"Last, but not least, the difference between a good and an expert swordsman lies in the footwork!" Tepper ignored Lith's words and performed a feint to the face before side stepping to stab at his exposed shoulder.

Unfortunately for the Sergeant, footwork was something Lith had learned back on Earth and it was the first thing he had practiced as soon as his body allowed him to. Tepper's blade hit only air.

Lith had sidestepped too and his blade was barely an inch away from the opponent's leg.

The Sergeant inwardly cursed at himself for performing such an ample movement to impress the unit. Lith and Tepper were too close. At such distance, even a small opening was the difference between victory and defeat.

"In the next five months you'll either become good swordsmen or you'll start searching for a new job." Tepper's voice was perfectly relaxed, not revealing the surprise nor the anger he was feeling.

"As for you, maggot, get down and give me forty!"

***

During the following months, the training involved getting accustomed to use several magical tools and to use ch.o.r.e magic for tactical purposes.

Lith already knew most of the tools thanks to his Forgemastering lessons or Solus's Alchemy. They were the magical equivalent of sniper rifles, grenades of all kinds, and climbing suits.

There were no such things as boots of flight or levitation. Long lasting spells required to be controlled by their caster's will, but magical items had no will of their own, they could only turn on and off the spells they were imbued with.

Much to Lith's comrades' dismay, ch.o.r.e magic became more and more relevant over time. Earth magic was crucial to cross quagmires or walk through muddy fields without leaving traces.

Water magic allowed to more easily wade rivers, or in Lith's case to walk on water, and could be used as an invisible umbrella offering protection against rain, snow, or hail.

Soon Lith's skills in both hand to hand combat and swordsmans.h.i.+p were outmatched by his instructors'. He wasn't surprised nor disappointed by finding himself lacking. He had joined the army to learn how to fight and it was finally starting to teach him something.

The worst part for him was the team exercises. They were meant to build trust and teamwork between the members of the same unit, but they only resulted in Lith drifting more and more apart from the others.

He didn't trust them and they didn't trust him. Lith was like the moon to them, cold and distant. Something they could look at but never reach. He had no weakness the unit could help him overcome.

When units competed against each other and he received the role of scout, Lith would single handedly wipe out the enemy team. If he was a.s.signed the role of rearguard, instead, even if the unit made grave mistakes, he would be the sole survivor.

The drill Sergeants soon considered him a scourge rather than a monster. He was the living proof that everything they taught to the other cadets was a lie. Teamwork, trust, and hard work were useless against an overwhelmingly strong opponent.

Life Vision allowed him to spot his opponents, no matter how good they were at hiding. Magic wands and ch.o.r.e magic were more than enough to snipe enemies from a distance before they even understood what was happening to them.

"He has no care for the unit nor for the lives of his teammates." Sergeant Tepper explained to Berion, the boot camp Commander.

"I think he is a liability. A dangerous individual that has nothing to offer to the Kingdom. I swear it on my stripes, sir. To watch into his eyes is like staring into the abyss. There's nothing inside. My opinion is that Lith 1416 should be deemed unfit for service."

Berion sighed. He liked people like Tepper. Honest, hard working men that put their Country above everything else. Yet they failed to see the bigger picture.

"Does he get the job done?" Unlike the Sergeant, the Commander had access to Lith's personal file. He liked it. A lot.

"Sir, it's not a matter of success or failure…"

"Really?" Berion cut him short. He pinched his nose, trying to stop the migraine he experienced every time someone spouted bullsh*t too big for him to bear with a smile on his face.

"So, if tomorrow the Royals are in danger, it's not a matter or success or failure? If we find Balkor's hideout it's not a matter of success or failure? Are you insane, Sergeant? I asked you a question, does he get the job done or not?"

The Commander didn't stand up dramatically, he didn't even raise his voice. He simply stared at Tepper like at a dumb kid after one question too many.

"Yes, he does." The Sergeant replied swallowing his pride.

"Then this conversation is over. As long as he doesn't show violent tendencies or a defiant att.i.tude toward the Kingdom, I don't see any reason to dismiss him. I'm eager to see how he performs during the field test."

***

Leegaain, the father of all Dragons and Guardian of the Gorgon Empire's area, had his fair share of troubles too. Ever since they had found and destroyed the Master's lab located under the Blood Desert, the three great Countries had been spared from the Abomination threat.

Leegaain had never underestimated the Master, not even during that four years long absence.

'We have no way to know if they were licking their wounds or simply had moved from one place to another. The only thing I can do is to keep my eyes open and prepare for the worst.' Leegaain thought.

'Thanks to my help, Tyris is almost done rebuilding the two missing power cores. Once they are completed, the Griffon Kingdom will be once again properly protected and she will fulfill her end of the bargain. With her a.s.sistance, my research could bear countless fruits.

'As for Salaark, I was skeptical of her decision at first, but I must admit that keeping Balkor alive was the right thing to do. His expertise in handling Abominations makes him a perfect a.s.sistant in my work.

'Now my only question is: why has the Master returned right now? It's because they have finally completed a new lab or because they fear us no longer? Only time will tell.'

"I never expected you to be so devious." Milea, the Magic Empress of the Gorgon Empire and Leegaain's only disciple was overjoyed.

"You didn't bring me to the White Griffon to show me the slave items, not the Abomination hybrid. You wanted me to see an academy through your eyes!"

"One thing does not exclude the other, kid." Leegaain grinned.

"Those who don't learn from past mistakes are doomed to repeat them. I brought you there for several reasons, but you are right. The academy was the most important of them. Now you know how the Kingdom achieved such long lasting peace."

"How long will it take to complete our first academy?" Ever since that day, Milea had used even her personal funds to start the research project. She couldn't believe that she just like all her predecessors had been so blind to never notice the difference between a school of magic and an academy.