Heisen's Eye

Chapter 98

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Captain's POV
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Things were quiet for a few days after the surprise meeting with Kagei. I did see him a few more times while I was walking around the village just outside of my view, but he seemed to disappear whenever I turned to look at him.

I also didn't see much of Ryu after that night. I can only assume that he spent the time with his sister, but who knows, especially when it comes to him.

But other than that, nothing much happened. I spoke with the village mayor, Aret Greifen, in the morning about the village's security, but he told me that they had very little.

Greif is one of the poorer towns in the Kingdom, and although they still live fairly well, there are a few moments where you can see it. If you took a walk around the inside of the walls, you'd notice cracks and rotting wood, as well as the lack of constant watch of the outside.

Of course, there are guards, just not enough for the size of the village. They'd barely last against a small monster, nevermind a bandit attack or anything else.

It's a miracle that the village has lasted this long, especially with it being on the border between the Empire and the Kingdom.

His Majesty is going to have a hard time trying to save these people if the tensions between the two countries continue to fester. It's only been a few years since the relationship began to diminish, but it's fallen far in such a short amount of time.

The King has tried to keep things civil between the countries, and for the most part the Emperor has too, but it won't last long.

Ever since the Demon War, the Emperor of Jaird's health has been deteriorating, and with his death coming closer and closer, his mind does not seem to be in the right state. His decisions as of recently have been questionable at best, with the empire-wide acceptance of demi-human slaves and the shut down of all commoner educational buildings.

He doesn't seem to recognize that even if he dies, his country will not, though he seems determined to make it so.

Of course, most of that is what I've heard from His Majesty's rambling, but it seems reliable, so I suspect that we may have to start preparing for war soon. Maybe even within the next few months, though that could be pushing it.

And as always, the other countries are staying quiet, likely thinking that it's a "human affair", so they must stay out of it.

If a war was to start between the Kingdom and Jaird, it's hard to say who would win, but it's almost certain that everyone on the continent will be affected by it. Even the elven country, Alfenheim, and the spirit domain, Viernem are going to have some repercussions, even if they are closed off and self-sufficient.

A war doesn't only mean a lack of supplies for the countries involved, but it also means an increase in dark mana across the continent. More dark mana means we're more prone to disasters, which means more people are likely to die. An endless cycle, though one that can be hindered by the power of the Church somewhat.

It's one of the few reasons why there have been so little wars between humans and demi-humans. The demons are a little different as they're technically made of dark mana per se, so killing them does something akin to purifying them.

It's nothing as glorious as a priest's holy power, it's simply a normal fight until they wither to dust. And the entire continent is still suffering from the disasters that were caused because of the Great Demon War. Too many people died for us to consider our win major.

Back then, I was seriously considering going to the Nashi Archipelago just so I could get a decent amount of jobs with fair pay. The war nearly ruined the entire continent, we're just lucky the two major powers of it had decent leaders at the time; who would have known what would have happen with the leaders before.

The previous King wasn't a bad ruler, but he certainly wasn't a good one. He, at the very least, kept the power of the Kingdom where it always had been.

"He was a coward though..." (Captain)

I mumble under my breath as I walk around the corner of a house, leading to a large open space with several logs wedged in the ground in a square.

Off to the side was a makeshift rack with wooden swords roughly carved out hanging on it. They weren't perfect, but they'd certainly do for a beginner.

My eyes turn towards the far side of the field where I can see a boy, holding one of the swords in one hand, hitting one of the logs in a fairly disjointed manner.

I recognize him immediately and walk over, trying to make presence as scarce as possible.

Ryu doesn't seem to notice me even as I get a few meters behind him and continues hitting the log, his attacks hard and swift, but not very accurate.

"Your left leg is too far to the side." (Captain)

Spotting a mistake, I point it out and Ryu freezes for a moment, before adjusting his leg and starting again.

"Pull your elbow in." (Captain)

"Straighten your shoulders."

"Your left leg is out again."

"Shoulders!"

...

...

It didn't take long for my words to escalate into a full training session.

My own impatience led to me walking over to Ryu and adjusting his posture myself as he was attacking.

It seemed to work well, though I do suppose some habits die hard.

"Your leg!"

But, by the time I was done, he looked as if he had a better grasp on his sword and how he'd fight.

So much so, in fact, that his confidence surprised me.

"Captain. Spar with me." (Ryu)

"...? Right now?" (Captain)

"Right now. I can't beat you, but I need to know how strong I am." (Ryu)

"I thought I said that strength wasn't everything." (Captain)

"... I haven't found an alternative yet." (Ryu)

"... Well, I suppose I could you a warm up. Though, I haven't used a sword this small in a while." (Captain)

The handle of the crude wooden sword was engulfed in the grasp of my hand, and it felt too small to the point where it was almost uncomfortable.

But, I had used these enough for the movements to be engrained in my muscles, so I wasn't worried.

And rightfully so, as only a minute or so later, Ryu was on the ground panting, covered in dirt, grazes and scratches, while I was standing above him, spotless.

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Author Notes
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Well, that took a while but here it is! Chapter 98! Only 2 more to go until 100!

But seriously, I am sorry for the long wait, I just had a bit of trouble moving from Captains thoughts to where I wanted to be that it got me a bit stuck for a fair while.

I could say that I'll try to not let this happen again, but it likely will, especially with me starting to get more school work, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse.

But anyway, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!