Chapter 23 - Enroute

    Once the Major left the room, Leo briskly rose to his feet and made his way toward the exit.

    Unlike many of the others still receiving medical treatment, he required little medical attention.

    The potion he had been given had already done its job, restoring his stamina and dulling the lingering aches in his muscles.

    Stepping through the doorway, he entered a long corridor where a series of temporary counters had been set up.

    Behind each one, military officers sat with an air of rigid efficiency, their expressions unreadable as they processed the new recruits.

    A few students had already formed lines at the counters, some moving sluggishly from exhaustion, while others carried themselves with tense awareness, still wary despite the ordeal being over.

    The hum of quiet conversation filled the space, but no one dared to speak too loudly.

    Leo scanned the area and made his way toward an unoccupied counter, where a middle-aged officer with graying hair sat with a thick ledger in front of him. The man barely looked up as Leo approached.

    "Name?" the officer asked, his tone brisk and to the point.

    "Leo," Leo responded without hesitation.

    The officer ran his finger down the list of names, stopping when he found what he was looking for. With a short nod, he reached beneath the counter and pulled out a neatly arranged tray.

    Leo''s eyes immediately flicked to its contents.

    At the top of the tray were two folded sets of military-issue uniforms. The fabric was durable, the stitching precise, with the rank of Private emblazoned on the chest.

    Unlike the familiar green camouflage patterns he would have expected from military attire, these uniforms bore a distinct grey camouflage design, a muted color scheme clearly meant for blending into urban environments rather than dense forests.

    His gaze trailed across the insignia above the breast pocket. Stitched in bold letters over the academy''s crest were the words: [Assassin Branch].

    Leo''s fingers hovered over the material for a moment, then shifted to the second set of attire in the tray.

    It was different from the first—jet black, lightweight, and flowing. A set of robes specifically designed for assassin combat practice.

    "Standard issue uniform," the officer explained in a monotonous voice. "To be worn daily for academic sessions. The black ones are combat robes for practical courses. Use them as instructed."

    Leo gave a slight nod, picking up the last item in the tray—a small but finely crafted identity token.

    It was a badge of solid metal, surprisingly heavy for its size.

    For a moment, he simply observed, appreciating the surreal beauty of it all.

    Then, his eyes landed on the true centerpiece of the city—Rodova Military Academy.

    Even in a metropolis filled with architectural marvels, the academy stood out as a titan among them.

    It was colossal.

    A fortress in every sense of the word.

    Its sheer size dwarfed every surrounding structure, making even the tallest skyscrapers look insignificant in comparison.

    Massive walls surrounded the academy grounds, lined with turrets, security checkpoints, and watchtowers manned by heavily armed personnel.

    The buildings within the compound were monolithic, constructed with reinforced metal and cutting-edge materials that reflected a sense of absolute power.

    Leo knew little about urban planning or real estate, but even he understood what this meant.

    In a city as packed as this one, to have an academy this large in the heart of it meant that the real estate of the academy alone was worth a fortune.

    No ordinary academy could afford such luxury, and if the Rodova Military Academy stood at such a location, then it was bound to be a special place.

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    /// A/N- This bonus Chapter is sponsored by patron Bukli_Arjullai through supergift. Please thank him in the comments for the same.

    Also, I have a big announcement to make.

    A reader has promised to send me up to 10 castles / 50,000 coins, provided I get 10 castles from others.

    Basically, she has promised to match whatever number of castles i get in the next 3 days, so it''s a humble request from me to you all to help me reach the 10 castle number.

    Currently, we are at 1/10, and if we hit the number, here are my promises.

    1. A 20 Chapter mass release on 1st Of March, to cover all bonus Chapters.

    2. We will go 3 chaps/ day for the entire month of March for an additional 30 bonus Chapters. ( 1/day for the full month.)

    The book is new and needs your support to grow, and this will go a long way, so please pitch in if you can. ///