My father pushed me to perfection from a young age no skill he taught me would he accept anything but perfection and I carried that through to my schooling I did so well infact that I was accepted into the Arcane college the only college in our country that taught the magic arts though usually only to those rich or powerful enough to afford the costs my father was neither but he had managed to get me in due to my schooling diligence and the fact I'd earned a scholarship grant through the college programs in our country and still he broke himself to put me into the college. I brought my diligence patience and effort into college and my first year went smoothly though I struggled at first I managed to become the best student in the school far outstripping the others I utilized every free minute to study and by the end of my first year I'd also completed the second year's curriculum and had started on the third year curriculum my teachers noticed and moved me ahead in the school programs. I only had 3 years of scholarship and I knew I'd have to work so much harder to get the 10 year program finished in 3 as there was no way that my father could afford even a single year of my tuition on his own.
As my three years at the academy passed I'd managed to complete all 10 years worth of courses barely in my second year I'd completed my third through 7th and years and in my last year I managed the last 3 years of courses to achieve the title of Magus granted I only knew a few spells and rituals at this point but I took the official testing and received the full title of Acknowledged Magus of Irdram the country I was born and raised in. I had barely slept in 3 years my hands were permanently curling around a non existent pen my back hurt when I stood straight but I had achieved my goal I had become a Acknowledged Magus a title that few had achieved in as rapid a time span as I'd managed but I'd done it.
It was as I was leaving the college that I felt a wrenching of my soul a master Magus had cast a spell on me I could feel it's intent and it wasn't friendly infact it was trying to enslave me to someone but I refused to be a slave so I mustered all of my knowledge and skill and pushed back against this compulsion. I knew that I couldn't cast spells in this state but I also knew that rituals were entirely separate from my self so I could still use them and I quickly looked through the runes and rituals I knew and then used an ink pot and my knife to give myself a tiny ritual that negated magic both mine and everyone else's magic would now be useless on me but until it was gone I would not be able to cast a single spell. My magic sealed I had only my own hands to rely on so I decided to join the military and get some real experience and some spare cash wouldn't hurt.
I joined as a recruit in the national infantry division and was sent to basic training and for the next 2 years I was to be a basic soldier and the last 2 I would be a veteran drawing more pay and earning a small pension of 5 silver a year for every year I served and if I stayed in 20 years I'd draw a full gold a year and I'd only be in my late 30s and if I made command rank it went up from there in increments of 5 silver per year in rank though there were a limited number of ranks I'd have to make veteran before I would even be eligible for ranking up. The first 2 years were quiet we weren't at war and I'd made some headway in removing the curse from myself I even bought a few books on rituals that cost me my entire 2 years worth of savings but allowed me to learn a few new rituals and a spell that was interesting but useless in my current state.
My first year as a veteran went smoothly but then we went to war and the true terrors of war became my reality as I was put in pitched battle after pitched battle the soldiers with me became known as the unkillable 7 as often I'd place a ritual of protection in front of us and we would fight from inside its protection granted I never told the men with me and often as not I wouldn't put the barrier up as i didn't have time at all and it was a terrible game of roll the dice to see who dies. In my second year of veteran's status I was shot twice but held the line and was awarded a warriors heart ribbon and once I'd healed I went back to the front lines and continued fighting my rifle bore some damage but I wouldn't be stopped.
My 2nd year as a veteran was my toughest but I kept going back and by the end I'd put my foot on the next step up the ladder becoming a second lieutenant and earning an extra 5 silver per year though I figured that I'd stay the full 20 get a good pension and become a farmer in the wilderness. My 5th year in the military was much like my 4th except I didn't get shot and I was able to buy another book on rituals and that allowed me to even further weaken the curse but I knew that someone like the person who put it on me was likely not the sort to give up though neither was I. After 7 years of military service I had finally been promoted to 1st lieutenant and been given command of a platoon and I put them through their paces for a year each was taught by me that simple warding ritual and shown just how effective it was and before the end of the year every single one of them was proficient in using it time would tell if they could do it in battle but it should be enough.
At ten years of service I was promoted to captain and became my units most revered captain and I taught every single person in my command the warding ritual but I also put them through hell made them draw the ritual while having stones thrown at them and generally made them regret ever joining my unit until all of them could use it in battle. My second year as captain and my 26th year birthday conspired to meet up with me together and my men held a feast in my honor and we all got throughly drunk and I retired to my command tent only to find the general himself waiting for me. In my inebriated state I desperately attempted to right myself and stand at attention though he smiled a crooked smile and told me to sit down my drunkenness unfortunately put me on the floor when I missed the chair and decided that it was good enough for me.
The Gray haired general looked me over and said "Boy you have spent your best years becoming something that was never asked of you, your unit is possibly the most terrifying and loyal in our military and its thanks to your efforts, you've spent 11 years here and your going to get a gold and 20 silver a year for the remainder of your life why don't you go out and try raising a family make something of yourself other than a grizzled old man who if the accounts I've heard are correct have never even touched a woman, I'm here to tell you son I'm kicking you out but I'm going to mark you as a 3rd year captain and your pension will be 1 gold 50 silver go have a life before you live to regret it" and that was how I'd left the military.
My military career over I was forced to find a new job to do and ended up working as an applicant for blacksmith apprentice and quickly got the job once the blacksmith realized that my work ethic is impeccable and I was forging everything that he required me to by the end of my second year by the end of my third I was making extra things to sell as the quality of my work exceeded the blacksmiths own. I had worked with the blacksmith for 3 years when he decided that I might be a match for his daughter though a bit older than he would prefer I was probably his best option for a son in law and his daughter had just reached marriagable age which is 18 in our humble little country I was double her age but I was apparently her best choice for a husband and she agreed to see if we were compatible or if it would be impossible for us to get along.