The platoon's first day of combat ended well, with only a few injuries sustained. The soldiers were thankful to have a reliable talent as their captain. Hektor with the rest of the disciples from his platoon got back to the dojo at around four in the afternoon. The disciples hastily ran back to the mess hall, hungry from all the physical work that they finished.
While most would rest at this point, Hektor knew that with the free time he currently had something else must be prioritized. He headed straight for the library. The library was a shell of its former self, gone were the students from the magical academy the librarians present were only two from what he could count. Hektor remembered seeing close to a dozen of them at one point in the past. He moved towards the person at the counter with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Ahh, excuse me."
"Yes, what can do for you sir?"
"Is it okay if I borrow a pen for this?" Hektor asked. "The pronunciation for it is something that I don't want to butcher."
"But of course."
Xiphias Gladius, the name for one of his newest presets. "The scientific name for a swordfish, books on this sort of topic is uncommon around this part of the kingdom."
"Books regarding sea creatures is far more common near the eastern sea, though I can suggest a few books with information on it."
Hektor's right eye twitched, he took the book that the librarian handed him. He spent about an hour in just digesting the information that he was provided.
"A swordfish…."
[Xiphias Gladius Cost: 1,000 Mana, 5 Souls]
He stared at the preset for a few more seconds. "It costs about the same as an Imp or a Miniature Sprite…"
[Your minion has been slain.]
[A soul has been added to your collection.]
[Your minion has been slain.]
Another set of bad news followed the first one. "Did they encounter something dangerous?"
[A soul has been added to your collection.]
[A soul has been added to your collection.]
[Your minion has been slain.]
Multiple notifications appeared in front of Hektor, he tallied them subtracting the minion slain to however many imps he summoned in the first place. Losing a total of 8 bulky imps to whatever they were fighting, the notifications stopped when the sun finally went down.
Souls: 56 -> 74
"They were likely outnumbered, seventeen left huh…" He headed back down to the librarian.
"Do you happen to have any books on imps?"
"Imps are a rather common sort of demon, it's quite smart to read up on them since they are now part of the army that's attacking our kingdom." The librarian waved his wand and a few books flew towards their direction. "I suggest reading 'Demons and how to slay them.' along with 'Demon Basics, what to do when they're in front of you.' Both were written by an old friend of mine."
"That's perfect, I'd like to buy them if possible." Hektor felt bad about the situation, with the war going on he was surprised that the library still remained open.
"Hoho, I have a few extra copies at the back."
The librarian thanked him for his business, Hektor gave him a bow of acknowledgement before leaving the area. Hektor was no longer in a rush, he headed to the dojo with a plan in mind.
"I can manifest ten more miniature earth sprites when I get home, having two of each isn't a bad idea." Hektor discussed with himself. "And the rest can be spent on a few more birds."
An unfamiliar but expensive looking carriage was waiting for him at the entrance of the dojo. With a bit of scepticism he headed into the dojo only to be surprised by the guests that Instructor Samont and his fellow disciples were welcoming.
Two well-armoured guards stood behind a blonde figure. Waving at him with a soft smile was Eliza, someone that he was not expecting to meet anytime soon.
"….It has been a while my friend!" Her smile looked fake to him, but he appreciated her presence.
"Indeed…" Hektor excused the two of them off to talk about a different matter, while the Instructor entertained the other guests.
The two of them reached a small pond filled with koi fish at the back of the dojo. Master Bungcao tended to splurge when it came to this part of his dojo. The plum tree blossomed and wind would often blow a bit of these pink petals onto the pond. Hektor handed her a small pouch, which was filled with food for the fish.
"What's the real purpose of this visit, Eliza?" His tone was serious, he knows that she wants to escape from the Prince's hold but he also knows that to help her would mean treason.
"Relax… I know that you can't help me escape." She waved her hand, placing it on his shoulder as they stared at the pond. "I just wanted a breath of fresh air."
"The Prince's quarters are a bit too stuffy?"
"Yes… very. The letters I sent you can't even describe half of it." She rolled her eyes.
"Any other woman in the empire would kill for that position." Hektor commented.
"But it's not what I want." Her grip on his shoulder tightened. "Every time I walk into battle, I feel relaxed. All the pent up rage just seeps out…"
She wanted to run. She tried her best to tolerate the prince's advances but she knew in her heart that all she really needed was freedom.
Hektor placed a hand on his chin. "If you really must escape then this war is a good opportunity."
"How about faking your own death?"
"Impossible… he always has eyes on me." She whispered, urging him to look back at the guards that were currently staring daggers at him.
"Not an impossibility, just extremely hard then." He concluded. "Which part of the wall are you assigned to?"
"Most of the time it's the North-west gate... but the prince likes to drag me around with him." Her search for freedom was one that Hektor also once held. Feasible plans were nowhere to be found in his head.
"… the only thing I can think of is if the city falls." Hektor paused. "If the City falls then you'd have free reign on your own escape route, ditching guards at that level of skill will be hard even for someone as talented as you."
Eliza felt relieved that night, escaping the clutches of the prince under the guise of visiting an old friend. She had a humble dinner for the first time in months, but it was one of the few times where she didn't need to deal with an overly attached teen.