Wisp! Awaken in the Magical World

Chapter 67: Not Zero

By the time they were back, the night was already giving space to daylight. Claus came down from the vehicle with Linfel and the others before passing his orders. "Falagita, bring everyone back to our tent. If any of you are injured, make sure to pay a visit to the medics. Otherwise, GO SLEEP! Things are only getting more tense from now on." Right after, he left.

He had to report everything that happened during the last battle.

"Before that, we need to eat," Falagita smiled and brought them to the cafeteria. Everything there was nutritious but very simple. Not that Alvin cared about it. Only Milia was used to expensive food and things like that.

Only after filling their bellies did they finally return to the tent as Claus mentioned.

Alvin instantly collapsed on one of the beds there and fell asleep. Milia wasn't much different, quickly passing out. That only left Linfel and Nori awake with Falagita and her Familiar.

"Hum? Shouldn't you deactivate yourself to allow your master to sleep?" Falagita asked Linfel at the front of the tent, puzzled.

Linfel glanced at Nori, who stayed close to Milia. Only then did he look back at Falagita to speak. "We are both independent Familiars. We don't have that constant Soul Connection anymore with our Masters. We just follow them."

"Oh!" Falagita nodded. "That is rare, independent Familiars." She looked around and saw no one was around. "Tell me, did you, Alvin, and Felia all Level Up at the same time?"

Linfel faintly smiled. "Seems like it. We were on the verge of leveling up for a while already, all three of us. I believe the tension of the battle allowed us to take the last step into Level Two." Linfel was now with a Red Ethereal Body, the characteristics of a Level Two Familiar.

"I see..." Falagita didn't know whether to believe it or not.

Suddenly, the tent opened, and Claus got inside, looking quite tired as well. Falagita quickly passed a bag to him, which contained food she brought from the cafeteria. "Oh, thanks. It saves me time."

"Master, you need to sleep," Claus's Familiar spoke to him while canceling their Master Familiar Connection.

"I understand, Gusan." Claus didn't seem to take Gusan's words to his heart that much, though. He began to swallow the food while looking into his MCOM. "Milia and Alvin seemed to be doing fine."

Falagita nodded. "How was the meeting?"

"Sigh..." Claus laid back on his bed and shook his head. Nori and Linfel also approached, interested in the topic. Claus didn't mind, though. They would easily find out if they asked around anyway. "Not good. Isn't Milia and Alvin here?

They are students, so you can guess just how desperate we are for Maguses and Familiars to help defend the country."

"You mean...?" Linfel felt there was something else to it.

Claus continued. "From what I heard, we barely have any other Maguses and Familiars to send to the frontlines anymore. We are being attacked by three countries at the same time, after all. And none of them could be said to be weaker than us."

Falagita understood and explained more to Linfel and Nori. "The first three days that you weren't here were the worst ones. Our country truly didn't expect such a coalition attack out of nowhere. Most of the higher-ups in those three countries didn't even know it was going to happen. Only when their leaders came forward and announced did everyone find out.

But that was when their armies were sent to invade. We couldn't react, so we lost a lot of our forces the three first days."

"Exactly," Claus remembered that. "I also received news that our platoon will only have seven members. So, only another three are coming."

"Only three?" Falagita was taken aback. "That makes only seven of us. That is not even a platoon anymore. It is only a small squad. Wouldn't it be better for us to join other platoons together to make up the right numbers?"

"You were right about a Squad," Claus commented. "We are not the 67th platoon anymore. From today onwards, we are just a squad. As for your question about joining with other platoons, I also asked the same. However, it seems like the strategists got a little impressed with our display in that attack and thought it to be better for us to stay with small numbers.

We will probably be used for more specific tasks now."

"Small numbers?" Falagita didn't like it at all. "That is crazy! I don't see why they would do such a thing."

Linfel spoke from there. "One Level Three Magus and Familiar in Claus and Gusan. Then we have another three Level Two Maguses with Falagita, Milia, and Alvin. Each of them has a Level Two Familiar of their own. Then, there is also me, a Level Two Familiar. Can't you see it?

There isn't a single member of our group below Level Two. How many platoons do you know in this battalion to have such a lineup?"

"This..." Falagita finally understood.

Claus couldn't help but bitterly smile. "He is right. Most platoons in our battalion have a single Level Two Magus, maybe two. The rest is made of normal soldiers. Platoons with Level Three Magus and Familiar like me are quite rare. And yet, we have another three Level Two Maguses and four Level Two Familiars.

We obviously were built for something else. The fact we were ordered to join a platoon with only Maguses in the last attack shows that we are different."

*Flap...*

Suddenly, the tent was opened again, and three people entered, followed by their Familiars. "Hello. Is this the 67th platoon?"

Claus sat up again and nodded as the newcomers. His expression wasn't very good, seeing that all three of the maguses weren't really soldiers but city maguses. "This is the 67th platoon indeed. Well, to be more specific, we are now a squad. I'm Claus, the captain of our squad."

Those three were somewhat confused but nodded.

The first then came forward. He was a man who seemed to be close to his late twenties. "I'm Julios, a Level Two Magus, and this is my Familiar, Socra. He is Level One Familiar, though."

"I'm Warthon, also a Level Two Magus," another young man spoke. From his clothes, Nori could tell he came from another Magus Academy in their country. "And this is my Familiar, Zenio, same level."

The last one was a woman around her late thirties. "You can call me Vera, and this is my Familiar, Sando. We are both Level Two as well."

Claus smiled. "Other than Warthon, the other two don't seem very happy to be here."

Julios didn't deny it. "I'm not a soldier, you know? I'm a Magic Device Developer. The army pretty much forced me to come. I got basic training in the last seven days, but I truly shouldn't be here."

"And I work on the communications of Jenis City," Vera wasn't any better. "Why are they even relying on someone like me?"

"But you all graduated from the Magus Academy, didn't you?" Nori asked them. "Everyone in all Magus Academies in our country receives battle lessons and learns how to fight as it is mandatory. You aren't as powerless as you think."

"We never took any Field Exam, though." Julios sighed. "How can we even battle anyone?"

"I understand your position." Claus wasn't surprised. They weren't the first ones in such a situation. "But the fact is that if the country goes down, so will you. There is no way out unless you decide to desert. Well, I wouldn't recommend that. The country is in such a bad situation that any deserters are to be killed on the spot."

Fear appeared on Julios and Vera's faces. Their Familiars tried to soothe them, but it wasn't of much use.

"Hey, it is not too bad," Linfel commented. "Who knows? Perhaps you will survive. I highly doubt so, considering your experiences so far, but the chances aren't zero, right? Hahaha!"

Everyone looked at Linfel with weird expressions. Was that supposed to make them feel better?

"Ahem..." Claus intervened before things turned too weird. "Just take a bed for yourselves and rest. Our two friends there just came back from the previous battle, so it will take a while for them to wake up. Falagita and I will sleep as well. Later today, let's try to get some basic group formation between us for the battles to come.

Remember, you are not dead yet, and I will do my best as your captain to stay that way. Just don't panic."

Finally, Falagita and Claus went to sleep as well. It wasn't before the afternoon that everyone was finally awake. Linfel and Nori just waited around since they didn't really need to sleep. The three new members and their familiars didn't seem to want to talk either, so nothing happened during that down time.

"Alright," Claus got up, invigorated. "Now, time for the bad news."