Final Lecture

It was soon time. Today was the final day before the start of the Tournament. Over the past week, Inductees and workers have both been scrambling to get the event set up. Cain and the Third Company had helped pull out of a large storage unit what seemed to be an unending number of long wooden benches. Cain swore he had carried at least a fifty of them from the storage unit to the main field. All of the other companies were busy with their own tasks as well. One had spent the day shoveling snow and marking the boundaries of the many dueling grounds where the participants would fight. Another was busy building an elevated wooden stands for people to sit and watch on. Some workers were making what seemed to be a large painting on parchment which turned out to be the Tournament bracket. It would soon list who was fighting who. So many others were doing miscellaneous tasks, running around of the field like a bunch of worker ants. Conduit Horicus himself was among them, standing on the wooden stage that the had given his induction ceremony speech, yelling out orders for the Head Instructors for them to then yell at the Instructors for them to yell at the Inductees. All in all, things were progressing quickly. While they were originally supposed to rest during the last morning before the Tournament, they were unfortunately called to make some final corrections to the seating arrangements on the field. They all grumbled and groaned when Instructor Thorne told them so.

Now, Cain found himself once again moving around wooden benches on the field. The grounds of the Tournament were actually looking festive in a way. There were decorations put up celebrating the New Year, a long line of large unlit candles right on the edges of the dueling grounds. The dueling grounds was sectioned into a large rectangle with a total of four different sections. They were separated by a low fences and a pathway that cut between and around them. Referees would stand at these pathways in order to determine a winner and intervene if necessary. These fences would be removed once the semi finals and finals came along. Beyond the grounds, innumerable amounts of seating was placed. Benches and stands surrounded the dueling grounds, campfires made here and there to keep the audience warm during the bouts. Smaller chairs were placed in front of the benches, personal seating for the many Instructors and Head Instructors that would come to watch. The watchtowers would serve as private booths for some noble families that were planning on attending. In front of the dueling grounds overseeing the entire event was where Conduit Horicus would sit.

Cain was honestly fairly nervous. He had long since been preparing for the Tournament and now it was right around the corner. This sentiment was shared by many of his fellow participants toiling on the field. As he mindlessly moved around the benches, he once himself found himself getting lost in thought. Ever since the announcement of the Tournament, he had been thinking of a way to take on Eleni. That was his biggest obstacle towards his goal. He had created many plans in his head to only toss them in trash the next day. He still wasn't completely sure about his game plan. However, his month of planning was not for naught. He had spent the time analyzing Eleni's swordsmanship and habits, trying to grasp her specific strengths and weaknesses that he could avoid and exploit.

When comparing their physical traits, Cain had realized - to his pleasant surprise - that he actually had the upper hand. First off, his size. He had grown taller and wider during their time at the Institute. Intense training and an abundance in high protein foods had allowed for the orphan to put on muscle faster than anyone other Inductee. As someone who had always been slightly malnourished, his body absorbed the unfamiliar new nutrients he consumed with greed. He remembered Eleni making a comment on his extremely fast growth. She had explained those who were new to training, especially on the muscular side of things, tended to put on muscle at a much greater rate than anyone else.

Did she call it newbie gains?

He had a large weight and height advantage over her, his reach now slightly extending past hers. Of course, that also came with the fact that he was stronger than her too. While she was still faster, Cain had grown exceptionally comfortable in his own body. Months of daily practice moving his body had made it so that he had found a natural flow between his movements. Initially, when trying to perform a strike or a salvo, his muscles felt incredibly stiff. As if trying to force together unnatural motions that he was unfamiliar with. Now, his muscles all contracted in tandem, every movement purposeful and intended. He could almost feel the neural pathways being branded into his brain, his muscles forming memories of every strike he practiced. This had evident impact on both his speed and swordsmanship. No longer were his movements clumsy and choppy, they were smooth and flowing. Of course, this didn't mean that he could compare to Eleni's skills in any way. If anything, it just meant that he had finally evolved past being just a beginner at swordsmanship. He still had a long road ahead of him. Which lead him to an impasse.

How in Fa's name am I going to get past her skill?

Her edge in technique was something that Cain couldn't imagine overcoming. He knew he had to use his physical strength to his advantage, but he didn't know how. He had seem Jorn try and fail spectacularly. On multiple occasions now. And Cain couldn't hold a candle to the giant's physical prowess. His original idea was to throw away all caution and commit to some crazy parlor trick. Something so unexpected that Eleni wouldn't be able to react because she wouldn't know how to. But he was doubtful. The more he thought about it, he realized Eleni would most likely be prepared for such a tactic. Perhaps specifically preparing in advance to counter such tricks. Every potential scenario Cain simulated in his mind lead to his ass flat on the ground.

Cain sighed. Even with the Tournament so close, he would have to think of a plan later. He had moving to do.

...

Cain once again found himself at the red table in the mess hall. As usual, he sat next to Horrow with Eleni opposite of him. He rubbed his bulging gut, his body satisfied with the food he managed to stuff into his stomach. One thing he would never get sick of was the food they provided. He wondered if he would ever come to miss the free and readily available food that the workers provided at the Institute. He just hoped the chefs at the Line were of the same caliber. Cain turned to Horrow, who was politely wiping the corners of his mouth with a cloth. Horrow noticed Cain's eyes and turned to give him a smile.

"Every day I sit next to you during our meals and I still cant help but be amazed at how much food you can eat."

Cain gave the smaller man a cheeky grin while patting the growing mound below his training uniform.

"A boys gotta grow! Maybe you should eat some more too."

Horrow laughed.

"Maybe I should! To be honest, I'm kind of done with being small. Maybe it would be better if I looked like the giant over there."

He pointed a thumb towards Jorn, who was busy gorging on a rib. Cain made a face.

"You don't need to take it that far. How about a body like mine! Do you even see these biceps?"

As Cain flexed his arms to Eleni's chagrin and Horrow's amusement, Head Instructor Neptune made an early appearance into the mess hall. The food had yet to be cleared off the tables. As some of the Inductees rose to greet the man, Head Instructor Neptune waved them back into their seats. He took his usual position behind the podium on the stage. Many of the children looked up in slight confusion.

"Now, now, continue feasting Inductees! I just came slightly early since I have an announcement to make."

Essentially all the Inductees stopped eating at that moment. The sounds of chewing and hearty conversation soon came to an end.

"Oh well, or eat once I'm done. While I have your attention, I would like to tell you all something of importance: today will unfortunately be my final lecture!"

The Inductees all looked around at each other, not yet processing the Head Instructor's words. It had been almost three months of the older man's classes. But they were suddenly coming to an end?

"You are all probably wondering why this is going to be my final lecture. To be completely honest, its because I've taught you everything you need to know! Of course, there is a lot more I could talk about or subjects I could get further into detail, but all this extra information is not required for you to know if you are all to be discharged healthily! That means that during this time, you are all allowed to treat it as extra free time. You can train, study, meditate, or just relax! That is completely up to you, although I recommend you use your time wisely. Of course, if I am needed, I am always available in my room. I'm sure you all know where that is. If you ever want to learn more feel free to come by during the usual time for our lectures!"

Head Instructor Neptune gave one final goodbye and turned to walk out of the hall. Soon, noisy chatter once again filled the hall. This time, however, the topics for discussion were mostly on what to do during their newfound free time.

"You guys want to go train after lunch..."

"Let's go back to our room and take a nap..."

"I could use a shower..."

Inductees all around were contemplating on their next course of action. Eleni gave Cain a look and he shook his head. He didn't want to overexert himself so close to the Tournament. Eleni just shrugged and continued picking at some of the meat on her plate. Horrow then asked,

"I really did enjoy his classes. Such a shame. I would ask you to join me in visiting Head Instructor Neptune, I promised Sasha that I'd meditate with her whenever I can. What are you going to do?"

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Cain thought to himself.

"I'm really not too sure myself."

Soon enough, the food and plates were cleared off the tables and the Inductees slowly began draining out of the hall in groups. Many of the Red Squadron accompanied each other to the Red Room. Horrow and Sasha made their way towards the ritual room. Cain didn't even need to wonder where Eleni was going. Jorn disappeared off on his own as usual. Cain was the last to leave the mess hall. As he closed the door behind him to make his way to the Red Room, he made a last second decision. He turned towards the direction of Head Instructor Neptune's receding footsteps.

...

Cain found himself in front of a heavyset dark wooden door. A small nameplate indicated that it was Head Instructor Neptune's private room. Cain wasn't exactly sure how to make himself known. He was the only Inductee at the Head Instructor's room. His hands hovered over the door, knuckles ready to rasp at the wood. He hesitated, then steeled himself.

Knock, knock, knock.

Silence followed for a few moments before Head Instructor Neptune's familiar voice whispered through the cracks of the doorway.

"Who is it?"

"This is Inductee Cain of the Red Squadron! I have to come as I had some questions I wanted to ask you, Head Instructor!"

There were muffled sounds of footsteps and the undoing of a lock before the door swung open. Head Instructor Neptune stood beyond the ingress, a smile on his face.

"Come, come! Take a seat."

Cain took a nervous step past the threshold and into the dimly lit room. It was simultaneously nothing and everything Cain had expected. First off, it wasn't a single room like the Red Room Cain called home. There was another closed door to the side. The room Cain was standing in was filled with books. No, filled with would be an understatement. Large shelves stood abreast of the stone walls of room. Each shelf was full of books and rolls of parchments, both new and old. Some books had leather covers, some had none at all. Some looked brand new, some looked as if they came to be long before Cain's birth. Parchments were rolled into bunches and placed upright among the many tomes. More littered the corners of the room, stacked into tall and messy piles. A large carpet covered the cold floor with a singular round table on top and four chairs surrounding it. A couple lanterns hung from the ceiling, basking the room in a deep orange glow. While it was exactly the kind of room Cain expected a scholar to have, he was slightly startled by the chaos in the room. He would have expected Head Instructor Neptune to be more organized.

"Do disregard the mess, I haven't taken the time to clean up just yet."

Can this man read minds?

Head Instructor Neptune gestured to one of the rickety chairs in which Cain sat. The older man slipped into a chair opposite of the boy. He clasped his hands together above the table, observing his student.

"Well, I must say I didn't expect someone to come on the very first day. Most tend to spend their free time lazing about or participating in physical training. Inductee Cain was it? What brings you here."

The man's brown eyes glowed in the amber flicker of the candlelight.

"Good evening Head Instructor Neptune. I don't have a specific reason as to why I've sought you out. I've always enjoyed your lectures greatly. There is much I do not know about the world and hearing your stories and lessons has been incredible enjoyable! I would love if I were to continue to learn more about our Empire and the lands beyond."

Head Instructor Neptune let out a jovial laugh. His eyes glittered with intrigue.

"Never in my ten years at the Institute have I had an Inductee like you. Not a single soul had bothered to continue their studies. Did you truly enjoy my lectures that much? I always do appreciate an inquisitive mind. Do ask any questions you may have. If you would simply to like to more about a specific instead, I could always share some insight."

Cain pondered for a moment. There were so many things he wanted to ask. He held back his childhood fascinations for lands unknown, tempted to ask questions about the nations west of the Empire or the Great Island. Instead, he asked about something more relevant to his current situation. Horrow's face flashed in Cain's mind.

"Could we start with the Patriach families? Or simply how the Empire functions as a whole?"

Head Instructor Neptune gave him a curious look.

"That was definitely not what I expected you to ask Inductee Cain. Yes, that is something I can answer. But perhaps before I get into detail about the inner workings of the Empire, I should explain how the Empire views and controls her vassals."

Head Instructor Neptune walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out a large piece of rolled up parchment. He unfurled it onto the table, the edges of said parchment almost hanging off the round table. It was a map of the known continent. It was far more detailed than the one Head Instructor Neptune drew during their first lecture. He pulled a small pointing stick out of one of the pockets of his uniform and drew a circle around five cities.

"Here we have the bastion cities. I'm sure you are more than familiar with the area."

You would be surprised at how wrong you are.

"Let me explain the world from the central continent's point of view. The people of the central continent are inherently different from us. The largest is the difference in phenotype. Those of the central continent usually have blonde hair and light colored eyes. Of course, there are exceptions but this holds true for most of their people. These people are refereed as the Flavs or the Flavese. The central continent is mostly flat, with negligible changes in elevation. There were many nations that once occupied this green and arable land. The Green River that flows through the central continent is its lifeblood. Once the people of the central continent were united by the first Emperor, they soon turned their eyes outwards. I'm sure you're tired of me repeating this fact over and over. Soon, they conquered most of the continent, facilitated the construction of the Line, and so on and so forth. In schools, we teach that the Empire is one great cohesive unit fighting a winning war against the nations of the west. But that is actually not the entire truth."

He pointed once again to the bastion cities.

"We were conquered after the central continent was united. While we have been a part of the Empire for the better part of a century, in truth we have yet to be fully integrated into the Empire. That is the problem with constant warmongering and unending conquest. Their forces are stretched thin across the continent, a landmass which is tens of thousands of kilometers wide. After the Empire burned most cities between the bastion cities and the central continent to ash, the link tying the two sides together seemingly disappeared. Of course while many smaller settlements and basic infrastructure were built between the two powers to facilitate trade, it still is nothing compared to the what was during the glory days of the east. While the names of the eastern nations are irrelevant today, the name they call our people still stands. They refer to those from the east as Grisians, or the Grisio. It is the root word for gray. This is beacuse our hair and eyes tend to be darker shades of brown and gray. Not only that, most of our landscape is mountainous and parched of life. While botanists have tried their best, agriculture is almost impossible in the east. Only small patches of land to the west of Laconia and Alexandria allow for crop growth. That is one of the reasons why the Empire had invaded in the first place. The western edges of the eastern nations encroached on central territory. Our food was once farmed far in the west and distributed among the people. The Empire had severed that supply chain long ago. Now the farms of the central continent act as our peoples' breadbasket.

"Of course, the relationship between the central continent and the east is symbiotic in nature. They provide us with food, we provide them with epsum. They fill our stomachs, we fuel their war machine. But that is not all. After the Empire's attention shifted south, then finally west, essentially all of their military presence went with them. When we were initially annexed, they didn't have the time to properly integrate our cities into their Empire like they did in the central continent. They placed the Bellona, Kayle, and then eventually the Xiang families into power. All families that had no proper ties to the central continent. To this day, the general perception of the Empire is that of a foreign power that took their cities and many resources. They are bitter that the Empire took away their food to only sell it back at a price. The Emperor is aware of this, but he doesn't have the time or resources to start a propaganda campaign in the east. His hands are full enough as they are with the south and the west. Coming to the topic of the south, the public opinion of the Empire is even worse than the east. Those in the south are called the Shan or Shanese. They are known for their near black hair and eyes. The Shan hate the Empire. To this day, the final city state of Hei'fong rebels against Empire rule. I personally believe that the Emperor should have taken more time consolidating his power within the east and the south. Especially among their populations."

Head Instructor Neptune took a breath. It was truly a lot of information to take in.

"To finally get to your question, the Empire's influence over its vassals is a lot weaker than one might think. Those of the south and east believe he is an usurper. Only the central continent feels like the Emperor is their true leader. The Patriarch families of the Empire are the most influential noble families within the central continent. The four Patriarch families are the Fabii, the Julii, the Claudii, and the Valerii. I'm sure you are already familiar with the Fabii. They rule the region to the south of the capital. The Julii rule the regions directly east of the capital, the Claudii west, and the Valerii north. Nowadays, the Valerii are no longer considered a true Patriarch family. They were most powerful when King Legolas initially recruited the Valerii into his ranks to conquer the central continent. Their strength has long since faded. The Fabii used to be considered the most influential family as of now. Recently, there have been rumors of the Fabii falling out of ranks with the Emperor. Whether that be their relations with the rebellious Shan or the fact that the southern conquest is over, I do not know. I have heard that the Julii have recently been getting close to the Emperor. They truly are a opportunistic bunch. But then again, one cannot trust the rumors that come from the Emperor's court. That place is all political maneuvering and shadowy lies, a place stock full of sycophants and slithering snakes. Never had the stomach for politics myself. The Claudii are the most dangerous. They lead the western war effort joined by the Emperor's personal legions. Of course, the other families help but only marginally. They wouldn't dare sending their main armies into the fray. Those not of the direct line are usually sent to the front lines to fight on the behalf of the family heads. Ever since the war in the west begun, the Emperor had held the Claudii close. I'm sure the Julii are more than disturbed at their intimacy. Perhaps the next Emperor would be birthed by a Claudii noble lady! Either way, the Claudii have the largest army among the Patriarch families. Now, hopefully you're satisfied with my answer. I must apologize for going off on such a tangent."

Cain couldn't do anything but nod. There was a lot to process. He took a couple moments to organize his thoughts before responding.

"No, thank you so much Head Instructor Neptune. That was enlightening. Actually, there are a couple more questions I would like to ask..."

...

Cain stood naked in a small wooden stall in the bathroom. He poured some water over his head, letting the cold wash flow over him. He had stayed in Head Instructor's room for so long he had nearly forgot about his training with Brother Haggerty. After remembering at the last moment, he had thanked Head Instructor Neptune and rushed out of the room in worry of being late. Fortunately, he had made it just in time.

Now, once again, he found himself thinking of the Tournament. In only a dozen or so hours, it would begin. He had just finished brainstorming a plan for dealing with Eleni. He wasn't confident that it would work, but it was the best idea he could think of. Cain was feeling less and less sure of his chances in winning first place. The winter chill seeped through the thick walls of the Rock, causing him to shiver. All that he was sure of was that he wasn't looking forward to fighting in the cold.