[Congratulations! As your spouse nears max satisfaction, you have new rewards!]
[Received Epic-Class Summoning Token x1, Deity Jewel x1, Felthorn Seed Pack x1, Mystery Points x100.]
Alexis already knew about the miraculous Summoning Token that gave him his current S-Rank assistant, but the other three items intrigued him more than what he could get there.
[Deity Jewel: Mythic-Grade Bound Item. Symbolizes the faith of the religion. Allows faith to be stored within, allowing the host to conjure up a fraction of the deity's powers.]
[Felthorn Seed Pack: A plant from the ancient days of the elven race. Considered as one of their foundation seeds. Can be planted anywhere.]
[Mystery Points: REDACTED]
Though the last one is censored for God knows why, just the two alone gives shivers down his spine. The seed pack contains something that even the great elves consider as their foundation, and the Deity Jewel can cast the powers of a literal deity! Even if it's just a fraction, it is still greater than any weapon in his arsenal.
It is the first time that he saw something given by the system as Mythic-Grade, and boy, did the reward feel mythical!
After getting that, he can't wait to leave. He first finished the meal prepared by Leisandra before going straight to the practice area.
When he arrived, he was shocked to see that the place had changed quite a lot. It looked more like an army camp, with tents surrounding a large training area, probably drawn by the bored men who arrived early. He also saw a weapon rack with wooden staves lined up together with some barbells and dumbbells lying around.
"My Lord, you have arrived!" When Karsi saw him coming, the man rushed forward to salute, the others following suit behind him. "At ease!" Alexis commanded, prompting them to straighten their postures.
After a brief conversation with the members, the drills ran once more. While they were running laps, Alexis suddenly received a notification.
[Congratulations! The Night's Guard has been added to your Loyalty System! Night's Guard Loyalty: 85%]
[To celebrate the new addition, the system grants you Interdimensional Military-Grade Summoning Ticket x1, Glorious Standard x1, Advanced-Grade Military Training Manual!]
Oh my, is this how it feels to be loved? Alexis thought to himself before shaking his head. No, I need to be loyal to Leisandra.
[Well said, Host.]
"???" That remark from the system made him almost lose his grip and stir away from the lap.
Later on, during their break, Alexis went and separated himself from them, telling the Night's Guard that he would hunt in the wilderness. Once he was far enough from the camp, he opened the system and looked at the two summoning tickets in his possession.
"What if I simultaneously opened these? As far as I remember, the more you open, the greater the pull." His mentality as a gacha game player became obvious.
Throwing the two tickets up in the air, he shouted eagerly, "Open!" With a bright light, faint specks of shiny dusts like that of small stars circled the tickets. A great torrent of wind began running through the forest, scaring birds and beasts alike. As for Alexis, he was grinning like crazy.
As the two tickets— now combined together like a ball— descended, it slowly began separating into two threads, forming two visages of people.
One of them was very short, about 4 feet in height, but was very bulky and muscular. The other one had a much taller build, only exceeding Alexis himself by a few centimeters.
When the two were finally shown, Alexis had his jaw dropped, not just because he had summoned a dwarf. Looking at the man draped in white cloth that recognizably came from the Ancient Greco-Roman region, he felt as if he hit the jackpot.
Of course, he doesn't know who he is, he just knows that people from that time and period are well-versed in warfare.
"'Ello there, M'lord! Looks to me that you got'chaself a good ol' craftsman right 'ere! Name's Baron Ludendorf, though I myself ain't a noble!" The dwarf with a long dark brown beard boomed. Alexis could tell that he was grinning even though his mouth is totally covered by the thickness of his facial hair.
"Greetings to you, lord of this distant land. I am Epaminondas of Thebes. For your act of bringing me into life, I shall serve you wholeheartedly." The white-robed man bowed slightly, his curly hair expected from folks from the Mediterranean.
"I am deeply thankful for both of your presence." Alexis greeted, though deep inside, he was screaming. "I know Thebes, but who is Epaminondas?!"
Still, without any choice, Alexis took out the Advanced Military Training Manual, learned it on the spot, causing a massive headache, and looked at Epaminondas, panting, and asked, "May I ask for your story?"
Although shocked and puzzled as to why his master is asking that, the Greek man obliged. "I was once a general and a statesman back in my world. I led Thebes through wars against the tyrant city-state Sparta and stripped them of their bloodied rampage. My only regret is that I cannot see my daughters anymore. My pride and joy."
"Wait." Alexis' eyes widened, "You led a fight against the Spartans and won? The same Spartans that had children fighting each other?" He gasped. "Yes. Those barbaric practices serve no purpose than to breed cold-blooded warriors who know nothing than to fight and die. Greece deserves better than that."
Holy shit, jackpot. Alexis' opinion instantly spun 180 degrees just because of that. "It seems that you know of the legacies of the Greek world despite being in another world. Might I ask, are you also from Greece? What city-state are you from?" Epaminondas asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, no, definitely not." Alexis waved his hands and explained, "I am from the same world as the city-states, but thousands of years past. My knowledge only stemmed from the intern— I mean the scrolls that illustrate some events of the past that were recorded by ancient scholars."
"Oh!" Epaminondas lit up. "May I ask what of my city-state? Though I do not expect too much from them due to their outdated behaviors, I still want to know their fate."
"Hmm…" Alexis thought deeply. Honestly, although he knows some historical stuff, he isn't really totally and deeply familiar with it. "As far as I can remember, Thebes has been a very defensive city-state from the start until the city was destroyed by Alexander The Great from Macedon. Basically, the Greek world was swept away after Philip II of Macedon went and conquered the city-states."
"Oh…" Epaminondas' shoulders lowered upon hearing the news. Still, after breathing for a moment, he calmed down, "Thank you, My Lord, for telling me of my state's fate. I feel deep sorrow for it, but I am now of another world and wish to serve you in this mire of new adventures."
"I welcome you to it, Epaminondas." Alexis smiled before extending his hand. Understanding what he meant by it, the Greek took it and shook. A big yet also particularly small hand joined, before the dwarf man whined, "Man, M'lord here forgot me!"
Hearing that, the three laughed to their hearts' content.
While on the way back to the camp, Alexis and Epaminondas exchanged pointers with regard to military warfare, with both giving critiques to stratagems and doctrines of the two. At first, Epaminondas was skeptical about critiquing Alexis, until the latter said, "Relax. Your voice matters just like how the voices of the people of Athens are encouraged."
When they arrived at the camp, Alexis was startled when he saw everyone panicking. "What's happening? Why does everyone look like someone ate their spaghetti?"
"My Lord! Finally!" Garick, one of the Night's Guard, looked like some weight was lifted up of his back. Garick then shouted, calling for Karsi. When Karsi saw Alexis, he cried, "My Lord! We need to prepare!"
"The Horbid warriors are coming!"