“That didn’t take long.” The duke laughed, getting up from his chair. He turned to his knight. “Damien, how long was that?”

Standing in the corner, Damien hesitated to speak, “It has been 8 days my lord.” He wasn’t as dense as the duke.

“That’s great!” Frederick wiped his tears. “I was worried I’d made the wrong decision, but things have worked out.”

I couldn’t sit through this line of conversation, “What thing?” I asked to change the topic.

“Oh! Look who’s curious. Well, I can’t tell you unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless you wipe that scowl off your face.” He broke into a laughing fit. “No, no, no, I’m sorry for that,” he said letting his laughter tapper off. Taking a deep breathe, he continued, “I need you to understand what you’ll be doing if you agree to serve me.”

“Won’t I just become a knight or something?” I asked thinking that was all warrior classes did. I had long accepted that I could die in a dungeon long ago so asking me to die in a battlefield wasn’t too different, just better paying.

“Oh, in a way, but that’s not a guarantee. First, if after your first-class evolution you stay an artisan, I’ll give you a workshop and some new ideas you can try to integrate into your gargoyles. But… if everything goes well, I don’t want you just to be a warrior.” Frederick walked around the U-shaped table and sat down at its edge. “With your gargoyles and the strength of a warrior class, you will be the perfect air commander. Perhaps it’s because humans are born of the earth, but there aren’t many classes that can put bodies into the sky. As such, your gargoyles are perfect for that. But for you to lead them, you’ll need to understand military tactics. As such.” Frederick got back up. “I’ll have you learning under me.” He smiled. “But that’s for later, with that settled, do you have any questions?” He walked over to Damien.

In all honesty, I couldn’t believe I was being offered to serve directly under the duke, even if the offer was conditional, it was too much for me.

Still, I had one condition, “I need for Leia to have access to healers and a safe home. That’s all I ask for.” Maybe if it were a duke, someone with access to anything he might need or want, he wouldn’t meddle in us little people’s lives.”

“Oh, don’t worry, that’s nothing. Not to mention I need clerks, so I’ll even provide her with an education. I’ll also give you a stipend of five golds a month until you level up your class, in which case we’ll see if you are fit for an official position.”

Five golds to level up! There couldn’t be a better job. But getting so much money so quickly, it made me sick. If only I could have touched to a tenth of that five years ago.

“Don’t worry,” Frederick interrupted my thoughts. “You’ll feel poorer than before when you see the price of armour. I swear, if you chop a blacksmith’s hand, they’ll make more as notaries than forging swords.” He chuckled. “Now, as for now, you need to learn how to fight. As such, you’ll be under the tutelage of Damien for the next month.” He tapped Damien’s shoulder.

I bowed and thanked the duke.

The next day, I was ordered to head to the training field in the castle’s courtyard.

#

My mouth tasted of iron and my eyes burnt of sweat.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Damien yelled, standing above me.

Collapsed on my knees, I could barely see the sandy training grounds. How long had we been going at it? My stomach pushed up on my throat. Gagging, I tried to hold it in, but red puke jetted out. It felt like everything would come out, I couldn’t stop puking.

“Get it over with, we don’t have all day.” He struck his sword into the earth next to me kicking up dust, I fell in a coughing fit.

“Are you done puking?”

Coughing out splatters of blood mixed with dust, my lungs settled down. “Yea.” I sniffled. “But why are you pushing me so hard? I won’t be in the front lines; you’re just trying to kill me.”

“I wouldn’t even let watch a battle as you are now. Don’t worry about being asked to fight.”

“Then why?” Leaning against my sword, I pushed myself to my feet.

Walking back a few steps, Damien turned back to face me. “I wasn’t instructed to turn you into a soldier, but to force the system to give you a warrior class. And on that, both me and the lord agrees that without conviction and absolute devotion there can be no change!” His words were filled with fervour and zeal. I couldn’t help but to get a slight chill.

Pulling his sword out of the ground, he pointed it at me. “Would you say you pushed your limits today?”

“Past it.” He would kill me if he went any further.

“But you can speak!” The earth crumbled beneath his feet as he jumped towards me, ready to slice me in two. Bringing my sword up, I leaned over as to not be directly beneath it.

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The flat end of his sword connected with mine, but his was trice mine’s weight. Unstable on my feet, the blow sent me flying to the side.

“I think that’s enough for your first day, sleep wherever.” Damien concluded, ending the massacre. The clink of his iron steps grew quieter until they were inaudible.

Rolling over, I stared at the orange sky. It was starting to cool down and the sun was setting earlier and earlier every night. Summer had peaked; soon, autumn would come.

“Hey, are you okay?” A head popped blocked the little sunlight that still draped the earth.

Refocusing my sight, a young man with light-brown hair came into view. He stepped around me, I struggled to sit up as to look at him.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“It’s François, who are you and why are you working so hard with the knight captain? I’ve never seen you before.” He was dressed in the undergarments of a knight ready to don his armour.

“Me,” It was hard to keep my eyes open. “Me it’s Gregoire.” I yawned; it was odd. I didn’t feel right.

“It’s nice to meet you Gregoire. I see that you were already sleepy so don’t worry. I’ll carry you back, so sleep well.”

What did he mean sleep well? He wasn’t even telling me to sleep, just that I’d fall asleep. “—” The world was spinning, he was right, I was about to fall asleep, but would I be fine? Was this guy even supposed to be here. I tried to get up, but I lost all my strength and fell face first to the ground, the world turned grey, and then black.

#

For a week I didn’t see anything other than earth. Every day Damien would swing his sword at my throat. I’d do my best to dodge, parry, or take the blow, but at the end of the day I’d always puke up blood.

And every night, the same young man would block out the setting sun.

Everything was so repetitive, so precisely identical I started to doubt the reality of it all.

“How was it today?” He came today as well. His eyes were a greyish blue.

“Can’t you see? I’m just as dead as yesterday. I want to sleep.” I closed my eyes, ready for my usual exhaustion to carry me off into a dream, but it didn’t come.

“I can see your eyes twitching under your lids.”

What an odd thing to say. Opening my eyes, I looked around confused, was he the same person. The cycle had been broken for some odd reason. Sitting up, I didn’t feel as tired. Seeing as I still had energy, I got on my knees, but this was my limit. I fell back on the ground in a dizzy haze.

“Don’t be so quick.” He set me on my back.

As soon as he did, the usual wave of exhaustion hit me, and I let the wave of exhaustion take me.

“You can sleep now, you did well today, I’m sure we’ll be able to talk normally soon enough.”

Who are you? I wanted to ask. It was obvious he had some kind of power, but I couldn’t move my lips to ask him anything.

#

“Step to your left!” Damien yelled swinging his sword down his right. Stepping into the attack, the blow didn’t shake me. With a swing, I pushed his sword aside and prepared to parry yet again, but there wasn’t another blow. Could I strike? I’d never been able to. Damien was always on the offensive.

Afraid that he had planned something new, I stepped back. The training always ended when I was on the ground puking red. Although perhaps if I went on the aggressive, I’d taste iron faster, that wasn’t something I wanted.

He still wasn’t attacking me. I couldn’t stand idly and watch him wait. I moved my foot, but it was stuck in the ground. Instead of attacking, I asked the question that had haunted me since last month. “Why do we train the sword when class holders like the one who attacked the caravan exist?”

He didn’t answer. “Damien?” I asked.

His eyelids fluttered. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Perhaps he was just tired, but still. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry. Now tell me, what did you say?”

“Why—do we need swords if there are class holders like the one who attacked the caravan.”

“Hmm, I was wondering when you’d ask that.” He sheathed his sword. He looked tired. “There are five main types of classes. Crafting classes, Warrior classes, Mage classes, Sorcery classes, and divine classes, which all have further subdivisions.

When an army marches out, they will have multiple people from each class to counter the opponent. As such, like how your caravan had a mage with a shield attribute, an army will have mages with such attributes to counteroffensive mages. If two armies are equal on such dimension, then they enter a stalemate. This is when regular foot soldiers would make a difference.”

“Then it is a last resort.”

“Not exactly, sorcery and divine class holders have the power to make a classless individual as strong as a new warrior class holder and a divine class holder can grant someone unending strength. Not to mention you may need people to operate the creations of those with the crafting class. Of course, these are tactics that can only be used by leaders able to field many class holders, which the duke is a part of. In these cases, the tactics to be employed in wars are endless. You’ll be able to witness it soon—”

“Hey Gregoire! Are you still standing?” It came from the barracks. Turning back, I spotted the same man I’d seen before my sleep each afternoon.

“François, it seems I wasn’t able to tire him out today,” said Damien. “I’ll be going now, don’t get too close.”

Stopping, he waved me over while still talking to Damien. “You’re too old to resist my powers. But Gregoire has been improving and so has most of the guys in the order.”

“So, I wasn’t imagining things when I felt sleepier next to you,” I added.

“No,” answered Damien. “He’s a sorcery class holder with the powers of making others fall asleep. Right now, he doesn’t have the power to control whom this affects, but since he levels up by making class holders fall asleep it shouldn’t be long before his class evolves, and he can hopefully control it.”

“Gregoire!” He called out again. “Come over here, I want see how long you’ll last if you’re not completely exhausted.”

Damien nodded. “Go ahead.”

Going over to François, I stood still not knowing what to do. “Should I just stand here?” I asked.

“Yep, just give it a minute.”

I started to feel a bit drowsier, but I wasn’t falling asleep.

“Can you shake my hands?” François asked.

We shook hands, and although my knees felt weak, I could still stand, and my eyelids weren’t closing.

“Captain, I think it’s just you who can’t adapt.”

“I suppose it is,” he said from far away. “What level are you up to right now?”

“Thirteen, but I’m not levelling up anymore or at least it slowed down a lot. I think I need to use my powers on beasts.”

“We can’t bring you to the battlefield until you can control your power. And Gregoire, have you levelled up since you started training?”

“No. I can’t level up like warriors.”

“But you still gained level by defeating a dungeon if I’m remembering things correctly.”

“Yes.”

“Then head to a dungeon with François. There is one near Fécamp, it is said to be in a cavern on the beach of the Manch. Go there and take your time, we’ll be beginning the preparations for war, so I won’t be able to assist the both of you for the time being. If you’re doing fine after the first dungeon, feel free to head to a second or third. If you come back having both evolved your classes, it’d be ideal.”

I looked to François and we both agreed that this was a good plan. I just had the feeling that I’d get along fine with him. Perhaps it’s because he had the eyes of someone who wanted nothing.