Casual Heroing

Chapter 245

Chapter 245

Cassandre, two women are here to see you, Cordius tells me while Im taking notes off a book. I have been hard at work since we have come back to Leggiadra. And after my talk with Minurulex, I feel compelled to delve deeper, to discover signs of what this world is attempting to tell me.

Who?

They just said they want to talk with you, Cordius shrugs. I think their children might have been among the few who actually died during the battle.

Putain.

Let them in, then, I tell him, but stay in the room. Restrain them if you need to. I dont want to shoot anyone whos mourning, but I will if they try to strangle me.

As usual, Im not the most empathic person.

I wonder why I got the [General] class when I should have gotten the [Bodyguard] class, Cordius mumbles.

Its about studying and making the right moves to be

I was just saying! Cordius says from the other room of my office in Leggiadra.

I wait for two tall ladies to come in my office. Only then I realize that if anything happens, my books could be damaged.

I should have gone outside.

But its also true that killing two civilians on the streets like that would mess my public image.

Hello, I say, rising from my seat. What can I do for you?

The tallest of the two slaps the arm of the other, whos just looking straight in front of her.

Ah Nuvea! Right, right! We want to sign up as [Soldiers]. But we want to work for you.

I look at what I think are two housewives with no idea of what they are saying and I slowly sink in my padded armchair.

Explain this to me, I tell them.

Well, our children passed during the battle, the shorter woman says, and our husband are never home.

So you decided that you want to risk your life because you are bored at home?

We are not bored! the taller one suddenly thunders, eliciting a twitch in Cordius, whos already stepping forward. I motion for him to stand back.

Ok, you are not bored, I smile, then, what are you?

Lady Cassandre, the shorter woman, who is the more restrained among the two, says, we lost our sons. We want to be useful. Our beautiful boys died to take Keveiz and we want to help keep it. Arent Humans going to attack or something? We could help the [Soldiers]. And there are not many women with military positions in Leggiadra. We thought that we would work for you.

This is interesting.

Bored housewives because thats what the are are one of the most lethal weapons in existence. They have no purpose, nothing worth living for. And when you work with slates as blank as those ones, you can fill them with one purpose. Fill them to the brim. People who dont have much going on can be turned wholly to one purpose. Its harder with men, since they are accustomed to much more, to more opportunities, more entertainment, more anything. But women like these two? They are like fresh clay, ready to be molded into anything; perhaps, capable of becoming fierce warriors.

Ok, I say with a smile, already fishing for something in my bag of holding.

They go up and down doing burpees when Cordius reaches me at one of the training camps for military recruits. He is limping.

Any permanent damage?

Fuck you, he says, angered. He gets by my side and stands there, sulking.

I shrug and look back at the two slightly pudgy women trying to do the seventh set of ten burpees. Their faces are redder than a tomato and they are clearly out of breath. This is one of several spaces where people go train, one usually used for runs or drills. The two women look at the ground while they take a breather between repetitions; not too far from them, a bunch of half-giant men are laughing their ass of because of my two new recruits.

Any permanent damage? I ask Cordius with a deadpan tone. For good measure, I add further meaning to my question with a raise of my eyebrows.

I woke up in a terrible mood, I just realized. There are days that I spend mostly with books and by myself. The rest of the time, I usually put up a front, a mask to interact with others. But when Im not using a mask, my real emotions show. In this case, I realize Im in a terrible mood.

No. Its going to be okay in a couple of days.

Can you round up every single person laughing and I bite my tongue. Nevermind. This shall serve as a lesson.

For a second, I felt like having them all whipped. A couple of good lashes over their back would have made them better. But that would also make Nuvea and Petronia smug. Instead, breeding resentment for the other sex will bring them closer to me.

I look again at the other recruits laughing.

Putain.

Cordius, I gesture with my hands for him to come closer.

He sighs and bends toward me to bridge the height difference.

I want all of those idiots who are laughing punished. Have them whipped for their lack of discipline behind closed doors tonight. Id prefer if Nuvea and Petronia didnt know about this.

Cordius sighs again, loudly, and nods.

He might be a [General], but hes my general. And when it comes down to it, Keveiz fell because of me.

Good enough! Give me three laps of the entire ground, I shout toward the two women.

As they pick up a tired pace, Cordius looks at me with a frown before going back to the sight of two sweaty housewives on the military training ground.

You are pushing them too much for their first day, he says. They will be dead tomorrow.

The thing about Cordius is that hes better than me at the little things of the military life. I wouldnt be good at actually managing the day-by-day of a military campaign. From latrines to supply lines and the whole chain of command, Im not great at the details. Im learning, sure, but still behind a proper military man. And as far as training goes, Cordius knows more than me without the slightest doubt. At least, when physical training is involved.

Im breaking them down and empowering them when their bodies fail, I point at a couple of lieutenants at the edges of the training ground. They are talking with other [Soldiers] at first sight. But what they are actually doing is following my arms and the two women training with their eyes, waiting for the right moment to use their skills.

You are helping them with skills, Cordius says with a laugh. Whats the point of that?

I feel my hand prickle for a second, missing the feeling of a gun in it. A gun I would use to shoot Cordius right in the head. I bite my tongue another time to avoid giving the man a quippy responseI have abused him enough for the day.

They must trust that, even at beginning, they may have greater potential than they previously thought. I'll boost their self-esteem so they'll be prepared for whatever I throw at them. Instead, certain tasks will be excessively difficult, teaching them that they are not omnipotent.

Fuck, the man curses again while massaging his leg and looking at me with some fear in his eyes.

Good.