The Medal Of Honor

15.30 Krisna Time. Faust and his men is currently changing their uniform to the formal one.

"And loop, and... it looks crappy again. Gwen, could you please?"

"Hah... Commander, you realy need to quickly learn how to do it yourself, or get yourself a wife that can tie one for you." Gwen then help Faust with his necktie.

"Hahaha!! What if you marry Gwen then commander. She already looks like your wife." Feli immediately tease both of them.

Hearing this Faust and Gwen face become red in embarrassment. "S-Shut it! Just hurry up with your own preperation! We'll be meeting with his highness in 30 minutes!" To hide his embarrassment Faust try to distract Feli with an order.

"All of us already finish changing. Both of you are the one that taking their sweet time and haven't finish yet." Oman's statement make both of them even redder. But then a sound from Faust's smartphone save them both.

It was Al. "Faust, although it's early, we'll be departing now. Are you and your men ready?"

"Yes your majesty, me and my men are ready."

"Good. Meet me at the helipad, Noah body is also there." And with that, Al end his call.

Few minutes later, the H.A.U.N.T.S. team arrived at the helipad. There, Al and Emma is standing beside a coffin. Al then turn his head toward Faust.

"Good, you're here. Let's cut the chit chat and just go."

Al then grab one of the coffin's handle. Conrad and Yuri also immediately grab on one of the handle. Conrad and Yuri is still alive thanks to Noah. So when they found out that Noah's body were being sent back to Eldia, they volunteer to deliver Noah back to his family. Faust, Oman, and Logan then grab the remaining handle.

"Alright, here we go."

Al then open a large dimensional gate directly to the White castle's conference room. In there, all the thing to start the ceremony is already prepared.

Al then told the other, to put Noah on the stand in the center of the stage. Then, after they put Noah down, suddenly, Al fall to his knee, while holding his head with one hand. Emma and the other immediately rushing to Al.

Emma then ask Al about his condition. "Al! What happen!?"

Al felt like his head wanted to explode and he is currently breathing heavily. "Root wasn't kidding about the pain. Even though it just to transfer 10 people, the pain is like I just got beaten by 100 men."

"Al, your nose is bleeding!" Emma then wipe the blood using a handkerchief.

"I'm okay, I just need some rest. There's no need to delay the ceremony. H.A.U.N.T.S. team, the ceremony will began at 1100 hours, so you guys still have time to rest a bit. Emma, take me to our room."

The H.A.U.N.T.S. team then salute at Al, and dismiss themself. Emma and Al then go to their bedroom, where Al then immediately lay down in their bed. Just like Root said, it's very painful. Emma already tried to eaze the pain using magic, but it only help a little.

Then, at 11.00 Eldia time, the ceremony begin. Although Al still hasn't recover, he push himself up and stick with the plan. When Al enter the conference room, everyone in the room then stand up. Beside all of Noah family, reporters from all TV station in Eldia is also here.

Al then head to the podium and start his announcement. "Today, is a historic day for our kingdom arms forces, but unfortunately, it's also the day to mourn." Al then point at Noah's coffin with his hand. "This is Noah Latom. From what I have heard, Corporal Noah Latom is an ordinary person. He have ordinary family, and run in the mill friends. But on the day he died, what he display that day, is an extraordinary courage like none other."

Al then took a piece of paper from his pocket. "With no regard for his own safety, Corporal Noah Latom manage to safe four men, two are which have twice the size from his own. And he done that in the middle of a hailstorm of bolts. Later, I also found out, that this isn't his first miracle. In the previous war, he manage to evacuate 5 wounded soldiers out of the battlefield, and two of them are large sized demi-human."

Al clear his throat and then continue. "Even now, I can't understand how someone can have that kind of will. I can't understand how he physicaly manage to do what he does. He did an amazing thing. He made a sacrifice that is hard to fathom. And for what he did, I presented him with the highest form of recognition, for courage on the battlefield above and beyond the call of duty. The medal of honor." Al open a small wooden case and show the medal of honor to the audience.

The medal is a chimeradite five pointed star, each point tipped with trefoils, 4 cm wide, surrounded by a dragon that eat it's own tail and suspended from an adaminte inscribed VALOR, surmounted by a grifin. The medal has been attached to a white colored moiré silk neck ribbon. In the center of the star, a soldier holding a rifle. On each ray of the star is a green oak leaf. On the reverse is a bar engraved 'THE KINGDOM OF ELDIA TO NOAH LATOM'. The pendant and suspension bar are made of adaminte, with the eye, jump rings, and suspension ring made of vernium.

Al then continue. "He is the first person who earned this medal. But unfortunately, he earned it in the hardest way, with his life. My wish is that, his story can be heard, and can become a legacy, not just to his own family, but also to our kingdom."

"In closing, I am sorry for your lost, Mrs Latom. This kingdom has lost a great soldiers, but you and your childrens, has lost a loving husband, and a great father."

Unlike before, where the recepiants will walk toward Al and recive their medal, it was Al who walk toward mrs Latom, to personaly give her the medal of honor. Seeing Al head toward her, mrs Latom quickly stand up from her seat. But then Al gently force her to sit back down. Al then kneel on one knee, and then gave mrs Latom the medal of honor. He also pass Noah's last letter to her while saying. 'Once again, I'm sorry for your lost.' while hunging his head.

When Al return to the podium, mrs Latom then open her husband's last letter to her. 'My love. If you read this, that means I had died in battle. But don't be sad my love, for you're strong and will do well in live. I love you and the girls deeply. Today and tomorrow let each day grow and grow. Keep smiling and never give up, even when things kept you down. And in closing my love, tonight, tug my children in bed warmly. Tell them I love them, then hug them for me and, give the girls a kiss from daddy.' Mrs Latom almost burst into tears after reading the letter, but she hold it out, because that's what Noah had wanted.

Later, Mrs Latom wished that before they cremate Noah, she and her childrens can see Noah for the last time. Of course Al grant that wish, and send all of them to the castle's prayer room, a holy room that can prevent Noah into turning to a zombie.

In this world, it's possible for a corpse to become a zombie. That's why, it is mandatory to burn the corpse of a deceased person, except when the person is agree to donate his/her organs for medical purposes, or his/her entire corpse for necromancy research purposes. The only way to prevent one body to become a zombie, is to encase the corpse with holy magic, or place it at a holy ground, such as the church or a prayer room. That's also why, the coffin in this world always have a holy magic engraved inside it.

When the Latom family exited the conference room, Al use this time to inform the kingdom about the situation in the warzone, and his plan to send 70% of the entire military personal to the Deora continent.