Mentioning Commander Lady Rhine brought a proud smile to Eileen's face.
It was clear that this pride emanated from deep within her; evidently, in Eileen's eyes, Lady Rhine's position as a commander was something she firmly believed in.
"Lady Rhine is somewhat of a half-prophet," Eileen said with a smile, causing Ethan to look puzzled, "Half?"
"Yes, half. While Lady Rhine possesses abilities akin to a prophet, being capable of foresight and speculation, her skills don't allow her to predict with utter precision like a true prophet; she can only foresee a possibility."
"I see..."
"This is how Lady Rhine describes it herself; she never refers to herself as a prophet," Eileen explained, albeit with a hint of confusion, struggling to elucidate the full scope of the matter.
She continued, "If you prove yourself on the front lines, you can ask Lady Rhine for assistance, requesting her to employ her foresight to pinpoint the current whereabouts of the master blacksmith Henry Powell."
"Of course, the precondition is that your performance at the front lines must be exceptionally distinguished!" Eileen underscored her point.
As a commander, Lady Rhine was swamped with tasks daily, evidently not having the leisure to engage in the act of finding someone.
Ethan understood this, nodding gravely in acknowledgment.
Time swiftly marched on for several hours, with Eileen, Ethan, Sherry, and a large troop of soldiers having covered a significant distance from Maya City.
Up ahead, a collection of seemingly petite structures emerged in their line of sight; towers that resembled bare trees standing tall upon the land, heralding their proximity to the destination.
"Those are Observation Towers; we are close," Eileen informed.
Soon, as they drew nearer to the Observation Towers, Ethan realized that the towers were virtually sealed off, with only a brick-sized gap at the upper portion of the walls designed for surveying the surroundings, while the rest were solidly barricaded.
Notably, there was no discernible entrance at the base of these towers.
"It seems the entry is underground..." Ethan speculated inwardly.
His assumption was confirmed upon reaching the front line command center.
The entire facility was not on the ground level but instead nestled ten meters beneath the surface, accessible through a side hill that harbored the entrance.
The hillock housed a tunnel leading to the subterranean command hub.
On arrival, Eileen and her company traversed the tunnel, presenting their identification credentials for verification.
Subsequently, they were granted entry into the underground command center, albeit the soldiers had to proceed further to the barracks through an underground passage from the command center.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Sherry were escorted by Eileen to report to Commander Lady Rhine.
"Eileen, I don't recall granting you permission to come to the front lines," Lady Rhine rebuked immediately upon their meeting.
Ethan took the opportunity to size up the authoritative figure before him - Commander Rhine.
She was dressed in official attire, her entire form meticulously wrapped in uniform, her short auburn hair lending her a decisive and efficient demeanor.
This realization eased Ethan's nerves considerably; it was evident that the commander was a woman of action and practicality.
Facing someone of her caliber, all one needed to do was to shine to earn her recognition.
Eileen seemed to have anticipated the reprimand, and responded, "Commander, my arm has healed. I wish to continue fighting the monsters at the frontline."
"Your arm has healed!"
Through the commander's reaction, Ethan glimpsed a different emotion surfacing on her stern face — joy. The news of Eileen's recovery genuinely delighted her.
"Really?"
Commander Rhine sought confirmation, a trace of hope lingering in her words.
Without a word, Eileen drew her long sword and began to demonstrate her regained strength, skillfully wielding the weapon with renewed vigor.
Upon completing her demonstration, Eileen introduced Ethan, stating, "My arm is no longer an issue. The credit goes to Mr. Black Dragon here. He is highly adept in the magic of Holy Light, possessing an understanding of it that surpasses the ordinary. Under the protection of Black Dragon's Holy Light, the toxins were easily eliminated."
Rhine's piercing gaze shifted towards Ethan. Eileen's praise allowed her to grasp the substantial role Ethan could potentially play.
Facing monsters, the most exasperating aspect wasn't their formidable strength, but rather their disgusting features such as the toxins they harbored, and their abilities to induce hallucinations and seductions that frustrated the soldiers' organized offenses.
Moreover, the after-effects of a battle could be considerably taxing.
Soldiers plunged into illusions seemed crazed, unpredictable in their frenzied states, leaving comrades uncertain if they would turn their blades against their own.
The toxins were even more sinister, capable of causing death through the most minor of wounds.
These were the facets that severely troubled Commander Rhine, rendering the battlefield a complex web of perils.
Thus, hearing Eileen's account, a wave of excitement surged in Commander Rhine.
She walked to a position in front of Ethan, glanced at him, and spoke directly, "Although you are an outsider, if you can earn Eileen's trust to such an extent, I believe in your abilities. I want to know, given sufficient supplies of mana reagent, how many people can you heal in a day?"
Mana reagent, a concoction that magi used to replenish their mana.
However, Ethan was neither a magus nor a warrior.
His true identity was that of a Dark Lord, a bearer of the potent Dragon Bloodline, for whom unleashing the Holy Light spell came without any consumption.
The mana expended was far less than what he could regenerate.
At this point, there was no need for concealment.
He had reached the frontline, and now the most crucial matter was to acquire sufficient sway.
Therefore, Ethan responded confidently, "Commander, I have no need for mana reagents.
As for how many people I can heal, I have never attempted to quantify this before, so I can only offer a modest estimation.
If the number of soldiers at the frontline doesn't exceed ten times the population of Maya City, it should be quite effortless to heal them."
"Ten times?"
"Black Dragon, do you realize what you are saying?"
Eileen asked anxiously, not expecting Ethan to make such a statement.
In her eyes, he had always been modest.
Moreover, ten times was an incredulous factor; about one hundred and forty thousand ordinary people resided in Maya City, while the frontline housed only around thirty thousand soldiers.
Hearing Ethan's statement, a smile broke across Commander Rhine's face, her eyes sparkling with a flicker of interest before she turned serious, interrogating Ethan, "I have met many individuals, some of whom exaggerated their capabilities to catch my attention just like you. Now, you've succeeded; you've piqued my interest. However, if you fail to deliver, be prepared to face severe repercussions."
"Commander, I am someone who never lies," Ethan replied with a smile.
"Good!" Commander Rhine exclaimed approvingly, before instructing, "Then follow me to the medical camp."
With those words, she led the way out of her office, with Ethan and the others following her through a long tunnel.
As they traversed, Ethan noticed paths excavated along the sides of the tunnel, leading to other areas of the command center.
Before long, the group arrived at the wounded soldiers' camp.
The camp was situated at the forefront of the tunnel, on the right side, accessible through a broad passageway.
From this brief tour, Ethan managed to get a grasp of the layout of the command post.
The entire facility was buried deep underground, with a central artery that connected all spaces within the command post, which, according to Ethan's inference, led directly to the battlefield at its exit.
As for where the other passages lining the main artery led to, that remained unknown to Ethan.
Upon Lady Rhine's arrival at the camp, a stir quickly erupted.
Many injured soldiers struggled to their feet, forming fists with their hands and pressing them to their chests in a fundamental gesture of respect.
They looked at Lady Rhine with reverence, their eyes filled with palpable admiration.
"All the wounded, heed my command, continue resting," Lady Rhine instructed, her voice carrying a gentle firmness.
Simultaneously, Lehman, who oversaw the camp, emerged, greeting Lady Rhine with a military salute before inquiring, "Commander, may I ask the purpose of your visit?"
Ethan noticed that Lehman appeared pallid, with a dark wound gracing his neck.
"Lehman, Eileen has found a Holy Light mage capable of purging the residual powers of the monsters. I want him to give it a try," Rhine articulated her intentions calmly yet assertively.
However, as Lehman listened to Rhine's explanation, disdain overshadowed his features.
He voiced his discontent vehemently, "Commander Rhine, those Holy Light tricks are merely deceiving, utterly ineffective. What's worse, some even exhibited signs of worsening post-treatment, becoming more agonized!"
In the face of Lehman's fury, Rhine sighed, her demeanor devoid of anger.
Compared to her, Lehman spent every day with these wounded soldiers, witnessing deaths daily, many of whom he had personally trained.
The depth of his pain was imaginable.
Eileen stepped forward to mediate, "General Lehman, the Holy Light wielded by Black Dragon is different."
"What is so different about it!" Lehman roared back.
Eileen chose not to continue speaking, simply revealing her right arm and stating, "My arm has healed, the Holy Light cast by Mr. Black Dragon eradicated the lingering toxins."
"What did you say—" Lehman was visibly stunned as he turned towards Ethan, still harboring anger in his eyes. "Young man, I hope this isn't just a fluke. If any issue arises post-treatment for my soldiers, I will show you the true extent of my wrath."
"Agreed."
Ethan nodded calmly, then, with a determined gaze, retorted, "However, General Lehman, if I manage to heal these individuals, I expect a public apology from you.
Furthermore, from here on, whenever you see me, you will lower your head in deference."
This declaration was undeniably a form of humiliation.
Lehman's fury intensified, culminating in a vicious smile as he said, "Fine, then begin your performance!"
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