The Wandering Wolves Corps had set up

  camp just outside town. The camp was modestly sized since this was just one

  division of the company, but there were still well over a hundred

  members of the division staying in the camp. The tents in the camp

  weren’t like ordinary simple tents, they were like buildings made of

  cloth rather than wood or brick.

  Lieutenant Lluch guided the 29 new members of the company

  through the area and led them to a few empty lots on the edge of the

  camp. As they approached, they came across a handful of mages who placed

  a round plate, the size of a manhole cover, on each lot. The plates

  were covered in detailed inscriptions, so fine that they couldn’t be

  read with the naked eye.

  The lieutenant held up a hand to stop the group from

  going closer. “Our mages are just setting up your new homes, shouldn’t

  take long.”

  Gawen leaned over to Safi and Sebastian. “Those are state

  of the art enchanted tents, thank the gods. I was a little worried

  about having to sleep on the ground. I know this is a pretty decent

  company, but you never know how much they’re willing to spend on new

  recruits,” he said in a hushed tone.

  The four mages finished placing down each of the plates

  first, before they went over to the first of the three. They each drew a

  line with something that resembled salt, although with specks of red

  mixed in with the white, out in each cardinal direction. Once they were a

  distance away from the plate, they crouched down and placed their hands

  on the salt and closed their eyes.

  At first, not much happened.

  After a few moments, however, the salt by their hands

  began to glow. That glow suddenly spurted down the line like a lit fuse.

  When it reached the plate, the glow spread from each direction through

  the intricate inscriptions until they reached the center and flowed

  around in a circle before all four crashed into one another. The entire

  plate trembled and expanded, like some upscaled, old-school, Jiffy pop

  popcorn. The expansion went faster and faster until it grew to the size

  of a simple two story house, complete with windows and a door.

  The mages took a quick breather before moving on to the

  other two plates. In no time, all three tents were up. The mages shared a

  nod with the lieutenant before leaving.

  He guided them to the first tent and showed them around, not that there was much to show.

  The tents were two story houses made of cloth with a

  large open shared space on the right side from the entrance with a

  couple of couches and tables. On the left wall were ten small stacked

  bedrooms with five rooms on each floor with a staircase leading to the

  interior balcony access for the five rooms on the second floor. The

  bedrooms were barely big enough for the bed but they had a simple chest

  for storage next to the door.

  “Each tent houses ten, I trust you can sort who goes

  where yourselves,” Lieutenant Lluch said. “Don’t get too comfortable

  though, you’ll be transferred to different units within the next few

  days, and you’ll be moved to shared housing with your unit once that’s

  all sorted. For now, however, you’ll be staying here while you get settled

  and learn how things work around here.”

  The recruits spread out and claimed their rooms. Sebastian was about to join them, but Lieutenant Lluch stopped him.

  “Mr. Moore, with me. The vice captain wants to talk to you.”

  Sebastian and Lieutenant Lluch walked

  through the camp toward the central tent, passing by dozens of people

  going about their business. The camp wasn’t big, but it felt alive. It

  was like a little town in its own right with specialized tents for food,

  equipment repairs, and anything else you might need.

  “You know, that was damned impressive,” the lieutenant said.

  “Hmm?” Sebastian looked at him curiously.

  “You beat me in… what, practically two moves? It’s been a

  long time since someone not firmly in Major Accomplishment outclassed

  me in a spar like that.”

  “I wouldn’t say outclassed, that last hit was nothing to sneer at.”

  “And yet you took it like it was nothing. Again, damned impressive.”

  Shortly after, they arrived at the central tent. It

  wasn’t much bigger than the basic ones for the regular members but this

  one was for one person rather than ten. There were four rooms to the

  tent: a reception room—where Sebastian was asked to wait, a meeting

  room, an office, and the vice captain’s personal quarters. The

  lieutenant reported Sebastian’s presence to Vice Captain Sellar before

  leaving. He gave a Sebastian a nod as he walked out the door.

  Sebastian sat on a sofa in the reception room, waiting to be called in to see the vice captain.

  How do these tents actually work?

  The furniture seems to be a part of the original plate, it was all in

  there when the mages were done constructing it… or expanding it?

  Whatever. Do they make the room first, furniture and all, and then

  magically compress it so they just expand it again later with everything

  really in it? They travel with these things so they’d have to, I guess.

  He reached out and touched the wall. It was soft to the

  touch, like a velvet blanket, but firm. Only when he applied some force

  did it budge, ever so slightly.

  “Mr. Moore!” the vice captain called out from the other room.

  Sebastian snapped back from his wandering mind and

  stepped in to the office. The room was dimly lit by a couple of

  lanterns, with familiar glowing crystals inside. In the middle of the

  room sat the vice captain in front of a large wooden desk facing the

  door.

  In regular clothes, sitting behind his desk, Vice Captain

  Sellar looked less like a high-leveled warrior and more like a

  principal. He wasn’t overly muscular, in fact there was a hint of

  potbelly which had been thoroughly hidden by the light armor he wore at

  the amphitheater. His hair was fairly short, and there were signs of his

  hairline receding. When he looked up at Sebastian, his unkempt mustache

  wiggled as a smile formed on his face.

  “Mr. Moore, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you one-on-one. Please, sit.”

  “Thank you. And likewise, Vice Captain Sellar.”

  The vice captain stared at Sebastian for moment, not for

  any excessive length of time but enough for Sebastian to start to feel

  slightly uncomfortable. Just when Sebastian was about to ask why he was

  there, the vice captain broke the silence.

  “Do you know how many times in the 573 years of our

  Wandering Wolves Corps’ illustrious history that we have recruited

  someone on the cusp of Major Accomplishment during one of our

  recruitment tours, Mr. Moore?”

  Startled, Sebastian answered, “Uhm— Not many, I’d guess.”

  “Five, now. Most people of your level who are interested

  in becoming mercenaries have already done so. And those rare few who

  haven’t tend to reach out through more private channels. The last we

  recruited like this was over a hundred years ago. A former instructor at

  some academy who retired to the countryside only to grow sick and tired

  of it, bored of the quiet life.” The vice captain paused. Sebastian

  felt an almost physical pressure from the man’s mere gaze. “You are not

  some retired big-shot. Now, I don’t actually know who or what you are.

  Except… I know you’re a gods damned miracle!” He slapped the table

  excitedly, causing Sebastian to almost jump from his chair. “It doesn’t

  matter who you are or where you came from, you’re a wolf now and I

  intend to make good use of that strength. And I’m gonna get a very nice

  bonus from the captain for bringing you into the company,” he said with a

  beaming smile. His mustache danced as he chuckled.

  “I— Uhm…” Sebastian wasn’t quite sure what to say.

  “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll get a piece of the pie yourself.

  It’s actually part of what I wanted to talk to you about.” The vice

  captain leaned back in his chair. “See, our organizational structure is

  quite simple, truth be told. We got the captain at the top,” he said, as

  he gestured with his hand to illustrate, “and beneath him are myself

  and the other two vice captains, each in charge of a division of the

  company. How we choose to structure our divisions is entirely up to us.

  The captain doesn’t really bother with details like that.

  “For my White Fang, I have five lieutenants leading units

  of about 20–40 wolves each, depending on current recruiting policies.

  How to manage the new recruits from this tour has been the subject of

  much discussion, even before we arrived in Celder. The division is rife

  with competition. I encourage it—it only makes us stronger, after

  all—but as a vice captain of the company at large and division leader I

  still need to maintain a careful balance of power between the units. New

  recruits means that each unit will have their forces bolstered, and

  they’re fighting tooth and nail—not literally, of course—over who gets

  the most new members or the strongest recruits to their unit. I’ve been

  trying to wrap my head around how to maintain balance with that in mind.

  Your presence solves that problem. I know you just joined but not only

  would it feel wrong to not make use of someone of your level, I also see

  an opportunity to rebalance the division. Disrupt the status quo, so to

  speak. So, I’m thinking about forming a sixth unit with you as their

  lieutenant.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Sebastian blinked in surprise.

  Lieutenant? From the get go… Not

  exactly where I saw this going. I only just joined. They don’t actually

  know anything about me. But I guess I am higher leveled than Lieutenant

  Lluch and a stronger fighter at that. No point looking a gift horse in

  the mouth. Lieutenant Moore, huh? It does have a nice ring to it.

  Sebastian took a deep breath to calm his mind before he

  answered, “That’s not exactly what I expected when I applied, but I

  don’t have a reason to decline.”

  “Fantastic!” Vice Captain Sellar exclaimed together with

  another slap of his desk. “I’m glad to hear it. There’s a minor

  formality first. It is a risk to promote a new recruit to the position

  of an officer. We don’t actually know your history, after all.

  Naturally, we don’t need to know your entire life’s story. We don’t care

  about who you were before you joined, why you felt the need to join, or

  where you come from. All we care about is whether you’re gonna

  be an asset to the company, or a threat. For that, I need you to swear before the

  [System] that you will honor your commitment to the Wandering Wolves

  Corps. Also, I’ll be sending someone to do a quick check before we leave town,

  talk to neighbors and friends and such. Standard stuff.”

  Swear before the [System], huh? Do I just repeat those words? I guess I’ll try it and see.

  “I swear to honor my commitment to the Wandering Wolves

  Corps,” he said, partly expecting something to happen when he spoke the

  words. Nothing did.

  “Great!” the vice captain exclaimed, clearly satisfied

  that merely speaking the words would ensure that Sebastian would keep

  his promise. “We’ll add setting up unit six—you can name it yourself

  later—to the agenda of the command staff meeting in about an hour. For

  now, I officially assign you the Title of Lieutenant of the White Fang.”

  A soft wave of energy washed over Sebastian, like a gust of

  wind moving through the spirit realm centering directly on him. He drew a

  breath, uncertain of exactly what just happened. A notification sounded

  in his head.

  Title gained: Lieutenant of the White Fang

  Title: Lieutenant of the White Fang

  A title bestowed upon an officer of the White Fang

  division of the Wandering Wolf Corps. A lieutenant holds the respect of

  his subordinates. Their performance is improved when acting on your

  orders.

  “Have you never received a Title like this before?” he asked, likely sensing Sebastian’s awe at the new experience.

  Sebastian shook his head and said, "No."

  Vice Captain Sellar frowned for a moment and stared, as

  though he was trying to see through Sebastian’s innermost thoughts. To his

  credit, he said nothing about it and instead just explained. “You are

  now tied to the Wandering Wolves Corps. Should you betray your vow, the

  [System] will rip the Title away, with interest. So… don’t do that.” He

  smiled and shrugged. “Since you’re from here, I assume there are at least

  some of the other new recruits you would like to keep in your unit?”

  How does that work? Is it like a contract enforced by the [System] itself? Must be…

  “Yes, actually, now that you mention it. I worked with a

  local sword school and two of the recruits are students, Safi Anaya and

  Gawen Morer.”

  The vice captain played with his mustache as he thought

  to back to the tests. “Ah, those two. I suppose that explains why their

  Sword Style Skills were so similar despite their different fighting

  styles, they’re actually the very same. Well, that shouldn’t be an

  issue, I’ll see to it. And we’ll make sure you get someone experienced

  as a second-in-command. Having a high level and being good in a scrap

  doesn’t mean you know much about our rules and routines after all.” He

  opened a drawer on the side of his desk and rummaged around. “Ah, here

  it is,” he said, pulling out a small badge with an insignia of a howling

  wolf with a scar across the eye. With a flick of his wrist, it flew

  over the desk where Sebastian caught it. “As an officer of the corps,

  you need a badge. They’re used as both identity tokens and communication

  devices. It’s how we stay in touch across vast distances. Touch it and

  inject some energy and you can make some simple mental commands. Nothing

  too fancy, mostly just reading and sending messages.”

  The two continued their talk for a while

  as the vice captain sorted out the formalities involved in the

  promotion of a new lieutenant and establishing of a new unit. Soon

  after, they moved to the meeting room as the other lieutenants arrived.

  The first to arrive was a rugged and muscular woman with

  short, blonde hair followed closely by a tall man with a dark complexion

  and reddish hair. When they walked in, the woman’s eyes turned to

  Sebastian.

  “Who’s this? Since when do we invite guests—” Her face

  dropped when she noticed the badge on his waist. “Vice Captain, is that

  a… Did you make one of the new recruits a lieutenant!?”

  The other lieutenant scanned Sebastian with his eyes, but

  beyond that he didn’t reveal much of a reaction upon learning that he

  had a new colleague of the same rank. He ignored the ruckus and simply

  walked over to shake Sebastian’s hand.

  “Gregori Buchan, welcome,” he said before taking a seat.

  “Hey, Gregori, don’t just pretend like this isn’t fucked! You know how hard we had to work to get here, and this bastard—“

  Vice Captain Sellar slammed his fist into the table.

  “Marcia, don’t overstep. You do not decide these things. And we are all

  wolves here, you do not insult your peers.”

  Lieutenant Marcia Durany clenched her fist but her

  outburst stopped there. “Sorry, boss.” She took a seat but gave

  Sebastian a disdaining side-eye before simply ignoring him.

  Lieutenant Lluch was the third to arrive, still wearing

  the same sleeveless black shirt as he did during the test spars but his

  fur jacket was back on. He did a quick double take at Sebastian sitting

  there, and in particular with the lieutenant’s badge hanging from his

  waist, but he didn’t make a fuss about it. In fact, he accepted it as if

  it was a natural turn of events.

  “Mr. Moore, good to see you again. And welcome to the

  inner circle of the White Fang Division. We’ll be stronger than ever

  with you here.”

  The last two arrived together. Their reactions were similar to Lieutenant Buchan’s.

  “Welcome, Mr. Moore,” said the first, an older gentleman.

  “I heard rumors of your trial and I’m glad to see that there was truth

  to those rumors. I’m Armand, Armand Ector.”

  “Is this what you were shouting about, Marcia? You might

  want restrain yourself. My intuition tells me, he’s a lot stronger than

  you. And my intuition is never wrong.” The woman, who could easily pass

  for a fashion model, turned her attention to Sebastian. “Charmed. Carrin

  Abelli, I look forward to working with you, Mr. Moore.”

  Armand had a thin rapier-like sword strapped to his

  waist. He looked more like a sports fencer than a mercenary. Carrin, on

  the other hand, didn’t look like a fighter of any kind. Her long, slim,

  green dress made it seem like she had rushed over from a formal ball.

  With all of them there, Vice Captain Sellar opened the command staff meeting.

  “All right, let’s get this done. We’ve discussed several

  options for distributing the new recruits. Some suggested a competition

  amongst yourselves to distribute them according to the results. Others

  mentioned letting the recruits choose for themselves. The simplest

  option is just to divide them equally and blindly. None of those options

  are great, or even particularly good, in my opinion. As you can see, I

  found a new alternative.”

  All eyes turned to Sebastian. Most of them flashed

  amicable smiles while Lieutenant Durany, first name Marcia, glared with a

  scowl, clearly disapproving of the entire situation.

  “This is Sebastian Moore,” Vice Captain Sellar continued. “During the trials he defeated Lluch in just a few moves.”

  The expressions in the room turned serious, some of them

  had already heard while others turned to Lieutenant Lluch for

  confirmation.

  He nodded and said, “It’s true.” He didn’t reveal even the slightest shame at the loss.

  The vice captain continued with his introduction. “I know

  it’s unusual to promote a new recruit to lieutenant on their first day,

  but it didn’t feel right let someone so strong remain a simple grunt.

  He’s on the cusp of Major Accomplishment, after all. So, from today, the

  White Fang Division has a sixth unit under Mr. Moore’s leadership. That

  means that we’ll need to restructure the rosters to some degree. This

  new unit will be mainly comprised of new recruits, but we can not have a

  unit of only new members. Mr. Moore will also need an experienced

  second-in-command. If, after this, you feel that your respective units

  need additional members, remember that we do still have another two

  stops on our tour.”

  Various low grumbles escaped some of the lieutenants, but

  they began the arduous work of trading and transferring members between

  units.

  Sebastian was never involved in fantasy football but

  always imagined this is what it was like. Sitting around and screaming

  at each other as you traded people from one roster to another.

  Most members of the division weren’t affected but each of

  the lieutenants had their eyes on good people from other units and they

  negotiated for hours trying to get the best rosters for their own

  units. It was well into the night before they were done.

  Come morning, they gathered the members of the White Fang Division to make the announcement.

  They gathered outside camp, there wasn’t enough room for

  well over a hundred people in between the tents. The division

  commanders, Sebastian included, stood on a simple make-shift stage.

  Confusion and anticipation dominated the faces in the crowd.

  Vice Captain Sellar raised his hand to silence the murmuring.

  “Attention! It’s been many years since there was any

  major shake-up of the division. Today, that changes. Our goals here in

  Celder were not only fulfilled, they were exceeded. We welcome 29 new

  wolves to the pack!” Cheers erupted. “Each of them have proven

  themselves worthy to join us but only time will tell if they have what

  it takes to truly endure.” His tone turned serious. “In the Wandering

  Wolves Corps, and in our White Fang Division, we reward excellence! Out

  of these 29 recruits, one stood out.”

  Vice Captain Sellar paused for dramatic effect as the crowd cheered. He raised his hand slowly once more to silence the crowd.

  “In a rare moment in the history of the company, we have

  recruited a man powerful enough that the only course of action was to

  make him a lieutenant from day one.” The crowd was shocked. “And so, the

  White Fang Division now has a sixth unit, led by Lieutenant Sebastian

  Moore!”

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