'In a few years, the development of abilities will be common knowledge. They, too, will soon understand the true potential of their powers. Being in the military would have provided an even better environment for their growth.'
Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to drop a few hints early and win their favor.
Yuder was someone who had advanced a notoriously difficult power, related to attributes, to several levels, eventually reaching the pinnacle of mastery.
There was a saying: no one understood the mechanism of the Awakeners' abilities better than Yuder Aile, the Commander of the Cavalry.
The potential for future development, something even the Awakeners themselves had yet to realize, was as clear to Yuder as reading the lines on a hand.
He made a quick decision and spoke.
"In my opinion, you have an impressive ability, but you seem to be underestimating its potential."
"Underestimating? Did you not just see it? It's a flame that can't even singe a monster's hair. What's so impressive about that?"
Emon laughed as if he had heard a ridiculous joke, lazily waving the smoking pipe in his hand. Yuder, unfazed, continued speaking with a serious expression.
"You might feel that way if you focus on trying to burn a monster's hair. But what if, during a fight, you directed your flame into a monster's eye or mouth?"
"..."
Emon froze, the pipe in his hand stilling. Sunz, who had been smiling casually, suddenly lost his expression.
"Your flame is like a spark from flint—brief, but powerful. Unlike a large fire that requires constant maintenance, you can strike again as needed, as often as necessary."
Yuder's gaze held them both firmly as he spoke.
"If you practice summoning that flame faster and more frequently, like striking flint over and over, you could ignite dozens—if not hundreds—of points at once. Do you still think your power is insignificant?"
"...I've...never thought of it that way."
Emon stammered, his face turning pale with realization.
"Try it. You'll see it's more than possible soon. And Sunz."
"Oh, yes!"
Sunz, who had been observing Yuder's lesson with rapt attention, instinctively snapped to attention, as if he were responding to a superior officer. It felt natural to all three of them, though none realized it.
"Your ability to sense enemies in darkness is a remarkable reconnaissance skill. Regularly practicing with your eyes closed will sharpen your senses beyond what you can see. As you develop, your range could extend, and you might even be able to see only what you want to focus on."
"Practice... with my eyes closed?"
"If you're not sure what I mean, try closing your eyes now."
Yuder's words carried the weight of someone who had long commanded others. Something in his tone felt like an order, and without thinking, Sunz obeyed, closing his eyes.
"Do you see anything?"
"No, not now... nothing at all."
"When you use your ability, do you have to concentrate hard?"
"Yes. How did you...?"
It was obvious. Even an ordinary person without any vision-related ability would need to concentrate to see something clearly. It was even more necessary for someone whose power was based on that very skill. Yuder had seen many like them before.
"You should start practicing how to focus instantly when necessary. Anyway, I'm going to hold up a few fingers in front of your face. Try to concentrate and guess how many there are."
"...Eh? Just like that? Out of the blue?"
"I'm doing it now. How many do you sense?"
"Wait, give me a moment."
Yuder didn't allow Sunz time to gather himself. He immediately held up three fingers in front of Sunz's face. Sunz began to fidget, pressing his lips together and furrowing his brow. A faint ripple of energy flickered around him.
"Try to guess before I finish counting down from five. Five... four... three..."
"Wait a second, I'm still—"
"Two... one. How many?"
"Two... No, three?"
Sunz mumbled, sounding uncertain. But he was right. Yuder chuckled softly, noticing Emon's wide-eyed expression from the corner of his eye.
"Open your eyes."
"...What?"
Sunz opened his eyes and saw three fingers right in front of him. His face paled in shock.
"You guessed correctly."
"But it was so sudden... Maybe it was just luck."
"No, you were correct."
Yuder's tone was firm.
"Doubting yourself will only hinder your ability to use your power to its fullest. Have confidence."
"But still..."
"I know this might sound strange to both of you. But I've been observing people with these abilities for quite some time. Trust what I say."
Yuder's words hung in the air, and the two men exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of how to interpret this unexpected conversation.
'Of course, they'd be surprised and confused. But I need to change how they see their own abilities.'
Yuder met their eyes and began to speak again.
"Your abilities are far from useless. I'd bet anything that, soon enough, important people will find your powers indispensable."
"Important people? Who are they? No one's sought us out in the past two years."
Emon muttered as he tapped the ash from his pipe.
"We're just ordinary soldiers. Surely, there are countless people with abilities like ours across the Orr Empire, right? Like that... what was it? The Cavalry that the Emperor recently recruited."
"You're well informed. Do you know why the Cavalry was recruited? Because they were needed."
They might have been overlooked for two years, but it was only two years.
The past two years, a time when there was no Cavalry, was a period when people were still on edge, struggling to adapt to the sudden appearance of individuals with newfound powers. But now that the adaptation was over, a new world was about to unfold. A world that, for now, only Yuder understood.
"The world doesn't yet recognize the value of these abilities. But that will soon change. When people realize their worth, everything will change."
"Do you really believe that?"
Sunz tilted his head, clearly still skeptical.
'If I respond too confidently, they might think I'm just trying to manipulate them.'
So, Yuder simply smiled quietly.
"...If you don't understand the power you hold, you won't be able to use it properly when it matters most. Know your strength well before someone who needs it appears. Don't belittle its worth. If you underestimate your own abilities, others will regard them as even more insignificant."
Yuder's words made both Sunz and Emon fall into deep thought. As soldiers, they had been conditioned to follow orders and obey their superiors without question. This shift in perspective might not come easily to them.
But they needed to understand this, to break away from the rigid military mindset, especially with the formation of special forces looming in the future.
"...You might be right. If I look down on my strength, others will surely find it laughable too. I never considered that because it's always been that way among the men here."
Emon, looking at his extinguished pipe, lifted the corner of his lips.
"If we improve how we use our powers through training, like you suggested, maybe we can finally break free from this stagnant situation. No promotions, no recognition for years."
In the Orr Empire, the military was often seen as little more than a supporting force beneath the knights, who wielded significant power. Soldiers were largely regarded as expendable.
After humans learned to use mana and aura, wars became the domain of those who wielded such powers. There was a time, long ago, when tactics and individual soldiers' skills were the key to victory. But now, no one thought that way. Victory depended on whether a swordmaster or a great mage was on your side.
The primary tasks of the Orr Empire's Imperial Army had dwindled to defending borders, maintaining public order, and handling troublesome monsters.
Even high-ranking officers, though of noble birth, didn't see their positions as ones of true power. Only the generals of the southern and northern armies—who often doubled as swordmasters—held their roles with a semblance of influence, using the positions to enhance their honor or climb higher in society.
Generals like Gino Bordelli, who maintained their position for long stretches, were rare exceptions. His success stemmed from a combination of exceptional skill, a clean, incorruptible reputation, and a lack of ambition for promotion.
Despite the military's reputation, many commoners continued to enlist. The reason was simple. Joining the military provided a steady income and a way to escape the crushing exploitation of local lords. It also offered one of the few chances for commoners to leave their hometowns and travel.
Most who enlisted were children from poor families, sent to reduce the number of mouths to feed.
For some, being in the military was a better fate than most alternatives. Those who couldn't join ended up in mercenary groups or doing backbreaking labor in the lowest echelons of society.
Occasionally, a commoner with exceptional martial prowess could rise through the ranks. However, such cases were exceedingly rare, with only a handful throughout the thousand-year history of the Empire.
Yuder guessed that the soldiers' lethargy and self-deprecation, after being idle in the mountains for two years, likely stemmed from this system.