In the capital city of the Erthland Empire, Elara stood with a perfectly upright posture, wearing the grand attire of an emperor. The morning breeze blew softly, catching the edge of the cape worn by the most powerful woman in the empire.
Right before her, lay the ranks of the elite imperial forces, assembled in an incredibly short amount of time. More than two hundred soldiers stood in a perfect block formation.
At the very front stood the ten commanders of each platoon. Behind each commander stood two deputies. They stood tall, ready to receive instructions from the Emperor.
"This morning, we will all move toward Gias City!"
Elara's voice rang out loud and clear, carrying a trace of mana that made it echo to the farthest corners of the grounds.
"We will apprehend the traitors who have dared to taint the soil of this empire. They have kidnapped and sold our own people as slaves to enrich themselves!"
Hearing the word 'slave', the expressions of the soldiers in the ranks tightened slightly. Their jaws clenched. As soldiers sworn to protect the people, knowing a slavery network existed within the empire's borders was a massive insult to their honor. Yet, their deeply ingrained discipline kept them from making a single sound until prompted.
"We will surround that city from all directions! One commander and their two deputies will secure each of the four main gates." Elara continued in a firm tone. "Meanwhile, the rest of the forces will move together to sweep every corner of the city!"
Her sharp gaze swept across the hundreds of faces before her. "Do not let a single one of those traitors escape, let alone make it out of Gias City alive!"
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
The response erupted simultaneously from over two hundred soldiers, creating a soundwave that rattled the air. The clatter of armor shifting as they puffed out their chests and saluted displayed an unwavering fighting spirit.
Hearing that thunderous, determined response, Elara nodded in satisfaction.
"Commanders! Step five paces forward!" Elara ordered in a sharp, authoritative tone.
Upon hearing the order, the ten army commanders standing in the front row stepped forward in unison.
The commanders stopped precisely on the fifth step. They returned to a perfect posture, awaiting the Emperor's next instruction.
Elara stood facing the ten commanders, but she did not immediately speak. She slowly raised her right hand, positioning it palm up near her face.
Then, right above her palm, ten silver necklaces materialized one by one. The necklaces she brought out from her dimensional storage earring looked incredibly simple, just neatly interlocked silver chains without any pendants or charms whatsoever.
With a calm expression, Elara began to cast her magic. The surrounding wind element instantly obeyed her will. An invisible stream of air enveloped the ten silver necklaces, lifting them gently from her palm and flying them forward in an orderly manner like obedient little birds.
Each necklace glided through the air, then stopped and hovered right in front of the ten commanders.
Seeing the magical phenomenon they had just witnessed, both the ten front-line commanders and the hundreds of soldiers behind them were left in awe.
"Take those necklaces and wear them around your necks!" Elara ordered simply.
Without objection, the ten commanders immediately reached out their hands. They grasped the silver necklaces floating in front of their chests, and in synchronized movements, draped them around their necks.
Once she confirmed her commanders were wearing the necklaces, Elara issued her next instruction.
"Turn around, and look at all the soldiers lined up under your command!"
The ten officers pivoted on their heels in unison. Now standing with their backs to Elara, their gaze was directed straight ahead, looking directly at the hundreds of subordinates who still maintained their perfect stance.
Rumble...
Suddenly, the ground beneath the ten commanders' feet began to shake. A low rumbling echoed from within the earth, as if something massive were trying to force its way out.
Despite being slightly startled by the unexpected tremor, the commanders, forged through various extreme trainings, managed to keep their emotions in check. They knew this vibration stemmed from the Emperor's earth element magic.
In the next second, the ground they were standing on abruptly bulged and shot upward, forming ten sturdy, rectangular stone pillars.
The stones stopped rising seamlessly once they reached a certain height.
Now, the ten commanders stood three meters above the grounds. Standing atop these stone pillars provided them with an incredibly wide vantage point.
From this position, they could see the entire formation of hundreds of soldiers from end to end.
"Now," Elara's voice drifted up from below, calm yet demanding absolute obedience, "channel your mana into the necklaces you are currently wearing!"
"Understood, Your Majesty!" the commanders replied in unison from atop their pillars.
The ten men closed their eyes. Following the Emperor's order, they began to concentrate their mana, slowly channeling it into the silver necklaces around their necks.
Elara, standing below with her highly acute mana sensitivity, could feel ten distinct streams of mana connect and activate the function of the necklaces. She smiled faintly, satisfied that the tools were working perfectly.
"Open your eyes and look at the soldiers lined up beneath you!"
Upon hearing the command, the commanders slowly opened their eyelids one by one.
As their gazes returned to the field, the ten commanders were utterly shocked by the phenomenon now displayed before their eyes.
Their visual perception had drastically changed. The hundreds of soldiers lined up below them no longer looked like ordinary men in armor. Every soldier's body was now enveloped in a softly glowing, colored aura.
Nearly ninety percent of the total forces on the field radiated a blue aura. However, amidst the dominant blue aura, there were several soldiers whose bodies emitted a yellow aura, and roughly five men were shrouded in a black aura.
The officers' minds raced, trying to comprehend the true function of the necklaces that were intervening with their sight.
Why are the colors of our subordinates different?
What is the meaning behind this blue, yellow, and black that I am seeing?
However, before they could conclude any theories, the Emperor's voice cut through all the speculation in their heads.
"Call out those whose auras are not blue! Order them to step forward and stand before me!"
Hearing the absolute command from the Emperor, the ten imperial commanders spoke up without hesitation. From atop their stone pillars, they pointed and called out the names of the soldiers emitting yellow and black auras in their respective ranks one by one.
"Artga from Platoon Three!"
"Tole from Platoon Six!"
"Kaelen from Platoon One!"
The calls echoed back and forth. Name after name was declared.
The soldiers whose names were called, entirely unaware of the actual reason behind their summons, immediately stepped out of line.
With firm strides, the singled-out soldiers walked forward and stopped directly in front of the Emperor. They delivered a flawless military salute to the Supreme Ruler of the Erthland Empire.