Chapter 54 - Departure

"... Should I know why those are here?" Zaos asked.

"You are always reading books, you should know what this is about," Laiex frowned. ".... This is the equipment you are going to use from now on."

For the first time in his life, it looked like Zaos was going to use a real sword. He couldn't help but gulp after hearing that. While he has been training to become a powerful warrior, it was the first time he would swing a weapon that could take someone else's life.

"Most boys begin their sword training when they are five years old, at least that is the truth when it comes to houses like ours who have a long history with warfare," Laiex continued. "However, those of common birth start when they are around ten, enlist in the army and begin their training. They also gain an exact set of gear like the one inside the chest."

"Wait… does that mean…" Zaos furrowed his eyebrows in surprise.

"That is right, you are going to join the army," Laiex said. "While you already know how to fight, there is still a lot you need to learn. Learning how to lead people on the battlefield is one of them."

Zaos didn't like what he had heard. It wasn't like he didn't think that someday he would do something similar, but he didn't imagine it would be so soon. Zaos began to imagine that his father was trying to punish him or something. But it looked like that wasn't the case.

"Even boys from noble families spend a period working in the army, you can't expect that foot soldiers will follow your commands just because you are my son," Laiex said. "You need to prove that you have the right qualities to lead, and the first way to do that is by being led in the army."

That seemed logical, but even so, Zaos didn't change his mind about the sudden idea of joining the army. He still had many things he wanted to do, and he was pretty sure the army wasn't that close to the capital. So, Zaos would have to leave. Leave his mother, little sister, and all the other things he wanted to learn behind.

"... When do I have to go and for how long do I have to stay away?" Zaos asked.

"In six months the new recruits will join the army, while boys like you won't be recruits, you still will serve under the officials of the army," Laiex said. "Usually, everyone graduates from the army after three years, but you can return home once every three months for a week."

"That is such a short time, what do you usually mean by usually?" Zaos asked.

"There are people who don't graduate from the army," Laiex replied. "Some of them are dismissed since they aren't fit for it, while others die on duty."

As expected, the army won't be a walk in the park, not even for the heirs of important houses. Maybe kids like Zaos were trained from an earlier age to prevent them from losing their lives in the army. It looked like Zaos couldn't refuse that. It was something destined to happen the very moment he was born and became the heir of the Sielders family. Although there are many demerits of that, Zaos would be able to see the world outside the capital, which is probably a good chance since his future job was directly connected to the royal family.

"What will happen to mom and Nyana?" Zaos asked.

"Your mother had a life before you and she will continue to have once you leave," Laiex said. "What does Nyana have to do with this?" 

"Don't play dumb, I already know about her," Zaos said.

"I see… I was planning to enroll her in the magic academy since she is smart and can already use and use magic," Laiex said. "While she won't have an easy life due to her situation, she isn't a weak child."

So, she will be busy from now on as well. In the end, Zaos only had to worry about his mother. While she wasn't exactly hated in that place, she wasn't loved either. Laiex was too cold, and pretty much everyone knew about Laiex and Jeline's relationship.

In the end, Zaos just silently carried his new equipment back to his room. Most likely, his mother already knew that something like that would happen, and yet, she didn't try anything to stop Zaos. That was the path he had to follow. Not even his mother could change it.

For the rest of the day, Zaos didn't do anything aside from staring at his equipment. The next three years will be longer, in a sense, than his nine others. So, Zaos had to steel his resolve and prepare himself for it.

Zaos couldn't slow down on his training since his new equipment and sword were heavier than the others. Still, he made sure to enjoy as much as possible his free time with his mother and Nyana. Thanks to her magic talent, Zaos managed to teach his little sister all the support-type spells he knew. Zaos wished that he could have done something more meaningful for his mother in those six months, but in the end, the only thing he did was tell her what she already knew and that he would write to her every day.

Those six months passed in the blink of an eye. When the day of his departure came, Zaos woke up earlier than usual from that day onward. Until the day of his graduation, he will be just an apprentice of the officers in the army. Zaos had said his goodbyes the previous night, even to the guards and servants that he barely talked to. Still, in the end, every single person who worked for his family also woke up earlier and headed to the gate of the domain to see Zaos go.

It was weird to see that many people looking at him since Zaos didn't feel all that loved aside from his mother. Regardless, while looking at Lyra and Nyana, Zaos waved his hands and left the central part of the capital while walking and carrying his things on his back. The same they wished for Zoos to stay safe, Zaos wished for their well-being with a smile on his face, and thus another important part of Zaos's life began…