Luferra Knaol

  The elites were undergoing the usual introduction to the army from Lysander. That being, of course, literal torture for anyone who isn't already at the level where they could beat an entire platoon of normal soldiers. I sighed. I and everyone else had been doing that a lot apparently. Ever since we'd first gotten those reports that there was not only a Dire Wolf in the forest, but also a Faerie Queen, both I and my brother had been on high alert.

  We were so glad that shortly after finding out that there was a Faerie Queen, a Mana-Steel level group of adventurers had slain the Dire Wolf. Then, because it was just our luck, Adrultan declared war on the Queendom and now I was here, standing on a hill with my twin brother. He was watching the potential elites with an appraising eye, I knew him well enough that I knew what this meant.

  There were definitely diamonds in the rough in that group. Or in Dame Eleanor's case, polished diamonds with a dubious history. My probing with Karrlund, a nice enough lad even if he was a bit naive, told me a lot more than my scouts had managed to find. Most of what we 'knew' was conjecture and inference. Wasn't often that knights left their countries. According to all the reports, including one from Knight Captain Greofth, her country was subsumed by the Theocracy. A terribly sad turn of events, I was sure.

  However it didn't end there. This knight was the daughter of a supposed bigwig in this 'Republic' And now I was going to have to try and find a way to inform her that her sister, the heir if Karrlund was right, is dead. Stressor after stressor. Honestly I was thinking of retiring right then and there, but that would probably get me cursed by brother dearest.

  I shook my head, I was usually a lot more focused and less rambling. Age was certainly catching up to me now. I turned my eyes back to Dirose and then to Lysander. I raised an eyebrow at his arrival but he just grinned at me. Cocky bastard deserved his name of the Mad, how many people were at the level of a knight commander but still refusing the knight captain promotion?

  "You two seen anyone ya wanna poach from me yet? Other than the already talked about ones?"

  I stare at him and sighed. It really was becoming a problem, so much sighing done in the higher ranks would set a poor example for the new guys. He just grinned at our lack of actual response before leaning conspiratorially towards Dirose. I could have listened in but decided that if I needed to know Dirose would tell me later. Lysander stood up straight and cracked his neck, for some reason I half expected him to glow.

  "Tell you what, boss and big boss, I'll let you borrow us a couple times for training your own special folk, how about that?"

  Taken aback would have been the most apt descriptor for what both me and my brother dearest were showing. Lysander was clearly confident in his little elite group this time.

  Feyre

  I didn't like the Lieutenant much. Neither did anyone else who was in this mess. It was as close as possible to being an orderly run, march, or jog. Whatever it was meant to be it wasn't, unless it was meant to be a blob boxed in on the front and back. I think people just saw me and some of the more experienced people in the group start setting the pace and then those that could assisted and those that couldn't ended up in the mosh pit that was the centre.

  From the front we would probably be quite the terrifying sight, a bunch of lightly to heavily armoured soldiers running in almost perfect synchronicity. I felt bad for the poor kid who was carrying a bag full of papers that saw us coming round the bend. He ran off screaming bloody murder, but it was understandable.

  Eventually our congregation made it back to Lieutenant Snow. He was grinning ear to ear and standing exactly where we'd left him, event though we all saw him disappear for a couple laps. He clapped once and I prepared to have to run again.

  "Well, usually my mojo is making the later lot run another five laps, but you all managed to stick together. You lot all ruined my fun, so now I'm gonna find it another way."

  We all groaned, at least internally, and waited for the next thing he'd make us do. Ten laps didn't sound that bad until you realised that the outer wall of this supposed courtyard is almost 2 miles long thanks to all the weird bends and the village at the centre. It was almost seven hours after we'd set off in the morning and we were likely going to riot if he pushed us too hard.

  "So I'll be training you up to be fighting the 'even more elite than you' platoon. There's almost half your number in there, but one of the weakest is a Gold Ranked adventurer, so buckle up your booties, or whatever you've got since some of you lot don't have em."

  He crouched down and, like it was some ad from back on my old world, he showed us his boot. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but that... that certainly wasn't it. As if I needed any more reason to believe the title of 'The Mad' for this guy. The man next to me audibly choked back a laugh and had to fight his face to keep it straight. A poor man without the knowledge of my true God, Acting.

  It didn't take long for us to all realise what we'd been signed up for, though. Very quickly did we realise just how royally screwed we were. The group of elites who were above us, and their weakest was a Gold ranked adventurer. That meant that they were as powerful as Karrlund, Emrik, and Pavolia at least. I closed my eyes and sighed. A mighty great big sigh escaped and everyone else looked at me as if to say they also understood.

  The madman Lieutenant though, he just grinned at all of us.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Alright then, off to the mess hall with you. I am gonna wring you so hard even the most talentless snail in the realm would be able to put up a good fight!"

  As one, the platoon shuffled to the mess hall. We probably freaked out the other platoons who were already there, but when the murmurs of the 'mad runners' started circulating we got a lot of sympathetic looks. Not that we paid them any mind whatsoever. We were just scarfing and wolfing down whatever sustenance we could manage. And then the madman waltzed on in without a care in the world.

  "Alright Barrack nine! get your asses moving, I got work to do!"

  Baring in mind we had only just sat down and started wolfing down our food, I think the others were rightfully shocked when we all got up. I didn't know who started it, but by the time I got to the exit, and also the Lieutenant, everyone was throwing sweeps, kicks, and even a couple punches his way. I saw the guy in front of me kick the lieutenant's shin and barely tap it before it was gone and he was on the other side.

  I grinned at the man before me. I wasn't as big as the others but I had quite a lot of confidence with my technique and speed. I raised my arm as if to slap someone, and then my foot slammed into the side of his leg. Eruptions of cheers from everyone in my group as the Lieutenant let out the faintest of oofs. The men in the mess hall still looked absolutely horrified by our clear insubordination but the Lieutenant just slammed his hand into my back and grinned back at me, nodding. I had barely even made him flinch, but that was more than most of the people had been able to do.

  After me were a few of the veterans, all of which decided to kick the exact same spot I had. I smirked as man after man all kicked the Lieutenant in the exact same spot until he laughed and actually dodged one man who had some proper wind up for a whopping great kick. We all walked to the training grounds again and lined up in the same order as before.

  The secretary was trying her best not to smile as we all feigned innocence at the weird looks we got from a couple passers by. Honestly, I don't know what the Lieutenant expected but he got something from us that was for sure. I stood at ease in my space and waited for him to get onto the stage. Eventually, he did make it. He was grinning like a... well. like a madman, when he did.

  "Wow, some of you lot are really brutal. Like, brutal brutal. Hopefully you're this vindicative towards the guys you'll be fighting at the start of next month, aye?"

  I allowed myself a smirk, some of the men allowed themselves a chuckles or snicker. I didn't think we would have gotten away with that if our specific lieutenant wasn't absolutely mad, and let us hit him every time. I doubted he'd even still be stinging from our kicks but a girl could hope, or something.

  Internally, I was in a screaming match with myself. I was growing more and more, less composed as time went on. I could feel it, but also just the differences in how I was acting at the start of my time on Eurani. Where had I started to change? I frowned mentally as I scoured through the different possibilities.

  When I died.

  I fucking died.

  And I came back different.

  Of course I did.

  Oh well, a problem for future me. I was currently in the army for a fictional country that had a monarchy and treated their queen like a demigod. Or was it demigoddess? I mentally shrugged and started paying attention to the madman who I was realising I had a bit in common with.

  "Alright, go get into the plain training garbs I bought you all using my secretary's money and grab one of those."

  He pointed to a bunch of wooden versions of basically every type of weapon I could see being feasibly used in battle. I gave the same salute I'd given to Ser Greofth when I had met him and walked into the changing booths near the ramshackle arenas. I said arenas but they were more just circles of tape with a couple posts and there were like thirty of them.

  Once I was in the booth I made sure no one was able to get in, see in, or anything else. I even used identify to make sure that there wasn't any magicks or anything that could pierce in easily. Then, I used my storage to take off all the stuff I was wearing and pile it neatly in front of me, before putting on what was essentially a more form fitting Gi and Dobok amalgamation which used enchantments to whisk away sweat. I tucked the legs into my boots and kept the gloves on too.

  I then, for about three minutes, sat in my booth humming. Once I heard some footsteps I walked out too and made my way to where Lieutenant Snow was now standing. He was still grinning at all of us as we arrived, apparently he was absolutely thrilled at our balls, or tits for us girls, for disrespecting him so openly at the mess hall. Absolute madman he was. I can't fix him, and other things.

  We all lined up, in the same rows and columns, again. Some things never changed. For some reason, even though we'd been told to grab the wooden weapons after we were changed, they were nowhere to be seen anymore. I was sure we would get them soon, maybe after some more iconic madness from our boss.

  "Alright then Platoon Nine. I looked into your files and what you lot all listed as your weapons of choice. Some of you are very... unique."

  He looked at a smaller gent, who has ruffled blonde hair. The man in question just smiled sheepishly. Seemed like he had a very strange weapon then. I'd look forward to fighting him if I got to. Suddenly all of our weapons of choice were thrown at us, those who weren't quite as good when it came to reflexes, got hit in the noggin.

  I couldn't help the little giggle that overtook me. I managed to cover it up using acting, but I had giggled nonetheless. Of course me being me, I had asked for an arming sword, and also throwing daggers. I only got the sword, but it was a worth a try. I picked it up and started testing it's weight. It was well balanced, a quick identify told me that it had enchantments so that it would feel just like a well made metal sword in my hands. That was good, didn't want to get used to one weight and then suddenly it wasn't the right one.

  I gave a couple practice swings, disguising them within some random and deliberately sloppy arcs of the blade. I got a nice swoosh out of it and smiled. The man next to me raised an eyebrow at my sloppy swings but must have caught the more proper ones that I tried to sneak in there because he chuckled and shook his head. I huffed and grabbed the forte, holding it like it was sheathed as I stood and looked at the Lieutenant.

  I hadn't even seen him grab, or throw the weapons but he managed to accurately aim at all of our heads within seconds, if that. I gave him an appraising look and he just grinned as always.

  "Alright, two people per ring, then once that bout is over find a new opponent, I won't allow any skiving or just sparring your friends. I shall not spare you from the sparring ring!"

  I grimace, and look around before just walking over to a ring and waiting for someone to come to me. The first challenger was a burly looking man who had what appeared to be two short swords, one of them slightly shorter than the other. He nodded hello and we stepped into the ring. I was not going to lose, or if I did not embarrassingly.

  As soon as I was in position the System notification popped up.

  [System]

  [Duel: Initiate duel with [Jarod Beasi]? Y/N]

  I was suddenly very glad that I had changed my status screen to Eleanor Agrifiti when I decided that would be my cover. That could have been detrimental to say the least. I saluted to Jarod and settled into a long-point guard. I mentally pressed Y.

  [System]

  [Duel Notice: Both parties have agreed to the non lethal duel.]

  [Starting in: 3... 2... 1...]

  And so it began.