《The Broken System: What Bred the KING》


 Prologue

    *Cough* *cough*


    Even the intense coughing failed to excrete any more blood. Struggling to support his body with his weightless bloody hand, all he could do was to look up.


    Desperate struggle of the woman was still etched in his eyes, he could only stare at the motionless body swamped on the ground. Without energy, the red eyes were still looking at him. Tear stream had dried, so did the thin bloodline by her throat.


    "Don''t waste time, finish him." An impatient voice sounded.


    "The empire had the right to dispose of him. Hand him over." The old man was standing behind the woman.


    "What empire? Wasn''t it the empire who had sent him to kill 40,000, to kill hundreds of thousands of civilians in cold blood? Who gave you the right to execute justice?"


    "Enough." It was the Djinn, floating in the air, "No need to argue. It was ruled by the council, and death it will be."


    The man standing behind the struggling Kinoya nodded and raised his sword. It glowed in blood red and the inscription in blue.


    The body moved. The strength rose from inside, anger, fear, rage all rose at the same time from her eyes.


    "Stoppppppp." The voice stunned the executioner for a moment. His hand stopped for a moment before she fell unconscious.


    "Carry on." With a nod, he raised his sword again.


    *Boom*


    The sword deviated from the mark and plunged into the ground. All of them looked at each other. Before one could voice their confusion¡­


    *Boom*


    There wasn''t any quake, neither was any disturbance in the air. The bangs were resonating in their heart but there was no cause in view. From their destructive battle, all living beings had already fled the vicinity. It was only five of them who could feel the strikes were becoming faster.


    In the middle of the day, the lightning struck. The black outline through space remained even after the thunder. It was vibrating, the continued booms forced the reality to shake. Before long it spread and something pierced through. A hand.


    One, two, three¡­


    Four hands pierced through the lightning and grabbed the edge before forcing it to open.


    Weakest of the five started to bleed from his openings, before long he lost consciousness. The other four weren''t any better either. The fear was apparent on the face of the djinn too. Unlike the old man or the one who was holding the sword inch from Kinoya''s neck, he had an idea about the identity of the beings and it was the very cause of his fear.


    "Idiot how long you are going to make the king wait? Move." They didn''t know who was it but with his words made the hand vanished in the void, behind the black lightning. A moment of silence before the black lightning broke into the triangle door. It looked like someone had bent the reality to create it with force.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    A gust of wind sent the trees flying, changing the landscape in a barren land.


    The living ones were staring at the triangle-shaped void door, in the middle of nowhere.


    A huge body entered. With four hands from his shoulders, he was making the land shudder with each of his steps. With giant red horn on his forehead, he looked down on the puny things he had never seen before.


    "Ajar¡­"


    "Silent you idiot. Are you trying to kill them?" It was the same voice, "Sorry, this guy is an idiot."


    "Who are you?" The one with the sword shouted. His fighting with Kinoya had strained his nerves then the presence of the unexplained being had failed it.


    "I am here." In comparison to the 100-meter giant, the one who spoke wasn''t more than four feet. With a sword longer than him, the green body walked towards him with a smile on its lips. The smile was sinister as it could be, and with the sharp nose and pointy ears, he looked anything but friendly.


    "Who are you? What do you want? Are you here to rescue him?" The man aimed his sword towards him before interrogating, but he didn''t get his answer. With a pain across the chest, he was sent flying.


    None could follow his movement. None had seen him draw the sword, but they were sure it was a little green man who had done it. The old man guarding the woman was about to charge, but¡­


    "Esteemed guest, what is your reason to visit?" The Djinn was not a prisoner of the cycle of reincarnation but they were eternal being with consciousness, rode through the river of time riding one body after another. The old man understood even if it was not something he knew, by the way, Djinn was interacting, they were bound to be something dangerous.


    "A parasite?" The green one looked at him. The Djinn didn''t let his frown surfaced on his face. "We are here to retrieve our king."


    The chill they felt with from the voice, they knew that there was no chance of negotiation, but¡­


    "But he had killed many of humans. We have¡­"


    "I don''t see any blood. The king will be living with us." The sky above darkened in a blink, the temperature dropped in a moment. His steps were heavier than the giant.


    ''I will die the moment I will move.'' The voice in their head was resonating with each other.


    "What is this?" The green body frowned as his feet touched Kinoya. None dare to explain what had happened to him. All they could do was remain silent. "How messed up his soul is? Let me set it free."


    The green one drew his sword, a black sword that devoured all light around them. The moment he drew it was the moment they had lost their sense of sight. A few moments of darkness was so suffocating that they had even lost their will to breath.


    When the light appeared again the sword had returned into its sheath. But the body of Kinoya bulged like a balloon. Tap and it exploded. A pillar of darkness shot right through the sky. Following a silver flash, and the body of Kinoya laid motionless on the puddle of blood.


    The fear, the sense of helplessness was so strong that the old man couldn''t control his leg. The young man at the side had lost the colour of his hair. The only one who was able to hold onto his sanity was the Djinn.


    "Esteemed guest, wasn''t he the king?"


    The green one looked at him with amusement, "That thing wasn''t even a pureblood, how he can be our king. He was so weak."


    ''He was weak? Then what are we, a little stronger than the weak?'' He didn''t dare to voice it out, "Is he dead now?"


    "Huh. I have scattered his soul, I don''t know how you can create something so hateful."


    Listening to his words something strike him, "Then who is the King?"


    The green one didn''t answer and walked towards the woman, and dropped on his knees.


    *Boom*


    The quake spread through the earth again as the one horn giant went on his knees too.


    "My lord, we have met again." The voice contained just one emotion, respect. The Djinn couldn''t understand the words that followed. By the green ones'' order, the giant lowered his hand and took the unconscious king and the green one in the void.


    The door in the middle of the reality vanished in a blink. Nobody knows how long it was before the sense returned to them.


    "What was that?" That was all the old man could muster.


    "A being beyond the will of the word."

 The Unsuccessful Project

    *Alarm*


    The siren went like crazy and the cave corridor was in chaos. The cells containing unknown, deformed beasts or men, were giving of growl. The men dressed in a simple lab coat was running through the dark. Whether armed or not the flow of living was in the same direction.


    "Ha ha, what happened?" The man was out of shape but moved with the flow.


    The one beside him wasn''t in any good shape either, "The sample 27 reacted, is going through a metamorphosis."


    "Wh¡­" The shock got tangled with the lack of breath, it took some time before he could say it again, "That was an old specimen."


    "That is why it is so important. If we could understand why it reacted, we might be able to tap into the potential of mages, or we might even create one who can control four elements at once." Even those small eyes behind the eye bags were shining.


    It wasn''t just them, even the security was moving too. Metamorphosis can go wrong in a blink. Last time one went out of control it had cost more than twelve lives. So the authority wasn''t willing to take chances.


    The room was small and there were too many stasis pods. Most of them had deformed beast head, a body of the failed dead fish-like creature inside them, but none of them was alive. All of them were dead, all but one. The pod was at the end of the room, contained a black blob inside and it was beating.


    At first, it was slow and it was hard to notice. But today one of the apprentice mages, who came in to collect some old data caught the change in the stasis pod. He informed the higher authority and they wanted to take it into one of the labs, but it was too late.


    So they have hastily set equipment. Put the stasis pod in the middle of [7 triangles dark-eyed protection array], just in case something went wrong.


    The magus knights were on standby, with several apprentice-level mages. With such a line up it wouldn''t be hard to siege a fort, much less a stasis pod.


    ...but what makes humans fearful is the unknown. Wands at the ready, the weapons'' edges were glowing in the magic when


    *Boom*


    There wasn''t any quake or loud sound, but each and every one of them can feel the beating of the blob in their heart. It was resonating with each one of them. Grips on the weapons tightened but nothing unusual happened.


    The blob started to spread in the pod, dividing and merging nonstop. The endless cycle continued who knows for how long. The blob was squirming in the pod, struggling like one who was drowning. Nailless tentacles were trying to scratch the pod.


    "Why are we wasting time here? It is already time for sample 227 and 236 to wake up. Shouldn''t we spend time there?" The one who asked the question was new in the project, had no idea why all the people are willing to spend the time at the gen 2 sample that had been cast aside a long time ago.


    "You idiot, those gen 22 or 23 could not go against the sample from the first few generations."


    "They aren''t even alive." He frowned. "How the things that aren''t even alive, are better than those two or three elemental human test subjects?"


    "Saint Kaijosh and Teian province incident." At seniors words, the kid could only suck mouthful cold air. Even if he had little idea about the Teian province massacre was related to Saint Kaijosh but never did he thought it was ''that'' generation''s sample.


    "That is one of the last samples Saint Kaijosh had created before he died in the Teian incident." A chill ran up his spine, he was not sure it was his senior''s words or the furious struggles in the pod in the pin-drop silence.


    Each time the blob blasted on the pod''s inside they couldn''t help but suck lungs full of cold air. The thumping in their chest was getting louder with each struggle. Back wet with sweat, they could only look at the liquid in the pod becoming murky. Nobody remembered how much longer before they stayed like a statue after the struggle stopped.


    "Where is it? Where¡­" The scream that charged through the door broke the stance.


    "Master!"


    "Saint."


    Everybody showed their respect but the old man couldn''t care less, "Where is it? Is it in the pod? Why is the liquid is so dark? Change it, change it quickly." Almost beating up the one who came to explain he continued to shout.


    Four mage apprentices came running, with four soldiers behind them carrying four big jars. The apprentices draw the magic circle with a swift movement. In the middle was the pod, four paths branched out it and at the end of each path, there was the jar.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The looked at each other for the last time and with a nod, they put their blood on the magic circle. It glowed in dark purple. With each second it was becoming darker and the liquid inside the stasis pod was becoming clearer.


    "Yes." The old man shouted with joy. Tears were streaming from both the eyes but it never left the pod. Inside translucent liquid, the outline of something was becoming clearer.


    "Could it be human?" The whispered rose but spoke in a loud voice.


    Soon it became transparent, it was human as they had guessed.


    "Can you see it senior? It was successful, you were right" The beastical shout broke into a fit of coughs. Some came to help him only to push away as the old man was walking towards the pod in trance.


    A naked human male with long hair was floating inside the pod. The breathing was normal and calm. The eyes snapped open but¡­


    The old man couldn''t see any eyeball, all there was fire, a blue flame was burning in the place where the eyes should have been.


    ******************


    ''Where am I?'' It was the first thought in my consciousness that woke me up. I was bitten by a genetically modified spider, right? This should be a hospital, but¡­


    Something is wrong. I couldn''t open my eyes.


    ''Are the muscles still affected?''


    That might be so, but it surprised me as I tried to move my hand. It wasn''t just the hand, the leg and the body too, I can move it as much as I want.


    ''Could it be I died and now in amniotic fluid? Or could it be stasis therapy? But why can''t I open my eyes?''


    No matter how much I try, I failed miserably. All I could do was try, but soon tiredness enveloped me. I lost consciousness.


    ***************


    The day was like any other. I had no sense of time, unable to understand whether it was day or night outside it was the same for me at the time my consciousness returns. But¡­


    I am not sure but the heat started to build up inside the body. All of a sudden, an acute force started to revolve around my body, not long after there were a downward pull and flush¡­


    With a smooth motion, I felt my body was squished out a narrow tube.


    ''It''s cold.'' My mind screamed. As my teeth started to clatter to disperse the cold, but it was useless. Starked naked on the mouldy wooden floor, wet in cold fluid, it was hard to stay warm.


    "*#@¡ê&@&&#"


    "@¡ê#-#¡ê#"


    "Whtt? Auu Caun unersten eww." My intention didn''t form perfect words in my mouth but I can feel the stare of those gibberish speaking ones on me.


    *Splat*


    With mouldy floor and my weak limbs, I slipped as I tried to support my body.


    ''It''s still painful. Why isn''t anyone helping me?'' After futile struggles I sat back up, I was not sure whether my legs could support my body or not.


    "Whtt aweer eww? Whee caun auu speep?" I could only sigh, ''could it be the result of some medicine?'' Not knowing how to react I found those gibberish speaking ones had indulged in another set of conversation.


    ''Could it be my ear is not working properly due to the drug?'' I wanted to gesture my problem to the one whom I couldn''t even see properly but¡­


    Bright red lights started to slither towards me from all directions, jumped on my limbs. Sane thoughts lost it way, "Ahhhhhh¡­."


    Molten hot metal poured in my body. My wrist, ankle, neck, waist even my forehead burned up.


    "Ahhhhhh¡­" the scream was the only thing that remained constant.


    ************


    "It is all hopeless." A thick bunch of paper was slammed on the table with full force. "That bastard Kaijosh must have hidden something."


    "Aryu choose your words carefully." It was the same old man but somewhere in the weak protest, he had doubts too. ''Alas! No can ask the dead.''


    "With all due respect, Saint Duroc, I know Saint Kaijosh had his share of geniuses but you can''t hide your research, it was sponsored with the money of the King." Even under extreme anger, his body didn''t slough a little.


    Systematic training from his birth made him well-proportioned, but it wasn''t his knightly training but his command over the magic that had made Aryu one of the lords of the project.


    "And sir Kaijosh hadn''t taken anything with him. It was the outbreak that destroyed it all."


    Aryu frowned but didn''t pursue the matter anymore, "But further development will be handled by my group."


    "No¡­" the cry came out by instinct but next words contained the strength authority, "To begin with, you have no idea about the specimen, neither about its growth process."


    "With all due respect, you have neither."


    "But I had been part of the project." With each word, the voice was becoming more furious.


    Compare to the Saint Aryu was calm as he could be. With lips curved upwards, he added, "part of an unsuccessful project."


    "You...you" the words were too much, and all those present knew it was taboo in front of the saint but none dare to speak. Aryu, was the representative of the nobles, wield more strength than Saint but in the shadow. "Sir Aryu, by the power vested upon me by majesty I order you to¡­"


    The saint couldn''t complete his sentence before... *boom*


    Slamming a royal decree on the table was a crime of itself but none was worried about that.


    "You will understand when you read it," Aryu said with a smile.


    Even if he did not read it the saint had an idea about the decree. Reluctant, the saint had to accept the decree and read it. The smile on his face widened as Aryu added, "For his enormous contribution to the great land of Roginia the saint will join the royal court to assist the king as deputy advisor-in-chief. And¡­" Aryu stopped to take a look at the stunned people around him, "and I will supervise the project as the deputy-head till further order."


    There was pin-drop silence in the room. Some snickered, some were happy but everybody could understand what the saint was feeling, but somehow the saint was too calm.


    It took some time for the saint to regain his strength. "Deputy head please take care of my children." With a bow, the saint took the decree and left the room without a single word.


    "Good, now let us take our time and study sample 27 thoroughly." With the word, Aryu left the room too.


    Through surprised, everybody could understand that the decision was the manipulation of the Nobles of the kingdom. With the friction between them, it was just a matter of time before the decree to come.

 Even I dont deserve this much happiness

    "Ahhhhhhhh" That was all that came out of my throat. To begin with, the vocabulary of my world didn''t mean a thing here. There was no way to communicate and even if there was I don''t think I could say anything else when someone chopped my leg in front of my eyes.


    I don''t know what happened but their attitude towards me changed. It may 10 days or maybe 20 days ago, I don''t have any clear idea about the time but it all started when that old man stopped coming.


    The old man would always try to communicate with me, take blood even try to teach me. But who knew that was VIP treatment. The change happened on the very first day he didn''t come.


    His replacement was vicious. On the very first day, they drew enough blood to force him senseless. It was the same routine for the next couple of days before they chopped off one of his fingers. The number continued to increase each day. For the last couple of days, they even chopped off my limbs.


    There are a few things I understood. They are researching me as I did on various lab animals. They have no regards whether I live or die.


    And I am going insane. I didn''t remember whether it was there when I first wake up but its voice continued to increase with the torture. I am not sure about what that voice in my mind is talking about. To say the least, it is not happy.


    More importantly, I don''t know what I am. I am not a human, to say the least. No human can survive with the loss of such amount of blood or without a limb. But what was most intriguing was I continued to grow the lost limb or blood in the span of one night.


    "#¡ê&@&¡ê&¡ê#@¡ê" The voice in my head continued to increase after those people left with a bountiful harvest. The pain was still there, so was the lightheadedness. Eyelids were heavy, it was even hard to breathe, I don''t remember when it happened but I lost consciousness.


    ****************


    *Boom*


    The assaulted table disintegrated under intense force. Even then those around the table didn''t dare to breathe.


    "Give me one good reason why I should not fire you." Unlike the project leader before him who was a pure mage, Aryu was a magic knight. So none dare to question his authority.


    "Specimen of Saint Kaijosh wasn''t so easy." He couldn''t complete his sentence when a cup slammed on his forehead. Blood was running down on his face, still, he didn''t dare to voice his pain.


    "I don''t want to hear excuses just give me the solution." Silence enveloped the room again.


    "The heart." It came from someone standing at the back. Any other time one would have missed such a low voice but¡­


    "Come and explain."


    "What even that sample 27 is that is not a human. We didn''t get any trace of elements in its blood neither it had the property of a magical beast. But¡­"


    "Get to the point." The voice startled that young mage but he continued.


    "Whatever it is, it had magic in it. And the only place that could act as sources of magic is his heart. So if you study¡­"


    "Good. We will do it. You will be in charge of the part." Aryu didn''t have the clam to listen to the end, but those sitting in silence became agitated with his words.


    "Lord please reconsider, the heart of a magical beast is not some trivial thing. We have to be very¡­"


    "Can you give a better solution?" Anyu''s voice sounded more like a growl of a ferocious beast.


    "But that the sample could die."


    "What value does it have while living."


    A silence followed. None dare to talk, none dare to look at Anyu. Without results, they could only accept the order.


    "We will extract the heart tomorrow. Make all the necessary precautions."


    "Let''s hope that we don''t repeat the disaster of Teian province." The old mage was sitting at the edge of the room and left without waiting for their response.


    ******************


    "Is that true?" The black metal armour was glowing with a blue hue. Along with it, the soldier was standing with a longsword in his hand. There wasn''t just one but ten of them. With twenty mages standing around to strike a moment''s notice.


    Still, the young magic knight couldn''t help but feel nervous. The being who was hanged by the limbs is not a human after all. No matter how proficient in magic, even a dragon couldn''t regrow a limb in just one night, much less survive.


    "Yes, I heard that the Teian province incident happened because they tried to extract the heart of a sample."


    "Whatever? We don''t have to worry about an outbreak. This island is a long distance away from the mainland, so¡­"


    "Hurr¡­ who is worrying about the outbreak? If something similar happens then will be any survivor?"


    A chill ran down the spine of the young knight but before he could respond, "Knight take your position. The magic circle at ready, ready your scrolls, be ready to act with a drop of words." Anyu entry restored the order in the room.


    In the middle of the room, at the very centre of a giant magic circle was the body of a human child. Nobody would believe that it was the same specimen no 27. Each time it grew back one of its limbs, it will grow younger.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    This was the very reason many have begun to believe he is the key to unlock the riddle of immortality. Willing or not most of the mages was eager to study the specimen. The specimen, who was hanging in the middle of the magic circle wasn''t awake. Without that beating heart, many would have believed that the cold body didn''t contain any soul at all. It was at that very moment.


    *****************


    "What''s more do you want? Do you want to kill me? Just kill me." I howled like crazy but was sure that they didn''t understand me.


    Whether they understand me or not isn''t a matter to me. Last time they cut off three of my limbs. I wasn''t sure how I survived but recovered in just one night. Starting from the body of the twenty years old I now have a body of an infant but that necessarily a good thing and...


    "@#¡ê#@&¡ê#" the voice in my mind was screaming like crazy. Mumbling in intangible language the voice was driving me insane. I wasn''t even sure did I shouted on my own will or not, it has its effect.


    The shield on the hand of those armoured soldiers now have stronger hue, so was the magic circle.


    ''Is that knight?'' I had never seen one before, so I wasn''t sure about it.


    ''That shouldn''t be my concern now.'' as the man in the back mumbled something four people started to close in. Despite their weird dresses, it was their weapons that had me worried.


    "That thing could kill," I shouted again. They hesitated but another shout from the back forced them to move. I looked at the back, the person who was leading all of it was staring right at me.


    Before I could understand his order, a pain spread from my chest. The sharp blade-like object had pierced through my chest, hot blood was trickling down from the wound.


    The intention of struggle was forgotten as the tattoo at my wrist and the throat was glowing with piercing pain. The pain was forcing me to lose consciousness and on top of that voice in my head reached its peak.


    ''I am going to die again?'' Looking at the beating heart in front of my very eye couldn''t let me think about anything else. ''What had I done to feel such pain?'' I couldn''t think straight anymore.


    ''Just let me in peace.'' I could only sigh and accept my fate.


    "Do you need my help?" All the sounds vanished from my ear. For the first time, I had heard a language that I could understand. In the moment of surprise, pain and anger busted out of me.


    ''I want to live.'' I wanted to scream but words never came out.


    And the last thing I remember was the heart right in front of my eye caught fire. In a blink, the blue flame turned the body of the man in ashes and I lost consciousness.


    *******************


    "Please forgive me." The face looking at me was the same one that was giving orders. Surprised, I wasn''t sure what was happening around me.


    Bodies littered everywhere, blood had dyed the ground red. The building around him was in ruins and was burning in bright red. But what stunned me most was, most of the bodies were scrambled around me.


    "Did I do it?" I couldn''t help but mumble. I wasn''t athletic, to begin with, even though I have dissected small animals in labs, the human is of my species and only insane people can stay steady with the massacre of this level.


    But the person in front of me wasn''t so compelling. He jumped at me as soon as he had observed me absent-minded and a dagger plunged into my chest.


    ''Didn''t you take the heart out my body and am not I still alive?'' Right at the moment the thought appeared in my mind I understood how silly I was. Next moment an excruciating pain spread from the wound. The something in deep red had started to slither out of the wounds.


    "Ahhhhhh"


    "Haaaaaaa. At last, I have got you, you devil. Who would have thought that bastard Kaijosh had created a devil? If I can control it then¡­"


    ''Even when standing in the sea of dead bodies the man could fantasize?'' But I did not have the free time to observe the crazy knight. That thing was spreading through my body and I was screaming like crazy. The pain was...


    *Boom*


    The heart, my heart exploded like a shot fuse bomb. Sending the dagger, that was stuck in my chest, flying. The happy face of the knight darkened. He turned and run without hesitation.


    "Do you know how hard it is to recover this body and you are destroying it non-stop." With the voice in my head, the blue flame spread through my body. Everything recovered in a blink. There was billion of thing I want to ask, just the moment a known language appeared in my mind. But¡­


    "What you want to do that one?" The voice was asked without a shard of emotion.


    A chill ran down my spine when I thought about the red field around me. Even my body had done did it still it wasn''t me. And if I say the voice will kill him without hesitation but still it about a human life¡­ But he tried to kill me. The moment I thought about the bone-chilling memory of the last three or four months resurfaces in my mind. Blood rushed to my head, I could feel the anger surging up inside me.


    ''Is the voice trying to induce me? Even if he is doing me¡­'' With a deep breath, "If I have to survive, he has to die." Next moment my body moved like a bullet and he appeared in my view again.


    "Let me go, I can make you a¡­" He couldn''t complete his words before my bare hand plunged through his chest. Before blood could come out of his chest, blue flame spread again and he was reduced to ash in a blink.


    Even when killing my first human I felt clam. Maybe because I had hatred, maybe due to my fatigue mind I was calm but it was short-lived.


    "Ahhhhhhh" Another set of scram escaped my throat. There was no wound or blood, neither there was any flame but my body was burning like crazy.


    "Everything has its price." The voice was there but I couldn''t respond, I couldn''t even stand. Someone inside my body was trying to shrink and I struggled to stay conscious but failed as my thoughts were starting to get diluted.


    "Ahhhhh" the scream escaped from me not because of pain but due to intense hunger and it came casting a giant shadow on me. Not one but two.


    "Look he is awake."


    "How cute?"


    ''What cute are you talking about? A man drenched in blood couldn''t be cute. Wait a moment'' A chilling thought appeared as I rose my hand. ''This is the hand of a child!''


    "Who left the child in the forest?"


    "Does it matter? A child couldn''t survive on his own on the island, can it?"


    ''Is this the same island? Where else would it be? I couldn''t leave the island, to begin with. Could it be the voice that took me away? Even then they might be able to find the place. I have to leave the place before they find it.''


    "Let''s raise him. He will be our first child. We can raise him." At the woman''s words, the man gave a silly smile.


    "We can''t leave the child die. Don''t you want to raise him? I won''t let you¡­" before the woman can continue her angry argument the man stopped her, "Would I have taken it here I am not willing to raise him?"


    The woman was stunned for a moment then broke in a bright smile.


    ''This is good too.'' After what I had gone through, the heart-warming sight felt good. ''Even if they found that sight, who would doubt a child who couldn''t even move on his own. But¡­ still, you should get a room'' Looking at the couple, in each other''s embrace, I couldn''t help but smile. Unfortunately, the stomach growled at the wrong time.

 Price of Happiness

    I knew that this day would come sooner or later. The cry of a newborn enveloped as soon as I had entered the room.


    ''It''s a girl.'' It was almost four years I had opened my eyes. It was the same day they found me. With the amount of love they had between them, it would have come sooner if not for me.


    "Look who is here? It''s your big brother." Pain and fatigue still clouded her face but that couldn''t hide her happiness. The small child in her embrace was still crying.


    "Beautiful," I spoke in the language of this land, but they didn''t expect to hear it from me. Next moment she had stopped crying, staring at me with her still-dilated eyes.


    "Looks like she likes her brother better than her father." With mother''s tease, father started to act hurt, but this little child couldn''t let me take my eyes off her.


    "Come on, hold your sister." I jumped up on the bed. Mother put down some soft cloth in my lap, before giving her to me.


    The eyes were still staring at me. Those eyes hold boundless attraction but what was more beautiful was her hair. It was blonde at the root but the tip was black.


    I had seen no one like her. I had an elder sister before but having a younger one feels totally different. Pride of having a beautiful sister, intentions of protecting such an innocent one send a surge of warmth.


    "Ahhhhhhh" Those small eyes broke into tears just to remind me that the warmth that was spreading through my lap was her first gift to me. Looking at the frown on my face mother and father broke into laughter.


    ***********


    10 years later.


    "Brother is back." A little girl came running as Father and I approached our house. Her hair curled neatly in the blonde braids. It was not that she was naturally blonde, rather her hair was little peculiar according to me. At the root, the hairs were blonde but at the tip it was black.


    "Only those who are blessed by God could have such beautiful hair." Mother had said that, and I couldn''t argue about that. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, of course she was second to mother.


    The girl came running and jumped at me. I was ready for it but still, it made stagger back a few steps almost spilling the fruits, herbs and mushrooms collected in the basket.


    Father was just behind me. He supported me as he said, "Baby your father is also very tied, a hug from you would be better." Father was really doting towards her, but¡­


    "Father stinks." the little girl showed his little red tongue and wrapped herself around my hand as we were heading to the house.


    I couldn''t help but smile. The warmth of having a family can''t be expressed in words. After the torture I had to go through, every moment with my new family is a blessing to me.


    I tried to find the information about the project that had created me but there were two problems. This was a small village, not more than 400 people, so it is quite natural that it doesn''t have any library. And more importantly, even if it had a library it is very unlikely that there would be any information about an inhuman project.


    But it was the same island and I had found ruins of buildings. But lack human remains or any instruments led me to believe that either other people had cleaned it or a long time had passed.


    "Welcome back dear." Mother came out of the house, "Amori, let your brother get cleaned up first.. "


    It was our everyday life. Wake up by the sunrise. The father and I do some exercise. After all, my father is the best hunter in the village. Then we would go to the village market to sell the herbs and meat that was left from last days hunting. After having breakfast we went to the forest to hunt little beast and herds. After returning, we wash up to eat dinner and go to sleep at sundown. It was the same old routine, but I was happy, alas¡­


    "Tomorrow, don''t go hunting." Mother was giving the bowl to father as she spoke. I was a little confused, unlike the little girl who was stuffing food without care of the world.


    "I heard at the market that the soldiers from the old kingdom had come."


    Hearing her words father''s face turned black, "Another war?" Mother gave a silent nod.


    *Sigh*


    After a long thought father gave a long sigh. "Don''t leave the house."


    "But you told he we will hunt wild hog¡­"


    "Not tomorrow." Father gave me a gentle pat on the head. I want to ask about the soldiers of the kingdom, but this is not the right time.


    The night was long on the island but today the sun came up quicker. With came the sound of hooves. The earth quaked as they approach closer. The house was dark. We were hiding as told.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Brother, I am afraid."


    I couldn''t say that I am not but I couldn''t say it out loud to the girl shuddering beside me. "Don''t worry, your brother will protect you." With a smile, she nodded and wrapped her hand around me, while my eyes were studying the situation outside.


    The village was barricaded by a fence made of wood and bamboo. Somewhere in between that there was a gap, what people called village entrance.


    The not so old village chief was there with some elders and my father, who was the best hunter in the village. The merchant was there too, as a foreman, after getting a few extra herbs from the chief.


    "Bow before the great lord of Roginian kingdom." someone shouted even before the soldiers had reached the entrance. With the nod from the merchant, all those waiting at the gate went on their knees.


    "Good, I like your attitude." The heavy voice sounded as twenty to thirty soldiers wrapped in heavy armour came into view.


    The night on the island is silent and I heard it when mother was whispering to father. This might be the very person who had massacred the whole village of 200 people without even living their pet animals.


    Submission is the only way out of the weak. Only thing I could pray that this person doesn''t do anything silly.


    I have trained myself for the last ten years. Even father couldn''t compete with me in archery and if not for the lack of strength of this 15 years old body I would have beat father a long time ago. Still, I don''t believe I could beat this many full armoured soldiers at the same time. I know that the guy is still inside me somewhere but I don''t dare to wake him up.


    "But Lord how are we going to survive if you take away so many people?" The chief howled in desperation. Only to send flying with a kick at his chest from the lord.


    "Who is the strongest soldier in the village?" The silence enveloped again.


    "Can''t you answer what the lord had asked?" Another soldier howled, the lord stopped him, "If one of you can beat any of my soldiers, I might think about not taking any man from the village."


    A path of salvation appeared before the people who were asked to give 200 people for the war. Even the wounded chief looked at my father with hope. If anybody could save the village now then it was my father but I know, ''It is bullshit.''


    I tried to stop father but a pair of the small hand stopped me, "Father had said not to get out."


    "But Amori, I have to save father. That bad man is goi¡­" I couldn''t continue. She was anxious and tears started to well up in her eyes. I took her in my embrace, "Don''t worry, I am here with you."


    The fight had already begun. It was no wonder the scrap metal dagger was no match for the well-crafted armour and sword. Though it was not glamorous like the knights that attacked me still it was doing the work.


    Father was agile than the soldier but he was lacking the places to attack. The soldier was putting all his experience to test and it was a test of patience and stamina.


    It was my father''s forte and soon blood appeared on the wrist of the soldiers and more wounds followed all over the body.


    But I could take a breath of relief, someone shouted and it was my mother.


    *Boom*


    The stallion of the lord stuck again. "I said you can beat my soldier. how dare you wound him? By the name of this lord execute this man."


    "Nooooo. Don''t do it." Mother shouted. But the soldiers had already received their order. They were holding my unconscious father with the sword inch away from his neck. All the shouts were in vain and before one can understand what had happened to my father, he had already left the world. Along with a heart-wrenching scream, mother lost consciousness.


    "Fath¡­" next one to follow was Amori but by instinct, I covered her mouth. In the desperate struggle, she had bit my hand. Blood was flowing through her mouth but that pain meant little to me.


    My head was blank, I don''t know what to say or do. I had trained and I had thought that I have become stronger.


    ''What a joke.'' I am nothing. I am just useless. ''I want to kill him. I will kill all those soldiers.'' But¡­


    ''I can''t beat them. I will die.'' My instinct or intent wasn''t strong enough to overwrite my reasoning. All I can do is endure.


    "Lord that is a beautiful woman should we¡­"


    "Why would this lord touch the woman of a brave warrior."


    ''You are bullshitting again.'' looking at the smile on his face I can tell. But weak can only protest in dark.


    "This lord is merciful. So this village will give only 100 able body men." No whisper, no protest. All those who could, was now laughing at their own powerlessness. But within an hour, a hundred men gathered at the gate and followed the soldiers.


    *****************


    A village with around 120 to 130 able-bodied men. With hundred gone bad things bound to happen. Many will starve if not the whole village but that was not my concern.


    Father was buried by others. Amori had lost consciousness a long time ago, and mother hadn''t wake till the moons came up. But¡­


    "Mother you have to eat." It wasn''t food I have made but was given by the neighbour aunty.


    Mother didn''t eat any, neither she talked. Amori, beside her, was crying in sleep, while mother was staring at distant.


    "Sorry, mother. I couldn''t protect father. I am not¡­"It was hard to see the life I cherish so much crumble in front of my very eyes in a blink. I have no idea what to do¡­ "I¡­ I just want to die."


    *Slap*


    If the slap was unexpected then the hug that came afterwards was more so. I could hear her cry. I was impossible for me to control myself any more. In my mother''s embrace, I cried like never before. Who knew when I fell asleep.


    It was hunger that woke me up but what I hear made lose it. The village was in chaos.


    "This is the house of that woman. Be quite. Lord said he wants her unharmed."


    "Hope we get a taste after the lord. I haven''t seen such a beautiful woman for a long time."


    "There is no one who can survive with the lord for a whole night¡­"


    ''I promise that I will kill you. I will kill you all.'' I grabbed the bone dagger tight, and slide my body to the door. ''I have no intention to see whether you are human or not. Even if you are god I will kill you after having such thought.''


    The door opened, the flame outside had cast long shadows inside the room and I moved. I plunged an arrow through the ear of the one while cutting the throat of others. The body plopped on the ground not believing what just happened.


    The scream woke up both the woman inside the room but it was short-lived. Soon he followed his partner with a slit throat.


    "Mother they want to take you away." I tried to explain.


    "Come this way." without listening to my excuse she led both of us away through the back door.


    The scream of the dying soldier didn''t just wake my mother up. As soon as I left the house I could see more than a hundred soldiers were slaughtering and plundering without hesitation. A few of them was following us.


    Even when we entered the forest the soldiers followed us in. I don''t know what to think. I killed the soldiers by instinct but if they caught us¡­


    ''I have nothing to worry about me but I won''t let them touch them. I will protect them even if I have to die.''

 Is this a life?!

    "Mother let me." I took Amori from her as she was panting. I am used to travelling through the jungle, even then it was no small feat to run through it for one hour in the middle of the night, much less for my mother.


    "Please rest. I will take care of her." I had to use force to take her away. Weight of a ten years old was not something I could ignore. I sat down with her in my lap.


    "But how could they follow?" That was my biggest concern. There should be someone leading them, someone who knew the jungle.


    "Someone from the nearby village?" Before I can think about it, the bush in front of me shook and a hog charged out. Startle I moved out of the way. I called for mother but there was no response. Lucky for me the hog took another way.


    But mother was mumbling something with her eyes half-closed. Her body was burning and was sweating non-stop. I checked and soon found the mark I had been looking for.


    ''She is bitten by a snake.'' I put my lip on the wound, but my head was pushed away.


    "First thing to do was to suck out the venom then bind¡­" that was what father told me. But my mother stopped me. "It is too late," she spoke in a weak voice.


    "But there is still time." at my weak protest she shook her head, "Leave me, take your sister away."


    "But mother¡­ there is a cave not too far away. If we can..."


    "Listen to your mother. Save your sister."


    "No I don''t want to lose you too." but the intended words never got the chance to get out.


    "Here." Fire torches appeared in the view.


    "Go now. Leave me. Save your sister."


    "Mother."


    "You are not my child, to begin with, why do you care so much?" The voice was harsh, so was the words.


    My heart skipped a bit. I would have never thought about hearing it from mother. But I understood. I hugged her, and whispered, "Please forgive me. I will save sister even I have to die. Thank you for loving me so much."


    Mother should be surprised by my reaction but I took Amori and left without hesitation. The cat and mouse chase had started again.


    *crackle*


    Thunder stuck in the heart of night sky and soon rain followed.


    "Brother where is mother?" the hoarse voice asked with expectation.


    ''Sorry sister, your brother is useless. But I will save you.'' Alas! She couldn''t my heart and started to shout, "I want to see mother. Brother let me go. I want to¡­"


    That is the last thing I wanted. The harsh rain wasn''t loud enough to hide her mournful cry and what greeted us was arrows. No matter how agile I was there was no way to escape all the arrows but I tried my best. It wasn''t enough.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh" Even thunder couldn''t drown the heart-wrenching cry of Amori. It drained the blood out of my body as I look at the arrow that was stuck at the heart of Amori. She was struggling like a headless chicken in my embrace.


    "You should have given up long ago." soldiers started to appear from the jungle. I looked around to find I was standing at the cliff. Beneath which was the violent sea. More than twenty appeared from the jungle, some was holding sword some was armed with bows but I couldn''t care less.


    "At least the child would have survived. But¡­"


    "What a waste? Even that girl was beautiful. The lord¡­"


    Those words never reached my ears. "Brother I don''t want to die. Please save me. Please save me."


    The breaths were never taken, nor any tears fell from my eyes. No pain, no suffocation, nothing a human should have felt appeared in my heart. I was numb. No rain, no thunder, even the small nail of the child that dug in my skin touched me.


    I looked up. Nothing was in front of me. Endless darkness. One question.


    "What do you want?"


    "Kill them all." There wasn''t an ounce of feeling in my voice and I remembered nothing else. I opened my eyes to see the bodies around me. Some were charred, some with pierced heart, some were beheaded. With the bloody hand, I looked for Amori.


    At the edge of the cliff, she was struggling for her last breath. The eyes were dilated. Forced me to remember the first day I looked at her, still, I felt nothing.


    "Can I save her?"


    "She won''t be human any more."


    I sighed. I can guess what the voice meant but I followed its instruction. Broke the arrow and jerked the shaft out of her heart. I lost consciousness for a moment at the next I woke up again with a missing heart.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I can guess it was my heart that was beating in her. I kneeled there with a hollow chest as the blue water continued to heal the hole on her chest. It wasn''t long before no scar remained.


    With her first breath, I sighed in relief and the ground under me crumbled.


    "No¡­" I tried my best to send her away and I succeeded¡­


    ********


    The rocking movement of my body made me realise that I am still on the sea. I opened my eyes to be greeted by dark places, lit by small crystal-like things.


    ''Where am I?'' The place is damp, it was neither stone nor land. It was wood. Then there were prison bars. A small space confined by bars by 3 sides and wood at the back. This was not the only one, there were more than 30 prisons around mine.


    There was a movement in the cell right beside me. Though it was dark I could still see. There were people having sex in the cell beside mine. The girl was gagged. One of the men was holding her down, while the other one doing it. It was rape.


    "Stop it," I shouted in rage but regretted it at the next moment. And the result was as expected. It just startled them for a moment but they continued with a sinister smile.


    ''Why do I care? It is not like I can save her. I couldn''t even¡­'' The sense of that night was still fresh in my mind. Father died in front of my eyes, Mother is dead for sure. I am sure Amori had survived but not sure about her future. ''I want to save another one!'' I couldn''t help but laugh at my fate.


    Looking at the bars around me made me worry but I understand one thing. I don''t care. ''Come on God. You can try anything I don''t care. Not like I can die or anything.''


    But what surprised me most was the reaction of the woman. She wasn''t even resisting them. Either she was drugged or she had gone through worse.


    My train of thought was broken as they locked the cell. One of the men came in front of my cell while perfecting his lower garment.


    "So the prince woke up at last." The man''s voice was sarcastic as he started to open the cell. And that was what I have been waiting for. Right at the moment, he opened the door I charged.


    I was greeted with a smile. And with that smile, I can feel excruciating pain at my chest and slump onto the ground. The pain was unbearable.


    ''Was he too first or is it magic?'' I had faced things like this before but it was different. Unlike the time I had experimented on, this constrains was there for a single reason to give me pain.


    "Are you wondering about something?" the voice was still sarcastic while he showed a stone in his hand. There were marks on it but those were something that made no sense to me.


    He kicked me at the belly again said, "This is the slave stone that can control the contracted slaves. You are a slave now, Mr Prince." He kicking session continued.


    The one locking the cell beside mine came running. "Bouy, madam said there shouldn''t be any spot on the boy."


    "That is right, prince. You are high-quality merchandise. Stand up, madam is waiting for you." I wasn''t on my feet but the man almost dragged me out of the cell. After a few tumbles, I was able to get on my feet and follow them.


    One thing for sure this is a ship and a slave ship on the top of it. It wasn''t long before I reached the deck of the ship. People, sailors were busy on the deck. With shamshir on their belt, they look nothing less than a pirate. But I can guess that they are not. The long shamshir was not suited for the naval battle and the top of that their dresses looked more like of a businessman than a pirate.


    The ship looked like galleons. And the flag on the top of it was a white one, underneath was a blue one with lion''s face on it and at the bottom was the black one with a seagull. I don''t know the meaning but doesn''t seem like it''s a pirate flag.


    "It''s not the time for sightseeing. Madam is waiting for you." With the words, they forced me into the room.


    There was a woman with black cat ears. It was my first time seeing a beast-people but what surprised me most was the cat ear woman was sitting there with another human, a woman to be precise, between her legs.


    "If you don''t suck me good, then you are not getting anything for dinner." Though she was saying those words she wasn''t least bit aroused. There was a very sexy dress on her body but the body wasn''t doing any justice to it.


    "Undress him." The words broke my thought, as a naked maid came towards me. I tried to move back, but it wasn''t under my control. I wasn''t sure whether it was magic or anything else but the maid followed the command and there was nothing I could do.


    "Come here." soon there wasn''t a shard of string on my body. I couldn''t able to do anything to hide my shame as I moved on my own towards so-called madam.


    She grabbed my family jewel without any hesitation gave it a hard squeeze. "This one is virgin".


    My inexperience was in stark contrast to her experienced hand. Soon it was ragging at its best form in her hand with little liquid leaking from the tip.


    She tested the stickiness of the liquid between her finger, "Clean it up." She ordered the same naked woman. Without a single string of cloths on her body, she had nothing to clean up my ragging member, still tried to clean with her hand.


    ''It is not helping,'' and her every try was having the opposite effect. The woman was of the twenties with the body that would have given me wood even in my dreams but, ''this is not the time.''


    I tried my best to control. "Use your mouth." Shocked, I looked at madam, so did the woman. With a lusty smile, she added, "You have thirty seconds." She pushed the woman between her leg as she looked at us with expecting eyes.


    I hesitated. Don''t know whether it was because of the pleasure I have felt never before or¡­ It was too late. Warm feeling wrapped around my member and...

 The Broken System

    * Uhhh*


    Vocal expression of genital satisfaction continued to stream throughout the night. The never-ending stream of men continued to come to satisfy their carnal desire.


    The girl was as silent as one could be. Not a sound, no struggle. The act of the one who had already accepted her fate.


    The smell of sex excretion mixed with the smell of sweat, it was hard to breathe. I was enclosed in a 5X5 cell, all I could do is to look another way.


    ''Guinea pig, fugitive and now a sex slave maybe.'' What I have to do more to get a life to live like a human. To begin with, I don''t even know how I retain the memories of the last lives. And if I become younger just to heal my wound then what happened on that night?!


    *Crash*


    My thought was broken as that man kicked the bars of my prison.


    "Have you enjoyed the show?"


    "Why this prince would in need a show? He was personally served by the madam''s personal one."


    They chatted till to their satisfaction before they left. Silence enveloped the dark corner. I don''t know how much time had passed but there was movement on the other cell.


    *Ah*


    Little shrieks of pain escaped her mouth from time to time as she sat up. Without a string of cloth to cover up, there was nothing she could hide.


    My eyes moved along the secret places only to be greeted by blood and cum. I moved my eyes by instinct and those hollow black eyes were staring right at me. Contrary to my expectation, there was no rage or any other expression in it.


    Those eyes were dead and it continued to stare at me for few more moment before it turned to the food that was at the edge of the gate.


    I didn''t notice it before but there was food in my cell too. A loaf of mouldy black bread and the bowl of some greasy soup that was giving off of some silly smell.


    *Ahh*


    The cry escaped her moved as she tried to move. While trying to reach the bowl that was arm distance away she panted like crazy and left a trail of blood behind her.


    She fell before the food and continued to eat while laying down. Times passed as she nibbed away the hard bread and licked the bowl clean. Only then she turned to me again.


    To be precise she turned towards my food before looking at me. ''Is she want food?'' I have guessed it right. When I moved towards my foods the hope in her face dimmed.


    The gap between the two cells was wide enough for me to push the bread and the bowl to her cell. She was a surprise with a happy expression on her face. She grabbed the bread without hesitation.


    "Does food can help you to forget the pain you have gone through?" she shook with the bread on her mouth, looked up at me like she didn''t understand my language. Then tried to give the half-eaten bread back to me with a reluctant face.


    "No, you eat." I tried to gesture her and returned to my place as she continued to eat. Her back was towards me, the bare white skin had its share of bloody marks of punishment.


    ''Am I the only one who had the bad day?'' The question was not the one I wanted to ask myself right now but the inhuman act I had seen in front of my eyes I couldn''t help it.


    ''Why the pain of losing people close to me washed away just a good cry? Is it because I am not blood-related or not because I am not human anymore?'' The thought began to dilute as the time passed and I lost to my tiredness.


    *Boom* Boom*


    The loud banging opened me up. The oscillation of the boat had slowed down marking the end of the journey. Soon many footsteps followed down from the upper deck.


    The continued to open one cell after another as they did for mine. The man, whom I had never seen before entered and forced something in my mouth. A wisp of very weak energy spread through my body and splash.


    The man splashed a bucket of funny smelly water at me. I shudder at the cold sensation as the man shouted at me to get out of the cell. I looked at her cell, the scene wasn''t much different but the dried-up mark on her back was healing up in-visible speed.


    ''A healing pill? The slave traders are willing enough to spend something like that on the slaves? Might be the cheapest one.''


    "Go out." The man shouted and I followed.


    Guided by other I reached the deck then the port. But there was nothing. Few spread-out houses and a giant wall at the horizon all I could see. The slave train was long. I caught the glimpse of the madam but didn''t saw the girl, so the march began.


    The ground was dry. The red dirt was everywhere. None of the slaves had any type of footwear so we continued to move till we reached the high wall at the horizon, with the aid whip that continued to fall from time to time.


    ***************Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Madam these few are specially imported from the human territory just for you." I was outside the room but I was sure that it was the cat woman talking. "Bring them in." After shouting in high pitch she continued in the soft voice. "These are aged not more than 18 and are all untainted one."


    "!@##@$#$#@@@" The intangible language attacked my thought. Like me and three others entered the room.


    The woman, clad in red, greeted us but just the moment our eyes meet I could feel my legs were getting weaker. She gave a smile and sing me to come closer with her red-nailed finger.


    A sweet fragrance rejuvenated me. Those lustful eyes dragged out my deepest desire. I could only look into those eyes as the fire in my nether started to rage in a violent wave.


    "$@%#^!%!$@$?" The woman was staring at my nether. They made me wear a loincloth that was just enough to hide my family jewel. But it was out of control and the cloths had failed their mission.


    "Don''t move" the cat woman shouted.


    "@!$#$%#$%%@!!"


    "Yes, madam. Resistance is good. The more they struggle more entertaining they will be."


    "&%@$%$"


    "Yes madam it is from the human region. It doesn''t know the language."


    "!@#$%^#@"


    "I understand madam, it is silly of me. Let me give you another slave who knows both the language, half price."


    "!@$#%%$#^@"


    "That is so generous of you Madam."


    Just like that I was sold and led to a carriage. The journey continued for one whole week and then I was standing in front of a gigantic castle.


    It was a big medieval castle. With fields around the castle, most of the people might be the farmers. But these people are anything but human.


    Some had horns, some had tails. Though most of them have the shape of a human, some look nothing like human. The carriage moved over the moat and the giant gate closed behind.


    Soon enough I was standing in a room full of people. There wasn''t any human other than me, but there were too many demi-humans. And two people with a horn on their forehead. They were standing at each side of the red woman. After listing to the woman the dog girl said, "Madam said you are not allowed to leave the castle."


    To my surprise, it was the same girl that was prisoned in the cell beside me and she is acting as she had never seen me before.


    "!@#$%$#&"


    "If you try to escape the death will be so gruesome that even your god will be unable to distinguish you." Soon she repeated everything. She even wanted me to study the language of them from the dog girl.


    ''Didn''t you brought me as a sex slave? What is the use of the language in that? Or you have that type of fetish?''


    From a stasis pod to a warm family, and now I was learning an unknown pictorial language in a castle, middle of nowhere for almost two months. Studying was the strong suit so I am now proficient in the language.


    Soon enough I was transferred to the horn man to learn what they call magic. I have a bad feeling about it and the main reason is the identity of the person who was teaching me magic.


    I have known this land is called Aborion. The land was mostly ruled by the demon-kind, with the retaliation from human and the beast species they were pushed back. Only one-fourth of the land is now controlled by the demon still¡­


    Human or demon, they are all same to me. As long they do anything to me they are all bad and am sure these two are up to no good.


    Like the magic, rather the chant they were teaching me didn''t have any magical effect and the chant wasn''t something I could understand but each day of chanting changing me from inside. I know nothing about magic still the feeling is not right.


    It was almost half a year. The red woman came back who knows where. But she gave me the date, date of the ceremony.


    ''Ceremony of what?'' I wasn''t sure. "Ceremony of revival." That was what Munai had told me. Munai, the dog girl, was the slave of the war between the demon and the beast species. She heard about the ceremony from the other. It was a ceremony to revive one of the strong demons who had died in the war.


    ''Really, I am now a sacrifice of Demon summoning?'' The story of my life couldn''t be more intriguing. It felt like when the god was writing the story of my life he had fought with his wife.


    With 5 months of magic chanting training, I didn''t grow any stronger, rather I grew weaker and weaker day by day. Munai said I was becoming pale, without a touch of red. It was becoming harder to even walk. It was even harder to think.


    Who knew when I lost consciousness but when I woke up I was bound to a bed. In a dark room. With light coming from the below.


    By the amount I can move, I could see the lightened dark purple magic circle and the woman was naked right in front of me. The look in her eyes was different, like a woman looking towards her beloved.


    "Chant it."She asked in lustfull voice and so I did. The amount of energy inside me started to increase. It became too painful for my little part, but soon I felt something warm around it. It was the woman and I had no energy to resist.


    She was too beautiful, eyes of a clear blue lake, with the soft mound on the clear white chest with a piece of chocolate on top. She was hard to resist. Not too big, not too small, just the right size to fit in the palm of my hand. That was something I want to grab with my hand but no matter how much I struggle I couldn''t move.


    Seeing me struggling she gave the bewitching smile. Those beautiful red lips I want to suck them dry. It was painful down there but I was in heaven. For the first time, I thought I could die for this woman. I could do¡­


    "Stop chanting if you don''t want to die." My train of thought was broken by the calm voice in my head.


    ''So I can die?'' This is no time to think about that but, I really couldn''t stop chanting. As I opened my eyes I could see the shock in her eyes. I thought she couldn''t know the thing inside me, but her expression was saying otherwise.


    "Let us switch over." With the word in my mind, one of my bloody hand grabbed the throat of the woman and I lost consciousness.


    Next time I woke up with a pain in my chest. "What happened?"


    The voice inside of me answered, "Don''t worry, they just destroyed your heart by the slave contact, now they can''t control you anymore."


    There was a dried body of a woman on the bed. I was surprised by the look of it before I could ask anything the voice asked: "What you want to do with the people of the castle?" I was surprised by the question. "Listen, I have killed the succubus and if¡­"


    "Kill them all." Calm in my mind followed. Somehow I got accustomed with the killing, but, "Take me somewhere far away. I want to live."


    For some reason, I didn''t lose my consciousness and the gruesome play continued in front of my eyes. None was spared, none survived. Under the four moons of the sky, I stood there with hands died in red.


    Right at the moment, the view in front of me flickered.


    [Ceremony successful¡­


    Tribute accepted¡­


    Connecting the soul...]


    A moment later there was more.


    [Connecting to the world¡­


    Activating the system¡­


    Error...


    Modifying¡­


    Connecting to the system¡­


    Error...]


    The train of errors continued as I ran leaving the silent castle behind me. I have no idea how much I had run. It was then the first ray of the morning sun hit me along with the same bone shrinking pain and¡­


    [THE BROKEN SYSTEM activated.]

 The New Beginning

    "Wake up Kinoya." With little reluctance, he sat back up on the hay bed. It wasn''t comfortable enough but had peace Kinoya was looking for.


    Each day, the sun was selfish enough to remind of those people he had lost but¡­ Similar to last time, Kinoya had no memory of the time between the castle incident and the next time he woke up in the orphanage.


    It was peaceful right now but he couldn''t be too careful. Though the voice told him that the tribulations he continued to face each time he matures because of some complicated relationship between the world and his soul.


    And due to the sacrifice of demonic souls, the voice inside him was able to connect his soul to the will of the land. And the result was [The Broken System].


    "They won''t wait for you. If you miss this chance, you will have to wait for a whole year and you won''t be able to go out like other children. So wake up quickly." The caretaker shouted again.


    The caretaker wasn''t too friendly nor was too distant. But Brian and his wife took care of everybody in the orphanage with a smile.


    It was an orphanage close to the sacred land of Krounen empire. Right at this time of history, the human-controlled more than 1/3rd land of the continent and the Krounen empire control 1/3rd land of all the human land. At the west end of this big empire, there was the big mountain range known as Krounen mountain range. At the foot of the mountain range, there was the city of Arviga.


    Looking at the absent-minded Kinoya, Brian couldn''t help but shook his head. ''He must have been hurt when he was in his mother''s belly. Otherwise, why would they have given up on such a good child?''


    Though the boy is usually silent he would do anything if asked without a question. This was the reason Brian''s wife was fond of him. He could only sigh before leaving Kinoya in the room.


    Hearing that he might miss the chance Kinoya jumped out of the bed. He ran straight to the bathroom. 8 children out of 50 of the orphanage would be going to the trial, so it was quite natural that the bathrooms were to be crowded.


    He ran straight to the barn. There was where the water was kept for the animal, used it without hesitation. Got ready within 10 minutes and came to the dining hall.


    Soon enough he and 7 of his peers left the orphanage after breakfast. The caretaker Brian asked as he led the kids through the street along with 2 teenagers "Does anybody knows where we are going?"


    Rather than the ''so-called'' trial, the children were more curious about the surrounding. It was their first time they had left the orphanage. The carriages along the road were new to them, from the butcher shop to garment shops, even the beggar along the road sparked curiosity inside them.


    "Today is the day when you get to decide the future of you. If you have an innate skill you can become rich, even a noble, you can eat without restraint, even become great general, or the officials of the city."


    One curious child asked, "I can eat anything I want? Even meat?" The orphanage was funded by the second emperor and every city under the empire''s jurisdiction had a similar one. So it was quite natural that there are very few days when they can eat till they are full.


    "Yes, not just any meat, even the spirit beast meat." The child almost drooled, Brian smiled "But before that, you will need to have the innate skill for it."


    As they entered the inner part of the city, Kinoya was more curious about the city. The view in the city was different from the outside.


    The roads were clean and paved. The carriages were following a strict rule. There were shops on both sides of the road but none of the vendors was shouting. At each junction of the road, there were at least two soldiers. Traffic was much higher than outside but there wasn''t any sign of chaos.


    After entering the city Brian became silent too. They followed Brian''s lead and reached the city square. It was the most crowded place of all.


    But the amount of guard was much higher too but something was different. The armours were much more designed and the weapons were of better quality too. Under the observation of these guys, no one dares to make any noise.


    They hadn''t had to wait too long. Soon one of the inspectors came up and turned into the centre of attention. He described the process in simple words


    "There are 10 tents around the square so you are going to make 10 lines. After that, you will go into the tent one by one. And leave after the trial is over. The recruitment will happen tomorrow. Only those who are chosen can come."


    "Now, I will brief you about the procedure. There will be orbs in every tent. It will show your 4 attributes. Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Health. It will show the path you can choose in the future. Depending on stats you will be able to choose out of 5 types of work. Mage, Magic Knight, Military, Garrison and Officials. But if you have some special skills then that is a different matter. Now the inspector will say something"


    Covered by the most glamourous armour Kinoya had ever seen He walked on the stage. "Listen well, it doesn''t matter whether you are a commoner or the son of the noble if any of you dare to make any ruckus, by the name of the emperor he will be cut down at the place, no questions asked."


    Though everybody was excited none dared to force their way. The movement of the lines was very slow. The sun had already started to fall towards the west from the mid sky as Kinoya entered the tent.


    There were 4 people present in the tent. Two of then dressed like the inspector, 2 were like the armed guy. At first, Kinoya didn''t notice it but it was the same guy who delivered the speech.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Come in." Kinoya obeyed line by line and put his hand on the orb. Suddenly a screen appeared in front of him.


    [NAME: Kinoya Arviga


    Title: None


    ####:@@@@


    Strength: 16


    Dexterity: 49


    Intelligence: 56


    Health: 64


    Skill: @@@@@@, @@@@@, @@@@@


    #####: @@@@@@@]


    Kinoya had never expected that there would be a status screen, the same screen he had expected from his system. He remembered it carefully before turning towards the skill that he couldn''t read.


    "Is it good or bad?" Kinoya had seen too many games in his life on earth, some with 100 as the basic stat, some with 10. So it was kind of hard for him to understand whether it was a good stats or bad stat.


    The inspector said with calm, "20 is the average."


    "Then I am very good, right?" Kinoya couldn''t help but feel joy. If 20 is average then other than the strength he is better than everyone else. If will be helpful for his development. But didn''t dare to show it outside.


    "20 is average for a common human adult. So yes you are good. But not good to be admitted in the army. You need 60 on average to join the army"


    "What about Mage or magic knight?" If he can be either of it his life will be smoother. In his eyes, the military and the mercenaries had a similar standing.


    The man couldn''t help himself from smiling before turning to the armed soldiers in glamour armour.


    "The minimum criteria for a mage is 200 in intelligence. And for knight one will need 100 in both intelligence and strength. But worry not son, your stat is very good. You know it is hard to raise basic attribute but if you train hard then you will be able to increase your attributes." The soldier shook his head before adding, "One way or another you can''t join the army before you are 14 years old. So train hard."


    "I will," Kinoya said with resolution. "But what are the skill?"


    "That is not something you need to know now." The clear rejection put a frown on his face. But he understood that it was only him who couldn''t read that stats.


    "Ok boy take this" with the word he hands over two medallions to him. "One is the from the moon legion, when you become 14, before joining the army look for me. And the other one is for the Academy of the Arviga. Give it to your parents."


    ''So the skills are important enough for him to recruit me.'' The expression wasn''t on his face, "I don''t have a parent."


    "Oh!" The man was surprised for a moment. Then quickly took out a scroll from his armour. "Use the scroll, they will give you a military scholarship. With your intelligence, it will be easy for you to get in. But the scholarship only covers 4 subjects for 2 years. History, geography, politics and military strategy. They will also give you food."


    "Not magic?" Kinoya was disheartened. ''Looks like he wants to drag me into his legion.''


    "No, it is a military scholarship, so it doesn''t cover magic. And the Academy of the city doesn''t give any practical magic classes. So even the magic classes won''t be useful."


    "Thank you." Kinoya gave a full bow and left the room without any more words.


    "Why do you deceive him?" The only other armed person in the room moved for the first time. "It is not right for a 2 star general of the empire to deceive a 6-year-old child."


    "He is special that is for sure, if he gets too full of himself then it will be bad for his future growth. On top of it, none of the magic academies of the capital would take a student under the age of 16. So he has a long time before he gets to decide his future path."


    "That was a 6 years old child. They are bound to be lazy. But with those three skills do you think he would be lazy and..."


    He had no idea how a 6 years old orphan was able to awaken a hidden stats. The value is too high to be a mare mage, "If he joins the army by 14 then I will send him to the magic academy."


    By the time Brian came back with all the children, it was already night. Brian was too happy about the result. For the first time, 6 out of 8 got selected in the trial. 2 officers, 1 garrison, 1 military, 1 magic knight and 1 mage. On top of that 3 of them got the scholarship for the Arviga academy. He was sure that he would get some extra money from the office.


    On the other hand, Kinoya had his thought. Now he had only one aim, and that is to increase his stats. Though he didn''t know much about fighting he still knew about how to prepare the body for fighting. Like horse stance that increases the stability of the body, jogging & running to increase stamina, meditation to increase the concentration and others to increase the agility.


    ''I don''t think my body is developed enough to do weight training.'' While sleeping on the not so soft hay bed his train of thought changed constantly. ''Right now my biggest concern should be the strength. There isn''t any good equipment that could increase my strength. I should have asked the armed man. Well, I will do it tomorrow.''


    *****************


    The situation of the square was different from tomorrow. It felt like a fantasy recruitment expo. Some of the magic academies, mercenary academies, some sects or dojos were here. Though the children were too small to be recruited that didn''t stop them.


    Kinoya had the intention of joining a mercenary academy. It was only that he didn''t have the option to join the army then. Well if a mage academy chose him he will join it without hesitation. It was not like he had wanted to be a mage or something, it was because the mage had a higher standard than army personnel.


    "Starat academy of witchcraft is accepting students for the Basic magic course for 2 years. Only 7 seats of 30 left only 70 golds. Filling up first. A lucky student will have a chance of becoming an apprentice. Come on, hurry."


    "Black jade mercenary academy is accepting students. Join now. Granted jobs after the competition. Free of the coast. Child below 10 doesn''t need to worry. Sign up now and you will get 5 gold each month without doing anything, you will join us after you are 10 years old."


    "Plum blossom sect¡­"


    ''There is no free lunch'' Kinoya knew very well that no matter which world it was there was no way that any mercenary will spend money on you for free.


    And in case of the sect, your loyalty will be for a lifetime. And right now he didn''t want to be bound to anyone. So just the moment he reached the square he started to look for the armed man.


    ''Something is off.'' There were too many unwanted people. He looked around only to find the number of soldiers was much higher than yesterday. But rather than being spread around evenly through the squares they were kept moving along the edge of the square.


    ''It is not like it matters to me.'' Soon he found the soldier he was looking for, on the opposite side of the square.


    But on the first step, he could feel that his danger sense banging its head inside him. Without hesitation, he ran straight towards the closest edge. With each step, he could feel something was wiggling through the ground under his feet.


    ''Now if I think about it the number of garrisons was higher too but for some reason, the security was too lax. Something is seriously wrong.'' All the dot were somehow connecting inside his head. ''It is like they are waiting for something, more like they are setting a trap.''


    His deduction was a little too late. Just the moment he moved his left leg to leap forward the whole square lit up by a giant magic circle. Kinoya turned back only to see the whole square engulfed in the black light of the magic circle in the noon.


    With a moment''s notice, the whole square plunged into chaos. With every spark, people continued to appear at the square. With leaf-shaped gladius and small round shield they slashing at anyone close to them.


    Not just human, animals also started to appear one after another. Whether it was a bear or tiger shaped animal, all of them were wearing small armour protecting its vital spots. Soon the ground started to turn red but the black flashing didn''t stop flashing.

 First Battle

    Within a moment, the whole square plunged into chaos. With every spark, people continued to appear. Armed with leaf-shaped gladius and small round shield, they were slashing at anyone close to them.


    Not just human, animals also started to appear one after another. Whether it was a bear or tiger shaped animal, all of them were wearing small armour protecting their vital spots. Soon the ground turned red but the black flashing didn''t stop.


    ''I have to leave the place as soon as possible.'' That was the only thought running through Kinoya''s mind. He turned around only to be surprised again. The army, that was moving around the perimeter of the square, was not moving at all. Rather it seemed to Kinoya, that they were taking a formation just to stop others from leaving.


    ''Is it some kind of trial?'' Kinoya cancelled the thought just the moment it appeared. ''It is too real. If they are expecting resistance from children and their parents, then that will be impossible.''


    To begin with, Kinoya had no idea about the origin of these people. These people could be rebel or terrorist. On top of that, they continued to appear out of thin air.


    ''It should be a teleportation circle.'' The black coloured magic circle screamed for one last lime, after giving birth to a giant beast.


    The reptilian beast was over 5 meters tall and its body was full of metal plate-like scales. Each of the scales had the size of a human head, stacked over each other without leaving a place of weakness. And the long scaled tail was a good weapon of attack with a boney club at the end.


    ''No matter what I can''t start over again.'' His sense was screaming. As he turned around he found that the army was moving in. He bypassed the army and ran out of the square. Just he was about to step outside the square, he hit an invisible barrier, only to fall on his butt with his nose bleeding.


    There were oddly dressed people standing just outside of the barrier. By the look, it was not wrong to say they had come from a fancy dress competition.


    One had the fanciest dress of every shiny colour of the planet, wore a peacock blue colour hat on his head. He was holding the spine of an unknown small animal with skull still attached to it.


    With contrast to him, the other one was grey except for the weirdly shaped branch he was holding. Many weirdly dressed pairs were standing around the square too.


    ''Could they be mages? They must be the one that erected the barrier. Using innocent bystanders as bait, what type of soldiers are they?'' For the moment Kinoya put criticism aside and scrutinize the situation with care.


    The black magic circle was already dried out leaving a burnt mark on the paved square.


    The intruders had assembled themselves into formation, with the scaled beast at the centre.


    Four 8X8 formations formed on each side of the beast, with smaller beasts scattered everywhere. One thing was clear to Kinoya, that they were not intruders or terrorists, rather they were hard and trained soldiers.


    "I have never thought that even at the edge of the empire you people will prepare such a welcoming party. No one can match the grandness of the Crownen Empire."


    "We never said you are welcomed here." A voice thundered, "Well, since you have come there is no need for you to go back."


    Kinoya knew the owner of the second voice but what surprised him most was the leader of the enemy was sitting on the back of the giant beast.


    The army of the intruders was not more than 300, on the other hand, the empire army had more than 500 people inside the barrier. In the comparison of pure number, the army of the empire had an advantage but with the centre of the square taken, the empire''s army couldn''t get into formation.


    Right at the moment, the earth quacked again. Four walls appeared around the beast as it glowed in grey. That was the signal, the intruders had started to move. The four formations of the army moved towards the four regions.


    Kinoya couldn''t see all of this, all he could see the 8x8 intruder formation came in the cone-shaped area as the smaller beasts were closing the mouth.


    It was utter chaos. The leftover civilian started to struggle. Those who were closer to the barrier was lucky but most of them were at closer to the centre. The army reacted fast and opened up a path to retreat but it was hard for those frightened people to maintain order.


    No matter how many books one has read about war and tactics it will be almost impossible for one to apply on the battlefield. Kinoya''s thought was along the way.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    With the height of just 4 feet, it will be hard for him to manoeuvre a sword of the same height. With the strength of just 16, he didn''t even try to use it without any prior experience. Rather with his agility, he was more confident of running away than fighting.


    No matter what, the chaos wasn''t calming down. The unlucky civilians were cut down without any resistance. The intruder army didn''t differentiate between soldiers or civilians. They were closing in without breaking a formation.


    15 shield-bearers, 29 spearmen, 42 swordsmen, 32 archers, on the other hand, there were 64 swordsmen. With 8 cat-like beasts and their tamers. The swordsmen of the intruders were using gladius with a round shield but the army only had the scimitar¡­


    With the chaos created by the civilians, the empire''s soldiers had started to panic too. Some tried to fight against the intruder. Whether it was swordsman or spearman they all fall one after another, even two bearing tower shield wasn''t a match for the soldiers in a unique formation.


    That was a pure formation made off swordsmen, with perfect coordinate and training they might have slight advantages but that shouldn''t be an overwhelming one.


    ''They may be well-trained soldiers but never had they played an RPG.'' Kinoya could only sigh. ''No that couldn''t be it. Either it is because they lack a good officer or their tactical understanding isn''t strong enough.''


    8x8 army formation, it was nothing like an army of more than 100 couldn''t beat. From the looks of it, they are not accustomed to each other tactics along with the fall of their few soldiers, their moral was an all-time low. The only one who was doing their work was the archers. It was because of their periodic barrage of arrows the intruders didn''t charge in.


    ''If the lips fall, the teeth will bear the cold.'' It was hard to reason with oneself. ''I have already done that twice. I am not going to repeat my fate.'' He could hide till the general had won but¡­


    Not sure about what to do, Kinoya climbed the rough surface of the wall. He tried to compare the pros and cons but with his hesitation, as the casualty increased.


    "10 Tower shield bearers at the front, anchor the shield on the ground, don''t give space. 3 on standby. 11 spearman on the second row one each wing of the shield bearers, 6 on standby. Swordsman at the outer wing 20 on each side. At the rear, 10 on each row of archers, form 3 row."


    That was the first order of the young general who will terrorise the battlefield of the future, but...


    "Is my words are confusing?" He wasn''t sure about it but the first expression he had received was surprising. The soldiers had never imagined that a child will climb up the wall only to shout nonsense.


    "Boy quickly come down." One of the swordsmen shouted. Other followed suit. "Go to the rear. It will be safe there."


    ''Six years old!?'' Even Kinoya couldn''t help but smile at the scene where a child with the smell of milk, ordering hundreds of well-trained soldiers. Still never had he imagined that rather than mocking remarks he will be greeted by the caring ones.


    He hadn''t been in the army before, so little did he knew that just by not running away from the enemies he got the recognition of the army. But it wasn''t enough to make them follow the orders.


    *Sigh*


    Forgetting that he was hanging from the wall made his hand slip. He bumped on the wall to stabilize him again. The bump caused pain in his chest as something uneven was pressed against his chest.


    ''At least it''s worth a try.'' He was quick to take out the badge and shouted. "In the name of Moon legion obey my command."


    For a moment all the soldiers were surprised. In the recruitment trial, the children were generally given a recruitment badge, that thing has very little or no use. People can join the army even without it. Above it was the specially recruited children who have great potential. But this child was holding a legion recruitment badge, something which can only be given a two-star general.


    For a moment few of them turned to the man fighting with the giant beast on the other side of the square, before another archer cried out, "That is the general''s badge, not a recruitment badge." Nobody was going to question the archer''s eyesight, on the top of it, he was actually from the Moon legion. Even Kinoya himself took a quick look at the badge.


    ''I think I had underestimated my value too much.'' Kinoya sighed as he repeated the previous command. But the result was different. The execution was so smooth that even Kinoya himself was surprised. There was no argument between them about who is going to be vanguard who is going to be backup. For the second time, he got goosebumps.


    ''Being in an army wouldn''t be so bad.'' With such thoughts at the back of mind, he gave his second order. "Move as a single body, shield-bearer hold your ground. Spearman attack the enemy vanguard from the back of the shield line. Archer concentrate your arrow at the wing of the first 3 rows. Rotate continuously so that the rain won''t stop."


    The shield wall didn''t have a single gap between them, even moved as a single line. Whether the enemy charged or pounced on the shield wall, there wasn''t a single movement in the wall. Hacking, stabbing, slashing nothing seems to be effective against the wall.


    The spears of the weren''t as long as 6 meters like Philip''s great phalanx formation but it was around 4 meters and long enough to attack the enemy vanguard while staying out of reach.


    Undoubtedly, the archers were the most effective ones. If it was some other formation then the enemy would have jumped in but the constant barrage of arrows stopped them from doing so.


    Kinoya didn''t know much about the other weapons but the bow was something he used for more than 10 years in this world. So he knew perfectly well how hard it was to aim light arrows in such a close distance without hitting a friend who was in the 1-meter range of the target.


    Just after the 8th round the first one fall on the left flank. Within 2 round 2 more fell. But their experience showed their effect soon enough. Whenever one fall the one back took its position. They weren''t having any problem in rotating. By 15th round, with only 8 casualties the situation reached stalemate again.


    Just as Kinoya was thinking about the next step his danger sense was tingling. He quickly moved along the wall. Just as he moved 8 arrows hit the spot he was hanging from. Someone from the ground shouted in surprise.


    "Concentrate," Kinoya shouted back. At first, he was happy that the enemy didn''t bring any archer, but¡­ ''I have underestimated the enemies too much.'' Though the beast tamers weren''t as accurate as of the archer of his side but were doing their work.


    On the other hand, problem after problem continued to appear.


    ''Alas! I don''t know any sign language or any flag sign.'' Without the element of surprise, each of his orders was losing its effectiveness.


    ''The officer of the enemy isn''t just for show''. The enemy soldiers were constantly rotating themselves. The empire army was strong but he could feel that the longer it will be dragged harder it will be for them to win.


    On top of that, he can''t mobilise the swordsmen carelessly. That might trigger an attack from the beasts. Without the shield, it will be hard to face the beasts. Even if they don''t do that, with a longer scimitar the empire''s man will be at a disadvantage against the short gladius holders, at such proximity.


    ''It isn''t a game after all. Life is on the line. There is no second chance.'' Kinoya could only sigh. ''The fiction couldn''t be stranger than reality!?''


    He had read many books of history or those novels but no matter how strong his imagination was he could never think of such a hopeless situation.


    ''No, I can''t give up. Till I have single breath I will fight for everything. I will.'' The thought faded in his mind as he concentrated on the situation down below.


    "Create a path in the shield wall...

 The Apprentice General

    ''All or nothing. It was not like I will be able to survive if they fall.'' Kinoya was ready to get it over with as soon as possible. With each volley arrows, quivers were becoming emptier. ''More I wait more desperate the situation will become.'' Thus he shouted...


    "Create a path in the shield wall, let them come in. Spears support them from the back. Spearmen, who were on standby, increase the attack along the wing. 20 swordsmen will defend the end of the path with your life. Archers at ready, shoot at order."


    In was time to execute the order from six years old, but the soldiers were no amateurs. They didn''t just blindly follow the order of 6 years old. They improvised. The shield wall created an ''L'' position with 2 along the side so that the enemy can''t attack them just by entering.


    The inside of the ''L'' was filled with the spearmen. They were at the position from where they can attack anyone who would dare to enter the hole in the wall. The hole in the wall was enough for 4 to enter. The swordsmen were waiting at the end of the wall.


    The formation had ''Trap'' written all over it and the enemies weren''t an idiot.


    With the formation, the pressure at the wing increased a lot. Now the almost 7-8 spears were attacking 2 on the wings with the middle of the enemy formation had nothing to do. The enemy was quick to catch on the tactics and started to reorganise.


    "SWORD DUCK, archers shot through the middle." Just the moment they were rearranging themselves, Kinoya shouted.


    With the order, everybody was caught off guard. Not just the enemies even his people were stunned, but they didn''t waste any time.


    The swordsmen were quick to lay on the ground. The archers who were aiming upwards didn''t miss a single breath turned towards the hole. They showed Kinoya the fastest archer rotation. In 10 seconds they shot almost 100 arrows almost emptying the quivers.


    The enemy could hear the order too. How can they just stand there and take attack head-on? They were ready to go back in the formation with a moments notice and so they did. Alas, it was already too late.


    Within a moment almost 10 enemies lost their lives, 5 more were wounded. But even before they could recover, another command came.


    "PUSH. Swordsman advance by the wings." Kinoya shouted at the top of his lunge and they compiled.


    The standby swordsmen ran by the back of the spearmen and assaulted along the wing front row of the enemy line. It was an effective strategy and the enemy line crumbled reducing the number of the enemy by another 10.


    But before a smile could appear on Kinoya''s face the beasts charged in, with the tamers backing up with arrows.


    "Block the gap, spear increase the assault, swordsman support the wings. Archers arrange in the formation. And don''t push." But the constant change resulted in the first casualty under his command. But the enemies also lost 3 more.


    The pressure continued to increase of Kinoya, but he wasn''t the only one who was feeling it.


    "Archer attack the 2nd man from the left wall in the 3rd row. And be ready to shoot at the back." With the command, he could feel the atmosphere of the field changed. For the first time, he had felt such a killing intent.


    ''He was cunning, but no matter what it won''t be easy for a commander to hide.'' He couldn''t help but praise the commander of the enemy.


    The adaptability and the patience was something not many could compare with. If it was a head-strong commander then he would have won much easier, through the casualty would have been higher. Only because of this commander, the enemy was able to hold on for such a long time.


    But he waited too long. With a smile, he looked at the person who was moving hurriedly backwards. But once marked by an archer it will be hard for him to run away unless he ran out of the range, and that the thing he wanted. On the other hand, the beasts moved as he predicted.


    "Arrows at the beast." With the command, half of the archer turned and shoot as the beasts with the protection of the swordsman. The light arrows were not much help.


    The beast had tough hide but that was where the experience came into play. Rather than shooting ignorantly they were taking time to shoot at eyes, ears and even at the mouth.


    It still cost 12 swordsmen before they were able to subdue the beasts. On the front, the arrows from the beast tamers were creating a problem but without the presence of the head, they weren''t able to cope up with the relentless attack. Not long after they turned tail but only 7-8 able to run.


    But Kinoya wasn''t willing to let them. "Everybody on the ground, Archer, leave none alive."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The shield-bearer, the spearmen even the swordsmen who were following the enemy lay down on the ground. And the one round of arrow was enough to claim the life of them along with 3 beast tamers. Leaving the commander and the 4 beast tamers who ran away even before their army fell.


    "Archer, Shieldbearer, spearmen rest. The swordsmen gather the arrows." Kinoya shouted as he came down off the wall. Even he was surprised by how easily he could move along the wall. ''I became spider-man.'' He joked as someone said behind him.


    "Commander you are bleeding." The military is a strict organization. Only because he bare the medal of the general they are willing to call him a commander. Little did he know, if the last time they liked him because of his fearlessness now they are respecting him due to his commanding ability.


    "Ahhhh!" that was all escapes his mouth as he looked at the fingertips. It was bleeding nonstop. Not just his fingertips even both of his knees and the toes were bleeding. "Fuck you spider-man."


    A sudden shout of him left other speechless but was followed by a huge roll of laughter. The soldiers couldn''t help but think that no matter how cool-headed he might appear at the end of the day he was just a 6 years old child.


    One of the shield bearers who was sitting close to Kinoya asked, "Can I see the badge?" With the immediate crisis over Kinoya got nothing to be afraid of. He simply hands over the badge.


    "It is the Moon general''s badge." He exclaimed. As he was returning the badge Kinoya could see the question in his eyes. As the soldiers didn''t ask, Kinoya didn''t bother to explain.


    "What should we do now?" A Spearman asked while cleaning the head of the spear.


    To him it didn''t matter who the child is, he already acknowledged the child as his immediate commander. Others looked at the 6 years old child who had put up some ointment given by one of the archers.


    Feeling others gaze Kinoya looked up, "If there is a good climber then we should see the situation on the other side of the wall."


    "The region on the opposite of our region already defeated the enemy and engaging with the earth meta-dragon." One of the archers reported.


    "Leave the climbing to me." One of the archers said and moved on the wall.


    On the other hand, Kinoya was looking at the beast called earth meta-dragon. ''Before anything I need to know about the flora and fauna of this world. Otherwise, I might even before die even before leaving this place.''


    The one who climbed came down with a dark face. "On the left, the battle is still going on but both sides had heavy casualties, not even 10 of each side left. But the left side is doomed. Slaughtered."


    "How many soldiers are there on the right?"


    "Not sure about it but around forty."


    "I need an exact number, do it now." Kinoya''s sudden outburst was little surprising but lucky for him it was an army and due to their discipline, the climber compiled without any question. He looked around to find other than swordsman there was no other casualty. The number reduced to 27 from 42. 11 shield-bearer, 17 spearmen and 30 archer were ready to fight.


    Without hesitation, he sent 3 shield bearer with 2 spearmen, 5 swordsmen and 5 archers to the left. "Overkill it may feel, but my only word is to return without a scratch. The only thing we are lacking right now is the time. So return as soon as possible."


    As soon as they left the climber came down. The one Kinoya is worried about was the enemies of the left. "5 beast-tamer archers, 29 swordsmen and the commander with a giant hammer."


    "A headstrong commander. No problem. We just have to lure them out. Send a spearman on the left to relay the order." As soon as everything was at the position he too climbed the wall on the right.


    On the right side.


    With his signal 5 swordsmen moved, charged at the 5 beast tamers, who were at the back. They fall as Kinoya predicted. The moment the enemies noticed it was too late. The swordsmen had already disappeared behind the wall.


    But they chased without hesitation. It was the reason it was easy to fight such a commander. The moment they charged arrows rained down from the top claiming 7 more lives.


    Under the leadership of the hammer commander, 22 others followed. It was hard to defend but he had to try. Just as Kinoya ordered, two shield-bearer had tried to defend and sent flying as a result.


    By the time the commander understood something was wrong 10 more swordsmen were fallen under the constant barrage of arrows. Kinoya had ordered to avoid aiming at the commander. The slaughter behind him enraged the commander but it was too late.


    It was utter chaos and 3 swordsmen, lying dead on the ground moved and cut off his Achilles heel. He became the toothless lion. The remaining one followed him like a castle of cards.


    The whole ordeal didn''t even take 2 minutes compared to the last one that lasted over 10 minutes.


    A cheer erupted but was cut short by the signal of Kinoya. He had forgotten about the commander and the remaining beast tamer who joined the enemy of the left only to change the tide. But with more assist, the result was as expected.


    "Should we go to the other side or attack the meta-dragon form the back?" Before he could answer he could feel his danger sense tingling to the peak.


    "Run towards the barrier" as he led the way. The others didn''t think for a moment before running in top speed.


    Kinoya was surprised to see even the shield-bearer was running faster than him with huge tower shield that was after fighting for such a long time. Now he could understand that what he meant by he would be just above average by his stats.


    But all the thought went out of his mind as a huge pressure started to crash down on him. It was not his sense rather pure pressure.


    *Boom*.


    With a thunderous boom, he was sent flying only to be supported by a soldier.


    The meta-dragon was crushed by a giant red burning meteorite, with blood splattered everywhere. Even the walls were broken too. A huge cheer broke out as the barriers around the square vanished. He turned towards the soldier who explained the work of the grade-III apprentice mage.


    ''It''s over¡­'' but his train of thought was cut short with the voice inside his head and the screen in front of his eyes.


    [The host has an activated secondary profession quest.


    Activation condition: Lead a troop of 10 or more to victory.


    Status: Successful.


    Reward: Title ''Apprentice General''.]


    ¡­Followed by another¡­


    [Quest: Lead a troop of 10 or more to victory for 10 battle.


    Time: Unlimited.


    Status: [1/10].


    Reward: Secondary profession (General)]

 The new era

    Empirical year 89


    Kinoya was moving through the corridor avoiding as much gaze as possible. It wasn''t crowded but most of the people here were teens or older. It was natural for 7 years old to attract a lot of attention, but they got accustomed to seeing this child here by the last 1 year. It is the library Arviga academy.


    It was not just any library, and not all the students could enter here, but with the military scholarship, he could move through many of the places. And with the badge of the Moon general, there were very few who could bar his path.


    But excessive use of the Moon Legion batch had its side-effect. There was a rumour floating about a bastard child of Moon general. But Kinoya couldn''t care less.


    Two-star general or not, that guy cheated him. To enter the academy they had to go through the status check. And it let the cat out of the bag.


    There were very few people who could compete with him. The average stats for a common man was 20, and 60 was the threshold for entering the military. That was right but that will be calculated at the age of 14, not at 6. And during his growth phase even sleeping will get his stats over 60.


    Due to the disaster on the recruitment day, he had no chance to meet the representative of the mage academy or the magic knight academy. So all he could do was to wait.


    But the matter regarding the Mage Academy angered him most. The general didn''t say that I will be eligible for the Mage Academy. Even the high threshold of 200 of Crownen magic academy of capital wouldn''t be a problem if I study hard. By one year his intelligence increased to 82. And the recruitment of the academy will be at the age of 16.


    Well, there was a monster like Bable of his orphanage who had the intelligence of a whopping 122 at last year, this year it increased to 139. It was quite natural that he was chosen to be a mage.


    "Look, if it wasn''t the future Moon general." A mocking voice broke his train of thought.


    After his performance of the day of the invasion, the Moon general promised him that after he completed the military training he will be directly recruited as a sergeant, a leader of 10 man squad.


    And somehow the news leaked and the rumour got weird. Right now it stood for ''Whoever will beat Kinoya in a game of military chess will get the badge and the position in the moon legion''. Sometimes Kinoya felt that it might be the general who had intentionally spread the rumour.


    "Are you avoiding me?" The one to speak was the son of one of the 2 nobles in the City of Arviga.


    "How can I dare to do that, esteemed sir?" Kinoya said to the 12 years old boy.


    "I am here to challenge you." Though the boy said that, Kinoya knew perfectly well that it would be one whom he had hired to beat Kinoya.


    ''Talking won''t take me anywhere.'' Kinoya smiled and said, "Sir please lead the way." He was interested to see who it will be this time.


    Military chess was not much different from chess on Earth. It just has 16x16 board and the choice of selecting 14 pieces, leaving 16 standard infantry and one emperor and general pieces. The choice should be done from, cavalry, archers, mages, magic warriors and naval pieces never taking any more than 4 of the same pieces.


    But what surprised Kinoya most was the one sitting across the board. It was the genius of the academy over 350 intelligence stat point. He would be 15 years old soon and will be leaving for the Crownen magic academy under the sponsorship of the lord of the city. Naturally, Kinoya had his list of people who he should avoid but¡­


    But Kinoya was excited for a different reason. He wanted to know what does the stats represent, somehow he felt there is more than meets the eye. None of the explanation of the academy teacher satisfied his curiosity. So he did his experiment.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences."If the defeat comes at the hand of esteemed genius, then be it." He is a child and with the previous experience, he was pretty sure that flattery could save him a lot of effort.


    "Are you mocking him?" a girl''s voice sounded from the side of the genius.


    ''That is what I am talking about. If it is the intelligence then how a genius with 350 stat point couldn''t understand it, where a 10-year-old girl hit the perfect mark.''


    "Sorry esteemed Marchioness, I didn''t see you." Kinoya stood up and gave a full bow to the girl.


    "What have you done if you had seen me before?"  The girl of only duke family of the Arviga, who was also the lord of the city. The little Marchioness frowned, "You act too much."


    The edge of his lips twitched but Kinoya looked down with a smile. He sat down again as he arranged his pieces. But as soon as he started playing he felt it couldn''t be more disheartening.


    He employed two strategies at the same time. ''The hit and run'' using the 3 cavalry pieces and ''The bait'' using the 2 archers and 1 mage piece. The emperor of the so-called genius was sacked in 48 moves.


    The whole hall was silent. But, "One more."


    ''It looks like the genius couldn''t take the loss well''. Kinoya started again with a nod. To be fair he chose the side first. And the result was the same but Kinoya acted as he had won by a small margin.


    Unfortunately for Kinoya, the game ignited the fighting spirit of the genius. In continued for 4 more rounds.


    "One more" the genius almost instinctively said.


    "Some people don''t know where their limit is,"  Kinoya muttered below the breath, only to find out the little Marchioness staring at him with a shocked expression.


    ''Can she even hear that?'' Kinoya quickly avoided the gaze to arrange the board again.


    8 moves, only 8 moves were all he took to crush the genius. Even before others could say anything Kinoya stood up from the spot and bowed to little Marchioness, "Esteemed Marchioness, I will take my leave." and left the room in a hurry. Looking at the leaving back of Kinoya the little girl frowned but didn''t respond.


    By the next morning a new rumour float around the academy. "Whoever will able to beat Little Moon general in a game of military chess, will be awarded 30 gold coins." And the report came from the house of Duke.


    "What have I done to you, little Marchioness?" Kinoya couldn''t help but shout out in his tears.


    People interpreted it another way to confirm Kinoya is the illegitimate son of the Moon General, as he was addressed as Little Moon General. Right at that moment a fear for little Marchioness born in the heart of Kinoya.


    Empirical year 90


    ''Isn''t it too crowded''? Kinoya was moving through the crowd. And he soon found the reason.


    There was a flag in the middle of the square. The flag had a snow peak mountain, with a wand and a scimitar cross in front of it. The emperor''s flag.


    "Emperor Decree" Someone thundered from the beneath the flag. In a moment the whole square was on their knees, except the man under the flag.


    "On the auspicious night of next Union, the 17th day of 10th month of the 90th empirical year, The Rearing Emperor, Tsar Vader will step down from the throne, ending the prosperous era of the Great rearing emperor¡­" And he continued for quite some time expressing the greatness of the emperor.


    Kinoya didn''t know about anything else but he knew that it was this very emperor who started orphanage fare, which was directly given from the imperial treasury.


    "The esteemed son of Crownen, Kaiser Macht, The crown prince of the empire, will become known as ''The Strongest Emperor''¡­" And the decree went on for quite a long time. Kinoya ran away from the square by the first chance he got.


    ''How can father and son have a different name?'' By Kinoya''s standard, the naming sense of the world is peculiar. His name is Kinoya Arviga. And Arviga is the name of the city. By their standard, the orphan will be named after the city they are brought up at.


    "Where are you going?" The voice of the world took him back.


    "Little Marchioness, I am going¡­" his word was cut short by the slap on his head from the Little Marchioness. She raged "I told you to call me, sister."


    It all started by the rumour she spread. She came back on the very next day with 2 people to beat him, this happened every day for 2 months straight. Until he burst into tears, was ready to give the Moon general badge to Little Marchioness. At that moment the little girl burst into laughter and commanded: "From now on you will call me big sister." And his peaceful days were over with it.


    "Sister, I have something to ask you."


    "About the emperor?" As soon as Kinoya nodded she dragged him away to her private room. "What do you want to know?"


    "The name like ''The rearing emperor'' or ''the strongest emperor'' who gave such kind of name? Isn''t that a little inappropriate to call someone strongest who didn''t even become the emperor yet?"


    "You are an idiot. Those names were decided by ''The Shrine of Forefathers''. They control the flow of fate of the empire."


    "Who are they? Oracles?" He had learned about many peculiar things about the world. Magic is possible here, dragon, the beast-man even demons live here why can''t there be an oracle? Who would have known he was almost right.


    "Not Oracle but there are rumoured to be seers. Not just that after leaving the throne current emperor will ascend the Shrine of the forefathers too."


    "Where is the shrine?" Kinoya couldn''t help but become curious.


    "It''s a secret." The girl said in a hushed tone.


    "This empire has too many secrets, The Protector Army, the Kankaku, Nine secret men now there is a shrine of forefathers."


    The smile little Marchioness gave made Kinoya forget that the girl in front of it just 11 years old. "You can''t tell others what I am going to tell."


    ''Well, she is a child after all.'' Kinoya smiled and said, "Of course sister."


    "You are mocking me right?" At the serious tone, all he could show was his puppy dog eyes. ''Well, being 8 years have its own advantages''


    "Only all the hereditary nobles and the emperor knew about the position of ''the shrine of forefathers''. And it is ''The Protector army'' that is controlled by the shrine."


    "What about the other two?"


    "I don''t know about them." She said with innocence. "What tactics are you going to teach me today?"


    This was the price for his freedom, every week he had to teach the little Marchioness about new chess moves. Rather than teaching new moves of chess sometimes, he teaches her about the formation of war.


    "Today I am going to teach you the formation called ''Schiltron''. It is pure spearman formation. Though immobile, it is very effective against the cavalry charges. Actually what you have to do is¡­"


    Kinoya didn''t mind talking about the tactics of his old world, rather he was happy that he could remember them. As he decided to join the army remembering different strategies might come handy.


    From the tactics, he learnt from these worlds history gave an idea of a few innovative formations, but he has to wait. Though he doesn''t know what his first profession is but leading the troop is the only way for him to get the second profession. Otherwise, he will be stuck with [Apprentice General] title for his life.

 One lucky day!!

    Empirical year 91


    A pair of the red-eyed horned cat was moving through the jungle at high speed. They had their eyes set on their prey, a black boar. Vanishing at one, reappearing at another, the boar was moving very fast through the jungle using [shadow steps]. But no matter how much it used the [shadow steps] the pair of cats were still on its tail.


    The boar was the offspring of shadow strip swine. If it was pure one then there were very few predators in the whole jungle that could threaten it, but after dilution of blood through so many generations the price of innate skill increased too.


    Repeated use of its innate talent cost it too much mana and the moment it showed any weakness it was impaled by one of the cat''s horns. Next moment the cat jumped back to create some distance between them.


    The boar was twice the size of the cat and the vitality of a beast is something that could be ignored. Both the cat was struggling to hold the baby boar down.


    *Shhhp*.


    Even before the cat could feel something was wrong an arrow went through its body.


    *Shhhp*.*Shhhp*.


    Soon two more arrows were released to claim the lives of two cats. The wild animals had a very keen sense towards the danger and these carnivorous animals were more so, but still, they had failed to sense the child sitting on the tree.


    ''If I really would have been a mercenary then I would have been a great ranger.'' Thinking about past life¡­ Kinoya started to feel disheartened. ''My emotion is all over the place.''


    With multiple holes all over the body, the boar was furious. Whether herbivore or carnivore, nothing is more dangerous than a wounded animal, and Kinoya didn''t dare to come close to it, so he waited.


    The more it struggles, the more it lost its blood and soon it was laying on the ground. Only after struggling became weaker Kinoya came down from the tree.


    Kinoya took out his cheap dagger and started to hack the root of the horn of the cat. If one wants to break off the horn from the skull that would be hard, but Kinoya knew that if one could put the tip of the dagger at the root of the horn and give pressure at the right angle, then it will be easy to dislodge it.


    ''The time in library worth it.'' Though the library lacked books on magic when it comes to flora and fauna around the city, it is worthy of its reputation. On top of that, he had spent countless hours studying everything he could get his hands on.


    His military scholarship was over after 2 years, but it didn''t stop due to her, little Marchioness. His meal didn¡¯t stop, rather it improved in quality. Also, his authority clearance increased. Something he had yearned for a long time.


    After collecting the horns he turned to the boar. Even breathing was hard for it. Kinoya was cautious as he inched closer to the boar. Those eyes, torn in vengeance, were staring daggers at him. It was not the first time but looking at those eyes but a shiver ran down his spine.


    ¡®Something is not right.¡¯ Kinoya could feel his danger sense was banging. Before he could understand what just happened the ground had started to rock. With each passing moment, the quake was getting stronger.


    ¡®It isn¡¯t a single one.¡¯ The rhythmic banging made him understand the direness of the situation. He put down his ear on the ground to understand the distance and the direction of the group before running in the other.


    Silence enveloped the place for a moment. Right at the next, the shaking started to get stronger. The black sounder of wild hog soon reached the wounded one. Few of the stopped around the wounded one but most of them continued to run in the direction Kinoya had gone to.


    ''For the first time in 6 months, I was going to eat a boar. But now I am running for my life.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his so-called good luck.


    With his strength, fighting head-on was out of the question and Kinoya had no intention to do it. He was more confident of running away but soon the territory he was accustomed to, came to an end. His feet couldn¡¯t dare to stop.


    With a boar tide of 200 meters, he had no chance of turning back. All he could do was to run deeper in the jungle. He had no idea how long he had run but his limbs were aching in pain.


    ¡®All I can do is run. Run if you want to live.¡¯ He continued to mumble those words to self-hypnotise himself and it was effective.


    When he felt that his already-depleted stamina was reaching its bottom-line again, the view in front of his eyes changed. Open land in the hearts of the jungle. Cleaned, without a single tree stump or any weed, the place looked like a well-cleaned lawn of a high-class mansion.


    ¡®Where is this?¡¯ For the moment his curiosity was surpassed by his survival instinct. With the hogs behind him, he didn¡¯t dare to stop his feet.


    ¡®Someone must be living here. It is not right to bring those beasts here.¡¯ Kinoya had no intention to bring other people in his problem. He turned to leave the open plane but¡­


    ¡®Why aren¡¯t they coming in here?¡¯ Confused, Kinoya turned to see hundreds of eyes were staring at him but none dare to come in the clearing. ¡®Could it be something very dangerous is in here?¡¯This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    With a moment of relaxation, the fatigue crashed in. He fell on the ground without a single ounce of energy to move his limbs. He had no idea how long he was exercising like a dead body.


    When he stood up again, Kinoya began to move with caution. Some of the beasts had left but, still, many red eyes were lingering around the clearing.


    The clearing was about 100 meters in radius, with only two structures in the middle. One was a small hut, can be seen in any slam and the other was a dome. Stronger and firmer than the hut, it was right in the middle of the clearing.


    ¡°Anybody home?¡± Kinoya called out. Waiting for a moment for a response, Kinoya moved in the hut. There is none.


    A bed made of dry leaves and small seeds of the unknown tree were spread all over it, a water jug made of clay, some dry fruits and meats. ¡®It doesn''t look like it is abandoned.¡¯ Kinoya came out after he was unable to confirm the presence of a living being.


    ¡®That place is the heart of all the secret.¡¯ Even a child could have known that and Kinoya was no exception. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t go there.¡¯ Even if he had realised it but he couldn¡¯t stop his feet. Something was dragging him towards the dome.


    The door was made of a single piece of wood and was in stark contrast to the hut. It opened with a small push. Not a single speck of light escaped from the darkness within.


    Kinoya put his eyes on the small gap and¡­


    If there was anyone, who was standing outside, he or she would have seen that the dome swallowed Kinoya in a single gulp.


    ¡®Where am I?¡¯ Kinoya was not sure. He had felt an enormous force had enveloped him before dragging him inside. ¡®I couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore.¡¯


    There was no growling of the ferocious beast around the jungle, nor there was any chippering of some unknown insect. No grass under the feet now smells of green in the air.


    ¡®It smells like blood.¡¯ Those memories inside his mind shook again. The view in front of his eyes changed. Light spread across the red sky dyeing the sky into the red. The soft sun had started to rise from the east, illuminating hundreds of dead bodies spread over the earth.


    Head was severed, armoured or not, their bellies were cut open. Eyes, decorated in the eternal void, were staring at Kinoya in resentment. The arrows made the land more poisonous and...


    ¡°Is this a battlefield?¡± Kinoy mumbled in a low voice. He was not sure whether he was hallucinating or it was the reality that was hidden inside that mighty dome.


    The earth started to shake again, with it there was a black cloud that was spreading across the horizon. The cry of enraged and the vibration of hoof soon reached him. The cloud had started to take the shape of the cavalry and countless infantry.


    ¡®Are they attacking? But how? I was in the jungle then¡­ Could it be some kind of illusion or space magic that has transported me to¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t care less for now. ¡®I have to survive.¡¯


    Kinoya had no idea when he had grabbed onto the talwar that was plunged into the ground right beside him, but¡­


    ''Can I fight them? Do I have to ask help from him, again?'' Kinoya had no intention to grow up again. This hand on the hilt tightened even though he had no idea about what is the reality of the illusion in front of his eyes.


    ''Can''t I just run away?'' Kinoya had no idea why didn''t he think about it before but just the moment it appeared in his mind, he turned to be greeted by a similar sense from behind.


    Wearing armour, similar to the dead soldiers, another group of cavalry and infantry was charging towards Kinoya.


    ''It''s too late.'' Kinoya''s grip tightened on the hilt. Never did he noticed that the talwar on his hand was larger than him, and it was heavy.


    ''If I have to fight then my choice of weapon couldn''t be worse.'' First thing Kinoya had looked for the dagger under his dress.


    It was cheap and dull. Due to its reach, it was not suitable for long battle but that was the weapon Kinoya was most accustomed to. Alas! No matter how much he looked for it wasn''t there, not even the buckle was with him.


    ''It can''t be the reality or did I lose it while running away.'' He wasn''t sure about it. He started to look for other weapons much of his height. There were spears, pikes, arrows even clubs buried under the body.


    ''I need something smaller.'' Soon he found a gladius with its tip broken. He hadn''t had the time to hesitate. He grabbed the gladius and¡­


    "It is heavy." Kinoya was shocked. It wasn''t a matter of weight, rather the weapon.


    ''I am sure I had thrown away the talwar before grabbing it, but¡­'' Looking at the giant talwar in his hand he had no idea what had just happened.


    He moved with quick feet but no matter what weapon he had grabbed, all of the weapons had transformed into big four feet long talwar.


    ''It has to be a dream''. Before he can choose a suitable weapon the enemy reached him with full force.


    First to reach him was a cavalryman. With momentum build-up from the charge of beast underneath, he swung his giant two-handed swords.


    *Boom*


    The giant sword met the Kinoya''s half-hearted talwar with a thunderous boom. Kinoya was uprooted in the air with blood splattering from the root of his thumb.


    All he could do was groan as the painful illusionary reality punished him. The cavalry didn''t stop and continued to move forward with the beast. After the first one more followed behind.


    Kinoya was lucky that none of them attacked him but the pressure continued to increase. It was hard for him to escape from the thick legs of a warhorse. After the bloody realization, he couldn''t be careless.


    It took some time for the whole cavalry to pass. Without the build-up momentum, there was an obvious gap between the cavalry and the infantry, that was the time for Kinoya to recover.


    With dislocated left shoulder and a broken ankle, it was hard for Kinoya to even stand up much less to fight.


    But if life had taught him any lessons through the trials, then that was not to give up. Even with pain all over his body, he grabbed an arrow that was close to him.


    It transformed in the expected talwar. Kinoya stare right at the infantry as both the cavalry clashed with each other behind him.


    "Come, if you want to die. No matter who you are, I am not going down without a fight." He cried like a crazed soldier on steroids as he charged at the enemy and¡­


    "How did I pass through?" Kinoya was dumbfounded as the infantry behind the cavalry passed right through him. Right at that time, someone flicked his forehead.


    *Ahhhhh*


    Expression of pain escaped his throat. ''How can a mere flick be more painful than the¡­ my hand, shoulder¡­ all have recovered? How can¡­''


    "What are you doing in my house?" The man was standing, rather than man, it is better to say he is an old man. But his hair was neatly combed with a perfectly trimmed beard on his cheek.


    ''Where do you get your hair job done?'' Kinoya might have asked it but right now he had more important matters to handle. "In your house?" Kinoya was too happy to see he had escaped the immediate crisis but have no idea about his whereabouts. "Could it be the dome?"


    Different weapons were decorating the walls of the dome, with a talwar plunged right in the middle of the room. ''That was the talwar''


    Following his line of sight, the old man erupted and right at the next moment, Kinoya was stamped on the ground with blood in his throat.


    ''It feels like my organ had shifted.'' Kinoya could feel huge pressure was crushing him down on the ground. It was sheer pressure, something he had never felt before, but... ''No it is not from up, something is attracting me towards the ground.''


    "What are you? Who send you here?" The old man''s voice thundered in his ear, "Tell me and I will give a swift death."

 12. A boy dyed in red...

    ¡°Cauu auuuw¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t even complete his intangible protest before coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°You are not helping. If you don¡¯t answer me I will kill you.¡± The old man thundered again.


    ¡®How the hell I can talk with so much pressure?¡¯ With his life on the line, he moved his finger, rather than his mouth.


    ¡°What are you doing? Trying to draw a magic circle? Stop it or¡­¡±


    ¡®F*ck you, just kill me¡­¡¯ Even his thought began to get messy but he succeeded with sheer willpower.


    ¡°What is this? Caaan¡¯t Breeath? Can¡¯t breath?¡± The old man mumbled the deformed words twice before he understood the meaning, but it was effective. Kinoya could feel the pressure on him reduced to a certain degree.


    Blood and dust made a mess in his mouth, Kinoya couldn¡¯t care less. After taking a few lungs full of air, Kinoya spoke, ¡°I was running away from the boar and came across this place."


    "And you dragged your problem to my courtyard?"


    "I was not intended to but I was at my limit and my leg gave away. I looked for someone at the hut but no one there. I tried to look here but something dragged me in. And I was in the middle of the battlefield."


    An awkward silence followed. With the little movements he could make, Kinoya saw the frown on the old man face. Unexpected to the expression the pressure on him has vanished in a blink.


    ¡°Tell me in clear detail.¡± But the old man¡¯s voice didn¡¯t improve.


    ¡°I was hunting a horn¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me when you entered the dome.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to trespass but as I tried to peek into this place a strong attraction force enveloped me and¡­¡±


    Kinoya continued without hiding anything. It was not like he had something to hide. The old man didn¡¯t stop him and listened to the story with care, until the end.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Surprising to Kinoya the old man asked him to come to the talwar.


    ¡®I thought that was an important weapon.¡¯ Kinoya was confident about his assessment of the talwar and was also sure that, the talwar was the source of illusionary reality.


    ¡°Touch it.¡± At the old man order, Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but give a confused look at the old man.


    ¡®I understand that you don¡¯t worry about me stealing the talwar but I am not very fond of touching such a dangerous thing.¡¯


    ¡°Grab it.¡± the tone turned more commanding behind him. Though reluctant, all Kinoya could do was to grab it.


    One second. Two seconds.


    ¡°Nothing is happeni¡­¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t complete his words before his words got wrapped.


    *Clank* *Clank*


    *Ahhh*


    *Nihhh*


    The similar but unintended sounds returned to his ears again. The cavalries were still fighting behind him. He was standing in the middle of the dead body dump with the heavy talwar in his grip.


    The infantries were still 50 meters away and will reach him soon but Kinoya couldn¡¯t take another look at the Talwar in his hand. A very simple talwar with nothing fancy and Kinoya couldn¡¯t tell otherwise¡­


    ¡®The secret lies with this talwar.¡¯ Kinoya was sure of it but he didn¡¯t have the time to explore it.


    Next thing he checked was his body. The grip felt normal, no pain at his shoulder nor the ankle. He exhaled all of his worries and the grip on the hilt tightened.


    30 meters¡­


    15 meters¡­


    5 meters¡­


    2 meters¡­


    He swung his talwar without a single ounce of hesitation nor he spoke those embarrassing words but it missed.


    ¡°Could it be another illus¡­¡± The intended words never came out and he was thrown in the again with a kick in his chest.


    ¡®It is real.¡¯ though he had known it he had no time to respond. If he didn¡¯t move he would have died under other feet. He couldn¡¯t stabilise himself before he had to swing his talwar to protect his chest.


    Knees were weak, the stance was loose and due to lack of strength, he was fell on his bottom. Alas! He didn¡¯t get any chance to redeem himself this time. A blade ran straight through his chest even before he could look at the face of the soldier.


    The view in front of him returned. The old man was standing a few feet from him and the talwar was there too.


    ¡°So I died?¡± Kinoya asked looking at the old man.


    ¡°Is that how people of this generation respond to their death?¡±


    ¡®Should I have been more dramatic about it? But that was just an illusion.¡¯ Kinoya was not sure how should he react at the old man¡¯s words, ¡®Or maybe because it wasn¡¯t my first time.¡¯This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°That was just an illusion? Wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Was it? Maybe it is if you think so¡±


    ¡®What is with all this mystery?¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°I should take my leave.¡±


    When Kinoya tried to stand on his legs he felt how weak he was. He had extinguished his limit when he was running away from the boars, then the pressure, that almost crushes him, made him weaker. Even if there is no wound on him, the illusionary reality of the battlefield had forced him towards the mental exhaustion.


    ¡°Who told you to leave?¡± The words of the old man came to him as surprised but it wasn¡¯t unexpected. He barged into the old man¡¯s area, had observed his treasure and now tried to leave.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I leave?¡± ¡®Or do you want to silence me?¡¯ Kinoya didn¡¯t dare to voice his worry but added, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone about the talwar.¡±


    The old man was stupified for a moment before he broke into hysterical laughter. ¡°Do you think I am hiding that talwar?¡±


    ¡°Are you not?¡± He regretted it the moment he asked. The old man shook his head but didn¡¯t answer. And the silence followed.


    Kinoya didn¡¯t dare to ask anything and the old man didn¡¯t talk. He had no idea how long it was, before the old man spoke again, ¡°It looks like Varytita has chosen you.¡±


    ¡°Varytita? Gravity?¡± Kinoya had no idea what the old man meant by ¡®Varytita¡¯ but he knew the meaning of the words.


    ¡°Yes. It is the name of the talwar.¡± the old man¡¯s sounded distant.


    ¡®Magical weapon with consciousness?¡¯ Kinoya didn¡¯t ask, yet the old man answered, ¡°The so-called ¡®illusion¡¯ you had relived is its memory.¡±


    ¡°Not just consciousness but also memory?¡± Kinoya had failed to hide his surprise.


    The old man was waiting for such expression and he continued with a bright smile on his face. ¡°Rather it was the memory of its previous owners. Those were the fight ¡®Varytita¡¯ had lived through. I am not sure the war you had experienced was a part of my time with it or not but it felt like it was the final battle with the Roginian kingdom.¡±


    ¡®Roginian kingdom?¡¯ Kinoya shook at the name. It was the kingdom that had breed him. He had read about it in the history book. How the great Crownen empire had abolished and destroyed the evil Roginian kingdom at the very early years of development.


    ¡®Evil?¡¯ It might be, nevertheless, Kinoya was more interested in it. Apart from it, he was more curious about something more. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    The old man looked at him with curious eyes but didn¡¯t answer. Kinoya tried to reason his curiosity, ¡°The battle with old Roginian empire ended 10th empirical year, and you don¡¯t look that old.¡±


    The life expectancy of this world was a lot higher than the earth. Many people are almost a hundred and fifty in the city of Arviga. But it was surprising to see a person so fit who was already over a hundred.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know it is disrespectful to ask about one age?¡±


    ¡°Are you a maiden?¡± The regret came too late. He was already on his knees with the pressure pushed him.


    ¡°You are not my disciple.¡± the old man didn¡¯t look at him as he spoke.


    ¡®When did I ask to train me?¡¯ Kinoya was more restrained this time, ¡®Wait a moment, I can ask him to train me. That will better than useless hunting¡¯


    The old man didn¡¯t miss the sparkle in Kinoya¡¯s eye, ¡°No matter what are you thinking, it is useless. I have no intention to train you. You reek of blood. How can a child have so much blood on your hand?¡±


    Kinoya looked straight into his eyes but didn¡¯t answer. He had no intention to ask the old man again. He couldn¡¯t wash off the blood on his hand, neither he can speak about it openly.


    ¡®I can ask sister to give a master to train.¡¯ The pressure had already vanished as Kinoya stood up and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Yet Varytita choose you.¡± Kinoya¡¯s foot came to a stop. ¡°I am not sure what have you done before but you suitable, so¡­¡± Kinoya turned to find the old man still hesitating to complete the sentence, ¡°So as your predecessor, I will teach you.¡±


    ¡°Varytita? Means the talwar? It chooses me and you used it before so you are going to train me?¡± Kinoya asked to confirm it.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But why? That makes no sense. You don¡¯t want to do it but because of the talwar, you are forced. If that is the only reason, then I reject.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The old man couldn¡¯t hide his amusement anymore. ¡°Do you have any idea what are you rejecting?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t want to learn from you who isn¡¯t even willing?¡±


    ¡°That is not yours to decide. Your fate was sealed the moment Varytita chooses you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who choose me, but I make my fate.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. This is not your fate we are talking about. It¡¯s the fate of Empire we are talking about. You are chosen to be one of the ni¡­¡± The words of the old man came to an abrupt stop. He sighed before he continued, ¡°I won¡¯t teach you any of my technique or anything, it will be the basic. On the day you pull out the sword from the ground you are free to go.¡±


    ¡°I only need to pull out the sword and I am free to go?¡± The frown on Kinoya¡¯s face had grown deeper, yet the old man nodded in amusement. He walked to the talwar and grabbed the hilt.


    Looking at the out of focus eyes of Kinoya the old man just shook his head and left the dome. The darkness enveloped again.


    ************


    Empirical year 95


    "Something is not right." The man dressed in full armour moving on the war steed moved closer to the general and whispered.


    The general, Korai Dhanman, was the one-star general of 3th regiment. It belonged to 17th corps of the empire.


    The 17th corps was part of one of the independent corps of 50,000 soldiers not under any army or front. It consisted of one 20,000 men legion and six 5,000 men regiment. The 17th corps was headed by ''The Red General'' Akai, a 3-star general.


    Korai was one of the generals, who were present from the birth of the corps. He was better known for his defensive attitude. Contradictory to the all offensive status of the ''The Red corps''.


    Korai nodded his head as he looked around. The path through the forest was littered with the bodies. Bloody spots were all over the places.


    It was a well-known trade route and used by most of the merchants. So it was quite natural that there will be bandits around. Even then they usually avoid doing such a bloodbath in open.


    "They do not look like any merchants, rather¡­"


    "They are the bandit. Could these be the infighting?" Korai thought for a moment, "Send some men to check." The first armoured man soon sent a lieutenant with his 50 men platoon.


    "Secure the perimeter." With the general''s order, the soldiers move into action. Not all of the army was cavalry. There were infantry and archers too. There was also come of civilian present there but their number is not more than 500.


    Soon enough the scouting party had returned and the report compelled Korai to move towards the bandit base. But by the time Korai reached the base, it was already over.


    There stood a boy, dyed in red with a big talwar in his back.

 13. Army recruitment

    The child had already depleted his stamina and had to support himself with the pair of gladius.


    The general came off the horse and closed in with careful steps. Yet the moment he entered the child''s vision the child took the fighting stance. Being in the army from the age of 16, Korai had fought with many people, still...


    ''I might be able to beat him but it will be hard to leave without a scratch.'' Korai took a deep breath before he shouted, "In the name of Red Corps of the empire, I order you introduce yourself."


    The might of a general was not something that anybody can stand up to. But to his surprise, his question was greeted by another question from the child.


    "Are you from the imperial army?"


    Korai stopped his major from shouting and added, "Yes we are RED corps."


    "Do you know Moon Legion?"


    A frown appeared on Korai''s face when he heard the name, however before he could say anything the child had already fallen to the ground.


    ''It is a child after all.'' He signalled his man who moved towards the child. No matter how many times he saw the dead bodies around him, he couldn''t help but shudder thinking that it is a work of twelve years old. And...


    ''I had never expected to hear that here. They might not be a secret army, but very few people knew about them. To hear the name from a child is surprising, much less the old name¡­''


    "General, the boy is alive, just unconscious."


    "Clean the area. Secure the base. We will be staying here for the night." With the swift order, he left.


    *******


    Kinoya opened his eyes but everything around him was silent. There was a blue fire magic crystal in the tent. Being in the tent surprised him for a moment but soon he recalled everything.


    He straightened up yet his sense was tingling. He could feel more than 4 pairs of eyes on him however he had failed to confirm more than three.


    ''This is the power of a master from the army! The old man had told me about them.'' Putting his thoughts aside, he spoke. "Please come out."


    "So you are awake?" The one came in was the same one that he had seen last, without any pleasantries he ordered, "Put your hand on the orb." Kinoya compiled without hesitation.


    [Name: Kinoya Arviga


    Age: 12


    Record: No criminal record.


    Recommendation: The Arviga Duke, The Moon general, ########


    Title: None


    Pseudo Title: Little Moon General]


    The data that showed in the orb was different from the orb that shows skill. It was made for military use. But Kinoya didn''t know that nor could see what was seen in the orb.


    "What is your connection with the Moon legion?"


    Just to be sure Kinoya answered with truth. "I was recommended to join Moon Legion." To his surprise, the man sitting in front of him accepted it without hesitation as the orb glowed in green.


    ''Can the orb act as a lie detector too?'' Kinoya couldn''t confirm it but he was sure that the features were along the line.


    "Are you the son of the moon general?" It stunned Kinoya for a moment, nonetheless, the general added. "Why were you called ''Little Moon General''?" Kinoya took another look at the orb, he can feel that the orb somehow gave his secrets away.


    "Because I was recommended by the Moon General himself. And not many before me got such high evaluation. People around the city called me that." He chose not to show the general''s badge.


    "Why are you here?" Hearing Kinoya''s answer he had no idea about how he should respond.


    "I was on the way to the capital but the caravan was attacked by bandits. So I chose to retaliate."


    "... and you killed all the bandit just because of that?" The general didn¡¯t argue about it as the orb glowed in green, confirming Kinoya''s truth.


    ''Should I say that I just wanted to test my strength?'' Kinoya rejected the thought the moment it appeared. Little did he knew the damage was already done.


    ''What are you? Some kind of vigilante?'' Korai couldn''t help but re-evaluate the child in front of him.


    A 12 years old child separated from his friends would like to go back to his friends first, but the one in front of him was a total mad. He went and slaughtered the whole bandit camp. Why? Because he wanted to. And alone...


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Korai couldn''t help but shook his head, looking at the green hue of the orb. ''Is it a child''s play?''


    ¡®The boy is worthy of his recommendation.¡¯ In his mind, Kinoya had underestimated the value of the boy, even after seeing the list of recommendations.


    The recommendation of a heavyweight general of the empire wasn''t just for the show. But the recommendation from the Arviga Duke had a different meaning.


    With the current situation of the royal palace, nobody dared to imagine how much power he holds right now. On top of that, the name of the third person was classified.


    ''Someone with more power than a duke recommended him? No matter who it is, I have to take him to the Red Corps.'' A voice was screaming in his head. "If you want to join the military you are welcome to join us." The general spoke with a straight face.


    ''Is this some kind of player recruitment?'' , Kinoya took his time before adding, "Can''t I join the Moon Legion?"


    "Well, you can''t join the Moon Legion right now."


    "Why?"


    "For starters, there is no Moon legion right now. And what is left of the Moon legion, is at the border of the Kingdom of Godola. And we are going to the military city of Nylos at the border to the country of Torria."


    In his time at the Arviga academy, he had an overall view of geography. If he is now at the west of the empire then the moon legion is at the far east.


    ¡®And what is it about what is left of moon legion? Could it be that they had lost many soldiers in battles?¡¯


    "It will take more than 3 months on a horse, half a year won''t be enough on foot." Looking at absent-minded Kinoya the general added.


    ''He would have made a hell of an insurance seller.'' But Kinoya didn''t say out loud. "Joining a corps will be better than joining a legion. And it is not like we are at war right now"


    It happened for a brief moment but Kinoya didn''t miss his expression. The general was quick to avert his eyes but, ''Is it true!!?''


    "How much time do we have?"


    Korai hesitated for a moment before responding, "Six months at most."


    "Will there be a training camp at the Nylos or straight to the pit?" Every word of Kinoya made him felt like he wasn''t talking to a child.


    "There will be."


    "Then I will go to Nylos." That old man never taught him any technique other than the basics of the sword.


    ¡®His insane training might have increased my stats exponentially but the way I am right now, I might not be able to survive in the battlefield for too long. I should spend my time learning some good techniques and it''s not like I will be a general if I join the Moon legion now.''


    It took half a month for them to reach Nylos and they reached it without much problem. Very few bandits would be brave enough to attack the empirical army, to be precise, there was none.


    On the way to the Nylos, the regiment stopped at the different cities and villages to gather around the able-bodied man to join the Red Corps. But two things surprised Kinoya.


    To begin with, the armies never forced anyone to join the army nor they were expecting one from each household. It was very much optional.


    What was more amazing was that they were getting more volunteers then they were expecting. They were choosing around 10-20 men from each city, whereas, a maximum of 5 from the villages where they could get 100 if they had wanted. When they reached Nylos, the number of recruits swelled up to seven thousand.


    The city of Nylos was nothing like Kinoya had expected. Wall, over 5 meters tall, was stretched all long as eyes can reach, with farmland spread from the edge of the wall.


    Over a hundred watchtowers were spread across the land. Kinoya was surprised to see that there wasn¡¯t any giant structure other than the watchtower. Soon enough Kinoya found that the mountains, riddled with caves, where the recruits would stay.


    After another checking with the orb, they were officially recruited as a trainee of the Red corps. Next was the ration for a day, a red badge and a pair of sleeveless armour. All the recruits were sent to the caves designated to them.


    The cave, Kinoya had walked in, was already filled. 6 pairs of eyes turned towards him, just the moment he entered the cave. Without any intention to spare his breath, Kinoya moved and took a side of the cave.


    "I am Biskas, from Cerue. I am the strongest one here so I will be the leader of the cave." The boy was over seven feet. The ceiling of the cave was too small to contain his giant body.


    ''Does it matter? Will the leader get extra food?'' Kinoya cleaned only empty bed in the innermost part of the cave without even looking back.


    Not everyone was so carefree. "Why would you be the leader? I could be the leader too." The boy was medium build, but with the right muscles at the right place, he looked intimidating enough.


    "Because I am the strongest here," Biskas said without hesitation.


    "No, if we are talking about the biggest one, then you are the one but you are not the strongest."


    Kinoya wasn''t interested in the bickering boys, rather the boy close to the mouth of the cave.


    ''Chanakya Vishnugupta.'' That was the name written on his luggage. Unlike him or the other in the cave, this guy might be noble.


    ''Vishnugupta'' means ¡®the hidden mighty one¡¯. With sufficient strength and resource, one might be able to change his title but such a mighty title was not something anybody can use. This type of title can only be bestowed by the great emperor.


    ''Could he be a fallen noble?'' Kinoya observed for sometime before concluding that his age didn''t do justice to the boy¡¯s maturity.


    [Status Check: The host is only 12 years old.]


    *Cough* *cough*


    ''This might be the reason why it is called the broken system.'' Kinoya already learned to ignore the sarcastic comments of the system from time to time.


    Akori, the other self-nominated leader, was quite adopted in the fighting. Being up against someone with a big build, he was using his moves perfect coordination. Kicking on the back of the knees, he quickly brought big Biskas on his knees.


    But it was unfortunate for him that the cave was too small and the reach of Biskas was quite large. Not after long Akori was slammed at the cave wall by the big fan like hands. A Painful groan escaped his mouth marking the ending of the futile struggle.


    "Does anybody has any other problem?" Biskas roared as he shakily stood up.


    [Skill check: Skill [Intimidation] is used.]


    [Due to the difference in stats the effect been nullified.]


    [Does host want to activate the skill [Counter-intimidation]?]


    The rejection from Kinoya was greeted by another sarcastic comment from the system. But what caught his eye was the spark of fighting spirit that disappeared just the moment it appeared in Chanakya''s eyes.


    Due to lack of any opponent, Biskas limped towards the place close to the fire. Akori sat back up with the support of the wall and was biting some weird coloured leaves.


    Remaining three were soon divided up, one went to Biskas, one was with Akori from the beginning and the last one close to the Kinoya.


    "I am JB. JB Moma. You are Kinoya right?" Kinoya just nodded. "You are the youngest one in the whole camp. I am also 14, just the age to join the army. Why do you want to join the army?"


    "I was evaluated to be one." There wasn''t a shard of friendliness in his face but that didn''t dampen the enthusiasm of JB.


    "Me too," He said with a smile. "I will be an archer I think. Both my agility and dexterity is high. I wanted to be a mercenary but the way it is now there will be a war soon. And the war will be a great chance to raise the merit, if you are lucky to survive then it will be like pies falling from the sky. And the rear position will be the safest place to survive in the battle. Hey, is it true that you cleaned a whole bandit camp with a gladius?"


    The talk caught Kinoya by surprise. He didn''t understand how did it go from archer to being a mercenary then to the bandit camp. He unconsciously nodded.


    [Skill check: The skill [Persuasion] been used.]


    [Absence of ill intent.]


    [Unable to detect.]


    [So you are a child after all.]


    ''Isn''t that your inability that you couldn''t able to detect it?'' The broken system didn''t respond to Kinoya''s question. On the other hand, JB was excited, but his words were never loud.


    "That is awesome. I couldn''t believe that I will be in the same cave as you. With your power, you will be a sergeant from the beginning. Too bad archers and swordsmen can''t be on the same squad. When you become a captain don''t forget about me. By the way, is it true that you were recommended by the Moon General?"


    [Skill Check: [Persuasion] have been blocked.]


    The skill was blocked but this guy is amazing. Somehow he was able to dig out his secrets. This guy would make a great spy.


    Kinoya didn''t express it, just asked, "How do you know?" JB just smiled but didn''t answer. After some empty talks, all of them went to sleep.

 14. Infantry training begins

    "I DON''T want to hear about your background or what you want to be. If I say that you will be shield-bearer then you will be one. If I say, archer, then you will strive to become one. My words will be the first and the last thing you will hear."


    Without the help of the stick, it would have been hard for the man to stand yet his foul-mouth stood strong. This was the man under whom Kinoya and the other trainees had to train for months to come.


    "There 7234 of you are here. Do you think that all of you will be recruited?¡± With a peal of hollow laughter, he added, ¡°Many of you will die or run back home crying by the end of the first month. Only 5000 will be recruited, not more, might be less."


    None of the other instructors, standing behind, dared to interfere as the head instructor continued to curse. They stood there, looking down as if it''s a matter of each year.


    "The royal court only suggested that there will be only a 10% reserve in the army. The Red Corps have 50000 so they will have 5000 as a reserve force. And that type of thing only happens when we are going on a war."


    ''From where the hell did you hear that?'' Kinoya wanted to ask about it, however, he could only stare at him. JB, on the other hand, stood there acting like he didn''t even say those words in the first place.


    "For the first month there will be basic training of bodybuilding and weapon training depending on the type of squad you will be. Then there will be advanced weapon training for one month, after that, you will select in the squad, for the last month you will do tactics training with your squad.¡±


    ''Only three months?'' All Kinoya could do was to give a mocking smile. ''Is the situation that dire?'' Thinking about JB''s words he could think about another possibility, "The Emperor. The new empire might be refining his assets just to live up to his title, ¡®The Strongest Emperor.¡¯¡±


    His silent mumble was soon buried under the mean truth of the head-instructor.


    ¡°There will be a test after each month. Let¡¯s not talk about those who will fail the test. For now, all you have to worry about the first month."


    Leaving his last words, the man left without wasting any more breath. The next instructor came in and explained the next procedure.


    Soon there was a rush all over the place. People lined up outside the tent. It was almost 2 hours before Kinoya got the chance to get in. It was the same process all over again. Kinoya put his hand on the orb and it lights up. The screen was both side view.


    [NAME: Kinoya Arviga


    Age: 12


    Record: No criminal record.


    Recommendation: The Arviga Duke, The Moon general, ########


    Title: Apprentice General


    Pseudo Title: Little Moon General


    ####:@@@@


    Strength: 68


    Dexterity: 72


    Intelligence: 182


    Health: 264


    ####:@@@@]


    Kinoya hadn¡¯t seen the screen on the orb used by general Korai, so it was his first time observing something like the record, recommendation or pseudo-title.


    ¡®It makes perfect sense now. So that was how the general knew about the title.¡¯  On the other hand, he was surprised to see no talent or skill was showing here.


    "This is the third time today. Call the Major." The soldier, sitting behind the Orb shouted before turning to Kinoya, "Sit and relax. Major will talk to you personally. Next."


    ''What is this about?'' Kinoya had no idea about it. So all he could do was to move to the side, as the next one came in. The next one¡¯s status got checked but Kinoya couldn''t observe it.


    "High dexterity, low health. Rearguard, archer." The examiner tossed a red badge to him with a bow design. A smile appeared on the childish face before he moved out of the tent.


    "Why are you looking for me?" A heavy voice came from the outside. The examiner whispered something in his ear and a smile appeared on the face.


    "Boy come with me." Kinoya hesitated for a moment. "Don''t worry you will be back soon." And he followed the so-called major out of the tent and entered another.


    "Sit down, boy. You are Kinoya, right?" Kinoya nodded as he continued, "Listen, you are just 12 and you will be able to become a mage if you join the magic academy of the capital."


    "I know I was going there."


    The Major took some time to take another look at Kinoya before speaking again, "You know ¡®The Mage¡¯ has the highest standing in Empire. Even if you fail to become one you can even become a Magic Knight."


    "I will become one. But I am not of the age to enter the academy. I will spend some time in the army, then go to the academy"


    "Do you think a war is some kind of game you can play, just because you want to?" Those words almost escaped his lips but all he could do was shook his head.


    ''And I thought with 182 in his intelligence stat he will be much wiser. It is a child after all.'' The Major thought out loud, "Well you needed to be 14 years old to be an army."


    "But the Moon general said I could join in as long as I got the stats. If there is a problem I can go to the Moon legion or whatever of it left."


    ''So he is the one who cleared the whole bandit camp.'' Realising the secret his tone changed, "No that is not the problem, but you know you can die even before you hit 16."


    "I can even die without even joining the army."


    "You made up your mind?" The major had no more words to reason the stubborn child.


    "That is why I am here after all." Kinoya can feel the goodwill from the person but it is not like he was going to change his mind because of that.


    [Did you think that you can die?]


    ¡®That is what I also want to know.¡¯ Kinoya had no intention to say it loud and¡­


    "If you going to join the military I can take you in. I am Major from 3rd regiment."


    "Of general Korai?"


    "You know him?"


    "He brought me in."


    "That will make things easier. Just complete your training." With the smile, the major added "With your stat and 2 hidden stats you can easily make it through"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Can there is a way to know my hidden stats?" His eyes started shining hearing about the hidden stats. He was curious about it for a long time.


    "Only the Special orb of capital can show it. If you want to know you can know it from the orb at mage academy or the head mercenary guild. They will charge around 10 gold though.¡± after a small pause, he asked again, ¡°By the way what type of soldier you wanted to be? With your stat, you are suited for almost anything."


    "I will be infantry, the swordsman."


    The major was a little disheartened with the answer. " Just finish your training and I will arrange something from you. With your stats, it will be easier to get promoted if you are a cavalryman. Now go back to the ground."


    Kinoya stood up from the seat and bowed, "Thank you sir, but I must reject that offer. With my [Intermediate Sword Mastery] I will be more suitable as heavy infantry than cavalry at least for now." And left the tent.


    ''For a 12-year-old it will be hard to get basic weapon skill, but an intermediate skill? This kid couldn''t be a simple one.'' With the thought, he left to find the general. ''A genius of such a prospect should be recruited first.''


    Kinoya came back to the area of recruitment and it was still going on. He got back to the tent and got his red infantry badge with a sabre symbol on it.


    "So you got it right?" JB greeted from behind.


    Kinoya about to answer but stopped at the crestfallen look on his face. "What about you?"


    "I was told I wasn''t clean enough." JB hesitated to speak about it, "Well I am an orphan and needed to do all kinds of things to live. But that is not a problem. I am sure that I will be a well-known mercenary in no time."


    Kinoya couldn''t say anything to him. Not even 24  hours had passed since their first meeting yet for some reason Kinoya felt bad for him. Maybe because his talent was worth cultivating.


    "Well," Kinoya took out a pouch from his dress, "Take it. It is not much but it will help you."


    JB opened up the pouch that Kinoya shoved into his hand. The shine left him dumbfounded. "Even a silver level mercenary doesn¡¯t save this much in a year, And you are giving it to me? I know you only for a day at most. I can''t take it."


    "Don''t worry I got it from the bandit base, and here I don''t have any use of it. You take it. Don¡¯t make the same mistake again."


    "Even if you don''t need it now, you will need it someday."


    Kinoya closed in and whispered in his year, "If you are right then I will be going to war soon. I don''t even know whether I can use this money in another country or not, and you think I would need money. I am the one recommended by the Moon general, the money will come to me."


    JB just stood there for a few moments, not knowing what to say. Right at the next moment, he wrapped himself around Kinoya, "Brother If you need anything, just come to Moma, I will give you anything you want. I will be a big mercenary by the time you come back. And don''t you dare to die on me."


    Kinoya couldn''t help smiling, after listening to his words. It was too soon to say he was a friend or not but somehow he got these feelings that the will be in the future.


    [[Persuasion] was successful after all.]


    The sarcastic comment resounded in his mind again.


    **************


    After the day-long recruitment of the second phase, almost 400 were sent back home. The number of people in the cave reduced too.


    There were two cavalrymen, Akori and Chanakya, one infantry and one archer. It came with no surprise that Biskas was chosen to be a shield-bearer.


    A set of loud drum beats woke Kinoya up in the morning. With his years of training under the old man, he had no problem waking up. Without hesitation, he left the cave for the training ground. Between those who came before him, Kinoya could only recognize Chanakya.


    There were five poles around the ground with the flag of bows, swords, spears, shields, and horseshoe. After ten minutes 10 people came to the platform with the one-legged instructor in the lead. By that time the ground was jam-packed.


    "42, those who came late can pack your bag and go home." With the words, the crowd outside the ground broke into an uproar.


    *Whip* *Whip*


    The uproar increased for a moment but turned silent on the next.


    "Your enemy won''t get easy on you just it is your first day in the war, they are not going to ask you before attacking whether you are ready or not, they won''t wait to listen to your excuse. Those who can stay conscious after 10 whips will be staying at the camp others will be sent home."


    Soon enough only 7 people return out of 42. Another one started to shout again, "What? Do you think this is inhumane? Well, welcome to the real world. And don''t worry about the whips. It was a special gift for the first day, from tomorrow if you are late, you will be given 50 whips and then thrown out of the camp."


    "Now you will be divided into a group. You have to run around the city by the wall within 3 hours. The good news is it is just 50 km."


    "I am an archer, do I need to run that much?" Kinoya shook his head hearing the words. ''Forget about the question, he is going to get whipped just for talking.'' And right he was.


    "10 whips to the one who talked without permission. It doesn''t matter whatever you are when I told you to run you have to do it without any question. Now quick assemble in 25X25. Shorts are in front of the large one in the back. We will start in ten minutes."


    And it was a total mess. All the civilians couldn''t be arranged in the perfect array just because they were ordered. But with a whip and strict administration, they assembled.


    Though 12 years old he can be easily mistaken as 10 years old due to his height. It was quite natural that he was standing right in front of the array. An instructor was running in front of them and leading the way.


    ''I don''t need to run first. Following the instructor is enough.'' Kinoya continued at a steady pace.


    Some people came from behind and overtaken him, some lagged during the route but the distance between the instructor and him neither increased nor lessened.


    After perfect 2 and a half hour, they reached the starting line again. Looking over his back the instructor shook his head and turned to the front never to look back again.


    Not even 100 people were able to reach the fishing line with the first group and only 12 people were left standing after reaching the place. Soon people started to flood in.


    After 3 hours were up the instructor turned back again. It didn''t matter to him whether all the one returned or not, he continued to give commands.


    "You are all chosen to be infantry, a swordsman on that. There are two types of it. One is sword shield infantry and the other is dual sword infantry. Now we will have to choose one type of mastery. We will teach you the basics and then you have to earn basic skills named [Basic Sword-Shield mastery] or [Basic Dual-Sword mastery] depending on the path." The instructor looked at Kinoya who has raised his hand with questioning eyes.


    "What?" The instructor was irritated.


    "Can I learn both of them?" With a moment of silence, jeers started to appear in the crowd.


    "Look at the tiny, don''t even know his limit."


    "Do you even know what skill is?"


    ¡­


    All of it turned silent with the shout from the instructor. The instructor wasn''t surprised because of the question.


    In every batch of recruitment, some overestimate themselves only to fail miserably in the future. But the one asked question surprised him. It was the same one who took down bandit camp himself and also was recommended by the Moon General. He must have his worth.


    Still expressionless, he said "You are welcome to do whatever you want as long as you can get the basic mastery by the end of the month. No matter who you are if you aren''t able to get the basic skills at the end of the month you are out."


    Another hand of the crowd stopped him. "I want to use a two-handed bastard sword." The one was quite tall well built.


    "As long as you can get the basic mastery. Now we will move to the training yard 4, where you will train for the first month. There will be an instructor who will teach you through the course of a month, now move." Soon they were lead to the training yard by other trainers.


    "You two come with me." The instructor pointed towards Kinoya and another one who asks the question. The other could only take pleasure in thinking about the misfortune was going to fall on them.

 15. The System is BROKEN!?

    "State your names."


    "Kinoya Arviga."


    "Shamil Dao."


    "Shamil why do you want to use a bastard sword?"


    "My father is a captain of the 9th army. He uses one." Shamil said it without hesitation. It can be seen that he was quite influenced by his father. If not for the rule by the emperor, he would have joined his father troop. ¡°I also have [Basic sword mastery].¡±


    The instructor handed over a red badge. "Go to the main instructor at the training hall 2, he will know what to do."


    "Yes, sir." Shamil saluted and left the yard.


    "Why you want to use two swords?"


    The question was aimed towards Kinoya. "No reason. I want to learn as much as possible."


    His brows knitted for a moment, "You are one general recruited at the bandit base?"


    "Yes."


    "Do you use that one?" The instructor asked pointing towards the talwar on his back.


    "My master gave it to me. But I am not tall enough to use this. I use gladius."


    "Gladius!?¡±


    ¡°The size is perfect for me.¡±


    ¡°You have any sword mastery?"


    "I have [Intermediate sword mastery]."


    *Sigh*


    ¡®No wonder, this child is recommended by the Moon General.¡¯ The instructor couldn¡¯t help but take another look at the child in front of him. "That will make things easier. I will teach you the dual sword technique. If you work hard then you might learn the dual sword mastery in 15 days."


    "I have no problem with it, instructor."


    "But I have a condition. If you are ready to accept, only then I will teach you otherwise you have to follow the rule." He stopped to see the expression on Kinoya face, "If you can''t get the skill within 15 days you won''t get a chance to train as shield-sword infantry."


    "Ok," Kinoya answered before the instructor could complete the sentence.


    "Gladius is not suited for this technique. If you want to use the talwar in the future it would be better if you learn to use sabre or scimitar. You can use these short scimitar. Rather than having the edge of 3 feet it had the edge of 22 inches. Little short of gladius but the technique is similar to Talwar. The technique I am going to teach you suits it very well."


    Kinoya took the short scimitar and moved it around. He just used the basic moves of the sword, but it was enough to show the instructor how deep his basic is.


    "I will use it." Kinoya completed his moves with a nod. "Are there any wooden ones?"


    "Why do you need a wooden one?"


    "I am a trainee, I shouldn''t use the real sword."


    "You are carrying a talwar in your back, will it matter whether you have one more or not?" Kinoya couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed. "You are a soldier now, if you can''t control yourself then you better leave it."


    "With your basic, I have nothing to teach you about the sword. For the fifteen days, you have to follow only one rule until you master the technique.¡±


    He didn¡¯t explain, ¡°Grab the scimitar tight." The instructor took out a pair of the weird-looking pouch, slide it over the short scimitar through the hole as he held it and knotted it. One can''t see Kinoya''s hand again, it was covered in the leather pouch with only the blade coming out of it. It looked like two scimitars came right out of his limb.


    "Ya1ou can never take the scimitar off your hand, whether you are eating, sleeping or bathing. If you get injured in training it will be your responsibility."


    "No problem." There wasn¡¯t a shard of hesitation in his voice. The instructor had no idea from where his confidence was coming from but was happy with Kinoya¡¯s attitude.


    "I shall show you the same technique, each day for three times. One time at normal speed, then in slow speed, one time at a fast speed. It will be up to you if you able to learn it or not?"


    He started at normal speed. The scimitar started with a simple slash then full moon thrust, and from then on things started to get complex. Kinoya didn''t know when it happened but for some reason, his eyes had lost focus and so did his mind.


    He was so mesmerized in the sword dance that he was unable to observe it. Even after the instructor stopped the technique, he was having a hard time to get his mind free.


    [Skill Check: The secret of the [Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] is observed.]


    [Do you want to learn the skill?]


    The question woke Kinoya up. ''Falling leaf dance?'' After getting the confirmation the broken system sounded again.


    [Analysing¡­


    ¡­]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] Observation level: 58%]


    [Unable to initiate the quest to learn it.]


    "The first stage of [Slashing leaf technique] is called {Free Fall}. The second stage is called {Hitting a leaf}. If you are too forceful while catching a leaf you will miss it. So you have to be slow when attacking."


    The Instructor started the sword technique again. It won¡¯t be wrong if one misunderstood it as a dance, a sword dance. It starts with the same slash, then the full moon thrust and¡­


    He was a lot slower but it was becoming more and more impossible for Kinoya to observe it. He was looking but his eyes were out of focus. He lost his conscious lot before this time.


    [Skill Check: The secret of the [Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] is observed.]


    [Analysing...]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] Observation level: 72%]


    [Unable to initiate the quest to learn it.]


    The mechanical voice woke him up again. The old man never taught him a skill other than the basic sword techniques like slash, cut, thrust and other simple ones. The thing one could learn as long one play with a sword long enough. And he had spent a lot of time in Varytita¡¯s memory.


    So he knew nothing about learning from others. He was afraid that he might not be able to learn the skill.


    "Now I will show you {Grabbing the leaf}. One had to be fast to catch a leaf without tearing it. This is the last stage, it took me 4 years to reach this stage. See if you can."


    As the instructor said Kinoya was unable to see the whole slash before losing his consciousness.


    [Skill Check: The secret of the [Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] is observed.]


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.[Analysing...]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] Observation level: 79%]


    [Lower threshold of initiating the quest achieved]


    [Does the host want to learn the [Falling leaf dance (incomplete)]?]


    ''So it doesn''t need to be 100%.'' Kinoya breathed a sigh of relief after confirming.


    [Skill Check: Quest [Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] is activated]


    [Quest: [Falling leaf dance (incomplete)]


    Condition: 1.Observation level 100%


    2. Practice (0/1,000,000) (System updated)


    3.Comprehension level 50%


    Reward: 1. [Basic Dual sword mastery]


    2. Strength: 8; Agility: 3


    System reward: 1. Hidden Stat Patience: 6


    2. Hidden Stat ####.]


    For a moment information continued to pour into his head. It was not just the movement or the sword actions but also the flow of every through the body.


    ''Though all three stages follow the same movements, the flow of energy couldn''t be more different. No wonder it took 4 years to master.'' After understanding the basic when he looked at the notification and curses almost escaped his lips.


    After talking to the old man, Kinoya somehow understood the Broken System. It was not something special to have a system. One in every 1000 had it.


    As every system was unique, so was the Broken System. The old man felt the condition of completing the quest seemed harsher than the quest given by other systems.


    Though Kinoya had no idea whether the old man had a system of his own or not, all he could do was believe him. While talking about the given quests from time to time, Kinoya had found another reason to call it ¡®broken¡¯.


    If his guess is correct then, the condition of completing the same quest might be performing the skill for 10,000 or 100,000 times. It would have been ten or a hundred times easier than the quest given by the Broken System.


    But the biggest advantage was the System¡¯s ability to activate the hidden stats. Even if you have more than 100 points in the hidden stat you can''t utilize it unless you activate it. That was another reason to call it broken.


    Kinoya was unable to understand whether the System is called broken due to its near impossible condition to complete quests or due to its overpowered rewards. Yet all he could do is to accept it.


    "It is one of the strongest Dual sword techniques you can learn under the General rank. Attack wise, it would be in the top three in all the attack techniques that are below the general level. Performing [Slashing Leaf technique] will generate the Dual sword skill. Do you think you can do it?"


    "Sure no problem," Kinoya said with a smile.


    "You don''t need to go out in the yard. Practice here. You will practice until you fall. Then you can get your meal. Don''t worry, the canteen will remain open 24X7." With the words, the instructor left the inner yard.


    Kinoya went to the middle of the yard, took a deep breath and started practising. A simple slash, a full moon thrust, a quick drop back step¡­


    The moment he completed the whole move a mechanical voice appeared in his mind.


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (0/1,000,000) failed.]


    Kinoya didn''t mind that at all, by training under the old man his persistence increased like crazy. He was not sure if there any hidden stat like that or not but he is sure that he wouldn''t give up even though he failed 1000 times.


    Only skill the old man taught him was the to meditate and with years of training, he had no problem to guide the energy through his body. He took lungs full of breath before he had started to guide the energy as the short scimitar had begun to dance.


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (0/1,000,000) failed.]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (0/1,000,000) failed.]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (0/1,000,000) failed.]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (0/1,000,000) failed.]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (1/1,000,000) completed.]


    [Comprehension level 3%]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (1/1,000,000) failed.]


    Kinoya almost missed the success message in all that failure but he continued.


    Kinoya forgot to count after 326 but he continued like crazy.


    He was like a mindless Zombie however, hard-work had its result too. The understanding of the skill increased with the comprehension level.


    ¡®Unlike the name, which was {Free Fall} the free fall of a leaf was quite different from any other thing. The leaf never went against the flow of the wind for gravity. It was always about riding the wave, never to force it. The energy moved from one muscle to another as the stance changes.¡¯


    [Comprehension Level 4%]


    With the mechanical voice, a smile appeared in his face. Kinoya started to practice with new enthusiasm. The next success appeared at the 309th try, then at 300th. It wasn''t long before he turned into a mindless Zombie again.


    The same set of drumming woke up the whole training caves. With the traumatizing memories of the day before, the recruits were a lot more organized. Chaos was a lot less but somehow 2 of them still couldn''t find their way to the ground in time.


    The result was as expected. They were sent back home with 50 whips.


    But when the instructor came to receive the infantry division, he couldn''t help but frown a little.


    The creme of the corps, those who will be able to earn the basic skills within a week will be tutored by an instructor. The instructor will be able to change the training schedule if he wanted.


    Amogh, the instructor for the infantry division, had recorded Kinoya as his student otherwise Kinoya would have been on his way home too.


    ''Where the hell that little one went to?'' Amogh was fuming thinking about him and the effect was shown on the group of recruits that was following him.


    The whole run completed within 2 hours this time. It was no surprise that none could stand on their leg after just one round.


    Amogh couldn''t wait for others to finish the round and came to the training yard 4. He was the main instructor of the training yard 4 had all the details of the recruits.


    "Send someone to cave 377, drag the one named Kinoya here right now," Amogh shouted as soon as enter the yard


    "Sir, if you are looking for the one you left in the inner yard, is still here." Looking at his mood, that was the first thing the young soldier had reported.


    For a moment, Amogh couldn''t understand what the young soldier was talking about, however, on the next, he ran into the inner yard.


    In the inner yard, Kinoya was like a mindless zombie, his mind was flooded with the notification from the mechanical voice.


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (27,230/1,000,000) failed.]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (27,231/1,000,000) completed.]


    After a full night workout, Kinoya can now do a perfect sword dance at every second try. But there was no feeling about it, each movement was bored into his muscle. Every part of his body was moving on his own.


    But the view from Amogh''s eye was different. What he saw scared the shit out of him. Every move of kinoya''s body was perfect. Though the essence was not perfect still in just one night this boy was able to perfectly copy him.


    Compare to the sense of the system which was defining the success by the energy flow through Kinoya''s body, Amogh was depending upon the movement of the muscle to characterize it. To find the energy flow was perfect or not, Amogh pulled out his sabre and interrupted Kinoya''s movement.


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (27,235/1,000,000) failed.]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (27,236/1,000,000) completed.]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice interrupted¡­


    Energy path obstructed¡­


    Practice failed.]


    Kinoya stepped back and fell on his butt. He opened his eyes only to see Amogh was looking at him with big round eyes. Kinoya gave a smile and stood up while cleaning the dust of his cloth.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Kinoya was surprised by his question still answered. "I was training as you told me. This was the first time I fall so I am going to get something to eat."


    "Stop." Amogh himself wasn''t sure how this little child was able to carry on for 24 hours.


    ''If I didn''t stop him who knows how long he would have repeated it. Is he a special one? Let''s see how long he can carry on.'' He said in a stern voice "You missed the morning run. You will have to run around the city twice before you can eat."


    "Yes, sir" With a shout, he started to run out of the yard.


    Within 4 hours he was back again. He then bowed to Amogh and started practising again.


    Amogh he didn''t know what to say. He had sent someone behind Kinoya to confirm. So the soldier did. ¡®That''s mean Kinoya had run around the city twice that was within 4 hours. Is he a monster?''


    Unknown to Amogh, Kinoya had already gotten the name of ''Little Monster'' for a different reason. All the prepared foods of the training canteen were cleaned by Kinoya leaving the chefs in tears.


    On the other hand, Kinoya had already lost his mind under the seduction of the mechanical voice.


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] practice (27,237/1,000,000) completed.]

 16. [Intermediate Sword Mastery]!? Really!?

    "Do you know, that guy is going to be thrown out of here if he couldn''t get the duel sword mastery within two weeks?" This type of idle chatter could be heard in the inner yard from time to time.


    Being first in the inner yard, Kinoya had attracted a lot of attention of those who came after him. Nonetheless, he was so engrossed with the technique that none of their words could reach him, still...


    "Just because he had little high stats doesn''t mean his comprehension will be high too. After all, he is just 12 years old."


    "No matter what you say, his dedication to the practice is something to praise about."


    "There is something you can''t get it just with hard work. It was that talent he is lacking."


    People of the inner yard were much more arrogant than the one of the main yard. Earning basic sword mastery in one week was something to brag about.


    But Kinoya was aiming for dual sword mastery skill, the basic sword skill that took them to the inner yard was earned by Kinoya years ago. But envy wasn''t the only thing he was getting. There were a few who took Kinoya''s practice as a way to motivate themselves.


    Somewhere in between their talk, Amogh had entered the inner ward. He might not be the instructor of all of the recruits here, however being the head instructor of training yard 4, he had his share of respect. Everybody straightened their back and saluted without an ounce of laziness. All except Kinoya.


    Kinoya was still immersed in training and Amogh was somewhat proud about it. He took out one of his sabres and intercepted Kinoya. A failed attempt to complete the energy circulation broke his trance.


    He looked at Amogh with disheartened eyes. Amogh had a bad feeling about it. But Amogh had already made up his mind to let him learn the Sword-shield mastery.


    There were two reasons for his judgement. To begin with, Kinoya had intermediate sword mastery. With it, he had a better chance to survive the war, still, it was his dedication that moved him most.


    Without any words, Amogh led Kinoya to another small yard.


    "Did you able to get it?" Amogh asked in a stern voice.


    "No sir" Kinoya gave a resolute answer but he was a child after all. "But I think I can get it within 2 days."


    "You think?"


    "I know I am close."


    Amogh looked at Kinoya, couldn''t help feeling a little sad. It wasn''t something you can earn in just 15 days. Even he took almost two months to learn it. It was an impossible task, to begin with, yet Kinoya''s dedication earned his trust.


    He took out another orb, this one was a little different, with two swords inscribe on it.


    "Put your hand on it." Without a single word, Kinoya complied.


    [Skill Check: Foreign energy is trying to inspect the host''s skill.]


    [Reject it?]


    With the confirmation from Kinoya, the Orb glowed.


    [Skill: Basic Dual Sword mastery (92%)


    Host: Kinoya Arviga


    Technic: Slashing leaf technique (Free-Fall stage)]


    Amogh was stunned for a moment. But Kinoya tried to explain. "Instructor I think I can complete 8% in two days."


    "You can see it, right?"Amogh''s tone made him disheartened, yet he nodded.


    "What does it say?"


    "92% to [Basic Dual Sword mastery]"


    "What does that mean?" Amogh tone was changing continuously.


    "It means I need 8% more to get [Basic Dual Sword mastery]."


    "Who told you that?" Amogh didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    "Old man, I mean my master told me that."


    Amogh couldn''t stop his mouth from twitching. ''His master was a wicked fellow. He must have tricked a child and he created a monster.


    It was not comparable to those who can reach the Free-Fall stage in one day, but Kinoya was certainly better than himself who took almost two months to reach this level.''


    "Show me."


    Kinoya nodded and started with the short scimitar tied to his hand.


    ''This is real Free-Fall level. This boy is a genius.'' For a moment he thought that he would explain that he had already achieved [Basic Dual Sword mastery] and he was just 8% from the intermediate stage not but he changed his mind.


    As soon as Kinoya completed the whole technique, Amogh said, "Only this time I will allow this, if you are unable to complete my condition in the future, there will be consequences.¡±


    Looking at the glowing face he added. ¡°Go to training yard 1, find the one-legged general. Tell him that I send you for training, he will know."


    Kinoya, with a happy face, gave a full bow as he left the place. Amogh broke into a cold sweat just the thought hit him.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.''If he thinks that way, then it isn''t the [Intermediate Sword Mastery] that he has but... ''


    ***************


    [Skill Check: The secret of the [Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] is observed. It will be possible to activate [Falling leaf dance (complete)]]


    [Do you want to learn the skill?]


    ''Falling leaf dance, again?'' A complete skill with merging option? No wonder both the techniques complement each other so well. After getting the confirmation the broken system sounded again.


    [Analysing¡­


    ¡­]


    [[Falling leaf dance (incomplete)] Observation level: 78%]


    [Initializing the quest.]


    [Skill Check: Quest [Falling leaf dance] is activated]


    [Quest: [Falling leaf dance]


    Condition: 1.Observation level 100%


    2. Practice (0/1,000,000) (System updated)


    3.Comprehension level 50%


    Reward: 1. [Basic Shield-Sword mastery]


    2. Strength: 12


    System reward: 1. Hidden Stat Patience: 6


    2. Hidden stat endurance: 6]


    *Groan*


    Even with gritted teeth, Kinoya was having a hard time to accept the influx of information pouring into his brain. He was ready to accept still his leg had gone soft. After a few deep breaths, he recollected the words by the system.


    ''First observation was enough to get the quest! This will be easier than I thought.'' Kinoya wanted to ask to demonstrate it another time but didn''t. It wasn''t easy for a one-legged person to do the whole manoeuvre, but for some reason, he felt it was more perfect and continuous than the Amogh''s demonstration.


    Little surprised by such an intense reaction, the instructor asked: "Do you want to see it another time?"


    "No thank you, instructor."


    He was a man of few words, "Then I also have two more exercises for you. You have to carry the shield on your left hand and one on the back all the time."


    ''Does every instructor have the same training method?'' Kinoya had his curiosity, still, he had felt this crude method had a good effect on the training.


    Having a scimitar bound to his hand all the time made him understand the phase, ''mastering a weapon as an extension of the limbs''. While carrying an extra shield will act as weight training while it will increase the stamina too.


    ¡®If they had known that I had trained with weight rode under Varytita¡¯s 3 times gravity he would have told me to carry two shields, if not more.¡¯


    Kinoya had no intention to tell them, so he followed the instructor to another room. Little did he knew that was the plan devised by Amogh.


    "This is a piece of training equipment is to get accustomed to the impact on the shield. It''s a piece of magic equipment. You will use it once every day for one hour, not a single second more. Use your time well."


    Under quick observation, Kinoya felt it was similar to one-man sled ramback. ¡®It does not just look similar but also the method is the same too.¡¯ Looking at those who were training he concluded.


    Soon Kinoya came back to the inner yard of the training yard 1. The number was a lot less, still, there was more than 70 trainee was in there.


    It took him a single instance to forget about all the things around him. There stood Kinoya with a short scimitar in one and shield on another, looking at a distance with his out of focus eyes. After 65 failed attempts he got his first success and awaken the comprehension level.


    [Comprehension Level: 2%]


    ''Rather than defending against power, it is more like evading the attack of the opponent to create a flow using opponent power then counter by riding the wave just like the way a leaf move against sudden force¡­ Soon he was immersed in his thoughts.


    [Comprehension Level : 3%]


    *******************


    "4,381. That is more than I had expected. I have good news for you. From this moment onwards you are a member of Red Corps under the general Akai, a three-star general directly under the strongest emperor."


    Many of them shuddered at the name of the emperor, however, most of them puffed their chest with pride. Some were fearful of their future and a few were happy, still, they stood in the ground, donning their red armour under the bright sun.


    "From today you are the first defence of the empire. Don''t ever dare to think that the one behind you will save the empire if you can''t. The moment you think that you are a traitor of the empire. From today you will live and die just for the empire. If you can save even a single child of empire then your name will go down in history, if you take the weapon at your chest for the empire you will become¡­"


    ''What the hell he is talking about? Is this a brainwashing class? Is it a motivating speech?'' Kinoya had no idea about it, neither that broken system gave any sign.


    It''s not like he felt any attachment for Empire, still, he joined the army. One might question the sanity of him but¡­


    ¡®I have a feeling that if my life is too peaceful for too long then it will become hell again. And¡­¡¯ Kinoya¡¯s hand on the hilt tightened as the one-legged instructor shouted.


    "Kinoya Arviga, the Top recruit of Heavy infantry, in both Dual sword and shield-sword division. He will be a sergeant of 10 men squad in the 2nd regiment under the direct command of Captain Amogh."


    Kinoya went to the platform and received his armour with a symbol of the flower and one of the petals was red. The army hierarchy was clear to him by now.


    Starting with foot soldiers, there are the sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major and above them was general. The common soldiers wear a colourless flower, with each rank there one petal will be coloured.


    Kinoya accepted it from the one-legged instructor. "We are expecting great things from you." Kinoya nodded and went to Amogh who was standing on the platform and saluted, "Sergeant Kinoya Arviga Reporting for duty."


    "Chanakya Vishnugupta. The Top of a cavalry unit. Will be a sergeant of 10 man squad in the 2nd regiment under the direct command of lieutenant¡­"


    The maximum failures were in Cavalry and shield-bearer squad. 14 out of 200 of cavalry was successful, where only a 100 man troop formed from the 400 shield-bearers, who were accepted 3 months ago.


    All of his cave mates were successful. Other than Biskas who was in the 3rd regiment, all the other four was in the 2nd regiment. Soon the common soldiers were told to receive their armour from the armoury.


    It wasn''t even 1 week after they moved to the barracks when the news came. It came with the wind, created a storm throughout the empire.


    On the Empirical year 95, under the order of ''The Strongest Emperor'' Kaiser Macht, the empire declared war at three human countries Torria, Cantela and Godola. The 17th Corps, The Red Corps, under the general Akai was summoned to the city of Eale, at the edge of Eale plane, to lead the charge Torria.

 17. Enemies, fated to meet

    "Other than the Red corp, two corps from the General of West''s front will also be there. 25,000 shield bearers, 20,000 archers, 30,000 cavalries and 75,000 infantries and with the army of recruits, they will be around 180,000 strong." After the soldier read through the scout report he left the tent with a bow.


    "That is not much. We have 250,000 well trained one. It will be easy"


    "Never underestimate the enemy."


    "You don''t know anything about war. The general allowed you to be in this tent, but that doesn''t mean you can talk."


    The tent had all the general of the army with a great general as the commander-in-chief. The meeting, that is going to decide the future of the kingdom of Torria, was taking place. It was natural that there will be an argument, however...


    "Come on don''t be like that. Boy, tell me about it. How they are going to overcome the advantage of 70,000 soldiers?" Though he was called boy, the man was already in his 30''s, but compared to the great general, face decorated with a long white beard, he was on the younger side.


    Being arrogant in front of the great general Kirmac would have been a grave mistake. Great general Kirmac is known for his benevolence and kindness, still one couldn¡¯t forget the bloody pages of history that had earned his rightful place as one of the three Great Generals of the Kingdom of Torria.


    Thinking about it, the official couldn¡¯t help but choose his words with care, "To begin with, we don''t know the character of the enemy general. He certainly is the weakest of the four cardinal generals of the empire, however, he is also the one about whom we know least about. We don''t know about his attitude, his tactics and his mentality."


    "What is there to learn, we attack them and kill them." Unlike general Kirmac others was least interested in the opinion of a non-combatant.


    "Yes, we should attack them before they are ready. We should attack them when they have the least expected." The official was eager about it. It not just that he was nervous about his first deployment, rather¡­


    ¡®The wars of the world are changing. Even the shaman of the great temple of Djin had confirmed it. A disaster is coming. Who could be a bigger threat than that empire?''


    "That will be unethical. We can''t do that." The great general didn''t say anything but the support of others were speaking for itself.


    Hearing these expected responses, the official couldn''t stop sighing. "A spy in the Kingdom of Cantela have reported that the supply line of the kingdom was attacked by the empire even before it reached the battle region."


    "If those empire''s dog doesn''t have any moral that doesn''t mean we don''t have any too." This one was the right-hand man of general Kirmac and he was against the entry of an official in the military tent. But it wasn¡¯t just any official...


    ''Revolutionary''.


    It was this term the king had used to praise his thinking. Coming from the family of a former great general he had spent all his childhood in reading countless historical records and he had understood...


    ¡®Those who got too stuck up with their old views had always gone extinct. The empire survived only because they had adopted those changes better than anybody else.''


    His thought was different from others and that attracted the attention of the king. It was also for this reason why he was sent here. "It is not a matter of morals or ethics, it is about the results. Do you think that people will remember us just because we were righteous even if we lost the war?"


    ¡®One can¡¯t always exercise logic over the hot-blooded moral¡¯ He had known about yet he can¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Great lord had once said, ¡°What is there to win a war when you have already lost your moral ground?¡±.¡±


    "You are a scholar of the royal court. But here you are like a wallflower. Let us handle the matter of war. We are bred to fight." The last sentence ignited the fire inside them.


    One after another voiced their decisions and the protest got stronger. Those, who were standing behind the official, didn¡¯t even dare to take a breath in front of such strong blood lust and...


    "It is a war, not a tea party, where you invite someone to your home and let him rest. If you miss the chance it will be too late" The official was almost pleading to them, ¡®Don¡¯t you know we are on the same side?¡¯Stolen novel; please report.


    The great general raised a hand and stopped others from talking. "What is your name boy?"


    "It is Nus, esteemed great general."


    "Listen Nus, I understand you want to win the war, but morals and ethics are something that we believe in. Once broken it can''t be repaired. If we forget about the moral it would be a good idea to attack the enemy before they are ready but we have an army 250,000 strong.¡±


    The old beard stopped to take a lung full, ¡°And the movement of such a large army will attract the attention of the enemy scouts too."


    The voice of general was pretty calm, neither fast nor slow. And the logic didn''t give Nus any chance to refute. "On top of that, we are in the open plain of Eale. If we don''t have anything like the beast tide army of Penia or Knight Templars of Cantela, then it will be impossible to give them to a surprise attack."


    ''Surprise attack? That is a pretty good name. At least the general is not as head-strong as his subordinate. But...'' He was still reluctant but he nodded, "This official understands the logic behind the great general''s words."


    "Prepare the army we will meet them at the plane of Eale on the next full moon."


    ***********


    "How much more?" The fatigued voice came from behind. All ten of his squad was fatigued from 5 days long marching. It would be wrong to say that he wasn¡¯t.


    "It would take one more day. By tomorrow noon we will be there." An old man answered for Kinoya. The difference in size was too distinct. Throughout the journey, Kinoya met many people, but somehow the aura around the old man was a little different. "But we won''t get much time to rest."


    "It is our duty to fight, no matter where it is, we will fight."


    "It good to be young."The old man smiled hearing the answer from Kinoya yet before he could say it loud, Kinoya added, "But it will be better if we can take some rest before going to the front line. Even a little amount of fatigue can cause our life in the war."


    The squad broke into laughter. "Sergeant, you are too afraid. Do you think that demonic training was in vain?"


    "Sergeant is a child, after all, he needs his afternoon nap."


    They burst into laughter again. Somehow the old man looks were different again.


    "Are you 12 years old?"


    "Yes, the sergeant is 12 years old. But don''t go by the look, he is top of the recruits."


    "He got both dual sword and shield sword skill. The sergeant isn''t someone you should mess with."


    ¡®Aren¡¯t you making a joke out of me, a moment ago?¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but take another look at his squad members.


    Journeying with them for a month made him realise that none of his squad was bad at heart. They might be little dumb, straight-forward but not the ones with evil intentions. He was happy with his squad. ¡®Soldiers can be breed through war but you can''t breed a good heart. You have to born with it.¡¯


    "So you are the one called Kinoya?" Heavy voice of the old man broke his clumsy thoughts. The air around the old man changed again. Kinoya straightened his back and confirmed.


    "Do you want to change the regiment?"


    "Does it matter? It''s not like I got backer in the army. I will be the same no matter where I go, someone with no background. I have just only one job and that is to fight. I will do it no matter from which regiment I am from."


    "Boy, I will be looking forward to fighting with you." With the words, the old man turned and left.


    ''That old man must have some background. Did he want me in his regiment? If he has his regiment he is at least a one-star general. But he wasn''t riding a horse.¡¯ Kinoya shook of those thought out of his mind, ¡®No matter who it is, I don''t have to hurry as long as we are on the same side.¡¯


    *********


    "Pitch the tents here, we are going to stay here"


    "Sergeant, can we go into the city?"Drow pleaded.


    "Yes, sergeant. It''s been a long time. We hadn''t had any good food or company." Other also added the request.


    "No one under Major rank is allowed to enter the city."


    "But?"


    "No, but, think about it. What will happen, if fifty thousands of you enter the city at once? This place is good, close to the well. Not too close nor too far from the camp centre. Pitch here. I think I can get something other than the dry ration, meat maybe." Kinoya could hear the cheers as he left.


    The front of the supply station was too crowded, filled with big muscled men. Some were wearing red armour, while the others were wearing the blue one with the snow-peak mountain symbol. The number of blue armour was far more numerous than the red one but that didn''t mean anything to Kinoya.


    He went to the supply counter and showed the badge. The person inside the counter was a little surprised when he saw Kinoya. The people around him were too big and they were old enough to have Kinoya as a child.


    ''This child must have some background or have immense talent.'' Without hesitation, he pulled out a good beast leg with a bag of rice. But not all was as clever as this man. As soon as Kinoya gabbed it another handhold the beast leg.


    "Who lost a kid? I fished out a kid with my food." The man was over 6 feet tall with muscles bulging all over the body. He was smiling with his pure yellow tooth while looking towards Kinoya. "This is no place for a kid. Boy, you should go back and send your father back."


    ''Should I ignore it? There is no reason for me to fight a useless fight.'' Kinoya looked around. The leg in his hand was fresher than the meat others were getting. He didn''t understand whether the supplier was helping him or creating trouble for him?


    "Boy, why are you holding on? It''s not a toy?"


    "Then why are you snatching candy from a child?"


    The man looked at Kinoya with confused eye and burst into laughter "The boy thinks it''s a candy."


    With his loud voice, soon others joined. The blue ones were laughing, while the look on the faces of red corps was ugly.


    "If you want to fight then move out, don''t block the entrance."


    "Who is going to fight with a child?" The man tried to jerk off Kinoya from the leg.


    "Why not we fight over there?" Kinoya was all smile.


    The man looked at Kinoya in amusement, "Boy, you don''t know when to give up. But don''t worry about it, I will teach you a lesson, in place of your dad." Both of them came out but none released the leg. Soon other ringed around them.


    "Boy let me tea¡­" he didn''t able to finish his word before he received a kick on the back on the right knee. Even before he could understand what just happened he was already on his knee. But he was a trained man after all.


    Even on his knees, the man larger than Kinoya. He threw his palm towards Kinoya. Kinoya may not have enough strength to knock out in one punch but his agility was high enough not to get caught.


    The swing missed and Kinoya moved to his blindside. The kick soon connected to the other side of the man¡¯s head. It was quite a blow but wasn''t enough to knock him out but he was fuming now.


    The man stood up, holding the leg in the left hand he took out the sabre and¡­


    The temperature plunged as a chill ran through his spine. The invisible pressure stopped him from breathing...

 18. The Vanguard

    The man stood up, holding the leg in the left hand as he took out his sabre... Yet all of his action stopped before compilation.


    The temperature, around him, plunged while specks of ice condensed on the grass. His breaths turned white as the chill sent a shiver down his spine.


    ''There is no way it could originate from him.'' The pressure was strong but not on the level of Varytita. Kinoya was first to react, however as soon as their eyes met the chill intensified. Everything around him stopped in a breath.


    There was a smile behind the veil. It was chilling yet a beautiful smile. That mature smile was seductive and it was effective. Kinoya couldn¡¯t control his body anymore. He could only look, as the woman in black moved towards the man.


    ¡°Issh!!!¡± Her beautiful face twisted in disgust as her eyes fell on the wet ground under the big man. He was the origin of the stink. The woman moved and patted on the cheek of the man. "You shouldn''t bully a child."


    The eyes of the man turned white, mouth foamed and he lost consciousness on his knees. Others might have missed it but there was a thin layer of frost over the body.


    ¡®That is magic? An ice spell? Don¡¯t they need incantation?¡¯ He had many questions on his mind yet looking at the owner of the bewitching smile he dared not to ask.


    "Here you go, boy." The chilly voice handed him the meat. Even under such pressure, Kinoya couldn¡¯t control his eyes.


    The shining blue armour was only there to increase the beauty. The symbol of ice-peak Mountain with three-star on it was shining on her mound. The more he looked the more he was dragged in.


    A giggle broke his trance. "Do you like what you see, boy?" The voice whispered in the ear and with a peck on his cheek, everything around him turned silent again.


    When the wind blew against the sweat-wet armour, Kinoya was forced back to his senses.


    "If I were you I would have run away as far as possible." Kinoya turned to find it was Amogh.


    "Captain, that is a 3 star general right?" That was what the three stars on the peak represent.


    "That is General Andlat. She is also a Countess. The Countess of Death." Amogh said in a low voice. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Be aware, otherwise she might gobble you up in the middle of the night."


    Kinoya was a little surprised. He didn''t understand what Amogh meant by gobbling up, but he was sure that if she wanted she could kill him without even looking, unless...


    ***********


    "What is the situation?" General Kirmac asked in a calm voice. In was not just his age, but also his experience was reflected in his eyes. The tile of one of the three great generals of the kingdom wasn¡¯t just for show.


    The messenger bowed and explained, "The number is as reported, about 180,000 strong. Led by the general of the West, one of the four cardinal generals of the empire. There are 3 more 3-star generals under him, The Red general Akai, Countess Andlat and General Vorn."


    "The army is divided into 4 parts, excluding general camp. Two 60,000 strong units and two 30,000 strong units. The 60,000 units are at right and left slightly bent inwards. With the 30,000 units one in front and one at the back. And¡­"


    "And what?" Official Nus was worried as always.


    "And there is a gap of almost 400-500 meters between the front and back 30,000 units. Also, the army at left wing has 12 regiments of 5000 soldiers making 3 rows with four columns. But the army at the right has 4 rows with three columns."


    Being a military scout the messenger was clear about the formation up to the last detail.


    Two people in the tent were constantly arranging the pieces in the sand-made topography while another one was writing it down. They are from the ministry of war, under the command of official Nus.


    "Why did they leave a space between the front and back unit?" Official Nus was the one to talk.


    "You are just overly cautious." General Liyato spoke. Though general Kirmac, the commander-in-chief, had accepted him, still Liyato felt no goodwill towards the official in the military camp.


    ''The work of pen and sword is different. One works with ink, the other with blood. Blood can replace the ink but not the other way around. A scholar should never interfere in the war.''


    ¡°No matter how they arrange their army they won¡¯t be able to outnumber us. The victory is already in our hands.¡± Listening to General¡¯s words Nus couldn¡¯t help but put up a frown.


    ¡®Underestimating the enemy is a grave mistake.¡¯ Official Nus swallowed the words down his throat. To him, the fate of the country is a lot more important than the petty argument.


    "If they had used that space the formation would have been more stable. And the General of the West wouldn''t do anything that will hinder his winning. Rather he is a person who would do everything for the sake of victory. There should be some meaning behind it." Alas, his argument wasn¡¯t strong enough in the tent.


    "Look at both sides of the troop. There is not enough space to create a line formation. So they have used such peculiar formation. Is there any other secret?"


    "Yes, that is good for us. They were unable to exert all their force. It will be easier for us to break them." With the first word from the general Liyato other soon followed suits.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "If we use the wave after wave to attack, it will be just a matter of time before the war will be over."


    Even official Nus wanted to believe that but couldn''t. Somewhere in his heart, he felt something was wrong in the formation. "If it was really because of space they would have simply made a rectangular¡­"


    Before Nus could complete his sentence general Kirmic raised his hand to stop it. "I think you are worrying too much." Without giving any chance to Nus, he continued. "With the drum, Liyato will lead the charge. Test the water first. If everything is okay then attack and kill as many of the empire''s dogs before dusk."


    "Thank you for your faith, general. I will take the head of the empire''s general by the end of the day." Everybody knew that was an almost impossible task without the help of any miracle. But no one argued with Liyato, rather they cheered as he left the tent. Following which the first war began.


    ********


    Thousands of soldiers, in red and blue armours, lined up in perfect arrays. The discipline of the army had been bored into their bones yet that wasn¡¯t enough to dispel the tension in the air.


    "Sergeant we heard that all the recruits are made into the vanguard."


    "Does it matter?" Kinoya, with a smile on his face, continued. "This place is full of dangers but this is also the place that gave birth to most of the heroes."


    It was not like there was no pressure, but for Kinoya, he felt it was more like excitement than fear.


    "What a beautiful way to put it, no matter how odd it sounded you are true to the last words. Yet, never did I expect to hear that from such a young tongue." Kinoya looked up to find out it was the same old man whom he met at the time of the march.


    "You are not a recruit."


    "But the old bones aren''t worth much."


    "So you are saying they have sent us to death." Being just a sergeant, Kinoya had no idea how the formation was. But he knew they were the first one to rally out. So they have to be the vanguard.


    ¡®Is it the vanguard? Only recruits and old?¡¯ The strategy or tactic recorded in the books of Arviga academy library wasn¡¯t so advanced but Kinoya felt something wasn''t right. ¡®They wouldn''t want the front line to be broken so easily unless there was some catch¡¯.


    "Don''t worry boy, it is not that easy. The general of the west is very accustomed to these types of tricks. If it is about tricks even the strongest of four, the general of the east, is no match for him."


    "What is there to worry, we are here to fight, so we can just hope that the head behind us is doing the right thing."


    *Boom* *Boom*.


    The sound of the war drums increased continuously. The sun wasn''t on the top yet. A light wind was blowing by the plane of Eale, yet the surrounding was becoming more and more suffocating. No matter how trained or how experienced the army is, there is always tension before the first blood is drawn. But¡­


    "Brothers, the moment is here to fight, to fight for the empire, to protect the one that protected us till now. We have to repay the debts by protecting the old, woman and child, behind us in the cities. We have to stop the enemies at the doorsteps and push them back, so a child could have a sound sleep, so the old could have a peaceful last breath and" The voice paused for a moment then resounded in louder one, "So we could enjoy ourselves with ladies at both arms."


    The last sentence came with a shock to Kinoya. For starters, he didn''t expect the inspirational speech to end up with such a sexist line, yet it was effective.


    It freed those inexperienced minds from the shackles of fear. Now they were excited, excited with the hope that they would survive to go back and enjoy the beauties. They were cheering, taunting the enemies, those were too far away to hear it, they were ready to fight.


    ¡®Something is different about him, like an unsheathed sword¡­¡¯ Now that Kinoya looked carefully there were many soldiers around him, who looked different from the others in the vanguard. No matter how experienced a soldier is, he can never exclude the aura of a general.


    ''I have never seen any flower marks or star on his armour. Who could he be?'' Before he could look around he felt the old man whispered in his ear, "You are too young to enjoy the ladies but you have your things to do, so always stay on the right and never go in front of me. They are coming."


    The rock bits on his legs were dancing with the vibration. He was small, and couldn''t see much with the soldiers in front him, still, he could see black clouds were forming at the horizon. It was charging towards them at high speed.


    "No one allowed to go in front of me, "Kinoya shouted.


    "Don''t worry sergeant we will protect you," Drow said with a shaky voice.


    "No one, I mean no one is allowed to go in front of me." Kinoya''s demeanour changed in a split second for a moment. Even the old man who was in front of him was surprised, much less his squad member.


    "Am I clear?" Kinoya shouted again.


    "Yes, sergeant." The squad members shouted in unison. It wasn''t just Kinoya, all the others were assembling their own too.


    "Boys, ready or not here they are."


    [Shield Anchor]


    The leader of the shield-bearer squad shouted the most basic skill of the shield-bearer. It was followed by another shout.


    [Stab]


    The line of spear wilder that formed a line just behind the shield-bearer. They used the skill at the order.


    Kinoya wasn''t where he could see all of them but he could feel everything. The constant galloping of the horse, the vibration from their momentum, the explosion of the collision with the shield wall, followed by the neighing of the horses or the cry of the human, who was stabbed or got run down by the cavalry charge.


    Behind it, was the cry of the enemy infantry, that was greeted by the empire''s infantry.


    Though he didn¡¯t face the sharp edge of the first wave, he wasn¡¯t too far away from the front line. Soon enough some of the enemies passed through but were taken care of within a moment.


    The old man didn''t move from the place at all. Kinoya wanted to move but the aura around the old man was saying otherwise. He was like a crouching tiger waiting for the right moment to strike.


    Not just him, there were other people too. Whether they were close or far, all was standing there like a statue with their squad waiting for the right moment. Yet the ground started to vibrate again.


    ''It must be another charge of cavalry.'' Kinoya''s mind was in disarray. With the wall of shield out of the equation, they have to face the sharp end of the charge. No matter how much he comforted himself that he couldn¡¯t be killed, a sense of helplessness spread through his mind as he looked at the rolling waves of men and beasts.


    ''Best possible solution against the cavalry would have been the phalanx. But without enough spearmen, it will be impossible.''


    In the current situation, he was unable to find a solution. Unconsciously, he looked at the old man whose vision was stuck at the enemy wave too.


    ¡®They are all from the red front.¡¯ The realization came a little too late. The old man moved.


    "Don''t move," he said under his breath and stepped forward. He pulled out two big sabres. The wind started to blow around him. A light green aura enveloped him in a moment. Kinoya could observe the excitement on the face of others who were waiting alongside the old man.


    What happened next surprised him too much. He could count how many times he had seen it, in just one hand. So, Kinoya almost forgot about the presence of another variable of this world, The Magic.


    It became hard to breathe but it was different from the general Andlet. She had frozen the surroundings but now¡­ ¡®The wind had stopped.¡¯


    There wasn''t any green aura around the old man but the Sabres were bright green. The old man swung both the sabres horizontally. Two green crescent blades rushed towards the upcoming cavalry charge.


    [Skill Check: The Host has observed [Death-Wind Blade]]

 19. Victory on the first day

    [Skill Check: The Host has observed [Death-Wind Blade]]


    [Elemental mismatch¡­]


    [Error¡­]


    [Do you want to try to analyse?]


    ''Elemental mismatch? So wind is not my thing. Well, what will be the problem if I analyse?''


    [Analyse complete¡­]


    [[Death-Wind Blade] Observation level: 0.007%]


    [Unable to initiate the quest to learn it.]


    ''I wouldn''t be able to learn it even if the old man shows it 10000 times.'' Thinking about it he could only sigh. '' So that is why it is hard to learn a cross-elemental skill.''


    The crescent blade met the charging wall of cavalries without any resistance. Before the cavalry could understand that something was wrong they were already sliced in half.


    ''Did it grow with the distance it travelled?'' It almost took out the cavalry that was at the edge of the wave. ''What frightening skill?''


    Even in the moment of amazement, he didn''t forget his role. He was about to move out...


    "Move back."


    ''Who the hell will order to retreat right after the first contact?'' Kinoya was surprised, so was his squadmates.


    Yet the whole array of soldiers started to move back slowly. There was no chaos at all. All of them were taking back steps without even looking back. First few steps were inconsistent but soon there was no problem at all.


    ''Nobody told me about it.'' Even between his confusion, he had to move. ''A soldier is bred to follow the order.''


    Kinoya could see the charging infantry, that was behind the cavalry wave, yet the old man didn''t give the order to stop. They continued until the enemy was just 100 meters away from them before the old man shouted again.


    "Halt. Defend. Kill." The order was clear and concise. It moulded the atmosphere around those hidden soldiers. It was not only them, every one of them was ready to charge at a moment notice.


    ''Is it a skill?'' Kinoya wasn''t sure it was some kind of skill or anything else but blood inside his body began to heat up. ''That system might have popped the notification if it was''


    Kinoya couldn''t help but look at the old man holding a pair of giant sabres in his other hand. More than fear or courage, he felt the will, will of all those around him.


    Old or young, experienced or not, their wills were one, that is to fight. '' That old man!? Someday, someday I will...''


    ''Ahhh¡­'' With a sword in one and shield in other, an immediate problem came toward him, running.


    Kinoya shook his head before one of his short scimitars aimed for the enemy''s head. By instinct, the enemy raised his shield to block. It blocked his line of sight for a small moment, however for Kinoya it was more than enough. His other short scimitar slithered around the shield and drew the first blood.


    Next one was using a short spear. Kinoya moved using the [Subtle Movement]. The man, was aiming for Kinoya''s neck, had never expected Kinoya to move towards him even before drawing his scimitar out. He closed in and pierced the heart. As soon as he recovered both of his weapons another came in and he just fought. Soon he lost count of it.


    When he stopped there was a pile of dead bodies in front of him, not just front also around him. The bloody smell around him didn''t have much effect.


    The old man was beside him all the time yet there wasn''t a single drop of blood on his sabre. Again those sabres in the old man''s weapons started to glow green. Another [Death-Wind Blade] met the cavalry and the result was as expected. Next orders were the same too. After the experience of the last time, the backward movement was a lot smoother this time.


    ''The empire''s army is 50,000-70,000 weaker than the Torria''s army so... The General of the West has a good head on his shoulders.'' Even if he can''t see from outside but Kinoya had no problem understanding a simple baiting tactic.


    Thinking of a strategy is one thing but executing it was a different matter. To act as a bait the timing has to be just perfect, too slow you will die, too fast it won''t work.


    ''Yet that Old Man... He is at the centre of the whole thing.'' You can''t do it just because you are a general, you need experience, you need perfect control over every one of your soldiers and most important of all that you need to read the flow of the battlefield correctly. ''Could it be?''


    "General Akai, are we the bait?" One question was enough to make the old man stumble on his back steps.


    ''I didn''t wear any stars yet the child could guess my identity?'' The old man couldn''t help but take another look at the child beside him.


    Even if he has control over the army, one shouldn''t have correctly guessed that he was Akai. And he wasn''t introduced to the recruits. The only time they had met while they were marching still¡­


    However, Akai was more surprised about the choice of the word. ''How did he know it was bait?''


    It wasn''t something that a child who was in his first fight should understand. To understand it one has to know the whole formation of the army and Akai was sure that Kinoya was along with him from the start and there was no way he knew about the formation.


    More importantly, one has to understand the flow of battle perfectly well. That was not something that one could understand just because he has read some book or been taught. It needs experience. Even experience was not enough, it was not like every soldier on the battlefield could become a general.


    Even when the General of West explained to him up to the last detail he couldn''t help but praise the innovative idea of the general. And some child on his first fight cracked it. He didn''t show any expression on his face and asked while moving, "How do you know?"Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    With the question, Kinoya can understand pretty well that the general is interested. "It was nothing much, I used to trap animals using bait. But¡­"


    Kinoya paused and it piqued the interest of the general. He asked in agitation, "But what?"


    "Sorry general for my rude behaviour, but I don''t know what the trap is, but if it isn''t activated soon the enemy will understand and it will be too late."


    Akai stopped in his tracks. It was not that he didn''t think about it, he too felt the pace was slow. But he couldn''t force it. Not just that, also they have already used the same move twice.


    The general of the West ordered him not to hurry, not to let the enemy understand that they are the bait, yet he understood how hard it is to execute the plan.


    ''Yet this boy¡­ So this is the talent of the boy who had been recommended by the Moon general.''


    "General, it will be better if we retreat." The words shocked him.


    It was not that they were talking in low voices, others could hear them. They didn''t respond due to the respect of the general, however, Kinoya''s words made them bust out, even Kinoya''s squad members couldn''t believe the words.


    "What did you say?" The general was angry too, but he was calm outside. Though Kinoya didn''t feel that way. The increased pressure almost sent him on his knees.


    ''So this the presence of a three-star general? It is different from general Andlet. The bloodlust¡­'' Kinoya looked at the red eyes and spoke without hesitation, "The bait is losing its value."


    Others might not understand but the general knew what that line meant, yet the pressure didn''t decrease.


    "The recruits were the baits and most of them had fallen under the first wave. Those who survived were sorted by the second wave. At the beginning the bait was big, but by this third wave, I don''t think it has enough strength to survive the more wave. Even if they do, the enemy might not attack us."


    "They won''t attack us?" Hearing it they couldn''t help but put up a frown. ''If they don''t attack us the plan will face.''


    "We lost our value. 4,000 or 5,000 at most. Rather than coming us, the main army by the side should have been a better choice." The moment the word left his mouth, a taste of iron hit his throat. As the pressure on him increased, he was unable to control himself and stumbled.


    "How do you know?" Voice, laced with hostility, thundered from the above. A big sabre had been hanging in the air waiting to come down.


    ''Do you think if I was a spy I would have pointed it out?'' Rather than being afraid a smile afraid on his face, "We have already backed up for almost 400-500 meters, if not more, and looking at the hill with general''s camp I don''t think there is enough space between us to hold the whole army"


    It was for a blink but for that single moment, the pressure on him wavered. The pressure returned as the smile on Kinoya''s face thickened. "For the third cavalry wave met the same result they will think there is someone strong in the middle of the rank. If not, suspect that it is you from the skill you had used. So this is a perfect time."


    "General the third infantry will reach us soon." The soldier around them was getting anxious as they stopped without any command.


    Even though Akai knew it, after listening to him he couldn''t ignore Kinoya''s comment, "Time for what?"


    "Time to reel in the bait." Kinoya paused for a moment before adding. "They want to win the first battle so if we retreat now they MIGHT send a stronger army to take us out. But if we wait for more there will be two problems, one they might lose interest in us and more importantly they might understand we are the bait."


    Kinoya''s remarks weren''t far off. Even before Kinoya was confronted by Akai, Official Nus was practically screaming on top of his lungs, "That is a f*cking trap, you idiots. Don''t send soldiers behind them, attack the wing."


    He was at the small hill not too far away from the Eale plain. From here he can see and record all the details of the battle. As soon as the army 30,000 crumbled under the attack from just 20,000 he could understand what was wrong.


    It was unfortunate for him that general Liyato couldn''t hear him, even if he could, nobody knew whether or not the general would listen to his words or not.


    Fuming or stomping his feet won''t help him but he couldn''t help himself "Record every detail. If a single detail is missed then every single of your family will be killed." With the words, he ran towards the tent of General Kirmac which was on the other hill.


    After creating a large commotion, general Kirmac''s guard allowed him to enter the acting commander''s tent. "It''s a trap, we have to stop him."


    In front of Official Nus''s shout, the Kirmac was calm, "Why?"


    "The front 30,000 was made of inexperienced recruits, so they fell quickly. They won''t use experienced soldiers as bait."


    "But there is someone strong in them, which might be red general Akai." One of the other generals said.


    "It is Akai, that was his [Death-wind Blade] that took down the cavalry of the 2nd wave. He is also part of the bait." There was no hesitation in Nus''s voice.


    "But if we take him out on the first day then that will be great."


    "Are you an idiot?"


    Official Nus was so angry that it didn''t matter to him whether the great general was present or not. "Can''t you see the whole army is moving backwards? Not just the 30,000 in the middle but also the wings, the speed is different but they are."


    General Kirmac''s face darkened. "How do you know?" No one noticed his voice was wavering.


    "The time between each contact is increasing. At first, I thought it was my fault, but I count the time and I was right. If you see the dead bodies of the cavalry, you will understand."


    One of the guards left just to run back in quickly.


    "Whatever Official Nus said it true. And the third cavalry wave has already fallen."


    "General, please." Nus pleaded.


    "Order Liyato. Don''t attack. NOW." With General''s words two of the guards left in a hurry. Nus also came out of the tent to look down on the battleground.


    The worst had happened even before the pair of guards can reach Liyato. The army that was about to face the 3rd infantry wave turned around and ran away. Liyato who didn''t know anything about the scheme, sent 30,000 cavalries and 20,000 more infantry to take the head of Akai.


    Looking at the wing of the enemy official Nus''s was darkened. The wing of the enemy moved in a smooth movement, enclosing all tens of thousands in a big gulp. Silence enveloped the hill, only screams of fallen brethren were resounding in their helpless ears.


    "Shouldn''t we send some reinforcement?" The voice was weak, as, at the presence of the great general, the question was aimed at Nus.


    ''A sign of acceptance?!'' but the smile of rejoicing had failed to appear on his face, "The distance is too much. Infantry is useless. If we send cavalry, they will just let them enter the enclosure. It''s too late."


    "What are you talking about? Should we just let them die."


    Nus didn''t have the energy to argue. He just, "It is not like you people are going to listen to me, so just do as you wish. I think it is just one battle, winning the war is more important."


    Those words just flamed the anger of some, yet Nus didn''t care. ''Never been in history anybody had used such a cowardly strategy yet they had succeeded¡­''


    It was as Nus foretold. Their struggle soon died as they had been slaughtered under the arrows of 20,000 archers.


    Liyato did send some cavalry and infantry behind them but at that time it was the strongest soldiers of Red Front who were at the vanguard. The kingdom''s army had failed to breakthrough. Their chaotic charge just increased the number of casualties


    By the time the whole ordeal ended it was almost evening. The army of the Kingdom of Torria couldn''t do anything other than watching their friend being slaughtered.


    At the end of day one, The Empire lost just 35,000 whereas the Torria army lost staggering 110,000 soldiers. A shadow of gloom soon engulfed the whole Torria camp where the empire''s camp was enjoying their victory.


    What was unknown to both of the camps that this war will change the whole way the battle is fought throughout the continent. The future historian will say this is the battle that gave birth to the two most successful unorthodox generals of the humankind.

 20. The Warm and Cold Feelings

    Silence dampened even the long sighs, those escaped each time they remembered the massacre of the day. The blood inside their body was burning yet no one dared to spit a single word.


    No matter how many advantages they had, they had failed. Commander-in-chief Kirmac was putting on his calm face mask as usual. Liyato had no word to put against his failure.


    No matter how much he wanted his prediction to be true there was one thing that Nus had never wanted and that was the death of his fellow country mates.


    With few flickers from the light crystal, the tent plunged into darkness. Some guards quickly came in and replaced the light crystal.


    "I have a plan." Official Nus wasn''t worried about anything else right now, what worried him most is the result of the war. Everybody looked at General Kirmac for his response.


    "Go ahead." With the confirmation, the atmosphere turned heavy. "The tactics they have used today is something we call ''Bait and trap''. It is a crude process. It is a technique used by the hunter to hunt a big animal. But this is the first time it is used in war."


    "That is against the law of war."


    ¡°That is cowardly.¡± The hatred was strong but...


    "Does it matter?" Nus snickered, "Under the first emperor they attacked the old Roginian kingdom when they were mourning for their king. They were the one who slaughtered the army that had already surrendered. If they don''t follow the rules, why should we?"


    Everybody turned silent as Nus continued, "And what they did in the war was not against the law of war. It is something called War strategy. It is these types of small tricks that help Penia to survive against the war beast country of Dogol."


    Nobody argued about it. No matter how much they worship the law of war and everything else, none of them wanted to lose the war.


    "We have two advantages. We have lost and they have won.¡± Nus¡¯s choice of words had surprised many, ¡°Though it might be the same thing, the results are different.¡±


    ¡°We have lost, so they might underestimate us thinking we have broken down. And they have won, so they will be less cautious and less guarded. With the number of soldiers on both sides, they have nothing to fear. They won¡¯t be using any more tricks.¡±


    ¡°What if they do?¡± It was the same weak-voiced general. This was the question everybody wanted to ask.


    ¡°If they do, we will be prepared, but if we do it then what?¡± For the first time, Nus had put on a smile, ¡°We have to use that to our advantage. And the most important advantage is the Magical scribers."


    ''Magical Scribers? They are not combatants. They can''t fight, the only thing they are good at is logistics.'' That was the thought going through everybody''s mind but nobody argued him.


    As the night grew darker the camp grew more chaotic and¡­


    **************


    "Boy, you were lucky that your plan worked, otherwise not just you, even my head would have been rolling on the floor." Akai was holding his wine chalice. Kinoya was sitting not too far from him.


    "It is just the commander is not good at planning." The moment the words left him, he turned silent. Kinoya turned towards the food in front of him and started eating as nothing happened.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Kinoya could feel quite a few eyes were glaring at him. While Korai just smiled and some didn''t even care about it. On the other hand, Akai broke in laughter.


    "Why do you say that? That was something well ahead of its time."


    "Well, I didn''t say the strategy was bad but the commander couldn''t utilize it well. He wasn''t very sure about the result, otherwise, he would have sent 30,000 strong units, in place of 30,000 recruits and makeshift workers. And without you, it would have been impossible to pull it off. Truthfully, a 30,000 strong unit would have worked as a better bait than you."


    "What are you saying, our general wasn''t good enough or the commander-in-chief is bad?"


    "Why are you so angry about it, he didn''t mean that," Korai said with a smile.


    "No the general was good, but the commander-in-chief was not good in strategy."


    "That is not something you should say carelessly." Akai''s voice was stern.


    "I am sorry general, but it is true. A good strategy is something that anyone could pull out successfully not the one that needs a special person to complete. A whole strategy could never depend on a single person. Think about what would happen if that one person is injured. General, can you recommend one person who could take your place?"


    Nobody answered they have nothing to say against it. No matter how much they want to deny it, it was true.


    "It is an innovative strategy. Reading the history of the empire I am sure this is something that never happened before, but it is just the beginning, the battlefield is changing. It might seem impossible now but there will be a day when it will be possible to defeat a big army with a small one."


    All of them looked at him with all seriousness but soon burst into laughter.


    "General this little one should have been a great scholar." One of the generals laughed it out.


    But for some reason, Akai couldn''t laugh. He sighed for a moment and said, "I was a major under the first emperor. Then under the 2nd emperor, I became a three-star general. I have been in the army for more than 50 years, I don''t know about this child''s claim, but there is one thing that he said is true. The battlefield is changing and changing fast. If we don''t adapt fast, the old bones like us, we will soon have to retire."


    The whole room turned silent. It was ok with the 12-year-old boy but no one can argue with the general, even after a drink.


    "No general, you don''t have to retire. You are the people we need most in the field. The strategies are good in the books but you are the people who have to implant it in the war. I would bet that if you weren''t here the commander-in-chief wouldn''t have tried to pull out such a trick. You are the key to success."


    Akai burst out again, "Boy sometimes I felt that you are not a child but an old man. I don''t know if you want to cheer me up or not but I am happy now. Boy, you have quite a good day too. To take down a hundred on the first day is not something to laugh at."


    Kinoya was surprised. He wasn''t sure about how many he had killed. It was a lot but not sure about the number.


    "There is a magic device in everyone''s armour that keeps the record of the number you have slain. And that is reported to the battle centre." Korai explained.


    "How does that work?" Kinoya didn''t have much of an interaction with the magic of this world other than what he saw at Old man''s place. He was just plain curious.


    "It was the product of ¡®The royal magic academy¡¯. Other than keeping the count it also gives protection against damage. It was one of the top ten products of the Academy."


    "Wow, that is amazing. There is more product that is better than this? I want to see those."


    "You like magic?" Akai asked.


    ¡°Last time it was recorded he had 182 of intelligence stats," Korai added.


    Not just Akai, others were also stunned at his words.


    "Wow, that is great. You are 12 right? If you survive for 4 more years, I will send you to the Royal Magus Knight academy. If you are lucky you might have the chance to get into the royal magic academy."


    "Let''s see if he can survive for 4 years or not?" The one talked was the direct general of Kinoya.


    The very next day proved the words of the generals. Kinoya was feeling the heat after facing the blunt edge of the enemy''s attacks. Without the general around him, it was a lot harder for him to keep up with the enemy that was slamming at them like a horde of raging bulls.


    All of a sudden his danger sense was tingling like crazy and tangled in the army it was hard for him to move at all. He looked up and the pain hit him. An arrow went straight through the right eye. If he didn''t jerk his head at the last minute then it would have gone through his brain. He almost screamed but nothing could be heard amid the chaos. The sky was darkened with the rain of arrows.


    ''HOW?'' a voice screamed in his mind.

 21. Lost!!!

    War of Eale plane, day two.


    The whole army of the empire was arranging themselves in neat arrays on the plane of Eale. Every one of them was excited after the victory of the first day.


    Kinoya was towards the front again but there were more than ten rows in front of him. There was no sign of general Akai close to him.


    ¡®It looks like a war of attenuation.¡¯ Even though he can guess why the general is doing this but, ¡®Abandoning strategy just because of the number of enemies had been reduced, is a foolish choice. Then again it was not like the enemy is going to use any trick either.¡¯


    Thinking about it all Kinoya could do was to shook his head before ordering, "Never go before me and always stay in the formation."


    "Don''t worry sergeant, we can handle it. "


    "No matter how far we are, we will protect you." With Drow''s words, the whole squad broke into laughter. Kinoya got used to the occasional jester of his squadmates. He felt happy about having someone to laugh with.


    *Boom* *Boom*


    The rhythmic drums started to beat from the back. The strategy of the second day for the empire was rather simple, fight and fight until you win.


    With the success of the first-day strategy, the commander-in-chief was able to bring down the number difference to none. So he was now using the straight forward methods.


    And with the loss of 60,000 cavalries on the first day Torria''s army have to depend on the infantry. With the drum banging from both side the infantry charged at each other. Kinoya controlled the speed in such a way that they won''t be the first one to crash in each other.


    Lucky for him he had taught the squad a simple arrow formation on their way to Eale from Naylos. Soon enough the formation showed its effect.


    With constant rotation between themselves, there was not much pressure on them. With Kinoya''s leading they didn''t dive too much in the enemy line.


    But the life in the war couldn''t be so smooth after all. Soon they met a hammer carrying guy. Kinoya¡¯s expertise wasn¡¯t strong enough to take down the guy with the formation.


    So he broke out after putting Drow, who was also a dual swordsman, in-charge of the formation. The decision he will be regretting for days to come.


    The guy swung the hammer at him without hesitation but Kinoya didn''t try to take the hit head-on. Using [Subtle Movement] he escaped the reach of the hammer and aimed for his heart. But the guy was more agile than he thought.


    He used the weight of his hammer to pull himself out of the path of the sword and swung the hammer horizontally. Kinoya ducked and move behind the leg and aimed for the Achilles tendon.


    It was his blind size yet it missed the target. A back kick greeted him, Kinoya rolled out the way to escape it. Again the area above him darkened and it started to exert pressure on him with the incoming hammer.


    Even if his body knew what to do, it failed due to the fallen soldiers and weapon on the ground. With people massacring each other all around him, he escaped the hammer by hair breath.


    ¡®Maybe due to general, I didn¡¯t have to fight such a strong enemy.¡¯ Kinoya understood the reason for his success while keeping his eyes on the hammer wilder. ¡®He may be using a heavy weapon, but looking the way he is using it, he had a lot of experience with it.¡¯


    ¡°Run, you should run back to you mama. Come back when you have sucked enough milk.¡± Listening to his taunting remarks all Kinoya could do was smile before a notification popped up in his mind.


    And the hammer missed him. No matter how strong the attacks are Kinoya dodged them all, like a leaf falling in the wind.


    [Skill [Free Fall] activated.]


    [Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance] increased.]


    [Comprehen level: 85.7%]Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Even if his movement didn¡¯t stop, the smile on his face brightened. ¡®No matter how much I had practised I couldn¡¯t rise the comprehension level yet it increased on the first time I used at the battle?¡¯


    However, the smile carried taunting meaning to the hammer wielder. His actions started to get more chaotic and an opening appeared.


    [Skill [Hitting the leaf] activated]


    [Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance] increased.]


    [Comprehen level: 85.8%]


    Still the tip of the sword failed to give a fatal blow, left a shallow bloodline around his neck. Maybe it was due to the difference in height but before the hammer guy could get happy about it another scimitar slashed across his thigh.


    Unable to control his weight he went on his knees. At the next moment, his throat was slashed, ending his futile struggle. Looking at the end of the hammer guy all he could do was to sigh.


    Soon he had found the squad formation was a little distance away. He was trying to go close to it, but the number of enemies that were getting him increased a lot. Even before he could take any breath the formation went out of sight.


    In the formation, the fighting was much easier. But without proper knowledge, Drow was having a hard time manoeuvring the formation. The only thing they can do was go straight, and unknowing to them they went deep into the enemy formation.


    On the other hand, not knowing the problem of his squad, Kinoya continued to fight. It was not that he wanted to but it was where his inexperienced kicked in.


    He was marked by the enemy, he didn''t have any lack of opponents. And Kinoya didn''t know how to escape the markings so he continued to fight. With his endurance stats awakened he had no problems at all. But more he fought, harder it became for him to escape the marking.


    "Major Oita have taken the head of the enemy commander." The voice thundered through the battlefield. For a moment the whole army plunged into silence, which was followed by utter chaos.


    The first thing Kinoya saw was the army of Torria turned and ran out of the battlefield. The second thing was the empire army who was chasing. Kinoya wasn¡¯t at a position where he could stand and decide what he could do next.


    ''There were more than 50,000 soldiers of Torria present, it is impossible to have just one commander. Even if it is not someone as strong as General Akai, it shouldn¡¯t be someone who can be taken down by a major.''


    While running he saw a commotion in front of him. What awaited him just confirmed his notion. A Wall, wall of a tower shield. Before he could think of anything he felt some fluctuation of energy behind the enemy line.


    ¡®This feeling¡­ It¡¯s same as at that time. A teleportation circle.¡¯ A single thought wet his back in fear. He activated [Subtle Movement] and moved through the swamp of people to find his teammates.


    What worried him most was that the fluctuation came from their back. ¡®Could they have teleported some soldiers behind our back. They are using the same strategy. They have trapped us.¡¯


    Thinking about it, Kinoya¡¯s struggle got fiercer, yet no matter how much he looked for them he couldn¡¯t find them.


    And it was too late. His danger sense was tingling like crazy and tangled in the army, it was hard for him to move at all. He looked up and the pain hit him. An arrow went straight through the right eye.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh¡±


    If he didn''t jerk his head at the last moment it would have gone straight through his brain. He screamed but there was no help. The sky was dark with the rain of arrows.


    Before anything, he released the short scimitar and took out the round shield from the back. And it rained. It rained like crazy. The sky was dark by the arrow, the ground was by blood, not a shade in view, not a place to hide.


    Kinoya didn''t know when the rain of arrows stopped. He was just crouching there with taut muscle holding the round shield above his head like a marble statue. There were arrows in his eye, in his left thigh and the shoulder.


    ¡°Ahh¡± a cry of pain escaped his throat as he tried to stand up. The armour was still there but it had dent and holes all over it. His lower garment was dyed red. He had no idea whether it was his blood or from the ground still, it was painful.


    Each time he pulled out the arrows, the muscles around the wound throbbed like crazy. And the eye¡­


    ¡°Woouuuaaaahhh¡±


    His breath was ragged, his whole head was throbbing with the right side of his face was dyed in blood. Yet howl of pain was drowned by the screams and cries all around him.


    Not even a thousand of original 50,000-60,000 left standing. Those, who were on the ground yet failed to die were¡­


    Kinoya took a step forward. Threw his shield away and another short scimitar was nowhere to be found. He walked forward, stepping on the red mud, missing the bodies by inch.


    [Skill check: [Basic Pain Resistance] acquired]


    With a single slash, he cut down the arrows those stuck on the ground. He raised his leg but it didn¡¯t come down. He ignored that last notification but couldn¡¯t ignore those hollow eyes staring at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sergeant, we will protect you.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid sergeant¡­¡±


    Those countless voices resounded in his mind. Those happy memories were now too painful to bear. Blood trickled down the hollow hole on his right side of his face.


    ¡°Ahhhh¡±


    Nobody knew the meaning of the cry. To Kinoya, it was more painful than those bloody wound. He knew death is an inevitable outcome of the war but he couldn¡¯t help it but to cry out loud. Cry turned into a fit of blood cough before it turned into maniacal laughter.


    Kinoya had no idea those survived the carnage tried to crawl back towards the camp yet Kinoya pointed his short scimitar towards the shield-wall¡­


    ¡°You want to kill me? Ha ha ha. What a bunch of cowards, come out and fight me.¡± Where it was from the pain or from the shock he had started to lose his rationality, it diluted his mind as black smoke had started to come out from his right eye hole.


    Yet he was still control of his body. ¡°You cowards, if you are not going to come, I will come to you...¡± He continued to mumble. Kinoya was drunk, drunk in pain. Mixed with the sorrow of losing his squadmates, it was too much for him. He couldn''t control his emotions at all.


    Kinoya''s word didn''t finish before the ground started to tremble. And Kinoya could feel that fluctuation again. The teleportation circle was being activated again.


    Kinoya was conscious of the archers. He knew that they were teleported back.


    "So you are running away now?" Kinoya howled while looking at the shield line and charged at the wall.


    He wasn¡¯t reactive enough to understand that the vibration was increasing with his every step. A black cloud was forming along the horizon as he slammed against the shield wall alone.


    Half of his face was now clouded in black smoke with a blue flame flicking at his right eyehole. Those shield-bearers shuddered each time their eyes met, yet Kinoya was unable to breakthrough.


    But it broke. Kinoya stood there in shock as countless horses slammed into the wall and punched through it. The last thing Kinoya remember was being grabbed by the neck by the last person he saw. It was the silent one-star general of the red front, General Vaicus.

 22. The Plan

    *Ahh*


    A groan escaped his mouth as soon he opened his eyes. What greeted him wasn¡¯t the sky but the ceiling of the tent. The tent was different and bigger than the one his squad members had set up.


    *Sigh*


    That was all he could do while thinking about the things he had experienced. He looked around to find his vision had shortened. Without moving his neck he couldn''t see the things on the right.


    He moved his hand to find the right side of his face was wrapped in a cloth bandage. Kinoya groaned in pain.


    "It wasn''t a dream after all."


    The fatigue had stripped off his strength and along with the wounds it was hard for him to move. He looked down to find some places on his body that were still wrapped. He tried to sit back up but failed. Nausea hit him as his body slumped on the bed again.


    ¡°They have died, just like that. I am weak.¡± When their faces appeared in front of his face again, he couldn¡¯t control his emotion any more, ¡°Still too weak. Weak, that is why I have to listen to that idiot leader.¡±


    More he thought about it, the angrier he got. ¡°Careless, overconfidence and underestimating the enemy shouldn¡¯t be the quality of a leader, but¡­¡± Kinoya knew very well it wasn¡¯t just the General of the West who had underestimated the enemy but he did it too.


    Thinking about his error for long enough did help him to gain back some of his strengths as he moved again. He put on the armour that was at his side. One of the short scimitars was still there but he lacked the pair of it and also the shield.


    Each of his movements was sending a jolt of shocks to his brain. It was painful but it was also the reason he could stay awake. When he came out of the tent, the sun was about to kiss the horizon. The sky was turning red with blood.


    "Where are you going?" The guard outside the tent asked in a stern voice.


    ¡®They might have someone whom they had known still they have to do their work. They might have grown numb to the deaths.¡¯


    ¡°Hey are you okay?¡± the other guard shook his hand in front of his face to get Kinoya¡¯s attention who was lost in thought.


    Kinoya sighed and bowed. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    They were caught off guard by his reaction, still, they asked, ¡°Where are you going? The General asked us to let you rest until you have recovered.¡±


    "I am going to find my squadmates." Kinoya¡¯s voice was weak, the emotion was unstable but the resolution was strong, ¡®Even if they have no chance of surviving, I have to find their body and give them a proper burial.¡¯


    The guards wanted to say something but didn''t. Their hesitation made his heart sore but Kinoya bowed and moved towards the plane.


    Many people were already moving in the field, recovering usable arrows, armours, even the bodies of their friends. It was hard for them to recover the bodies of all the fallen one. So these fallen bodies become the steps to victory. That was the fate of a soldier.


    Kinoya moved towards the centre where the battle had taken place. The place was closer to the enemy camp than of his own. He just stood there looking over the sea of dead bodies. Those incidents started to flood his mind.


    Though he already knew about the place, it was still hard. He had to drag his body quite long before he could find three of them. They were quite close to each other, but others were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Why do I have to leave the formation? If¡­¡± Even if he was staring at the dark sky, tears were streaming from his left eyes while the other one started throbbing again. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Boy, are they your squad member?¡± The man didn¡¯t have any armour on, his hand was dirty and had a basket full of weapons at the back. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, boy. They have gone to a better place, a place with no war. They are happy.¡±


    ¡®Do you think I am just a child?¡¯ Those lines didn¡¯t appear in his mind. Rather he wanted to believe those empty words.


    ¡°This is what war is. Either you will kill others or you will be killed. No matter how many die the sun will rise again tomorrow, the wind will blow and¡­¡± The voice turned melancholic, ¡°Those people, who are living in the comfort of the city wall, will never understand the pain of death, their useless bicker will continue¡­¡±


    ¡°WHHYYYY? Whyyyy? why?¡± His sudden scream startled the dirty man, as Kinoya slumped on the uneven ground. The resistance that was stopping him from crying went away, and he cried like no tomorrow.


    The dirty man put down the basket behind him and came to pat Kinoya¡¯s back but it didn¡¯t have any good effect on him. He cried without any awareness of the world. When his conscious return he could see the dirty man sitting beside him.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± The worried voice asked, but all Kinoya could do was nod as he stood up. He tried to pull out the bodies.


    ¡°Let me help you.¡±With the dirty man¡¯s help, it went a lot quicker, ¡°Do you want to bury them? I can help.¡±


    Kinoya was having a hard time deciding what to do with the body. After hesitating for a while he asked, ¡°Can you burn them?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. But¡­¡±


    ¡°I will pay.¡±


    Hearing about the pay a bright smile appeared on his face, as he whistled loudly. Soon three more people arrived with a basket full of weapons on their backs.


    ¡°One gold coin.¡± After consulting others the dirty man said with hesitation. Kinoya didn¡¯t have much but he took out three gold coins and gave him.


    ¡°It was one¡­¡±


    ¡°Just do the ceremony properly.¡±


    With a bright smile, they had started to arrange the thing, while one of them had left to bring woods.


    Kinoya just stood there looking at the bright light burning at the enemy camp. ''There is someone who was able to our strategy to the last detail and used it against us.¡¯


    ¡®The adaptability of the person was not something to laugh at.'' But what surprised Kinoya more was the ruthlessness. He sent 50,000 just as bait if the plan was to fail; they would have lost 50,000 more, after losing more than a hundred thousand after the first day. ¡®But the term like ''if'' has no use in reality.''


    All the ¡®if¡¯ and ¡®but¡¯ continued to run through his mind looking for possible solutions. ¡®No matter what it is, I am too weak to make it a reality. I am just another pawn on the board. And the game is played by an idiot.¡¯


    No matter what he couldn¡¯t stop cursing the commander-in-chief. He had no attachment to the empire, to begin with, his only aim was to survive and move up on the ladder. But...


    Kinoya steeled his resolve as the sheet of darkness soon enveloped the world. Kinoya continued to scavenge for a shield he could use. Soon enough he found one but his other scimitar was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Is there any weapon you want?¡± A childish voice asked. It was one who was with the dirty man. The owner, of the same age group as him, was staring at him with curious eyes.


    ¡°Do you have a short scimitar?¡± Hearing the request he was quick to look inside the basket and took out one scimitar and gave it to Kinoya.


    ¡°It is too big.¡±


    ¡°You want the small one? Wait a minute, I think my father has found one.¡± The child went running.


    ¡®There are people who will do this type of work too.¡¯ Kinoya looked inside to find all kinds of weapons, it was not just weapons, there was armour too, both of Kingdom and empire. And something clicked inside him.


    ¡°Will this do?¡± The child had returned with one. It was short because it was broken. But at this moment Kinoya wasn¡¯t worried about it.


    ¡°Do you have any more armour of the Kingdom?¡± Kinoya asked as he pulled out one from the basket.


    ¡°Yes, we have a lot. How many do you want?¡±


    ¡°As much as possible.¡±Hearing the answer the child¡¯s smile brightened up, but he stopped, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a soldier of the Empire? Why are you looking for Kingdom¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°I just need it.¡± Kinoya¡¯s brain went on overdrive thinking of a plane of infiltration. He was so deep in it that he had almost missed but he shouted, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Startled by the sudden outbreak, he looked towards Kinoya with fearful eyes. He wanted to go back to his father but Kinoya grabbed him. With a weak body, the boy had no chance to escape Kinoya¡¯s clutch.


    So he recited, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a soldier of the Empire? Why are you looking for Kingdom¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°No. No. After that.¡± More impatient Kinoya got, the more fearful the child had become.


    ¡°That is peculiar.¡± The child was trying his hardest to recite every word he had said, ¡°Those soldiers were also asking the same questions¡­¡±


    ************


    Kinoya closed in on the Akai''s tent and was greeted with a concerned shout from Akai.


    "Listen general I have some important information to give you. Please listen to me first." Kinoya''s serious voice took them by surprise. They followed him inside the tent.


    "They are aiming to raid our camp. Our food supply station is one of their aim" Kinoya''s words fall like thunder but Kinoya continued, "Right now they are scavenging the dead bodies of our army and using the armour they will get into the camp."


    "You are joking. You were unconscious some time ago. How could you know? General, this boy is bluffing." It was the acting general of Kinoya, who spoke.


    Kinoya didn''t know why his Acting General had some kind of prejudice against him. But it was not like he cared, he looked at Akai without hesitation.


    ¡°How do you know?¡±It was the question he had expected, so he explained, ¡°From the scavengers¡­¡±


    ¡°Scavengers?¡± Under the curious gaze, he explained the event up to last detail.


    ¡°How can we believe the words of those lowly bastards?¡± The acting general was staring dagger at Kinoya, ¡°After all, he is a low-born himself. What a fitting co-operation.¡±


    On the other hand, Akai was in the thought but soon left the spot "Let''s see the commander-in-chief."


    Kinoya nodded and said, "But before that, General, we need to put some guard at the supply station."


    "Korai, do it." Akai was more concerned about the impending attack, so he left with Kinoya.

 23. The Counterattack

    The tent of commander-in-chief was bigger but the number of people was a lot less. Other than General Andlet and the last three-star general only three more people were present. One standing just behind the commander-in-chief, the general of the west, and from the dress of the other two, they didn¡¯t look like a soldier.


    It was Kinoya''s first time seeing the commander-in-chief. The pressure he was excluding was much stronger than Akai even though he was younger than the red general.


    "General, what brings you here?" The voice was placid yet it contained the presence of the general.


    "The enemies are planning to attack the camp." Before Akai could respond Kinoya answered without hesitation.


    "Who are you?" There was no ripple on his face but the pressure weighing down on him made Kinoya realise otherwise.


    ¡®Is that important now? Shouldn¡¯t we be more worried about the impending danger?¡¯ Thinking about the reaction of the general, his face darkened, "I am Sergent Kinoya Arviga. But that is not important right now, they will be attacking soon"


    "Impudent, is this the way you talk to your superior?" The man behind the General shouted as a huge amount of pressure sent Kinoya on his knees. With the wounds all over his body, it was hard for him to sustain so much pressure.


    There was nobody in the room who had any intention to help him, much less the general of the west, he looked at Akai and asked again, "Who is he?"


    Before Akai, the general Andlet answered, "Kinoya Arviga, have high enough intelligence stats to be admitted in the Royal Magic Academy. Assisted the Moon Legion during the invasion of Penia. Recommended by the Moon general and Arviga duke."


    Akai started where the lady general finished, "He was the one who assisted me to complete General''s strategy."


    For the first time, the general looked Kinoya at the eye. The Moon general was just a three-star general but wielded as much power as any of the four cardinal generals. No one in the empire could argue about the authority of the Moon general, much less Arviga duke.


    According to the report, Akai had submitted yesterday, he suggested that he was assisted by a young soldier. It was just hard for the commander-in-chief to believe that a child who was in the formation could find out the plan even without knowing what the actual formation looks like.


    "What do you want to say?" The voice was still calm, yet there was a presence of curiosity in his eye. At his sign, the guard released the pressure as he stood back up.


    "We can win the war tonight,"


    The silence deepened and Kinoya was in the middle of it. That was something everybody wanted to hear but was not something a sergeant could say, much less the one who is just 12 years old.


    Even Akai didn¡¯t expect such words from Kinoya. But before he could say anything, the commander-in-chief ordered, "Go on." If one had looked closely they would have found the change in his expression.


    Kinoya explained the whole plan of the enemy, without hiding a single detail. And¡­


    ¡°What is that? There is no way they are going to attack at night, that will be against the code of honour. How could you be so sure that they are not lying?¡± One of the men, in civil-dress, couldn¡¯t stay silent and burst out.


    "Code of Honor?¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but put up a frown, ¡°According to the code of honour the plan used by us, yesterday, was a shameful act, yet the enemy learned from it and used far more effectively. Should we wait till they kill us before retaliating?¡±


    ¡°You impudent? How do you talk to me like that? Do you know I can just¡­¡± The man was furious yet he had to control himself at the signal of the commander-in-chief.


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Catch, all those who enter our camp, infiltrate their camp and" Kinoya stopped for a moment before adding, ¡°Slaughter them in the middle of chaos.¡±


    Even the civil officer who was shouting till now turned silent. A chill ran down his spine as he heard it. It was not just him, even Akai took another look at the little boy beside him.


    "Explain."


    "We need 30 people at most who will infiltrate the camp."


    ¡°30?"


    "They were looking for around 50 armours, so it is safe to assume that they will be sending at least 40. Just to be safe we should send 30.¡±


    Kinoya continued without giving them any chance to refute, ¡°Other than those soldiers and the upper echelon of the enemies, there will be very few who would know about the attack. So if the number is too many they might suspect something."


    ¡°How can you be so sure that they won¡¯t let others know about it?¡±


    ¡°If you accept my plan, how many people will you talk about it?¡± The question was the answer yet¡­


    ¡°Sergeant, I need to remind you that you are in the presence of a cardinal general. Watch your action.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t you have anything better to do other than thinking about ethics and manners?¡¯ Though he looked at the guard, he dared not to say it.


    ¡°Will 30 be enough?¡±Rather than the guard, General Vorn, who was sitting silently till now, was more concerned about the next course of action. Nobody will believe that with just 30 people one can take out the army that was over a hundred thousand strong.


    ¡°They will burn the horse stable, the armoury, the canteens and the general''s camps if possible. The moment fire lit up the cavalry will charge through the camp creating more chaos. Followed by the arrow rain. A mixture of fire arrow and normal arrow will be more effect...¡±


    ¡°General we don¡¯t need to listen to his delusional thoughts anymore. General Akai you should take better care of your soldiers. He might be injured in his head from today¡¯s fight.¡± The civil officer spoke a piece of nasty laughter.


    Looking at the clenched fist beside him, Kinoya was sure that general Akai and the civil officer didn¡¯t have any good relation. On the other hand the faces of generals¡¯ had different expressions.


    "I don''t know how much cavalry or the archer we have but we need at least 20,000 cavalries. It would be good if the number of archers is the same. But 15,000 would be the minimum."


    ¡°Sending cavalry at the enemy camp is a suicide, even if it is middle of the night.¡± From his voice, Kinoya could understand General Vorm was interested in the plan but was not sure about the credibility of it, ¡°Even before that, it will be hard to move so many cavalries without getting their attention.¡±


    "There is a forked route on our way here. 2 km before, the trail behind the hills is good but can''t be used by carriage so the merchants generally avoid it. The cavalry will have no problem to pass. Each cavalry could carry one archer with them, one quiver of the arrow, no need for the armour or anything that creates noise. The hooves of the horses could be wrapped with cloths to reduce noise. The lighter they are the faster they will be. They will wait for the signal of those who entered the camp."


    In the war, the map is an important asset. Knowing the field and using it in one''s favour is winning the war. After their posting was announced Kinoya spent his last few days in the military library studying the map around the area.


    ¡°That could be feasible.¡± Compared to Kinoya, General Vorm had a better understanding of the terrain around the plane.


    Yet the officer shouted again, ¡°Are you mad? Attacking at night is against the rule. If the Imperial court hears about it, there will be severe punishment.¡±


    ¡°As long as we achieve victory¡­¡± The first sign of support came from the person beside him. General Akai. ¡°The path doesn¡¯t matter, as long as we win.¡±


    ¡°Why are we not attacking their food station?¡± The other person in civil dress spoke out at last.


    "We can''t block their supply route so it will be better if we can use that food as our supply. We are the one who is fighting outside our country and food is something we can''t waste."


    Kinoya didn¡¯t know for sure but from the looks of him, Kinoya could see the logistic officer was in support of the attack.


    *Clap* *Clap*


    Thunderous claps broke the tranquillity of the atmosphere, with a big smile the first civil officer added, ¡°Really, this boy¡¯s intelligence stats are not for show.¡± Hearing his words, the expression of his face had darkened, yet he chose not to refute.


    ¡°Even his delusion so elaborate and complete. General, I think rather than a soldier he is better suited to be a scribe. If he developed enough he might be able to get the chance to join the imperial court.¡± With a frown on his face, he added, ¡°Even without confirming the source of news, this child had already waived such an elaborate plan depending on ¡®if¡¯s.¡±


    Without any resistance, he continued, ¡°What if they don¡¯t attack? Won¡¯t we be the one who initiated the attacks at night?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to attack first. After we have apprehended their soldier we can just lit proxy fire all over the camp. The generals of the army will be anxious about the attack, the moment the attack succeeds those who know will let their guard down and those who don''t know about it will be surprised. That will be the time when we will act.¡±


    ¡°General.¡± Now fuming, The civil officer shouted in anger, ¡°As a representative of the Imperial court, I am against the plan. And I suggest that for delivering false news to create chaos, this soldier should be appropriately punished.¡±


    ¡®What is the problem with you? What could I even earn for spreading wrong information?¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but smile at his silly remarks, ¡°General, if you are sending people in the enemy camp, I want to nominate myself.¡±


    His last words dropped like a bomb. It even startled the loud-mouthed civil officer. All those present in the room couldn¡¯t help but take another look at him.


    Going in the enemy camp is like suicide. Even if they came out victorious at the end, the chance of surviving is close to zero. Whether he is fit for the duty or not is a different question yet the child unhesitantly nominated himself for such a deadly operation¡­


    ¡°Haaaaa¡± Another thunderous laughter followed, ¡°See, I told you, this child is hurt in his head. He should be¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t complete his sentence before he was greeted by disgusted looks.


    ¡°Officer, have some rest. We will talk after you sober up.¡± The words of simple and the Commander-in-chief said with a smile on his face but the officer couldn¡¯t help but shudder in fear. He wanted to refute but the guard closed in at the signal.


    He gave a hateful look at Kinoya before leaving the tent.


    ¡°Sergeant, take your leave. I forbid you to spread any news about the night activity.¡±


    Kinoya didn¡¯t waste any more moments. With a bow, he left.

 24. Lost again

    "Boy, where are we going?" He was the captain of the General of the west¡¯s guard and was the leader of the mission.


    ''I don''t understand why the general let a child infiltrate the enemy camp with us. Thinking of a plan and executing it is two different things.'' He was not very satisfied with the decision. But as the captain of the General''s guards, he would obey all the order given to him.


    Kinoya could understand the reluctance of the people with him but, "Keep it down. I had moved some of the enemy¡¯s armours before."


    Kinoya led them to the place where he hid the armours. Other than Kinoya, all of them were from the General''s guard, most trained of all the soldiers who were present in the empire''s camp. Kinoya could understand the reluctance to take him with them, however, Kinoya chose not to dwell in that matter.


    As they were putting on the armours the captain explained the plan up to the last detail, "First and foremost we have to find the stables, armouries, canteens and any general''s camp if possible.¡±


    Kinoya could feel most of the words were aimed at him, ¡°Don''t be extra brave and try to go near the command centre or try to assassinate one of the generals. If the mission fails because any of you then your entire family will be slaughtered. So be careful and hide as much as possible before the signal."


    Kinoya had brought two new short scimitars, one new and one old. Varytita was on his back too.


    ¡°Do you need to bring that with you? It might expose you.¡±


    Kinoya could see the deep frown on the captain¡¯s face. ¡°The general had allowed me.¡± The only thing that could pacify the captain was the general of the west, so he chose his words wisely.


    ''When did the general say those words?'' the Captain of the guard was surprised but didn''t refute. Soon they spread out.


    The camp contained more than 100,000 people. It was well spread out, and without any previous knowledge of night attack, the guarding were bound to be loose.


    With the training of the old man, under the domain of Varytita, Kinoya had no problem in infiltrating the enemy camp. With the help of [Subtle Movement], he moved from one shadow to another, without drawing any attention.


    On top of that, the atmosphere in the camp was relaxed. The soldiers were enjoying themselves after their triumphs over the enemy. There were not many people of his age, but it wasn''t hard for him to join the fray.


    Soon there was no shortage of news. After getting the rough idea of the position of the stables he left. While he left the canteen he could see at least 5 people, who had come with him, were present there.


    The moon was on high but he was moving through the shadows, without making the slightest noise. He soon found what he was looking for. The well. The place around it was muddy but there was no one around it. Kinoya waited till the sentry had left the place and moved closer.


    He walked around the well once anti-clockwise then twice clockwise. He looked up at the moon and said: "The moon is beautiful." While talking the edge of his lips couldn¡¯t stop twitching.


    "Yes, the moon is beautiful today."


    "It would have been better if it was red."


    "I hoped it would rise in the west."


    Kinoya almost laughed it out. He didn''t know how the guard captain could do it with a straight face.


    Kinoya handed him the map, ¡°Burn down all places marked.¡±


    ''How a sergeant dares to order me?'' The guard captain was not happy with his attitude but as soon as he opened it he was speechless. "There were 6 stables? Not 4?"


    It was not just the stables, even the officer''s canteen and two of the general¡¯s camps were marked there. ¡°How?¡± He wanted to ask but the intended words never came out.


    ¡°Who are you? State your name and¡­¡± The sudden appearance of the sentries even startled even the guard captain. Before he could understand what he should do, Kinoya vanished from the side of his and he didn¡¯t hear the end of the sentence.


    [Skill [Hitting the leaf] activated]


    [Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance] increased.]


    [Comprehen level: 88.5%]


    The notification didn¡¯t phase him as his scimitar sliced off the throat of the guard who talked first. Even the guard captain didn¡¯t expect the attack much less the other three sentries. In the moment of bewilderment, another set of notifications popped up in Kinoya¡¯s mind.


    [Skill [Grabbing the leaf] activated]


    [Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance] increased.]


    [Comprehen level: 88.7%]


    Four cold bodies slumped on the ground. Sheathing his scimitar he came towards the captain. ¡°Captain, please help me to move the bodies.¡±


    Only after hearing the words, his trance broke. ¡°Why do you kill them?¡±


    ¡°What are you expecting? Did you want to negotiate with them?¡± With the wounded body, it was already exhausting for him to use the skill much less moving the heavy bodies.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°What are you going to do with the body?¡±


    ¡°Put it in the well.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they find the body?¡±


    Sliding a body in the well, Kinoya added, ¡°They would, only if we fail.¡±


    ¡®Is he twelve years old?¡¯ Even when he was moving the body to the well, he had his confusions. Soon he disposed of the body and left the place.


    Hiding close to the main supply station, all Kinoya could do was wait. Rather than burning Kinoya was waiting to protect the supply station.


    Though the general was expecting that they wouldn''t burn the supply station, Kinoya thinks otherwise. But what worried him was the time.


    The sun will rise within two hours but there is no signal from the empire¡¯s camp. ¡®Could it be that it was a piece of false news. No, no that can¡¯t be possible¡­¡¯


    While Kinoya was reasoning himself, chaos broke out.


    ¡°Somebody fell in the well.¡± One of the soldiers who discovered cried out.


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Kinoya murmured, ¡°If the mission fails then the next feasible course of action should be burning the supply station, but he was sure that the captain won¡¯t co-operate. On the other hand, if we¡­¡±


    It was at that moment a giant fire lit up at the empire¡¯s camp. There was one, then the next¡­ Soon there were multiple fires in the camp. One could hear the cries of help from this camp too.


    ¡°Wow! There is a fire in the empire¡¯s camp!!¡±


    ¡°Die bastard. Those empire¡¯s dogs should just die.¡±


    ¡°The great djinn of fire is with us.¡±


    ¡­


    When one shouted, others followed, Kinoya heard an interesting topic but didn¡¯t have time to listen to it. He moved towards the station.


    There was light chaos at first, but those turned into cheers by the time Kinoya moved to the front. Whole Torria camp was cheering yet it was short-lived.


    ¡°They should just die.¡±


    ¡°Those bastards killed my brothers.¡±


    ¡°Fire, Fire.¡±


    ¡°That served them right.¡±


    ¡°Fire, Fire. The stable is on fire.¡±


    It was utter chaos. Some thought it was about the empire¡¯s camp, Some thought some were just cheering, yet those standing in front of the burning stables and canteen were stunned.


    Soon everyone was running to put down the fire. But most of them were still in a daze. Some of them even tried to look for the reason, but it was too late. The ground started to vibrate, and it continued to increase.


    "It''s Cavalry, head for cover."


    "Those Empire''s bastards attacked us at night."


    "Those moral-less dogs¡­"


    The curses were everywhere but words couldn''t do anything against the cavalries, soon the whole camp was run down to the ground.


    Some tried to use the shield against cavalry but to no avail. They were just thrown into the air. There were still people holding the weapons, waiting for the next wave of Cavalries that didn''t come.


    Someone with a keen sense of hearing shouted, "Archers." And it rained down. The result was bloodier from the charge of the cavalry. Blood splattered everywhere. Kinoya simply moved through the rain of arrows in the supply station.


    "Who are you?" The guards in front of the supply station shouted. Not knowing the situation around him made him nervous and questioned everyone.


    "I am from the 3rd battalion. Here to protect the supply station." Kinoya answered casually but he never stopped moving.


    "3rd battalion, pr¡­" He couldn''t complete the sentence before being shot down by a stray arrow.


    "You are one who was shouting at the shield wall yesterday. It''s an enemy." The spearman shouted at the top of his lungs. "Enemy is here to burn the supply station."


    ¡®How bad my luck could be? How many had seen my face? Yet I have to meet that one of those hundred thousand?¡¯ Even while thinking, Kinoya continued to charge towards him with the pair of scimitars.


    But the spear guy didn''t give him the chance to close in. His spear was like a slither, trying to latch to his throat.


    Kinoya smiled and moved out of the path. With assistance from the  [Falling leaf technique], his movement was slow in the eyes of the spearman.


    The scimitar was slow but all he could do was to watch as the scimitar moved past his spear and aimed for his throat. No matter how much he struggled, not a single muscle listened to him. Even upon death, he was surprised. Never did he believe that he would fall under such a slow attack.


    [Skill [Grabbing the leaf] activated]


    [Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance] increased.]


    [Comprehen level: 88.9%]


    The notification was just the reminder of his lack of energy. To begin with, he had never recovered from the wound and on the top of that all these movements were just opening them up. He was having a hard time breathing yet he couldn¡¯t stop now.


    The people around him weren''t sure about the spear guy''s claims, but Kinoya''s action proved it. The cavalry charge or the arrows took them by surprise, they didn''t know what to do. But now that they found one of the enemies they charged at him like crazy.


    "Well, I have the same issue as you too. Let''s kill each other." Kinoya gave the creepy smile and jumped. With Endurance and agility, backed with his small stature and [Subtle Movement] he wasn''t someone to mess with. It was just unfortunate that he wasn¡¯t in top condition.


    He moved and people around him turned in blood geysers. Very few could match his speed. No matter whether it was swordsmen or spearmen, none could hold a candle before him. Dead bodies started to pile up around him.


    [Skill [Hitting the leaf] activated]


    [Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance] increased.]


    [Comprehen level: 91.5%]


    [Skill [Grabbing the leaf] activated]


    [Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance] increased.]


    [Comprehen level: 91.7%]


    *Huff* *Huff*


    His breathing was loud and ragged. Without the help of the scimitar it was hard for him to even stand yet he continued to fight.


    But these were soldiers after all, not some bandits. They quickly reorganised themselves. In a moment''s notice, Kinoya was surrounded by the wall of shields. With a line of spearman behind them.


    He turned into an animal in a cage. There was no way he could break the ring. He was too inexperienced to break it. He tried to jump over but the spearmen couldn''t let him and with the shield bearers hiding behind the huge tower shields.


    His efforts were making no progress, yet it exhausted him more. His struggles were becoming desperate with each failed attempt. No matter how much effort he put it was to no avail.


    With new wounds stacking on his body it was becoming harder for him to move. Even with the high endurance stats, his body was going limp.


    He was putting all his effort to move his body. The more he concentrated, the stronger the pain in the brain got. But he couldn''t do anything about it. He didn''t know its source nor did he have time to think about it.


    All his strike was bouncing off the shield without leaving a scratch. With his recent loss of an eye, it was becoming harder to cope up with the increased number of the attacks.


    One of the spears almost took his life. He moved at the last minute just to save his throat from an incoming spear but it left a deep scar on his face.


    On the next moment, he fell silent. And the enemies didn''t miss that chance, over a dozen spears plunged through his body.

 25. The Awakening

    The spear went deep enough to cut my tongue. The intense pain, along with long due fatigue, clogged my consciousness.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Next time, I opened my eyes I was in an unknown destination. There was hard cold stone under me and I couldn¡¯t see the top of it.


    "Did I die again?¡± That man had said that it won¡¯t happen again, yet here I am reincarnating in a cave.


    ¡°This is confusing.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at my fate, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same, every time?¡±


    The first time that man took over to save me from those inhuman experimentalists, but I had no idea how I become a child.


    It was same at the second time too. Something supernatural was trying to take over my body and he saved me, leaving a trail of blood behind me.


    Though the man had said to me that I turned into a child because he exhausted all my energy when he takes over the body but one mystery remains how can I move from one place to another?


    But to ask that, the man have to wake up. I know he is inside me but I don¡¯t know how to communicate with him.


    ¡°But that is not important right now.¡± I stood upon the cold white floor, but¡­


    ¡°It is not paining any more. There is no wound!!¡± I checked my body but there wasn¡¯t any wound. My cheek was ok, so was my right eye.


    ¡®I have died?! Again?¡¯


    [Skill check: [Subtle Movement] reached the third stage.]


    [Agility increased by 2]


    [Skill check: [Falling leaf dance] & [Subtle Movement] can be merged.]


    [Does the Host want to merge the Skill?]


    I was surprised, It was not like I have learnt the skill today, but the merging option didn''t appear till now. There must be some hidden condition.


    ¡°Do I need to die to merge it? But if I have died, how can I retain the skills?¡±


    [Merging condition:


    Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance]: >90% {91.7%}


    [Subtle Movement]: Stage three


    Hidden stats: Agility, Endurance


    Dexterity >100]


    ¡°Oh! So I didn¡¯t die?¡±


    [Time till death: 07:54]


    Looking at the ever-changing notification screen, I didn¡¯t know how should I respond.


    [Time till death: 07:47]


    [Time till death: 07:46]


    [Time till death: 07:45]


    ¡°What? I will die in seven minutes?¡± I screamed.


    [Time till death: 07:41]


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to remind me. Tell me what should I do?¡±


    [Pending Notification]


    [Skill check: [Falling leaf dance] & [Subtle Movement] can be merged.]


    [Host want to merge the Skill?]


    ¡°Is that important now? Ohhhh!¡± The clocks continued to ticks at the edge of my vision. ¡°Will the parent skill remain?¡±


    [Parents Skill remains.]A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Then merge it."


    [Skill check: [Falling leaf dance] & [Subtle Movement] is merging]


    [[Leaf tornado (General Grade)]


    Merging time: 65 days


    Completion level: 0%]


    I was surprised to see the resultant skill was in general grade. ¡°Something like that will be a great asset but it will take 65 days.¡± While I was enjoying my achievement, something flickered at the edge of my vision.


    [Time till death: 06:59]


    ¡°Ahhhhh¡± the scream wasn¡¯t enough to reduce my frustration but, ¡°Where am I? I was in front of the supply station, and¡­ System, where am I?¡±


    [Host had activated the space of consciousness.]


    "Space of Consciousness?"


    [More commonly known as ''Mage space'']


    "Mage space? Is that even possible?" That means I will be able to become a mage now. ¡°To be able to open by the age of 12 without any external help! Even the little marchioness opened it after 13. I must be a genius.¡±


    [Time till death: 06:29]


    Yet the reality hit me again. ¡°Looks like I have to survive to brag in front of her. System, what should I do?¡± I don¡¯t know why but in this space the system got more responsive.


    An arrow appeared in the middle of my vision. No matter how many times I shook my head it was there. ¡°Do you want me to follow it?¡±


    [The host is free to choose.]


    ¡°Did I just jinx it?¡± I had no time to worry about the sensitive system, so I followed the arrow. More I move the area around me brightened.


    Soon I reached the end of the corridor. Not knowing where to go I continued to move by the wall. Then I turned left, again left and after another two left turns, I returned to the place I have started from.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a big room. Oi system, you are not helping.¡±


    [Time till death: 04:27]


    The arrow flickered again, aiming to the middle of the room and I followed. ¡°What is this?¡±


    There was a stone bed. There was a body on it. It was wrapped in black smoke. Even at my presence, he was sleeping soundly. But the black smoke was oozing from the body.


    Other than the bed there was one stone table, above which, was a mud puppet. It was dancing on the table, constantly changing shape. It was more like mud-coloured slime who was giving puppy-dog eyes to me.


    And beside it there was a stone pillar, on it, there was blue coloured orb sized water drop. But the peculiar things was it was beating like a heart.


    "What are these?" I asked yet the system didn''t answer. ¡°Could that be the man who had saved me?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know for sure, but if he did, then he is the one who can save me. ¡°Should I try to wake him up?¡±


    His skin was pale as snow. His chest had the rhythmic movement but eyes were closed. I moved his hand to touch his forehead, to see if he was cold.


    My hand had failed to touch him, yet at the next moment, the time stopped. I was paralysed. All I could do was to watch, as the black smoke of his body jumped towards me, enveloping me from head to toe. Even before I could move my vision turned dark.


    ¡°What just happened!?¡±


    ***************


    "Did he died standing?" They scrutinised the body which had stopped moving after taking out the spears. With caution, they moved back creating some distance between them.


    They watched in disbelief, as not a single drop of blood came out from the wounds. Yet at the next moment, black smoke started to ooze out of the wounds. It corroded any foreign elements like armours or cloths that was on his body.


    He stood there naked, leaving only the talwar on his back. A little blue fire ignited at the right eye hole but the left eye remained close. And the body vanished...


    A pair of shield-bearers were thrown away in the air. The shields had caved in, from the impact. Everything plunged into chaos again. The formation, that was holding him in for so long, was broken by a single punch. What was more frightening they couldn''t follow the attack with naked eyes.


    They looked in horror when it stopped again, it was a monster. The boy had turned into something frightening.


    "It''s a demon." Somebody screamed and at the next moment, headless bodies of the soldiers sprawled on the ground while spraying the blood in the air. It had ripped off the heads with his bare hand, that had turned into a black claw.


    Those who were lucky enough to escape its claws looked in horror. The boy, they had just killed, had turned into a black shadow.


    A sharp black horn sprouted from his forehead and his over-grown limbs made him look more inhuman. Its full dental set had made it look like a little smiling devil and its work couldn''t be more synonymous to its look.


    "This is a devil." Somebody shouted again. The frightened soldiers trying their best to escape triggered a frenzy.


    ''Devil'' was one of the beings, who were hated by every race on the whole continent. Even the strongest of the continent, the demons, will think twice before going against one.


    People don''t know how they are born but everyone knew one thing when they born all they will do is kill, regardless whether the one in front him is human, beast, demi-human or the demon. They will kill until they were exhausted. And then they will die.


    The one that shouted ''devil'', died next. Soon the pile in front of the supply station increased in volume. No one could touch him much less harm him. With no one to stop, he continued to run amuck.


    Those who can stop him were confused. The surprise attack at the same time caught them off-guard. Cavalry and archer attack didn''t leave any position to retaliate. And on the top of that, the infantry was closing in.


    "We have to abandon the camp and regroup."


    Liyato almost jumped towards Official Nus hearing the suggestion, but General Kirmac spoke, "It is not his fault. We forgot that, what we can do, they can do it too. We copied their strategy they did the same. It was our fault that we didn''t protect ourselves well. Retreat, abandon the camp."


    ¡°General? Are we going to leave without a fight?¡± Liyato had no intention to retreat. It wasn¡¯t just him, but many other people were thinking along the same line.


    ¡®It is not like I want to retreat.¡¯ But all Kirmac could do, was to shake his head. ¡°It¡¯s too late. Our futile resistance will increase the casualty.¡±


    The atmosphere of the tent became dry. None wanted to talk, none want to take the first step. Even if they wanted to fight, what the general had said was an absolute truth.


    "General, please leave first. You need to survive for the country. General Liyato please led the general to safety." Nobody expected such words from official Nus. In the case of mishaps, it was always the officials who ran away first.


    Liyato gave the official a confused look. "Where will you go?" The tone was different. The difference was very little but it didn''t escape the ear official Nus.


    A light curve appeared on the edge of his lips, "I will burn down the supply station. The empire is fighting in three fonts, they are bound to have a food shortage, sooner or later. So¡­"


    "I will go with you." Liyato stood up. ¡°To begin with, it was not the work of an official. I couldn''t just leave the camp while an official would do my work.¡±


    "No need, General. If you go they will mark you and it will be harder for you to escape. We can train a soldier over a year but can''t produce a general. You will get your time, it won''t end here and I won''t let it end. Please general, leave."


    "Nus take this with you." Kirmac threw a badge at him. It was his badge.


    "Thank you, General. I will take my leave here. We will meet at Yeomcheon." With the words, Official Nus left the tent while the generals took the back route.

 26. Rewards

    The whole camp was in chaos, tents were on fire, dead bodies were everywhere. Those who didn¡¯t die were in the worst situation amid chaos.


    ¡®Could there be mole between us? No, that is not possible. But¡­¡¯ As he ran through the devastated camp Nus was trying to reason of failure.


    ¡®There is no way it could be General of the west. He might good at petty tricks, but he is not brave enough. The only person who could do this is¡­¡¯ Thinking about that person official Nus couldn¡¯t help but shudder in fear.


    ¡®But the Moon general was reported to be at Godola. There is no way he could come here. Then¡­¡¯ No matter he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t find another person of Moon general¡¯s calibre.


    Soon enough he had reached the supply station but what greeted Official Nus, made him very scared. Headless bodies piled up at the one side. Blood was making the path slippery. The stench of blood was so heavy that he had almost vomited.


    On his way here he didn''t see much of fighting. So he couldn''t comprehend what was happening right in front of the supply station.


    ''Can the empire sent someone to protect the place?'' The question appeared in his mind but he quickly removed it as soon as he saw it.


    ''Is heaven really against us?'' A devil is not an entity that a mere human can control.


    It felt hopeless, yet he flashed the badge and shouted, "By the order of General Kirmac, burn the supply station."


    The soldiers looked at the badge and their face darkened. They were reluctant, nobody wanted to dive right into the grave but they were soldiers after all.


    Though reluctant, they ran towards the supply station with their weapons. The next scene wasn''t something a sane person could take. Nus couldn¡¯t control himself, just vomited.


    ''If that being is a devil then there is nothing we could do anything until it dies of exhaustion.'' Yet it was the time he was lacking most right now. With each moment the empire''s infantries were closing in and he was running out of options.


    ''There is still another way.'' He shouted his order again. "Archers shoot the supply station with fire arrows." Those who had tried to fire the arrow before were already dead, but neither Nus nor the new batch of archers was aware of the fact.


    The moment the fire arrows were about to reach the supply station the black smoke enveloped them and the arrows vanished in mid-air before reaching its destination.


    The archers¡¯ fate wasn''t different from their predecessors. Before Nus could move, he was laying on his back. And the devil was sitting on his chest.


    Nus opened his eyes and the smile greeted him. "Devil." The words escaped his mouth.


    "You should control your urges better. You have wetted yourself, you know." The words were clean, it was Kinoya''s voice. "You seems to be someone from the upper echelon. You have the authority and the badge but you are not a military man. Could you be the strategist?"


    Nus couldn''t respond to the words. He couldn''t even believe that a devil was talking to him. There was no record that a devil could talk after transformation but it was happening right in front of his eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a one. You are more like a civil officer. A logistic officer maybe. Go back and tell the strategist, not to come in front of me. I will kill him as soon as I see him.¡±


    With the weight on his chest gone he stood back up. The sweats that had formed on his back felt colder against the light wind. He strumbled as he ran, however, he didn¡¯t dare to look back.


    Soon it became peaceful. The order of retreat came and the kingdom¡¯s army had abandoned the camp without hesitation.


    It was already dawn but it was still dark in front supply station due to the dark smoke. It stood there like a statue. The guard captain was here a long time ago but never dare to approach him, neither did the other 28.


    "All of you should come out. If I have wanted it, you would have died even before you could turn back." It was a clear threat. But none of them dared to disobey. Soon all 29 of them came out. Seeing that every single one of them was the empire''s soldiers Kinoya breathed a sigh of relief.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "Protect this place now." With the words, Kinoya fell on the ground. The blood from the wounds was flowing like water. In the puddle of blood, he lost consciousness.


    *************


    [Level Check: The host have reached Level 1]


    [Innate talent [Extrasensory Vision] Activated.]


    [Level Check: The host have reached Level 2]


    [Level Check: The host have reached Level 3]


    [Level Check: The host have reached Level 4]


    Kinoya opened his eye with the mechanical voice ringing in his ears. At last his hard work bear fruits. His lips curved up thinking about the problems he had to go through to level up.


    "Never did I had heard of someone who wasn''t able to level up even after four years of training." The old man didn''t have an answer to the peculiar situation he was in.


    He had talked to the old man before, "But, those who possessed the system had different conditions to level up. Sometime it would be easier but sometimes..."


    His situation was little different, he could increase his stats with training even without levelling up. " ''The Broken system''? The name couldn''t be more perfect." That was the old man¡¯s conclusion.


    ''The amount of work I have to do to level up is much greater than ordinary people.'' He understood the truth and he trained like crazy but... The result came from an unexpected situation.


    ''But how did I levelled up?'' Now that he was able to do it once, he had to understand how did that work.


    Kinoya remembered how the black smoke engulfed him when he touched the sleeping man and turned into something that they called ¡®devil¡¯ in this world.


    ¡®But if my memory serves right then the devil is the mindless killing beast but I was in control throughout the whole ordeal.¡¯


    He remembered the guy whom he speared to deliver his message and the entry of the 29 guards. It was just like all constraints on his body was released when he turned into so-called ''Devil''.


    ''And now I am paying the price. Even breathing is too painful for me.¡¯ His face distorted but he gritted his teeth and sat back up. But that was it, it was hard for him to move even an inch after that.


    "Don''t move, boy. You will strain your body." The one came in the tent was General Korai.


    "Sorry general I couldn''t¡­"


    "Don''t worry about the little things." General came close to Kinoya and said, "Major Vrom was right, after all. I should have given more effort to get you in my regiment."


    [Author note: General Vorm is a three-star general under the general of the west.


    Major Vrom is a major under general Korai (one-star general) and also an instructor during Kinoya¡¯s training.]


    Kinoya smiled and added, "Well general I wouldn''t mind changing the regiment. Somehow I have a feeling that my current general doesn''t like me much. If not for captain Amogh I would have a hard time in the regiment."


    "Well, you are not wrong about the feeling. He dislikes you, not just you, he dislikes most of us. If he would have gotten the chance then he would have left us long ago. He felt that as Red corps is an independent corps, he was missing the chance to rank up. It is really bad luck that Amogh had died. He was a good instructor."


    It was a reminder for Kinoya. The massacre that happened on the second day of the battle was the reality. All the squad-members he had lost, Amogh and all those he trained with for the last 6 months were dead. All he could now was to sigh.


    "What about the war?"


    "We have about 90,000 left. Whereas we are estimating there were around 50,000 enemies who had escaped. But what matters that they lost 200,000 soldiers." Korai said with a big smile on his face.


    Kinoya smiled in his heart bitterly. ¡°We have lost far too many.¡±


    Korai shook his head, "That is what war is. Don''t worry about it, just rest. General Akai will call for you soon."


    Kinoya lay down again as the general left.


    **************"


    "Here take it." There was no one else in the tent other than general Akai, the silent general and Kinoya. Akai gave Kinoya two bag full of gold.


    "There is 200 gold coin, this is one of the award, directly given by the commander-in-chief."


    This is the first time Kinoya had seen such an amount of gold. Even selling the beast meat in the Arviga never gave him more than a few tens bronze coins. The bandit camp gave him 20 gold but he gave it to JB.


    But now, there is a 200 gold coin in front of him. Two gold coins will be more than enough for a normal family to live well enough for a year. So he doesn''t have to worry about at least for 100 years. But he had another idea in his mind.


    He pushed back both the pouch to the general and said, "General I need your help."


    "Out with it."


    "I want this 100 gold to be given to my previous squad members'' family. I don''t know their background of them, so I ask general''s help." Akai was surprised for a moment then he said, "You know the empire has a pension system for all the dead warriors'' family."


    "It doesn''t matter, also relay that if they need anything anytime they should look for me first."


    "Good." with a nod, Akai added, "Consider it to be done." There was praise in the eye of the silent general too. But Kinoya didn''t notice it and said, "I don''t need money in the war. Can you keep it somewhere safe?"


    "Don''t worry I have just the place." Akai took the other bag too, "Now about other gifts. Kinoya Arviga¡­" Akai''s voice turned serious all of a sudden.


    "From today you are promoted to a captain with hundred man squad under my direct command." He pushed a red badge towards him.


    Kinoya was surprised in one, elated in another and respectful on the next moment. "Captain Kinoya is reporting for duty."


    Akai smiled and accepted the salute, "It must be the first time 12 years old became captain after his first war. Well about the troop, there will be 90 heavy infantry and a squad of cavalry."


    Kinoya was surprised at general''s words, "General I thought are no cavalry squad in the corps."


    "Well, it''s a special circumstance," Akai added.


    "But General, you shouldn''t change the military rule because of me."


    At Kinoya''s remarks, Akai couldn''t hold his laughter. "It''s not you, we are talking about. It''s Vinshnugupta. When it was announced he came to me and asked for it. Due to special circumstances, I had to accept it."


    ''That guy must have some big backer to change the rule to such a degree.'' Kinoya was surprised, "I have no problem about it. But I have another request."


    "Go for it."


    "Well I need 30 horns of Eale bulls, I saw they are used for food. And some cattle guts and bowstrings too."


    Looking at the surprised faces Kinoya had to explain, "I am good at bow and arrow I want to use them. I want to use them if it is not a problem."


    Akai nodded, "I will see it, look for Vaikus later. Go and meet your troop now." Kinoya left after saluting them.

 27. New Troop

    It took Kinoya four more days to make a complete recovery. During the time big changes happened on the plane of Eale.


    The whole plane was transformed into a wooden fortress. With so many watchtowers along the walls and on the hills, it was a heavily fortified supply station.


    This was the empire''s first foothold in the country of Torria and the army will soon drive further into enemy territory. So this will be an important strategic point.


    ¡°No matter how good the fortification is, this place lacks natural defence. It will be easy to attack.¡± All Kinoya could do was shake his head. Even with double promotion, his stand wasn¡¯t high enough to change the mind of those sitting above him.


    ''I have better things to do'' he sighed looking at the 9 squads of heavy infantry and 1 squad of cavalry in front of him. Kinoya''s voice was loud and clear, "Raise your hand if you are not recruited six months ago."


    There were seven hands in the air and all of them were sergeants.


    "If you have any problem serving under me then spit it out now. I will help you to change the troop." Kinoya had no intention to let his men die because of another idiotic decision.


    ¡°The way you are now, you will die at the next battle.¡± The words were harsh, yet nobody responded. "The battlefield is changing, if you don¡¯t then you will die."


    ¡°If you want to stay in my troops then you have to train more. And believe me, it won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Kinoya stopped, "So no one wants to leave? Ok. That is good. We will be training here for the next 10 days, before leaving the city.¡±


    ''That is another idiotic decision. it will be like we are giving the enemy enough  time to reorganize their troop.''


    Kinoya frowned before continuing, "Till then the heavy infantry squad will practice the formation I am going to show you next and the cavalry will learn archery."


    They looked at Kinoya with disbelief. There was a standard military formation in the army, they have been taught from the beginning. Now they are told to change the formation?


    "Permission to speak captain." One of the brave sergeants asked.


    "Tell me if these newly trained recruits were added to the formation of a battalion with another troop, will they be able to move in sync?" Kinoya threw the question to the sergeant.


    Never did the sergeant expected question. He hesitated, "It will be hard." With his 10 years of experience, there was no denying it, but he added, "That is why we need to train more in that formation."


    "How long a heavy infantry could hold the formation after engaging the enemy?" Kinoya didn''t agree or disagree, rather asked another question. ¡°As soon as we come into contact with the enemy our formation collapses. Then what? You fight alone. If your enemy is weak you prevail otherwise¡­¡±


    "The formation is important for the military but we need to change the way we fight. We need to change it. I want each of the squad to act as a single body, not as ten independent soldiers."


    "But the formation was perfected over the generation for a reason." One of the recruits shouted.


    Kinoya smiled, "You go and run around the fortress now."


    ''What would a child as you know?'' Even if he was reluctant he had to obey the order, ¡®I will change my troop as soon as possible. This is pure madness.¡¯


    "Do you train in a battalion or a squad? Why use the formation of a battalion to train when you are going to fight in a squad. All those formations that were perfected under the 1st emperor almost 100 years ago. The emperor had changed, people have changed, and the battlefield has changed, then why are you so against the change?"


    Another raised his hand before asking, ¡°Won¡¯t we have problem formation in the field too?¡±


    ¡°No. With a formation of ten men, it will be easier to manoeuvre through the field. With the rotation between the ten, it will be easier to conserve the energy. In front of a strong enemy, you will have a better chance of survival if you fight 10 vs 1.¡±


    ¡®Why am I acting like a salesman?¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but smile about it. ¡®No matter what I won¡¯t let them die again.¡¯ Even though he knew it was an impossible task, yet he had felt he had to take every necessary step to make it possible.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Permission to speak." Kinoya looked to find out it was Chanakya. ''Here come the archery question.'' The one Kinoya was most curious about.


    "It will be hard to use a longbow from the back of the horse. It should be better if we use a pyramid bow."


    ¡®Ho?! He saw through the problem?¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Chanakya, "Don''t worry about the bow. I will teach you how to make it. It''s a compound bow. Perfect for horseback archery."


    After confirming that nobody had any more questions, Kinoya spoke."So from today, the cavalry will do their daily practice with General Vaicus''s cavalry, then they will train for some forest running training for two hours and after that, will be the archery training.¡±


    ¡°As for the Infantry, all you have to do is run, while carrying a weight of 20kg, in formation, three hours in the morning and another three in the evening. If you think your weapon art is not good then train after you are done running. You will do it every day unless you are subjected to work from the general."


    "Do you get it?"


    "Yes, captain." All shouted in unison.


    "Then the cavalry will go report to general Vaicus. Infantry come here and let me show you the ''Wedge formation.''"


    "Permission to speak again captain." It was Chanakya again. "Can I take a look at the formation?"


    Kinoya stopped for a moment before answering, "First complete your training. Then you can come and watch. You can ask me anything you want. Now on the training." The cavalry soon left on the training.


    But at the end of the day, the number of soldiers was reduced to 78. Yet the gap was filled on the very next day. Kinoya had no idea that it was the result of his fame.


    ************


    "What are they doing?" One of the cavalry-man jabbed at another to show the troop members of Kinoya, who was still in the ''Wedge formation'' as the whole army moved towards Yeomcheon.


    "Don''t you know who they are? They are Captain Kinoya''s troop."


    "Who? Kinoya? Never heard of him"


    "You came as reinforcement right? No wonder you don''t know about him. He is the one who went to enemy camp with the other 29 general guards."


    The one asking took a deep breath in, "Oh! The blind Devil''?"


    "Yes, the blind devil. I heard that the name was given by the Captain of the general guard himself. Nobody knew what happened and the general had forbidden to speak about it."


    "I heard he is just a 12 years old boy. What can he do? He must have done something naughty."He added with a laugh, "Like you call your naughty child ''little devil''. It may be that kind of thing."


    The other one looked at him with a question, ''Is this guy thinks that the battlefield is some kind of child''s playground?'' But he didn''t say that rather he asked a different question. "What is the situation in other places?"


    "Last time I heard General of the North was having a hard time against the Cantela"


    "Why? The Knight Templars?¡±


    He nodded and said. "Open plane, armoured cavalry, great mobility. It wasn''t something I want to go against."


    "Didn''t they cut out the number of cavalry in our army to assist them?"


    "All in vain" He shook his head. "I heard there was only 50,000 Knights. The General of North wasn''t able to hold ground against it with, 120,000 cavalries. You can imagine the strength of them." He signalled at the other to come closer as he whispered in his ear, "I heard they are moving 10,000 magus guards."


    "Magus Guard?" He almost shouted out.


    "Silent. Do you want to die?"


    But the one shouted had no care about it, "They are the elite of the empire."


    "You can understand how dire the situation is."


    ''Lucky for us we didn''t get posted there.'' The man sighed in relief before asking, "What about the Godola? Isn''t the Moon general leading the army there?"


    "What do you expect from him? He is the great moon general. He is nailing it. He is already closing in at the capital."


    "Capital of Godola? Which one? I heard Godola has two capital cities."


    "It''s Ceblob, the one closer to the empire. But¡­"


    "But what?"


    "The Bosonic Archer squad didn''t appear yet, on the top of that Cantela is sending 20,000 knights and 30,000 squires to help Godola."


    "Whatever as long as the Moon general is there, there is nothing to worry about."


    Even the Kinoya¡¯s cavalry attracted the attention of the soldier, "That is the cavalry squad of ''Blind Devil''."


    "What are you talking about? Isn''t that child is just a captain? How can he have a squad of cavalry in his troop?"


    "The sergeant of the cavalry squad is a ''Vishnugupta''."


    From beginning to now nothing surprised him as much as the name ''Vishnugupta''. "He is from the cursed family, still he joined the army?"


    "You know about the treaty, there is nothing one can do."


    "Yup, you are right, but what are those thing on their back?"


    "Believe it or not it''s a bow made by the devil himself. Nobody knows what they are, archers or cavalry."


    "Now I am sure that he is just a naughty child. He is just playing with the army. Must have some strong backer." He cracked a smile.


    "If he is an heir of a great family then all of these makes sense," The soldier nodded, "Otherwise there is no way a sergeant could become a captain in just one fight. Better not mess with him."

 28. Atrocity...

    "Move those lazy asses. Do you think we are here for a picnic?" The cavalry officers shouted the order as they charged towards the city.


    "Vanguard cavalry is already engaging the garrison. The city is in view and you people are walking like a tortoise, while your brothers are dying¡­"


    The officers continued to throw hateful or encouraging remarks as the whole army charged at the city of Yeomcheon and it was quite effective. The soldiers fired up with fighting spirit. Some even started to run towards the city.


    Kinoya''s troop was also burning up with the fighting spirit, itching to go to the battlefield, but didn''t dare to move without orders.


    ''They have heard that Kinoya was always the one who dives in the fight first.'' But Kinoya''s mood was different. He was walking as if nothing happened.


    "Permission to talk captain" Chanakya who was little forward, came to the side of Kinoya.  "Why are we not engaging?"


    He heard from here and there that ¡®Vishnugupta¡¯ is a noble family and is under the protection of the Emperor himself. Yet the family wasn¡¯t well received.


    ¡®Not like that is a problem for me.¡¯ To be precise, Kinoya was a little impressed with this one, the one who can think.


    He is 14 years old and has the drive to learn. What impressed him most was that he tried to incorporate the ''Wedge formation'' in the cavalry squad. After trial and error, he had succeeded.


    "You tell me why?"


    "Because it would be easier to defend a city with a high wall than open the door and fight outside."


    "Why are they not doing that?"


    Chanakya thought for a moment and said, "There can be many reasons."


    "What if they don''t have enough manpower?" It was Palsa, who had asked. He was not too bad. After 4 sergeants had left the squad, Kinoya had chosen Palsa as one of the new sergeants. Though he is little impulsive if trained well he will be a great asset to the troop.


    "No, Palsa." It was Chanakya who responded first, "If that was the case, then it would have been better to defend the city behind the wall."


    "It is because either they don''t have enough food so they have abandoned the city or it must be a trap." Chanakaya''s words shocked everyone and they looked towards Kinoya for confirmation.


    But Kinoya responded with another question, "Which one of you wants to fall into the trap?"


    Everybody turned silent, nobody spoke. Nobody wanted to fall into the trap. Well, almost nobody.


    "I want to."Kinoya expected this kind of behaviour from Palsa. "It wouldn''t be a trap if we know it''s a trap. I will go."


    "Knowing and breaking are two different things. Do you know how many enemies are there, what type of weapon they are going to use? Have you ever fought in the city?" And silence followed.


    ¡°Know yourself, know your enemy. A thousand battles will result in a thousand victories.¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but remember the line of his previous life. ¡°You don¡¯t know the enemy. You don¡¯t know the place you are going to fight. How are you going to win?¡±


    ¡°But captain, even if we wait we won¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°But we can learn from the mistakes of the predecessor.¡±


    Hearing his words everybody turned silent. Kinoya shook his head and continued, "It''s not a bad thing to be cautious. The army should consist of the opposite type, so they could complement each other when needed, like offensive & defensive, a cautious and a daring one."


    ¡°Are you just 12?¡± Looking at the serious face of Palsa, Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Why does it feel like we are talking to an old man?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It was Palsa who had asked the question, yet everybody nodded as if they had understood his meaning.


    Kinoya smiled at their expression before continuing, " You can go but there are two rules you should follow when you are under me. Never kill the innocent and never rape. If any of you dare to do that¡­"


    He chose not to complete the sentence but his black smoke and the blue fiery eye were more than enough for others to understand his intentions.


    [Talent check: [Extrasensory Vision] activated.]


    His innate talent generates a blue flame in his vacant right eyehole.  With multiple uses, it had upgraded to level 2.


    Amazingly enough, now Kinoya could see even with his closed eyes. It was like an infrared vision, it was not clear but enough to fight. Most of them are afraid of it except people like Chanakya and Palsa.


    While talking they had already reached the city. The fight at the gate had already died down. There was a pile of dead bodies scrambled across the gate. The paved road didn''t absorb any of the blood, creating a puddle of blood here and there. With a frown on his face, he entered the city.


    There was a different world inside the city. The stench was strong enough to make one vomit. The wind didn''t blow swiftly inside the wall, so the stench remained.


    Once a beautiful city was now decorated with burning houses, beheaded mutilated bodies.


    Naked and half-naked women could be seen all over the city, howling in pain, or died with eyes full of grief. Not even the child had been spared. Some of them died with a smashed head.


    ''Was there any need for such brutality?'' All he could do was sigh at the atrocity that rocked the city.


    "Captain, look." The voice of Chanakya woke him up from the trans. Walking by the paved road they had already reached the city centre. Kinoya took a deep breath and concentrated on the view in front of him. Kinoya''s eye was like a child who saw something he loved. It was hard to take his eye off.


    "If I remember correctly this is called ''Chararch''. A building with four arches. This thing can be seen in every city of Torria. It is always built right in the centre of the city. It will be better to say Chararch is built first and then the whole city is constructed.¡± Looking at his interested eyes Chanakya continued to explain.


    The building was covered with white marble. It was over 60 meters tall yet the whole body was tattooed with elegant design and beautiful murals.


    ¡°The noble always conduct the court here. With four arches on four sides, everybody can see everything. According to the King, the country should be open with their administration. If the country is hiding something then they are doing something wrong."


    "Wow, that is some king Torria has." Kinoya felt the words couldn''t be truer.


    Chanakya shook his head, "That was the last king of the previous dynasty and was executed in the civil war."


    " You certainly know a lot about it." To that Chanakya didn''t answer. While moving around the Chararch Kinoya realised all of his troops were still following him.


    "You don''t have to come with me. Just remember the rule."


    With the order, the whole troop disperse in a blink of an eye. All expect Chanakya. "Why didn''t you go?"


    "I have no interest in looting," Chanakya said while following Kinoya. He was looking at the Chararch. Though it was beautiful at first, it had its ugly sides.


    One side had beautiful murals and decorations all over it, the other three sides of it were decorated with heads. Might be the head of the garrisons. The blood, flowing from the severed heads, had dyed the white marbles red.


    ¡°Are they soldiers or just vandals?¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but murmur.


    ¡°Vandals?¡± Curious Chanakya didn¡¯t miss it.


    ¡°Vandals!?¡± Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure whether he should explain it or not but said, ¡°A tribe known for their brutality. They sack cities, destroy the arts, kill humans like livestock.¡±


    ¡°Vandal!¡± Chanakya wasn¡¯t sure whether or not he had read about such a tribe but followed Kinoya.


    He moved along the road further into the city. No matter where he went It was the same everywhere. Mutilated bodies, red roads and burning home. The act of savagery yet to end at the inner part of the city.


    "Don''t¡­ No¡­ please help me." Chanakya wanted to say something but an incoherent cry of a child foiled his plan. Chanakya felt Kinoya was looking for something but he never asked.


    The place was a little remote. There were 4 people present, along with their horses. There were one lieutenant and 3 soldiers. Two of them were already on a woman, one was holding the woman down when the other one satisfying his lust.


    The Lieutenant had a lusty smile on his face, "Lad you are so lucky, to get a virgin to pop the cherry. Quickly, do it. I don''t know how much longer I will be able to hold myself in." He was holding on a small girl who was not even 10 years old.


    She was crying her snort out in fear. The reality hit her hard, before she could understand what was happening she was already under the control of them, and her mother...


    "No, not my child, she is just a baby. Do it to me. I won''t resist, leave my baby alone. I will..." Without thinking about her position she was screaming but all her words went to the deaf ears.


    "Sweetheart, don''t worry I am enough to satisfy your needs." The one holding the woman down said with a lustful voice. The other one was ramming her without the care. The woman tried her best to free herself but all was in vain.


    "Don''t worry woman. This boy here is a virgin too. He will be the best suitor for your girl. And after he is done she will be in my experience care. I will let her enjoy the whole thing. Don''t worry about it." The officer was becoming impatient, " What are you waiting for, do it."


    The boy looked at the girl in front of him. His burning desire was corroding away his conviction. The building lust was making it harder to control. He jumped on the girl and dipped his lips on her.


    She neither had any experience nor any will, she resisted till the bitter end. The rejection infuriated the boy, He slapped. His full-force slap stunned the girl for a moment before she busted into tears again.


    The helplessness further fanned the flame inside the boy. He had torn off the dress of the little child, revealing the undeveloped body with light brown skin underneath it. He was struggling to free his little soldier before someone spoke, "If you want to live, leave them now."


    All of them turned toward the owner of the voice, all except the one doing it with the mother of the girl. He didn''t stop. Only the slapping sound of his family jewel was ringing in the middle of the silence.


    It was an awkward moment. The one holding the woman down was trying hard to hold the smile in..


    But in a blink of an eye, the one humping was thrown in the air with a kick on his chest. He coughed out a mouth full of blood as he fell on the ground and fainted. The next punch broke the front row of the one holding down.


    Without anyone stopping her, she was freed from constraints and struggled towards her child without any care of her situation.

 29. The Punishment

    The mother ran towards her child, not even caring about her situation. She was naked herself, still, she didn¡¯t hesitate to hide her child in her embrace.


    The lieutenant was reluctant to release her, but¡­ "If the captain wants her I will gladly give her to you."


    "But lieutenant, why should we give her to him?" The boy was reluctant. His little brother was excited about some action. But the moment his eyes met the blue flame of Kinoya, he felt somebody had poured a bucket of cold water on him.


    "Tell me Akori, do you have someone you love?" Akori didn''t dare to meet that eye again nor did he answer.


    "If you don¡¯t then, let''s tie your ball and penis and throw you in a cage with men on horse aphrodisiacs. If that doesn''t satisfy you, I will let you have a stallion. If you still have your urges then I will let you enjoy her with a hot rod in your anus."


    Each and everyone present in the place, even the ones who were observing from far, broke into a cold sweat. The upright member of naked Akori had fallen from its grace. He wanted to put something on himself but couldn''t control a single muscle.


    "What do you say/ Do you want to try it? I think Chanakya has some horse aphrodisiac" Hearing Kinoya, he lost the power in his leg and slumped on the ground. The only person who was unaffected with the whole situation took out a small pouch of white powder from his bag.


    This development was outside their expectation. The other two were in the army from a long time ago, but in front of a superior officer there was very little they could do. Within a moment the all three of them ran away, dragging the unconscious one.


    The child was still crying in her mother''s embrace while the mother was looking at the 12 years old child in armour with caution.


    Chanakya walked towards the mother and daughter pair and offered them the white powder.


    "What is that? Isn¡¯t that horse aphrodisiac?" Even Kinoya was shocked by such an action. That was the same thing Chanakya took out when he had asked.


    "This is the calming medicine. Also, relieves pain." The mother was still hesitant. Chanakya put some powder in his mouth before offering her again.


    The woman waited to observe if there were any abnormalities with Chanakya''s lower body before accepting it.


    "Captain, what if he had someone he loves?"


    Kinoya couldn''t help but smile "That is your concern right now?"


    "No, I want to know why you wanted to tie his balls and penis before throwing him in the cage?"


    ''How could I know? That was at the heat of the moment. Sorry for not thinking something effective.'' Kinoya wanted to say but he had a more important task to complete.


    "Blow the whistle, meet them at Chararch. Put up a camp at a safe distance away from the city.¡± Kinoya thought for a while before adding, ¡°Save as many citizens as possible. Tell the troops that for everyone they would rescue, I will give them 1 silver. And if anybody dared to do something silly, kill him and blame it on me. "


    It was just a high pitch whistle, with some basic command system. Kinoya introduced it to the troop as a form of simple communication. Chanakya blew it.


    "Lord, give me some food. No, just for the child will be enough." Before Kinoya could move, the woman grabbed his legs.


    Kinoya frowned before removing the naked woman from his body, "Don''t you have food in your house?"


    "The Lord and his army took everything and ran away a week ago." The woman said after hesitating for a while. "We didn''t eat anything for three days."


    Kinoya pointed at Chanakya and said, "Go with him and he will give you the food. Take anybody whom you know with you." Then they parted away.


    **************


    ¡®It has to be a trap. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have abandoned such a good strategic location. But there is a problem¡¯ His brain was working full time while he was looking for Akai.


    ¡®They had abandoned the city weeks ago. If they are abandoning the city why leave behind a few women and the garrison?¡¯ No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand what was the real plan of the enemy.


    After looking for a while, he found him at the city lord''s palace. The guard was heavy here but there were very few people in the general''s guard who didn''t know about him. After some exchange of words and confirmation from the general of the west, they had led him to the chambers.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The people who were present were almost the same as last time. The commander-in-chief, General Akai, General Andlat, General Vorn. Other than the captain of the general guards, there was one new person.


    From what he had heard, it''s a 3-star general, General Riyasu from the front of the General of the South. By the order of the imperial court, he had come as reinforcement.


    "What do you want to say, boy?" General Andlat sounded hesitant. Even without that Kinoya could feel the tension in the air.


    "It''s a trap. There is one inside the city, not sure if there is one outside the city or not." As a captain, Kinoya had no intention of mingling in the affairs of the generals.  All his intention was earning as much contribution as possible.


    "So you are the devil?" Riyasu had an eerie smile on his face, "What fine name! Devil. Well, you are one after all. So little devil, what type of news do you bear today?"


    The frown didn''t appear on Kinoya''s face, but it surprised him that Riyasu dared to talk like that in front of General of the West, the commander-in-chief. Even if one didn¡¯t consider the rank difference, just by the power of the commander-in-chief, he could have stopped him but had chosen not to do that.


    Kinoya couldn''t care less about it but from the sad look on Akai''s face, he was sure that he had fallen from the commander-in-chief''s grace.


    To begin with, he didn¡¯t even know what he had done wrong. All he could do was to do what he should do as a soldier.


    "The city is a trap."


    "And what makes you think that?"


    "There is no food in the city."


    "The fleeing lord and army took it away."


    "They opened the gate to invite us in."


    "They didn''t open the gate, we fought our way in the city."


    "They could have just defended the closed city if they wanted."


    "You have said it, they don''t have any food, how do you expect them to defend."


    "But there are only women in the city."


    "That is because all the men died defending it."


    ''How much arrogant can you be to miss such an obvious clue?''Kinoya sneered as he controlled his temper as much as possible. He had no idea about the plan of the enemy so¡­


    ¡®No, I can¡¯t just let them die because of these ignorant bastards.¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but plead, "General, I am saying there might be a chance¡­"


    Kinoya couldn''t even finish his words before Riyasu shouted out again, "Yes that is the thing I was talking about. This little devil puts a seed of doubt in your mind, then he plays with you with the words until he convinces you to do those unethical work.¡±


    With a confident smile on his face, he had turned to the general of the west, ¡°Don''t worry about it. Now that the problem has been identified, there will be no more problem at all."


    Kinoya stood there, dumbfounded, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ''Is this guy a general or a court-jester? Or is the war that honourable in this world? Did I do something unethical?''


    [Skill Check: [Soul Persuasion] been used]


    [Ill intent detected]


    [Affecting the host¡¯s mind¡­]


    [Trying to break the skill¡­]


    [¡­]


    [Skill Check: [Soul Persuasion] is blocked]


    Kinoya didn''t move for a moment. It''s an effective skill for a general. But even if somebody told him, he wouldn''t believe that the skill was effective against the general of the West. If it had worked he couldn''t have broken it so easily.


    [Skill Check: Time is taken to break [Soul Persuasion]: 5 minutes 28 seconds]


    [Do you think the skill was easy to break?]


    The system didn''t forget to add a sarcastic command but he had a more important thing to think about.


    "Boy, do you accept your crime?"


    "Crime? What crime? Is helping the empire in the war accepted as a crime? If yes, then I am a criminal."


    Riyasu was startled for a moment. Not expecting such remarks from Kinoya. He took another look at Kinoya, before continuing with a sarcastic smile "Your crime is that you had dirtied the name of The Great Krounen Empire.


    ¡°You persuaded others to do the dirty work, you had done the sinful work of deceiving your enemy, raided your enemy camp at night¡­"


    "Let me get it, you are saying I did something sinful because I deceived the ''enemy''?" It was hard to control the laughter, neither he had tried to. ¡®Forget about the trap which was the idea of the commander-in-chief, but I couldn''t believe that he just said that deceiving enemies is a sin.¡¯


    "According to the Code of Honour, yes."


    "Do you know that you are talking about an enemy, not a friend?"


    "I am well aware of that."


    "You are an idiot." The whole room plunged into silence.


    "Boy do you know what are you saying?" Riyasu slammed on the table, with veins popping up on his forehead.


    "I was wrong" Kinoya took a deep breath and said again, "All of you are idiots. And the funny thing is all of you know that."


    Not a single one spoke any words. Riyasu was shouting in an intangible language with fumes coming out of his ears.


    "Cut out the list of sins, go straight to the punishment part," Kinoya said without emotion. Without the proper background, it would be impossible to escape his fate and he was well aware of it.


    "According to the imperial edict¡­¡±


    As soon as he heard the part everything became clear to him. With curved lips, he continued to listen.


    ¡°... due to your contribution toward the victory, your life will be spared. But you will be stripped of all of your achievement. You will be subjected to forced labour in the army for 2 years. And for deceiving and persuading the high authority to do immoral work you are subjected to 100 whiplashes."


    "Like they are the child or something." Kinoya didn''t hold it in any more.


    Riyasu glared as he continued, "For insulting the imperial edict you are punishable by death. But doing that will be an insult to the empirical edict itself. Your one week ration will be revoked."


    Kinoya laughed it out. A twitch appeared at the forehead of Riyasu, "What so funny?"


    Kinoya shook his head and started to take off his armour, "Let me ask you one last question. According to the ''Great Imperial edict'' if the commander-in-chief was found to be the one who was behind these sinful acts what would have been the punishment?"


    For the first time today, the commander-in-chief looked at Kinoya. Those eyes were anything but friendly. Like a tiger, he was staring right at the eye of Kinoya.


    Noticing the fire between them, Riyasu added with a smile, "He would have become a 4-star general and would have been sent to the empire for further trial. What? You have something to say?"


    Kinoya looked at the general and gave a smile. That smile made the commander-in-chief skip a heartbeat.


    "No there is nothing to say, I just want to see how much my fellow people of the Great Krounen Empire love it."


    Riyasu looked a little surprised, "What?"


    "Never mind" Kinoya had already stripped himself half-naked. Leaving the erect talwar on his back and the lower garment on his body. "Let''s not waste any more time and get my war tattoos as soon as possible."


    "Leave that here." Riyasu pointed at the talwar.


    "I have given up all the things that were given to me by the empire, the short scimitar, armour, boots and the badge. This talwar is my personal property. I am not taking it off on my own but you are welcome to try."


    Hearing it, Riyasu was fuming, he was going to Kinoya but Akai stopped him. "It''s his personal belongings."


    Riyasu was about to argue but didn''t. "General of the west if you bestow the punishment on the guilty."


    The general didn''t move. He just signalled and the captain of the general guard came out. Along came General Riyasu. Under the protection general guard, he was dragged to the city centre, right in front of the Chararch.

 30. The Vishnugupta

    The initial chaos had already died down. The original residents of the city have either been mutilated or their bodies were decorating the walls around the city. Those, who were lucky enough to find a bed for the night, might not be seeing the sun of tomorrow.


    The soldiers were preparing for a hard fight, so their easy victory made them very excited. They were setting up camp around the city, taking the best building in the city. But some unusual movement had attracted their attention.


    Someone was dragged through the city. Curiosity got the best of them and followed behind. Some curious minds even tried to peek at the face.


    The procession stopped in front of the Chararch. Kinoya was forced to kneel. He put the talwar down beside him. With Riyasu¡¯s whispers, one of the guards tried to move it but all was in vain.


    The failed attempts made Riyasu angry. He had wanted to take the talwar but fearing another failure, he gave up with reluctance. As more crowd gathered he took out the edict and announced the punishments.


    ¡°He is the blind devil!!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Can¡¯t you see he doesn''t have an eye?¡±


    ¡°Wow! I had never expected such a young child.¡±


    The whispers grew stronger. Some were gloating at his misfortune and some were sad but none came forward to protect him.


    *Whoop* *whoop*


    First one fell, then the second, and it continued without rest until the 17th. Then the one whipping noticed it. He hesitated for a moment but continued. By 22nd, everybody could see the black smoke oozing off the wounds.


    They didn''t understand what was happening. But that was not the case for the general¡¯s guards who went with him on that night. Being one, the whipper was more hesitant.


    "Don''t worry, nothing like that will happen. You can continue." Kinoya spoke in a calm voice, without raising his head. The whipper looked at the captain with questioning eyes.


    Even after getting the confirmation he was a little hesitant but compiled under the urges of Riyasu. Soon the only one left at the place was Kinoya, with a bloody back.


    The city centre became normal again. Nobody cared for Kinoya. All except four. The four he beat up before. They flocked together like a bunch of hyenas.


    "Look who we got here?"


    "Isn''t it the mister righteous?"


    "Look Akori, it''s the one who stole your first wife from you."


    Before joining the military he was satisfied with himself. There were very few in his village who could stand up to him, whether child or adult. But he had shared the caves with monsters. One beat him for the cave leadership, one for the best cavalry, and this one almost beat him for a girl. Akori couldn''t hold it any longer.


    That incident had worsened his mood. Now looking at beaten up Kinoya, his anger and pent up frustrations got the best of him. He kicked at the head of Kinoya.


    Nobody had expected the sudden outburst, not even his partners. But what was more surprising was that Kinoya grabbed the kick with his bare hand.


    They instinctively stepped back. The blue flame eye awakened the fear in their heart. Akori, who was unable to control his weight, fell on his butt.


    Not many could stay sane after taking so many whiplashes. It was his bad luck that Kinoya was one of them.


    They had observed the whole ordeal from the crowd. They couldn¡¯t even believe that a 12 years old could stay conscious after 100 whiplashes, much less retaliate.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "What do you want?" His voice was hoarse, the eye was blue but there was no change in his demeanour.


    "Re-Release my leg." Akori stammered his words out, "You are not a captain anymore."


    Kinoya was dumbfounded from the answer, "That is your reason? I may not be a captain, but that doesn''t mean I will not protect myself." Even before he had ended the sentence, he had punched Akori.


    "Unhand him," the lieutenant shouted but by one look from Kinoya, the tone changed, "...Captain."


    "Don''t want to." Kinoya showered more punches on him without hesitation. Akori was facing the blunt edge of Kinoya''s pent up anger and there was nothing the lieutenant could do about it.


    Neither the lieutenant nor the other two could come forward to help him. Even looking at the pleading eyes of Akori all they could do was avert their gaze.


    ''You brought this on yourself. Who told you to kick him? Even if it is wounded, a tiger will still be a tiger.''


    Without the help of others, all Akori could do was accept his fate. His face turned into an unrecognizable mess with bruises and cuts all over it.


    Kinoya didn''t care, but he was reaching his limit too. Soon he was panting on his four. It took a few moments before he could stand up again. His steps weren''t steady but as soon as he grabbed the talwar he vanished into thin air with a puff of black smoke.


    **********


    "Do you know captain how hard it was to find you here?"


    "Chanakya?" Kinoya was surprised seeing Chanakya on the top of the Chararch. There were no stairs to climb nor did he have something like Varytita.


    "There is no need to be surprised. If you can do it I could do it too."


    "But you didn''t obey my order."


    "But you are not the captain anymore." There was a moment of silence before Kinoya asked again.


    "Then what about the girls?"


    "Don''t worry, the others are there. They didn''t know what happened here.¡± Listening to his concern Kinoya could only smile.


    ¡°By the way captain there were 234 women, so you own them like 2 gold coins and 34 silver ones. Do you have that kind of money?¡±


    Kino didn''t answer but asked another question"Why are you still calling me captain?"


    "Because I mostly couldn''t remember people''s names."


    "Hi, I am Kinoya Arviga. Nice to meet you." Kinoya introduced himself with a bright smile.


    "Kinoya? That is not a good name, captain suits you better. And I know they are going to reinstate you soon enough. All you need to do is to wait here."


    Kinoya smiled and said, "Well about that, I think we need to do something about the trap."


    "Why? They are the one who didn''t believe you, beat you, and cast you out. And now you want to save them?" While talking, Chanakya continued to stare at the distant city wall.


    "Well, I thought about those idiots, believe me, they are real idiots. I want to beat some sense into them, I want to beat up Riyasu and the general west and everybody. I want to beat them senseless. You won''t believe me¡­"


    "Captain, I think you are deviating from the main topic."


    Kinoya gave a silly smile, " The point is no matter how much I want, I couldn''t let all of them die." Kinoya looked at the soldiers in the city centre. "They don''t know what is coming for them. Only because their superiors are ignorant I couldn''t just let them die. We have to find a way to save them."


    Chanakya took a look at him, before turning his head towards the horizon again. It was the same old sun diving the horizon. ''Yet it felt different.'' So he thought. His smile didn''t miss the eye of Kinoya but Kinoya chose not to speak.


    "There was an old kingdom named Roginian. The Vishnuguptas clan were the chief military advisor of the country, but the increasing number of corruption was polluting the country. And when they pointed it out my great-great-grandfather and his father were assassinated while my great-grandfather was forced to and came over to the Kounen mountain range."


    Chanakya''s eyes didn''t have a shard of emotion as he continued to talk.


    "There was no empire at that time; there was just a tribe of the current emperor¡¯s families and the other hereditary noble families. They saved my great-grandfather. And in return, he helped them to build the empire. As a token of faith, we became a military nobility. As long as we are not asking for something absurd, our demand will be fulfilled, at least in the military."


    Chanakya took a deep breath. For a while, he stood silent. Kinoya could see the hesitation all over his face, yet he waited.


    "My grandfather served the nation, then my father did too. But when I was small, he had committed suicide." He sighed, "What is the profit of serving if one couldn''t save himself? Why does he have to die just to protect the family?"


    ''That is the story of every nation, no matter how clean a nation appears, there is bound to be some corruption in it.'' The empire was around 94 years old, it meant the amount of corruption is less that didn''t mean it was void of it.


    ''But, his dad¡­'' Kinoya could only sigh thinking about it. To begin with, he wasn''t any good in those emotional situations, and it didn''t look like Chanakya was asking for any sentiment. Kinoya didn''t even understand what Chanakya was looking for.


    "You sounded depressing, you know."


    Chanakya was stunned by the remarks for a moment "Why would you even say that? You don''t say that to a person who is smiling."


    Kinoya shook his head and said, "You know, depressed people usually have the biggest smile." He smiled, took another look at Chanakya, "Well if that is not a depressed smile then there is nothing to worry. I don''t want to lose a friend again."


    Chanakya didn''t know how to respond so he continued to stare at the horizon, "Captain, do you know there are sometimes even I don''t get you."


    Kinoya was all smiles but didn''t answer. "You know, magic or not, this view is always beautiful."


    The sea of orange was drowning the sky, the horizon already had taken a bite of the sun. Little clouds were like the schools of fishes in the sky. It was really beautiful. But that didn''t attract Chanakya like Kinoya''s words.


    "What do you mean by ''magic or not''? Is there any place where magic does not exist."


    Kinoya was about to say something but he started shouting, "It''s magic, magic is the secret. Chanakya you are a genius."


    On the other hand, Chanakya was surprised not knowing why he was regarded as a genius and continued to stare at him with a question in mind, ''Even without a string on his body, how that talwar was still sticking to the captain''s naked back?''

 31. Underestimating the enemy

    "Yes, the one that will infiltrate the enemy camp, get the details of them, assassinate important people, sabotage their plan, poison their well, take hostages and do those kinds of stuff. A military spy."


    "A military spy? Are you sure that you are not talking about mercenaries?"Chanakya had never heard about such a thing.


    A silence followed before Kinoya spoke again, ¡°¡®Doing those kinds of things are unethical.¡¯ Is that what you are thinking?¡±


    ¡°When did you care about ethics?¡± Chanaya was wearing his expressionless face, "Do you know that you are not a good example of a leader?"


    Kinoya laughed it off, "I told you, didn''t I? I am that kind of person who would do the bad things without hesitation."


    "In the war, you kill people for one reason or another. How can there be an ethical way of doing it? The only way is to survive the longest." The words were still ringing in the ears of Chanakya. He didn''t want to agree yet he couldn''t argue.


    "They are coming." Kinoya''s words broke Chanakya''s thought, he opened his eyes but couldn''t see anyone.


    Before he could ask, four lights appeared at the four corners of the city centre and started to move through the stone, scorching everything in its path. They rotated around Chararch, creating a circle with Charcarch at the centre.


    It started with a large circle then they divided into 8 fires and created squares. It continued to divide and create a more complex pattern.


    Unlike Chanakya, the array didn''t seem alien to Kinoya. He had seen it before and was very much aware of its results. However, he didn''t know a way to stop it.


    The light didn''t stop moving yet people had started to appear with constant flashes. They moved out of the city centre in different directions.


    *Boom*


    Soon enough a commotion broke out at the city gate. First, it was just shouts and cries but soon the clashes of weapons could be heard too.


    The pattern continued to wiggle and people continued to appear but none stayed at the city-centre. Almost 50 people had vanished in the dark before the magical array was able to complete its form.


    It completed with a flash. But when it returned to normal the whole place was full of soldiers. As soon as they moved out and there was another flash, then another. It flashed for 6 times then the floor of the centre cracked with a loud bang.


    "They are more prepared than I thought." Kinoya shook his head.


    "I don''t think they will be able to take the city down with just 12-15 thousand."


    "They are not idiots. They must have another plan."


    "Are you saying that more soldiers are hiding in the vicinity?"


    "No, that is not it, they must have come for a reason. You can send a hundred people in a suicide mission, even a thousand is okay but you can''t or won''t send so many people to their death."


    "Didn''t you say the strategist of Torria''s army is amateur?"


    "That is also the reason why he won''t do anything that won''t bore any fruit. He can only use simple strategies¡­ Oh! He dares..." Kinoya''s cry caught Chanakya off guard.


    However Kinoya didn''t care, "He had never wanted to beat us. He just wanted to kill us all. They didn''t want to open the door, they wanted to close it so we couldn''t go out. They will poison the well, burn our food, destroy our supply¡­ but even with 15 thousand people, they could not stop us from going out."


    "What if they create a blockade around the city?"


    "If there was an enemy it should have been inside the city, not outside."


    "They can use a transportation circle."


    "I had asked the general Akai. He said that 10,000 gold is needed to create one that can transport 3,000 soldiers, for once. Do you think that they are willing to such an extent?¡±


    ¡°And on top of that they took all the citizens away, that is the important point. Except for the garrison, only women were here." The moment he realised it, he thought he would faint, ¡°He is more decisive than I thought.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What is the problem, captain?"


    "They are going to blow up the whole city, tonight."


    "What? How?" Chanakya''s computational speed couldn''t keep up with Kinoya''s comprehension level. All he could do was to ask Kinoya to explain it for him.


    "I don''t know-how. But it''s just baiting and trapping technique again. They gave us a little fight, just enough so that those idiots didn''t suspect anything. Gave us the women to satisfy us. Create a diversion to make us believe that the attack was their plan while they blow up the city."


    "Captain?" Chanakya asked in all seriousness, ¡°Did you hurt your head?¡±


    "I don''t know much about how to blow out the city. Maybe an explosion, bomb the city, gas the city, whatever is more effective. What about a high-grade spell?" Kinoya understood how concentric his vision was about the world. He didn¡¯t know enough about the x-factor of this world, ¡®The Magic¡¯.


    "I don''t know about ''gas the city'', but a high-grade spell can work. But that will need a wizard."


    "That is easy as pie."


    "Only if the pie falls from the sky." Chanakya shook his head as he explained,  "There are only 11 wizards on the continent. Out of them only 3 of them are human. Though Torria has one, if they can''t afford those magic circles they won''t be able to afford the wizard."


    "How can that even be possible? Isn''t it supposed to be a magic continent?"


    Chanakya didn''t beat around the bushes. He knew very well that it was not easy to get the magic-related information. "When you learn magic you will become a grade 1 apprentice, it will go up to grade 5. Most of the magic casters are at this level. Above it is a mage, archmage, wizard and people say there is a legendary level called ''Saint''. But there is no known saint on the continent."


    Kinoya wanted to think about how cool it will be if he was able to become a legendary saint, but he had a more pressing problem in front of him. "But how to blow up the city?"


    "There is one way."


    "What the hell with all this suspense?" Kinoya was agitated.


    "I didn''t see it before, so I forgot about it. Do you remember how I told you that a Chararch always builds first in every city of Torria? Well, there is a reason behind it. The Chararch is a magic sensing device that protected the city up to the second wall from any kind of magic attack." Chanakya got the chance to outwit Kinoya and he was cherishing it.


    But Kinoya took his limelight, "And it needs a magical core to operate. If one can reverse the flow of the magic the whole thing will blow up, taking the city with it."


    "So you know about it?" Chanakya was a little surprised.


    "No, I just guess it. So their best soldiers are here and we are sitting in the middle of the enemy camp."


    "Are you scared captain?" Chanakya had failed to reason the big smile on his face.


    "No, I am happy that he also made the same mistake that I made."


    "And what will that be?"


    "They have underestimated me.¡± Kinoya smiled. "Give me the bow. And tell me which side General Akai will be?" He tore his robe, cut his finger and started to write using blood.


    *********


    No matter how many history books he had read in this life or on the earth, he had one fatal problem. That is experience. No matter how imaginative one might be, it is hard to predict the future. After all, the reality is stranger than fiction.


    To be precise Nus never underestimated him. Rather he took more precaution, after facing him last time.


    "Will it work? We have paid too much for the mission." After the failure of the first war, general Kirmac was called back to the capital. General Manu became the commander-in-chief of the army of Torria.


    "Anything is possible in a war, all they have to do is reach the chamber under the Chararch. One minute will be more than enough to blow it up" The long white hair was contradictory to his age, even Kinoya would have a hard time to identify this person whom he had sent to relay the message.


    "Do we need to send Captain Fret there?" General Manu couldn''t sit still thinking about the consequences if the mission fails. "He is the best soldier we have, on top of that he is the direct disciple of an Archmage. The last thing we want right now is to anger an Archmage."


    ''How can a general worry that much before mobilizing his soldiers? Is this the level of the army of Torria?'' A frown appeared on Nus''s face, "Archmage is the last thing we need to worry about right now."


    ''If there is something we  should worry about that will be the devil.'' Thoughts about that night still make Nus sweat in fear. The white hair was also the gift of that night. "Neither magic caster nor any magic knight had joined war from the empire. We need to use it to our advantage as soon as possible. We got one chance."


    With a deep breath he continued, "On top of that, we don''t know what that thing was. But from his words, he might be related to the night raid. If he lives, we don''t know what type of ordeal this army has to go through? And believe me, when I say it, this army will not be able to survive it."


    It wasn''t just the colour of his hair that he lost that day. The naivety, indecisiveness that he had carried as an official, was also lost. That was replaced by the thirst of the winning. ''To win by any means necessary''.


    On the other hand, one futile effort wasn''t enough to change the view of the mentality that sipped into the bone of every soldier. General Manu was no exception, but¡­


    "Take him with you, his words may save your life one day." Those were the words of his teacher, General Kirmac and he wanted to believe in those too. But every word of this Official Nus was making less and less sense than the last.


    ''If that thing is the devil then there is no way one could kill it.'' General Manu was hesitant, "Do you think he could defeat a devil?"


    "I don''t know whether he could kill the devil or not, but I know magic is the best weapon against a devil."


    "Wouldn''t it be enough if we just blow the city?"


    His face twitched, the skin wrinkled as he spoke again, "Listen general, the primary aim for the mission is to kill that blind devil and then blow up the city. That should be the order, not the other way around."


    Nus stopped, took a deep breath and continued, "That guy took down almost 100,000 soldiers, with a platoon of men, a legion of cavalry and archers, that is without any recorded injury. Think about what he can do with the full army. I want him dead as soon as possible."


    "Isn''t that blind devil just a child?"


    "That''s why he needs to die now. If he survives then with his mind and strength he will become 2nd Moon general, if not worse." With each question of the general Nus voice and determination were becoming stronger.


    "I think you are overestimating that child."


    "We are underestimating him." Nus sighed. Talking to the general was becoming tiresome for him. He lacked the motivation to talk on this topic, "What about the preparation that I told you to do?"


    "Do we need it? If they die tonight then¡­" General Manu frowned, ''Just another illogical order.''


    "No matter how effective the attack will be, there are bound to be some survivors."


    The general wasn''t satisfied with the reaction but answered nonetheless, "The garrison of Yeongjang, Pisa, Roirus had been transferred to Wang, Paeng and Jingeon. We have already sent letters to the nearest cities, they will soon send their army here at ''Na''."


    "Tell them, if any of the city didn''t send an army within two weeks the capital will consider the city as a traitor."


    "But¡­" The general was surprised by such a reaction from Nus.


    "Just say it, it will be enough." His patience had reached its limit a long time ago. Without any more words, he left the tent.

 32. Fighting a magic knight.

    "It is a trap." The soldiers couldn''t believe his eyes. The enemies were appearing out of thin air and there was nothing they could do about it. Akai, from his famed mare, was overlooking the scene in front of him.


    ¡®Kinoya was right.¡¯ Even if he had wanted to help Kinoya, the matter regarding imperial edict made him helpless.


    He couldn''t do anything about it, but Chanakya''s arrival relieved him. Akai was relieved that the empire didn''t lose such a good seed. He assembled the force and was prepared to take care of any of the attacks.


    But the situation looked grim. The number of the enemy wasn''t something to worry about, but the fragmented empire''s army would have a hard time facing this well-organized force. On top of that, it was hard to show their numerical superiority in these narrow alleyways.


    "General there is a message." The shout broke the train of thought.


    "From whom?" Akai frowned.


    "We don''t know. An arrow shot down an enemy, there was a cloth attached to it."


    Akai took the cloth piece. It was written in blood. With each word, his face was losing its colour.


    "Go to Vaicus, tell him to clear the city as soon as possible. Break the


    gate, and evacuate the city, kill anybody who dares to bar the path." Under the order, the soldiers left with a nod.


    "Tell Korai to meet the commander-in-chief and¡­ just give him the cloth, and if he doesn''t believe it, leave the city as soon as possible." Akai handed him the cloth. "Tell others to clear the enemy around the city centre and evacuate the city as soon as possible. Remind everyone there shouldn''t be a single soldier of Red Crops left in the city after half an hour. That''s an order."


    Akai took out his long sabre and moved to the vanguard. "Ahhh¡­" with one vicious roar, he charged into the enemy. With just one swing he had cut down 13 enemies.


    All those who had heard the roar felt the heart inside their bodies just became faster. The blood circulation increased, all their stats went up considerably. They were under the skill of Akai, [Raging Blood]. They didn''t know that, but all they heard was, "Kill whoever dares to stop you. Let the blood of our enemy make us red again."


    Akai led the charge. Defending wasn''t the speciality of the Red Corps, they showcased their effectiveness when it comes to offence. It was like a human train. Whatever came in front of it was blown away. With General Akai leading, it didn''t even take much time to reach the city centre.


    ********


    "So, that White freak was talking about you, right?" The voice was young but there was a lot of weight in it, "You are a child and have a talwar at the back, but he said you are blind by your left!"


    "White freak? What is a White freak?" But Kinoya was surprised for a different reason. The man was oozing a huge amount of magical energy, something he had never felt before.


    "It''s official Nus I am talking about."


    "Is he the one who planned the whole thing?"


    "Yes, and he had sent me to kill the little devil."


    ''So he had come to kill me. Have I already been marked? That White freak is better than I thought.'' But he was more curious about the person who was standing in front of him.


    ''By the amount of magic this guy is leaking, this guy must be something like a Magic knight.''


    He activated the [Extrasensory Vision], "If that guy meant this as blind by left then I am the one you are looking for." His right eyes lit up with a blue but nothing was on his left, "Who are you?" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "You are going to die. So you don''t need to know. Formation." His last word was very loud. Within a moment the soldiers around them created a circular formation. Each of them was armed with spears and shields. The archers created another circle behind them.


    "How nostalgic!" At the centre of it was Kinoya, facing an unknown magic knight.


    The black smoke encapsulated him, and only blue flame flicked inside the smoke. In a blink, the smoke dissipated in the thin air.


    The man took out the claymore with a swift motion but it was already too late. He jumped back, but it was in vain; a cut appeared in his cheek. The pain created a smile on his face, "I am Fret Mervic, the one who will kill you today."


    The acknowledgement put a smile on his face too, "Do you think you can do that?" Even before he had finished his words he had vanished again.


    Speed was his biggest weapon, and he knew he had to utilize it, but before his claw could touch Fret, it was deflected by the claymore. He snooped down to escape the second swing of the claymore and attacked from behind.


    Yet, his claw stopped before reaching Fret, again. Kinoya was shocked; Fret didn''t miss the opportunity. A single punch was enough to send Kinoya flying.


    "A magic shield!" Kinoya had the basic idea about the magic knight, but having the idea and utilizing it was two different things.


    "You are fast, and there is no doubt about it. But, is your strength enough to break the mana shield?" Fret took an offensive stance, "The fight is as good as over. Come, admit your defeat and I will give you an honourable death."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Nobody knew better about his limitation, other than himself, "The fight has just started. And in case you didn''t notice, I am just the vanguard."


    *Boom*


    A powerful gust of wind blew a couple of soldiers in the air. Akai had appeared on the east side of the city centre. The charge was strong enough to get the attention of the enemies. And, a moment of carelessness was enough for Kinoya.


    He jumped at Fret, pulled out the talwar from his back, and swung it down. With the skill, it was a matter of a second before the mana shield crumbled under the force.


    [Skill check: Level one skill [Gravity {Varytita}] activated.]


    It wasn''t his skill and he wasn''t sure that it would activate. However, he was lucky. [Gravity] was the skill of his talwar, ''Varytita''. It was the only skill he was able to unlock when ''Varytita'' accepted him as its master but activating it was a huge challenge.


    ''Could it be his talwar?!'' It was little out of his expectation, but Fret wasn''t the one without experience. The moment it took to break the shield was enough to counter-attack. With a loud bang, his claymore collided with the talwar.


    The whole city centre turned silent. With a huge blast, Kinoya was thrown in the air, but his hand wasn''t steady anymore. He was bleeding from the space between the thumb and the index.


    On the other hand, Fret was pushed back 4-5 meters, leaving behind cracked footprints on the paved floor. Though it was not bleeding, Fret''s hand was shaking too.


    ''Even with enhanced mobility and strength, it is hard. No wonder the old man said never to use it, without a proper Magic knight training.'' Without hesitation, he put the talwar back.


    Akai and a few soldiers of the red front were here, but Akai was struggling to enter the city centre against the¡­ Kinoya was not sure whether they were elite soldiers or magic knights...


    ¡®But it looks like the help isn¡¯t coming anytime soon.¡¯ The only person Kinoya could rely on was himself.


    ''I can''t let him grow.'' On the other hand, a moment of confusion faded in rigid determination. Armed or not he attacked Kinoya once more. At first look, it was clear that Fret had the advantage but¡­ Kinoya was too fast for Fret to land a hit on him.


    Their speed was on par, but the claymore was missing it. With a swift movement, Kinoya escaped the claymore each time, and all Claymore was able to cut was the black smoke.


    "The white freak was right. Who had thought a child like you will be able to wield a magic sword? But the way your hand is right now, you can''t wield it anymore. It''s the end¡­" He couldn''t finish his sentence before he coughed out some blood.


    A sudden attack by a mana spell of Varytita had injured his internal organs. And all this intensive running was taking the toll on his body.


    "I am no match for you, that I accept. But you are no good either. And I have back up too."


    "But will you survive, till your man comes?" Even before he completed his sentence Fret already vanished from the spot.


    The danger sense in his mind was ringing like crazy, but he couldn''t find the reason. He was already at his limit but that didn''t mean the enemy would go easy on him.


    Kinoya jumped back, only to be kicked at the back. Even before he could land the claymore took out a chunk of flesh from his thigh. He put his all; black smoke exploded again, taking him out of Fret''s reach. Kinoya looked in confusion as Fret stood there with curved lips.


    [Status Check: Foreign mana invading host''s body]


    [Do you want to dispel it?]


    ''I was too careless.'' What surprised him was, the wound wasn''t bleeding, nor any black smoke was coming out. ''It must be mana.'' With his confirmation, the mechanical resonated again.


    [Status Check: Unable to dispel invading mana.]


    [Do you want to override your consciousness?]


    ''Override my consciousness? Does it mean that guy will wake up again?'' Kinoya rejected the thought, ''I don''t need his help anymore.'' No matter how much he wanted to beat the magic knight, he didn''t want to wake up that guy. On top of that, even if he beat the magic knight, he didn''t want to start from scratch again.


    "What happened? Did your fumes run out? Then let''s get over with quick" Fret armour was burning blue, a blue flame was oozing off the claymore. His breaths were heavy, but¡­


    Kinoya''s situation was the worst. Even if he wanted to move, his muscle wasn''t reacting. Fret raised the claymore above his head, Kinoya could see life flashing in front of the eye. No matter how much he wanted to say he doesn''t fear death it wasn''t true.


    Fret vanished from his view. His body wasn''t listening to him, and he didn''t want to wake that guy again. The black smoke had left his body, and he was waiting to greet the intended attack. But¡­


    "Boy, don''t give up on life so easily." And the intended attack never came.

 33. The Conclusion

    ''Something is not right.'' The claymore was an inch away from Kinoya but Fret hesitated. He tried to move away. Alas! It was too late and was sent flying with a gust of wind.


    "Boy, don''t give up on living, so easily."


    "General." Looking at Akai, a sigh of relief escaped Kinoya.


    "Cut the formalities." Akai threw him a bottle of potion, "Drink this, it will help you to dispel the mana."


    ''A potion is not something one would carry, even in war! Or mana poisoning is such a common thing?!'' Kinoya was surprised while he received the potion bottle from Akai, but drank it without hesitation. It wasn''t long before the system confirmed that the mana had been dispelled.


    "I will handle this guy. You do what you have to do." Akai said without looking back.


    Not many people knew about the mission of the enemy, but Akai was one of them. After receiving the arrow from Kinoya, he was surprised. And when he saw the magic knight, he felt that Kinoya might be right after all.


    ''They are here to blow up the city. How vicious.'' Even as a veteran general, he couldn''t help but shudder at the thought.


    Kinoya stood up, the new mana was flooding through his body healing the wounds. With the assistance of the system, the smoke had started to come out again and Kinoya vanished in a flash.


    He could feel another outburst of mana behind him. Kinoya wanted to look, but he had an important job.


    "No, you are not going anywhere." With the scream from Akai, the wind picked up behind him, and Fret was forced to stop.


    He moved towards the centre of the Chararch. A big tunnel leading underground was in his view but it was well guarded. They weren''t much of a threat to Kinoya and fell under the claw without much resistance.


    The whole path of the tunnel was littered with dead bodies. Poisonous arrows, acid, deadly traps, everything was there, along with mutilated, deformed bodies. Those were still hot and the stench of blood was strong.


    Kinoya didn''t know how to disconnect these types of traps. But lucky for him, those entered before him had rendered most of them useless. Still, he moved while cladding his whole body with black smoke.


    He was careful, yet as his feet touched the soft ground and it caved in. The wide hole, with poisonous spears at the bottom, tried to swallow Kinoya up.


    The impaled body and the stench of blood and piss reminded the effectiveness of the trap, yet it failed to affect Kinoya. He moved across in the puff of black smoke.


    No matter how fast he moved, he couldn''t bypass the leftover traps. Few arrows missed him by an inch, a sharp axe cut off a good chunk of black smoke. However, no matter how many traps were activated, all of them had failed to do real damage to him.


    After moving for half an hour he was standing underneath an arch. It was littered with dead bodies and broken golems. The smell of blood and metal filled the air but the light that was coming out of the open metal door frightened him most.


    "How can there be such condense mana here?"


    Mana, the catalyst of magic, was different from the elemental energy. The mana was the only key that can tap into the elemental sea. The only difference from a magic-user from a non-magician was that they couldn''t sense or wield the mana.


    He had felt an enormous amount of elemental energy from that Fret. However, it was different, It''s pure mana.


    Tyrannical amount of mana was gushing out of the door and was corroding his black smoke armour at a visible speed.


    His blue flame eyes, that project the image of mana and elemental energy around him, had become his biggest weakness. It was blinding white in front of him. He couldn''t see anything until he opened his left eye.


    Even then his skin continued to sizzle. With each step, the feeling of being poked by thousands of needles was increasing. All he could do was grit his teeth as he walked in.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    There were around five people inside the room and in the middle of it, there was a crystal, about 3 meters tall. It was floating in the middle of an inactive magic circle.


    When the people saw Kinoya they were surprised at first, yet at the next moment they laughed it out.


    "No matter what you do, it is already too late. There is nobody who can stop the explosion now."


    Kinoya didn''t know whether they could see it or not, but the mana flow was clear in front of his eyes. The turbulent mana had continued to assault the inner-shell of the mana crystal. Mana was already leaking through the crack.


    "You have 2 minutes to tell me how to stop it." Even before he completed the sentence he had already beheaded one, making others stupefied. He had already removed the head of the second one, even before others could understand what had happened to the first one.


    The bodies sprayed blood in the air, the stench of blood was spreading. One screamed and ran towards the gate yet it was too late. He died even before he could reach the gate.


    "Now, the one, who will tell me how to stop it, will get to live." Even if he wanted to talk with a smile, it was not the time. With the little time he had, violence was the only path he could take.


    "Aaa¡­ A wizard can stop it." One of them shouted and soon he was crying in pain. His left hand was already severed from the body. Kinoya tore it off with his black claw.


    "You have to pay for the wrong answer. Do you see any wizard here?" Kinoya had thrown away the hand.


    "If there is something that could absorb the excess power of the crystal, then you can stop it."


    "Something that could absorb the mana?" Kinoya couldn''t think about such a thing but¡­ ''System, can Varytita absorb the energy?''


    [Varytita could absorb the energy. The host needs to guide the energy continuously, otherwise, it will explode along with the crystal.]


    With a smile on his face, "That is what I want to hear. Now the last question. How did you overload the crystal?"


    "Using this" Both of them shouted at the same time, taking out a small crystal with a tube attached to it and there were 8 spider-like legs at the end of the tube. Kinoya could see two of those things attached to the big crystal.


    "Leave those here and go." With the words. They compiled without any hesitation.


    ''Leave an enemy so he could create more problems in the future?'' Kinoya had no intention of doing it. Before they could leave the room, they had left the world.


    He didn''t waste any more moments and the talwar in the crystal without hesitation. ''Worst come worst I could just wake him up.''


    ***********


    At the city centre, the situation was turning in favour of the empire, as expected. The elite soldiers had tried.  Yet when Akai had destroyed their momentum they had failed to recover.


    Soldiers behind Akai were the best of the Red front and they didn''t miss the opportunity.  Not many, other than Fret had survived.


    On the other hand, Fret was a different problem. There was not much Akai could do against a magic knight. Even if a general grade skill could be effective against Fret, it was not fatal. On top, there is a limit of how many times he could use it.


    "It looks like it''s time for me to leave. It would have been great if you had survived, but, alas! that is not going to happen. Only if you can go out of the third wall you might survive." Fret put back the claymore, took out a bead.


    The blue aura around him vanished in a blink of an eye. All Akai could do was watch. Fret crushed the bead, a magic circle appeared under his feet and he vanished in the mid-air along with those around him.


    Akai was panting heavily. If Kinoya hadn''t injured Fret, things would have been very different. It was due to this he could escape with just injuries. Otherwise, he would have died by now.


    ''How did Kinoya was able to hold his ground against that monster?'' Akai shouted as someone brought his horse to him. "We are moving right now."


    "General, others have left the city."


    "What about the commander-in-chief?"


    "They had already left. Only the corps of general Riyasu is left."


    "Let that idiot suffer. We are leaving now." Without hesitation, they ran towards the gate. But, even before they could reach the gate a quake shook the whole city.


    Small quakes continued to rock the city, while stronger vibrations tore down the wounded houses throughout the city. Even Riyasu''s soldiers could feel the coming danger and broke into utter chaos. Alas! It was too late.


    "Move faster. We have to leave now." Akai continued to shout as he led his soldiers through the city and passed the second wall.


    It felt like, inside the earth, an angry dragon was struggling for his freedom and it''s growling was like thunder to the ears of the soldiers. The helpless cries in the city increased too, yet the tremor continued.


    Akai continued to move until they could see the others. First one to greet them wasn''t a general but the Vishnugupta. Akai was a little surprised to see what was behind him. Not just the troop of Kinoya, numerous women were present too.


    "Welcome general." Chanakya greeted him.


    Before Akai could say anything the whole land rocked in a thunderous boom. All the horses of the cavalry were neighing in fear. It was hard for them to calm down, the woman and children were second to react.


    But it didn''t stop with just one or two quakes. Little did they know this was just the beginning. It continued for a whole day before the city stopped trembling. Even if the city had stopped, the city centre continued to rock for months to come.


    Soon the report was sent to the capital, reporting the loss of almost 35,000 soldiers along with a young captain, Kinoya Arviga.

 34. Generation Purge

    Empirical year, 97.


    7 months after the incident of Yeomchon


    Oranbus, the capital city of Krounen.


    The Imperial court.


    "What is there to know? Those guys are on holiday, wasting the food and the gold of the empire." It was followed by a long silence.


    ''Why that little piece of sh*t?''


    ''Why is he even here?''


    Everyone''s thought was along the same line but none dared to voice it. Whether it was the ministers or nobles, none dared to say such words. Even if it was just the court jester, the emperor was too fond of him. On top of that...


    There was no golden throne, no soft silk coated soft bed. All there was a stone, a dark red stone. Wide enough for a person to sit and was high enough so that no one can look down on it.


    On any other day, it would empty. But today a man was sitting straight on it. With a golden sheathless shamshir and a small round golden shield beside him.


    The aura that was escaping him was so dominating that even the young scholars at the end of the hall were having a hard time breathing.


    It was a sign. An ominous sign. Something bad is going to happen. And on the top of that, the jester was adding oil to the fire.


    "Assistant Minister of War, can you explain, what does this silence imply?" His simple question murdered the whispers, those were spreading through the court.


    "Highness we have good news. The Moon General has reached the first capital of Godola, the city of Ceblos. It took only 4 months to reach the capital. Not only had the general beaten the 20,000 Bosonic archers who were stationed in the city, but he also pushed the 50,000 of the Knight Templars, who came to their aid." The minister was all smiles, yet the emperor didn''t respond.


    The reason behind the emperor''s dissatisfaction was clear to all of them. It was putting a strain on the empire''s economy. It was not severe, however, the Emperor was keen about the slightest change in the Empire.


    "What about the other fronts?" The emperor asked in a solemn voice.


    Even if he wanted, the minister couldn¡¯t even frown in front of him. Every one of them was aware of the situation, other than the Moon General none was able to produce any solid result.


    They knew about it, so did the Emperor. There was nothing that could escape his eyes and ears. But bringing that up in the imperial court only meant one thing; there will be consequences.


    "On Torria, The general of West had won the battle of Eale plane. Conquered the cities of Yeomcheon, Yeongjang, Pisa, Roirus, Wang. He was fighting at the city of Paeng. It won''t be long before it falls."


    "What about Cantela?" The bomb was dropped as soon as he finished.


    "The General of North conquered the city of Gourgos and Hipodonas. But from the city of Hipodonas the plane of Myra begins, and against the Knight Templar the General was unable to produce any good result."


    There was pin-drop silence throughout the imperial court, none of them dared to take any breath fearing the wrath of the strongest emperor.


    "Didn''t the Moon general won the city of the Gourgos?" Before anybody could respond, the Emperor gave an eye to the Court jester.


    If it was any other time then the ministers would have been happy, however, they knew very well that he just angered the Emperor more.


    But what he had pointed out was true. Rather than entering Godola from the empire, Moon General chose to first enter Cantela. There he had conquered the city of Gourgos before penetrating Godola from Cantela.


    It was a surprising strategy and the result proved its effectiveness. In just 1 week, Moon general had conquered 7 cities along the border of Godola with more than 150,000 war-captives.


    "The Moon General will stay at the Ceblos. Secure the city, and secure every city between Ceblos and the border. Then he can return to the capital."


    The verdict fell. All they could do was listen to his words as the imperial scribe was writing down every word, without even missing the pauses.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "In 6 months the general of the West will capture Na before that.¡± It sounded like a prediction to the ears of the listener. Still, none of them dared to imagine the consequences if they didn''t come true.


    ¡°Send the general of East to Cantela, after handing over the charge general of the North will return to the capital."


    The first to fall from grace was the General of the North. The four cardinal generals were the four pillars of the army. Their position was not something that could be moved so easily. Yet one verdict sealed the fate of the General of the North.


    On the other hand, a Moon general was rising in fame. Many had protested against the Moon general''s posting as commander-in-chief at the Godola front but the results spoke for itself.


    He was the first one to succeed. Everybody knew the new emperor preferred the Moon general who grew up with the emperor over, the old ones.


    On the other hand, the situation of the general of the West was neither good nor bad. Though it sounded like he had won many of the cities, actually only 2 of them have any strategic value. And one of them had already been reduced to dust.


    ''Generation Purge''. That is what people call it. Everybody knew clearly that with the rise of the new emperor a change will come. It happened for the emperor who came before him and was happening again.


    The imperial court had gone through a bloody purge with the ascendency of the new emperor, and the military was facing it now. It came late but it came at last.


    ***********


    [Analysis complete.]


    [Creating the first Spell essence]


    [Time Required: 6 hours 14 minutes 57 seconds]


    Kinoya almost shouts in joy, alas, he was holding the talwar, which was plunged into the crystal. Still, he was relieved.


    Even after 4 years of training, he had never been able to create the spell essence. Though the old man had said that it was a little hard for a little boy to comprehend a spell''s essence, he wasn''t satisfied.


    How hard could it be for a person who had three or four lives? unfortunately, he had found out in a hard way.


    For 4 years he trained inside the gravity domain of Varytita but was never able to comprehend the gravity domain.


    However, when he plunged it in the magic crystal source, things changed. The energy inside the Varytita became unstable, affecting the whole city of Yeomcheon.


    Little did the people above know that it was Kinoya, rather Varytita, who had destroyed the city.


    To begin with, Kinoya had no prior knowledge of magic. He didn''t even know what a spell essence is, much less comprehend it.


    But that all changed due to Varytita''s way to absorb the magic crystal energy. Rather than absorbing the whole energy at once, it had corrupted the magic crystal and made it on its own, then absorbed it slowly.


    The magic crystal became the bigger version of Varytita, affecting gravity around it. With each influx of energy, it was creating one magic circle after another and It did the trick.


    Seven months ago, when he plunged Varytita in the crystal, symbols of unknown language started to appear on the surface of it. Kinoya was unable to read it at first but with the repeated appearance, the effect was becoming clear.


    [Understanding the language of Ether: 0.04%]


    ¡®The language of Ether!? Isn¡¯t that what they call ¡®mana¡¯ in the ancient language?¡¯ Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure about it. Then, from the confirmation of the system, he understood those letters were related to the spell essence.


    He continued to study the symbols, even when it started to become more complex. He didn''t know how much time had passed, still, he continued to absorb the knowledge of the ancient language and...


    [Unable to create Spell essence]


    [Initiating¡­]


    [Failed¡­]


    [Initiating...]


    A string of massage woke him up. Yet Kinoya could feel his consciousness was fading away in the middle of the constant battering of the mechanical voice. Before he knew it he was standing in his mage space again.


    Nothing much of it had changed. The man was still in sleep on the stone bed. The orb of water was still there with a constant heartbeat... The dark space was dark as usual.


    All was same, except the constant struggling and the blinking of the mud slime on the table. It was in pain. Its puppy dog eye pleaded to Kinoya for a moment before it crumbled again in pain. Kinoya didn''t know what to do.


    [Unable to find the suitable element to bond]


    [Searching¡­]


    ''Searching for an element?'' Are those things elements? He can understand the orb of water represents the element of water, mud slime is earth but what the hell does that man represent?


    [Unable to find the suitable element to bond]


    [Searching¡­]


    ''Now is not the time to think.'' He could guess what he could do. The talwar name was ¡®Varytita¡¯. It means gravity in an ancient language. ¡®And what goes with gravity?¡¯


    Kinoya started to move towards the earth slime. It also tried its best to reach out for Kinoya but unfortunately, it couldn''t leave the table. Kinoya moved and touched it. Nothing happened like last time, rather Kinoya could feel his mana was flowing from him to the earth slime.


    At first, Kinoya was surprised to see that his mana is black. Upon closer inspection, he could see it was not just black rather it was the black smoke itself. He was afraid at first yet the blissful expression on the face of the slime relieved him.


    After an unknown amount of time, the flow stopped. What greeted him was the black crystal eyes of the slime that jumped towards him from the table. It was a perfect slime who just found its playmate. However, before he knew it, the slime jumped off him and melted away on the ground.


    [Suitable element is found]


    [Beginning the bonding sequence]


    Whatever was left of the slime continued to glow, and a bright light pillar shot out of it. And then the symbol started to appear. One divide in two, two into four, and it continued.


    [Analysis complete.]


    [Creating the first Spell essence]


    [Time Required: 6 hours 14 minutes 57 seconds]

 35. A price to pay

    "What was that?" The tremor took them by surprise. Unable to hold his ground the patrolling spearman fell on his butt.


    "Did it start again?" The shield-bearer plunged his shield in the ground, tightened his grip. The nightmare of the past months was still fresh in their mind.


    After the attack from the enemy, the strange phenomenon had started. The whole city of Yeomcheon rocked for one whole day, before falling silent. But the tremor in the city centre continued for months.


    The city centre of Yeomcheon became off-limits. The Chararch was already in ruins. The broken skeletons of the houses and shops remained standing around the city centre, to show the remnant of its glamorous past.


    The main army had already left the city. Those who remained were the part of general Andlat''s corps. The general herself was stationed here to protect the entry point of Torria. Whereas Akai, Vorn, and Riyasu, under the command of General of West, had left with 120,000 strong armies.


    It was not that the quakes had stopped after that day, but it was neither frequent nor as strong as today.


    "Could it be the remaining energy of the crystal?" The young swordsman asked with fearful eyes.


    "But¡­" before he could say the next word, another strong shock swept the land from his leg.


    ¡°We should inform the general first.¡±One of the soldiers ran to report it to the general. In the meantime, more of the patrolling soldiers started to gather.


    "When did it start?"


    "At the morning there was a small quake, but soon the frequency increased, and it is now stronger than the morning." The guard answered the captain.


    Before the captain could ask again, another tremor rocked the whole city. Not too far away one of the two-storied buildings was reduced to rubbles.


    "Move away, don''t go too¡­" The captain couldn''t complete his sentence before a chasm appeared through the city centre. The crowd was broken into chaos, but the tremors stopped as soon as the chasm appeared.


    "There is something. It''s moving." A shout grabbed the attention of all those who were present there. But another entity entered the city centre at the same time.


    In the presence of General Andlat, everyone was silent. Nobody knew whether it was because of her charisma or her frightening reputation, but none dared to talk. The thing which was crawling out of the chasm concerned them more for the moment.


    It was naked, without a string on its body, the view confirmed the gender of the one. His long hair wasn''t letting others see his face. The whole body was full of dark spots, nobody could recognize his body colour.


    Though the structure looked like a human nobody could be too sure. Something peculiar was coming out his back. He was supporting himself with his four. He tried to stand, but his body couldn¡¯t compile his intention and he was sent on his four again.


    Before one could fully observe the thing one brave soldier moved forward without hesitation. He went straight to him, but rather than attacking him, he went and supported him to stand up.


    "You have grown. But you should have taken a bath. It''s hard to talk" The soldier said.


    "That is the first thing you talk about after I came out of the underground after¡­ How many days have I been underground?" The thing asked.


    "7 months and 12 days. It''s good to see you back, Captain." Chanakya said with a smile on his face.


    *********


    The evening of the same day


    The manor of the previous city lord stood unscratched through the tremors, which rocked the city from time to time. For the time being it acted as the head-quarter of the army.


    "Can you do that? That is impossible even for the whole army. Or... perhaps you have found something underground?" Even with Andlat''s surprised expression, her voice was still seductive.


    "That is not important. What is important is whether the general wants to do it or not?"


    Andlat was surprised by the response of Kinoya, who was standing before her. He was talented but also respectful. But the boy in front of her was different.


    ¡®I am not sure but something has changed. The temperament, the attitude even the aura had changed. This¡­¡¯ Neither fear nor respect was present in his eyes. Arrogance won''t be the right word to explain it.


    ¡®What could have happened?¡¯ The general wasn¡¯t too sure about it but, the shard of hesitation that could be felt before now has vanished.


    Andlat couldn¡¯t put a reason on his change, however, ¡®That is what makes the thing interesting.¡¯


    "This is how you talk to your superior?" A deadly cold aura started to leak out from her, the temperature took a nosedive.


    The effect was more prominent on Kinoya. It was hard for him to move, even harder to breath. If it was some months ago then he would have submitted without hesitation. But¡­The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Kinoya was forced to channel up his leftover mana though the spell essence. The aura Kinoya excluded was different from the chilling cold aura of Andlat, it was calming, more down to earth, but was strong in its sense.


    A flash of surprise appeared in the face of Andlat. The aura was different from the black smoke that the boy used to expel from his body, rather now, he had some weight around him now.


    "I have no superior. As long as I remember I was thrown out of the army, in this city. Why do I need to respect you?" Though Kinoya said with a straight face, the pressure on him was becoming unbearable.


    The black smoke had depleted a long time ago all he could do now was to channel his mana in the spell essence.


    Yet, similar to black smoke, the severe deficiency of mana over the last few months hadn¡¯t filled up. So even though the mana cost is low, it won''t be long before his residue mana will be used up.


    "If you are not in the military then why are you planning to help us?"


    "No matter how they treated me I was born and brought up in the empire. So I want to help it." Kinoya waited for a moment before adding, ¡°Will that be enough?¡±


    Andlat didn¡¯t answer, continued to look at him with a smile on her face. Yet the pressure on him continued to increase.


    ¡®Like anybody would accept such a lame excuse.¡¯ Looking at unconvinced Andlat all Kinoya could do was sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡± Andlat was dumb-founded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I want to do it. Maybe I want to take revenge on that white freak. Maybe I just want to fight and move up to the ladder. I am not sure of myself.¡±


    To be precise he was confused. Not sure whether he had wanted to run away or stay into the military.


    ¡°I couldn''t just run away from my punishment. I want to join the Royal Academy after all. So I thought it would be better to earn merit rather than being a coolie.¡±


    Andlat burst into laughter. "I Like you, boy, I like you more." The pressure on him vanished in a blink, yet the look on her eyes sent a chill down her spine. "I can do what you had told me, but what will I get in return?"


    ''Chanakya was right. She isn''t someone I could control.'' Kinoya tried to control his emotion as much as possible. "I may not be a soldier of the empire, but you are a general of the Empire, and what I am doing is for the good of the empire. You still..."


    "Cut those crap. If I don''t get what I want, you are not getting anything too." She said with a bewitching smile on her face as she came towards Kinoya.


    ''I didn''t think that I shall be so helpless, even with the spiritual essence.'' Kinoya understood very well that this wasn''t just the difference of power. The woman in front of him was on a whole different level. He was already at his limit, even before she had revealed her full power.


    "Then what do you want?" Even Kinoya didn¡¯t realise that his voice was shaking.


    "I want you." She said and planted her lips on Kinoya. He resisted for a moment, but¡­


    The resistance made her ecstatic. ¡°See I want to help you. But you are not cooperating.¡±


    The memories of the past flashed through his mind. The pain, hate, wound, and blood, it overwhelmed his mind. The Catwoman, the demon woman, even Munai''s face flashed in his eye.


    Kinoya wanted to refute but failed. Harder he tried to resist it, the harder it became for him to forget.


    ¡°Ok, then let¡¯s just forget what just happened. You can go now.¡± Andlat turned and left without giving him any chance to refute.


    Kinoya had no idea what clicked in him, but his body moved on its own. He grabbed her wrist and planted a kiss on her. A tinge of red appeared on her cheek.


    The desire inside her was building to the point that it was hard to control anymore. Her moods wings were becoming more frequent, even her closest abide had started to avoid her.


    Yet under the general''s order, she couldn''t touch any of the soldiers. The slaves she had brought with her or the soldiers of the enemies she had captured were becoming useless.


    On top of that, she couldn''t leave the city. Now with such a tasty treat in front of her, she was almost losing control over herself. She grabbed his head as her tongue tried to blast away the last bit of resistance.


    ¡®I can¡¯t just run away from the past anymore.¡¯ Even if he reasoned himself still it was hard.


    Her tongue was continuing its assault, yet he couldn¡¯t just accept it. But before the resistance could grow stronger, clamming mana invaded his body.


    [Status Check: Foreign mana invading host''s body]


    [Do you want to dispel it?]


    The system''s mechanical voice didn''t affect him anymore. He relaxed, as his lips melted away in her mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t just Kinoya who was resisting. The moment he had accepted the dominance, Andlat became more violent.


    Her tongue continued its invasion, as her other hand continued to ravish his body. His simple rough cloth didn¡¯t have any ability to defend against her violent attack and was soon torn into pieces.


    Her hand moved over his smooth, hairless chest, leaving its marks here and there. The lower it went the more euphoric it had become. Soon it latched onto its most important target.


    ¡°Kuuk.¡± A groan escaped his mouth, and he jumped out of her reach with a little blood on his lip.


    Andlat was jubilant. Like a predator her eyes never left him, rather his little brother, ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like a weapon of thirteen years old.¡±


    Kinoya didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. He felt shy and wanted to hide yet he didn¡¯t. Accepting his all the gaze he spoke, "I have no prob-blem...¡± He stumbled before he could complete his sentence.


    In front of him, Andlat had removed all the string on her body. She was smiling like a child who had found her favourite toy. And that smile¡­


    The notification in his mind didn¡¯t help at all. He couldn¡¯t take off his eyes of her alluring smile. To top it off the white skin was asking him to touch. The chocolate topped white mass on her chest was asking to get plucked. Even if he resisted, his eye continued to slip down her slender waist to the valley...


    ¡°Hehe¡± She giggled like a child as her eyes locked onto the now energetic member of Kinoya.


    Kinoya felt he should resist, yet the feeling was overwhelming. He sucked a deep breath, ¡°Only tonight.¡±


    ¡°That depends on your performance.¡± Without waiting she threw herself on his teenage body


    Kinoya didn''t struggle. He let her soft lips savour the taste of dried lips. It took some time for the dance of her tongue to stop.


    "Don''t worry. But if you try to trick me just remember that the things I could to the enemies also could be done to this army too." Kinoya stepped forward and planted a kiss on her lips.


    Andlat felt a chill in her spine, but her desire soon overridden her fear. She dragged Kinoya to the soft bed. The magic light crystal flickered a few times before it stopped. The room plunged into darkness and silence came with it.


    But the silence was soon drowned by an ecstatic moan. The guard outside the door could only stand there, ignoring the moaning and the occasional whimpers that continued even after daybreak.

 36. Determination

    "Have you done it?"


    Kinoya heard it loud and clear. With the cold wind crashing onto his cheek, he pretended he didn¡¯t and urged his horse to run faster. But with his techniques, Chanakya could follow him with ease. Soon, a smiling face was staring at him from the side.


    "Would it change anything?" Kinoya frowned, it wasn''t something he wanted to talk about right now, yet Chanakya was persistent.


    ¡°No, I just want to hear the experience of the man who quenched the thirst of her and lived to tell the tale¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean? It is not like she would swallow me.¡±


    Chanakya smiled at his captain¡¯s ignorance, "Let me rephrase the question. How did it feel to do it with a succubus?"


    Kinoya almost fell from the horse. A voice screamed in his mind, ''Succubus? What succubus? The one that lives on the energy of men? Is there something like that in this world?''


    "I rather not talk about it." Looking at the awkward expression on Kinoya¡¯s face, Chanakya was forced to swallow his laughter.


    There was an odd tension between them. Chanakya didn''t talk and Kinoya didn''t ask. The silence continued until they stopped to rest.


    "Why did you stay?" Kinoya was most curious about the reason. Chanakya just could leave with the army, he was part of the Red corps, to begin with.


    "I have my reason to stay."


    Kinoya felt like he didn''t want to talk about it, so he fired, "What about the other?"


    "There were about 23 who wanted to stay but I asked general Akai to take them."


    Kinoya didn''t expect that many wanted to stay. He felt little warmth inside him. But Chanakya''s next words took him off guard.


    "Don''t be too happy. Most of them wanted to stay because they were afraid of fighting." Chanakya was nonchalant as ever.


    "Is your reason the same?" He knew very well that Chanakya won¡¯t say a single word if he didn¡¯t want to so, ¡°Chanakya, Why do we fight in the war?¡±


    He was staring at the crackle of firewood, Kinoya¡¯s sudden words surprised him. Yet before he could answer Kinoya continued.


    ¡°For fame? For riches? For power? I don''t know, still, I kill hundreds of people whom I don¡¯t know for a person whom I didn¡¯t see.¡±


    A cold wind quenched the silence. They just sat there without a single word for who knew how long. Then,


    ¡°I have thought about it. And I think I understand why.¡± Kinoya was expecting a response from Chanakya but he kept on staring at the fire. ¡° It would have been better if I didn''t join the war at all but now that I have joined in I think I am fighting so I don¡¯t die. So why do you fight?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to answer that question?¡±


    ¡°Not that I want to force you, but it will be better if I hear your opinion.¡±


    Feeling the incoming silence, Kinoya put up a smile and continued, ¡°I am going to do something unethical. So I just want to know whether you like to follow me in the future or not.¡±


    ¡°Unethical? Again? Captain, you shouldn¡¯t worry that much. It''s not like you are going to slaughter a whole city¡­¡± Yet before he could complete his words, a chill ran down his spine, looking at the warm smile on Kinoya¡¯s face, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°So you can be afraid too¡±


    ¡°Is that important now?¡± Chanakya shouted. However, he was quick to control himself, took a deep breath and, ¡°Care to explain?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t kill them, they will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t not participating in the war would have been a better option?¡±


    Rather than answering, Kinoya asked another question, ¡°What would have happened if I had failed to stop the explosion?¡±


    ¡°You have died.¡±


    ¡°Yes, anybody would have, but not I.¡±


    From the look on his face, Kinoya understood that Chanakya didn¡¯t believe him, ¡°Let¡¯s say I have a guardian angel, he might have protected me.¡±


    The expected shock never appeared on Chanakya¡¯s face, the only thing he had heard was ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡®You understand? How can you understand?¡¯ Kinoya was dumb-founded, he wanted to ask, but¡­


    ¡°So you want to take all the responsibility on your shoulders?¡± All Kinoya could do was nod in response, and silence followed.


    ¡°My forefather didn¡¯t betray the old Roginian kingdom because they wanted to. It was because our guardian angel asked him to.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.¡°Asked him?¡±


    Chanakya nodded, ¡°Asked him. Our guardian angel gives us the work that will aid the people around us, but not us. After skipping 2 generations I inherited him. It is also because of him, we are called ¡®Military noble¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What happens if you complete the task?¡±


    ¡°I am rewarded and with that, a new task is given.¡±


    ¡®Wait a minute, that is not a guardian angel but a system. He got a system! That is unexpected.¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but put on a smile, ¡°Just let me know when it gives you a job to go against me.¡±


    ********


    Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, as he read the contents of the letter, out loud. As a messenger never did he had expected that the letter, he was carrying, was full of such frightening words.


    *Boom*


    Riyasu slammed his fist on the table, his eyes were red, "What that boy thinks, he is?"


    After 2 months of blockade, they were finally able to breach the city of Paeng. It was their night of celebration. Yet¡­


    ''That boy had survived.'' Riaysu was curious, but the emotion which was more active in his mind was anger. This person, not just insulted him in front of everyone but also forced him to swallow his humiliation in silence. Whatever words he had said were proven wrong.


    "Kinoya had never done anything that would hurt the empire. All his steps were for the empire." On the other hand, Akai was ashamed. Ashamed, that he couldn''t protect one of his soldiers. The very one, who tried to protect the crops until his last moment. No matter what, he wouldn''t make a mistake twice.


    Riaysu frowned. He had expected such a reaction from Akai, but what concerned him more was the letter in the hand of the General of West, the commander-in-chief.


    The messenger came with two letters, one, he had read out loud, but the other one was handed to the general. He needed to know what was in the letter but he dared not to.


    "General please don''t be manipulated by his evil way again. We have already taken down 8 cities, the result is great but if..."


    General raised his hand to stop Riyasu, as he opened the letter. Reading the first line was enough to surprise him. If it was not written by Andlat herself, he wouldn''t have believed a single word. But that was what he was surprised about.


    ''If the boy could act the way he said, it wouldn''t be a problem for me to do what he asked for. Still, we do not require doing such extreme measures.'' The general shook his head and was about to say something before a loud voice stopped himself from doing so.


    "Show respect in the presence of the emperor''s words." A loud voice thundered from outside, as three men came in.


    One was holding the banner of the emperor, one was carrying a golden scroll while the other one put them on their knees.


    ¡®Why is the chief eunuch here?¡¯ That was only a question in the minds of everybody in the room. ¡®Even if it is the imperial edict there is no reason to send him, unless¡­¡¯


    He was the chief eunuch but he had another identity. He was the butler of the emperor himself. His words weigh in gold.


    Without wasting a single second, the chief eunuch took out the scroll and started reading.


    "Liright Ain, The general of West, the commander-in-chief of the empire''s army against Torria, hereby decreed to conquer the city of Na within six months. If he couldn''t do that by the end of the eleventh month of the year, then he must report to the imperial court within ten days, to accept the new order."


    Without caring about the bomb, he just dropped, the chief eunuch rolled back the scroll and left without batting an eye.


    ''Decreed'' and ''imperial court'' were the two words that hurt him the most. The general of the west understood very well that he was not getting any aid, at least not until he conquered Na.


    It was not an impossible task. Excluding the town of Ulgyo, the only city that was between Paeng and Na was Jingeon.


    And counting two months, those were needed to siege each city till now, he would have conquered Na within four months. But, only if the city wasn''t Na.


    "General, should we try the boy''s way?" Surprising everyone, the first one to talk was not Akai, much less Riyasu, it was Vorn.


    "No Vorn, we couldn''t do that. Don''t believe that sly-tongue." Riyasu was quick to protest. "If we left the city of Jingeon at our back unattended and marched straight for Na, and the army of Jingeon might attack us from behind. What will we do then?"


    "That''s why he told us not to take the road close to Jigeon."


    Riyasu gave a disdainful look to Akai and said, "Like they wouldn''t know about us if we don''t get too close to the city."


    He turned towards the commander-in-chief "General, we are out of time and the best thing to do is not fall in such a silly trap. First, we need to take down Jingeon before moving on Na."


    "What if he could do what he said? He was able to stop the city of Yeomcheon from exploding and stopped the attack." Vorn was still calm as usual.


    "The one who defended against the attack was the red corps, not the boy, and we don''t even know whether the city was going to explode or not. All that could have been a hoax from him. A trick to get on us due to stripping from his rank."


    "Do you think the destruction of the city centre and the Chararch wasn''t just a trick? And my red corps was able to defend, only because he gave the news to us, at the right time."


    "Using the transportation circle was enough to destroy the city? Don''t make me laugh, Akai. You need to stop defending him. Even if he was from your corps, he is just a child and war is not a game of a child." Riyasu was loud.


    The general raised his hand and stopped everybody again. "Get the army ready we will move out tomorrow morning, to¡­ Na."


    "General do you think he would be able to conquer the city of Jingeon alone? That was bullshit. How can one single man conquer an entire city?" Riyasu shouted, disregarding the fact that he was in the presence of the commander-in-chief.


    But the general of the West didn''t care about him anymore, neither did the other general. Akai and Vorn left the room as soon as they received the order. Riyasu was reluctant but he had to compile.


    "General, are you going to make him captain again?"


    "If he really could do what he said even becoming a major wouldn''t be a problem. Now leave, be prepared to move out in the morning." Right now he didn''t have time for petite arguments. What surprised him more was the attitude of Kinoya.


    The message was like an order. There was no way for him to contact Kinoya. He said he would do it without the regard of any of his opinion. The general was a little unhappy about it, but the fear of imperial edict overwritten it. Little did they know, what Kinoya had talked about was not conquering but...

 37. A Devil indeed

    "General, there is no movement in the city," Vrom announced, as read through the scout''s reports. The generals couldn''t help but a smile stretched on Riyasu''s lips.


    "How much time would it take if they tried to attack us?" The General of the West asked.


    "The river we crossed yesterday was a branch of the Gwang river. Jingeon is about 52 km south from there. Even if they move the army right now, it will still take more than 10 hours before they could reach here. On top of that, they have to cross the river too."


    "What about Na?"


    Rather than explaining, Vorn took out a piece of cloth and showed it. "We are here. If we go to the north around 18 km here, we will find another branch of the Gwang river."


    Everybody closed in to get a better look of the map as he continued, "If we follow the river then it will be another 50 km."


    "If they receive the reinforcement from Jingeon?" Riyasu''s voice was sharp.


    "Are you sure that Kinoya couldn''t take down the city?" The calm Vorn was agitated from the attitude of Riyasu.


    Riyasu couldn''t help but frown at the idiocy of these people. He couldn''t understand why these people were believing in a boy so much.


    Though he was not under the general of the West, he knew very well that, if the general fails, he will have to bear the responsibility too. And there is no way he is going to let his future rest in the hand of a child.


    "General, wouldn''t it be better if we post a legion at the Jingeon? That way we can at least be sure that there won''t be an attack from the back?" [Author note: A Legion: 20,000 soldiers under a two-star general]


    "That won''t be needed. Kinoya is taking care of it." Riyasu looked towards Akai who just came in with Vaicus. But it was the other boy with them who spoke out loud.


    "I am Vishnugupta." With those words, the guards moved back. None of them dared to put their hand on Chanakya.


    Even Riyasu swallowed the insult. To the empire disrespecting a Vishnugupta is like disrespecting the first emperor.


    "Kinoya had taken down Jinsan." Not caring about the surprised looks of the one around him Chanakya dropped the bomb.


    It just deepened the silence. Nobody spoke. Even if they had wanted, they had no idea what to say, ''How can a single boy take down a whole city?''


    Then again there was someone named Riyasu. "That city didn''t have any strong army. It is easy to take it down. That was not even on the list of the city, we are trying to capture."


    Chanakya paid no heed to Riyasu and turned to other generals. Their expression satisfied him. ''"Shock them to submission." What a fitting word. It is as the captain had said.''


    "How?" The general of West didn''t realize that he had stopped the horse. The motion of the whole band had come to a halt. If it was anybody else then he wouldn''t have believed him but a Vishnugupta never lies, yet¡­


    "How did he do that?" Every one of them had the same question. But the unexpected answer came from Riyasu.


    "What is so surprising about it? I could take down that city with a legion, no one regiment is enough."


    [Author note: A Regiment: 5,000 soldiers under a one-star general]


    "If you are not listening, then let me tell you again, Kinoya concurred the city alone without an army," Akai explained to Riyasu, with a face full of disdain.


    "You are mistaken about something. Kinoya didn''t concur the city."


    Chanakya''s words came with another wave of surprised expression. Even Riyasu, who had been happy otherwise, was surprised for a moment. However, before he could respond Chanakya continued, "He had destroyed Jinsan."


    ''Destroyed?'' They could understand the meaning of the term but couldn''t understand the meaning of the sentence. Even if they could, they couldn''t believe it.


    "Kinoya didn''t concur the city, he destroyed it. There is nothing but dust. Everyone, the garrison, civilian, old or child every one of them is dead. You might not find the body if you go there and look for it."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Riyasu could feel a chill run through his spine and it is not just him. Akai couldn''t believe that a boy could do something so vicious.


    Killing a soldier on a battlefield is not a sin, killing a thousand is merit, and killing ten thousand will be fame. But killing a civilian is...


    "What are you talking about?" The silent Vaicus couldn''t remain silent anymore...


    "Did you felt a tremor last night?" Chankaya didn''t wait for others to answer, "That was the effect of the blast."


    "How can he do that?"


    "By the same way, they tried to kill us at Yeomcheon."


    "But why?"


    Chankya smiled and repeated the same answer Kinoya had given him, "This is war, not a merry-making game. Those, who understand it, will win and those who don''t, won''t make it to the history books."


    "When they could draw us in a city and try to blow up 150,000 soldiers, with their 5000 women without hesitation, then why can''t we do the same?"


    "Even if you say so¡­" Akai couldn''t complete his sentence but Vorn did, "Killing civilians is war-crime."


    "War crime? What is that? Do you remember how many innocent people were killed by the war under the first emperor?" None had expected such harsh words from him, but none could refute.


    "If you wanted to save a life then you shouldn''t have started the war in the first place, but when you had already done that, there is no need to hesitate. If you hesitate, then the one to die will be us."


    ''Devil. If it is not the work of a devil then what is?'' None of them knew that they were thinking along the same line.


    "Would he do the same to Jihgeon?" The words of the general of the West drew everybody''s attention to Chanakya, who added with a nod, "We should march and reach Na by tomorrow noon. Then we will rest and go to war on the next day." Without hesitation, Chanakya left the place after leaving the words.


    ''Who is the actual Commander-in-chief?''


    ***********


    The City of Na.


    "How can that be possible?" It was hard to believe for the Commander-in-chief, general Manu.


    "They might have employed the same tactics." The one answered was Captain Fret, who had fought Kinoya in the city of Yeomcheon.


    That didn''t quench the emotion of the general rather infuriated him more. "Where is that white freak hiding?" So he shouted. The message bearer was already terrified.


    Everybody knew about the temper of the general, who was reluctant about letting an official get in the military tent but it was the nation where the King reigned supreme.


    "Official Nus is on his way here. He will reach Hapcheon within two days."


    "Two days? That idiot wasn''t able to do anything then losing soldiers and showing the enemy a way to destroy us. Now he is on holiday."


    "Don''t worry, General, as long as I am here they won''t be able to do anything like they did to the other two cities?" Captain Fret was overflowing with confidence.


    Unlike his attitude toward the white freak, the general had faith in the captain. That was not just because of his background. Coming out of the enemy territory after fighting for such a long time had earned his respect.


    "Could they do that?" One of the generals couldn''t control his curiosity.


    "It is possible if they had the device we had used. If they escape all the traps and reach the crystal room then they won''t have any problem attaching the device to the crystal. They might have got from our soldiers."


    Even if he didn''t say it out loud, one could understand the general was one step away from the eruption. However, it was Fret who continued.


    "Attaching one will slow the detonation, but it will certainly blow. And from the magical fluctuation I am sensing, I am quite sure both cities were destroyed in the same way. But¡­" The general was quite eager to hear the next line, "I am not sure about it but I think the key of those attacks is with the devil."


    "It could be some mage or magic Knight."


    "No. The only reason my master didn''t mobilize anyone other than me, because he and also the King wanted to keep the magic knights out of the way. If the mage came in the war, then it would be an utter slaughter."


    "Aren''t they slaughtering our people now?" Manu couldn''t hide his reluctance. He wasn''t willing to follow the plan nor do his subordinates, yet, "We will do as officer Nus had said. General Kirmac''s praise couldn''t be just empty words."


    "General, we can''t do that. The soldiers are unhappy."


    "Unhappy?" The term caught Manu by surprise.


    "They have heard all the soldiers were slaughtered without a single one spared."


    "Who was the idiot?" The general slammed his hand on the table.


    It was common knowledge to hold any bad news back unless it is necessary. Any news can ignite emotion in those instinct-driven soldiers, hence clouding the judgment. Like the unrest, they are creating right now.


    "The enemy was continuously boasting about it by the city wall from the moment they had reached here in the late afternoon."


    Fret could see the creases forming on the forehead of the general. He, himself, was surprised. For the starter, the Empire''s army changed its tactics after just 7 months.


    It was something that was out of Nus''s calculation. But from conquering every city of its path, to coming to Na, directly by a forced march, not something he had thought about. And the choice of the unconventional terrain was more surprising.


    "Are they trying to lure us out and fight them?" one of the subordinates asked.


    "Do they think that we are an idiot?" General Manu sizzled up more.


    "One thing is sure that the empire is getting desperate." Fret added, "They want to end it as soon as possible, just as official Nus had predicted."


    "That bloody white freak, I am starting to hate that guy''s intuition." General Manu couldn''t help but praise it. "We will stay in the fort, at least until that white freak arrives. Tell that to every soldier. If one of them tried to leave the city and attack, their whole squad will be slaughtered."


    Little did he know, nothing would be going according to his plan? If he was a prestigious general like Kirmac then things would have been different. Yet he didn''t have the charisma nor the sun of war would wait for anybody.

 38. A moment before war

    The day of intended battle, outside the city of Na.


    A suffocating atmosphere enveloped the tent. Other than the commander-in-chief and the captain of his guard, there were Riyasu, Akai, and Vorn.


    Though it was the first time Chanakya had entered the Commander''s tent, he didn''t have any fascination about it. His face was lacking any expression as he stood behind Kinoya.


    Kinoya was different, different from before. He was wearing a loose cloth around his body, in place of red armour. The aura of an immature soldier was nowhere to be seen.


    The only thing that had remained the same, was the talwar at his back. In his only eligible eye, there wasn''t any resentment nor fear for those who were seated in front of him, neither there was any respect.


    "Do you have any captives?" Kinoya''s voice was bold. Though it was kind of disrespectful, the captain of the guard didn''t utter a word.


    "Captives?" The question was too absurd for Riyasu to understand. Not just Riyasu, none had known the logic behind the question.


    "Do you have it or not?"


    "Insolent!" So Riyasu slammed his hand on the table, "Don''t you know how to respect your superior? We can take your head for disrespecting your superior."


    "Do I look afraid? Do you think I care? You can try if you want." It was a challenge to their authority yet the general of the west could only clench his fist under the table. It was not just him.


    Veins were popping on Riyasu¡¯s forehead as he was about to shout, but Vorn seized the opportunity, "We have some. Why? Are you going to ransom them?"


    Kinoya shook his head but didn''t answer, "Do we have any Torria armours?" With a nod from Vorn Kinoya added. "Then I will need 100 captives fully dressed in the armours."


    "Why do you want them?" Akai was having a bad premonition about it and it was proven true.


    "I will kill them."


    "Kill them?" Akai couldn''t help but shudder, looking at his eyes, "But they have surrendered. Some of them, not even the soldiers."


    "Then find those who are soldiers. If there is a problem with that, then give me slaves, those I could kill. I don''t care who they are, as long as I get 100 in Torria armours. I need them within half an hour."


    Kinoya''s answer was too hard to swallow and wasn''t matching his age, Yet they knew this was the very person who had forged his path through the dead bodies.


    Kinoya had little interest in what they thought about him. "Who is the general of the army?" So he asked.


    "The one leading now is called General Manu." What was surprising to others was that the answer came from Chanakya.


    "What about the one called Whitefreak?"


    ''Whitefreak?'' none of them had heard of him. To be precise, it was their first time hearing the name of such a thing.


    "Who is that? Never heard of him." Hearing such a question Kinoya could only frown, ¡°What about the number?"


    *Boom* If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "What the hell?" With the roar, Riyasu slammed on the table, spilling wine everywhere. He didn''t care whether it was the General of the west or anybody else, even if it was the minister of war, he would have done the same. "Why the hell are you taking orders from 13 years old? Did you lost your pride?"


    His attitude towards Kinoya couldn''t be more clear, but what was more surprising for Riyasu, was the attitude of others. Not just the three-star generals but also the Cardinals general, the pillar of the empire, was acting like subordinate in front of Kinoya.


    "It is not about thirteen years old, but it is about what is right?"


    "Killing the surrendered soldiers is the right thing to do?" Riyasu''s eyes were red as he was howling his words out.


    "General, you should remember that you are in the presence of the commander-in-chief." The captain of the guard thundered.


    ¡°Was he not?¡± Riyasu snorted and was about to add something but the commander-in-chief stopped them all. "Do you have any other plan?"


    "We have sieged all those cities in just two months."


    "What if we can''t do it in six months?" Vorn pointed out the biggest crisis they were facing right now.


    Six months, they had only six months. That was the deadline and they didn¡¯t even want to think about the consequences if they fail to complete the mission.


    Even Riyasu was no exception. No matter what he said, even he wasn¡¯t sure that they would be able to successfully siege the city.


    ¡°There would be around 100,000.¡±


    ¡®100,000? That''s too little. They are bound to have more.¡¯ Kinoya thought for a moment before adding ¡°The whole army will push through the middle under general Vorn. General Akai at the right and Riyasu at the left will be defending."


    Riyasu was fuming. It was clear that Kinoya''s attitude was worse only to Riyasu. Though he wasn''t too respectful towards Vorn, he wasn''t disrespectful either. But now he went straight for the authority of the commander-in-chief.


    ¡®Now you have done it.¡¯ His lips curved up, ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have said that, you cocky bastard.¡¯ Masking his smile, Riyasu shouted, "Who wants your plan? Do you think you are the commander-in-chief?"


    It wasn¡¯t just Riyasu, even the general of the west himself was staring dagger at Kinoya. The least worried person was Kinoya himself, "When the general is weak and indecisive, the one under will be insubordinate."


    There was pin-drop silence in the tent. Chanakya was stunned, Akai¡¯s back was wet with sweat. Those who can respond was too stunned to take breaths.


    Kinoya stopped for a moment to look at the commander-in-chief, and with a smile, he continued, "But lucky for us, our commander-in-chief knew what is good and bad for him, for the army and the empire. He will choose the right option, and will lead us to the victory."


    His fake smile disappeared as soon as he turned towards Riyasu, "I am not giving you orders. I am just giving you a plan to win. If you don''t like it, you just have to go and siege the city."


    He didn''t know about the imperial edict neither Akai had told him about it. So when he saw the army at Na, he thought that they had agreed to go with his plan. However, when he observed the commander-in-chief he understood something else was driving them. And the attitude of others just confirmed it.


    There was only one person who wasn¡¯t phased by petty politics and asked, "If it is defending then wouldn''t it be better to let me do it?"


    Turning to Vorn, Kinoya shook his head, "I don''t believe him neither will he listen to me."


    Everybody knew very well, what Kinoya was implying but Riyasu dared not to refute. Even Chanakya flinched for a moment. His intention was loud and clear. Neither he was forcing anyone to jump into a death trap nor he was saying that he will win the war for them.


    "But what about the cavalry?" It was Vorn again.


    "Use it, however you want, as long as they don''t obstruct the three armies movement." A moment of silence was followed by, "Riyasu don''t use cavalry by your left." With the word, Kinoya left the tent. Chanakya followed.


    "Wasn''t that too much?"


    Kinoya looked at Chanakya with a smile, "Didn¡¯t you notice?"


    ¡°Other than your sharp words, was there anything else to notice?


    Kinoya¡¯s smile grew bigger, ¡°Did you think they swallowed my insult because they wanted to? They did because they are desperate.¡±


    ¡°Desperate?¡±


    ¡°There could be many reasons. But it must be an order from the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Imperial edict!?¡±


    ¡°That might be the case.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they will let it slide?" Chanakya felt he didn''t receive the answer from him.


    "Right now I don''t care how they would respond as long as we gain the victory." Kinoya smiled.


    ¡°That is a cardinal general. Even if he is half worthy of his title he will learn the new way. The only problem is his experience. He might have won the skirmishes before but never did he was in the actual war, like general Akai.¡±


    ¡°And if he evolves, he will understand the value of me. Otherwise, he will die even before he could touch me.¡±


    Chanakya stopped to look at Kinoya, "Do you possess the power of retrocognition?"


    "Is there something like that?" Kinoya never thought he would hear something like this.


    "How could I know, you are the one with retrocognition. But I know one thing that whether we win or lose there will be punishment for you."


    "Let''s not talk about it, what about my troop?"


    "Only 17. Three sergeants had stayed. Two of the old sergeant and Palsa. I was surprised to see that the battle maniac was able to control his urges."


    ¡®Aren''t you a sergeant too?¡¯ Kinoya never spoke out loud but he was happy, "That is too much. Tell them to rest for now, and get ready at noon. And you go with general Vaicus, charge at the front, come back if you survive."


    "What? Do you want to kill me?"


    "I have a different plan for general Vaicus. I hope Akai will cooperate."


    "But captain, are you sure that they will come out to fight us?"


    "Don''t worry I will give them the offer they couldn''t refuse."

 39. Hand-dipped in blood

    It was a crop seeding season. If it was a year like any other, the field would have been green with corps, ready to be harvested.


    Alas! This year was different. The citizen didn''t dare to plant the seeds. As a result, the fields had dried up and cracked. Long tall wild grasses were terrorizing the places with leftover nutritions. The morning coldness hadn''t faded away, when¡­


    There was a movement in the empire''s camp. Soon a  group of the people marched out. Not more than two hundred stopped somewhere in the middle of the wall of Na and the empire''s camp.


    The soldiers, garrisoned on the wall, were in confusion as those people started to assemble them in a peculiar formation.


    About a hundred people assembled themselves in a perfect square in the middle. The left-over soldiers gathered around them as they were protecting them.


    But soon those garrisons understood, something was wrong. The soldiers in the middle were on their knees with hands tied behind their back.


    The order for rotation of guards didn''t come, but new guards had started to pour in. They were lining along with the guards who were on the night duty. The curious formation of the enemies, outside the wall, had piqued their interest.


    "Aren''t those armours similar?"  One of them spoke.


    ''Those armours do look similar.'' But with the distance between them, they had no way to confirm it.


    The outer shell of the formation parted as someone walked in. He was just about 5 feet and wasn''t wearing any armour. In a cloth robe and a talwar on the back, he looked anything but strong. Yet they could hear the voice very clear, "Let''s play a game."


    With the signal, one of the guards came forward, and grabbed one of the captives, forcing him to stand up.


    The man with small stature spoke again, "I don''t like an unfair game, so I will give you 50 meters head start. And, if you can reach the city before I could hit you, then, you are free to go."


    With the words, Kinoya took up the composite bow made using animal horn with his design. He took out the arrow and looked at the captive, "You are going to die anyway, I am just giving you a chance to survive, if you don''t take it, I could kill you right now."


    The captive hesitated for a moment more, before he ran toward the city. Weak and hungry, he knew this was his last chance of survival.


    All the left-over energy in his muscles exploded at the same time. Yet the moment he stepped outside the 50-meter mark, an arrow went straight through his neck. He fell, not to move again.


    The whole wall was silent. Until now, they weren''t able to understand what was happening. They weren''t sure about the identity of the people who were forced to kneel.


    However, as soon as the arrow passed through his neck, it became clear. Their confusion about the armour faded with just one arrow, followed by a moment of silence and the whole wall erupted in an uproar.


    "Those are our brothers. They are killing our soldiers."


    "Those moral dogs are slaughtering the captives."


    "Those empire''s bas¡­"


    The loud curses put a smile on Kinoya''s face, "Wow, that was too easy. Let 2 of them go this time and lucky for you, I won''t shoot until you reach the 100-meter mark."


    Even between the uproar, they could hear Kinoya''s voice loud and clear. The more they heard, the more frustrated they felt. Alas! Kinoya was outside the range of their arrows.


    On the other hand, even before Kinoya could finish his words, one ran away, yet the result was no different. No matter how fast they were with their legs, or how agile their movement was, their blood was only good enough to wet the ground. The same thing continued for quite a while, and as the drama progressed the wall got more vocal.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Even if they failed to touch him, they continued to shoot arrows at Kinoya. One lucky one was able to put an arrow a few meters away from Kinoya. Failure after failure made them more frustrated, and Kinoya was happy with the result.


    ''One last push.'' Kinoya could understand they need one more push before they will charge out, still ''Where is that white freak?''


    Kinoya didn''t dare to waste any more time and put down his bow. "The one who will be able to beat me will be free," Kinoya said with a smile and pointed at one.


    Somehow the leftover Sixty felt relieved. ''Such a good archer could never be good at close combat.'' They all had the same train of thought, but none wanted to test it.


    One of the guards removed the hand shackle and gave him a sword. Being the first, he was surprised for a moment.


    He stared at Kinoya, with his bloodshot eyes. The fear of death had long faded from his heart, all that remained was hatred. The death of his brothers bore the seed of vengeance deep in his heart.


    "Aghhhh¡­" He charged at Kinoya with the open sword in his grip, but alas¡­ Kinoya vanished from his view.


    A deep cut appeared on the back, then on the chest, belly, cheek, and the last thing he cut, was the Achilles tendon. Before he knew it, he was already sprawled on the ground, but Kinoya never gave him the killing blow.


    "What are you waiting for? Kill me." The fallen soldiers shouted as his blood continued to paint the ground red.


    Kinoya didn''t care about him at all. He called for the next pair. He could see the crowd on the wall getting more forceful. Their howling was resonating with the cry of the fallen.


    Looking at the part of the wall that had fallen silent all of sudden, a smile appeared on his face, ''So the important figures had started to gather.''


    With a nod, he moved towards the next. He got more violent, decapitating one, cutting the gut out, he was attacking the worst way possible. Yet he didn''t kill most of them.


    The guards around them were shuddering in fear. With the deep blood stench, it was hard for them to breath. The wails of the victims were sending chills through their spine, much less the one who was standing on the walls.


    "Are you even human?"


    "Do you have guts? Come here if you want to fight¡­"


    "I swear in the name of great Djinn if I don''t kill that one by my hand I won''t¡­"


    "You dog, if you want¡­"


    Curses were showered on him, but those had little to no effect on Kinoya. He called five of the next. Everything was similar to all those last encounters but¡­


    A wound appeared on his chest, a part of his robe was cut open. Kinoya jumped back to create some distance, but the five weren''t inexperienced either. They charged at him without giving him the chance to catch his breath.


    Kinoya stood there, with a smile on his face, "You will wish that you haven''t done It." The blood that was coming out of his wound started to sizzle and soon turned into black smoke.


    Not just the wound, he had started to ooze off black smoke from all the pores of the body. Soon his left eye hole turned dark but a blue flame flickered in his right eye hole.


    It was the first time for the empire''s army to see his form, they were surprised, much less the five, he was fighting.


    ''Wasn''t he died?'' They wanted to ask, ''But then again who can kill a devil.'' Their reasoning had frightened them more.


    They knew about the terror of the blind devil, yet they had no choice but to attack. Kinoya put his claw through the chest of the captive. The blood-ridden heart, beat in his claw for once, before he crushed it.


    Kinoya''s loose robe was blood wet, he moved without a single flutter. The whole thing turned into a slaughter. The head of the last one was crushed under his feet.


    "Uggghhh" One of the guards couldn''t hold it in any longer, and sprayed out the last night ration. The face of the other wasn''t any good either.


    A gleeful smile was decorating his face, but to the captives, the smile couldn''t be more frightening. A foul stench filled the air.


    "Let''s not make it lengthy. Release them. I will give you a 100-meter head start. The rule will be the same, but instead of my arrows I will be coming after you."


    The quick-witted broke into dash even before Kinoya completed his sentence, and the weak-willed wasn''t much behind them.


    "You can leave now, get ready. The enemy will be coming out at any moment." The guards left Kinoya and Chanakya behind.


    "Red bands on the right." With a single phrase, Chanakya left too.


    Kinoya started with those at the front of the herd, and the massacre continued. He was jumping from the shoulders to shoulders, removing heads, and spraying blood in the air.


    *sharp* *sharp*


    The cloud of arrows rained down on him, putting a stop to his progression. In the hand of the archers on the wall, the bows were at the full taunt. They were ready to release the next volley of arrows with a moment''s notice.


    Kinoya didn''t get the chance to look at the wall before he was sent flying with a blunt force at his chest. It wasn''t blunt, the robe was cut in half along his chest, but the thin blood-line soon lost under the black smoke.


    Kinoya had taken out the talwar from the back, before landing on the ground. In his hand, the talwar glowed in the brown aura as it clashed against the blue claymore.


    Behind the attacker, the gate of the city closed again, taking in the last bit of survivors. With a breath of relief he greeted the one with the blue claymore, with a smile "Captain Fret, it is nice to meet you again."

 40. The stage is set

    "Are you even human?"


    "Why? Haven''t you spilt enough of my blood last time? Or is it because I killed a little more than others?"


    Fret was determined to take down this wretched excuse of a human. Even without any order, he was ready to pay the cost.


    However, as soon as his claymore clashed against the talwar, the colour of Fret''s face changed. The force he had received from the collision was more than he had expected.


    ''Could he be hiding his strength last time? No, no, that is not possible.'' He was confused. Still, that didn''t stop him from attacking.


    ¡®It might be because of the bond with the earth element.¡¯ Kinoya was relieved. Last time, just one use of Varytita had left him bloody-handed, yet things are different now.


    "Why are you fighting? Those prisoners had already reached the city." On the open field, the speed of Fret was not something he could match up with. Only by utilizing the gravity domain, he was able to keep up.


    "If I couldn''t kill you right now then it will be an insult to those who had been tortured by you."


    "Wow! You are a virtuous man."


    "And you are not."


    "But Fret, you should have understood that you can''t beat me."


    "Who told you that?" With each attack, Fret increased the intensities more and more.


    Kinoya was forced to circulate mana through his numb hands, "Well, you can beat me but you can''t kill me unless you want to bear the consequence."


    More he spoke the more irritated Fret had become. Yet despite his discontent, he came to a stop. Wind around him stopped too.


    ¡®What the hell is he doing?¡¯ Kinoya didn¡¯t want to charge at him. At least not knowing what he was up to. By the time Kinoya understood that Fret was gathering a huge amount of mana, the wind had picked up again and it was too late.


    ¡®His mana is blue, so it must be water, then why?¡¯ A shiver went down his spine, ¡®Could he be gathering water from the air?¡¯


    It was too late. Even at the distance, stray water mana was shaving off his black smoke cloak. ¡®It would be better if I run away now.¡¯


    Alas! Before Kinoya could turn around, Fret disappeared from his view.


    [Skill Check: The Host has observed [Water-Wind Tornado]]


    [Elemental mismatch¡­]


    [Problem occurred while observing¡­]


    [Do you want to try to analyse?]


    ¡®Does it look like I have time for that?¡¯ Kinoya was having a hard time moving from attacks of the tornado. It had a speed of 150km/h, on top of that gravity did not affect the wind. Each missed attack was shaving off a big chunk of the ground.


    [Analyse complete¡­]


    [[Water-Wind Tornado] Observation level: 0.01%]


    [Unable to initiate the quest to learn it.]


    He couldn¡¯t care less. With the assist from his first innate spell [Gravity], all he could do was to invade.


    ¡®This couldn¡¯t be all!¡¯ No matter how strong it is, it couldn¡¯t kill Kinoya, ¡®It¡¯s more like a control spell rather than an offensive spell, then¡­¡¯


    By the time Kinoya had understood the problem, it was too late. Fret was breathing on his back. Kinoya directed all his black smoke and increased the gravity ten times of the original.


    Once the enemy came close to Kinoya it had already entered his [Gravity] domain. And it was the same for Captain Fret. He was subjected to ten times the normal gravity in the domain, but...


    Even if he was caught off for a moment, his experience wasn¡¯t for show. In a blink, he disappeared from his back and a gashing wound cut through the thin layer of black smoke opened on Kinoya¡¯s chest.


    Like last time, no blood came out of it, neither did any black smoke.


    [Status Check: Foreign mana invading host''s body]


    [Do you want to dispel it?]


    ¡®Yes, yes, YES.¡¯ Kinoya screamed as he jumped back as much as possible.


    [Status Check: Unable to dispel invading mana.]


    ¡®No. I don¡¯t want to override my consciousness. I was too careless. Can¡¯t there be any other solution?¡¯Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    [Do you want to slow down the corrosion?]


    As soon as he confirmed a huge chunk of mana was absorbed inside his body. Weakness washed over his body but Fret wasn¡¯t in any good situation either.


    The tornado vanished as blood sipped out of his lips. Even if he had coated himself in mana strong gravity had injured his internal organ.


    ¡°That is the best you can do? I thought a magic knight would be worth more.¡±


    Even if he had said that his body was saying otherwise. The essence circle enabled him to have better control over the gravity around him. However, that didn''t mean that he had an endless amount of mana.


    After studying his body over the last few days Kinoya understood his problem. Two problems to be precise.


    The first problem is his mana. His body has three types of mana. 80% of it is black smoke. Kinoya was not sure of its element. In the beginning, he had thought it was a dark element but the more he used it the more confused he got. It had the property of shadow too.


    Contradictory to those two elements, black smoke had the property of body enhancement and body modification. It was also by using this mana he could level up.


    The problem is the earth element mana is only 16% of his whole mana. That is where the second problem became a big issue.


    Creating a spell essence in the mage space means the mage will be able to cast the spell with one-tenth mana of actual mana cost.


    But Kinoya¡¯s first spell essence was a high-grade spell and the mana cost was enormous. Even with the reduced cost, he could sustain it long with his earth elemental mana.


    And the brown mana inside of him was nearing its limit. Without his gravity domain, he couldn''t use Varytita. On top of that, he was continuously spending an amount of black smoke to suppress foreign mana.


    The injuries didn¡¯t make them worry much and they continued to clash. However with each strike, the force was becoming weaker, blood had started to sip out of Kinoya¡¯s palm.


    The black smoke quenched his mana hole, as the last bits of brown mana extinguished from his body. The talwar, Varytita, became heavy on his hand, and he couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    "You are bluffing." The sluggishness in Kinoya''s movement didn''t miss his eyes, blue hue on his claymore deepened, however before he could strike¡­


    "You are welcome to try." Kinoya''s face was decorated with a smile, " But, one couldn''t win a war alone."


    The crack on the wall of the city widened and the closed gate of the city opened again.


    ''What the hell are they thinking?'' Yet Fret had no way to know, he looked back in shock as the soldiers continued to pour out of the gate. ''Could there be a spy in the army?''


    "Do you think there are spies in your army?" His overgrown canines were making his smile more frightening, "I can assure you there aren''t one, but you are welcome to search your army."


    Before he could assemble his thought, Kinoya used his leftover strength to give another blow. It splattered blood everywhere, still, Kinoya was successful. Fret was forced to take a few steps back and the deflected talwar created a dust cloud.


    Fret was absent-minded and before he could understand what was happening, Kinoya was already halfway back towards the camp.


    ¡®Should I go behind him? But¡­ Those idiots.¡¯ Fret cursed under his breath. His situation wasn¡¯t very good, yet he enveloped himself in wind mana as charged towards the city.


    Fret moved straight to the quarters of General Manu. The place was flooded with the generals. Their demand was same, their voice was one,


    "We have 150,000 soldiers. Even if we don''t use the garrisons we can beat their 110,000 soldiers without much effort."


    Fret was going to answer but it was Manu, who did.  The flame of revenge was hottest inside his heart, still "Listen, those are the heroes, who died for our land. I wanted to kill those bastards too, burn them to the ashes. However, it is not the right time. We have to wait and strike at the right moment."


    ¡®Is this the only way?¡¯ Even he wanted to kill those bastards, but he was the general and he had orders to follow. Manu forced himself to calm down.


    "Think about it. The cities that fell till now, didn''t have many civilians. In the city of Na, we have 100,000 citizens to protect. Will you leave them here to get slaughtered?" Some of them understood Fret''s meaning, yet most of them didn''t.


    "We are not leaving them, we are trying to remove the cause of despair, once and for all."


    "That won''t do. If we leave the city, they might attack the city rather than attacking us and breach the city. Think about what will happen to the civilians if they could do that to the soldiers."


    "Then let half of us go. We will teach them the lesson, that they will never forget." One stubborn general spoke. Soon others joined too.


    "How do you expect us to sleep, if we don''t do something after seeing that?"


    Fret was going to retort, but one soldier came in shouting. Manu was more than agitated right now. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from, "What is it?"


    "One of the soldiers woke up and said everything." The vein was popping up on his forehead as he explained the horrifying torture the soldiers had to go through.


    "General." The hierarchy meant nothing at that moment as the little soldier howled, ¡°Please think about the pain our brother had to go through before dying such a dishonourable death. Even if I have to die I will go alone, I can¡¯t let my brothers go through the same pain again tomorrow. General, our brothers in pain, we have to save them. ¡±


    He wasn''t the general or someone important. He was a soldier, whose heart cried in the pain of his brothers. Yet in the room full of warriors, his voice echoed most.


    There was a pin drop silence inside the room no one spoke. Everyone was looking at Manu with rapt attention.


    "Today we march to battle. We will send them to death. At night we will honour our brothers and drink from the skull of that devil." Manu said with a stern voice, "Get ready to move out." Nobody uttered words just complied, leaving only Fret and Manu behind.


    "Don''t say anything, you just remember what that freak had told you." Fret just nodded to words. "Don''t worry we will win. The man will win even if they had to die." Manu smiled and left the room with a bright smile on his face.

 41. Unexpected Visitor

    ¡°Kuuk¡±


    The mana inside his body was out of control. Without the black smoke, tiredness washed over his body and the unhealed wounds were making it worse.


    ¡°What are you doing, captain?¡±


    ¡°Stay close.¡± That was all Kinoya could say before he sat down and started to meditate.


    ¡°What is this?¡± When his consciousness appeared in his magespace, he was stunned.


    The whole space was fogged. And he was standing in knee-deep water. It was his mage space yet nothing was under his control.


    ¡®It¡¯s this way¡¯ With the bond between him and the mud slime he could still find the way. Before he could see, it jumped from the fog to his shoulder.


    ¡®What?¡¯ Even if it couldn¡¯t talk, he could understand its complaints. Yet he couldn¡¯t help it. As he moved he could see the black pillar around the black men.


    ¡®He is still sleeping. It would have been if he could help me.¡¯ Kinoya was helpless. Akai was at the battlefield and other than him, he didn¡¯t know anyone who can have a potion for mana poisoning.


    ¡°What was that? It¡¯s like a heartbeat.¡± He wasn''t sure about its source but the slime whispered in his mind, ¡°What? Water fairy?¡±


    Getting close to it Kinoya understood the meaning of the slime, ¡°What do you mean? It didn¡¯t hatch¡­ Is it an egg?¡±


    Egg or not, the liquid inside the ord was turbulent. Whenever a little bit of fog came close to it, the orb devoured it. But¡­


    There was an area around it that was void of fog, even the water on the ground didn¡¯t dare to touch the pillar. As if they were afraid of it.


    ¡®Yes, If it can absorb the water and the fog¡­¡¯ Kinoya moved to touch the orb. As soon as his hand touched it, it became docile again, like an obedient child.


    ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. ¡®It can devour the fog but the moment I move it¡­¡¯


    Kinoya tried to put the orb in the water on the ground, alas¡­ As soon as it was close to the water, the water parted.


    ¡®So they are afraid. And it can¡¯t do anything unless it is close.¡¯ While contemplating he observed another important problem. The water level has risen. It was close to his hips.


    [Status check: Time till the destruction of space:  4:31]


    [Status check: Time till the destruction of space:  4:30]


    ¡®Destruction? The mage space will be destroyed?¡¯


    [Owner will lose all the advancement.]


    [Owner will be unable to bond with the earth element again.]


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Where were you till now? What type of shitty system are you? Can¡¯t you help your master?¡± Yet his screams fell into deaf ears, the ¡®broken¡¯ system reminded him of the cruel reality.


    [Status check: Time till the destruction of space:  4:23]


    He was helpless again. He moved to the black man, in the hope of waking him up, but the black smoke pillar stopped him from touching him. ¡®Whose mana are you?¡¯


    ¡®Pour mana in the orb.¡¯ the mud slime whispered inside his mind and didn¡¯t dare to hesitate. As soon as he put the mana in the orb and...


    *Shhh*


    A sharp suction force spread from the orb, devouring everything on its path. The water and the fog vanished as soon as reached within the range of its power.


    Looking at its effectiveness he continued to pour mana and the amount of water continued to decrease. Soon only some puddles were left behind.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    [Status check: Time till the destruction of space:  52:29:42]


    [Status check: Time till the destruction of space:  52:29:41]


    Kinoya wanted to pour more mana in the orb but the mud slime went limp on his shoulder.


    ¡®Looks like I forced you too much¡¯ After putting the orb on the pillar, he put the mud slime too. Looking at his pitiful eyes Kinoya couldn¡¯t hide his smile, ¡°You should heal first. Don¡¯t worry I will get the potion in two days.¡±


    After taking a last look at the space he stopped his meditation. The situation of his body was different. His whole body was wrapped in black smoke and was healing at a visible speed.


    ¡°Captain, even if you are a child you shouldn¡¯t be moving without any cover.¡± Palsa threw a cloth robe towards him.


    Fighting under a strong leader is good, but a psychopath is never suitable. Most of the seventeen had regretted their decision to stay with Kinoya, but Palsa was not one of them.


    "Captain, why are we not fighting?" When others were afraid to even look at Kinoya, Palsa had a more open attitude.


    "Because you will die, even before you can draw your sword." Kinoya put on the robe.


    Though the leftover squad was also present, they were afraid to come close. They have seen the cruelty and the atrocity with their own eyes and the result was as expected.


    They were standing on the hill, a little distance away from the battlefield. But the view was open like a chessboard in front of them.


    "Then would you have died too?" Palsa''s words put a smile on Kinoya''s face.


    Kinoya turned around to look at them. All 17 of them were young, even the oldest sergeant was just 27 years old. With the life expectancy of 150, he hadn''t even reached his prime.


    "You know I am thrown out of the military. So I can''t put on the armour of the empire. I hope Chanakya has told you about It."


    "We know." It was a sergeant who spoke.


    "What is your name?"


    He was surprised for a moment but answered with all seriousness. "I am Chand Sadagar."


    "Oh! Chand, you are the one who got the [Basic Archery] skill first. Well, you will be captain of my archer troop."


    Stunned wasn¡¯t the right word to express their feeling. They were speechless at the arrogance of him. ''What is this child talking about?''


    "But captain even if I get it first I am a swordsman, not an archer," Chand protested.


    "Even the things from a long distance away are very clear to you. All the moving things slowed down when you concentrate. You can sense everything around you, even thing that is behind you. In other words, you have three skills [Far-sight], [Focus] and [Perception]. And your dexterity is very high, but your health is low. Am I wrong?"


    Chand couldn''t believe what he was hearing. These skills are something not many knew about. "How do you know?"


    "That is not important. But if it is true you can only be an archer in my troops or you can change the troops.¡±


    Chand almost spoke out loud. "Captain, you are a captain yourself. How can you do that?"


    "You have followed someone who was thrown out of the army. Do you want to retire from the army when you follow me?"


    Hesitation wasn''t the emotion one could find on the face of Kinoya neither could they fathom his level of confidence, ¡°If they want to give up on your promotion then you are free to go. But¡­¡±


    Kinoya couldn¡¯t even try to hide his hostility. Even without black smoke and blue eyes, his bloodlust was enough to make them shudder in fear.


    ¡°If you decide to stay, I want absolute obedience. I don¡¯t want hypocrites in my army.¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking at me? Do I look like one?¡± Palsa was first to retort, ¡°Killing one or killing a thousand is the same to me.¡±


    Even though others want to say something, they can''t find the right words. All they could do was avoid his gaze.


    "It is just a 2-year suspension, as long as general Akai is alive, it won''t even be the problem to get myself back in. Worst come worst, I will move to the army of moon general."


    ¡°Even the confidence of the devil is on a different level. How can you be so sure?¡± The man who came out wasn¡¯t part of their troop.


    "He is friendly." His right eyehole flickered in the blue fire for a moment, before Kinoya said it. But Chand moved closer to Kinoya, was going to say something but he was stopped, "I know. Don''t worry."


    ¡°But what I am more curious about is that.¡± Without caring the suspicion aimed towards him he continued to speak, ¡°By your plan, General Akai should be in defence, but General Vorn''s corps are forced to move back."


    "That was the plan."


    "Tell me about it." His voice wasn¡¯t soft, neither was it manly. Yet none dare to ignore the air of dominance that was wrapped around those words.


    "Will they come out?" Kinoya couldn''t be careless. With his previous display, it won''t be surprising, if the enemy sent some assassins. Though his [Extrasensory Vision] couldn''t detect any ill intent, one could never be too careful.


    "Don''t worry about them. They won''t move. Let''s talk about the formation. I heard it is you who devised it."


    ''How could this man know about it?'' He kept his expression under control, "I did."


    "So why are you not in it? Are you afraid?" Listening to his words, Kinoya couldn''t shake off the uneasiness. The man was pleased with the expression,  "I saw you were quite heroic in the morning."


    "Hero or Villain, those things depend on one''s perspective. Either way one couldn''t say that I am a hero." Kinoya looked into his eyes, "And, I am suspended."


    "Who suspended you? You should have been an asset to the army."


    "Emper¡­" *hic*


    The end of his words was swallowed up in his hiccup. Never had he felt such thick killing intent.


    His back got wet in just an instant, but it vanished even before a second could eclipse. What was surprising was that the intent came from the person in front of him.


    "Boy, you should not be so careless with the little mouth of your." The man''s eye flickered for a moment before he asked, "Imperial edict?"


    Under the stare of the man, Kinoya was still unable to control the body, all he could do was to nod.


    The man didn''t care about Kinoya, as he turned towards the battleground. "Then what about the cavalry?"


    Taking a look Kinoya couldn''t help but curse under the breath, "That idiot."


    "What? Was that not your plan?"


    "That Bastard¡­" Kinoya looked at the man before continuing, "That general Riyasu is doing exactly what I had told him not to do."


    "Why? That is good. He is using the cavalry to assist him. That will relieve him of some of the pressure." Kinoya couldn''t believe it was the same person who was excluding such a strong intent a moment ago.


    "Cavalry is not a problem. But the right-wing is the problem." The man took another look as Kinoya continued to explain, "The right-wing is close to the river. The ground there is wet and can''t hold the charge of the cavalry. It will just hinder their movement."


    With his words, their action relayed, and soon the cavalry lost the momentum. They became the standing target for the archers. The leftover cavalries¡¯ ineffective charge clashed against the enemy, further increasing the casualty.

 42. Winning war

    "It''s fortunate the enemy didn''t send most of the Cavalry out." The man breathed a relieved sigh.


    "No, they have sent it all." Kinoya rectified. "They were trying to protect themself against the attack. Cavalry would be useless in case of a siege, so they might have sent them out. But what worried me most..."


    "Is it Whitefreak?"


    ''While Whitefreak wasn¡¯t known to the generals, he knew.'' Kinoya couldn''t help but look at the guy again, "Yeah."


    "So, why did they come out?" His aura of supremacy had long lost its efficiency to his curiosity.


    ¡°Emotion.¡± Kinoya could see that the face was expecting a clearer explanation, ¡°They came out because that was the will of the masses.¡±


    ¡°Some of them must have understood that it was a pitfall. But the problem was the number of soldiers.¡±


    ¡°An army consisting of multiple small divisions will have problems if the head is weak. Even if there was a great general it would have been impossible to control such a huge enraged army.¡±


    The man stared with a shocked look."It won''t be a lie to say that even I was resentful at your action. "


    Kinoya chuckled, "That has been the goal all the time. If it weren''t cruel enough, did you think I could drive them out?"


    ¡°Then what about Whitefreak?¡±


    ¡°That is what confused me the most. There are two possibilities. Either he is just a strategist who had no control over the army or he isn¡¯t present in the city.¡±


    Dumb-founded wasn''t the best word to describe his thinking, ''Even though he can assume that the white-haired guy isn''t in the city, he shouldn''t have known that he''s just a court official.''


    "The enemy seemed rather formidable even in the absence of the white freak. Why does it feel like your scheme has backfired?"


    "Let me ask you a question." The grin did not leave his face. "Why do you think I put them to death?"


    ¡®Hey! Even if you don''t know my name, you''re rude. Do you think I won¡¯t put you to death, right now?¡¯ Nonetheless, the man breathed deeply, and responded, "To draw them out."


    "Even then, it¡¯s going to be hard to nullify the numerical advantage. They might not be great generals, however, their white beards are not for show." The man waited for Kinoya to elaborate but...


    ¡°Why¡¯s a cavalry there?¡±Palsa was fascinated by the sudden change in the battlefield and so was the other.


    Akai¡¯s troops were on the right-wing of the army and the cavalry had charged by the right of them.


    The cavalry crossed the enemy¡¯s left wing with an arrow-like formation and attacked the middle line from the back.


    [Author¡¯s note: Remember the Empire''s army¡¯s right-wing is facing the left-wing of the enemy.]


    ¡®The boy had told Vorn to advance and Akai to defend. But¡­¡¯ Now that he was thinking about it he could feel something was wrong about the order.


    ¡®Why did an aggressive general like Akai go out to defend while a defensive general like Vorn was forced to advance? Could it have been that he made a mistake?¡¯


    Looking at the grin on Kinoya''s face, he shook off the thought. ¡°It''s very normal that they were pushed back when they fought 80,000 with only 50,000. Whether it''s Vorn or Akai wouldn''t matter.¡±


    ¡°If it was all about numbers, then Akai couldn¡¯t have advanced with his 20,000 against enemies 30,000¡±


    "So why did you issue the contrary orders to them? "He was struggling to grasp Kinoya¡¯s intention yet had no intention of dabbling on the matter any further.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.¡®Could it be that he had predicted such a result? ''He was frustrated but wouldn¡¯t speak. Nonetheless, the answer came.


    ¡°I had a hunch.¡± Looking at the curious eyes, Kinoya continued. ¡°It is because the enemy is angry. They are going to be extra potent. If Vorn had gone out with the intent to defend, they would have fallen by now. The best defence is an offence.¡±


    ¡°General Akai is different. Even if he was alone he would have penetrated through the enemy line. You can¡¯t change the character of an army forged over 100 battles.¡±


    ¡°And the cavalry? Isn¡¯t it Vaicus of the Red front?¡±


    ¡°They are a shock troop. They will attack where the enemies are weak.¡±


    ¡°Like the gap between the wing and the main body.¡± He could help but suck up lungs full of cold air as he turned to Kinoya. ¡®How can he predict the flow of the battle?¡¯


    It''s just like Kinoya said. Vorn was pushed back as Akai moved forward. Between the main body and the right-wing, a split occurred. That''s when a cavalry of 10,000 came from the right side of the Akai.


    The cavalry breached the enemy''s left-wing and demolished the formation, but did not stop to fight. Rather, they charged at the back of the enemy''s middle army and killed a few thousand of them,


    Around the time the enemy had realized what had happened, the cavalry under Vaicus had slipped through a gap between the middle body and the right-wing and had withdrawn.


    The enemy tried to follow them but the right-wing moved to their left to close the gap and the battle reached a stalemate again. However, the cavalry never stopped.


    ¡°You have planned all this?¡± Even the words that escaped his mouth were hard for him to believe.


    ¡°'' All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we can attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.''¡±


    ¡°Deception?!¡± Even if he had heard the word before, he couldn¡¯t remember any instances when that is used in a battlefield yet ¡®Is he just thirteen years old?¡¯


    ¡®When the younger generation is learning about gallantry and honour, he is adapting to these brazen and cruel methods. Not only has he been successful in delivering results, but he has also been able to make others do his bidding. This perspective might be better suited for the world right now, as long as¡­''


    "Never wound an enemy. Either you don''t hurt them at all or kill them all. There is no in-between." Kinoya''s words forced him to turn his head towards the battlefield.


    The cavalry followed their previous routes for the second time. It wasn¡¯t as effective as the first time but it was able to destroy the left-wing of the enemy.


    Akai did not miss out on the opportunity and pressed on. And when the left-over enemy saw the cavalry charging them again, all they could do was flee.


    Rather than charging in the enemy again, the cavalries charged towards the city behind the fleeing enemy.


    "What the hell are they doing?" Palsa was the first one to cry in alarm. "That is suicide. The archers will kill them"


    "Didn''t you notice the archers went down the wall some moment ago."


    Looking at the smile on his face, the man couldn''t help but ask, "How did you do that?¡±


    ***********


    "General Amboia, pays respect to the Commander-in-chief. 7,000 cavalry under my command will be waiting for your next order." The man, with two stars on his chest, gave a complete bow.


    "General, explain your reason for deserting the post?" The General of the west frowned. He could somewhat guess the reason and that was what made him more irritated.


    Amboia bowed and pulled a letter from his robe, and handed it to him. There was a symbol of mountain peaks with 3 stars on it.


    The symbol of general Andlat. Tearing the envelope he pulled out the letter. The more he read, the more creases appeared on his forehead.


    ''It was that boy again. I am the cardinal general of the empire and my army is siding with that boy. What am I? Just a show?'' He controlled his urges to slam the table in front of him. The letter crumbled in his hand underneath the table.


    "What is it said?" The voice was distinct and sharp. He was the one who carried the words of the imperial edict last time. The chief eunuch.


    "It was the suggestion of that boy,"


    The trembling of the voice didn''t miss the target. The man could guess the reason, and he had no reason to stop the progression. "Carry on your military work, and don''t mind me."


    The atmosphere in the room was tense, but someone was happy. That was Riyasu, and from the general''s expression, he could see the seed he bore had finally bloomed.


    "Call Kinoya." As soon as the words left General''s mouth, Kinoya came in. It was like Kinoya was waiting outside, he came in a moment.


    His sudden entrance caught them off guard, on the other hand, Kinoya was surprised.


    ''What kind of post does he currently wear, to sit above the Commander-in-Chief?'' It was the same person who was enquiring about the strategy on the hill. Yet, right now he is acting like he doesn''t know Kinoya, ¡®It¡¯s not like that is important to me.¡¯


    "What are you up to? Moving the army from Yeomcheon?" the general''s voice couldn''t be more furious.


    ''What is it? Now that you''ve won the war, am I useless? ''Kinoya couldn''t help but laugh inside,¡± Winning war¡±.

 43. the Bitter Truth

    "Winning war." He could see veins popping on his forehead but Kinoya couldn¡¯t care less about the general of the west.


    ¡®A spineless coward who knows how to dig into the glory of the subordinates, but never defends them.¡¯ Kinoya sneered. ¡®You blame me for saving your ass yet you expect me to respect you?¡¯


    Unlike Akai or Vorn, who made their effort talk on the battlefield, Kinoya had lost all his respect towards the general of the west.


    "Insolent brat, you talk like that in front of the commander-in-chief?" It was not the captain of the general''s guard, but Riyasu.


    "In case you forgot, let me remind you, I am not a soldier right now." Kinoya looked at the known man with the unknown identity, "And¡­ Is there anyone in the room, worth respecting?"


    "Guards kill him." The fist slammed on the table as the general broke into an explosive shout. A veil of fear had already eclipsed the face of Akai, Vorn didn''t know how to respond, but Riyasu had the brightest smile.


    "And the reason is?" The guard forced him on his knees, but it didn''t stop him from asking.


    "The esteemed person is the Chief Eunuch of the royal palace. It is punishable by death when a commoner disrespects a noble." Riyasu tried his best to suppress the happiness inside, as explained in a stern voice.


    "I don''t know where you live, but from the empire, I am from, Eunuchs are just palace servants of the Emperor, and in that regards the chief Eunuch would be just a butler of the Emperor. I don''t think he is noble."


    ¡®The general of the west is a different matter, but do you need to antagonize the chief eunuch?¡¯ Yet Akai couldn¡¯t ask it aloud.


    The guards stopped moving, holding their breath, fearing that it would make too much noise. None dare to look at the accused one, much less speak.


    "Boy do you want to be a Eunuch?" The pressure coming from the voice was enough to crush every bone in the body.


    "I wouldn''t mind if I got to boss around the commander-in-chief at the battlefront." His face was full of smiles, even when he was on his knees. ¡®No wonder he knew everything about the plan.¡¯


    "Boy, you got politics crossing through your vein, why are you in the army? You should join the royal court." The smile that appeared on the face of the Chief Eunuch surprised most of them, but Kinoya wasn''t one of them.


    "Because politics doesn''t excite me." Kinoya could feel the pressure lift up from him in a moment.


    "Tell me why did they suspend you?" It was not like he didn''t know about it, but he knew very well how biased the words can be.


    "They lacked a scapegoat." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Wh¡­" Riyasu couldn''t end the first words, as the Chief Eunuch stopped him from speaking.


    "According to the report, I, who was a sergeant at that time, forced the commander-in-chief, the general of the west, who is a 5 star general of the Empire, to do something unethical like attacking the army camp at night."


    "You did it?"


    "Yes, I suggested it." Kinoya had no intention to hide it, ''Why would I let the general busk in the glory of my success?''


    "Why?"


    "Wasn''t the result enough?!" Kinoya stopped for a moment. "But what annoyed me most was that such a perfect technique was deemed immoral. Why should it have been? You''re murdering a human being, that''s what should be called unethical; you''re raping an innocent woman, that''s what should be called unethical; you''re using innocent people as slaves, that should be called unethical but NOOO; what''s called unethical? It was hitting the enemy camp at night when they did the same thing."


    Some frowned, some nodded but Kinoya smiled, "These guys are just fools. They don''t even understand that they''ve been playing in the enemy''s palm all along. If I weren''t here at Yeomcheon, they all would have been gone.¡±


    ¡°Pisa, Roirus, was offered by the enemy without any battle and then they tried to demonstrate some false resistance at Wang, Paeng. And these fools couldn''t even understand that the enemy was wasting some time.¡±


    ¡°The empire is fighting wars on three fronts, it would be a matter of time before the resources would be lost."


    His last words dropped like a bomb, shaking up the chief eunuch, "Does he know?" Kinoya didn''t know why but the chief Eunuch looked at the general of the west, who in turn turned to Akai.


    "He was stuck at Yeomcheon and we were at Paeng. And it was secret, even Vaicus didn''t know."


    ''Looks like I hit the right spot.'' Kinoya grinned, ¡°What? The order had already arrived? No wonder he accepted my suggestion so easily. So, the general isn''t a complete fool.¡±


    ¡®YOU¡­¡¯ His eyes were red, blood was sipping out his clenched fist, yet the general of the West had somehow stopped himself from exploding.


    ''A good seed indeed.'' The chief eunuch could not help but admire the boy before him. It did make him more curious about Kinoya though.


    "Are you saying they''ve been wasting time for 7 months?" The atmosphere tensed by the question.


    "Sorry, but I have no way to sugarcoat the truth. But that is because they lack practical war experience." The words couldn''t be more comical when it was coming from a 13 years old boy, but nobody dared to laugh.


    "They are strong. Without general Akai and the general''s Guard captain, it would have been hard to win the battle of Eale. Likewise, Without general Vorn, general Vaicus, and general Amboia it would have been hard today. And let''s not forget those four who went into the city today."


    "But how can you say, it was a fake resistance at Wang and Paeng? You haven''t even been there" The general of the west could no longer hold him. These are two victories, he could say, were due to his efforts and now the boy says it was false again.


    "If you want to defend it you don''t evacuate the area. Some may run away but the entire population is never going to be wealthy or powerful enough to migrate. And all you get there are some soldiers, some elders, some women, maybe."


    He could not be more correct about the case, even though he wasn''t there. The chief eunuch had his way of knowing it, but that should be the case for 13 years old. He couldn''t help but think, "How do you know?"


    "Because it was the same at Jinsan and Jingeon. They never intended to defend, they were just wasting our time."


    For some moment everything stayed still, nobody refuted, nobody talked, only some hopeless sigh resonated in the room. They just stood there compiling the information they got from Kinoya.


    "Boy, you can leave now." It was the chief Eunuch who broke the silence.


    The edge of the mouth curved up with the eunuch''s attitude, Kinoya was on his leg again, "You can send a magic knight of mage here. They''re not going to have to fight, just some magical knowledge is good. Otherwise, the whole army might be blown up like the cities I''ve blown."


    He didn¡¯t wait for the response and left without giving them a bow.


    "Captain, your promise hold, right?" Palsa was waiting right outside the hall of the commander. He had little interest in the situation inside, But Kinoya was confused, hearing about the forgotten promise, "What promise?"


    "You said we would get one silver for each woman we rescue."


    Kinoya smiled and nodded, "How many did you rescue?"


    "Not much, 500 or 600 maybe."


    Kinoya almost fell on the ground, "Just 17 of you?"


    "No, Chanakya was there too, 18 in total." Kinoya couldn''t help but ask how they did it.


    "You are more famous than you think and we had beaten the stubborn one."


    "That means you have done half of the work, then you get 50 bronze for each."


    "That''s cheating, captain" Looking at the reaction Kinoya broke into laughter, "Don''t worry. I will hold on as long as I don''t run out of money."

 44. Unexpected reward

    ¡°Leave my sister alone or I will kill you.¡± The voice was childish but the intent was strong. However, soon it resorted to pleading, ¡°Please leave my sister, please.¡±


    ¡°Hear him out, he is going to kill me.¡± One of the soldiers burst into laughter. ¡°Give him something, give him your dagger. Let him try.¡±


    Someone threw a dagger towards the child yet he never moved from the side of his sister. The girl didn¡¯t escape his teenage years, where the boy was just 10 years old.


    Looking at the soldiers coming towards the child tried to crawl towards the dagger, but it was too late.


    A kick sent the dagger flying from his hand and a slap followed. The side of his lips started to bleed. With another kick at his belly, he vomited out everything inside.


    Kinoya stopped Palsa as he tried to run towards them. ¡°How many can you tackle?¡±


    ¡°I can kill all of them.¡± Palsa was confident as ever.


    ¡°Not kill, just stale time, leave the one with the girl and the boy alone. Wait till I give you the signal.¡± Palsa nodded as they came out of the shadow.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± One of the soldiers barked at them. Kinoya didn¡¯t have the armour so the threat aimed towards Palsa.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Just using my name you rescued so many? Look at them, they don¡¯t even know me.¡± Kinoya grinned.


    ¡°You are the devil.¡± One of them realised it. Even without realising it, they took a step back, except one. ¡°Oh! You are the one that the general hates. He would be happy if¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t do anything,¡± Kinoya turned towards the one who was holding the girl, ¡°You can continue what you are doing. I just don¡¯t want you to gang upon them.¡± Palsa got the cue and charged towards the other four without hesitation.


    The child who was sobbing in his vomit and blood saw a ray of hope. He ran towards Kinoya, ¡°Brother save my sister, please save my sister.¡±


    ¡°Why are you stopping? I am here for a show.¡± But it was the guy who was the most surprised. He couldn''t decide whether to do what Kinoya was saying or not.


    None the less his urges overpowered his fear. Her struggle was futile in front of his urges.


    ¡°Brother please I would do anything, please save my sister.¡± His sister''s struggles made him more desperate.


    ¡°Will you do anything?¡± The child was surprised for a moment but soon was nodding his head vigorously. ¡°Then why are you asking me to help you? Just grab the blade and kill that man.¡±


    The one holding the mound of the girl''s bare chest stopped to look at Kinoya in surprise. Even the one who was fighting with Palsa stopped for a moment to see what was happening.


    ¡°You want me to help, but what if I want to have my time with her afterwards?¡± The child looked at Kinoya as he was looking at a devil.


    He had heard a moment ago, that the boy, who was younger than her sister, was called a devil by the soldiers. He didn¡¯t believe that he was one, yet¡­


    ¡°If you can kill him I can let both of you go and if I help you¡­¡± Kinoya didn¡¯t complete the sentence, just smiled.


    The boy grabbed the dagger, took another look at Kinoya and charged at his sister¡¯s assaulter. Alas! He had no chance of winning. Holding the girl he kicked the boy, sending him flying.


    The boy looked at Kinoya, ¡°You know the rule. There is no free lunch in the world.¡± The child might not understand the metaphor but understood Kinoya¡¯s intention.


    He charged again and again, but the result never changed. At one point the man was too agitated and threw the girl by the side as he was going to meet the child head-on.


    The child gripped the dagger tighter. Even when he was shaking in fear his resolution was strong and he charged towards the man while closing his eyes but¡­


    This time the result was different. Just before the man was going to lift his leg to kick him, a pair of hands grabbed his leg from behind. Unable to keep himself steady he fell on the child and never to move again.


    It took both of their effort to move the body of the soldiers. The dagger was plunged right through his heart and the blood was all over the child. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Kuk¡­ ahhh¡­¡±The moment his intent faded the boy had started to scream like crazy. Nothing other than blood came out when he tried to vomit and he lost consciousness in her sister¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Was that necessary?¡± Nobody had noticed that Chankyawas standing beside Kinoya. Nobody, except Kinoya.


    ¡°What do you think? Did I open up a charity? Or do you think there won''t be consequences if I beat too many of them?¡±


    ¡°Still isn¡¯t it too much? Will he recover from the trauma?¡±


    ¡°It would have been the same if he had seen his sister getting raped in front of him.¡±


    ¡®Is he just a maniac?¡¯ Chanakya could only sigh, ¡°Captain, sometimes I don¡¯t understand you.¡±


    ¡°What is there to understand? That man had to die and that boy had a better motive to kill him than me. I could just protect him.¡± Kinoya gave a smile, but it was anything but innocent, ¡°Do you want to continue the fight?¡±


    ¡®Who will fight against such a maniac?¡¯ they could only curse as they dragged the body of the fallen comrade away.


    As they left, Kinoya was greeted by another unexpected guest. It was General Amboia. ¡°Captain I have a letter from the general.¡± Kinoya returned the bow and received the letter. The general left without much formality.


    Chanakya soon added, ¡°Captain the general is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°General?¡±


    ¡°General Akai.¡±


    ¡°Palsa lead them,¡± Kinoya told and went with Chanakya.


    The child had woken up and wanted to say something but the girl stopped him. They followed behind Palsa. Kinoya and Chanakya left to meet Akai.


    ¡°Boy, come here.¡± With the call, Kinoya moved in and took the directed seat. ¡°Sergeant, leave us alone.¡± It was Vaicus.


    ¡°No problem, Chanakya will stay.¡±


    Vaicus looked at Kinoya but Kinoya didn¡¯t respond. So Akai took out an orb. It was the type he had seen before.


    ¡°Put your hand on it and answer truthfully.¡± Kinoya could somewhat guess what it is nonetheless he compiled.


    ¡°Are you a spy?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± It was a true poker face and the orb glowed in red.


    ¡°Captain, do you think we are joking here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing but a joke to me. If it was Riyasu, I could have understood but¡­¡±


    ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡±


    Kinoya smiled and didn¡¯t argue anymore, ¡°No I am not a spy¡± The colour of the orb changed and turned green.


    ¡°Where did you kill your first human?¡±


    ¡°At the bandit camp, maybe.¡± The colour didn¡¯t change at all.


    ¡°Do you hold any grudge against any of the generals?¡±


    ¡°Should I lie?¡± Kinoya controlled his smile somehow, ¡°If it is the general of the west or Riyasu then they are just idiots, you can¡¯t hold a grudge against an idiot. As for others, I respect those who have earned it.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°It is respect.¡± Throughout the whole ordeal, the orb didn¡¯t change the colour for once. With the words from Akai, he removed his hand.


    ¡°Do you know what the orb is?¡± Akai asked as he put it away.


    ¡°Some kind of lie detector.¡±


    ¡°Kind of, but it is a truth detector.¡± and an awkward silence followed.


    ¡®Why do this when you will be embarrassed to talk afterwards. Maybe it is the order from the above.¡¯ Looking at the humbled Akai all Kinoya could do was sigh, ¡°You want to talk about something, general?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is about your future in the army.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s about time.¡¯ Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure whether it was good or bad news.


    ¡°According to the Imperial edict, your punishment will hold. After your suspension is over you will be reinstated in the army as a major. But neither your man nor you can stay in the city for the time being.¡±


    It was good news. An expected smile appeared on Chanakya''s face but it put up a frown on Kinoya¡¯s face, ¡°How much longer are we going to stay here?¡±


    ¡°A year. Don¡¯t worry, before we move again you will be reinstated.¡±


    ¡°Is there any need? We have the momentum, so it would be better if we penetrate more.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t,¡± Akai explained. ¡°On the north of the city of Na is the river of Hapcheon. The river starts at Cantela and ends at sea down north. On the north of the river lies the heartland of Torria.¡±


    Korai added from where Akai had stopped, ¡°Right now we can¡¯t cross the river. Not only that, but we also don¡¯t have enough resources to march for a week. And the army isn¡¯t strong enough to penetrate enemy heartland¡±


    ¡°It is as you had said. It¡¯s almost a year since the war started. And fighting at three fronts wasn¡¯t something the empire could continue for now.¡±


    Looking at the unconvinced Kinoya, Akai smiled and added, ¡°Imperial edict. We are ordered to do it. But you don¡¯t have to think about it much. There is something else I want to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°General no need to hesitate please speak.¡±


    ¡°You are an orphan, right?¡±Kinoya nodded as Akai spoke, ¡°Be my son.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kinoya was flabbergasted.


    ¡°I have three daughters, two were married to their happy life and the third one in the mage academy of the capital. I have no son.¡±


    Kinoya wanted to say something, not a single word came out. With every failure, he broke into embarrassing laughter. He had never expected such words to begin with all he could do was sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who makes others speechless and now...¡± Akai couldn¡¯t control his laughter and soon others joined him.


    ¡°Are you sure about it? Shouldn¡¯t you talk to your family members first?¡±


    ¡°What my family members got to do with this?¡±


    ¡°I am not the most loveable person after all.¡±


    ¡°So you know about that?¡± Akai chuckled.


    ¡°No, I just wanted to make sure that you will not chicken out on me when I create trouble again. And you know I am very good at that.¡±


    ¡°All my life I have done one thing most and that was facing the enemies head-on. And you know I am very good at that.¡±


    A very soft kind smile appeared on the face of Kinoya. He never thought that he would find such warmth in the middle of the battlefield. This is the feeling that they call ¡®The flower that blooms at the battlefield.¡¯ Well, it might not be that type of flower after all.

 45. Nus & Fret

    Two months ago official Nus was called back by the Royal court to submit the report. Even though he had written multiple times that the situation wasn¡¯t suitable to leave the post, still¡­


    ¡°If those bastards weren¡¯t¡­ They have nothing else to do, other than blaming each other, even when the kingdom was losing the war.¡± Nus couldn¡¯t stop cursing the nobles of the royal court.


    To make matters worse, he tried to return as soon as he had heard but it was too late. Before he could even leave the city of Hapcheon to cross the river, waves of soldiers came running from the city of Na.


    ¡°The City of Na had fallen.¡± Captain Fret had reported to him as he returned to the city of Hapcheon.


    ¡°Tell me everything, don¡¯t miss out a minute detail.¡± Official Nus was fuming inside the room. Other than him, Captain Fret and few other scribes were present.


    One of the scribes who had recorded the entire story of the war continued to speak. ¡°He slaughtered almost 100 of his captives. We were able to save only four.¡±


    ¡°Only four where are they? I need to talk to them face to face.¡±


    ¡°After evacuating the city we haven¡¯t found them. They were not in a situation where they can move.¡±


    ¡°You said they ran back to the city but couldn¡¯t leave the city.¡± Nus stopped to think for a moment, ¡°Were there any skirmishes in the city?¡±


    ¡°None. None important.¡±


    ¡°Not important? I will decide what is important and what is not.¡± It was harder for him to control his temper anymore, ¡°Tell about those which are not important. No, bring me the person who had met those four.¡±


    One of the scribes ran to find the person leaving Nus and Fret behind.


    ¡°How did that devil survive?¡±


    ¡°Captain shouldn¡¯t you be the one answering that question.¡±


    Fret shook his head, ¡°I have seen him entering the tunnel. Even if he had a magic teleportation device he wouldn¡¯t be able to activate it under the effect of the fluctuating magic energy.¡±


    ¡°Captain, there is no ¡®if¡¯ in a war. The result is he survived.¡±


    ¡°No one should survive the explosion.¡± Even it was hard to believe he had seen the devil with his own eyes.


    ¡°You were there at that time. Tell me, Captain, did the city successfully explode?¡±


    ¡°Explode?!¡± Thinking about it Fret couldn¡¯t help but shook his head ¡®Right, the city didn¡¯t explode.¡¯


    Due to strong mana interference, Fret was unable to teleport for a long distance. When he reappeared around 7-8 km away. Around 3-4 minute after that the ground had started to shake.


    ¡°No there wasn¡¯t any explosion. It was like an earthquake.¡± A bad premonition rose in his mind, ¡°It was that magic talwar. It can control gravity. But how can he¡­¡±


    ¡°How can he know? It was those people whom we had sent to make the city explode. He had those magic triggers from them too. Captain, are you sure that the devil is not a magus knight?¡±


    ¡°Even if he can control mana, the process is crude. Even if the empire''s mana manipulation process is not as sophisticated as ours, it is still an advanced process.¡±


    Fret thought for a moment before adding, ¡°I don¡¯t think the devil has any training of a magus knight, and his control over the earth mana might be due to the magic weapon.¡±


    Nus wanted to ask something but the scribe returned with three people. Fret didn¡¯t know two them but the last soldier was the one who had reported about the torture to the general.


    ¡°These are all?¡± Looking at them, Nus frowned.


    ¡°Officer, we are trying to find more. But these three were the one who gave the first aid.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Tell me everything in detail, don¡¯t you dare to leave any information.¡± Nus¡¯s voice made them shudder in fear.


    ¡°They said they were tortured day and night, since the day they were captured. It was not just¡­¡±


    ¡°Where? From where they were captured?¡±


    The three of them looked at each other not knowing how to answer.


    ¡°You also didn¡¯t ask from which division they were from!¡± This time they didn¡¯t dare to answer.


    ¡°Continue.¡± Nus was one steps away from exploding.


    ¡°They tortured them day and night.¡±


    ¡°Why are you mumbling the same thing again and again? Don¡¯t you know anything else?¡± Nus slammed on the table spilling the cheap wine everywhere.


    ¡°Cuts, There were cuts all over their body.¡±


    ¡°They were dirty. Bleeding from everywhere.¡± Another one chimed in.


    ¡°Cuts!¡± Hearing the word, the rage of Nus died down for a moment before exploding again, ¡°They just had cuts all over the body? Nothing else?¡±


    The soldiers didn¡¯t understand the question, neither did Fret. It further elevated Nus¡¯s anger, ¡°You idiots, If they were tortured they should have had bruises all over the body, not blood. Even if there was blood it should have been clotted not fresh blood.¡±


    ¡°Were they enemies?¡± Fret didn¡¯t dare to believe the truth in front of him. On the other hand, Nus didn¡¯t pay any attention to him, ¡°What did they say? Other than torture.¡±


    ¡°There were many more other soldiers who were held captive and they were¡­¡± When he had reached this point he wanted to stop yet it was too late. A flying mug hit his forehead, turning the view before his right eye red. Even then he didn¡¯t dare to cry out loud.


    Only thing resonating in the whole room was Nus¡¯s rough breathing. None of them dared to speak, until...


    ¡°One of them had said that there would be an attack from the east gate too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nus¡¯s sudden roar made the soldiers shiver in fear.


    ¡°The soldier said the enemy was planning to attack by the east gate when we will be fighting by the west gate.¡±


    ¡°And how does he know that?¡± And silence followed. ¡°Idiots. All of you are idiots. Shouldn¡¯t you be verifying the news first?¡±


    ¡°But there was an enemy at the east gate?¡±


    For the first time, Nus turned toward Fret for an explanation. ¡°There was a cavalry of 7000-8000 on the east gate. At that time there were only 200 archers on the east gate, so they had requested for backup.¡±


    ¡°So all of them left the west gate unattended?¡±


    Fret shook his head, ¡°5,000 archers were sent. Leaving 2,000 on the west gate.¡±


    ¡°Idiots, all of them are idiots. Who gave the order? Was it you?¡± Looking at the eye of Nus, Fret had felt if he had nodded at that moment, Nus would have beaten him to death no matter what the outcome.


    ¡®How dare you?¡¯ Fret would have shouted but he had no energy. A seemingly natural win turned into a devastating loss.


    ¡®Anger gets the best of us. We lost because the enemy was more cool-headed than us.¡¯ Those were the words he was telling himself to justify the loss, but¡­


    ¡®We were playing in the enemy hand all this time. Only if I didn¡¯t have attacked the devil if I didn¡¯t save those four. Was there just four of them or more?¡¯ Fret shook his head, ¡®The point is we had lost but¡­¡¯


    ¡°How did the enemy cavalry get to the east gate?¡±


    Nus didn¡¯t answer, just pointed on the map. The edge of it was dyed in wine but the place he was pointing wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yeomcheon?¡± Fret wasn¡¯t sure that was the place Nus was pointing so he asked.


    ¡°They blow up the Jinsan first?¡± Someone gave an affirmation. ¡°They came straight by the forest. There was nothing at Jinsan and Jincheon. So nobody could stop them. ¡±


    ¡®No wonder we didn¡¯t notice them. Wait a minute.¡¯ As soon as Fret comprehended the mystery a chill ran through his spine, ¡°From when they were planning this attack?¡±


    ¡°Morons, all of them are morons.¡± Fret wasn¡¯t sure whom Nus was cursing, but didn¡¯t dare to ask.


    ¡°I gave them just one job and they had lost the city. If those bastards are thinking that I am going to sit there and watch them gobble up the city, then they are mistaken.¡±


    ¡°By pattern, they should be moving out soon, but the battle will stop in the city at least for a week until they move. We have five days at most. Give me the list of the survivors, also the amount of garrison of the city and¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are those Generals?¡± None dared to irk him more so his outrage continued, ¡°If they are thinking of staying at the home after one failure then tell them to go back home. This country doesn''t need cowards.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± If Nus didn¡¯t scream they might not have realised the presence of an extra person in the room. Somewhere in between his outburst, a messenger had entered the room.


    With a bow, he came forward and gave Nus a scroll and left without a word.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t see what was written in the scroll, from distortion on Nus¡¯s face Fret could guess the content.


    ¡°They wanted us not to cross the river? What the hell?¡± Nus slammed the opened scroll of the table. With one look Fret could understand the reason for his anger.


    ¡°All of you get out, Now.¡± It didn¡¯t take a moment before only Fret and Nus were in the room.


    ¡°On whose side you are, Captain?¡±


    Fret was dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t answer, to be precise he couldn¡¯t even understand the question.


    ¡°Let me rephrase the question. What should we do now captain? Attack or wait for the enemy to attack?¡±


    ¡°Attack will be the best option. Even if we try to siege the city it will be in our favour, but¡­¡±


    Nus slammed his hand on the opened scroll on the table, ¡°If you are worried about the capital, let me take care of it.¡±


    ¡°But, it looks like the other two countries are aiming for an alliance.¡±


    ¡°I told you, don¡¯t worry about it. What about the poison I have told you to prepare?¡±


    ¡°That had been done and distributed between them. They will act soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Well then captain, you have one thing to do. Sort out the soldiers who are willing to attack the enemy. Thinking about how eager they are, it might not be much of a problem¡­¡±


    ¡®No matter how eager they are, going against the royal decree is not something one should do. Even if they succeed the punishment will be severe. Then again¡­¡¯


    Fret couldn¡¯t help but take another look at the person in front of him. Something inside him is telling him that Nus is right and he should follow his words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything. Move out to siege the city as soon as you receive my letter¡± Without giving any chance to answer Nus left the room with the scroll.


    At that moment, none of them knew the command would never reach Fret, at least not for a few months.

 46. Especially, if it is you

    Kinoya came out of the tent as he was greeted by the morning sun that was peeking from the back of the eastern forest. The light chilly wind was a gentle reminder of the winter that was fast approaching.


    ¡°Headhunter forest!? Headhunter tribes?¡± He had heard that it was the home of one of the four oldest human tribes? Kinoya shook his head, ¡®Looks like the exploration of the forest have to wait.


    There were almost 100 women who had decided to stay with Kinoya¡¯s army while most of them returned to the northern part of the city. The red front had taken control over the northern part of the army.


    There were many abandoned farms and warehouses outside the city wall, Kinoya had chosen one of them. It was close to the river and was well maintained.


    This farm had two of the biggest barns of the area and was given to the women to stay. On the other hand, the army camped outside.


    He checked the weight robe on his body. Its weight was equal to his body weight. He took a deep breath and started running.


    ¡°System show me the last notification.¡± During the fight and while he was talking to General Akai, a couple of notifications had popped up. Kinoya had chosen to ignore those at that time. Now he can only hope that the broken system will not be so ¡®broken¡¯.


    The System that he had inherited doesn¡¯t show any status at his will. The old man had told him that the other system can do it. Alas! he has to use the orb-like any other.


    Lucky for Kinoya, that the system could at least initiate a quest on its own. Yet all those quests had 100 or 1000 times harder criteria to complete.  All in all, the name of ¡®Broken System¡¯ justify its work. Lucky for him, the system also gives unexpected rewards.


    [The user has awakened a hidden stat ¡®Command¡¯]


    According to the old man, the previous owner of Varytita, a normal human has four initial stats: strength, dexterity, intelligence and health. And six hidden stats: Agility, Wisdom, Patience, Command, Endurance and Magic.


    Those are called hidden because they aren¡¯t available from birth. People have to work hard to activate them. Some can be activated easily. Magic can be achieved by opening mage space. So all the mages and magus knights have the stats.


    Whereas only a sage can activate wisdom. Though some of the people of the upper echelon knew to activate some of the hidden stats most of the people stay oblivious of the presence of hidden stats.


    Let say one has intelligence stats over 300. So he will be a good mage. But if he was unable to open his mage space his hidden stat ¡®Magic¡¯ won¡¯t activate either. Even if he has ¡®Magic¡¯ stat is over 9999 it will be of no use.


    Lucky for Kinoya, no matter how broken his system is, it can unlock his hidden stats. And ¡®Command¡¯ stats was the last one to activate.


    ¡°Now I can tell the old man that he knows three people who have activated all the hidden stats.¡± Kinoya was happy with the result as he sped up his running. Little did he know that the other two people the old man was talking about were the last and present emperor.


    [New title obtained ¡®God-son of Red General Akai¡¯]


    The next notification surprised him a little. General said that he wanted him as a son, but the system explained it as God-son.


    ¡°Why is it God-son?¡± Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure about the reason.


    ¡°Sorry general. I didn¡¯t mean to?¡± It wasn¡¯t the system but a face that he hadn¡¯t forgotten yet.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    While comprehending the antics of the broken system Kinoya had already returned to the campsite. The sun was yet to show its strength, the weather was pleasant as he turned to meet the speaker.


    ¡®When did she come so close?¡¯ He turned to see it was the girl of the brother-sister pair whom he had saved yesterday. ¡°I am no general.¡±


    She squinted her eyes to take another look. She had seen the might of the man. It was much more suitable to call him a child rather than a man. ¡®Is he not a general?¡¯


    She didn¡¯t dare to believe his words. Whether a general or not, she had failed to understand his thoughts. At first, she had thought it was a trap. A similar fate was waiting for all the girls, but he let the woman return to the city.


    Even though many of them chose to stay, almost all of them had expected an assault would come but nothing of that sort had happened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have come here to stare at me.¡± the childish voice broke her trance.


    ¡°No, no, my lord.¡± She was quick to put her eyes down. ¡°I want to thank you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Thank me?¡± Kinoya laughed. ¡°You want to thank me? For what?¡±


    The girl hesitated for not knowing how to answer it. So Kinoya helped her, ¡°For saving you? Or your brother?¡±


    ¡°For both my lord. If you weren¡¯t¡­¡± Kinoya put up a hand to stop her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. That was something they shouldn¡¯t do and I just stopped them because I wanted to. And for your brother¡­¡±


    Kinoya couldn¡¯t complete the sentence neither did he want to. He was more curious about the girl in front of him.


    ¡°My lord¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not your lord.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± The girl didn¡¯t know what to say anymore.


    Her reaction put up a smile on Kinoya¡¯s face ¡°Just say what you want to say.¡±


    The girl took another look at Kinoya and without a single word she took out a crystal. ¡°Please, accept this.¡±


    There was nothing fancy about it, a simple transparent crystal with blue silk slithering inside it. Even Kinoya didn¡¯t know when he had put his hand towards it and¡­


    [Spell Check: [Charm] been used]


    [No ill intent detected]


    [Trying to break the spell¡­]


    [Spell Check: [Charm] is blocked]


    ¡°What is this?¡± The voice wasn¡¯t loud, yet the girl couldn¡¯t hold under the pressure. Her leg gave away as she sprawled on the ground.


    ¡°For-forgive me, m-my lord.¡± Tears continued to pour down her eyes. She couldn¡¯t speak in complete sentences.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Each of his words was sending quakes through her body.


    ¡°Tre-sure. My fam-ly tres-er.¡±


    ¡®Family treasure?¡¯ Kinoya Looked at the crystal on the ground, ¡®a magic crystal?! A magic crystal with [Charm] spell.¡¯ But the truth makes him more confused.


    ¡®No matter how I look at her, she is an ordinary person. Yet she overcame the urges of the spell and¡­¡¯


    ¡°Is that how an empire¡¯s soldiers treat kindness?¡±


    ¡®Again? How come they kept on closing in without me knowing?¡¯ Kinoya turned to the person who had invaded his domain.


    ¡°Oh! So fierce.¡± Looking at Kinoya the new girl smiled.


    She couldn¡¯t be more than seventeen or eighteen. Malnutrition put the signs on her. Her straight hair was a mess while her dirty old robe had failed to hide her white skin. What was more prominent about her was the dark circles on her dirty white face.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Kinoya didn¡¯t try to hide his hostility, however, the girl just smiled at her.


    ¡°Oh! Again! How can such a small body hide such a strong punch?¡± The girl walked like she didn¡¯t care about Kinoya at all and took the crystal from the ground.


    ¡°It is nothing special.¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t see it but in her hand, the blue silk didn¡¯t dare to move at all, as if it was afraid of something. ¡°Come on take it. She wanted to give it to you.¡±


    ¡®Could it be that the spell works only on mage or magus knight?¡¯ Again Kinoya didn¡¯t know why he did it, but he grabbed the crystal from her. The girl, on the other hand, helped the sister to stand on her feet again.


    ¡°Before you learn to kill, you should learn how to respect others?¡±


    ¡®Why are you lecturing me? Don¡¯t you know I can kill you right now?¡¯ Kinoya didn¡¯t say out loud, yet¡­


    ¡°You want to kill me?¡± Listening to her question Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but shudder, ¡°Your eyes say it all.¡± The girl smiled at him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Kinoya asked the same question again yet the tone is different. This time he is curious about the origin of the girl.


    The girl didn¡¯t answer. She whispered to the sister who left with a nod, without saying a single word to Kinoya.


    ¡°Who am I? I am Iilea. Is this that good enough for you?¡± She asked with a serious face yet Kinoya didn¡¯t respond. She chuckled and sat on a bundle of hay.


    ¡°You are not going to sit, are you?¡± Looking at the expected response she sighed and said, ¡°I am someone whom you want to meet at night however most definitely not in the morning.¡±


    Looking at his serious face, she took a deep breath, ¡°I am a prostitute. You know what it means, right? It¡¯s the work where women like us make boys like you feel very good.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so shameless? Is it a job to be proud of?¡± Contrary to his expectation Iilea walked up to him with a bright smile on her face. While patting on Kinoya¡¯s head, ¡°Is pride something you can eat?¡±


    Silence, absolute silence enveloped. Kinoya was dumb-founded. The smile on her spoke louder than anything, yet out of thousands of words in his mind, Kinoya couldn¡¯t say a single word out loud.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡¯ Alas, it was too late.


    ¡°Looks like your friends are here.¡± she gave a deep bow to Kinoya and walked away.


    Before Kinoya could say anything, someone ran past Kinoya. It was Chanakya.


    ¡°He seems to be close to her.¡± Palsa spoke from the side, ¡°But captain, those aren¡¯t the words you should say to her. Especially, if it is you.¡±

 47. Failed attack

    Soon enough Chanakya had come back to them. Reaction, Kinoya expected from Chanakya wasn''t delivered.


    ¡®That was too harsh. I shouldn¡¯t have reacted that way.¡¯ Kinoya chose not to dwell on the matter and turned to his man.


    ¡°At least for one year, we will be staying here.¡±


    With just one sentence, the tiredness that was on most of their face was replaced with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to be happy.¡± Kinoya took off his weight vest and threw it towards others. Palsa tried to catch it, almost dropping it in the process.


    ¡°What is this?¡± As Palsa was trying to inspect the vest, thin pieces of plate fell on the ground from it.


    ¡°Those are the Osmium black steel. Don¡¯t be a fool by those thin plates. Each one of them of 10 kg.¡±


    From the sound, they could understand the heaviness of the metal still. They inspected one of the four plates that came out of the vest.


    Kinoya could see the change in the attitude, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be like that. That is the part of the training you will be receiving.¡±


    ¡°Captain, why are you so obsessed with training? Didn¡¯t we already train enough?¡±


    ¡°So did the soldiers who died in the field. Some of them were more trained than you, still, they died.¡±


    ¡°Then why are we even training? We are all going to die one day.¡± With Palsa¡¯s words, all of them broke into a smile. Kinoya too. Yet he shook his head as he added, ¡°We train to live one more day.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be serious here. There are a few things you need to know. First and foremost all of you will start weight training from tomorrow. We will start tomorrow, with 20 kg. You won¡¯t be taking it off unless you are taking a bath and within six months I want all of you to carry as much as your weight.¡±


    ¡°That is impossible. Do you think I could carry around the weight of 80 kg all the time?¡± he was the biggest one.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you? If I can, why can you?¡±


    ¡°But captain, you carry 40 kg but I have to carry double.¡±


    ¡°Idiot.¡± Palsa chuckled, ¡°40 kg to a 40 kg person feels the same as 80 kg to an 80 kg man.¡±


    Kinoya didn¡¯t know how much he understood, but the bulky man nodded. Kinoya smiled and continued, ¡°So, all of you have decided to stay with me, right?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask the same question every time?¡± Chand¡¯s question got others to support but Kinoya was serious, ¡°Because if you stay in my army you have to be an archer, I hope you are ready for that.¡±


    ¡°But captain, I worked 10 years on my swordsmanship!¡± It was his weak protest. Alas! It wasn¡¯t effective against Kinoya.


    ¡°Then if you can beat me, I will let you be a swordsman.¡±


    ¡®Beat you in swordsmanship? A double advance sword skill holder? Why ask something impossible?¡¯ Chand took a deep breath and shook his head.


    ¡°I am not telling you to give up on swordsmanship, but I am telling you to be an archer who is also proficient in swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Come on captain you can¡¯t ask everybody to be like you.¡±


    ¡°¡®If I can, why can¡¯t you?¡¯ That is what he is going to say.¡± Chanakya said with a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be serious here.¡± With his words, all the sound died down. ¡°I will be promoted as Major after my suspension is over, After 15 months or so. Shh!¡±


    Before others could congratulate him, he stopped them. ¡° My battalion will be different from others. There won¡¯t be any swordsman, Archer, shield bearers and likes.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°There will be archers who know how to use swords, cavalry who know how to use a bow on horseback, shield bearers who can use both swords and spears. Learning one weapon is never enough.¡±


    ¡°Come on captain, that is illogical things that you are talking about.¡± There were few protesters however there were supporters too.


    ¡®Illogical? Those are the best soldiers in the world conquerors of my previous world. Greek hoplites, Mongolian cavalry is a joke to you?¡¯ Alas! Kinoya couldn¡¯t say it out loud.


    ¡°No, not illogical. It makes perfect sense. Think about it, after the first contact the shield bearers are useless. Aren''t they left in front of the enemy for slaughter?¡± First, one to talk wasn¡¯t Palsa nor Chanakya, but Chand.


    Then Palsa added, ¡°Yes, A spearman carries only three or four spears, that is no way that is enough to fight for the whole day. Same for the archers.¡±


    ¡°Horseback archers are a great choice. Is that the shock troop you were talking about?¡± Chanakya was most curious about the cavalry after all.


    Kinoya nodded. ¡°That is my plan, If six months isn¡¯t enough, we can train for one year, if you still can¡¯t master it then you are only good to dye the ground red.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s quite natural that it is hard for you to believe but one day the world will understand the potency of the army.¡¯


    ¡°But before all, we need to work on three things. First I want all of you to activate a hidden stat called endurance, and weight training is the best way to do it. Second is to earn all the basic weapon mastery before the recruitment of new soldiers.¡±


    ¡°And last but not least is to learn to study. Chanakya will teach you basic language and geography. And I will teach you history, military strategy and formation.¡±


    ¡°From today onwards, you will do 2 hours of weight training in the morning and evening. Followed by two hours of weapon training and will study for two hours every day. You are free to do whatever you want at the end of the time.¡±


    ***********


    The slime was jumping his shoulders in happiness as the puddles in his mage space continued to evaporate at a visible speed.


    After the space was free of any residue of water mana Kinoya breathed a sigh of relief. The orb was still beating on the pillar. He patted it, ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡±


    The mud slime on his shoulders became excited expecting his share of love.


    Looking at it a smile appeared on his face, ¡°It feels like I am a parent to them.¡±


    But the happiness didn¡¯t last long before space started to quake. It was for a moment and then something unexpected happened. His space had started to crumble.


    The change was too sudden and Kinoya had no idea about how to respond to it. He tried to come out of the space too but failed.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you let me sleep a little?¡± A familiar yet unexpected the voice rang in his ear. Kinoya turned and his theory was proven true. The black man had woken up.


    ¡°Are you doing it?¡±


    ¡°Idiot, you are dying.¡±


    ¡°Dying.¡± Before Kinoya could comprehend what the black man was talking about, the black man flickered on his forehead.


    He woke up in his body yet, the pain almost forced him to faint. A dagger was stabbed into his heart. There was no black smoke coming out of the wound but the wound was corroding at a visible speed.


    ¡®What is she doing here?¡¯ Kinoya couldn¡¯t comprehend how the little girl of the brother-sister became an assaulter.


    The assaulter didn¡¯t give him any chance to understand what was happening and stabbed again. Kinoya could see the dagger approaching his face in slow motion. It was not something he couldn¡¯t dodge, his body wasn¡¯t listening to him at all.


    The tip of the dagger came into contact with his right iris and he failed. He failed to close his eyes as the dagger slowly penetrated his soft eyes.


    It was painful. But the scream didn¡¯t escape his mouth. All he could do was to endure the pain in silence.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you use [extrasensory vision]?¡± The voice rang inside his head. ¡°You are still that useless fellow. Can¡¯t do anything without any help?¡±


    The vision in front of him appeared again. It is not right to say it is a vision. If Kinoya had to put it in the word then it would be like infrared vision. He looked down to see his wound was healing at a visible speed, but¡­


    ¡°Heart and eye aren''t the same things. And your heart wasn¡¯t¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about it right now. I can¡¯t heal your eyes. And what do you want to do with her?¡± Kinoya didn¡¯t realise before he was choking the girl.


    ¡®Why isn¡¯t she struggling? Is she dead?¡¯


    ¡°If she was dead then she wouldn¡¯t have given off any aura. So she must be brainwashed. It¡¯s best to kill her, otherwise¡­¡±


    Kinoya didn¡¯t wait till the voice finished his sentence and twisted her neck. Kinoya could see the aura around her vanished as soon as she died.


    Kinoya ignored the sigh in his mind and asked, ¡°What had happened to me?¡±


    ¡°Scared ice-silkworms¡¯ virgin silk essence.¡±


    ¡°What type of freakish name is that?¡± Listening to his words, Kinoya cried out loud.


    ¡°Khuk?¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Kinoya looked around but couldn¡¯t find anything to exclude any aura.


    ¡°She is on your left. Ten o¡¯clock.¡±


    As Kinoya turned around, ¡°So you can see me without your eyes? But who are you talking to? Can the devil see ghosts?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? So you can¡¯t see me.¡± Even if Kinoya couldn¡¯t see her face he could still see her nodding.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± While he was asking he was trying to grab the scimitar.


    ¡°On your left. Your weapon is on your left.¡± The woman spoke again. ¡°And before you ask again, I am Iilea.¡±


    ¡°Is she human? How come she doesn¡¯t have any aura?¡± Kinoya inquired in his mind but the answer confused him more, ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but she is alive. I am sleepy, don''t wake me up for at least half a year.¡± And silence followed.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure for sure but it looked to him that she smiled, ¡°I came here to watch a show, and show I got.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Afraid of what? That you will kill me? Do you want to kill me? You don¡¯t look like the one who kills for fun or?¡± She couldn¡¯t complete her words before when a short scimitar drew a thin layer of blood from her throat.


    ¡°Stop it, you idiot. She isn¡¯t hostile.¡± The voice screamed in his mind, startling Kinoya. He put his scimitar back into his sheath.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to kill me anymore? Do whatever you want.¡± Without a word, she sat down on Kinoya¡¯s bed, ¡°I didn¡¯t feel so sleepy for a long time. I am going to sleep.¡± Kinoya stood there, dumbfounded.


    ¡®How come there is an aura around her now?¡¯ When his consciousness returned to him, he sat down and returned to his mage space. There were a lot of things he had to ask.

 48. [Magic Perception]

    ¡°Sacred silkworms¡¯ virgin silk essence.¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t see other¡¯s expressions but he could expect it.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°In the beast country far north, one can find silkworms that give transparent silk. Once it comes into contact with another living being it will die. But if one could extract its essence even before it could give its first silk, it will act as an extremely potent curse.¡±


    ¡°Even if the blue silk invaded the human body it wouldn''t have much effect, Mage or non-mage alike. One could live his whole life with the silk inside his body but everything will change as soon as there is a wound.¡±


    ¡°It will corrode everything around the wound at a visible speed.¡± Kinoya pulled up his eye band a little to show his now hollow right eye hole.


    ¡°Can you see now? How did you come here?¡± Kinoya didn¡¯t need an eye to feel the genuine concern in Akai¡¯s voice.


    Kinoya looked around and found only one other person in the room. It must be Vaicus. He made sure there was no one else around and¡­


    ¡°What is this?¡± Akai¡¯s voice was startled. Even though Vaicus didn¡¯t say anything, he bent down to support himself.


    ¡°I am a grade one mage apprentice,¡± Kinoya spoke after nullifying the gravity domain. ¡°I can see with magic perception.¡±


    Though the black man had told him that he will teach him later, still Kinoya used it as a bluff. ¡®It¡¯s better than talking about innate talent.¡¯


    ¡®Magic perception?¡¯ It was not like Akai didn¡¯t hear about it. His youngest daughter had told him that it was a high-grade spell and not everybody could comprehend it.


    Akai took another look at Kinoya, ¡®It is not like anybody else could become a grade one apprentice without any help.¡¯


    ¡°Little general, What type of spell is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the perfect name of it, but I call it [Gravity Manipulation].¡±


    ¡°Gravity?¡± Akai wasn¡¯t sure he had heard it correct. But with Kinoya¡¯s nod, his face turned serious, ¡°You should not talk to others about this.¡± His unexpected suggestion confused Kinoya, and Akai could see it on his face.


    ¡°Gravity is not a pure elemental spell, but a derivation from earth elemental. All the uni-elemental spells can be divided into five grades, with pure elemental spells are grade three, like the earthen wall and fireball.¡±


    ¡°The spells that are derived from the different elements could have a lower or higher grade. Like hardened, derived from the earth, the heat from the fire is grade two spells while earthen spike or wind blade is a grade four.¡±


    Akai waited a moment to see the expression of Kinoya before adding, ¡°wind tornado of wind, the gravity of earth and liquefaction of water are some of the grade five spells.¡±


    ¡®A grade five spell as the first spell essence, no wonder the mana consumption is so high.¡¯ Kinoya had an idea that [Gravity Manipulation] is a high-grade spell but he didn¡¯t have a clear idea about its actual grade.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too content about it.¡± Looking at the bright smile that escaped Kinoya¡¯s face unintentionally, Akai forcefully added, ¡°Those are uni elemental spells, but there are inter elemental spells above it. Remember there is always someone stronger than you.¡±


    ¡°I know, father.¡± Kinoya took out the crystals with blue silk inside and asked, ¡°What should we do about these?¡±


    ¡°That is going to be a problem. If we make the matter public, that will create unexpected chaos.¡±


    ¡°It will increase the violence on the civilians.¡±


    ¡°It is not just that.¡± Thinking about the list of problems Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°We can¡¯t let them be neither we could¡­ I have an idea. It will be hard and time-consuming but it could be one of the solutions.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± They have to find a way, they just couldn¡¯t let the assassins run wild in the city.


    Kinoya moved one of the crystals on the table and moved the other one to the side and then cut his fingertip. As soon as he moved the finger over the slithering silk jumped out of the crystal and swarmed through the air while trying to reach the wound.


    But the black smoke soon oozed out of the wound and closed it. His black mana also trapped the silk. No matter how much it struggled the silk couldn¡¯t escape it. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Kinoya crushed the blue silk with his mana as he spoke, ¡°They are very sensitive to the blood.¡± Pointing at the crystal at the edge, ¡°Even at such a distance it became excited.¡±


    ¡°So all we need is blood.¡±


    Kinoya nodded, ¡°We don¡¯t need to check them, just a wound on their body will be enough. It doesn¡¯t need to be deep, as long as it draws blood.¡±


    ¡°But if they have the crystal on them wouldn¡¯t they die?¡± Vaicus was not sure about Kinoya¡¯s intention, but Kinoya didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°Rather them than our soldiers.¡±


    ¡°But we couldn¡¯t do the same to the whole city. Other generals¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about them. Just control the flow of the northern part of the city. Don¡¯t let any civilian enter or get out of the area. Once it starts don¡¯t even spare a child or old. A small cut won¡¯t kill them.¡±


    Even if Kinoya couldn¡¯t see them, he could still feel the lines forming on their foreheads. ¡°This is the step we have to take. Otherwise, the casualty might be too much to recover.¡±


    He took the crystal that was at the edge of the table. ¡°The girl had four of these crystals with her. The number of civilians in the city is around 100,000. We are around 70,000. Even if 1 in every ten have these crystals the casualty could be 40,000.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t spit out any more words, ¡°General, I will stay while the operation takes place. It will be over before you know it.¡±


    **************


    ¡°Either hypnotised or charmed.¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but shook his head. There were almost 1500 people who had died today due to crystals. And three soldiers too.


    But after they saw the effect of the crystal, about 7000 more crystals were submitted by the soldiers. If it wasn¡¯t for the other generals stopping Akai, he would have beaten the whole corps.


    ¡®Now we can hope those idiots can understand the severity of the incident.¡¯ Kinoya walked by the river as he reached close to the tent. There were two moons in the sky.


    ¡°Now that I think about it I haven''t seen all four moons in a long time. Who knows when it will be the time of grand union?¡± Taking a last look at the black and white sky he entered the tent, and¡­


    ¡°Where were you?¡±


    Kinoya¡¯s attempt to seek the speaker failed. No one in his vision was giving off any aura.


    ¡°Iilea?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Do you remember? How lucky?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Even if he tried to locate her with her voice, he wasn¡¯t experienced enough, and the failure soured his mood.


    ¡°Eight o¡¯clock¡± with some assistance he could now see the outline of a human.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep for more than ten days.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure whether it was a joke or not but he couldn¡¯t hide his shock, ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep like a log yesterday?¡±


    The aura-less body jumped up in excitement, ¡°Exactly. That is my point. I didn¡¯t sleep for 10 days before yesterday but yesterday¡­ Look look, even my dark circle reduced a lot.¡±


    As she came too close Kinoya took a few steps back, even if he couldn¡¯t see, it was too close. ¡°What is your point?¡± He was agitated.


    ¡°So I thought it might be due to the bed, so I came here. You weren¡¯t here so I tried to sleep but I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So you can¡¯t sleep here too. Now go back.¡±


    ¡°No, no. You are missing an important point. It was not where, but who?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She didn¡¯t explain, just grabbed him and dragged him to the bed. Unable to control himself Kinoya sat down on the hay bed and at the next moment, something heavy was put on his lap.


    ¡°Wh...what are you doing?¡± Even Kinoya himself knew he was startled. Didn¡¯t know whether to push her down or not.


    ¡°Ten minutes. No thirty minutes. If I don''t fall asleep by then I will leave, I will never come back.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Just thirty minutes. If I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, I will let you do it with me, promise.¡± Kinoya could understand how desperate she was for sleep but this wasn¡¯t the situation he wanted to be.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t force himself to push her down. And what was more amazing was that it wasn¡¯t even five minutes before aura was coming off her body.


    ¡°She fell asleep? Wow!¡± Kinoya was dumbfounded, ¡°But how come she could give off aura after she fell asleep?¡± Kinoya had no idea about it, neither did he want to. Without moving he tried to meditate in this awkward position.


    But the remarkable thing is he returned to his mage space far quicker than any other day.


    In the space, the black man was sitting on the stone bed cross-legged. It looked like he was thinking about something.


    ¡°What is she?¡±


    Hearing the question, the black man turned towards Kinoya, ¡°Don¡¯t ask that question.¡±


    ¡®What can you even answer?¡¯ Kinoya sighed.


    ¡°Like I can tell you that, whatever you think I can listen to them.¡±


    And an awkward silence followed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Sit down. It is hard for me to even talk.¡±


    Kinoya didn¡¯t dare to waste any more time and sat down in front of him.


    ¡°This is the only spell you are going to learn from me. So listen carefully. [Magic Perception] has two stages.¡±


    ¡°Imagine you are standing still in the water. Now you are creating a ripple. A part of the ripple will get reflected for each object on its path. All you have to do is sense the ripple.¡±


    ¡°So I have to send out mana ripple and sense the mana reflection.¡± Looking at the black man¡¯s nod, Kinoya added, ¡°But I couldn¡¯t find a person hiding behind an object.¡±


    ¡°Like you can see a person who is hiding with your eyes¡±


    Kinoya gave a silly smile, ¡°But if I continuously do that then too much mana will be lost and if there is a mage he might find me.¡±


    The black man shook his head, ¡°The first stage is called induced state. But if your [Magic Perception] reached innate state then¡­ Every object, living or inanimate, gives off very little mana fluctuations. In the innate stage, you would be able to sense those.¡±


    ¡°But you are a long-distance away from that stage. Now close your eyes.¡± With a flick of his finger, the earth slime divided in the numerous small slimes. They continued to bounce all around the room.


    ¡°Close your eyes. Try to send mana waves to sense them. If it wasn¡¯t for you I would have gone to sleep. Do you know how much mana I am spending for each moment I am awake?¡±


    ¡®Why are all the people around me so much obsessed with sleep.¡¯ Before Kinoya could even sigh he could feel the furious eyes that were staring at him. Without wasting any more time he closed his eyes.

 49. I dont understand you

    ¡°I am not sure about the reason, but I am feeling that the speed of mana circulation has increased a lot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already ten days. And you are feeling that now?¡± The black man couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Your knowledge about the fundamentals of magic is very poor. I still don¡¯t know how you successfully comprehended [Gravity]. Maybe because of the world you are from. The one called ¡®earth¡¯.¡±


    Kinoya was shocked. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think? Who connected your soul to the system? Do you think that was a joke?¡±


    Kinoya sighed, ¡°It was not like I wanted to hide it¡­ But what about the mana circulation? Could you be the reason? You are awake now, so¡­¡±


    The black man shook his head, ¡°It might be because of her.¡±


    ¡°Her? Who are you pointing at?¡±


    ¡°The one outside.¡±


    ¡°Outside? Iilea?¡± Kinoya was dumbfounded. ¡°What does she have to do about my body?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure about it, I can¡¯t probe her body either but¡­¡± The black man seems hesitant.


    ¡°Why are you making riddles?¡±


    ¡°I think, because of her presence, the mana circulation inside your body has increased. And it''s not just you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she has some kind of mana complication inside her body. That could be the reason why she doesn¡¯t give off any aura when awake. Only when she is close to you¡­ I don¡¯t know what is happening inside her body but being close to you is helping her to correct the flow of the mana.¡±


    ¡°So we are compatible?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, ¡°And the compatibility between both of you is very high. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been so close to the innate stage of [Magic Perception]. It would have taken ten months, not ten days.¡±


    Kinoya sighed. ¡®Now what? She is my ¡®Dao Companion¡¯? Dao companion in a magic world?¡¯


    ¡°Stop daydreaming, it¡¯s morning. Get out and let me sleep.¡±


    ¡°Why does it feel like I am living inside you, not the other way around.¡± The black man didn¡¯t even turn to look. So Kinoya woke up from his meditation.


    The infrared vision opened up again. It was a lot clearer now. He couldn¡¯t see the face clearly but he could see the position of eyes, nose and everything, still...


    ¡®Why can¡¯t I see her at all?¡¯ All Kinoya could see was the outline of her body. Her body was black, like a void. Her body never reflected any of his mana waves, rather absorbed it all.


    ¡®What are you?¡¯ Kinoya didn¡¯t ask but¡­


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± The question caught him off-guard. However, he didn¡¯t dare to move. ¡°Do you want to do something naughty with me?¡±


    ¡°You-you are awake?¡± Kinoya had failed to control the shaking of his voice.


    ¡°What? You want to do it when I am sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Are you teasing me?¡± Even though he couldn¡¯t see with his own eyes, he could sense the smile on her face.


    ¡°How can I? You are a captain of the great empire''s army, and I am just a pro¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you not carelessly use that word?¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t let her complete the words.


    ¡°Why? It is the truth. Even if you are afraid of the truth or dislike it, it won¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Kinoya groaned, ¡®Why do I have to be compatible with this woman?¡¯You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°But, I don¡¯t understand you.¡±


    He could feel she was now staring right at him. Kinoya shook his head and asked, ¡°Understand? Me? What can¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°You hate me. You hate my work. Still, you let me come here. Let me sleep on your lap? Why?¡±


    ¡°What why? I have nothing to do at night.¡±


    ¡°If a man has nothing to do at night and I go to his room, do you think he will let me sleep?¡±


    ¡®Why? Really why did I let her?¡¯ Kinoya never asked himself the question before. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± That was all he could say.


    ¡°Maybe because you can¡¯t see me. No no, you have seen me once. Maybe you are infertile.¡±


    Kinoya couldn¡¯t see her, but her outline was enough. By instinct, he forced her down, ¡°Do you want me to prove it?¡±


    ¡°So, are you not? Alas! You can¡¯t prove it to me¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Kinoya wasn¡¯t sure whether he wanted to ask the question or not.


    ¡°Because I am.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­¡± As soon as he realised the truth he couldn¡¯t complete the sentence. He moved away from her. He sat on the hay bed again, not knowing how to respond. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a single happy thing in your life?¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±Her laughter sounded very loud in his ears, yet it was hollow, ¡°Now I understand.¡± That was her last words and she had left the tent.


    ¡°What did you understand?¡± Kinoya didn¡¯t know the answer nor she returned to answer him. Somebody else came.


    ¡°Captain, are you awake?¡±


    Kinoya came out, ¡°What is it?¡±


    With a bright smile on his face, Palsa greeted him, ¡°Even if you say that you don¡¯t like her, still you spend every night with her.¡±


    ¡°When did I say I don¡¯t like her?¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°So you like her!¡± His smile had grown bigger, so was Kinoya''s frown.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    ¡°Captain the base is ready.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see.¡±


    The first day after the war went well. But after that, the problems barged in. Food was one of the biggest problems. With the food allocated to his troop, Kinoya was able to elevate the problem for now, but that wasn¡¯t a solution.


    With help from the rescued women, they were able to hire some of the able-bodied farmers. After consulting them, they choose to plant some wild vegetables and rice, which could be grown in the winter without much effort.


    All 19 of them had to work in the field like slaves for 3 days. Only then they could recover the field, connect the waterway to the river and complete everything.


    The corps has already been planted. The quickest one will be grown within a month, and the laziest will need 3 months. So, for the time being, they could stay alive only on ration, small animals and fishes from the river.


    The second problem was lodging. Again the women solve the problem. Few masons were recommended. Most of them were now working to build stone houses for the women and soldiers but a few were on the project of creating the dome.


    There were only three buildings around the area. Two barns were given to the rescued women. While the main farmhouse area was used to create another house.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you want to create a dome?¡± It was not just Palsa, others were confused too.


    Kinoya wanted to make a dome similar to the one where he had trained in the forest near Arviga.


    ¡°But the building won¡¯t be stable.¡± That was what the oldest mason had told him.


    With the control over earth elemental, the building was no problem for the old man, but Kinoya was nowhere near his experience. So he had to devise a path.


    ¡®Alas! I was a biologist, not an engineer.¡¯ But three lives worth brain cells weren¡¯t for show.


    Under his order, they had started to create a mound made of earth. Now that Kinoya was looking at it, it was now almost 3 meters high at the centre.


    Seeing Kinoya, the head mason came running, ¡°Captain, we have already laid the foundation.¡±


    ¡°Up and down?¡±


    ¡°Yes, captain.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°But, if we lay the stone on it, it will crumble as soon as we remove the earth.¡±


    During his time here he had looked at many places to solve the problem and the city lord palace was one of them. Fire brick was available in this world, but there was nothing like cement.


    ¡°Use fire bricks. And don¡¯t you have something called Surkhi?¡±


    ¡°You mean blood cement?¡± The head mason was horrified, so was the other mason.


    ¡°That is what you call it? Yes, the red one, use it.¡±


    ¡°But it needs blood to mix.¡± The head mason wasn¡¯t intended to use blood cement.


    ¡°Use the cattle, if you need. It won¡¯t make much difference if you use water.¡±


    ¡°But the house will be haunted.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t force you to live in the house.¡± Kinoya didn¡¯t wait to listen to their complaints, ¡°Palsa, I am going to meet general Akai, you continue your training.¡±

 50. The reality that follows

    "It looks like they''ve agreed to expand the frontier to the city of Na." Looking at the flood of traders and slaves, Kinoya couldn''t imagine otherwise.


    There were some initial skirmishes between those who came at the beginning, but nothing like Kinoya had predicted had happened. Though relieved, it also became his source of worry.


    ¡°What are you expecting? Slaves, merchants, mercenaries, soldiers, even the recruits¡­ It will take quite a long time before things could settle down.¡±


    ¡°But, things could get messy too.¡±


    ¡°Are you expecting an attack?¡± It¡¯s not like Chanakya hadn¡¯t thought about it but¡­


    ¡°What do you think? The enemy would stop attacking just because the empire had decided to stop fighting?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s almost a month. The golden period has passed.¡±


    Chanakya felt that if the enemy were to attack them, it would''ve been the first week, but now that almost four weeks had passed ...


    "The Golden Period? "Kinoya couldn''t help but laugh," There''s no such thing. If it was me, then I would have chosen to attack right now, and this chaos would have acted in our favour. "


    The city of Na was bustling. The merchant, the slave dealer, and those mercenaries had already erected their tents on the old market skeleton.


    Most of them have been unable to enter the city. So, just outside the gate, they chose to set up the shop. A lot of empire stuff was on display along with local specialities. Food and wine were the most important products than goods.


    The soldiers have been allergic to the military ration and meat jerkies over the last year. Even the cheap light wines tasted like honey to them.


    Even before they could set up their stores, many off-duty soldiers flocked around the vendors.


    Only those who had special permission from the empire were allowed to enter the city. They were minorities, but their numbers were not small.


    Even though it was chaotic and bustling, the situation inside the city wasn''t as bad as outside. The only people who were allowed to enter the city were mostly slave traders and traders.


    "The Emperor abolishes slavery ..." Kinoya burst into laughter before Chanakya could finish his sentence.


    "This is the reality, and the emperor is far away. Do you think that feeding 100 and feeding 100,000 is the same thing? Where are they going to get the money from? These people are not here to do charity."


    A three-star general had an army of nearly 50,000 under him. To operate such a large body, one needs a huge amount of food and weapons. Even if he was sympathetic, Kinoya had no desire nor the ability to hinder them.


    The condition was far worse than the day of the invasion. They could just ignore the cry of help and the plea of the young or the old. They just walked through it.


    ¡°Please save us. I will do anything. Please save my son.¡±Kinoya did not know if the woman recognised him or was just an impulse, as soon as the woman saw him, she somehow broke the mercenary barricade and ran towards him.


    Kinoya turned to see the woman holding a boy not more than 4 years old. There were dry marks of tears on his cheeks along with a red handprint.


    The soldiers who were guarding didn''t move but the mercenaries were fearless. These mercenaries were hired by the slave traders to do the dirty works. They had little knowledge of the hierarchy here.


    One of them came forward and took the woman. With a scar mark on his throat, he looked quite frightening. There were two small, one-handed axes hanging from the buckle.


    "Save us, please. Please ... "her words had not ended before the mercenary had dragged her off her legs and pulled her in his arms. The mercenary had no intention of letting her go, "What are you talking about? "


    "Even after you''ve had a child, you still have such a figure." His hand never stopped bothering her, "You should come to me. Do you think this kind of child can quench your heat? "


    His perverted smile was further stimulated by the laughter of other mercenaries. One of the mercenaries even stopped the soldiers who were coming forward to stop the man.


    "Idiots, you don''t even know who that is," screamed the soldiers with a flushed face.


    "What are you trying to do about it? We received an order from the general. Don''t interfere with our work. "Looking at the ferocious response of the mercenary, all the soldiers could curse in the heart.


    ''Bastard, we''re trying to save your life. Even our generals think twice before going against him. ''The soldier wanted to shout, but as soon as Kinoya''s eyes met, he couldn''t help shuddering. ''You guys are dead, man.''


    Their faces were empty of any colour. The only thing they could do was take a step back. On the other hand, the mercenaries have misunderstood their intention.


    The mercenary with the woman in his arm did not see it, nor did his hand ever stop violating the body of the young mother. He loved the woman. He was planting kisses aggressively on her, placing his hand in her blouse and skirt. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The woman never ceased to resist, but the man stopped. Looking at Kinoya, he burst into a laugh.


    "Don''t you see the boy is blind? Your beauty is being wasted on him. You don''t even know if that thing could stand or not. "Hearing his taunting Chanakya couldn''t stop laughing.


    But he felt a little puzzled when he looked at Kinoya. ''On any other day, he would have killed him, then ...''


    Little did anyone know, Kinoya was now contemplating the aura that escaped from the body of the people in front of him.


    ''So the purple of that mercenary is lust. That woman had a mother''s duty, that is royal blue. Fear is black as ever. "Looking at the soldiers behind Kinoya, he shook his head.


    Kinoya was only a step away from the innate stage of [Magic Perception]. Since Iilea did not return to his tent after that day, it took almost 15 days to make the final breakthrough.


    ''It wouldn''t take fifteen minutes if she was here.'' That''s what the black man told him.


    ''It''s not like I can force her to sleep with me.'' In Kinoya''s weak protest, all the black man said was ''You insensitive idiot'' before he fell asleep.


    In comparison, the people here did not know if it was the futile resistance of the woman, or the lack of response by Kinoya, what aroused the mercenary. But he ripped off his blouse and revealed her milky white bosom.


    The laughter of the other mercenary took a hysterical turn but she continued to mutter, ¡°Please save my child, please. Please¡­ Please¡­¡±


    The child was trying his best to save his mother.  His feeble punches had little or no effect on the mercenary until the child bit him. A kick from the giant sent the child flying in an arc.


    The child was in pain but he stood up. He charged again and came down with the same result. No matter how much he tried, the outcome did not change. The wound started to pile up on his body.


    Bloody nose, black eye, broken tooth, even one of his hands was no longer under his control. Tears kept flowing from his mother''s eyes, but the child didn''t shed any of them.


    "Should I help with that? "Chanakya couldn''t wait any longer. Kinoya didn''t give an immediate response, but he broke his trance.


    "You can let her go, I''m going to pay for both of them."


    The words were spoken in a soft voice, but it sent a chill through the spine of those who listened to him. The axe-wielding mercenary while enjoying the woman did not notice it at first but gave a good look to Kinoya.


    ''What was it?¡¯ The mercenary didn''t know whether or not he felt the strain to be real. He looked at Kinoya, ''A talwar on the back, not high enough to hang a talwar. The black holes look frightening, but ... The dress doesn''t look expensive,'' He was surprised for a while before he spoke.


    ¡°Boy, what are you talking about? Do you have enough money to feed yourself? And this woman is not for sale. This boss has taken a liking to her. You can play with that boy. That will be 1000 gold.¡±


    His joke broke the tense atmosphere Kinoya¡¯s words had created. Soon all the mercenaries were already laughing silently.


    The soldiers who tried to come out were stopped again. The mercenary who stopped him smiled at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry our boss can handle him.¡±


    The soldiers shook his head, ¡°he is not someone you should mess with. He is an important person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our boss can understand too. Otherwise, the boy would have been biting dust even before he could open his mouth.¡±


    ¡°It is your boss who¡­¡±


    Before he could complete his words Kinoya moved. ¡° Let her go or what...¡±


    ¡°What did you say, boy? Or what?¡± The man threw away the woman, ¡°You might be important but I can just¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You can¡¯t do anything. You can¡¯t even stand.¡± As soon as Kinoya said those words the boss slumped on the ground.


    The woman was quick to move and grabbed the boy in her chest while tending his wound.


    The soldiers standing behind them were shaking their heads. Even though they don¡¯t understand what just happened, they had expected something like that.


    On the other hand, the mercenaries didn¡¯t understand how their boss could fall without any reason. They were stunned for a moment before someone cried out loud, ¡°Hexer?¡±


    ¡°You would have been happy if I was a hexer,¡± Kinoya said to the mercenary.


    ¡®How can my body become so heavy? Did he curse me? But he didn¡¯t even touch me.¡¯ The boss was running his head to understand what just happened. He was forcing his way on all four before going on his feet. But before he could do anything a heavy kick on his head made him roll on the ground.


    No matter how heavy the kick was, he was a leader of a mercenary party. He soon realised the invisible strain on his body had vanished. He got on his feet, took out his axe and he was sent flying.


    He struggled to stand up. His ferocious eyes were hunting For Kinoya and¡­


    Kinoya was standing right in front of him. Before the leader could react, a pain initiated at his right chest made him lose his footing.


    ¡°That is the problem with an animal like you. Before you grab the breast of a woman you forget that there was a woman who had fed you. You are a beast who doesn''t deserve to have that.¡±


    Even before one could understand what he meant, Kinoya had already cut off both the nipple of the mercenary. A moment of silence was soon broken by a shrill scream.


    ¡°Bastard like you don¡¯t remember while raping a woman that the same thing can happen to you sister or wife¡±


    One slash from the dagger and he cut off the private part of the mercenary boss along with the leather armour that was covering his groin, exposing his now-bloody pubic region.


    The boss was already on his four, screaming like crazy yet it didn¡¯t end there. ¡°You don¡¯t understand how painful it would be if the same thing happened to you.¡±


    With the completion of his words, he plunged the handle of the axe in his ass without hesitation. The boss howled like a headless chicken and lost consciousness.


    The other mercenary was speechless. They wanted to retaliate but their body wasn''t listening to them. Looking at the flagged body laying in the puddle of blood it was even hard for them to breathe.


    The one who stopped the soldiers, looked at him and shouted, ¡°What was that? Shouldn''t you stop him? We were doing under the order of your general, general Riyasu. How can you let that happen in front of your eyes?¡±


    ¡®What order from general? Even if the general himself was here he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop him. What are you shouting now? Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop before?¡¯ The soldier cursed in his heart and moved towards Kinoya, ¡°Little general, what do you want?¡±


    With the word ''Little general¡¯, they lost all the hope. The only people who could be titled as such are the one who is the descendants of the high-ranking generals.


    ¡®From where the hell did he come from?¡¯ But their questions remained unanswered.


    Don''t think about the major. Leave the mother and the baby. Continue with your job. I''m not going to mess. Chanakya, take both of them with you, I''m going to meet my dad." Kinoya had already blurred before they could react to him.


    ''You''re going to start a charity? ''Chanakya wanted to know, but he didn''t. He brought them out of the city.


    The mercenary continued their work but didn''t try to do anything funny. But the saddest were those who had lost the chance to plea for their freedom. There is only one fate that is waiting for them that is to be sold as a slave.

 51. Better late than never

    This was a red brick house that Akai had selected to be his headquarters. The building was well-guarded as planned. The guards bowed down to Kinoya as he entered the house.


    They knew the relationship between Kinoya and Akai. Adding Kinoya''s temper and achievement, there were very few who would dare to disrespect him.


    After the confirmation was received, Kinoya moved into the room. Vaicus was present along with Akai, and there were two more that Kinoya had never seen before.


    "Come here, Kinoya." Somewhere in the royal blue aura of Akai, Kinoya could see a tinge of red blood.


    ''Blood red on the edge? A negative emotion, huh? Sensing self-pity in Akai''s voice could only sigh,'' What are you worried about? ''


    Soon the blood-red was replaced by the proud violet with Akai''s words, "This is my son, I was talking about it."


    Both men took another look before a smile broke out on their lips.


    "Congratulations to the general for finding such a frightening son."


    "Now you don''t have to worry about the future of your house."


    Listening to the complement, Akai could stop smiling. Only Kinoya wasn''t sure of their intention, "You know who I am?"


    ¡°The youngest major of Godola''s front, the mad slaughter that fights against Cantela, and ..." where one stopped with a smile, the other added, "The blind devil of the red army.


    ¡°However, I don¡¯t think my achievement is ear-smoothing and it shouldn¡¯t be compared with my father¡¯s achievement.¡±


    ¡°Little general.¡± The man waited a moment before adding, ¡°Death, blood and fear are the only achievements that a soldier could earn on a battlefield.¡±


    "The reputation of a captain to precede the accomplishment of a cardinal general is nothing to be laughed at."


    ''They''re everywhere, whether it was the earth or here in Aborion. Salesman, huh?'' Kinoya smiled, ¡°It looks like my reputation is well spread.¡±


    Although he was unsure whether or not Kinoya could see, he still smiled like a businessman, ¡°The little general may not know, but he is quite famous on both sides of the border.¡±


    "It would be better to use ''notorious'' than famous."


    "It depends on one who is thinking about it."


    "He might be blind but nothing escapes his perception," Akai said with a smile. "They''re the guy we''re doing business with."


    The tinge of blood-red aura reappeared. Kinoya couldn''t help but laugh seeing the old man''s uneasiness. "Don''t worry father, I''m not infantile enough to throw a tantrum at the most obvious. It is expected to occur during the battle. I know that I can not save everything. Yet ..."


    Kinoya turned to the other two, "I don''t know who had employed such a weak-willed mercenary, but we had a deal involving two slaves. It was sad that things didn''t go well and I had sort of wasted him. I''m ready to compensate the two slaves and the mercenary.


    Kinoya was all smiles, but both dealers broke into a cold sweat while looking at it. They have been trading with a lot of people, but General Akai wasn''t the one they could tread lightly.


    The child in front of them may not be the most intimidating one they''ve ever met, yet every cold sweat on their body cried out not to mess with him.


    They thought the rumours of the devil they had heard about might have been an exaggeration. However, after meeting the child they thought it might be true. Little did they realize, after seeing the mercenary''s corpse, such thoughts would shift again.


    "Little general, don''t worry about that. No matter whose people they are, we''re going to take care of it. Let it be the start of a long-lasting business relationship.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.Shifting to Akai, he added, "General, we''re going to take leave for now. We''ll talk to you later." Akai just nodded as Vaicus led them out of the room, leaving only Kinoya and Akai behind.


    Even though Kinoya had said those words, Akai was still a bit hesitant. Kinoya was known for defending people but ...


    "Don''t worry father, I''m not that short-sighted." Akai couldn''t help but look at him again, "I can''t save them all even though I wanted to. And I don''t have any intention, either.¡±


    "We''ve got to do it. Even if they are civilians, they are still rivals. Holding them inside the city would not be rational, in the event of an enemy siege. On top of that, there could be another probability of attempted assassination. But most of all without selling them, the army might not have enough food to feed themselves."


    ¡®Yes, that''s what I want to say.¡¯ Akai nodded. He was glad when he heard these words from the lips of Kinoya.


    "Father, I want something." Akai could help but smile, even though the child in front of him called him father, he had never come to ask for something.


    He had refused anything else but the military ration given to his troops, even though he was outside the city. He was able to last for a whole month, even with 150 people under him.


    "Tell me what you want."


    "I want a magic orb which can read stats and skills."


    "Why do you want to buy it? "Akai was a little surprised about that.


    "No, I just want to hire a few. According to the edict, there will be a year of relaxation before going into the war again. The suspension will be over around then.


    ¡°Do you think there will be any good seedlings who will be willing to join the suspended troop? And you can¡¯t hold the recruitment before the recruitment of the main army has finished. So the people you will get...¡±


    ¡°Are the rejected ones.¡±


    The straight face of Kinoya shocked Akai for a moment. "You''re sure of it? What are you going to get? Criminal? People with insufficient stats? If you want, I can send you a few.


    "No that is not going to happen. For me, criminal records are off-limits but low stats aren''t going to be a problem. Anyone with any other options would not be able to carry on my training. Stat can be increased, but the mentality of working hard can''t be. "Kinoya smiled," I don''t want to make any problems for you. Don''t worry, my army is going to be strongest."


    "Ho, man! That''s a pretty good argument. Even the Moon General may not be able to say it out in the open."


    "I am not the Moon General, but I have my trust. "Looking at the serious face of Kinoya Akai could not have laughed.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do?¡±


    ¡°Can you give me horses?¡±That''s one of the key causes of his visit. But creases formed on Akai¡¯s forehead hearing the request.


    ¡°How many do you want?¡±


    ¡°100 will be enough.¡±


    ¡°That might be a problem.¡±


    Kinoya knew that something like this could happen. Horses are an important resource that''s hard to find. And a good warhorse will be harder to find. The issue of finding 100 may be an enormous challenge.


    Kinoya was prepared, ¡°I don''t need war horses, even draft horses will do. On that point, 100 draft horses will be better.¡±


    ¡®Draft horse? Those are good to drag a carriage.¡¯ Akai wasn¡¯t expecting such a response. ¡°I thought you were going to train a cavalry unit.¡±


    He was further surprised by Kinoya''s nod. Akai could not think of a reason why he would need so many draft horses. "Draft horses may be easier to train, but it''s harder to ride. It has stamina, but it does not have the agility of a good warhorse."


    ¡°As you had said, It will be hard to get 100 good war horses. Even if they are hard to ride, the draft will be a good choice for training. We can get better horses later.¡±


    ¡®Using a draft horse to train soldiers?¡¯ Akai couldn¡¯t remember anyone else who had used this tactic. ¡®Then again when did he have done anything by logic.¡¯


    ¡°That could be done. Do you want anything else?¡±


    ¡°There is one more thing.¡±


    ¡°Now you are acting like my son.¡± Akai was quite happy that Kinoya was asking for the things he wanted without hesitation. Now he was relieved.


    ¡°You were the want who wanted me to be your son, and if you want to be my father then you have to cope up with my necessity.¡± Kinoya gave a mischievous smile. With the happy yellow aura Akai was releasing, Kinoya had no way to misunderstand him.


    ¡°I am really happy that you are asking.¡± Akai gave a warm smile seeing Kinoya¡¯s embarrassed look, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want a merchant. I want to buy something.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I''m going to send you someone from the trading company, Golden Arm. They are from the capital. No matter what you want, they can give you as long as you pay the right price. You got the money?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I have quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°If you need more, just ask.¡± Throughout his over 50 years of service, he had earned more than he could count.


    His wife didn''t spend much and continued to live a simple life until her death. His first daughter was married to a noble, the second one was to a magic knight. His little one is a mage and rarely comes home.


    The money he had accumulated over half a century was enough to buy him a town. And he doesn''t think Kinoya will order something absurd enough to cost his entire fortune.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have the money, what I don¡¯t have is the connection.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Before you go, you should take a look at the stable, I have a surprise for you.¡±


    *Gong* Gong*


    Kinoya wasn''t even able to nod when the bells all over the city continued to scream.


    ¡°What? An enemy attack?¡± Akai was dumbfounded. It was something that he had never expected, but what was more surprising was the smile on Kinoya¡¯s face.


    ¡°Better late than never.¡±

 52. Weakness

    "No matter what happens, don''t open the gate." Kinoya had already vanished in a puff of black smoke before Akai could even respond. Akai could only sigh as he headed toward the house of the city-lord.


    The city had three gates. Eastern, Western and Northern.  Akai controlled the North gate and Riyasu did the west. General Vorn was on the east.


    Only the east gate was opened to control the flow of people inside the city. So, the east gate was expected to be assaulted by the enemy.


    "What was it? " Even before the soldier was able to stop the fast-moving shadow, Kinoya had already reached the wall.


    But the guard on the wall was quite strict, "Identify yourself." One of the soldiers shouted, and tens of weapons turned towards Kinoya.


    The blue flame flickered over his eye hole as he was about to...


    "Stop it." Kinoya had not noticed it before, but General Vorn was also on the wall, "Kinoya."


    Kinoya nodded as he moved toward the general. As soon as Kinoya looked out, he was dumbfounded.


    ¡°No matter how you look at it, it is not an entire army.¡±


    ¡°Cavalry? It¡¯s just Cavalry!¡± One of the unknown generals, next to Vorn, spoke: ¡°If they think they''re going to be able to siege the city, that''s going to be a joke.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not aiming for that.¡± Kinoya turned to look towards the gate. ¡®Vorn was quick as expected, but¡­¡¯


    ¡°General, open the gate.¡± One sentence from Kinoya and all the murmurings had died in an instant. But it exploded again soon.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Are we going to make the same mistake they have made?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is that child?¡±


    None of them knew whether or not the person was joking, but as soon as Vorn lifted his hand, the wall fell silent again.


    ¡°They''re not aiming for the city. But if they do, 10,000 cavalries will never be enough.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Even Vorn understood that. ¡°Then why are they even attacking?¡±


    ¡°They are trying to cut off our line of support.¡±


    ¡°Line of support?¡±


    Kinoya sighed. The soldiers around them were angry by Kinoya¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡®You impudent. Is that how you act in front of the general?¡¯ Whether it was because of Kinoya''s reputation or the existence of a general, it prevented them from doing something.


    ¡°They''re trying to kill our food supply. With the winter climate, it''s going to be hard for us to find more food. And without enough food and energy, it will be difficult for us to survive the winter.¡±


    The general did not agree or disagree with the suggestion. He turned to the field outside, to reevaluate the situation.


    ¡°I don''t know if they had some kind of army hidden somewhere, but if they wanted to invade the city, they would have attacked the gates first, not the merchants and slaves who set up the tents.¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯ Most of them reacted at the same time and turned to confirm Kinoya¡¯s words. ¡®He is right.¡¯


    ¡°If we can protect the perimeter outside the gate, we will have no problem closing the gate as soon as the enemy army appears. Additional troops would be quicker to deploy.¡±


    The general couldn''t ease up at all. Opening the gate is not a choice he could make on his own. And if the city is breached, he won''t just lose his place.


    "The men they kill are not traders and peasants, but our troops are also being slaughtered." Kinoya sighed, "I''m going down. I''m going to clear all those enemies around the gate. Ten minutes. Then I''ll leave."


    General Vorn tried to say something but wasn''t able to. Kinoya had already bolted to the ground.


    When it hit the earth, Kinoya''s foot did not even leave a mark. It would be incorrect to say no enemy was around the entrance. There were many, who murdered everyone near them.


    When Kinoya descended one of them encouraged his horse to come next to Kinoya. The blade raised in the air. It waited to descend on Kinoya head and ...


    The horse slumped down just before the sword could act. ''Slump'' isn''t the right word, it looked like something was pressing the horse to the ground This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The legs of the horse had stretched oddly as it tried to stand up. Alas! The horse body erupted into a stream of blood before it could stand up again. Its driver has left the planet with it.


    ¡°Ruthless, cold-blooded murderer.¡± Someone beside Vorn mumbled. Even though he had heard it, the general couldn¡¯t refute it.


    Nobody knew whether it was a recruit or a slave who was hiding near the gate in the hope of surviving an enemy attack. But as soon as he saw the terror of Kinoya, he vomited out his stomach.


    It wasn''t just him, the soldiers who were close to the gate had a hard time managing them under the strong stench of horse blood. The enemy had a hard time handling the horses. Still, a couple of them charged and ended up dyeing the ground darker.


    Unable to handle their horses, many of them abandoned their horses and charged Kinoya with different weapons. No matter how many came, they couldn''t clear the horse-blooded puddle.


    ¡®Ahhhhhh¡¯


    Shrieks of agony escaped their mouths as they started to hear their bones grounded to dust under tremendous strain. The blood poured out of the holes, and the eyeballs exploded like popcorn.


    Faeces, subjected to immense pressure, disperse a foul odour in the air. Mixed with a strong scent of blood, it produced a stench of terror. Even the soldiers kept avoiding getting close to Kinoya, far less the enemy.


    Many enemies who were trying to strike the gate left without taking a look at the riderless horse. Still, none of them applauded for the win, because they couldn''t.


    Even General Vorn''s heart skipped a beat as soon as the blue eyes of the flame turned toward him.


    "Go and open the door. Let no one come in here. Just make sure the perimeter is secure. Send out the battalion. Close the gate as soon as you exit the entrance. Have the archers ready for you. If someone dares to come by, shoot first and inquire later."


    Whether it was because of Kinoya''s savagery or the general''s sudden order, the soldiers had failed to respond.


    "What the heck are you doing? Do as I say, and wait for more orders." General Vorn soon left to face other generals with a troubled mind. ''Is that human?''


    No one knew, yet none dared to inquire. It was frightening to talk to him. As soon as the gate opened, those who were trying to take shelter near the gate attempted to join.


    Kinoya spoke even before the soldiers inside could respond. "If you want to live, don''t try to enter the city."


    The flood came to a sudden halt. Those who were unable to control their pace stumbled and fell on each other.


    "Don''t let me say it again,"


    "But I am a soldier ..." He couldn''t finish his sentences when he was sent to his knees under immense pressure.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Let. Me.¡±


    All those who had thought that they had survived because the door had opened felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on them. And even if they wanted to move inside, their body was no longer under their influence.


    They could only watch in horror as the city spat out a tidy array of shield-bearers along with spearmen and swordsmen before shutting their mouths again.


    A general was quick to come close to Kinoya and reported, ¡°There are 200 shield-bearers, 300 spearsmen, and 500 swordsmen.¡±


    ¡°General no need to report me. Secure the perimeter. Only let them in, whom you or your soldiers personally know. Clear the perimeter. Don¡¯t let anyone near the gate other than your soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Devil.¡± Kinoya couldn¡¯t help it, as a smile broke on your lips. ¡®Looks like he doesn¡¯t even know me.¡¯ Kinoya didn¡¯t wait to introduce himself and moved towards the farm.


    ¡®They''re not trying to invade the city. They''re killing everything that moves.'' As he walked, he could see the corpses of the workers, ripped the shelter, and burned cargoes. Not even the cattle have been spared.


    ¡°He is trickier than I thought.¡± Kinoya could help but praise the White freak. The city would have been as good as dead if he could disrupt the entire supply line.


    ¡°But why did they attack after it reached the city? They would have a better chance of succeeding if they had attacked¡­¡± Even before he could comprehend the reason something else attracted his attention.


    ¡°Let us go.¡±


    ¡°We are not with them.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    The protest of the weak fell into deaf ears. More than 100 women were like a sweet treat for the enemy. As he came close, he could see his soldiers were struggling to defend against the enemy.


    Although they had no protection, they had decreased the number of injuries with the weight jackets, still, the injuries continued to stack.


    Most of them were struggling to stand. Chanakya was in the worst situation. Out of three who could still fight, Palsa was the only one who could hold his own against four enemies at the same time.


    There was not a single excessive movement. Each swing of his blade was taking a new life.


    The situation was dire, still, Kinoya¡¯s eyes were searching for someone else. He couldn¡¯t find it¡­


    *Slap*


    "What have I been saying to you? No one will save you." The man''s upper garment had already been stripped off.


    Looking at the naked woman in front, he couldn¡¯t help but give a lusty smile. The tent inside his lower garment was high enough to prove his excitement.


    ¡°I like girls like you, the most.¡± His hand moved over her perky breast, that had already turned red under constant torture, ¡°If you can satisfy me, I will take you as my fourth wife. You won¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    The voice of Kinoya had thundered. "Move your hand." It wasn''t just a half-naked guy, but everyone who was standing there thought that someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water on them.


    Like a little lamb trapped under a monster''s claw, their body even forgot to breathe. Whether it was the enemy or those women, it was the same for all of them.


    Even Palsa thought like someone was squeezing his heart when he gazed at Kinoya''s eyes. There were no eyes, to begin with. This was just a soul-burning cold flame. The black smoke that exploded from his body eclipsed the sun.


    The fingertips, on the other side, stopped an inch away from the red skin. The man had realized that the thing in his grasp had gone backwards, but he could not control his body to look at it.


    The only one who could control her body was trying to conceal her innocence behind her small hands.


    "What the heck are you doing? "Only after Kinoya spoke, she looked at him," You''ve been perfectly fine until now. And you''re going to hide now? ¡±


    It was like she didn''t notice him and sat down to cover as much skin as she could.

 53. The Wrath of the Devil

    Iilea didn''t look at him as he glared at her once again. No one knew who had responded first but as soon as one of the enemies started to run away it happened.


    ¡®Ahhhh¡¯


    His howl of agony in the heart of rest kindled the will of life. Some still haven''t been able to free themselves from terror, but who could ...


    All those who tried to run away sprawled on the ground. Their anguishing groans were not the only evidence of their suffering. Blood kept pouring out of their mouth or some other orifice.


    The eyeballs popped up and sprayed viscous liquid all over the place. Beneath the tremendous gravity one of their skulls was crushed. It gave rise to a splash of black blood and grey matter on the woman standing before him.


    "Ahhh" the woman''s shriek was more bone-chilling than those agonizing howls. It wasn''t just one of them, many screamed in shock, many vomited out their intestines, and some of them even lost consciousness.


    Only when the rest of the enemy felt lucky that they weren''t trying to run, Kinoya moved. He tried to take the bare-chested man''s hand which was still raised in the air.


    Looking at the blue flame in the black smokey face, the man couldn''t say a single word. And the next thing he knew, was that his hand was rooted out of his shoulders with sheer strength.


    ''Ahhhhh'' He wanted to shout, but the fear of the monster had forced him to swallow it in silence. Yet Kinoya caught his other hand at the next second.


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± Knowing the impending pain that was about to come, he started to scream, ¡°NO¡­.¡±


    Sudden screaming had scared Iilea. As she attempted to look, she found Kinoya standing between her and the guy. The only thing she could see was the dripping blood.


    Soon the failed pleading turned into a scream of anguish, and the man fell to the ground. What Iilea had seen sent a chill down her spine.


    The armless body was screaming, trying to fight away from them. Tear, snot and blood had caused a mess on his face. His lower garment was wet, and he gave off a foul stench.


    Kinoya stood in front of him, holding a pair of arms in his hands. Just as he was about to take another step, Iilea grabbed his leg.


    Kinoya stopped at his tracks as he turned to look at Iilea. Iilea, on the other hand, had no idea why she had stopped him.


    Imagining the demonic face she could not help but shudder in fear. She did not want to look at his face, but she did.


    ''Where''s the blue flame? Where''s the black smoke in there?'' She didn''t know what was going on, but she looked at a childish face with no eyes. The face smiled at her as he pulled his leg out of her clutch.


    Kinoya threw away the severed arms as he took out his dagger. The armless had fallen, still struggling backwards, but had not escaped the reach of Kinoya.


    Kinoya stepped on his right ankle, crushed it, and then left. His legs were limp and he could not move at all. His screams fell into deaf ears as Kinoya bent down beside him.


    "Don''t you like breasts?" The black demonic face was smiling, but the man couldn''t stop shaking his face. No matter how much he wiggled, the dagger''s tip was still slicing his flesh.¡±


    Kinoya moved his dagger under the skin with a deep concentration and peeled off whatever one might call a ''man''s breast.''


    The voice of the man could no longer be used to shout. He could see that death decayed his life from his body, and then ...


    "Haha" He began to laugh like a maniac. Kinoya looked at him for the last time before moving to his next victim.


    It wasn''t too far away from him. Before Kinoya could reach him, his legs had already been given away, and he fell to the ground.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Nobody knows whether it was because of fear or the gravity of Kinoya that kept him from moving. He could only look as Kinoya''s feet came down on his face and crushed his head, splattering blood everywhere.


    Shaking off the excess liquid from his feet, Kinoya moved towards his next prey.


    "Stop, please. I''m going to tell you everything." The man started screaming like crazy, "We''re not part of the army. They''ve just hired us to attack and kill everything outside the city.¡±


    Seeing that none of his words had any effect on walking death, he began to cry, "Please spare me, I''m just a Lootera. A bandit. We''re not from ...


    He couldn''t finish the sentence as he watched the dagger act swiftly on him. He didn''t dare look down as the pain hit his abdomen.


    Still, he looked down, and what greeted him was the spilt intestines, the organs he didn¡¯t know were inside him, and ...


    He struggled to gather all those that have been spilt out. Yet more he struggled and more he spilt.


    "You ..." screamed the guy at Kinoya. He had given up on his spilt pieces of the body and stared at the blue flame of Kinoya, "I''m cursing you. I am cursing you. You''re going to die. You deserve worse than this horrific death. You''re ..."


    He kept crying as he took out a knife and cut off his wrists and screamed, ¡°I sacrifice my life, you will die, you will die, you die. Death. Horrible death. You die.¡± and he cut his throat.


    No voice came out but his lips continued to move. All this time his eyes never left Kinoya.


    The spectators have forgotten to breathe. This wasn¡¯t out of Kinoya''s terror but the horror from a human being''s desperate struggle. His body soon lost its strength, collapsing on the ground, but he did not struggle and stared at Kinoya till his last breath.


    Their entire back was wet in sweat. Whether they were women, the enemy or Chand. No one wasn''t affected, no one but Kinoya. It looked as if Kinoya were smiling and heading to the next.


    The next victim accepted his fate. It wasn''t just him, all of them were. He looked at Kinoya and smiled before closing his eyes to accept his irreversible fate.


    It didn''t come, though. There was no pain, no agony... ''Could it be a quick death!?'' He wasn''t sure when he opened his eyes.


    The monster was still standing, a few inches away from him. It''s not moving, however. No, something is stopping it from behind.


    ¡°Kinoya, please stop,¡± Iilea shouted as she embraced him from behind. ¡°Please stop.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just she, Palsa and Chanakya also came in.


    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s time to stop.¡±


    ¡°You have done enough, Captain.¡±


    The black smoke had begun to fade away, and the human skin was soon restored. A pair of hollow holes replaced the blue flame, yet it was void of any expression.


    *************


    ¡°Congratulation minister.¡± When one spoke, the other chimed in too. But on Nus'' face, there wasn''t an ounce of satisfaction. It annoyed him.


    *Boom*


    Nus slammed his hand, startling everyone. ¡°Leave me and captain Fret alone.¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯ The generals looked at each other, not understanding Nus'' intention.


    ¡°I say leave us alone.¡± Nus¡¯ growling made the matter worse. The frown on the faces of the generals was growing deeper.


    One of them didn''t even try to hide his hostility, ¡°War minister of the south? What is that? You are still a mere official. What can you do?¡±


    ¡°Power had wasted his brain.¡±


    ¡°I want to see what you can do without us?¡±


    They weren''t secretive about their opinions, nor did they try to do so. Nus could hear it loud and clear, but he had no intention of saying anything.


    Looking at Nus¡¯ face, Fret felt it won¡¯t be ending in a good way.


    ¡°Captain, what is the situation?¡±


    ¡°They have killed many, burned¡­¡±


    ¡°So it failed?¡±


    It surprised him, but Fret nodded.


    ¡°Why did it fail?¡±


    ¡°The blind devil.¡±


    Hearing the name Nus had turned to Fret, however, he shook his head, ¡°It wasn''t something that one man could do, no matter how powerful they are..¡±


    ¡°But it was the devil who made the first move. He cleared the perimeter of the gate. According to the report, the enemy dared to get out of the city to get involved.¡±


    It looked like Nus wasn''t listening to him, but he was thinking about something else. "So it failed because the enemy had chosen the right choice."


    ¡°Yes, only if we attacked where the army could not help them, then we had a chance of success.¡±


    ¡°Captain?¡± Nus¡¯ sudden outbreak startled him. ¡°Who many have we left?¡±


    ¡°834 cavalries, and around 7,324 Looteras. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°Looteras had no intention to attack again. The devil¡­¡±


    Nus shook it off, ¡°They don''t have to do that. Each caravan that approaches the city must be targeted. You must strike where there can be no assistance from the city. There''s no need to attack anything that''s going out.¡±


    ¡°Only the incomings?¡±


    Nus nodded, ¡°We''ve got to stop the incoming supply. Attacking those who go out won''t help us at all. We must not waste any of our resources.¡±


    Nus continued in a serious tone, ¡°You''re always supposed to let the Looteras spearhead the attack. Grind the number away. So they don''t dare to use the same strategy against us.¡±


    ¡°We think we need to train our soldiers too.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Do it, Captain. This swift attack troop can be of great help later.¡±


    And the silence followed.


    ¡°And¡­¡±Looking at Fret¡¯s hesitation, frowning on Nus¡¯s face had grown deeper, ¡°As per report, it was the devil again. He foiled the plan of silk poisoning.¡±


    Well, Nus just shook it off. He felt he couldn''t do anything about it. He had developed a three-phase plan that began with mana poisoning. But before he could take the second step, he was called back to the capital.


    ¡°Minister, are you going to Godola?¡±


    Nus nodded, ¡°Out of three, the situation in Godola is worse. They''ve lost one of their capitals. Even the Cantela''s reinforcement couldn''t help them.¡±


    Nus sighed, ¡°Those idiot people think we can''t go on without the support of the other country. I''ve told them several times that I can.¡± His fist slammed the table, ¡°They just gave me a promotion. A title. A useless accolade and send me away.¡±


    Fret could not understand the reasoning, so Nus explained, "Unless we help Godola, Cantela will not send any reinforcements."


    ¡°Minister, should I go with you?¡±


    Nus shook his head, ¡°You need to continue to harass the enemy. Burn the crops, kill the animals. No matter how futile your effort may be, as long as you can kill one of them, just do it. I''m going to come back as soon as possible.¡±

 54. Close, yet so distant

    ¡°Are we on sentinel duty too?¡±


    Kinoya shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry they won¡¯t attack today.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about Chanakya? We are suspended. Why do we have to work now?¡±At the time of the war, Palsa was the first volunteer, but no other work attracted him at all.


    ¡°The one suspended is Captain, not us.¡± Chanakya refuted.


    Whether it was Chanakya''s emotionless remark or Palsa''s straight forward responses, Kinoya was happy with their reaction.


    The event at noon shook the faith of those who followed him. Also, his soldiers had avoided him, not just those women. But at least the two of them were the exception.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like I am running for a president.¡¯ Kinoya shook his head, ¡®I just can¡¯t hold on to those who want to leave.¡¯


    ¡°Go and have some rest. Don''t miss a training session. You, Chanakya, in particular.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Rest well, Captain.¡±


    ¡®Why does it feel that they have become more obedient than before? Well, whatever!¡¯ Kinoya had no intention of dwelling on the subject and entered his tent.


    Kinoya stepped in and stopped. There was someone in there. Even if he wasn''t able to see the face, he understood who it was. Kinoya sighed and went to his bed.


    ¡°Why are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came here to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kinoya frowned, ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep at the barn?¡±


    ¡°I came because I can¡¯t. Can¡¯t you see the dark circle?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t¡± Kinoya stopped for a moment, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if you don¡¯t come here I won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Kinoya had no idea whether he had imagined it or whether Iilea was shuddering. But Kinoya couldn''t help but pity himself, "Do you think I''m such a petty person? ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether you are even human or not.¡± Iilea sat there hugging her knees, not knowing how to react.


    ¡°Do you know what I fear most?¡±


    ¡®Maybe me.¡¯ Kinoya wanted to say but decided against it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fear death.¡±


    ¡°What is there to fear? Isn¡¯t it the easiest way out of all the suffering?¡±


    Iilea smiled but didn¡¯t say anything, ¡°What I fear most is sympathy. And what I see in your eyes that night was sympathy. And I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    The silence deepened with the night no one spoke.


    ¡°You might feel it''s just an act of kindness on your side, but it''s like you''re trampling on my pride.¡±


    Iilea stopped, not knowing what to talk about. She didn''t know why she started talking about it. But Kinoya started where she had finished.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± Kinoya stated it aloud.


    A smile on Iilea''s lips that Kinoya could not distinguish from his [Magic Perception] spoke loudest in the silence that followed.


    ¡°You hate yourself.¡± Iilea couldn''t help but take another look at Kinoya. Kinoya was staring at who knew where.


    ¡°Those who don''t know you don''t have the authority to criticize you. And you don''t need to justify yourself for what you did. They''re never going to understand, they''re not planning to.¡±


    ¡°Do what you''re trying to do. There''s no need to ask permission from those who don''t...¡± Kinoya didn''t finish the sentence, he couldn''t do it. He was caught off guard by Iilea''s attack.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Kinoya stared at his lap. Even if he could see only the outline, he was sure that Iilea was smiling right now.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Didn¡¯t you just tell me to do what I want? So I did. I have no intention of moving. I want to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Aren''t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Afraid of what? Are you killing me? You can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Kinoya sighed not knowing how to respond. But he was happy somewhere in his heavy heart. Happy that Iilea had returned, lay down on his lap as nothing had happened, and...


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to come.¡± What followed was a long pause and she spoke again. ¡°I hate you too. Even if I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, I don¡¯t want to come here. But they forced me.¡±


    ¡°Those women think you have fallen for me. So they sent me here as a form of insurance.¡± Iilea smiled, ¡°I don''t think they''re going to be able to fall asleep after seeing what you''ve done today.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t afraid? I think that man was hexer. And the hexer¡¯s curse is very strong.¡±


    ¡°I have gone through the worst.¡± His voice sounded a little unhappy but Iilea was curious about a different thing.


    ¡°Worse? Worse than what you have done?¡±


    ''Why did I talk about it?'' Kinoya shook his head, ¡°I am joking.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like that.¡±


    As soon as her hand touched his check, Kinoya was astounded. No matter how much he gazed at her, he couldn''t see the emotion in her eyes. Kinoya grabbed her hand at his check, and...


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just fall asleep?¡±


    ¡°I want to know what happened to you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it.¡± Kinoya sighed, ¡°Not now.¡±


    ¡°Then you will tell me one day.¡±


    ¡°I will. If I understand why it happened to me, I will.¡±


    ¡°Promise me, then.¡±


    ¡°Now you are acting like a child.¡±


    ¡°Look who''s talking.¡±


    Kinoya was smiling. No hidden meaning, no sympathy, no pity. It bloomed out of his heart, and it was contagious. Looking at his smile, Iilea couldn''t stop her from giggling.


    ¡°Now sleep.¡± Kinoya kept patting her head as she closed her eyes.


    ¡®I wish the time had stopped right now.¡¯ Their thoughts resonated with one another. Alas! None of them could understand the thoughts of each other.


    ************


    ¡°Captain, General Vaicus has sent 200 cavalries,¡± Chanakya reported the arrival of the cavalry unit.


    Kinoya was taking care of the horse calf he had received from Akai. It was the child of the war stallion of Akai. The second-generation offspring of the black thunder stallion from the imperial stable.


    It was unfortunate that the pregnant mare had given birth to a twin so that the result was inevitable. One of the calves was so weak that it might not be able to live long enough to see the twin moon.


    Akai wanted Kinoya to take a healthy foal, but Kinoya chose the weaker foal. It wasn''t kindness or anything. It was suggested to him by the black man in space.


    ¡°That calf is more compatible with you.¡±


    ¡°But that''s not going to be able to live long.¡±


    ¡°How can you know if you''re not trying?¡±


    Kinoya was surprised when he heard it but soon realised, ¡°Is there a way to cure it?¡±


    ¡°The calf is not wounded or sick, to begin with. It''s weak and lacks nutrients. If you can give the right food, you might be able to pull it through. A mutation isn''t going to be surprising.¡±


    Mutated beasts are more difficult to tame but are much tougher than any ordinary beast. But the horses of the imperial stable are mutated, to begin with, it''s only weakening the gene right after continuous breeding with a weaker mare. If he mutates it again who knows how strong he would be but ...


    "If it''s food, then, couldn''t others do the same thing?"


    The tone of the black man had become sarcastic," The food I''m talking about isn''t food or anything, it''s your mana. Your mana is supposed to be compatible with it.


    Kinoya''s excitement didn''t last long. He did not understand how people could mutate a dark elemental beast since there are little to no dark elementals in this part of the world.


    ''If I am here with dark elemental mana, then there are bound to be more people.'' No matter what world they are, royalties tend to hide some of the secrets.


    It''s been a week now. The black man fed the dark mana to the foal at night. It was still unable to move, but the glaze was coming back. Now it has been able to drink the milk of its mother.


    With Chanakya''s report, Kinoya stood up, leaving the calf that lay on the hay behind. It gave a wailing cry. Kinoya patted him several more times as he was leaving the tent.


    It is already a week after the entire caravan reached Na city. Most of them were recruited into the army for the last three days, leaving no more than two to three thousand of all the tens of thousands who came here.


    From what Kinoya could see in front of his eyes, there were almost one and a half thousand of them here. Kinoya kept his recruitment date after the initial recruitment of the army to avoid clashes.


    Rather, he used that time to spread the news about the recruitment of his army. Without wasting time, Kinoya moved to the makeshift stage.

 55. The Royalson

    ¡°You are weak.¡±


    The first sentence was enough to give rise to an uproar. The wave of protests erupted from the crowd.


    While Akai had sent 200 cavalries and 200 infantrymen to control the situation, there was nowhere to control their voices.


    The next moment, all of them were quiet. Many had been sent to their knees while others had begun to foam out of their mouths.


    The flash of pride vanished as soon as they turned to the child on the stage. Black smoke began to swell away from Kinoya, slowly covering his body. Even on the bright day, the two azure flames were clear with a black smokey backdrop.


    It was hard to breathe, but as soon as he unleashed his blood lust, all those who screamed burst into a cold sweat. It wasn''t just them, even the defence soldiers had a rough time controlling their horses.


    "If you were powerful, you wouldn''t be standing here." Nobody said a thing. After all, it was the facts.


    ¡°I''m going to give you a chance to become better, better than the one chosen in your place in the army. It''s not going to be quick, but if you see through the preparation, you can do that.¡±


    Then, one hand rose in the crowd. He spoke as Kinoya smiled, "I''m sorry Captain, you''re suspended now. And if we complete the training, which army are we going to join?¡±


    ''He''s a good seed. To retain composure under such strain ...'' But the happiness did not show on Kinoya''s face, "If your rank is high enough, then you will be able to join my army. Otherwise, you''re going to go home."


    ¡°Yet let me warn you that if you die in training, there will be nothing. No compensation, no fame, nothing. We''re going to start in half an hour, if you want to go back, now is the time.¡±


    Kinoya did not waste any more time and left the stage. Chand and Andian, two of the most experienced lieutenants, came in.


    ¡°Those who do want to go through the process, you''ve got to go through three stages. For the stats, you must have 50 for each category.¡±


    Most breathed a sigh of relief with Andian''s words, but not all of them. The minimum requirements for one to join the army were 60. Here it was much lower. Yet they''ve learned that people with exceptional abilities will be able to participate. This was their reason to come here.


    "Only those with exceptional talent or skill would have a chance." The announcement took the pressure off them.


    ¡°There''s going to be an interview. The captain''s going to handle himself. There will be a test of the will after that. Those who pass the first two of them would be able to know about it.¡±


    ¡°Registration and status checks will be conducted first. You''re going to be led from there. And don''t worry, the cycle may be a long one, but everyone''s going to get their chance.¡±


    Akai has equipped him with an orb that can display both stats and skills. Chanakya used a separate orb to calculate the status of the recruits.


    Kinoya looked at his stats while waiting for the first one to come.


    [NAME: Kinoya Bagi


    Age:13


    Record: No criminal record.


    Recommendation: The Arviga Duke, The Moon general, ########


    Title: Godson of Red general Akai. The blind devil.


    Pseudo Title: Little moon general.


    Job: ???


    Secondary Job: Apprentice General, Apprentice Mage [Grade:1]


    Element: ????. Earth. ????


    Strength: 126


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.Dexterity: 145


    Intelligence: 260


    Health: 1307


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    Skill: [Falling leaf dance] [Subtle Movement] [Advanced Sword Mastery] [Intermediate Sword-Shield mastery] [Intermediate Dual-Sword mastery] [Intermediate Bow Mastery] [Basic Horse Riding] [Intermediate Pain Resistance] [Leaf Tornado] [Magic Perception]


    Magic skill: [Gravity Manipulation]


    Innate Skill: [Devil Transformation (Level 1)] [Extrasensory Vision (level 1)]


    Weapon: Varytita (Sealed: 1/7)


    Companion: Nuckelavee (Weakened)]


    His family name had changed from ''Arviga'' to ''Bagi'' after Akai had agreed to adopt him. Looking at it, Kinoya was satisfied. But the second job was what made him happier.


    ¡®Even though I don¡¯t know the primary job, It¡¯s good to have two secondary jobs. Now that I think about I have a quest that can upgrade it to [General]¡¯


    Satisfied, he looked at the rest of the status, ''It looks like I have to go to the Royal Magic Academy to review my secret stats. Oh! It also reveals details about Little Nuc.¡¯


    Somewhere in his daydreaming, the first recruit entered his tent. "Tell me why you want to join the army?" Kinoya was sitting cross-legged in a slightly elevated position.


    The teenager standing in front of him was afraid of Kinoya. There was no one else in the tent except two of them.


    His palm was moist with the sweat. In this situation, even that simple question was too much for him. Those black eye sockets were scary, to begin with. It was harder to look at them with azure flame flickering.


    ¡°I''ve got to take care of my family. I''m not very good at anything but fighting.¡±


    ¡°You could have joined the mercenary.¡±


    ¡°If I died, my family wouldn''t have anything to survive on.¡±


    ¡°If you were to die when you were training, then you wouldn''t have anything.¡±


    ¡°I don''t have any other way to continue with that. I could even try it as a last resort. When I die, they''ll at least know that I''ve died trying. ¡±


    "You''re going to go through the left entrance," Kinoya replied calmly before the azure flame went out. He realized that Kinoya had closed his head. He bowed and walked through the left door.


    Most had come and gone. A few of them had a special talent. The majority of them had [Basic Sword Mastery] or [Basic Bow Mastery].


    One of them had [Pickpocket] skill, even though he didn''t have any criminal record. Though he was tempted to hold him, at the end of the day he declined.


    The next one entered early enough. He may not be more than 15 or 16, but he was higher than a full-grown man. His sleeveless upper ware displayed a finely muscled body without a single ounce of extra fat or muscle.


    ¡®There''s no chance he''s got any below-average stats. Would he have been one with a criminal record?¡¯


    ¡°Put your hand on the orb.¡± Kinoya was a little confused but the boy complied without hesitation.


    [NAME: Hume Royalson


    Age:15


    Record: No criminal record.


    Recommendation: General Vaicus.


    Title: Little champion of Royalson.


    Pseudo Title: None.


    Job: None


    Secondary Job: None


    Element: ????.


    Strength: 79


    Dexterity: 74


    Intelligence: 62


    Health: 307


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    Skill: [Subtle Movement] [Basic Sword Mastery] [Basic Spear Mastery] [Intermediate Horse Riding]


    Magic skill: None


    Innate Skill: [Decisiveness]


    Weapon: None


    Companion: Winter]


    ''The Royalson?'' Kinoya was shocked. Royalson was one of the four tribes who supported the first emperor in the battle. They are known as the four cardinal tribes of the empires.


    The cardinal tribes are the ones who do not have to pay taxes, who do not have to answer the empire for their work, and their chief will be treated as one of the hereditary nobles.


    But unlike the other nobles, the chiefs of the tribe are not allowed to join the royal court, while other members of the tribes may have been eligible.


    Unfortunately, the reputation founded on bravery and courage is history. The members of Royalson were so absorbed into the culture that very few of the proud tribe remained.


    It wasn''t just them. All other three tribes, other than Ahkrog, are now on the road to extinction. But what was more shocking was his two secret stats.


    ¡®He''s got [Subtle Movement]. Then one of the stats must be [Agility]. The last one can be [Command], derived from his inherent capacity.¡¯


    The advice of Vaicus explained why the boy was here. Kinoya asked the same question, "Why would you like to join the army?"


    Kinoya didn''t expect something spectacular when he asked each of them the same question, all he was looking for was plain reality and an explanation that was so compelling that the man wouldn''t stop practising.


    ¡°I want to restore my tribe.¡± A calm but resolute voice sounded.


    ¡°You would have a better chance if you joined the army. With your stats...¡±


    ¡°Old mentor of the tribe said to join.¡±


    ¡°Is it Vaicus?¡± Kinoya could guess.


    These tribesmen are very stubborn, to begin with. It would have been shocking if he had listened to someone he had just met. The boy''s nod confirmed it. It was shocking to hear that Vaicus was a Royalson.


    ¡°Use the door on your left. And no matter who recommended you, you''re only going to be hired when you pass the training. If you don''t survive, you''re not going to be able to enter the army even with your states.¡±


    "The old mentor said I won''t be able to join the army if I fail to learn." There wasn''t a shard of emotion in his expression, much like his old mentor.


    ''Could the cold attitude be a characteristic of the tribe? ''Kinoya glanced at the next candidate with a smile.

 56. Armina Evoke

    Not every interview was as easy as that. Most of them were lying about fighting for the empire and the like.


    They didn''t know, but because of his extrasensory vision, they couldn''t afford to lie to Kinoya. And what appealed to him more was the one who was brave enough to say they wanted to make money or marry a girl they loved.


    ¡°Why do you want to join the army?¡±


    ¡°I... I want to¡­ to prove¡­ my worth.¡± The voice was unnatural. It sounded a little husky but felt forced.


    The blue flame flickered in his eye sockets as the smile appeared on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡±


    The recruits were startled by Kinoya''s unexpected words. The person couldn''t help but take a look at Kinoya again.


    Kinoya smiled, ¡°You don''t have to force yourself, you can use your voice. It doesn''t matter if you''re a man or a woman, as long as you can complete your training.¡±


    ¡°I am¡± She was unable to control herself, but was quick to correct her voice, ¡°I¡­ am a¡­ man.¡±


    ¡°I never said otherwise.¡± Kinoya chuckled.


    ¡°What?¡± The woman frowned, looking at the expected expression on the teenager''s face, standing in front of her. ¡°Yes, I am a woman. So what? Can¡¯t I join the army?¡±


    ¡°Who said you can¡¯t?¡±


    With a defiant scowl on her face, she stated: ¡°I want to join the army as a soldier, not as a kitchen worker.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need kitchen staff.¡±


    ¡°Even if you need I won¡¯t join.¡±


    Looking at his seemingly expressionless face, she misunderstood, ¡°I won¡¯t do anything like that.¡±


    She could no longer control her body as soon as the words left her mouth. She grabbed her chest and looked down. She couldn''t understand what clenched her heart.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯ Looking at the child who hadn¡¯t left his seat she couldn¡¯t understand, ¡®Why is it so hard to breath?¡¯


    ¡°Put your hand on the orb.¡± The voice was the same, but she felt the air around him had changed. Her body moved on its own, carrying out the order.


    [NAME: Armina Evoke


    Age:14


    Record: No criminal record.


    Recommendation: None


    Title: Overproted Princess.


    Pseudo Title: Runaway Princess.


    Job: None


    Secondary Job: None


    Element: ????.


    Strength: 49


    Dexterity: 67


    Intelligence: 95


    Health: 107


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    Skill: [Intermediate Problem Solving] [Intermediate thought accumulation] [Intermediate dagger mastery]


    Magic skill: None


    Innate Skill: [Strong Will] [Charishma (Level 3-Hidden)]


    Weapon: None


    Companion: None]


    ¡°What a messed up status you have.¡± Looking at the status Kinoya was shocked, ¡®A level three innate skill! Three intermediate skills!¡¯


    Kinoya was forced to look at her again, ¡°You are overqualified for my army.¡±


    The pressure had vanished a long time ago, yet she was still on her knees.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    ¡°You''re overqualified. A mere soldier would have a hard time using hidden stats like wisdom and concentration. It would have been better if you had agility or endurance.¡±


    Even on the second time, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡®He could guess my hidden stats! But that''s not important right now¡¯, she gave an understanding smile, ¡°You could have given a better excuse.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°There''s no excuse for that. [Intermediate Problem Solving] and [Intermediate Thought Accumulation] were of little use on the battlefield. And a dagger is not a weapon we use in the war. You might have made a great scholar.¡±


    ¡°There is no better weapon than the human brain.¡±


    ¡°Even then it needs a hard skull to protect it.¡±


    She wanted to refute but chose not to, so Kinoya added, ¡°On top of that, you''re the one with extra luggage. Even though I don''t know which noble family you''re from, it''s going to be hard to accept a runaway princess.¡±


    She couldn''t refuse at all this time. But Kinoya wasn''t finished, "Even if you found a way to hide your charism, that level 3 innate skill could be a double-edged sword.¡±


    Armina was sighing. This was the first time she had received an honest evaluation, but it wasn''t exactly what she had expected.


    ¡°I can give you a chance.¡± These words jolted her up, ¡°You can choose not to respond, but if you answer the truth, I might give you that chance.¡±


    Instead of happiness, her eyes were sorrowful. Somehow, she had been expecting what the question would be.


    ¡®You''re going to ask me a question, I can''t answer. I was supposed to walk out now.'' She sighed with a nod and was about to walk out, "Why do you want to join the army?¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡± She never expected a question like that. Looking at his face, she wasn''t sure whether he was kidding or not. Still, she replied, ¡°Because I want to prove myself.¡±


    ¡®Wow! That''s the strongest aura I''ve seen all day.'' Kinoya smiled with satisfaction, "Come with me. Let''s go to the final trial.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Are you going to be easy on me?" She was angry. "What was it? I''ve never seen a military trial like that before.¡±


    Condolence was the last thing she wanted to receive. It was also the reason why she came here first.


    ¡°If you were in the army I would have punished you. First for disobeying an order, second for questioning your superior.¡±


    Her anger was drowned in a bucket of cold water. She wanted to say something, but she knew it wasn''t the place where she could do that.


    ¡°If you want to leave, take that door. If you''re going to take the last trial, follow me. ¡± Kinoya didn¡¯t wait for her.


    ¡°Palsa, tell everyone to stop now." She was able to hear Kinoya''s order. She was hesitant, still, she followed him.


    Sensing that Armina had followed him, Kinoya added, ¡°If you''re not going to pass the next trial, then you''re going home. It won''t change, even if you''re a princess.¡±


    Without much of a word, Armina followed him. The sun was about to sink into the horizon. Kinoya had announced that the trial would be over for today.


    It was greeted by a wide range of emotions, but the girl didn''t have the time to do so. She soon reached a dome-sized building.


    ¡°This is the last trial to be held. You''ve got 10 minutes to go through the room. If you can do that, you will be selected. If you don''t, pack your stuff." Finishing the words Kinoya walked into the dome.


    There were a lot of people around the dome, even some unconscious bodies. After a moment of hesitation, she stepped in.


    She slammed on the floor just with the first step. It was so sudden that she felt that her organ had shifted. Even coughing of blood was painful. It''s been hard for her to move. The only thing she could do was to look at someone''s foot.


    "A moment of carelessness could cost you a lifetime. No one''s going to spare a thought of saving you." She knew who it was, but she couldn''t move her head to look at him. Only the legs wrapped in worn-out leather came into view.


    ¡°Now, you can stop. You just can''t move. The more you move, the worse your injuries are going to be.¡±


    ''Give it up? There''s no way I could do that, this is my last chance. If I give up now, I''m going to be as good as dead.'' Her voice screamed in her head, and she tried her best to stand up.


    Kinoya, standing in front of her, looked intently at her. The azure flame flickering in his eye sockets. In his face, a smile appeared. "Well, do whatever you want to do. You''ve got 10 minutes.¡±


    ''I''ve got to cross the room. He never said anything about walking. I could crawl. I can still pass.'' She didn''t know whether her weight suddenly increased or whether it was just an illusion, but she didn''t dare to waste any more time.


    She moved her limbs a little bit. She wasn''t ever able to believe that making so little movement could be so tiring, yet she moved. She pushed her body up from the ground at first, but she slumped again after a few inches.


    Her body was soaked in sweat. Her white face was dirty with dirt but she couldn''t care less about it. She''s been struggling hard. She felt it was painful to think, so she gave up.


    She had given up thinking about it. Her body was moving on its own. Crawling was too exhausting, so she kept dragging her body. She couldn''t count it, and she couldn''t tell where she was going. But she knew that the time was decreasing, and so was the distance.


    She was in the middle of the room. Here she had been greeted by a talwar. A gorgeous black talwar with a beautiful silver pattern on the body. It was lovely. Alas! She had neither the time nor the effort to spare.


    She had to move, a lot of time had gone by. It would be an impossible feat, but ''I must succeed.''


    Lucky for her, her body was getting used to the pressure. Looking at the door, at the end of her vision, she struggled. The knuckles were red with blood, so were the elbows and the knees. However, she did not feel any more pain. And her speed has been increasing.


    12 feet¡­


    10 feet¡­


    8 feet¡­


    .


    .


    .


    5 feet¡­


    ¡®I can do it. I can do it.¡¯ The goal was so close yet it felt so distant. ¡®I can do it. I can¡­¡¯


    4 feet...


    ¡®I will succeed. I can¡­¡¯


    And all the constraints of her body were gone. Even before she could feel the effect she had slumped on the ground again.


    ¡°You have failed.¡± Kinoya extended a pill to her, ¡°Just take it. It''s going to recover some stamina and heal some internal wounds. Just rest here. I''m going to send someone.¡±


    She was trying to look up, but she didn''t have any energy. She turned to the gate. ''Just a little bit more.'' her heart cried.


    ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°You can.¡± Kinoya waited before adding, ¡°But the time is up.¡±


    She was going to say she wants to try again. She''s going to succeed this time for sure, but her body didn''t listen to her at all.


    Suddenly, Kinoya grabbed her face and forced a smelly pill into her mouth. She could no longer control her tears. It''s like her tear ducts weren''t listening to her.


    "I think the pill wasn''t smelly enough to make you sad." Those words made her sob more. Energy began to flow from the mouth to the body.


    The warmth was blissful. She wanted to stand up and talk to him, but she was betrayed by her consciousness.

 57. The dilemma

    When Armina woke up, the sun was inches away from her zenith. The second-day trials were already underway. As she attempted to run, she got blocked by a pair of hands.


    "Kinoya said that you should rest," said a sweet voice.


    "Where am I now?" It wasn''t too painful, but resting didn''t reduce her fatigue enough. There was still pain, but she could move now.


    Armina sat back up with the support of the girl. The cover slid down over her body and exposed her milky white skin.


    "It''s not too big." Those words made her face twitch.


    ''I know that, and I''m very happy about that.''  Still listening to someone else, she didn''t feel too good. By instinct, she turned to her competitor.


    ''You''re about the same.'' Armina sneered inside, but as soon as she looked at her all-knowing smile, she couldn''t help but feel embarrassed.


    ''Wait for a minute! It doesn''t feel right .'' Armina screamed, "Who took my clothes?¡±


    "Kinoya told me to do it," replied the girl.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    "I am an Iilea," she said in a slight bow before asking, "But are you soldiers right? Have you been fighting with Kinoya? No wonder you''ve lost it.¡±


    ¡®Fight? I won¡¯t dare.¡¯ Armina smiled, ¡°I came for trial. Yet I did not succeed.¡±


    ¡°Was it hard?¡±


    Armina shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I''ve never seen a trial like this before.¡±


    ¡°So, What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I am Armina, Armina¡­¡± She was hesitant to say her surname.


    ¡°Armina Armina? What a peculiar name.¡±


    ¡°No, it is just Armina.¡± She said with a smile.


    Iilea set down a plate with two pieces of dry hard bread and a bowl of hot soup. ¡°Eat up. You''re going to need the strength. And here, wear this dress.  Kinoya also said you''re going to stay here until the trial is over..¡±


    Iilea did not wait for her response and left as soon as she had announced it. And Armina didn''t move anywhere. It wasn''t pain, it wasn''t exhaustion. ''But I''m feeling so sad.''¡¯


    Even though the sun was concentrating on her body, she shuddered a bit. Hugging her knee she couldn¡¯t contain herself any more. ¡®I have failed. What should I do? I thought¡­¡¯ Her tears didn''t show any sign of stopping.


    She didn''t remember how long she had been sitting like that, but when she put a spoonful of soup in her mouth it had cooled down already. It wasn''t good, the soup was cold and tasted bland.


    The bread was dry and rough, it was unpleasant to chew and was difficult to swallow. The dried pickle she ate was too chewy. She ate even though the tears never stopped flowing... It was oddly satisfying.


    ''It''s the worst food I''ve ever tasted. However, it feels like I''ve earned it.'' Armina was just sitting there staring at the empty soup pot.


    She kept the plate at the side of the bed and put on the dress. She didn¡¯t put on the cloth wrap around her chest, even without it, the dress was loose around the chest. She took a piece of cloth and knotted it just below the chest as she left the room.


    The moment she came out she was met with a crowded atmosphere. The trial ground was a little distance from the house she stayed at but it was noisy here as well.


    Here, too, was the girl who gave her food and dress. She was selling the same food she had served Armina. There were a lot more girls in there.


    Suddenly, Iilea turned to her and grinned before going back to work. Armina smiled and walked towards the dome. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The other trial was not as relevant as the last one. The one she failed to do. She was curious to know about the experiences of others.


    What awaited her at the dome was an even larger crowd. She waited to see what was going on. It was like a game going on at the exit door.


    Betting if the participants would be able to step out of the door or on the shoulder. Armina was watching a distance away. She didn''t count, but she hadn''t seen any of them out of almost 30.


    ''Is there someone who has been able to cross the room? In reality, I might have a chance.'' She was optimistic. Looking at the outcomes of others, ''If there isn''t enough to pass the court, they could take me. I was just three or two feet away from the entrance.''


    A flicker of hope that was kindled in her heart only to be extinguished as soon as she went to ask.


    ''Did I have been sleeping for two days? ''She could not believe her ear, but the soldier had no reason to lie to her.


    It''s the third day, to start with. She couldn''t believe she''d slept through the entire day. But more than 100 people were able to walk through the door. She feared that her future was ruined.


    She didn''t know what to do, the only thing she could do was sigh. If the tree didn''t help her, she would have fallen. Not only that, but over 200 had also been asked to wait until the trial was over.


    ''I haven''t been told to stay. The only person who said that was that girl.'' In her mind, she struggled to catch the last piece of straw in the middle of the storm.


    ''Kinoya is a captain, to begin with. I didn''t know how much the empire would have sanctioned to recruit, but it could never have been more than 50%. There will be no more than 150 people." There was one conclusion in her mind. ''There''s no way I can join the army.''


    "Are you all right? "The voice broke the trance. It was someone who was wearing a simple dress and an ugly jacket over it.


    "No, I''m ok," Armina said, straightening herself. ''What am I doing here? How am I going to face my grandfather if I lose my morale so easily? I''m only 14. I''ve got to train hard. I''m sure...


    "Are you all right? You''re not looking so good. You''re supposed to take some rest." It was that voice again.


    "I said I was okay." She frowned but ignored him. ''Even if they don''t take me in, I can still copy their training technique, and then next time I''ll be...''


    "Maam, please take this pill, it will wash away your fatigue."


    Agitated by the constant interruption she looked at him for the first time. He was half-head taller than she was. He was a lighter colour than the man who was present here. But that didn''t make her mood softer.


    "I said I''m all right. Why are you harassing me?"


    He was surprised by the sudden outburst, he said. "You don''t look like that. Your face is too red."


    Armina could feel the blood flowing to her head. Talking about colour to her people was a big taboo. "What are you talking about?"  She screamed, not that the person before him couldn''t know anything about that. "It''s how I''m."


    "Why are you so angry about that? "He stopped to think before continuing again, he said, "Could that be the time of the month?"


    "That time of the month, huh? "She asked unconsciously.


    "At some time of the month, the girls in my place became angrier and reddish. I don''t know what it is..." He couldn''t finish his sentence until he had to move to avoid the next blow.


    "So I was right about that. You''re not supposed to move that much. I''ve heard that it''s going to be painful if you do that. "Unfortunately, his words were like adding oil to the fire. The attack went on for a few steps before the girl stopped, trying to take a breath.


    He didn''t miss the chance to grab the girl and forcefully put the pill in her mouth. There was nothing Armina could do to stop him. She knew it was a cheap quality pill, but it was a matter of life and death on the battlefield. She just wasn''t able to spit it out.


    "You''re supposed to go and rest now. You''re going to be as good as new tomorrow morning," he said, turning to leave. Armina couldn''t say anything to the man who just showed her goodwill.


    "It''s good to see there are some brave women out there who are willing to fight for the empire."


    Armina wanted to say something, but she stopped. ''Why am I here? Is that for the empire?'' That was the question that came up in her head.


    ¡®My grandfather fought for the empire, what about me? Will he be happy if I join the army just to escape that? What will I do after I join the army? They could just take me away from here. What should I do? Why am I here?¡¯


    Each one of her thoughts was messing her brain more and more. Without a proper answer, she couldn¡¯t even think straight. She slid down by the tree and fell in her thoughts.


    The sun had already begun to slip to the west. The person who just came from the dome was cheered by everyone. His nose was bleeding, he couldn''t go straight, but he raised his hand in the air when he came out.


    Unlike her house, nobody around her had time to think about her, even though she was a girl. She hid her self into her knees, under the tree.

 58. The Brewing Storm

    [Author¡¯s Note: Four generals of the previous King of demon: Sindu, Styx, Nile, Tigris.


    Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Omega are the people. They also represent four types of power. Only who can obtain all the four powers could become the king of the demons {it¡¯s not demon king}.


    Tenasia: Ruler by Alpha. It shared the border with the lizard (BIG LIZARD) country Manescia in the north.


    Chepesia: Ruled by four generals. Tenasia on the north and Valla on the east. The Gold peak mountain was situated between Tenasia and Chepesia.


    Valla: Ruled by Beta. On its west is the mysterious country of Miliba.]


    {It''s the western part of the continent.


    Demon territory. [Author note: It¡¯s ¡®Demon¡¯ not ¡®Devil¡¯]


    At the same time when Kinoya was conducting the recruitment.}


    The large skull of an unknown beast was in the middle of the room. The eyes did not radiate enough light to light up the room but who were present didn''t care about it.


    "That bloody Omega. Are there no reports about him? "The eyes were blue, so was his hair. Also, the horn that rose from his forehead had a blue glow around it.


    ¡°None. No news at all.¡± The middle-aged shook his head, ¡°Though he was first to awaken. There was no movement from him.¡±


    The middle-aged man had no special attribute to speak about. If it wasn''t for the monocle on his eye, he may have been the most average guy you''ve ever seen. Yet he was the one who was at the head of the table.


    "Why are we worried about this? He was the weakest shit. "The blue man was not trying to conceal his frustration.


    "You were crushed by that weakest garbage." The last one in the room said with a smile.


    Long flowing black hair made her appearance beautifully stand out. Her skin was so pale that it was brighter than the eyes of the skull that radiated the space.


    Her breathtaking elegance, however, did not influence the blue man. He glared at her and was about to move when the middle-aged man reacted.


    "Nile, that''s not the point, even though it was weak, that was the original strength of our only King. Omega was the source of his strength. Also if we disregard the other three, we won''t be able to advance until we can validate his intention."


    The blue one, the Nile, was trying to be cool, "Then what about the Beta? ¡±


    The girl shook her head this time, "She wasn''t willing to work with Alpha. Yet ..."


    "Yet, huh?" The middle-aged guy was puzzled about this.


    "She''s not going to see or join Alpha, but she''s going to help us when the time comes."


    "That''s the best news I''ve heard all day," a grin appeared on the face of the Nile.


    "You are assigned to the Beta, Tigris. Be vigilant about her."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Don''t worry Sindhu, I know what to do." The demoness called Tigris was optimistic.


    "What''s there to be afraid of? It''s also the first-generation half-breed. She can''t even regulate the strength of Beta."


    "Yet she can go head to head against the Alpha." The middle-aged man started where Trigris had stopped, "According to the Primal, she is the one who is closest to being the next King. If she had just enough...¡±


    "What is it? "The shock was intense enough that Nile could not let the man finish his sentence. It wasn''t just him, even Trigis was just as shocked.


    "What about the Gama, then? "The middle-aged man had no intention of revealing any more details.


    Seeing that the middle-aged man wasn''t going to discuss anything more, Tigris replied, "Don''t worry about him, he''s going to do as we say. His only condition is that no one will go to the Gold Peak Mountain."


    "That''s going to be a problem. By the way, Tenasia is growing under Alpha, it won''t be long before they reach the Goldpeak range."


    "Where is the Gold Peak Mountain? This is our territory. If they enter it, it''ll be like an invasion into our Chepesia. Does he think he should do something just because he''s Alpha? He should note that he''s Alpha, not the King. If he wants war, we''re going to..."


    "Stop the Nile." It was Sindhu who stopped him again. "I''m going to handle the matter. You don''t have to think about that."


    "What are you going to do with this? "Tigris was curious about that.


    "We need to be able to channel his energies elsewhere. It''s going to be a waste if we fight each other like those men. It''s time to move north.


    "Manescia, huh?" The battle-hungry Nile, not just Tigris, was surprised.


    "It''s time for us to strike at those lizards. It''s time to pay vengeance for the things they did after the King left us." Sindhu''s eyes were blazing.


    ¡°And what about Stryx?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He will move only when time is right. If he moves too soon all his effort will be wasted. We need to weaken those humans. If we don¡¯t take them out right now they might come back to bite us later. Forget about him for now, everybody should do your job.¡±


    "And what of Milbia? "


    Sindu shook his head and said," We can''t do anything about it. Only Beta''s Valla has a boundary with Milbia, so she doesn''t want to fight them. There''s nothing we can do about it, at least for now ¡­¡±


    The flame of war that was ignited by the human now began to spread across the continent.


    **********


    ¡°... That will be all. Thank you for participating.¡±


    As soon as Chanakya finished speaking, chaos broke out in the crowd. It was a frustration for the first few minutes, then annoyance, but as soon as the voice died, it turned into rage.


    "This is not the land of the empire, this is not the city of the empire." Looking at those blue eyes, fear resurfaced in their minds, "This is my territory. If you don''t want to die, I''m going to suggest you leave the place as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°If you''re not picked, leave the field right now." With the words, the crowd turned into chaos, running everywhere. The guards and the cavalry managed the confusion and took them out of the area, leaving just about 700 in the area.


    "You''re welcomed as a trainee. I''m going to give you one more..."


    "Here we go again. His ''Last Chance Message.'' "Kinoya''s lips could not stop twitching to hear Palsa''s phrases. Even Chanakya had a hard time keeping his expressionless face.


    While others were trembling one brave one raised his hand. With permission he spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t complete the last trial, why am I selected?¡±


    ¡°Because I said so.¡±Kinoya had no intention of explaining himself.


    "There are going to be two stages of preparation. You don''t need to learn about the second phase, but it will last six months for the first phase. You have three steps to complete to pass the first point." Kinoya looked at the serious faces of the one below the stage before starting again.


    ¡°There are three types of skills you''ve got to obtain. First, it is a weapon type. You can opt to learn two advanced weapon skills or one advanced weapon skill with two intermediate skills.¡±


    Ignoring the tension in the crowd, Kinoya added, "If you think it''s impossible, you can leave now. Because if you''re going to stay...¡±


    ¡°Those who have passed the third trial would have a shield as their main weapon, with spears and swords as two secondary weapons. As for everyone else, your primary weapon has already been determined, you can pick secondary weapons of your choice.¡±


    ¡®That is impossible.¡¯


    ¡®Does he want us to give up?¡¯


    Their thoughts were along the same line, but they knew what the answer would be if they objected. Everything they could do was acknowledge their fate.


    ¡°The second set of skills is called essential skills. Horse riding, mobility training, hand-to-hand fighting technique, map reading and first aid. All these basic skills are required.¡±


    ¡°Last but not least, there are optional skills. Arm repair, foraging, butchering, scribing, tracking, trap setting and flag signalling. You need to ear just two of those intermediate skills to pass.¡±


    Kinoya pointed to the hunters, blacksmiths and others who had come together. "Note that the only way to pass this is to get a recommendation from your teacher.¡±


    That brave one raised his hand again, ¡°Are these skills really necessary?¡±


    ¡®I said it, so it is necessary.¡¯ Kinoya wanted to say it but chose not to, ¡°Those unnecessary skills will determine who will be officers.¡±


    And those words were more powerful than Kinoya had expected, "You''re going to do morning training with everyone else. Then you are going to train as your assigned party. So you can leave now, and you''ll gather here when you hear the bell in the morning." Without waiting for an answer, Kinoya left the stage.