In order to qualify for Emenas, Rock once competed against Tokolin in the Elk County general election. Rock won because he was familiar with Tokolin's special moves. From then on, the two of them left a deep impression on each other.

Compared to Rock who entered Emenas to study, Tokolin's experience was much more bumpy. In the following year's competition, he still did not get a letter of recommendation from Emenas because new talents emerged in the local area.

Hopeless, he set out for the southern part of the empire to join the army directly. However, having lost his noble status, he was not treated well. He was neither liked by the officers of noble birth nor by the soldiers of lower ranks.

He spent a long time isolated and marginalized like this until the emperor launched an expedition. His luck changed and he became a logistics officer with his extraordinary ability and was gradually promoted.

Years of setbacks and hardships smoothed out his once arrogant edges, making him silent and low-key, and his heart gradually became numb.

All this continued until we entered Clansia, where new changes took place.

"War is a cruel mirror that exposes the ugliest and truest part of human nature." Recalling those years, he later said to Rock with emotion.

"In a foreign enemy country without laws or moral constraints, you won't be blamed for any bad deeds, and any attack or abuse will be covered with a sacred cloak. This is because we are on a 'great' expedition." He said self-deprecatingly about the situation at the time.

Unlike ordinary soldiers, he was born into a noble family, received a good education, and saw the life of the upper class. However, during his growing years, he was thrown into the dust and survived in the dirt and mud.

"I hate this disgusting country."

Many years later, when the two met by chance on the street, they went to the bar to drink together, and Tokolin said to Rock drunkenly.

"In fact, I used to often dream that if I had won that day and went to Emenas, what a wonderful future it would have been. I resented you for this for a long time."

"This situation only gradually changed when I joined the army in the South."

"Do you know what kind of people joined the army before the Great Expedition?" Tokolin said that day, putting his arm around Rock's shoulders.

"There's all sorts of people, haha. Some are thieves, burglars, criminals, people who can't make a living, people who are starving, people who were tricked into coming here. Anyway, the officers don't care what your background is. Once you come in, you'll be trained according to the rules. If you don't obey? Just beat them to death. People die all the time in the barracks anyway, so no one cares."

"I looked down on those people at first. I felt it was an insult to be a comrade with them."

"But later, I didn't think so." Tokolin put down his glass and said slowly.

"If those people had a good future and a warm home, would they choose to walk on this path of life and death?"

"There's no other way. Apart from farming, running errands, and doing other work for the nobles, you can hardly find a decent job."

"The fields are theirs, the mountains are theirs, the rivers are theirs, and the shops and workshops are run by big bosses. How could you possibly get your hands on them? But they're incredibly stingy with the money they give, often withholding and delaying payments."

"They don't care, because there are plenty of people. There are too many people in the Empire... If you don't do it, there are people who will. That's how it is."

"The world seems to be born sad, and the bottom layer of all beautiful colors is gray and black." Tokolin sighed, drinking one glass of wine after another.

"Looking at it this way, I'm pretty lucky. Although my family has fallen on hard times, I still have some savings, and I can even find some acquaintances who are my uncles or aunts to help me. So I won't end up in the same boat as them."

"But I just feel a sense of pressure in my heart. Why is the world like this? I can't understand it."

"And so, in a daze, I joined the expeditionary army and continued westward. Finally, I saw the new country in the West..."

"Kransia is an unfamiliar word. Many people in the Empire didn't know this country existed before. If we say West Wind, they might have some idea of ​​it."

"But when those soldiers lined up straight in front of the battle formation, their blades like a forest, I felt a sense of shock and awe for the first time."

"It turns out there are people in this world who actually live in the country I envision and dream of."

"They are so fearless and have a will as strong as steel. Although they are far outnumbered by us, they often gain the upper hand in battle."

"That's when I started to be interested in everything about this country. Why can they face death so calmly? Is it because of fanatical faith? Is it because of ignorance? Or is it because of some noble ideal?"

"Finally, I found the answer I wanted."

"During a major battle, I captured an officer in the mountains. Of course, I didn't kill him. Instead, I treated his wounds and asked him many questions."

"Finally, before leaving, he gave me a pamphlet and told me that many things cannot be expressed in words. If I want to know more, I should come to Clancy after the war."

"Why are you so sure that Crancia will still exist after the war? I asked him at the time."

"He smiled, pointed to his heart, then turned and walked away."

"So, since then, you started to spread these ideas within the empire?" Rock asked him at the time.

“Yes, I hope more people know about it, and I hope more people will join in.”

"However, such behavior is very dangerous. And I am worried about whether it can succeed." Rock said his opinion after drinking his wine.

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