BK1 Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Two

Lieutenant Cragborn stared at me with a raised eyebrow as if he was studying me. His piercing gaze made me shuffle on my feet as I gulped. Hesitantly I lifted my hand to clear my throat, steadying my voice as I stood before his dark mahogany desk.

His study, if this is what it was, was lined with bookcases filled to the brim with hardback covers and rolled-up scrolls bursting from their confined spaces. The scent of aged parchment filled the room with a little musk mixed in as a thin thread of sunlight poked through curtains hung above a small window.

The Lieutenant leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the polished mahogany surface of his desk as if he were contemplating something. Finally, he spoke, his voice deep and commanding.

“You’ve had quite an eventful journey so far, haven’t you, Lady Heversham?” he remarked, his tone laced with a hint of annoyance.

I nodded, my throat feeling dry. “Yes, Lieutenant. I suppose I have.” I tried to force a smile, but my body language was too stiff from nerves.

“How do you think you handled yourself? I am curious what your perspective is.” He asked, leaning forward on the desk, lacing his hands together as he placed down the sheet of paper he had been reading.

“Y-you want my opinion? Of myself?” I asked, just to clarify, was this a trick question?

“Yes.” he waved his hand to gesture. I get on with it, his impatience slipping. “I haven’t got all day, Lady Heversham”, he sighed as I remained silent, scrunching my face in thought.

Just what is it he wants me to say here? I barely kept up at the start of the march; my stamina and physical weakness were obvious in comparison to the rest of the trainees. Then there was the incident with the marsh snakes, and then when Rian and I fell into the cavern and got separated from the brigade.

I relented my stiff posture with a heavy sigh. “I would consider myself lucky, Lieutenant.”

“Lucky?” he responded with a pause.

“Yes, I was lucky to have survived my encounters with demonic beasts. I am avidly aware I have no combat awareness; I have never received formal training. I also lack the physical strength to compare to my peers. I believe without Rian, I would have died in the cavern If I was alone.”

The Lieutenant nodded in agreement. “You most certainly would have against an Agiluf.”

“However,” I continued “, I believe I have done my best. I trained most evenings to improve my combat and skills; I pushed myself to keep walking despite my body’s protest. I used my knowledge of herbology to help survive the fight with the Agiluf. I believe I performed well, all things considered.”

The Lieutenant’s gaze narrowed as he listened to my words. Silence fell between us as he seemed to consider something. I felt my palms begin to sweat in anxiety at his stern gaze.

“Your self-awareness is commendable, Lady Heversham” He finally broke the silence with a snarky smile. “Acknowledging your weaknesses is something many people find difficult to do. I am happy I do not have to convince you of them.” his tone suggested he had maybe already had to do just that with others before me.

I felt a glimmer of relief wash over me at his reaction; perhaps my honesty had been the right call here.

“I would add that you have an interesting, if not annoying, habit of inciting chaos around you. This is the first march I have had to reprimand a trainee for not following orders during an attack. It is also the first march I had a trainee supposedly ‘die’ to return riding none other than a demonic beast. It is also the first time I have had family members pester me about your safety.”

“It isn’t intentional”, I mumbled, the small relief I had felt quickly fading away.

“Going from your history and the information I have pertaining in regard to your character, you have a talent for upsetting the people around you. Intentional or not, you need to practice restraint for your actions.”

“With all due respect, Lieutenant, my past actions in Talbour have not influenced my choices on the march.” I bit the inside of my cheek. Has he researched the background of all the Trainees? I didn’t think my past would come up here.

“So you claim, I will take your word for it, Lady Heversham. However, your ability to unintentionally incite chaos is a cause for concern.” he frowned firmly. “It is essential, not only for your own safety but the safety of those around you, that you learn restraint. Unpredictable actions can have dire consequences on the battlefield.” Lieutenant Cragborn shook his head.

“You were indeed lucky when you disobeyed my order to gather during the marsh snake attack. That only one of the marsh snake beasts attacked you when you returned for Lord Eastmond was a relief. If it had been any more, neither yourself, Miss Garpson, or Lord Eastmond would have survived. You put yourself and your friend in danger by going against orders.”

“I-I understand” I swallowed a lump that was forming in my throat.

“To make it clear, Lord Eastmond would have been rescued without your intervention. Marsh snakes do not devour a person’s core until their poison has almost killed their target, which takes time.”

“Y-yes, Lieutenant”, I solemnly nodded to his reprimand.

“However”, he continued making me still. “Your efforts to save a fellow trainee were not unnoticed. The Army values such traits of determination, which you have proven with your actions. You have also shown resilience in the face of adversity when separated from the brigade and your will to keep marching despite your lack of experience or skill.” The Lieutenant’s tone softened as he picked up the paper he had been reading when I entered the study. “You would do well if you channel those qualities in a way that aligns with the needs of a unit and in your training.”

“T-thank you, Lieutenant,” I said, surprised by his change in body language as he relaxed in his seat.

“To address my first concern, I would recommend you begin training your stamina and strength. There is a practice field you can use to run laps which will help your stamina grow. In terms of expectations, you need to be at least level thirty-five, the threshold for journeyman, to be able to battle comfortably. Stamina is very important and can alter your success when battling demonic beasts. If you tire too quickly, they can overwhelm you.”

“Alright,” I nodded, agreeing with his advice, “What about strength? I don’t have a skill in that yet.”

“No, I saw so on your evaluation sheet from your acceptance assessment. I would suggest you start with something simple, such as weightlifting. This will help give you the strength you need to wield weapons easier. But depending on what weapon you attune with, it will vary on what level you may need to reach. For example, wielding a heavy battleaxe will demand more physical power compared to a lighter sword or staff.”

“Callan mentioned a weapon calling to you. Is that what you mean by attuning?” I asked curiously as the Lieutenant looked up at me from his sheet.

“Yes, once you have trialled a few different weapons, you will feel a familiarity with a practical weapon. You will find your level faster and easier with it than anything else. That is the weapon you are attuned to. As a foot-guard, you won’t be able to feel the Aether connection as a Summoner can, but this method works just as well for you.”

“A footguard?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Yes? A footguard” The Lieutenant shared my puzzled look of confusion.

“Lieutenant, I wish to train as a Summoner”, I spoke with a slight hitch as worry began to settle into my stomach.

“A Summoner?” The Lieutenant frowned with disapproval. “Lady Heversham, you failed your examination for your core. You do not have a large enough core to become a Summoner. You were only in my group for potential Summoners rather than Lieutenant Sharpclaws for future footguards because you are a noble.”

“Lieutenant, I joined the army to learn to become a Summoner, not be a footguard!” I protested. “I know my core is small, but I can grow it.”

“Lady Heversham” The Lieutenant’s tone deepened as his expression turned serious. “Your core is so small no average evaluation tool was able to detect it. There are no gathering techniques that are safe for you to use with such a small core. You will only damage your body if you try to use them. The lowest technique we have is for a grade one, and you are below that.”

“What? But I have a technique!” Albus gave me one; how could there not be others?

“I find that hard to believe, Lady Heversham” The Lieutenant sighed sharply.

His scepticism hung in the air, causing my heart to sink. I couldn’t believe that my aspirations of becoming a Summoner were being shattered so abruptly. The weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders, and I felt a surge of frustration and disappointment welling up inside me.

“But Lieutenant, I do have a technique,” I insisted, desperation edging into my voice.

“If you do, I would insist you stop using it at once” he quickly stood from his seat as he glared at me, making me jump from the surprise. “Lady Heversham, all cores are unstable during the gathering stage. If you use a technique that you can not withstand, then your core can be shattered, which will damage your ability to function. A shattered core leaks unfiltered Aether into your body, poisoning it from the inside. Worst case, you will die from a shattered core; your best case is you become immobile.”

“G-gathering can kill you?” I stuttered, taken back by this revelation.

“Of course, it can; why do you think it is banned for anyone to learn how to use Aether outside of the Army. Without safety measures and proper guidance, if any fool tried it on their own, they would only harm themselves.”

“I-I see.” My eyes began to waver as fear tinged inside me. Was the technique that Albus taught me safe for me? Was I the fool the Lieutenant spoke of?

“Lady Heversham”, the Lieutenant’s voice softened as he stepped around the desk to face me directly. “Sometimes life takes unexpected turns, and we find ourselves facing obstacles we never anticipated. It’s how we respond to those obstacles that define us.”

“What am I supposed to do then?” I asked, my voice trembling. “I joined the Army to become a Summoner.” His words had hit me like a blow, and I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. I couldn’t show him the technique that would reveal Albus, and something deep in my gut told me I should keep him a secret for as long as possible.

“If there were a safe technique available for someone with a core as small as yours, I would consider it. But as of now, such a technique does not exist within my knowledge, and I am very dedicated to categorising gathering techniques for my students.” The Lieutenant placed a hand on my shoulder, his deep red-slitted eyes expressing sympathy.

“Whilst becoming a Summoner may not be a viable path for you, there are other roles within the Army that you can excel in. You weren’t given a blood contract so early because you lack the ability to become a Summoner, Lady Heversham.”

“It was because of my Herbology skill”, I sighed, rubbing my arm and trying to hold in the lump that was swelling.

“Precisely. Once you have learned combat, you will be able to consider a profession. I suspect a couple of departments will take an interest in you.”

“They will?”

“Yes, our medical research, for one, they are always looking for talented individuals to grow their herbology knowledge to lessen the strain of Medic Summoners.”

“What-What if I can grow my core to grade one?” I had to ask; it was my task from Vishka. I have to grow it to grade one, regardless of my position within the Army. But learning to become a Summoner would make my growth much easier. With Albus teaching me, I won’t necessarily need the Army to learn, but I can’t explain any growth easily if I’m labelled a footguard.

“Lady Heversham”, The Lieutenant’s gaze darkened. “I have told you the risks involved. Even if you are able to grow your core to a grade one, it will still be considered small compared to the average Summoner. Your growth will be limited early as your innate core is so small. I cannot, in good conscience, encourage you to pursue this.”

I slumped at his words.

“However, if by some miracle you do figure out how to grow your core to a grade one despite my insistence on your safety, I will consider allowing you into my class,” he said resignedly. From his tone, I could guess he didn’t actually think I would be able to do it.

But I had Albus Technique, and I also had the advantage of knowing about Jabascus root.

I was going to do it; I was going to prove to the Lieutenant I could become a Summoner.

What other choice did I have?