Winters patiently listened to Zan explain his reward. His face told Zan it was an audacious reward.

Once Zan finished speaking, Winters turned his chair to the blank wall behind him. He was thinking.

Swinging back to face Zan, Winters said, "Boy, lad... you never ask for normal rewards, do ya?"

Zan shrugged. What else could he do? How was he to know what a 'normal' reward be for a teenager fighting a war?

"Fine. Just to get this straight, let me recap your request. You want me to revoke the local provincial guard's independence and bring them under my authority? Local guards supported by the king do, technically, have to report to royal army commanders. But this rarely happens in practice. Considering the nature of things, though, I doubt anyone would object to more aid, even at the cost of a touch of operational freedom. Why would you want me to do this?" Winters asked.

He hid nothing. Zan replied with the blunt truth -- "Local guards fighting under my Order's banner creates a sensation. 'New Order emerges. Everywhere they go, local warriors bend-a-knee and fight alongside.' Good for recruitment."

At first, Winters's face did not change. "I see," he said, thinking on the deeper ramifications of why someone might want to control a number of local militias. With a sigh, Winters said, "I will do this for you, Zan. If for no other reason than to give you another opportunity to show us your capabilities. Do not make me regret my trust, young man."

Zan's eyes locked with Winters as he tilted his head in a half-nod, a gesture Zan half-remembered as originating from his village's elders, and which Zan thought showed his utmost seriousness. "I understand the power and responsibility behind this gesture. I promise you I will only use my powers as an autonomous commander when it comes to the defense of the province. That is it."

"Good. Very good..." Winters said, breaking eye contact and turning his head for a moment. His face looked sweaty.

Winters continued and said, "Well, loaded as that request is, on paper, it is a simple request. Should a senior commander have asked this of me it would not be an issue at all. Me assuming control of the local guard outfits is actually something I should have done a long time ago. Do understand, Zan, the kind of stress I am under. Since this is more protocol than reward, I will still offer you a smaller, albeit conventional reward, so the records clearly state not favors, but concrete payments. What else do you want?"

Elation bubbled inside him. He had played his reward close to his chest. Now, it was turning out better than he could have imagined. His status was being considered, his intent to put the local guards at his disposal would be soon enacted, and now he was to receive another reward on top of everything?! He beamed. It was a good day to be him.

"Blank property bonds. Labor bonds, too," Zan said.

Winters smiled back and said, "Now we're talking."

How did the rest of Zan's day with Colonel Winters go? To Zan, it went fine. After being given his blank bonds, Zan stashed them in the back of his satchel. His headset System, a device which, although was always on, Zan hardly paid attention to unless he was fighting for his life, notified him.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

[Key Item Added to Inventory: Property and Legal Bonds]

Zan pushed the notification away using his mind. Like a slowly dissipating rain cloud, the notification faded out until it had gone completely.

"How about a snack before the rest of the day?" Winters said.

"Rest of the day?" Zan asked, excited at the prospect of something to eat.

"Yes. As part of our allyship, I had said previously how I thought it prudent for you to take some basic lectures on the history of the Kingship. Every soldier in the armed forces does this before being sent to the front. You cannot expect to attain a title as mighty as an autonomous general, and not be well-versed in your king's history.

It came back to him. Zan remembered Winters had said as much. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, though Zan thought it was likely before the villa battle.

"I did say I would sit and listen. And you make good points. Will these classes take the full day?" Zan asked.

"Yes. Unfortunate, I know. The streets are filled with intoxicated partygoers. War or not, you want to be out there with them. I get it. I was young once. You won't be able to join in their revelry," Winters said.

"It's fine. I am not overly fond of the drink. Jiehong likes all manner of drinks, but I prefer the puff," Zan stated.

Winters laughed. "Ha, you are an honest lad, lad! Let's go and find a bite. Then, we will learn!"

Zan and Winters traveled outside where next to the barracks a kitchen with many firepits had been established to care for the influx of people which came with Winters and Viceroy Gallant's party.

Gallant? I hadn't thought about him in forever, Zan told himself.

Speaking up as they sat at a wooden table with several of the commanders' subordinates, Zan asked, "What of the Viceroy?"

Winters swallowed a huge bite of chicken and said, "What of him? He is safe. Comingling with the local elite. Bit of a ghost while we traversed the Wizard Towers, eh? Just sitting on his mobile little throne, being carried everywhere as if he was the king! Disgusting... don't worry about the viceroy. He'll cough up some pretties. They always do."

"Oh, no. Not that. I was just curious about him and how all that works. Do viceroys own property in the regions they are not empowered?" Zan asked.

"They are encouraged to only own property near to their seats of power. This is not to say they are forbidden from owning property. Why do you ask? Specific property in mind for those bonds and are worried if it could be owned already?" Winters explained and asked.

"Maybe? I am only curious about who would control the land back in my home province," Zan said.

"It would be our esteemed viceroy. Not Gallant," Winters said, a slight chuckle slipping from his lips. "When it comes to property, all wealth be true. Provincial viceroys, lords, guild folk, they aren't going to be interested in backwaters. That's what we are, unfortunately. A backwater. Any property owned by people outside the province is going to be centered in the biggest cities. No one will care about random forest thickets or barely tended wheat fields."

The two finished their small meal. Winters brought Zan to the classroom outside of his office. By now, many more people filled the room. Mostly young recruits recently brought on by the local garrison commander, but a few older faces as well. Was everyone here for the class?

"I will leave you be now, lad," Winters said. "It was lovely spending some more time together, but I must be returning to my duties. I will be speaking with Viceroy Gallant soon and at that time will procure Whiskey's and Jiehong's rewards. Return to me tomorrow at noon. Until then!"

Winters left Zan alone in the full classroom. A tall man with a white beard came in. He was skinny, frail looking. From his bag he pulled out a small tool. The man then fiddled with the contraption, pulling out of it a series of increasingly small cylinders from the tool which came to a point.

Slapping the unfurled touching tool, the teacher then slammed it to the chalkboard, demanding silence.

Instantly, the room's atmosphere cooled to dead silence.

"My name is not something I wish to share with any of you. Please call me 'teacher.' I have been employed with the administration of his king, the majesty, for all of my life. I will be instructing you today on the basics of soldiering. Looks like we have a room full of fresh faces. So, let's get into it, shall we?"