Jengo was promoted to the rank of Great General. After the meetings were over, the Emperor told Gaileo to stay after and the two of them were alone in the throne room together. It was rare for the Emperor and his "son" to be alone together, and Gaileo wasn't sure what he had to say to him at this point.
"Mutembo, was a scoundrel and a degenerate. I only kept him around to be a sort of red herring for you all. He wasn't up to the standard that I hold the rest of the Great Generals to." The Emperor said. "That being said, he was incredibly powerful by average standards. You finally showed me a bit of that promise you showed when I first found you. Therefore, I still think you deserve a reward for your actions. The whole point of keeping him around was for you to defeat him after all."
Gaileo still couldn't understand how the Emperor could let Mutembo commit so many atrocities just so he could be used as a training tool. Though maybe he shouldn't be surprised, a man who'd fought wars for hundreds of years treated such things as just a game.
"Your reward is that I'm going to let you go with your older brother on his next campaign." The Emperor said.
"Your reward is to give me more work?" Gaileo asked.
"Watch it boy, you don't understand the gift I'm giving you. Many would kill for the chance to campaign side by side with the man considered to be the greatest general in the Empire. What's more, I'll be using it as an opportunity to get a promotion. If Justice finds your work satisfactory, then I will make you a full fledged General, along with a complement of 50,000 troops."
The Emperor paused expecting Gaileo to be overjoyed at the prospect of finally becoming a full fledged General. But that was not the case.
"If it's alright with you, may I go to Shuangfeng first? I want to go there to help with the rebuilding of the city." Gaileo requested.
It was unusual for Gaileo to make such a humble request from the Emperor. He found it slightly off putting.
"No absolutely not. We conqueror cities, leave it to the carpenters to rebuild it. You can't just refuse a reward from the Emperor, a reward from your father!" The Emperor barked.
"If it's my reward then I should be able to accept it whenever I want!" Gaileo responded.
"Eh, you are a frustrating boy that much is clear. You will join Justice in his northern campaign and that's final. He will gather his men and prepare to begin the campaign in two months. The staging point will be Shuangfeng. You're free to do as you wish until then."
"Very well." Gaileo said as he took his leave.
Gaileo and his men left the capital and he spoke with Shion as they left the city gates.
"So where are we heading to now Gai?" Shion asked.
"We're heading to Shuangfeng." Gaileo replied as they rode.
"I didn't expect the Emperor to grant your request."
"He didn't technically, but the fact is I would have gone there no matter what he said."
As Gaileo's Army marched north his officers rode far ahead of the formation. Along the road Gaileo was ambushed by a force of 1,800 troops. His troops were too far away from his main force for them to get involved in the fight.
As Gaileo and his officers prepared themselves for a fight a voice called out to them.
"Hold on, we don't have to fight here. I just want an opportunity to talk with you." A man said as he stepped out of the trees. The man was a tall muscular man wearing dull grey armor with a horned helmet and holding a large round war club. "Shark Hunt!"
Suddenly, a whirlpool of water appeared under Gaileo's feet. He jumped away quickly to avoid the attack. The man then launched a barrage of strikes that were parried by Gaileo.
"I thought we're just going to talk? I thought you said you didn't want to fight?" Gaileo asked with a smile.
"I just said that we didn't have to fight. That being said, I think real men talk better through their fists. Don't you agree?" The man replied.
"You're absolutely right!" Gaileo said as he drew his weapon. This time he went with a tri-section staff.
The two men engaged in a brutal battle, a furious exchange of blows that led to a stalemate.
"Grand Tidal Wave!!!!" The man shouted. A giant wave of water crashed into Gaileo and flooded the entire area. Gaileo disappeared below the waves.
"Was that all he had? I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed." The man said.
Suddenly Gaileo jumped out of the water and uppercutted the man into the air. He then wrapped the disconnected staff around his opponent's neck.
"Three Chain Prison Crash!!!!" Gaileo shouted as he slammed the man into the ground.