"What makes a good leader?"
Professor Giles asked this rhetorical question while walking around the center space in a circle.
"Many would say guts, bravery, a good heart."
He looked at everyone's face, noting some shaking their heads in agreement. Ojero just sat there with a blank look.
"These are the first leaders to die. They would be found fighting among their men, only to die with them. I will tell you this once; a leader's life is more valuable than any soldiers. If the leader dies, organization, formation, quick thinking, and future tactics are all lost. If a soldier dies, we fill the gap and that is all."
"If anyone here wishes to be a hero, so be it, but you are more valuable to your nation alive. This is why I believe the most valuable trait of a leader is perseverance. They must be willing to take any blow and still push on."
"This does not mean knowledge is not important. In fact, in some cases it becomes the most valuable aspect, however knowledge is wasted if you are a coward. Thinking well does nothing if you refuse to engage the enemy."
"Other important aspects are to be a good speaker, to think well under pressure, to be able to know which battles to fight, and to be a good judge of character."
Many people were curious at this last one, and seeing the looks of confusion the professor explained.
"A good leader surrounds themselves with good people. If you can not judge a person's character well, you will not be able to rely on those around you. When you face an enemy stronger than what you expected, you will need strong people around you, people you can trust."
Ojero had been listening attentively, but he had to stop himself from cringing at the last one.
'Why do I need others to rely on? I can instead make myself stronger and then deal with it all on my own. By letting others close to me, I open myself up to betrayal. Why would I do that?'
"I agree with your assertion, master. I too find it troublesome to rely on others rather than my own strength"
The teacher then continued going on about the importance of the mentioned qualities, but Ojero didn't go too far into the lesson.
However, this changed when his topic shifted to famous historical generals.
"There are many great people recorded in history, and generals count for many of them. However, by far, the greatest general in the continent's history was Senter Vio."
"Senter Vio was only an above average tactician, and wasn't the best speaker, but his magical abilities made him famous. He was a time mage, and a Seer at that. He could look into the future to know enemy positions, troop counts, times of attack, tactics, and dozens of other invaluable bits of information."
"He would use this to destroy his enemies and save thousands of his own men. He would even take only a few men to sabotage enemy supply lines and kill enemy officers. Eventually, he became so well known that nations would simply surrender to his army, knowing all they would do is lose men if they fought."
"It was Senter's abilities that led the Glacidic Empire to its modern glory."
"Senter Vio died centuries ago, yet his legacy remains. It was his skill that taught us magic may be more valuable than we used to believe, if that were even possible."
The professor suddenly stopped walking, and turned to look at Ojero.
"We even happen to have a time mage in this class, and I guarantee if he works hard he could be the next Senter Vio."
The rest of the class looked over at Ojero, trying to see what was so special, what this great time mage looked like, but to them he was just a skinny noble.
Ojero himself was annoyed at the attention, it just made him stand out more. He would prefer to study magic in private, and be the greatest mage that way, but the teachers at Lumenbecs had much to offer.
Due to this, he simply smiled and waved at a few, trying to fit this role of perfect student.
Professor Giles nodded his way in thanks for being an example, and went back to the lecture.
He spoke about more ancient generals and how they achieved their position of fame, talking about their military history and how it can be useful today.
Various tactics were discussed, and Ojero listened, but none of it really piqued his interest like the time mage did.
Eventually the class was over, and everyone left. Many had dazed looks, still absorbing the given information.
Ojero would have normally been dazed too, but he just didn't care enough. His curiosity about the next classes grew minute by minute in Leadership, so he was ready for the next class of the first day at school.
***
Book of the Known Undead
Chapter 6: A%AIDMA
Chapter removed. Do not look for this information.