"Do you know, that guy is going to be thrown out of here if he couldn't get the duel sword mastery?" A pair of recruits were sitting just by a tree in the inner yard. Being first in the inner yard, Kinoya attracted a lot of attention.
"Just because he has 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 was 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 long time ago. But envy wasn't the only thing he was getting. There were some, who took Kinoya's practice as a way to motivate themselves.
While those two were resting, Amogh came in. He might not be the instructor of all of the recruits here but as the head instructor of training yard 4, he had his share of respect. Everybody straightened their back as he entered. All except Kinoya.
Kinoya was still immersed in training and Amogh was somehow 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 he had already made up his mind to let him learn the Sword-shield mastery. There were two reasons in his judgement, Kinoya already had intermediate sword mastery with it he had a better chance to survive the war. But what moved him most was his dedication. 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 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, but Kinoya's dedication earned his trust. He took out another orb, this one was little different from other, with two swords inscribe on it.
"Put your hand on it." Without a single word he 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, but 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 himself from bursting. 'His master was really a wicked fellow. He must have tricked a child and he created a monster. It was not comparable to those who can reach Free-Fall stage in one day, but Kinoya was certainly better than himself who took more than two months to reach the 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 was just 8% from the intermediate stage but he changed his mind.
As soon as Kinoya completed whole technique, Amogh said, "Only for this time I will allow this, if you unable to complete my condition in the future, there will be consequences. 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 sweat just a thought hit him.
'If he thinks that way, then it means that he had [Advanced Sword Mastery] not the intermediate one.'
***************
[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 merging option? No wonder both the technique complements each other. 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]
'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.
"Do you want to see it another time?"
"No thank you, instructor."
"Then I also have two more exercises for you. You have to carry the shield on your left hand and one at back all the time."
'Does every instructor have the same training method?' Kinoya didn't ask that just 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 with 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."
Kinoya came back to the last room. It took just 65 try to get 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 immersed in his own thought.
[Comprehension Level : 3%]
*******************
"All 4,381 have done it. 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 emperor."
" 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 really a motivating speech?' Kinoya had no idea about it. It's not like he felt anything for Empire. Rather he had nothing else to do. He just wanted to create some prestige and strength. It was a silly thought, but he just wanted to see how long he can go on. The people in this world live more than 150 years and he had no hurry. Now he was only waiting for some war. 'I think it will be fun.'
"Kinoya Arviga. The Top recruit of Heavy infantry both Dual sword and shield-sword division. 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 thing 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 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 people 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. It didn't go long after the award ceremony. The common soldiers were told to receive their armour from the armoury.
It wasn't even 1 week after they moved to the barrack 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 attack and invade Torria.