Day Forty-Three: Work (2)
2015 Words
"Welcome!" a loud voice greeted me as I went down the carriage.
Huge.
Was my first-impression of the man infront of me.
Approximately 2 and half meters tall. Body that looked like the combination of rocks and boulders. Shining head. And a proud aura.
His brown eyes analyzed me from head to toe.
"Hmm. Not what I expected" he said, his voice tinged with disappointment.
That's quite rude of him... I may not look much, but I sure am confident I can keep up with the regular soldiers.
"...Follow me" he said, after staring at me.
His outside looks showed that his all muscles and no brains, but contrary to how he look, I could feel that this person is quite smart as well.
'Is he the Minister?' I thought to myself as I followed the walking rock.
"Rudolf might've said this already, but I'm going to repeat it for confirmation" he said.
"You are Kaiser, right?"
I nod my head.
"As Rudolf have said. You'll be working as his replacement"
'He definitely didn't say that' I thought to myself. But I wouldn't speak of it. He might still harbored some grudge against me...
"It could permanent or temporary, depending on how you perform" he said, as he continue walking.
This hallway's f*cking long.
"So for now, as I haven't seen you in action yet. Your job would be following me around, familiarizing yourself on the barracks. What the drills, how many soldiers there are, the formations, supplies, and the patrol rotation" he said.
Uhm... I'm starting to really worry about this Kingdom's future.
Didn't Regarde said that the Heroes were send here because the people here are competent?
Aren't they a bit too lax on the security of their information? Aren't they worried about a spy using the information of the military force against them?
"Sir" I called "Are you sure about showing all that information on a newcomer? Aren't you worried about spies hearing this informations?"
"...I am" he answered in a serious tone.
"But, I trust Count Vinceral and his eye for people. If he said that you won't be a threat then I you won't be a threat" the muscle said.
"Apologies if I'm over-stepping my boundaries, but. Isn't your trust on Count Vinceral too much? Sir?"
"I hear and understand what you want to say. But that's the more reason why we must do this. As you might've know already, this Kingdom is surrounded by other Kingdoms from all sides, we are the first target as the weakest as we have a good defensive advantage over them"
I definitely didn't know any of that.
I nodded my head. Oblivious to what the muscle is saying.
"That's why, we can't be choosers on our personels. We might be at an advantage through defensive, but we are greatly lacking man-power. It would only take a few months for our whole Kingdom to be burned asunder"
Even so, that's the great risk they're taking... Would I an 'Observer' would be allowed to intervene in the upcoming war?
I can. But, I can't tell for how long or how much.
"...You're worried about the Kingdom" the muscle spoke as he stopped infront of a metal door.
"That's enough of a reason to trust you" he added.
"Even if I'm faking it?" I asked.
"Even if you're faking it" he answered, as he opened the metal door
"This is my office, come here every morning. You could either stay at the barracks or stay at the Rudolf's house, do what you want. I just need you to come here everyday to observe and study everything, Rudolf said that you got quite the brain there, I'll trust him on that"
Is he talking about my memory or my intellect as a human being? Cause I'm sure I'm just the average on the latter one.
"Now. Put that on, and follow me after, we're going to start the training" the mucle said as he pointed at a table. A dark blue clothe lay there.
"That's the staff suit" the muscle informed me as I examine the uniform.
I wore the dark blue long-sleeve, and the black pants. I also changed my shoes from the formal one to a combat one.
My school shoes have long been throwned by the maids...
"Let's go" the muscle said.
I did as he say and follow behind him.
-----
"Ugh... I'm tired!" I exclaimed as I lay on the carriage's seat.
"Good Work, Sir Kaiser. The Minister of Defense was truly fond of you" A red-haired boy, praised me.
"I don't think that's fondness tho. He worked me to the bone"
"That's just how serious he is on doing his work"
Hmmm?
"You seem to know alot about Minister Harold" I teased the red-haired.
Welp, I already knew their relationship.
Father and Son.
Quite Unexpected if I say so myself. I was surprised when I heard the Minister spoke about Ramon while we toured the office.
By the way. It was an easy yet tiring thing to do.
"W-well... I've met him before, so..." The red-haired said. Stuttering.
His eyes are swimming like crazy! Damn, I should do this often.
Ah, how I wish I could do this to that girl... Nah, scratch that. I'll probably die if I did that.
"A-anyway, did you find your job to be rewarding?" Ramon ask as he took a sidr glance on me.
"I can't say. I could only say that after I received my payment" I answered.
"I didn't see what you did, but knowing the Minister, he would give a just amount for the work you've done, Sir Kaiser"
"Then, I hope I could last the second day"
As I said that, I closed my eyes. Ramon might've saw my action and didn't speak any longer.
'A servant that could read the atmosphere. Quite the people the Count have' I thought.
Feeling the ache on the muscles of my legs. I thought about the events that happened earlier
After following the Minister around the office, which was larger than the Count's mansion. He led me to the barracks where the soldiers stay.
All of them saluted as we passed by them. The other curious soldiers talked among themselves as they saw me walking behind their superior.
"A staff officer? To think that there was someone that young on our Legion" a soldier whispered to another.
"Might be a Noble birth" another spoke.
"Well, I just wished that he would not be unreasonable"
"I doubt that. The Legion Commander would not accept such kind of people"
"Agreed. We are lucky, that our legion, the 4th, is a good place to grow"
Whispers of soldiers came whenever we passed by them, and the Minister didn't even budge an eye on their words.
'They must've been free to voice out their complains as long as they do their jobs properly' I thought at that time.
After exploring the barracks and greeting the battlion commanders, the centurions and the captains. We went to the training field where I saw soldiers sparring against each other using wooden swords. Some are even using real swords while wearing full metal armor.
"They are good" I muttered.
"You've got eyes. Other people wouldn't even see their blades" the minister at my side spoke.
Of coarse I got eyes! I got 'Cold Eyes' too! Is what I want to retort, but I refrained myself.
My job is observing for now.
As I was thinking that, a diagonal s***h was comming down on a full-amored soldiers head.
"And... SET!" the ampire shouted.
Quite the control there... Stopping just a few centimeters on the enemies head.
If I was there, I would've split the skull of the other soldier-Not!
"Knights?" I dumbfoundedly said.
"...You noticed?" the minister spoke, surprised was evident from his voice.
Well, yeah. Those footwork and sword handling are almost the same as the knights that the Count have.
"The sword play is different, but the sword techniques are quite familiar to the Count's knights" I said.
"The Knights are trained in the same Academy after all"
"Are the knights also part of the 4th legion?" I asked as I watched the swordfights.
"Yeah. The knights are what you could call, an ace in a troop. The knights are taught magic and swordmanship, unlike your typical soldiers who only know, spearmanship, swordmanships and the like"
"How many are there?"
"That's for you to know. Let's go" he grinned, then began to walk again.
Damn it. I thought I could the numbers there. Not an easy opponent huh?
After the field. The Minister then led me to the supply storage.
I wondered why I was led there, when there's a chance that I'm a spy. But my thoughts were unnecessary.
"It's full of garbage..." I muttered as I covered my nose.
"This is the supply storage. The supply that was supposed to come to the previous war 2 years ago was left here. Ending in the demise of hundreds and thousands of soldiers" the minister said.
His angry... Welp, anyone would be, if you've lost thousands of men.
"...But, why is it still here, Sir? This could bring a disease if not removed"
"I know. But I and my men thought of this a symbol of our mistake. We should not removed this until we've avenge them" he said.
That's good and all... But you're going to kill more, if a disease spreads because of your so called 'Symbol'.
Only one thing to do then.
With a flick of my finger, a fire the size of a base ball appeared in thin-air.
"!! What are you doing?!" the minister howled.
The muscle minister immediately captured me and rendered me immobile before I could throw the flame.
And with a punch, he destroyed the flame.
"You!!" he said as he looked at me with blood shot eyes.
But before he could speak another word, I threw another fireball at the mountain of trash, turning him speechless.
His grasped loosened and he immediately jump on the fire, kicking and using whatever means he can. He used earth magic to put out the fire, but the fire spread faster than he could put it out.
"No, no, no, no, No!!" he screamed.
There's no one around us, but the fire and smoke will attract attention sooner or later.
I watched as the Minister, Harold. Continue to put out the fire.
I don't get it. I just don't get it... Why obsessed over such things? The health of the people and his men should be his main concern over such things.
A symbol of mistake? A pile of mountain garbage? I don't get it.
Or I just didn't know how it feels being on his shoe.
Soon enough the soldiers and knights arrived.
The moment they saw the flame devouring their 'Symbol'. Their faces showed despair.
-----
Time passed and afternoon arrived.
The flames are still burning, but they didn't ate the storage. The garbage was all gone though.
The Minister, the soldiers and the knights all looked empty.
They looked like people who lost their reason to live.
Welp, I just burned their reasons to live to ashes.
If you guys want to know. I don't regret doing it.
Those garbages, already contained viruses and bacterias when I scanned them.
If they were left there for a year or two. It might spread some unknown disease, killing the poor and the disabled. And it might kill even the strong and wealthy.
I don't want to observe such things. Alex and the others might be able to contain and cure the people, but it might evolve into something far more deadly.
As I was thinking that. The Minister who has few burn marks walked towards me.
'They're healing...' I thought as I looked at his wounds.
The Minister stopped infront of me.
"Go home, for now" He said "Return tomorrow morning"
I nodded my head and went towards the entrance of the barracks.
There I saw Ramon waiting as he sat on the coachman's seat.
- Writer
