Amara's boots echoed against the marble floors as she walked through the academy halls the next morning. The once intimidating walls of stone now felt like a fortress of opportunity, not confinement. Students bustled past, some engaged in heated debates, others in quiet focus.
Ahead, she spotted Colonel Vallen in conversation with General Dracon.
His presence, as always, commanded attention, and Amara couldn't help but straighten her posture as she approached. For the first time, she didn't feel like an outsider looking in. She was part of this now this life, this world.
"Amara," Vallen's lazy voice broke through the hum of the corridor as he turned to face her. "I have a mission for you."
Her pulse quickened. A mission? This was it. Her chance to prove herself, not just to the academy, but to the world that once only saw her as a slave.
"Yes, Colonel!" Amara responded, her voice steady, her heart racing. She braced herself for a complex task, perhaps a reconnaissance mission or a critical briefing. But Vallen's next words made her blink.
"Fistly I said yesterday to not call me colonel, just Vallen" He looked deep into Amara eyes but without any seriousness "secondly I need you to head down to the staff market and get me a pack of cigarettes. Got it?" Vallen's expression didn't change, but General Dracon shook his head, amused by how he was making the girl run around for such trivial tasks.
Amara froze, confused. "A pack of cigarettes?" She repeated.
Vallen nodded, "Yeah. One pack of the Royal Blend." He handed Amara a pouch of coins.
For a moment, Amara didn't know what to say, first she was surprised that Vallen trusted her and gave more than enough coin to buy a whole house and also everything she had been through, after clawing her way out of slavery and into this academy, her first "mission" was to buy cigarettes. She could feel the heat rising in her chest, but instead of questioning him, she nodded sharply.
"I'll get them right away, Vallen"
As she left, her mind raced. This wasn't what she had imagined, but if this was the task given to her, she'd complete it perfectly. Even if it was something as trivial as fetching cigarettes, she would prove herself capable.
She felt like an outsider as she approached the market that was behind fences and guards who stopped her at the entrance. Her heart started racing again, but they just asked for her identification card.
"Oh you Colonel Vallen assistant?" One of them asked which she nodded. "Usually Liora comes to buy cigarettes for him, but I guess you're new here. This palace is huge and crowded, the cigarettes are far back at the drugstore ." He smiled at her and handed back the id card.
The marketplace as the guard said was buzzing with the staff of the academy, professors, instructors heaving their morning coffees and breakfast.
She felt like an outsider as a student but headed in the directions she was told.
Amara weaved her way through the narrow streets, eyes sharp as she searched for the drugstore. Her focus was unbroken, determined to complete her mission, no matter how small it was.
As she entered the drugstore, the middle-aged woman working there immediately spoke up.
"Colonel Vallen always gets the cute girls." She said while resting her head on the counter with one hand, stirring her coffee with the other.
Amara just smiled and was amazed how many and different medicines were in the store. She never saw this much in her life.
"One pack of Royal Blend right?" Asked the woman.
"Yes please." She said while opening the pouch that was filled with gold and silver coins.
"1 silver, darling"
She handed over the coins, pocketed the cigarettes, and turned back but there was a question in her mind that she was quite curious about.
"Can I ask how do you know that I'm with Colonel Vallen?" She asked which the woman started laughing a bit.
"Your rank patch, the assistant rank was only created for him and his staff. Also the Investigation Office emblem on your sword, you know Colonel Vallen, a well known person among the staff, everybody knows how great a person he is and how he fought fiercely in the war."
Amara was surprised by what she heard. War? Fiercely fought? It was then that she realized she actually knew nothing about her superior and mentor.
"I see your expression is indeed what Liora's expression was when he first came here, but don't be angry, he sent you here for a reason, probably because me as tend to I talk a lot, and he, well, how should I put it, doesn't really like to talk or open up to others, especially not about the past."
"Thank you, but if Colonel Vallen is not comfortable talking about the past or simply doesn't want to, then let it be ." She smiled at the woman that was set back by the answer and pulled at a document.
"You performed excellently, Amara. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Luca Penelope. Colonel Vallen uses me to test his people." She signed the document and handed it over to Amara who just stood there, not understanding what was happening.
"You're still absolutely adorable, even when you're confused. But I can't explain what this was all about. When you return to the office, he will explain it. You can be sure of that."
Back at the academy, Amara returned to Vallen's office. He was reclined in his chair, boots propped on his desk, looking as disinterested as ever. The pack of cigarettes landed with a soft thud on the desk in front of him.
"Your cigarettes, Vallen. " Amara said, She said with a slightly irritated tone.
Vallen glanced at the pack, then up at her with a lazy smirk. "Fast. Efficient. Good." He picked up the pack and lazily flicked it open, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a match.
Amara placed the document on the table, catching Vallen's glance for a moment. His face lit up with life, and for the first time, Amara saw and heard Vallen's smile and laughter.
"Not only did you break a record, but you also resisted temptation. Sit down, relax, and let's talk." He smiled at her, even if it was only a half-smile, but it was enough for her to smile back.
As soon as Amara sat down, her first question was straight to the point: What was all this about?
Vallen leaned back in his chair and extinguished his cigarette, even though it was only half-smoked. Amara immediately realized the seriousness of the situation, as it was unheard of for the colonel to put out a cigarette before finishing it.
"When I gave Liora the same task, she came back two hours later and immediately bombarded me with questions. In other words, she failed. You spent half an hour there, and you even got a signature. Well done." Vallen words filled Amara with warmth no one had ever told her she was capable before.
Seeing her emotional reaction, Vallen quickly continued.
"We are an Investigation Office where trust in each other is paramount. Believe it or not, we rarely get cases that are quite horrific, and trust is crucial for handling them. It's important that we can share our feelings with one another, and this is especially true for you because, unlike with Liora, I am your mentor. Absolute trust and emotional sharing between us is vital. Don't forget that."
Amara nodded.
"So, you passed because you didn't ask questions about me behind my back, and your written response is simple and perfect." Amara struggled with her emotions even more, trust, a feeling she had never experienced before.
"Thank you, Vallen." She said, smiling at the colonel with teary eyes. To her surprise, Vallen quickly stood up from his chair and turned his back to her.
That beautiful smile reminded Vallen of a lost friend and he couldn't hold back a few tears that rolled down his face. "Go wash up. We'll discuss the rest after you are fresh." He said.
Amara stood and, with only a few steps toward the bathroom, was already crying.
Upon returning to the office, Vallen acted as if nothing had happened, lounging back in his chair with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Amara walked in, freshly composed, just as Vallen pulled out a stack of documents and tossed a dozen in front of her.
"Alright, our goal is for you to be the Division Commander in six months."
Amara suddenly blacked out, staring blankly into space with her mouth agape.
"Hello? Are you here?"
"Sir, how—" she began, but Vallen cut her off by raising his hand.
"First of all, call me Vallen. Secondly, it's easy. While I shape you into a real commander, Liora will help you with your studies, since she has the academy's first royal scholarship. You'll be the second in the academy's history, skipping ranks and levels like it's nothing which will allow you to enter the Royal Library, making you stronger. Plus, with the combat skills I'll teach you, you'll be able to take down every noble brat who thinks they're better than you, earning more points. You will be the greatest here.
She couldn't respond at all. She had just begun her new life, and already the bar was set high for her.
But one thing was certain, Colonel Vallen was the first person to speak about trust with her, a feeling she had long forgotten.