While Ajax, Silvia and Sam were busy trying to get a handle on the mess that was the relationship the rest of the family would have with Ajax’s grandparents, everyone else was busy receiving their welcome into the capital.

Kate’s welcome was by far one of the most welcoming any commoner had ever received when first arriving in the capital. While the Healing Union was under the control of the royal family in all but name, that fact wasn’t a well known fact for the common people. Therefore the fact that the Guild Master had been there in person the night before to welcome Kate’s family to the capital had instantly boosted her up the social standings compared to all the other healing trainees.

Under normal circumstances this would also brew jealousy from the people previously in the spotlight but that didn’t come to pass as they were affiliated with the nobility strongly enough to know the truth about how the Healing Union was run, not only that but none of them wanted to make it seem like their house would bully a new noble house unprovoked.

Time spent during their lessons was very similar to what Kate had experienced in the past. Sure the books and scrolls they were using were in much better condition than what she was used to but everything else was mostly the same. The big difference came when it was time for their practical experience.

As a fully dedicated healer with her level in the early twenties Kate had always been seen as only a novice. Here however the difference in capability between her and her instructors felt like the difference between a puddle and a lake. The strongest healer they had teaching them back in Lessis was level fifty and even then he wasn’t a fully dedicated healer having gained a lot of those skills as a mage early in his life before deciding to head in the path of the healer and spending years picking up the skills to match his level. Here the professor was so much stronger and more skilled than her that anything she could do for a patient they could do with a wave of their hand from across the room. They wouldn’t because of the inefficiency but they certainly could.

“Miss Kate.” Her teacher approached her after she had expended her mana on the latest patient and went to sit down and recover. “Do you have a moment?”

“I do.” she nodded with a smile. “But it’s Mrs.”

As she said this she lifted the pinky finger of her right hand to show the simple but elegant ring resting on it. Beastkin customs for rings were slightly different from humans where the placement of the ring had more significance than simply showing the existence of marriage. Wearing the ring on the left hand would signify that they already had children, while wearing it on the right meant that they hadn’t. At the same time wearing the ring on the little finger signified that the woman was currently pregnant.

“I see, my mistake. Congratulations are also in order.” The professor said before switching the topic to the reason for his approach. “I want to ask, what was it that inspired you to make your very interesting work on alcohol as a disinfectant?”

“Mostly it was the infection I noticed from people who traveled to us from their healing.” Kate answered, she wouldn’t disclose Ajax’s involvement but simply show things from her own perspective. “Some of the most damaging cases I had to treat were always from people who traveled to us specifically to get healing. In those cases it was villagers from small hamlets that didn’t have a dedicated healer that would ignore minor wounds as they weren’t a massive concern, only for them to get infected.”

“Yes I can see how a more remote region may promote those kinds of patients.” the professor nodded. “Thank you for your time, I do suggest that you go rest in the next room over. We hire a bard regularly and while their music isn’t always the best it does have mana regenerative properties.”

Tom was welcomed to the city guard as more of an afterthought by his fellow guards. Honestly he couldn’t even blame them as everyone was excited to meet the new shadow cat that was going to join the guard, the bonded human wasn’t all that interesting.

“Guard Tom.” a man that couldn’t be more than a dozen years older than him approached. “If you’ll please follow me, the commander wants to see you.”

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Tom was quick to put together that this man must be one of the assistants for the commander. He moved to follow the man but then turned back to look at Fluffy who was surrounded on all sides by guards petting and feeding her.

“No need to worry about your bond, it won't take long and I’m sure our men will keep a close eye on her for the next few hours.” the assistant said with a smirk as he watched the popularity of the feline.

Tom spent an instant more thinking about it before he nodded and moved to follow the assistant after giving Fluffy a signal to wait for him there, the last thing he wanted was for the shadow cat to think he had disappeared and start scouring the barracks for him.

The assistant led him to an inconspicuous office, pounded twice on the door and entered without waiting for a response. This seemed odd to Tom who was used to Commander’s Grievous way of doing things, but he also knew that each commander was different.

As he entered the door room Tom was hit with a feeling of dizziness. He wasn’t sure where it came from originally but as he took a few unsure steps inside he pinpointed the origin to an odd feeling of pressure emanating from the Commander.

“Tom I presume. Please take a seat.” The commander said after briefly looking up from a scroll on his desk. “Thank you for bringing him, dismissed.”

With that the assistant quickly took his leave as Tom took a few wobbly steps before he all but dropped into the chair. Commander Grievous had warned him previously that the caliber of the guards in the capital would be much stronger than him, he had even warned him about what feeling an aura would be like but words weren’t enough to prepare him for the real thing.

“Is something wrong?” the commander seemed genuinely concerned watching Tom shamble over to the chair. “If you needed a day to settle in from the long road you should have asked.”

“That’s not it, sir.” Tom said while doing his best to stand straight in his chair. “This is the first time I felt an aura. The feeling is both a little unsettling and disorientating.”

“Oh…” the commander said with an understanding nod. “I always seem to forget that people from outside the capital and specifically those from the more… remote regions of our kingdom don’t have the built up resistance that those who grew up in the capital do. Repeated exposure to auras far stronger than mine even as they simply walk down the road builds up a tolerance, I expect you will too in short order.”

“I’ll try my best, sir.” Tom said.

“Good. Now onto the reason why I brought you here.” the man said as he looked at him. “Originally. I had planned to fast-track you up the chain of command. If nothing else your file hinted at you being a guard for a long time.”

“That was the original plan.” Tom said.

“The decision was also a simple one, your glowing recommendation as well as the bond made that simple, alas I’m afraid that isn’t possible anymore with your brother being granted a noble title. You do understand, yes?” he asked.

“I do.” Tom said with a small sigh, he also explained when he noticed the commander frown at the answer. “The more… remote parts of our kingdom you mentioned aren’t as successful in removing noble influence from their guards.”

The commander winced a little at that but gave an understanding nod. “This presents us with a new issue. With your brother’s new title you won’t ever be able to lead any patrol. Not only that, you also won’t be moving up to any command position in any of our sections.”

“I understand that, sir. But I don’t see why that would pose a problem for you.” Tom said, surprised.

“That would be your bond.” the commander sighed. “While outside influence is very much diminished inside the guard here in the capital this does have a rather unintended consequence. Personal strength brings a lot more respect and influence not only with those of the same rank as you but even direct superiors if the difference is big enough.”

“That shadow cat of yours is already above level forty and it’s not even mature, with the right care, which your file says you have been providing, and the correct diet, which I am sure your brother will supply, it will reach level eighty if not ninety in the next two years, after which it will spend the next hundred years or so slowly clawing up to level one hundred and twenty to one hundred and forty at its peak. Your commitment lasts at least another eight years, and in that time your bond will grow to overpower anyone even close to your rank.”

“Leading to me having undue influence inside the guard.” Tom finished the thought.

“Exactly.” the commander said. “That being the case I thought I’d offer you an alternative.”

“An alternative, sir?” Tom was confused.

“I’ll have you spend the first year on patrol, getting lay of land in the capital and how we do things. Following that you will spend the rest of your commitment as an assistant to as many commanders as you can, do a good enough job you might even get to serve one of the five Wardens towards the end.” the commander proposed.

“To what end sir?” he asked confused as to why he would be moving around so much as an assistant.

“Each of us commanders have our specialties. I know that the news of your brother’s title is fresh but I’d have thought you’d be looking to be the commander of his house’s guard in due time. Moving around as an assistant to all of us should give you plenty of real experience.” The commander dangled the juicy fish that he was hoping would keep the potentially problematic recruit from causing too many problems.

Tom’s eyes widened as his eyebrows made a break for his hairline. Though the more he thought about it the more he found that the position as head of the guard for his family's house appealed to him more and more, doubly so considering Ajax’s paranoid nature. “I’d like that very much, sir.” He said with a smile as he gave the best salut he could while under the influence of the aura.