At first I was a bit frustrated by this format, but I wonder if there was a limit to the chapters from the beginning, so they're just going to go through all of the main characters in the mercenary corps, their backstories and their epilogues, and then it'll end. With all the flash forwards, I don't know if there can really be a satisfying way to continue with the present day beyond a few more skirmishes or interactions to tie into character development, because we already know how everything will end up.