Sasha and my cousins said nothing as they walked back to their seats, which was in stark contrast to the group of people on the other side of the table who were gossiping about the scene they had just witnessed between themselves. They seemed to be infatuated with the figure presented by what they call the mother spirit as that was the topic they chose to gossip about. I honestly couldn't blame them though since it was not every day you get to see an actual divine being or whatever you wanna call that thing.

Therefore, I allowed them to gossip to their heart's content as they made their way to their seats, while I took these few seconds of waiting to think over the incident as well.

I was mostly interested in what that being said before I decided to lash out at them only to fail miserably in the process. They mention that my body was not really mine which was true in some sense, while also saying something along the lines of 'yeah I'm doing it, but it's not because I want to' in response to my asking about the glow that made it's way through my body. This was strange by itself but it made sense once you added on what they said later on in their statement which was 'my equal loves to ruin the great things we achieve' and 'they have tempted fate just for you'. This told me that there is at least one other being similar to 'the mother spirit' in terms of power or ability.

After making that conclusion, I also thought back to the yin-yang symbol that appeared on the surface of the mirror while wondering how it was related to 'the mother spirit' and this unknown being that was evidently the reason for my existence here.

Were they contradictory in nature as the being alluded to? Or did this symbol hold the same meaning as on Earth of two complementary forces? To be honest with you... It is beyond me. Plus I was out of 'reflection time' since everyone had reached their seats around me and were now waiting on me to resume the meeting that we all gathered here for. Seeing this, I decided to begin speaking so that we could get this over with.

"Alrighty then... Before we diverged off onto the oath situation, we talked about the fourth department on the civilian side of things, namely the domestic department. If I remember correctly, we have already established two of the three branches within this branch which were the Administration Branch, headed by Jim who will assist the leaders of the different branches in various tasks such as organizing meetings, writing reports, and eventually drawing up contracts, the Education Branch, headed by Rose and Dan in tandem who will obviously focus on the general education of the youths within the castle. However, we never got to the last branch of this department which will be led by Zach in conjunction with Mary just like the education branch under Rose and Dan, not to mention that all of you will have your own staff by the time we near the end of this education/training process. However, that is where the similarities end as y'all fields are more specialized, which means the youths will require more hands-on experience for them to truly develop skills in your respective fields of chemistry or what you call alchemy and medicine." I said while gesturing toward Zach and Mary when calling out their fields of work before continuing.

"So to keep things simple, I have decided that the name of this last branch will be the Science Branch. Zach and Mary, y'all will be working closely together to ensure that the youths under your tutelage receive a well-rounded education in the scientific fields of chemistry and medicine. You will be creating lesson plans, conducting experiments, and providing hands-on training to help the youths develop practical skills. Additionally, y'all will be responsible for maintaining any laboratory or medical facilities we construct in the future once things get up and running, but we can save that discussion for another time... For now, I am hopeful that with the addition of the Science Branch, the domestic department will be fully equipped to provide a comprehensive education to the youth within a year or so, if all goes smoothly that is... Now, do y'all have any questions or statements before we move on?" I asked while scanning the group of people seated at the table around me.

Some of them nodded in agreement, while others remained silent, lost in their thoughts. Aimee, one of the officers from the Internal Security branch within the military department and perhaps the youngest person in the crowd if you excluded my cousins and me, raised her hand hesitantly.

"Uh, Lord, what if some of us youths aren't interested in science? What if they want to pursue other fields? Such as becoming a knight or things like that..." she asked, looking unsure of herself.

"That is a valid concern, Aimee," I replied, nodding in appreciation of her question. "However, it is important to note that while we are providing comprehensive education, it is ultimately up to the youths themselves to choose their own paths. They may discover a passion for science through the lessons and hands-on experience provided by Zach, Mary, and others, or they may find that their interests lie elsewhere. In the end, it is up to them to decide what they want to pursue. We are simply providing them with the tools and opportunities to help them make informed decisions about their futures."

I took a moment to let my words sink in before continuing, "Furthermore, the goal is not for anyone to pursue a career in science, but this doesn't mean the knowledge and skills you gain from this branch won't be invaluable in their personal lives and in the future development of our society as a whole. Science is a fundamental pillar of civilization, and a basic understanding of it will be essential for everyone, regardless of their career path."

There were murmurs of agreement around the table, and I could see that Aimee looked more reassured. I smiled at her before addressing the group once more, "Besides... Only those who are thirteen and below will be required to continue to study full-time. Everyone older than thirteen and younger than twenty-seven will have their days split, spending maybe a third being educated and the rest training their bodies and minds in preparation for their duties in the military department. Which will be the next topic we shall speak on, if no one has any further questions or statements that is..."

I said before waiting for anybody to respond only to be met with silence in the end, signaling that I could continue.

"No One?? In that case, we shall continue onwards to speak about our final topic of this meeting and perhaps the most critical department within the castle, the Military Department... And I say it is critical because of the problems we find ourselves with currently, which are the three noble families who seek control of this city and its people in their entirety, and a lack of security in terms of goods and people for that matter, which makes us more susceptible to bandits, thieves, or just bad actors such as those from the aforementioned noble families. Right now, we only have around thirty or so people, including my cousins and me, who fit the bare minimum of what I require to be considered a soldier or what you know as a knight in my army which is wholly inadequate when faced with the problems I mentioned previously..." I said before grabbing the bag of amulets that I left on the table earlier while standing up from the not-so-comfortable chair that I sat in.

'And that's not even mentioning that organization of mage killers in the central zone or any other variable that might reveal its ugly face once the ball gets to rollin'...' I thought while gesturing for everyone to stay seated as I made my way toward the window which sat behind me the chair I was in previously.

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I did this to gauge the time of day we were at currently as I didn't have my phone or a watch which I relied on heavily in my later years on Earth, but since I spent the majority of my youth playing outside I could at least get a feeling for a general time of day if this world is the one-for-one copy of Earth as it seems to be. Well, excluding the magic and all that jazz... You know what I mean!!

But I digress... From what I could gather using my out-of-date internal timekeeper, I reckoned that it was probably late afternoon based on the general feeling that I got when I looked at the skies above the wall which covered roughly two-thirds of my view visual field. This would mean that we had spent maybe an hour or two on this meeting so far and honestly this felt correct even though I was biased... But I have spent enough time staring out of the window like a grounded child, so I turned around to face the crowd who still sat around the table and was met with inquisitive stares that screamed 'What are you thinking?'...

Seeing this, I decided to continue from where I left off and started speaking once again while fidgeting with the bag of amulets I held. "But this doesn't have to be the case as there are plenty of able-body individuals within the castle who can meet those requirements after a bit of education and training. The education part will be dealt with by the domestic department so obviously that leaves the military department to take care of the training portion. But if we don't change the way we fight, we can never expect to secure our home against an enemy who has the advantage in numbers. This is why we must first revamp the entire structure of what you call the army, which to me is just a bunch of knights and a noble leading, with what they call peasant militias as the bulk of the force... All of that nonsense ends here. If want a proper fighting force then we need a proper military structure to facilitate such a thing... So to that end let's have Zoe, Kai, Ellie, Authur, Max, Eva, Sasha, and the rest of you with the rank of 'officer' stand up while the rest of you remain seated..." I said before waiting until the group was done shuffling around before speaking once more.

"In this new military structure, there will be no titles like a knight, lord, or peasant, there is only room for soldiers and the rank they gain through merit or if I, the commander, choose to bestow it upon them but those will be few and far between. But first and foremost, every single person in the military must meet my requirements to consider themselves a soldier, and that includes myself. Those requirements are simply fulfilling physical activities, such as basic body weight exercises, running and sprinting for medium to long distances, and marching in various formations, plus a handful of educational classes that will be provided by both the education and science departments. These activities must be completed daily for at least three months to revamp your body and mind which will create the perfect foundation for you to reach your full potential as a soldier. After those three months of basic training are completed, you will move on to specialized training depending on the branch you are assigned to in the military. This is where the trusty 'branch' system comes into play so bear with me... The primary branches that most youths can expect to be assigned to are the Regulars, the Artillery Field Corps, or Logistics in that specific order, but there are three other more elite branches that exist as well, however, most of you present will only need to focus on those three that I mentioned previously. The Regulars will mostly consist of infantry whose main focus will be marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and survival skills. The Artillery Field Corps will deal with long-range and heavy firepower, such as cannons and mortars. And lastly, the Logistics branch will handle the transportation of supplies, food, and equipment, however, it is worth noting that all soldiers will receive basic training in all three branches to ensure versatility in combat situations. Once you are assigned to your respective branch, you will undergo specialized training for another three months. This training will focus on the skills needed for your specific branch, such as advanced marksmanship, battle drills, the technicalities of operating heavy artillery, maintaining logistics, or even emergency medical skills. After completing this specialized training, you will be considered a full-fledged soldier and will be assigned to a squad led by officers like those of you present, where you will then work with said squad to hone your skills and become a better soldier..."

As I finished speaking, I saw a few people such as my cousins Zoe and Kai, or a couple of fanatical officers here and there nodding their heads in agreement while others seemed to be in deep thought as they contemplated all the changes I put forth, and I suppose that naming of different weapons that didn't even exist yet didn't necessarily help my proposal either... But luckily I could rely on the unavoidable authority that came with being a lord of a castle to persuade those who have their doubts. However, I'm sure that all will fall in line once I prove the worth of said weapons and tactics in real-world situations.

"So... Are there any questions regarding your training or the military department as a whole?" I asked while leaning on the window behind me allowing the warmth of it to massage my back and got a few hands raised in response. I knew the name of one of the people who raised their hands, but I wasn't familiar with the other, so I decided to point towards the person with who I was more familiar, Josh, an officer who will likely be assigned to my watered-down version of the special forces under Kai.

"I have one, Lord, but it is regarding the ranks within our military. I wish to know if there are other ranks besides officer and commander?" Josh asked in a concise manner, and without bowing which left a good impression of him in my mind.

"Excellent question, Josh. The answer is yes, there are other ranks besides officer and commander but they are structured based on the level of responsibility and leadership within the respective branches. For example, a Private is a regular soldier, while a Corporal is a leader of a team of up to three soldiers or for ease of reference a team leader. A Sergeant or an officer is a leader of a squad that contains up to three corporals, and after that, there is a Captain who is a leader of a company for infantry or a battery for artillery which will contain at least two or more officers... There are a few beyond that but they are obsolete at the moment simply because we lack manpower, so for now you just get yourselves aquatinted with the ranks of Captain on down."

Josh nodded his head in understanding and then lowered his hand, looking satisfied with the answer. I turned my attention to the other person who had raised their hand, a young woman who I didn't recognize. "And your question, miss?" I asked, gesturing for her to speak.

The young woman hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Lord, I was wondering if there will be any opportunities for women beyond cooking meals or cleaning up messes that the men make?... or is it only open to men?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

I chuckled at her question as I could tell that it came from personal experience. " *chuckling* Of course. " I replied. "The only requirement for everyone is that they must meet my standards for training and performance... Err, what's your name again?"

"I go by Lily, Lord." The woman replied.

"Well, I hope that answers your question, Lily... And If no one has any further questions or statements, we can consider this meeting complete." I said while clearing my throat as it had begun to dry from all the talking...

*silence*... "In that case let's call it a day so y'all can go enjoy whatever festivities the others have going on in the secondary dining hall. However, those of you who want to consider themselves soldiers should know that training starts tomorrow before the sun rises and you should bring nothing but your body and soul. I am sure you will find the need for both... Dismissed." I said officially drawing the meeting to a close.

However, as the people made their way out of the room, I could sense a mixture of excitement and apprehension in the room. Excitement at the prospect of new weapons and tactics that could give us an edge over those bastard nobles, and apprehension about the unknown challenges that lay ahead. But I was confident in the knowledge from Earth that has guided me so far, and I knew that with the right training, we could overcome any obstacle that stood in our way, whether it be those nobles or even that organization of mage killers in the center zone...

As I turned to look out the window once again, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window and couldn't help but smile. This was my chance to make a difference, to shape the future of this town and perhaps this world. And I was determined to seize it with both hands.