Chapter 87 - 83: Remember Your Names

Chapter 87: Chapter 83: Remember Your Names

The bonfire’s light flickered across Lian’s face, its reflection captured in his deep eyes.

Lian clapped a hand on Jerry’s shoulder and addressed the crowd with a serious expression.

"I’m sure you all know the man beside me. He is Jerry, captain of the Investigation Team. The Investigation Team has a total of 451 men. All of you, step forward."

Although Jerry didn’t know what Lian intended, he still gave a slight nod to his subordinates.

Jerry had ten vice-captains under his command, each leading a squad of over a dozen men.

When they all stepped forward, however, only 312 men remained.

The other 139 had all died in the Bone Forest.

They hadn’t died on the front lines, but during reconnaissance, investigation, and intelligence-gathering missions.

Thus, even with Lian’s repeated emphasis on minimizing casualties and his meticulous planning, the drastic decline in the Investigation Team’s numbers was unavoidable.

Throughout the entire Bone Forest campaign, the Investigation Team still suffered the highest mortality rate.

Lian looked at the 312 men and asked,

"What are your names?"

The men of the Investigation Team were momentarily stunned. Then, a boy of only fifteen years old excitedly called out his name.

In Green Shade Territory, boys could be conscripted at the age of fourteen.

"My Lord, my name is Tahid!"

"Alright, Tahid. And the rest of you?"

Lian asked again.

One by one, the Guards of the Investigation Team loudly shouted their names.

"My Lord, I am Ginias Roshar!"

"My Lord, I am Emil Amador!"

"My Lord, I am Hashim Gross!"

"My Lord, I am Bijie Jisi!"

"My Lord, I am Bobby Carvalho!"

"My Lord, I am Weber Aswede!"

"My Lord, I am Songzhuo Luo Wa!"

"Endel Jacobs!"

"Haburi Rom!"

...

When the last man had called out his name, Lian repeated them.

"Ginias Roshar, Emil Amador, Hashim Gross, Bijie Jisi, Bobby Carvalho, Weber Aswede, Songzhuo Luo Wa, Endel Jacobs, Haburi Rom...

"I have remembered your names. And I want the entire Southern Army to remember them, too!

"From this day forward, you are no longer the lowest-ranking members of this army. You are the pride of the entire Southern Army, the pride of Green Shade Territory!"

Lian’s words set the blood of every man in the Investigation Team ablaze.

They never imagined Lian would remember all their names, much less that he would publicly honor them in front of all the other Guards.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

"Starting today, the compensation for every member of the Investigation Team will be raised by one level. You and your families will receive free, lifetime medical care in Green Shade Territory. If you fall in the line of duty, your family will receive a death benefit of 100 gold coins. This is how Green Shade Territory honors its heroes."

A one-level increase in compensation meant that these ordinary Level 1 Guards would be directly promoted to Level 2 Guards.

Lifetime medical care for their families meant their loved ones would also be protected.

And a death benefit of 100 gold coins for their families... that was an astronomical sum they would never have dared to imagine. Before, the family of a fallen Investigation Team Guard received 5 gold coins at most!

With this, their benefits even surpassed those of the Garrison Corps!

The moment Lian finished speaking, the Guards’ faces were filled with disbelief.

"Gods, 100 gold coins! Did I hear that right?"

"Lord Lian is just too generous!"

"I want to join the Investigation Team, too! Is it too late to sign up?"

Standing beside Lian, Jerry’s eyes welled with tears. He raised a fist in excitement and roared,

"Long live Lord Lian! Long live the Southern Army! Long live Green Shade Territory!"

Following Jerry’s cry, the Guards of the Investigation Team, who had been in a daze, immediately joined in the roaring cheer:

"Long live Lord Lian! Long live the Southern Army! Long live Green Shade Territory!"

"Long live Lord Lian! Long live the Southern Army! Long live Green Shade Territory!"

"Long live Lord Lian! Long live the Southern Army! Long live Green Shade Territory!"

After the cheers of the three hundred-odd men died down, Bacchus, the noble-born captain of the Garrison Corps, asked resentfully,

"Lord Lian, why raise the compensation for the Investigation Team alone? They are nothing but the lowest of commoners."

Bacchus wasn’t the only one who thought this way; many in the Garrison Corps felt the same.

Lian turned to Bacchus. "The Garrison Corps. On this campaign, how many men deployed, and how many died? What was the death rate?"

Bacchus frowned. "We deployed 29,549 men. 317 died. A death rate of 1%."

Lian then turned to Jerry. "And the Investigation Team?"

Jerry’s brow furrowed as well. "We deployed 451 men. 139 died. A death rate of 30%."

Lian addressed all the Guards once more. "Now do you understand why I’m raising the compensation for the Investigation Team? They’ve earned it. They’ve paid for it with their lives. If any of you wish to join the Investigation Team, they will welcome you with open arms!"

For the first time, the Guards were stunned by the raw data.

They had always known the Investigation Team’s death rate was high, but they never realized it was as high as 30%.

They had always assumed the Investigation Team’s high death rate was because its members were weak—that the Guards were so fragile they met with "accidents" on every mission.

But this time, the Investigation Team had campaigned alongside the Garrison Corps. They lived, trained, and fought together day after day. They discovered that the Guards of the Investigation Team weren’t weak at all; in fact, many of them were stronger fighters.

The stark mortality rate wasn’t because the Investigation Team was weak, but because the monsters were ferocious and their missions were grueling.

"To all in the Southern Army—whether you’re in the Inspection Team, Garrison Corps, or Investigation Team—I want you to understand one thing. Once you enter this army, you are all on the same starting line. In the face of war and death, every life is equal. There is no high or low, no noble or common. You are comrades-in-arms, fighting side by side. You should not harbor prejudice. While I am increasing the compensation for the Investigation Team, I will not neglect the Garrison Corps. You all have the same opportunity to earn glory and merit. Robson is your best example!"

As he spoke, Lian beckoned to Robson. Robson immediately hurried to Lian’s side, overcome with emotion, and gave the crowd a crisp, military salute.

’That’s right. Robson’s meteoric rise from an Elite Guard to a captain—isn’t that the best proof?’

’Lord Lian doesn’t favor any single corps. He gives everyone an equal chance for promotion.’

The men roared with cheers once more, their Loyalty to Lian reaching an unprecedented height.

Lian noticed a new green entry had suddenly appeared.

[Legion Leader] As the leader of the Green Shade Territory’s Southern Army, you have earned the unanimous recognition of the Guards. Their Loyalty to you has reached 70%; they will never betray you!

"Long live Lord Lian! Long live the Southern Army! Long live Green Shade Territory!"

"Alright, now let’s enjoy the party! The men of the hour are Jerry and his 312 soldiers. Don’t be stingy with your wine—make sure you get them all good and drunk!"

Lian said with a smile, clapping Jerry on the shoulder.

Numerous Guards immediately pulled Jerry down from the log he was on, and they all swarmed toward the men of the Investigation Team to offer toasts.

The lively bonfire party continued, and smiles graced every face as the men lost themselves in laughter, wine, and roasted meat.

The Guards sang songs of their homelands, their cups clashing together and spilling cheap rum.

"Three Crows sat hungry, oh my friend, where shall we find our meal today?

"The Knight is long since dead, his blood has long run dry.

"His hound will not depart, his hawk will not depart.

"A maiden on a doe has carried the Knight’s body away.

"O, water of the crystal loch, wash the Knight of his grime.

"Let the Knight return to the maiden’s embrace, return to the maiden’s embrace, return to the maiden’s embrace..."