Tucker stood before his men and watched them hoist the logs above their heads while falling into a lunge. He kept his arms behind his back, watching as dust rose from the dirt floor. The sun’s scorching rays hit their skin, revealing the sweat that clung to their clothes and backs. It had been a couple of days since he started eating his meals with the militiamen, and he had a clear grasp of their abilities. With Eric’s help, the thirty-first platoon’s physical capabilities grew stronger, and with the mentoring from Benjamin, most of them had become more efficient with their aura usage. The only problem now was their awful form when it came to fighting.

  They needed a talented instructor who knew the basics down to the bone. Yet none of the watchmen, except for one, could help with this. Tucker turned to Luka and asked, “Any word from Ray?”

  “Nope, he’s one stubborn guy, to say the least.” Luka shrugged his shoulders. “He doesn’t care for pay and doesn’t listen to a word I say.”

  “Do you have any idea why?”

  “Maybe it’s because I’m more handsome than him?”

  Tucker rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Very funny, but really. He must have a reason for why he doesn’t want to do anything.”

  “I have no clue.” Luka crossed his arms and leaned against the stone wall. “When I did a bit of digging in the Order, the only thing that came up was that his mentor sent him here or something.”

  “He was sent here by his mentor? Not by the Order?”

  “Yeah, weird right?”

  “It is odd… do you know where he is?” Tucker stared at Luka, watching as his friend subtly pointed at the second floor of the barracks building with his thumb. There wasn’t a need for words as Tucker’s gaze trailed up. In the window was a man with messy red hair and freckles, calmly observing the situation in the courtyard. “I see, then I suppose I should give it a try.”

  “Give what a try?” Luka narrowed his eyes. “What? You mean talking to Ray? That asshole doesn’t care.”

  “Let me see for myself.” Tucker adjusted his hat and tightened the straps of his iron armor. “Maybe he just doesn’t like you.”

  “I’ll have you know. Everyone likes me.”

  “Whatever you say.” Tucker waved his hand to the side, ignoring the smug grin on Luka’s face, and walked towards the barracks. The sun was still high in the sky, and Ray’s watchful gaze meant he had some interest. It was just a matter of finding out why he was interested.

  As Tucker entered the building, the men stood straight with their chins held up. One hand was resting on the hilt of their sword, and the other over their hearts. The metallic sound of their armor moving filled the halls as all of them stood at attention. In an instant, the militiamen were ready, proudly wearing their green tabards that bore four silver stars surrounding a crown. The very symbol of the Everheart Kingdom.

  “At ease,” Tucker said, staring at the new uniforms. It wasn’t like the standard tabards that mainly covered the front and instead split towards one side so that it was easier for the men to run. The extra leg room typically wouldn’t be for knights that mainly used aura to reinforce their bodies, but the militiamen still struggled with that, so this was one solution.

  He waited until the men nodded, acknowledging his order, before moving towards the staircase. Subtle changes were taking place in the thirty-first unit. Changes that most wouldn’t notice unless they were here from the beginning.

  His steps barely echoed in the lively halls, and at a glance, Tucker saw that each militiaman carried their weapons and maintained their equipment. Their methodology for weapon care was vastly different compared to before. Instead of only using a whetstone, they also used a block of wood with a strip of cowhide fixed to the top. Slowly polishing the ends of the blades with a red compound to aid in refining the edge. It was hard to believe these were the same men that the commander didn’t see potential in. This only proved to Tucker that they just needed to be given a chance.

  After a few more minutes, Tucker could see a figure standing before an open window. Their attire was similar to his, iron armor that was reinforced with magic engravings for protection. Accompanied with interlocking chain mail and an owl with its wings spread out below a crown on the shoulder pads.

  Their messy red hair and blue eyes were the first thing Tucker noticed, but unlike the angry attitude Luka had expressed in their conversation. He saw a flicker of sadness and regret in the watchman’s eyes.

  “So, after the grunt, the boss himself decides to show up.” Ray snickered and turned to Tucker. “Like I told your minion, I have no intentions of getting involved with the militia.”

  “You say that, but you’ve already involved yourself in it to some extent, haven’t you?” Tucker asked.

  Ray followed Tucker’s gaze towards the militiamen by the weapon rack and scoffed. “That doesn’t count. They should know how to properly maintain their weapons by now. I just couldn’t stand what they were doing to their poor blades.”

  “Then let me ask you this. Why don’t you want to get involved with them? They aren’t bad people.”

  “Because it’s beneath me. I’m a watchman, one of the best soldiers in the Empire. Why should I waste my time training these guys?” Ray’s mouth was filled with scorn, but beneath it, Tucker could hear a hint of displeasure and regret. “They should just do what they do best and hold the line, nothing more.”

  “And this line you speak of, do you think they’ll be able to hold it?”

  “It’s good enough to fend off most.”

  Tucker crossed his arms and stood beside Ray, observing the militiamen from the window. They were forming shield walls with their swords behind them, yet even though this seemed pretty good to him. Something that Ray said bothered him. “Good enough? We’re not aiming for good enough.”

  “Then you should go visit the knights and ask them for their feedback on how to improve.” Ray held onto the side of the window frame. “If you can waste your time here, you might as well find something better to do.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Well, it’s only a waste if you don’t join us,” Tucker pointed out with a grin. “It’s like you said. We’re only good enough to get them to form a decent shield wall, but when it comes to tactics, posture, and formations. You’re great at it. We need someone like you to help us improve their capabilities.”

  “Using the word great when it comes to me is an overstatement,” Ray countered. “If I was so great, then I wouldn’t be here at the bastion.”

  Tucker quietly listened. He could see the conflicting emotions bottled up within Ray tremble. It wasn’t hard to relate to what his comrade was feeling. After all, the watchmen stationed at the bastion weren’t there by choice. “Maybe the Order saw that you had a greater potential here.”

  Ray glanced at Tucker and scoffed. “Bullshit. You and I both know that’s not true.”

  “To me, it’s true.” Tucker smiled and ignored the piercing gaze from Ray. “I know back during our training days, you helped all of us quite a bit to get into shape.”

  “I just happened to be there.”

  “And you just happened to be here.”

  Ray went silent and fixed his gaze on the militiamen. He took a deep breath, and for a second, Tucker saw the wall before him crumble. “I’m… not good enough to help. I’ve made too many mistakes and no matter what I do, I just keep making more.”

  The pain that Ray felt was something that Tucker could relate to. It was like standing in the cold and watching as the world moves on without you. A feeling of constantly second-guessing yourself even after doing something right. One that held you back despite everything you’ve done.

  Tucker kept his eyes on the militiamen, but through the glass, it seemed as if his reflection was staring back at him. Maybe this was why Alex had always been so lenient. Because his mentor knew he didn’t need anyone else to judge him. Tucker had always been his own harshest critic, and maybe that was why Alex always took responsibility, even when the mistakes weren’t his.

  He took a moment to collect his thoughts. Even after all this time, he was still learning something from his mentor. With a voice that didn’t waver, Tucker said, “It’s fine to make mistakes. I’ll take responsibility. I just need you to try to help them.”

  “What if I cause more harm and ruin your training?” Ray asked.

  “Then I’ll think of something else to fix it. That’s not a problem for you to worry about.” Tucker patted Ray on the shoulder before walking past him. “I have to return to the courtyard to supervise their training. If I don’t show up, who knows what Eric will do to break their backs?” He chuckled. “I won’t force you to do something you don’t want. If you change your mind and want to help, then feel free to come to the courtyard. If you don’t want to help, then you’re still free to stop by. Maybe you can give a pointer or two if you’re bored.”

  The red-haired watchman stared at the carefree smile on Tucker’s face, tightly clenching his hands to his side. He couldn’t understand Tucker’s confidence. For watchmen like them, they couldn’t afford to have blemishes on their record. They were still in the infancy of their career and needed to dedicate their lives to building their achievements, yet for some reason, the man who held merits the highest wasn’t there anymore.

  “Wait.”

  The creaking of the wooden floorboards came to a halt as Tucker glanced over his shoulder. He stared at Ray. “Yes?”

  A silent stillness took over the halls. Ray stood there with his mouth slightly open. He didn’t think too much when he called out to Tucker. He just wanted to understand what caused the egotistical bastard he knew to change so much. But parts of him knew it wasn’t right to pry into such matters.

  Tucker observed the troubled expression plastered on Ray’s face and smirked. “We’re not kids anymore, Ray. If you have something to say, then just say it.”

  Ray deeply inhaled, feeling the invisible weight on his shoulders lessen. “Why do you care so much about them? You weren’t like this before. You only cared about achievements and building a name for yourself, but now… you’ve changed.”

  “That’s what you wanted to know?” Tucker forced his lips to curl upwards. He recalled the words that Charles told him before, that those who mattered already knew of his achievements. Having the entire world know about what he did was nice and all, but after the Scarlet Seal, Tucker slowly began to realize how pointless it was.

  Instead, the things that mattered started to appear one after another. He wanted to protect those around him, to keep his friends safe, and live with no regrets. He thought back to all the times he had fooled around during training with John and Luka. A sudden sadness took over his mind for a brief moment. If he had tried his best back then, maybe things would be different, but such thoughts did more harm than good.

  “Have you heard about what happened with John?” Tucker asked, watching as Ray shook his head. “Well, he passed away a while ago. Died in the line of duty.”

  “What?” The news struck Ray like a punch to the gut. “But Luka’s perfectly fine.”

  “He’s not. He just doesn’t like showing his emotions like that.” Tucker slowly exhaled with a pained expression. “Everyone here has their own troubles, but when you ask me why I care about the militiamen, it’s because I want to increase their chances of survival. I’m tired of doing nothing and watching those around me die because no one will give them a chance.”

  Ray kept his voice down and scanned the halls. “You know the survival rate for them historically is…”

  “I’m aware, but that doesn’t mean we should just do nothing.”

  The light in Tucker’s eyes was something Ray had never seen before. If someone else had told him about this encounter with the same dimwit they knew during training, then he would have called them out on it. However, he was experiencing it firsthand.

  “If you have nothing else to say, then I’ll be taking my leave.” Tucker waited for a response and soon saw Ray nod his head. “Like I said, you’re more than welcome to join us if you want.”

  The wooden floor creaked once more as Tucker waved his hand in the air. Ray was at a loss for words. More than fifty percent of militiamen die in the war. It was a well-known fact that what determined the state of battle was one’s individual prowess. Yet Ray couldn’t help but resonate with Tucker’s words. His mentor had abandoned and exiled him to the fortress city. He questioned his own capabilities, but if Tucker could change so much in such a short amount of time, then maybe he could too.

  .

  .

  .

  “Ah, I see you’re back.” Luka looked up from the cold dirt floor he was sitting on. “How did it go? Did he tell you to fuck off as well?”

  “Well, he didn’t tell me to fuck off. He was pretty civil when I talked to him,” Tucker replied, standing beside Luka with his arms crossed.

  “Must be the rank then.”

  “I doubt it, I didn’t bother using my rank. It just seemed pointless to me.”

  Luka paused and blankly blinked at Tucker. “You didn’t use your rank? That’s crazy, I thought that was all you cared about.”

  Tucker felt a jab at his character. “Is that how I seem to you guys?”

  “Yeah, but that’s besides the point.” Luka examined the shield wall created by the militiamen. “They’ve gotten better at maintaining formation, but if we want them to do more than block attacks, we need to change something.”

  “Do you have any ideas?” Tucker asked.

  “I do have one,” Ray responded.

  Both of them turned their heads to the side and saw Ray standing there awkwardly while scratching his head. Luka was in pure disbelief and stared at Tucker, who simply smiled. If it were the old Tucker, he would see a smug grin, but instead, what happened next was their Captain welcoming Ray to their ranks.

  “What the hell…” The sudden development took Luka by surprise. He helplessly gazed at Ray, who walked by, but before Ray passed him, he stopped.

  “I’m sorry for being an asshole to you earlier.”

  The words that came out of his mouth caused Luka to nearly faint. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but soon accepted it. “Don’t sweat it, let bygones be bygones as they say.”

  No other words came from Ray, only a subtle nod as he joined Eric at the front of the courtyard. Luka was at a loss for words but soon bitterly smiled while gazing at Tucker’s back. His friend was introducing Ray to the rest of the militiamen, and while he was still recovering from his loss. Tucker was moving forward at an unbelievable pace.

  It was hard to believe that this was the same guy they had to carry through training. Reminiscing about their training days caused Luka’s heart to skip a beat. If he had known life would have taken them this far, he would have savored every moment he had with his friends, but now that couldn’t be done.

  “John, you wouldn’t believe how much our dastardly friend has changed,” Luka whispered beneath his breath with a smile on his face.