Leonard Massarreli, Versez's Army Barracks; Kingdom of Eins, 610
Leon watched as the next few batches of mages tried their hand in chanting. Pillars of fire and torrents of water were clashing in the middle of the training field as hundreds of mages watched in wonder.
The training area was closed to the Army today, and Leon only allowed the 189 remaining mages of the Army to attend today's exhibition. Actually, only the mages of the Army knew about Leon's appointment as it hasn't been announced officially yet.
Esbonde Rosare, the Head of the Rosare House and also the current leading Royal Court Mage, led and explained to the mages the new way that magic would be utilized. He basically reiterated and expanded on what Aleuas' described of how magic truly works, eliciting a doubtful response from the mages.
This is why he had done the exhibition. The Rosare was known to have no other ability other than converting a mage's ability to be something that was passed down to their kin, but Esbonde led the Royal Court Mages simply because he understood more about magic than other people.
Earlier, Esbonde also described to Leon that he has attempted to try other magic in the past, only to fail. Esbonde reasoned that it might be because he never truly believed that it'd work, but ever since the King demonstrated his use of varying magic, Esbonde became truly convinced and was able to successfully utilize many types of magic.
The still on-going testing in chanting by the army mages was born out of their curiosity and surprise when Esbonde first exhibited his new-found magic. After demonstrating a myriad of spells, the army mages were completely caught in Esbonde's pace, allowing him to outline the true basics of magic, which is simply knowing and willing.
One thing that Leon noticed was that Esbonde's magic, either through the use of chanting or not, was more powerful than the other mages. He realized that the Rosare Line is probably more attuned to many magics due to their curious nature, and thus Esbonde is able to exhibit far more control over any type of magic. The perfect candidate for a Headmaster.
As the mages took turns in trying out chanting, and some failing to try simple casting of different magic, Esbonde approached Leon.
"I must say Leon, I was surprised that His Majesty chose you to be the Field Marshal. Though he hasn't made the announcement outside the army, this is sure to put a dent in the rebel's cause." Esbonde said as he greeted with his hand.
Leon nodded.
Esbonde wore the Royal Court mage's robes, a simple bluish robe that had the crest of the Kingdom on the chest area. Esbonde was a tall and thin old man with gray hair and a long gray beard. He had a wrinkled, triangular face and pointed nose. His pale skin was freckled and he walked with an unsteady gait.
"He must have planned for it from the start, Sir Esbonde."
"True, however, his discovery of magic's capability and his plans of an academy have exceeded my imaginations," Esbonde raised his chin as he smiled. "I'm very excited about the prospects and the long-term returns of this undertaking. For now though, I'll be the first to say that the thousand mages of the Rebel Factions will not stand a chance against our measly one-hundred eightynine." Esbonde laughed.
Leon smiled as he thought about Esbonde's words. It's true than even though they have the advantage in numbers, the mages of the Army now had more magic in their hands than any other mage of Eins.
Although, chanting takes quite a bit of time, it still doesn't defeat the fact that it's utility to jump-start the learning curve of magic is advantageous when the Rebel Faction's mages come knocking.
"I'll bet that the Rebel Faction would start rallying their troops once I am officially announced as the new marshal. So I took it as a priority to have you demonstrate to our mage corps the usefulness of His Majesty's discovery." Leon said.
"Ahh, how very insightful of you, Leon. It does pique my interest that His Majesty has gotten hold of this discovery, and I would say that in retrospect, it seems that His Majesty's travels has given Eins more potential in the long-run," Esbonde beamed.
"As for the rebels, I doubt that they'd be able to come up with an answer as to how the army's mage corps suddenly learned a lot of magic within a short span of time. Thank the heavens for this chanting thing!" Esbonde raised his arms up and looked towards the skies.
In truth, they still didn't understand much about magic other than what Aleuas revealed. Leon tried to pry deeper, only to be shooed away by Aleuas.
Aleuas said that they'd have to discover and learn about magic themselves, and that him feeding them the information aside from this might just buckle their progress. Aleuas then concluded that realizing the rules of magic by yourself has more benefits to a mage than just being given to them on a silver-platter.
Leon surmised that Aleuas planned the Academy to uphold the same ideals when it came to progress. You'll be given guidelines, but you'll have to learn and improve using your own ability. It was a thoughtful way of education.
As Esbonde was done praising the heavens, he dropped his arms and looked at Leon.
"It would still take some time before we train these mages so that they'd be able to cast without chanting, and I'm willing to bet that they still wouldn't be able to touch most magic without it," Esbonde paused and squinted his eyes. "Also, I've noticed that chanting drains more mana than just simply casting a magic, so you'll have to take note of that." Leon nodded as he wrapped his head around Esbonde's insight.
"Still, this should give you more leeway in the immediate future. Don't let it go to waste, Leon." Esbonde remarked with a smile.
Leon bowed in response.
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"Leon, do you think you'd be able to beat me?" Aleuas asked as he and Leon walked through the thin corridors leading to the barrack's plaza.
Aleuas had the soldiers and officers of the army, and select officers of the noble armies and the navy to line up in the plaza to be addressed by him and Leon, and also to properly announce Leon's appointment as Field Marshal.
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Leon told Aleuas that he should take his time before the announcement, but Aleuas said that he trusted Leon enough to do it the earliest they could. Leon just thought that Aleuas wanted to rush things like he did when he was younger, and relented when Aleuas just wouldn't hear him out.
"Of course. Who do you think I am? I'm different from my father." Leon retorted as he shrugged.
"You haven't even seen the full extent of my ability." Aleuas said.
"True, but to be that bloodied and injured after fighting with father? I don't even want to say what would happen if you fought against me." Leon said before chuckling.
Aleuas shrugged and stopped walking.
"Maybe you're right, but don't let that get to your head!" Aleuas said angrily while creasing his brows.
Leon laughed out loud in response, and Aleuas snorted and turned away from Leon.
"Well, Leon, I'll be leaving the military in your hands, so don't let me down."
Leon bowed and put his right hand on his chest.
"By Your Will, Your Majesty."
Aleuas stuck out his tongue before perking up.
"By the way, have you met Emilia yet?" Aleuas asked.
"Your new advisor? No, you haven't even thought about introducing us, I bet." Leon said.
Aleuas raised a brow and then placed a hand on his chin.
"Right, okay... Then I'll introduce you next time. Anyway, I'll address the army first, so right after I introduce you is when the time you show yourself." Aleuas instructed as he nodded to himself.
Leon wondered why that is, but he then remembered Aleuas playful nature. He must want to annoy the soldiers a bit before introducing Leon.
Leon sighed as he thought about his friend's uncontrollable urge to be annoying.
"I have a question though, Aleuas."
"What?"
"Why me?" Leon asked.
Aleuas smiled before putting his hand on Leon's shoulders.
"It's simple. Because I trust that you can do it. We've been friends for quite a long time, and though we haven't seen each other for half of our lives, that doesn't mean that you've changed." Aleuas said.
"Well, is it simply because you have no idea about military affairs?" Leon speculated.
"No, it's not that. I'm quite versed in military affairs though I haven't been in the military, but do you think I have the time to oversee every battle that happens? Of course not. It is also a fact that a King who does everything is no King. I have to learn to delegate and trust my subjects, that is the only way to progress." Aleuas said as he removed his hand.
Aleuas then heaved before raising a finger.
"Also, you do understand that my goals are very dangerous. Someone has to keep tabs on me. Emilia is that one person, then there's Laurin, after that-" Aleuas paused then used the finger he raised to point at Leon. "There's you."
Leon nodded.
"Originally, I only planned to work in the background before the civil war. You know, influence stuff in the shadows. However, I realized that I had to step up at one point, and it just so happened that the time was now." Aleuas then turned around.
"I'll tell you this now, Leon," Aleuas' tone then changed. "I'm too deep into things, by now. Things that I've learned throughout my travels, things that I've realized when I journeyed. Things that I've gotten myself into. I can't tell you everything right now, but soon, when things have settled down, let's have another chat." Aleuas then walked towards the plaza.
Leon just stood still as he watched Aleuas leave. Leon felt goosebumps as Aleuas' left the corridor.
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Leon was now kneeling as he hid at the edge of the corridors and away from the soldier's view. He didn't plan to kneel, but the pressure that was clamping down on him was forcing him to. The soldiers and officers on the plaza were also kneeling against the pressure as Aleuas grinned on a raised platform in front of the soldiers.
A few seconds later, the pressure let up so Leon and the others were able to stand. Leon was catching up to his breath as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. He grimaced as he realized the potential of Aleuas' magic. Maybe he really didn't have a chance against his friend.
He shrugged to put that thought aside and also to shake himself awake. Aleuas didn't really address the soldiers. He simply walked up to the platform and then released that awful pressure on them as he chuckled.
What a way to be King..
Leon thought. The soldiers all immediately went back to standing in attention, raising their chin and puffing out their chest. Their eyes as if they were looking a thousand miles away.
"His Majesty, Aleuas Eins, salute!"
The clanging of chestplates rang in cadence as the soldiers and officers hit their chests in salute.
"Well, I'm sorry for that everyone, that was just my way of saying hello!" Aleuas waved his hand as he finally addressed the soldiers.
The soldiers then returned their hand to their sides.
"Anyway, I'm here to announce that a new Field Marshal has been named due to the death of our previous Field Marshal. I'm sure you know who this man is, so without further ado, please welcome Leonard Massarreli, Field Marshal of the Eins Military!" Aleuas shouted, excitement wrapping around his tone.
Aleuas took a step back and Leon started to make his way to the platform. He heard gasps as the soldier's surprise overtook them. Of course, no one could have ever speculated that Aleuas would choose Leon as the new Field Marshal.
Leon step forward the raised platform and nodded as he approached Aleuas. Aleuas simply smiled. Leon walked to the front of the platform while Aleuas took a step back.
"Leonard Massarreli, the Field Marshal. Salute!"
The soldiers perked and simultaneously saluted, though this time a bit unruly because of their shock. Leonard paid it no heed, and he simply stood with his hands behind his back.
"Good day, soldiers and officers of the Eins' Military. I am Leonard Massarreli, and today onwards you are all under my command."
Leon then saluted back. After a few moments, he dropped his hand back down, allowing the soldiers to return back to attention.
"There will be changes in our military's ranks and posts. To the officers, this does not mean that you'll be demoted or removed from your positions, but there will be a reassessment of our military and its compositions. As for the soldiers, there will also be changes in how our army will be structured." Leon announced.
"The details of the changes will be given to you in a memorandum as soon as I finish the fleshing them out. I hope that you cooperate to your utmost during this change." Leon then coughed to clear his throat.
The soldiers were trying to discretely dart their eyes towards their colleagues, their unease creeping their way and weakening their postures.
"Also, to the armies of the previous rebel faction: there will be no second time. If you still have the guts to rally under the banner of rebels, then I invite you to do as you will. However, I'll use everything in my power to bring you down." Leon declared.
He heard murmurs of chatter collect where the officer's were, probably in annoyance that someone who's father was the head of the rebellion is now threatening to shut the rebels down.
"I know what you're all thinking, however, those days are over now. His Majesty is right in that we need to be as one if we're going to survive as a nation. I will believe in His Majesty, and will work with him towards the future of Eins! If I have to prove myself by crushing who were once my allies, then so be it!"
Leon then heard the faint sound of the clucking of tongues. It seems that the rebel officers weren't yet ready to give up even if they had to go against Leon.
Leon also felt that the military who were loyal to Aleuas themselves still weren't quite ready to follow Leon into battle. They were all still uneasy and the officers and generals looked at Leon in contempt. It's one of the challenges he'll have to face as the new marshal. At least, he'll prove himself when the time comes.
"Do not think that just because the military is right now in the state of disarray, that you'd be able to further your goals and cause havoc. These men, these who are loyal to the King, have it within themselves to pass any hurdle and commit to hunting you down. Remember that. That is all for now." The soldiers saluted as Leon turned around and faced the smiling Aleuas.
Seems like Leon's challenges would be more from his own men, rather than the rebels. He'll either have to work his way through a chaotic war, or solve the issue before then.
Either way, it was time to prepare for war.