Second Life as a Soldier

Edward POV

I was grinning from ear to ear while walking back to the barracks. Not only had I been able to go toe-to-toe against Varric, but I had also managed to trick him into thinking the spar was a draw.

While the ability to walk in the air was genuinely something I loved, as of now, it was completely useless and highly ineffective in battle.

Just the step I had taken consumed more than half of my mana capacity. Considering all the shields I had created to disrupt Varric, I had almost run out of mana. If Varric had continued attacking, I would have had to give up.

Once everyone had gathered, I started addressing them.

“I know this visit does not feel like the relaxing vacation we were hoping for. And while the army believes soldiers, especially criminal conscripts, do not require time off, I do not agree with that.”

“I believe all of us have been trying to survive for a long time, and giving ourselves some time where we are not constantly fighting will be helpful. I want all of you to explore the city freely without thinking about what our next mission could be. You can even stay in an inn if you like. Just make sure to report to the barracks every morning.”

“Here. One gold coin each as a bonus. If you require more coins, feel free to use the crystals we earned during the mission,” I said as I handed a money pouch containing nine gold coins to Kael.

Technically, I was not required to give them any extra money. I had already been more than generous in sharing the mana crystals we earned after missions. In most death squads, the majority of mana crystals were kept by the sergeant, but I never did that. I always shared mana crystals according to each person’s contribution or cultivation needs.

Still, now that I did not have to pay for some of my clothes, I had some money saved, and one crystal’s worth of coins would not hurt me.

A sly smile appeared on Barry’s face as Kael distributed the gold coins to everyone.

“You mean we can do whatever we want? Can we even go to pleasure houses?” Barry asked, maintaining his smile.

“Yes,” I said without missing a beat. “I have no problem with what you do as long as you do not break any laws. I mean it. Captain Roscoe is looking for blood, and I sincerely hope you do not give him any reason to act on it. Peter’s family is already unhappy with him joining the army, and I don’t know what they will do when they find out he is part of a death squad.”

“Barry, control yourself. I know you are the type to get revenge on people by stealing from them, but while we are here, we have someone who is somehow the young master of this town. Maybe we will be able to use that,” I said with a smile.

After the mission in the frontier village, I realized that while Barry liked to create trouble for almost everyone, the first time I had seen him truly angry at someone was with the village head. Even now, he complained about how bad the village head had been and how badly he had treated Draknir.

It was evident that Barry hated those who exploited the weak.

“Kael, I do not have any specific instructions for you. Make sure you also take some time to relax, but I have one request. As a former town guard, let me know what you think of the town’s defenses and see if you are able to find any weaknesses.”

Then I paused for a second as my own words gave me an idea.

“You know what? Why don’t all of you keep your ears open while exploring the town? Enjoy yourselves, do whatever you feel like, but if you hear anything strange, especially anything related to Frosthallow, mercenaries, or suspicious outsiders, let me know.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“We recently encountered mercenaries in the frontier village, and from what I know, it is very hard to find mercenaries in a village. That means Frosthallow might have access to towns in Avalon as well. The higher-ups in the Royal Army might have already figured this out, but it does not hurt to collect some information of our own.

“And I am sure Barry, Silas, Varric, and Garran can understand the underground world of towns better than anyone the higher-ups of the Royal Army could find.”

After giving that instruction, I turned to Varric.

“Varric, you recently advanced, and I know the duel we had was not the type of duel you were hoping for, so I will arrange some people who would be willing to fight you head-on.”

Varric was the type who loved fighting head-on, while I relied too much on speed. As for sparring partners, I was not that worried. I was sure Captain Roscoe would love to learn the fighting capability of the strongest fighter in my squad.

“Garran, I know you hate people, so you don’t have to leave the barracks if you don’t want to. But if you do leave and get frustrated, let me know. I am sure we can find some hunting grounds close by.”

Garran had a short temper, which showed up most when too many people started bothering him. I had seen it flare up only a few times, mostly when we were dealing with new squads and some fresh recruits thought the giant from the death squad was someone they wanted to tease.

Hunting usually calmed his nerves, and honestly, if that was what it took to keep Garran from getting executed, I had no problem with it.

Following that, I gave instructions to everyone. Rokan and Daren were the ones I was least worried about, but they were also the least experienced with large towns, so I paired them with Oren and Brakk. That way, the brothers would have guides with experience traveling, while also making sure Oren and Brakk stayed away from trouble. Most importantly, I knew that if these four were together, Silas would automatically join them.

“One last thing, Garran, Barry, Kael, and Varric. In a few days, the noble that Peter’s father mentioned will arrive. I do not know the exact date, but I will inform the private at the desk where you will report for your daily check-in. When he comes, I want you four to join me in your private uniforms,” I said.

The four of them shrugged and nodded.

As for why I wanted to bring these four to the noble gathering, it was because I wanted the new Captain to know what type of unit he was dealing with. Moreover, they were among my strongest fighters and had intimidating builds. Having them present could impress the noble, especially when that noble belonged to a military family.

After the meeting, I went to speak with one of Captain Roscoe’s lieutenants. I arranged some sparring partners for Varric, informed them about my squad’s time off and the possibility of them exploring the town, and then left for some sightseeing myself.

There was still a feeling of uncertainty in my mind. I was worried Varric, Barry, or Garran would get into trouble, especially Barry. Personality-wise, they would have caused trouble even before they were conscripted. After spending more than three years in the wild, fighting for their lives, I knew they were not ready for a town this big.

Heck, I was not ready for it either. I still jumped when someone got too close to me, and my senses felt overwhelmed while walking through the streets.

This was why I had allowed them to visit brothels, hoping it would help relieve some of their stress. As I walked around town, even I was tempted to visit the red-light district, and I did.

But as soon as I saw the conditions there, I was reminded of all sorts of sexually transmitted diseases, so I ran out of the place like a Tier-4 beast was chasing me.

After embarrassing myself in my own mind, I spent the rest of the day walking around town.

The place I loved the most was the riverfront. Near the commercial area, there was a park built around the river, with the water dividing it into two parts. Dipping my legs in the water and watching the clouds pass above me sent me into a zen-like state that was hard to describe with words.

Another thing I liked was the taverns. They were completely different from the tranquil atmosphere of the riverfront. Here, there was chaos, especially at night. People got drunk, got into fights, and hit on women. The noise, the smell, and the people made me feel a different kind of alive.

After enjoying the park and the tavern, I finally made my way to the quarters assigned to me after sunset.

In front of my quarters, Peter was sitting with his head in both hands. As I approached, he looked up at me.

Looking at him, I smiled and said, “Rough day?”

He just sighed. “Don’t ask. It was hard to calm my mother down. It looks like after I left, she realized I would not be serving under my father.”

“Well, I am glad I was not there,” I said, maintaining my smile.

Peter’s expression changed into something even more troubled than before, giving me an ominous feeling and wiping the smile off my face.

“Umm... my mother asked me to bring you to the house tomorrow.”