them, and though he had a lot of skill with his spear, the soldiers all had more practical combat experience. They also knew much better than Nero how to leverage their strength and their skills.
Thus, the favourite part of Nero’s week became the spar sessions that would happen every weekend.
One such day, Nero found himself in a sparring arena early, long before the crowd or his opponent had shown up. He held a spear in his hand, and though it was very different from the one he used to use in school, the cool weight of it in his hand felt incredibly familiar.