Vlad did not plan to stay with the battalion led by the 19 Bloodline Soldiers until every single one of them had sealed a Champion demon’s soul in their hearts, as that would take too long, and he still needed to visit other cities.
The plan was to hand everyone a parchment with a demon-sealing runic formation and engrave the Demon Cage Runic Formation in their chests. That way, they could become Demon Soul Masters without the need for Vlad to be present.
Seeing that his orders were clear and that everybody was ready, Vlad led the forces of the 19 Bloodline Soldiers and the battalion to hunt down demonic hordes.
The 19 Bloodline Soldiers and the battalion had done a great job hunting down the demons in Trigun City the past six months, but there were still a few hordes left behind. Those were too powerful to obtain a flawless victory, and according to Overlord’s plan, it was better to wait for the soldiers to grow stronger before challenging them.
However, those hordes were no longer a threat now that Vlad, Jormungandr, and Freya had joined the forces. The small yellow cat and the viking princess took care of the strongest demons, making sure to capture the demon Champions alive. The 19 Bloodline Soldiers and the rest only had to take care of the demonic beasts, which was no challenge for them.
Vlad did not participate in the battles as he spent his time either engraving the Demon Cage Runic Formation in the soldiers’ chests or making parchments with demon soul-sealing runic formations.
After three and a half weeks, the forces had cleansed every inch of Trigun City of demons, capturing twenty-one Champion demon souls that were used to make Demon Soul Masters. In that time, Vlad also managed to engrave the Demon Cage Runic Formation in every single soldier and create enough parchments with a demon sealing runic formation for those who had yet to receive one.
Ultimately, all the soldiers had the runic formations needed to become Demon Soul Masters, and the only thing they lacked was a demon Champion’s soul. Sadly, there were no more left in Trigun City, but that did not mean they were out of options.
Vlad stood in front of a massive river, and as he gazed at the forest on the other side, a solemn expression appeared on his face. The river marked the end of Trigun City, and beyond was Santana City.
It was an unexplored area, and there was a high chance there would be large demon hordes there, enough to give birth to many new Demon Soul Masters. However, there were great dangers, and there was no way to know what kind of enemies the soldiers would find. There was also the fact that such distance would be beyond the range of the Xaos Tower, so Overlord could not guide them, and they would be on their own.
Leaving the 19 Bloodline Soldiers and the battalion to march into Santana City alone would be a mistake as the possibility of death would be too high.
Vlad focused on the 19 Bloodline Soldiers and their battalion, who were all in formation, waiting for his words with pure awe and devotion in their eyes. He nodded to the soldiers, feeling their readiness for the next challenge, before turning his eyes toward the viking princess by his side.
"Freya, you will stay with them and be their protector during their voyage to Santana City," Vlad spoke with a sharp voice, making sure everyone heard it. His voice grew more solemn as he turned toward Major General Theodoro. "You will also share leadership of the battalion with Theodoro."
Theodoro and the rest of the 19 Bloodline Soldiers could not help but narrow their eyes as they heard those words. None of them doubted Freya’s power, but great power does not mean great leadership skills. However, since those were the orders of the Xaos King, none dared to disobey.
Freya’s eyes narrowed as she heard about her new role. She did not have a problem guarding the soldiers as they entered Santana City, but leading them was not something she was comfortable with. The weight of responsibility that came with leadership was different from the straightforward duty of fighting on the front lines.
While she was the leader of Valhalla’s forces that reached Terra, the truth was that Freya left most of the military and strategic decisions to the veteran soldiers who followed her. She focused on taking down the strongest enemies, leaving the rest to her comrades and lieutenants. Her strength in battle was unquestionable, but her leadership skills were untested.
Given that, Freya was going to talk to Vlad about the role, but she stopped as she saw the young man gazing at her with serious eyes. Vlad’s expression conveyed both expectation and belief in her potential, a combination that made her pause.
"When we march into the Azarin Empire, you will be the spearhead of one of the battle fronts, and you must have the skills and experience in leading soldiers. Use this opportunity to gain experience and learn from the man by your side," Vlad spoke in a very quiet voice, making sure only the young princess could hear him. He needed Freya to improve, to expand her abilities beyond being a mere destructive weapon.
Vlad’s words resonated with Freya. She understood that he wasn’t just assigning her a task; he was giving her a chance to grow, to become more than she had ever been. The apprehension she felt was a testament to how important this was. She needed to learn the nuances of strategy, see the bigger picture, and guide her soldiers with strength and wisdom.
Of course, Vlad would not risk his soldiers for this training, which was why he made Freya a co-captain and was sure that Major General Theodoro would be able to help the young woman in case she made a mistake due to inexperience.
Freya’s eyes grew sharp as she nodded. She could not avoid this task just because she was not used to it and feared failure. It would be hard, but she was determined to improve.