All noble houses had animals or weapons as their emblems, as flowers were deemed too 'feminine', and too 'vulnerable' for a flag. Only the Glory, led by its flower-loving founder, proudly displayed the blooming flower as its symbol.
Lucian joined the next supply column, wearing simple armor, with the Glory's golden emblem on the shoulder. The soft lines of the six petal flower matched the one on the flag, which was attached to the wagon's side.
The terrain was rough, so they had to build a road through the forest, where the wagons could move more easily.
They've also been looking for speeding up the process of transporting supplies, but every idea was thrown off the table by Lucian. He came up with a simple, yet cheap solution, inspired by the ship's movement on the sea.
Ships could carry much havier cargo with less manpower, and so could carts if they lessened the friction between the wheels and the ground.
They began building an elevated wagonway with wooden logs, using the surroundings' resources. It reduced the number of horses as the chain of wagons would glide on the wood, instead of rolling and getting stuck in the dirt.
They changed the size of the wagons as well, making them shorter and more narrow, allowing for more wagons to be attached to one another.
They had fast access to greenhouse builders and gardeners, making it possible for Glory to take over the project and speed up the process.
Each supply column had fifty wagons, each carrying a specific load. The logistics were handled by the Glory's best minds.
Lucian followed Celine's tracks. The closest camp belonged to the Kereons' ducal house, so he went to check that one first, joining his supply column on the way.
As the heavy wheels rumbled over the smooth wagonway, Cansan fell into step beside Lucian at the back of the supply column. Jax was siting on top of the cargo of the last wagon, his legs dangling over the edge.
"Where did you disappear for two whole days if I may ask?" Cansan asked quietly, their steps in sync.
"I was collecting herbs and mushrooms," Lucian did plan to do that and even gathered a few on his way.
"Alone? In a feral infested forest?" Cansan shook his head at Jax, like it was his fault that Lucian was acting reckless. He never raised his voice, but his tone was reprimanding.
"He knows he could have asked me to go with him," Jax threw the same look at Cansan, then turned to Lucian, "But nooo, Mr. Glory has to be a big hero who can survive anything."
"I have a guardian angel watching over me," Lucian gestured toward his right shoulder where his angel was supposed to be sitting.
Despite the new beast's influence, it couldn't hide the way Jax's forehead creased when worry was eating at him.
Jax befriended the heroine per Lucian's request and had successfully ranked up to a two marked hunter. All he needed was her encouraging words, and an epiphany struck him. Despite hearing the same words from Lucian and others before, it never clicked. Lucian experienced the effect she had firsthand, and so did Jax now.
Lucian wondered if Jax would switch sides to follow the heroine, and what he could do to prevent it. His new beast was surprisingly cooperative, treating Lucian as if they were old buddies. It would scoff at him every now and then, enjoying the privilege to throw its weight around.
The two Vices no longer accepted Lucian's guardian angel excuse. He could still lose the Gods' favor, and then what?
"Is something wrong?" Lucian inquired when the atmosphere remained tense. Cansan rarely asked about his personal matters, but when he did, it was important.
"The church has been getting more active." Cansan sighed, his eyes scanning the road ahead. "They started to suspect your parent's identity, and are currently investigating the matter."
Lucian's steps didn't falter, nor did his expression change, "My mother was a florist and my father a carpenter. They were great devotees to the church. What's there to investigate?"
Jax snorted, making Cansan throw him a dirty look.
"Just say you come from a lineage of grand priests, and be done with it, Boss," Jax scoffed, rolling his eyes with his arms behind his back, "Talk about being a nobody, when you are the biggest somebody in the kingdom. No wonder the orphanage didn't let us play with you. You were a high profile kid."
Lucian chuckled, not bothering to correct him. Silence fell between them until they arrived at the Kereons' camp. The banners on the tents differed from the royal ones. Instead of the kingdom's prominent black dragon, the Kereons had a green snake on their banner.
While Cansan moved to the front of the column, Lucian's eyes were on Kereon soldiers. There were thousands of them, looking more energized than the royal's. Priests and Saintesses were walking among them, whispering blessings to boost their morale.
The number of priests in this camp was triple the royal one. The church's presence was strong here, with a large tent dedicated to prayers and blessings.
Compared to priests, the Sainteses' authority was lower, almost insignificant, but they were still respected by the public. Their white robes were pristine, and their light hair gave them an ethereal look.
The share from the mining would be distributed to the war contribution funds as well. Glory provided logistical support, so Lucian wasn't that worried about his share.
He was more concerned about the church's involvement. There was just someone, who didn't like Lucian that much, and could make things difficult for him.
One of the priests spotted Lucian among his people as they unloaded the carts, "My child."
His robe held a higher rank compared to others, indicating his standing in the church. His long, white hair was styled in a braid on one side, and he wore a soft smile on his ageless face. He opened his arms, inviting Lucian for a hug.
Lucian had no choice but to accept the hug. He couldn't just ignore a priest of his rank in public. The priest he killed to save his son, was an arch priest, second only to the high priest, and third to the grand priests. Grand priests were the ones to oversee the kingdom's religious affairs and dealt with political matters.
"Grand priest Julian, it's been a while," Lucian greeted.
Grand priest Julian Arclight and his father looked so alike, that Lucian felt like he was hugging his father, making it all the more uncomfortable.
The grand priest broke the hug, and kept his hands on Lucian's shoulders, "It's good to see you well, my child. But I have told you countless times, you should call me Father in public."
"Yes, Father." Lucian lowered his head, humbling himself like a good disciple would.