Stas shook his head.

"Thousands of people will be left on the ruins of their homes, villages, and cities. Among these refugees and fire victims, there will certainly be those who will be of interest. Children and youths like you, who are born with the ability to control prana and potentially become strong warmasters."

Ordyntsev shook the mini poker.

"When the war between the Great Clans flares up, your task will be to find such children and help them master their powers. When they grow up, I'll give them a purpose and meaning in life, something other than just hiding and trembling at the slightest danger. And it won't be a pointless war of all against all just for the sake of war."

"Master, forgive me, but I'm afraid I won't be able to cope!" The girl's voice betrayed hints of panic.

"Of course, you can't cope now," Stas allowed himself a slight smile, soothing his flustered interlocutor. "I'm not asking the impossible of you. I give exactly what people are capable of. So, for now, your task is to reach the city near the Sumada citadel. I see you want to ask me something? Speak."

Ordyntsev's voice lost some of its intensity, becoming calming.

'Tell a person to lift a ton, and when they are horrified, graciously reduce the weight to a hundred kilos. And you can be sure that in gratitude for your kindness, they will strain every sinew but still lift the unbearable burden.'

"Master, are you sure? Won't I be caught, since…"

"You'd be surprised, but in that city, it will be easier for you to blend in than anywhere else," Stas shook his head. "The Sumada, as a great clan, have dozens of vassals from smaller clans who carry out any orders, as well as various merchants and nobles. Warmasters feel quite at home in the city, giving you a chance to hide among them. Apart from that, now and then, solitary fighters or those without a clan, usually no more than a pair, are seen visiting."

Ordyntsev looked at Mari demandingly.

"You mentioned the ability to hide prana. Are you good at using it?"

"Yes, master." Mari nodded resolutely, trying to redeem herself for her earlier foolish questions.

"Never use it at full strength. The Sumada will definitely notice your attempts and suspect something. Better to dim the brightness of the prana core and pretend to be a regular clanless. It's safer."

"Understood."

"When you reach the city, you must go to its western side. Choose a middle-income area. Don't go into the wealthy districts; they are much better monitored. There, you should buy a small house. Preferably from a not-so-wealthy elderly couple who won't ask too many questions as long as you pay. Pay extra for a high fence around the house. To let me find you, pass the address to the bartender of the Thousand-Year Sun where to look for you. This tavern won't be hard to find. On the gate near the house, paint an image of the Sun."

"It will be done," Mari said resolutely, shaking her black hair.

"I'm pleased with your enthusiasm," Stas nodded approvingly. "When the time comes, I'll find you and give you further orders. By then, you should have become much stronger. Train and master your techniques, including close combat. As for now, your skills are rather pitiful."

The girl, recalling the scene of their meeting, lowered her eyes in shame.

"By the way, list what you can do."

"I know the technique of hiding in the shadows, the technique of silencing steps; I can hide my prana and blur my silhouette, making it harder for the enemy to notice my strikes. Also, I can cast a shadow on my enemy, significantly weakening them. The animals I've trained on almost stopped moving."

"Not much," Stas clicked his tongue. "But it'll do. Here's your initial capital." Stas pulled out a pre-prepared, impressive pouch with silver and even some gold.

Ordyntsev planned to talk with the girl tomorrow, but everything turned out better than expected.

The dividends from the deserters turned out to be quite good. Apparently, before reaching this village, they managed to rob someone quite wealthy.

Jun took half of the spoils, and his apprentices shared the rest. And even so, it was profitable.

Ordyntsev didn't mind such a division of the loot. Even half of the trophies for a warmaster of Jun's level were mere crumbs.

Should they be attacked, the sensei would protect them. And only daimyo and the wealthiest traders of this world could afford a supreme warmaster as a bodyguard.

"Thank you for your care..."

"And one more thing, Mari," Stas spoke quite casually, as if about today's weather. "If by some means you're not in the western part of the city, and the bartender doesn't inform me, then I'll make sure you don't get far. Do you understand?"

"I won't let you down, master!" This time, her bow was much deeper.

"Glad to hear it. Now, I'll explain to you the basics of an offensive technique. Your current skills are not enough to survive in this world. You have enough prana reserves, so listen up. When we meet, you should have already mastered it. Practice outside the city. The technique is called Bloody Strike..."

*****

Watching Mari bow and dissolve into the shadows, Stas wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. A lot could go wrong, and the fact that he revealed to the girl almost the entire landscape could turn against him.

Of course, he left out why he needed an army of experienced prana users, but even so, she knew quite a lot.

On the other hand, in the future, too much would depend on her for her not to have the full picture and be unprepared for it.

That's why he gave her Hideo's technique. Even now, according to Leviathan, her prana reserves were very impressive. Over the years, if she didn't abandon her training, she would only become stronger.

He had to take a risk and believe that she wouldn't betray him. At least not immediately.

Ordyntsev needed someone who would unobtrusively act as his hands while he himself was under surveillance.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

'I gave her the money and the technique in advance, told her about the great mission, and promised my protection, as well as mentioned the consequences of betrayal. I said everything that was needed.'

Stas stretched, about to go to sleep, when everything inside him froze with horror.

"Shiro-Shiro, what a pity. And to think such a disciple as you could have been useful to me. It's a shame that we must part," the voice of Master Jun was unmistakable.

Ordyntsev slowly turned around, careful not to provoke the sensei standing behind him.

The master's face showed blatant boredom, but that didn't make the situation any better; it was slowly rolling straight to hell.

"And yet the Sumada treated you with such respect. We entrusted you with our most valuable techniques. And look what you've done with them," Jun shook his head and took a step forward, causing Stas's heart to nearly stop. "Betrayal, how banal and foolish."

Levi hissed in terror at the side, but a single mental prompt was enough for her to shrink and go silent.

Now was not the time for any show of aggression. Who better than Stas to know that Jun could sometimes be lethally sharp?

"Master," Stas forced his voice to stop trembling. "I'm sure what you've just seen is a huge misunderstanding. Allow me to say that right now, I was thinking exclusively of the benefit of the clan that has sheltered me, the Sumada. Yes, perhaps it looked a bit different from the outside..."

"Different?" Jun chuckled, drawing closer to Stas. The earthling had a wild desire to do something: jerk, attack, or run away. But it was useless. "What I see is a fully prepared betrayal."

What's the point of trying to hide or run if a nuclear bomb is dropping a hundred meters from you? Run or not, but you won't disappear out of the blast radius.

The sensei paused just one step away from Stas. The tall stature of both Stas and Jun allowed them to look each other in the eye.

"Any last words?" Jun smirked, flexing his shoulder.

Ordyntsev froze, frantically considering all the options he still had left. Then, he began to discard them one by one.

Finally, the man exhaled sharply and squared his shoulders.

'If these are my last seconds, then I'll die like a human. And let an uneducated savage kill me, but I'll die as befits a true earthling.'

"I have nothing to say," Stas said bluntly, preparing to accept his death. The man was visibly shaking. Breathing was difficult, inhaling was truly a torture, but he still did not lower his eyes, boldly looking forward.

"Commendable," Jun nodded approvingly, allowing Stas to fully notice the swing.

'Go to hell.' Stas's thoughts were far from cultured.

A fist covered in a visible film of prana shot forward at great speed, then instantly stopped right in front of the earthling's face.

Stas choked on the airwave that hit his face and coughed, stepping back a couple of steps.

"Ha-ha-ha! What, you crapped yourself? Ah-ha-ha," the laughing giant wiped tears from his eyes with one hand, while the other held off Leviathan launching at him.

The snake's coils wrapped around the arm of the supreme warmaster, but no matter how hard they strained, they could do nothing.

"Levi, let him go," Stas grumbled, and waiting for the crestfallen snake to crawl to his feet, he asked only one question. "Why?"

"Because I don't give a damn about the Council and its rules. I also kinda don't care about the clan," Jun succinctly expressed his thought. "I have my brothers and sisters and a few close friends. I fight and kill for them. Everyone else can kiss my ass. Your attempts to save and use that little fool don't bother me at all."

Stas remained silent, as he had nothing to say.

Jun turned and headed for the exit, but a few steps from the door, he stopped.

"By the way, my little student. Since you've decided you're grown up enough for such games, that's your decision. But remember, not everyone will be as magnanimous as your kind sensei," the undertone in the warrior's words was unmistakable. "And if you get caught, it won't just affect you, but also your companions. If the Council will try to corner me, I'll get off scot-free as usual, but it will be much sadder for them."

With those words, the sensei left, leaving a deeply thoughtful Stas alone.

*****

The return to the Citadel went without any problems. Mari no longer appeared before the warmaster and was supposed to follow them in a few days.

The reward for the mission was good, but judging by Jun's expression, he was a step away from making a scene. For strong warmasters, it was peanuts.

But for Stas, it was good money.

However, they weren't allowed to rest for long. After just a few days, they were called for a new assignment.

"Your next mission," Io handed his brother a paper.

"What is it this time?" The sensei looked gloomy and had bags under his eyes. It was frightening to imagine how much he managed to "drown his sorrows" last night, and more importantly, with what. Alcohol that can break through a supreme warmaster's resistance to poisons differs little from actual poison.

"You're in luck, Jun," Io flicked invisible dust off his kimono. "One of our longtime customers, the merchant Shidan-san, has decided to take a long journey for several months, visiting all his manufactories and trade points in all cities."

"Damned spirits!" the master's eyes popped open. "Where's the luck in that?! What am I, a snotty ordinary warmaster, or at most, an advanced one, to be dragging damn traders around in circles for months?!"

Jun's flash of rage and emerging bloodlust were haughtily ignored by Io. The students nearby tried to seem even smaller and less visible.

"If you want your students to die on their first assignments, then of course, you can try to refuse this mission and also blow all my hard work," Io shrugged.

"May yokai devour me," Jun rolled his eyes. "Fine, I accept your mission. But I'll never believe you care so much about these brats. What's the deal?"

"Shidan-san is useful for some of my projects," Io finally said after some thought. Stas managed to catch the official's gaze, with which he regarded them. Io was clearly pondering whether this was too sensitive information. "I would like him to return to the city successfully and continue working on them. Your team, along with you, are perfect for that."

"Now I recognize good old Io," the sensei nodded approvingly.

"Also, I hope that, occupied with your students, you'll stop bothering me as much."

"Hey!"

*****

What is a rich merchant's caravan? It's a giant procession that stretches an unacceptably long distance due to the narrowness of local roads. It's also hundreds of porters and couriers, stubbornly carrying wooden boxes with goods and other riches on their shoulders and backs.

As a mark of distinction in honor of certain merits, Shidan, a trader of considerable fame, was allowed the use of five wagons and a two-wheeled buggy with an umbrella, in which he, the head of the caravan, actually rode.

The rest of the goods had to be carried by hand and on the backs.

The restriction on using carts created a sea of problems and forced the students to patrol from the beginning to the end of the caravan, checking the terrain for ambushes.

Fortunately, it didn't have to be done constantly, as the caravan had its own guards from ordinary ashigaru. But the skills of the latter were still questionable.

The rainy season ended, and the merciless Sun was scorching from above, forcing porters to reach for their water flasks almost every step of the way.

So, what else is a caravan in the medieval realities of a world so similar to a magical version of Feudal Japan?

It's, of course, days and even months of slow and tedious travel. Io didn't lie. Shidan-san, who, for the most part, only communicated with their sensei, decided to take an inventory of all his enterprises.

And there turned out to be many of them, scattered not only throughout Rashta but also in the neighboring country of Sakoi.

The latter, fortunately, did not border their enemies, Hyugo, being on the other side, but it had its own problems in the form of an impending civil war between the three sons of an already quite elderly ruler who had become senile in his old age.

Such an ambiguous situation became an excellent breeding ground for many bands that also crossed into neighboring Rashta.

Nevertheless, most of the bandit groups they encountered on the way were too small to attack such a large and well-armed caravan.

In the end, there was absolutely nothing to do, and Ordyntsev literally felt that he was wasting precious time.

He shared these thoughts with Mei and Eiji.

"I agree," the girl nodded with what she believed to be aristocratic grace. "It's not fitting for someone of my level to tramp in the dust like some porter."

"I support the little princess," Eiji received an angry look. "If we don't learn at least something, the master will bury us himself." The lad shuddered. He got it the worst.

United, the students pestered their sensei to influence their client.

Considering the weight of the arguments, Jun was about to send them to hell since he himself was riding on one of the carts, but eventually softened.

Not too pleased with the additional weight on his carts, Shidan still agreed with the supreme warmaster.

From the outside, it might seem that this wasn't so important. But not at all.

Sitting in the cart, Stas could fully dedicate himself without distraction to the accelerated flow of prana through his channels and the energizing of his muscles.