Rick stumbled, pushing against a man in uniform infront of him. He shoved him out of the way, drawing on his mana. His gates cracked open, getting a grunt for him as he drove that mana into his core.

A larger older man turned from his position of at-ease, his face turning thunderous, his bushy eyebrows trying to meet his walrus-stache.

He opened his mouth to yell as Rick clocked him in the face. His eyes found the back of his skull as he crumpled.

“Gods you were such a pissant asshole. Little bit of power over kids and you buttered up the rich powerful fucks and turned a blind eye to anyone that didn’t have direct power. Fuck you.” Rick gave his later generations something to worry about. To the hisses around him.

He looked up, standing infront of his ‘squad’ thirty noble dickheads that he would suffer with for four years. He presented them all his middle fingers, one raw from the punching.

“Fuck you fuckers too.” He waved his middle fingers around liberally, then pointed at a guy in the back. “’Cept you George, you were a good guy, hell of a fighter too. You’re good shit. Jaxon, fuck you you, wow. Like I’ve never seen someone with their head so far up their ass in a fight that they think they’re talking out of their own mouth. You shouldn’t be incharge of a goddamn sheep that knows how to take care of itself. You’d fuck it up with your stupid.”

Rick looked around. A parade square, the general of Valoria Military Academy standing at the podium with several officers behind him. All pomp and stupidity. The whole fucking school was a joke. Four years of learning ‘tactic’s’ mostly getting into all kinds of parties with one another. The officers trying to get in the good graces of a noble family to retire out telling their stories as one of their retainers.

He was the fourth son of a ‘knight’, someone to be shifted away to hopefully gain some accolade to help the family, or at the very least some useless job that would get him out of the way. He’d come to learn how to fight and found more of the same bullshit as at home.

The squad leader’s, other officers started converging on him. He had one shot here, oh fuck he’d use it.

“Lily, I’m sure you’re great? Maybe? I dunno. But you know I know you’ve been fucking Hayden. Think it’d be best we cut off that whole thing. Messy messy. Have fun you two rasckly kids,” He gave them both finger guns. It’d hurt at the time, still ached a bit. Fuck it, rule of cool.

Lily paled and dropped her head, Hayden glared from a squad over.

“Bethany,” He let out a whistle. “You’re stunning, smart as hell able to fight like a dervish! Ah you make an old man’s ticker pound!”

The woman in question’s eyes widened. He gave her a wink. “Any of you lot want to get stronger, get a weapon, some training, proper training and head out to kill the beasts that have been attacking rural locations.”

He pivoted on his foot and gave a bow to the audience. “Well that’s all I have left for today.” He rose up, the officers closing in on him with dark expressions.

His sound talisman started to ring out, through the silence. “Excuse me, got to take this,” He took out the talisman, and started to briskly walk between the squads, picking up pace into a jog as the officer’s paces picked up as well.

Going from angry ‘I’m not jogging just walking fast’ to ‘fuck you for making me jog!’.

“Yoo Len,” Rick started jogging, running along the back of the squads as the officers moved around the different squads, staying in their positions but looking at what was unfolding.

“Yeah?” Len’s voice was equal parts questioning and apprehensive.

“Hey dude, umm, so, probably going to get arrested. Gonna need you to post my bail,” Rick picked up into a run. “Valoria Military Academy! Fuck it feels good to be able to run!”

“Get back here you shit!” An officer said.

“You’re only making this harder on yourself.”

Rick laughed.

“We’ve been back in time for less than five fucking minutes!” Len hissed into the receiver.

“We’re back in time!” Rick stopped, dodging an officer trying to tackle him. The officer sailed past as Rick spun around their heels and kept running. He twirled, sprinted, and stopped, getting through five more guards as he kept going.

“That’s not the point!” Len yelled. Rick held the sound talisman away from his ear from the volume.

An officer ran out between the second last and last squad, with the weight and speed of a runaway train.

“Kind of the poi—oh shit he’s fast!” The man’s legs thundered on the ground as he wrapped Rick around the midriff and threw them both to the ground.

Rick’s sound talisman went flying as they hit the ground. The man grimaced.

“Impurities, fucking stink, need like seven showers to get the stink out.” Rick said helpfully, trying to get breath back in his body.

The big man’s body convulsed as he kept his bile down.

“Damn that felt good to do,” Rick let out a satisfied sigh. Len is gonna be pissed.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

***

Len noted down things in his journal, a messenger bag over his shoulder with his worldly belongings, a paper he'd bought for everything else under his armpit. In his hands he hurriedly scribbled down information.

He weaved around a lawyer talking to some noble retainer, wearing fine robes and a finer sword and dagger on his hip at the doors.

"We can get them to reduce the charges, though Officer Orlev was publicly knocked out and then, well a display was made about his person infront of a great number of public figures." He kept writing, half-studying the reception to the military police station.

It was only a small one, dealing with those from the Academy. Many were whisked away before their names every graced a piece of paper saying they spent time in such a place.

Drinking, assault, all manner of charges disappeared from this location. The floors were tiled and clean. The room well cared for and kept in good condition. There were planters around the room, regularly cared for.

A man that could have been on a poster about joining the military was behind the counter, with the build of someone that took care of themselves, but a friendliness Len had found rare in any veteran. His eyes jumping to his rank tabs.

"Corporal, I'm here for Rick."

"Rick?" The man's eye brow rose. The chatter from behind him stuttered.

What the heck was his family name?

"From Valoria Academy?" He asked.

"Umm, we have someone with that name here," He said, frowning as he glanced at the duo at the entrance.

"Alright," Len sighed. "How much for the idiots bail?"

"You dare slight the Isendia name!" The noble lackey's voice rose.

Len rose and eyebrow at the man's outburst and turned back to the corporal. "How much is he going to cost me?"

"Uhm, it will be one and a half gold."

"Fucker is already costing me half of my damn savings." That was the better part of seven months he'd saved up.

He pulled out the coin and put it on the counter.

"What do you think you're doing?" The lackey reached for Len's hand. A lifetime of fighting kicked in as he kicked out the man's leg, grabbing the back of his head and slamming him into the counter, tearing away the dagger at his side. He held the blade to the man's neck.

He realized where he was. Gods he was week, he would have smashed him through the counter before. Though the man was so weak his face was already cut and his teeth were decorating the counter and floor.

Killing someone was a sure way to get the police on his ass.

"Don't touch me."

He turned back to the corporal, sliding the dagger into his coveralls, out of everyone's view--he was still holding his journal in his left, the pencil under his thumb.

"Rick Isendia?"

"Umm." The corporal looked at the man on the floor and Len.

"It would be good if you call for medical aid or have someone that can do that within the building. Then Rick if you please?"

"Rick Isendia is my client," The lawyer said, though there was a quiver to his voice as he stayed well outside of Len's range. Ever heard of a throwing knife?

"How about asking him?" Len asked.

"That you out there Len?" A voice came through the corridor to the side of the room.

"Yes Rick." Len said, unable to keep his exasperation from his voice.

"Good! I'm getting old again! Hurry up and pay the man!" Rick yelled.

"Fucking nobles," Len said under his breath. "You're paying me back and interest."

"Aww, don't be like that, what's interest between friends!" Rick tried his most engrating tone.

"Compounded," Len replied and raised and eyebrow to the corporal. "Medical aid and my idiot friend please?" He pushed the coins across the counter.

"Rick, say you want to go with me," Len yelled.

"I want to go with Len," Rick moped.

"Right," The corporal pulled out a sound talisman and talked into it as he pulled out keys.

"I need medical help, uhh, someone slipped and hit their head," The corporal said.

Used to covering up the noble's faux pas.

"Thank you."

Len looked over to the retainer who was cradling his bloodied mouth and probably broken jaw, glaring at Len.

"Who are you?" The lawyer asked as the corporal moved into the back of the station through the corridor.

Len shrugged. "Was a coal shoveller this morning."

That set the lawyer back a few seconds enough time for Rick to walk out. "Well shit, you don't look like a worried nutsack."

He had a ground rash on a cheek scabbing over already, he was skinny full color in his hair, much longer than Len had ever seen it.

"Fuck you too Rick. Come on, things to do." Len headed out of the office.

"Can I borrow this?" Rick grabbed a piece of paper from the desk.

"S-sure?" The corporal said. His day was not going how he'd expected it Len bet.

"Thanks!" Rick started folding the paper.

"Borrowing is when you give it back." Len said.

"Future problems," Rick shrugged, putting the paper and pencil into his pocket.

"Mister Isendia, your estate sent us to secure your release," The lawyer said.

"Hey Domious, should get that face seen to," Rick kicked the man in the face. "That's for the ways you looked at my sister. Keep your fucking eyes in your goddam skull. Fucking useless dickwad. All you had was shitty stories." Rick bent down and went through the unconscious man's pockets, pulling out a watch and a coin purse, he undid his sword belt, pulling it free and held it out to Len.

“Got a dagger already,” Len said, writing in his book.

“Finders keepers then,” Rick pulled the sword out, inspecting it. “So fucking shiny.” He sniffed the blade. “Polish? Fucking polish!”

He drew back his leg again, grumbled and put it back on the floor. “Twat.” He drew it out more. “Good steel at least but damn. Made to be light and shiny.”

“Reinforcement enchantment, seeing as its so light, mana blade?” Len asked, his eyes floating over the weapon.

“Now we’re talking,” Rick slid the sword away and looped the belt around his waist. He paused his head snapping up to the lawyer. “Lydia, grandmother, how are they?”

“Uhh,”

“Spit it out,” Rick growled, stepping forward, Len felt the mana in the room constrict. His cultivation might be minimal like Len’s but his control honed over decades was there.

Len lowered his journal. He had heard of Rick’s sister and grandmother. It had taken years, deep trust and a lot of some rot gut that could peel paint.

“Y-you’re grandmother she’s in failing health. She’s cared for on the grounds but her mental stability has deteriorated.

"And my sister, Rick pressed.

“Lydia?” The lawyer asked, Rick nodded in the way of someone barely controlling themselves. “She's denied all of the hands that have been presented to her thus far, but your father is moving towards an alliance with one of the higher noble families.”

“Trying to sell her off," Rick said out of the side of his mouth. "What about her lessons?" Rick demanded.

"She's been doing well in her cultural lessons," the lawyer said.

"I don't mean her cultural lessons, I mean her fighting lessons," Rick said.

"Fighting lessons?" The lawyer looked perplexed.

"Still hiding it then." Rick held his chin, eyes moving back and forth.

“Retainer Killian Roe, how is he?”

“He is living out his retirement caring for your grandmother.

Rick’s face split into a dark smile. Len kept his expression neutral tallying up questions.

"Has the yearly Isendia fighting contest begun?" Rick asked.

"That's not for another two months," the lawyer said.

"Was it this year or next year?" Rick ran his hand through his hair, letting out a sigh of frustration. "Okay." He turned his gaze on Len. "We got lots of work to do then."

They headed out of the station.

One idiot out of jail. Now they just had to somehow get to Harmonia, which didn’t even exist yet.