The sergeant's eyes seemed to shake for a split second before he asked a question in a crackled voice.
"What do you mean?"
I looked at hid shoes and spoke.
"Give me your fucking shoes I'm going to start counting to ten, 1 2 3 4 5 6.. 7.. 8...-"
The next moment his feet were bare and his shoes were infront of me I supressed a smile and spoke.
"Good now your lackeys"
He almost tilted his head ask his mouth moved to ask me a question.
"What are lackeys?"
I sighed pointed towards the 5 now cowering people who were in the tent then spoke.
"Your fucking men I need their shoes no, no... I want every shoe and sock in this place brought to me at the front gate of Serothor by tonight or I will have to write to the emperor about a certain sergeant who insulted an ally"
I smirked and continued speaking.
"And since Serothor is a protectorate state that would mean... you've just insulted the empire itself and that I believe is a treason charge... am I correct?"
The sergeant nodded and I walked out of the tent then to the front gate were I ordered for kyle, Elise, Clair and 10 old guard to be brought to me.
As a pile of shoes gathered kyle arrived and I told him to bring some slime gel he came back as Elise and clair arrived with 10 old guard.
I had one of the old guard lightly douse the growing pile of shoes with slime gel every few times a large batch of shoes or socks was added to the pile.
Eventually a large group of shoeless men were infront of the shoe pile and I walked towards the sergeant who was at the front and spoke.
"Is everyone present?"
He replied.
"Yes sir"
I asked another question.
"Is this every shoe and sock in the camp?"
he replied like last time.
"Yes sir"
I felt myself smile and I walked to Clair putting my hand on her shoulder and with my other hand I pointed at the shoe pile and spoke.
"Clair cast spark"
The imperial army hadn't yet seen slime gel in action so to them it would appear as if a little girl casted a powerful fire spell.
As soon as Clair's little orange light touched the first shoe the whole pile was engulfed by a fiery inferno now these soldiers can't just walk back home when I make them bleed tears of blood from their eyes and blister their hands.
I would train these soldiers to be proper sentinels of Serothor by breaking down their ego and willpower and replacing it with strength and pride.
I didn't use this method with Serothor's army because they are civilians forced to fight to protect their homes but these imperial soldiers are meant to represent the empire and protect Serothor so being a little rough should be fine as long as there is still some cannon fodder left over.
I had Elise have the cobblers and armourers to start working on making 4000 pairs of size adjustable shoes in the next three weeks.
It should be possible they are very talented people afterall but now it is time to set the record straight for these hooligan soldiers.
I stood infront of the tower of flame and spoke to the army.
"From now on you are all going to train with me five days out of seven, you will all bathe on Sundays, alcohol is banned save for when I personally permit it, you will stop your hazing rituals and you will respect the city of Serothor and its peoples"
I took a breathe and spoke once more.
"If more than 50 of you are not all here tomorrow morning the next thing to go will be your pinky fingers and after that well... I guess we will have to start making eunuch soldiers"
I saw many people flinch and others look confused but it was only a matter of time before the horror of what I just said would be felt the idea actually made me laugh imagine the balls of 4000 men just being on display hehe.
I heard Oz speak in my head.
"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?"
I replied.
"I don't actually condone unnecessary genital mutilation or sterilisation infact I abhor it but now that I've said it I have to keep my word afterall who trusts a known liar? anyway I would only take one ball that way most of them remain fertile"
Oz spoke again.
"That's worse!"
I replied.
"Whatever I would rather be known as a eunuch maker or ball chopper than a liar or someone with no follow through"
Oz didn't reply so I know I had worn him out with the conversation and I walked with Elise, Kyle, clair and the old guard back to the castle.
Kyle and the old guard were looking at me a little nervously and Clair asked a question.
"What's a eunuch?"
I replied.
"Ask mother she will tell you"
Clair nodded and we kept walking I said goodbye to everyone and walked clair to her room because it was late now and the servants would bring Clair her food in her room.
Clair's room has beautifully painted walls filled with murals of horses, angels and dragons her bed is made of cherry wood and has vibrant pink sheets her fine dresses strung along the floor.
I said goodnight and returned to my room a dark library with a balcony my bed made of stone and covered In white silk sheets maps and army manuals everywhere.
I spoke to Oz.
"Oz?"
he replied.
"What?!"
I smirked and answered.
"We have horrible taste"