“Nyaah, just five more minutes,” Sekh groaned sleepily as I rubbed her head. 

I sighed. “Sekh, you were the one that told me to wake you up early. You remember that right?”

“It’s too early,” she mumbled. “I promise I’ll get up, just wait for me.”

“Alright,” I replied before kissing her on the forehead. “You have to wake up Zeph for me though. I’m not setting my foot into dangerous territory.”

“What’s so dangerous about it?” Sekh said dreamily. “She can’t nock an arrow that quickly.”

“I don’t want to find out either way,” I argued. “Anyways, I’ll wait for you two downstairs.”

Upon making my downstairs, I plopped myself onto a couch to wait for the two girls. Yesterday, both Sekh and Zeph declared their intent to train in order to better aid me in the future. In addition, Justin and Irene also requested to join our training though they would come a little later in the morning.

So once again, I had to take up the mantle of instructor. Though this time, my students show actual signs of promise.

Eventually, Sekh and Zeph made their way downstairs, both still somewhat drowsy.

“What are we even going to do this early in the morning?” Zeph asked me.

“Mostly light conditioning,” I replied. “I’ll have you do more in the afternoon. But morning is a really good time since your focus is better.”

“I disagree,” Sekh yawned. 

“Well you should wake up after some warm up,” I said encouragingly. 

But now that I think about it, I might be forcing my own preferences on them. Compared to them, and most people for the matter, I’m quite the early riser. Even the soldiers guarding Damask’s citadel have made comments about how I’m always the first person to enter the fortress in the morning. 

Interestingly, I wasn’t always quite like this. But ever since I was sent away by my family as a ward, I began to get up increasingly early. Initially my goal was to get breakfast before the older boys so I could get a better portion. However, when I began training to be a warrior, I would get up even earlier to get more training in. In my 13 year old mind, if I got in another hour of practice a day that would be seven more hours of practice. And that would undoubtedly give me an edge, over exercise be damned. 

“Hey you two, if you want to start later then let me know,” I said as we were walking to the city gates.

Still a bit sleepy, Sekh went over to me and rubbed her head onto my side. “Yeah, we’re waking up later tomorrow then. I’d say at least an hour later.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I laughed lightly. “Sorry for waking you up too early.”

“Good job with the seduction, Sekh,” Zeph commented from the side. 

“Maybe I should rescind my statement just for you, Zeph,” I said with a cheeky smile. “Besides, Sekh is a lot more fit than you. So it only makes sense that you need more exercise.” 

“I decline,” Zeph replied. 

“You really are diligent, I’ll make sure to wake you up even earlier then,” I responded innocently.

Soon after, the three of us arrived at the vast fields outside the city’s walls. The cool and crisp morning air tingled our skin while the drowsy morning sun basked the fields in gentle light. 

“So what are we going to do?” Zeph asked when we found a dry patch of land.. 

“Run,” I replied while surveying the location. “Well, it’s better to say that you two are going to run. I’m...not quite able to do so.”

“You can sit here and watch us, instructor,” Sekh said before going to stretch. 

“I can still stretch,” I pointed out.

After walking over to a small field of grass, the three of us began to do a variety of stretches, mostly calf and thigh activities. Since I didn’t have to correct anyone’s form, we could quickly breeze through the activity.

“So how far are we running?” Sekh asked while jogging lightly. 

“Around eight kilometers,” I replied. “The distance from here to the road by the gate is around four hundred meters. So sixteen laps back and forth. Just run based on feeling, there’s no need to push yourself too hard.”

“But we’ll still have to push ourselves,” Zeph pointed out. 

“That’s the point of exercise,” I said with a deadpan look. “So no magic.”

Once they were finished with their stretches, the two girls began their run. At first Zeph flew across the track confidently as Sekh patiently trailed behind. And soon after,Sekh began to catch up . While Sekh continued to run at a steady pace, Zeph started wheezing halfway through. Well what else did she expect from bolting right out of the gate.

Around thirty five minutes after they started, Sekh had finally completed her run. Meanwhile, Zeph could barely maintain a light jog. 

“Should we tell her to stop?” Sekh asked while breathing heavily. 

“Let’s not,” I said lazily. “She’ll just end up exhausted at this rate. Besides, quitting early prevents her from developing determination. And she needs to learn to be more cautious.”

“Fair enough,” Sekh replied before smiling coyly. “So you want to wipe me down right now.”

“You still have to practice balance and form,” I told her before patting her head. 

Eventually, Zeph finally completed her laps. And proceeded to lay down on the ground right when she was finished.

“C’mon, get up,” I said while going over to Zeph. “If you’re out of air, you need to stand up and walk around.”

Zeph looked at me with tired eyes before finally squeezing out an answer. “Tired.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t lay down,” I sighed. “You have to walk a while before you can lay down like that.”

After using a mixed attack of logic and insistence, I managed to convince her to get up and walk before letting her sit down once again. During that time, Justin and Irene finally arrived on the field. Naturally, I had them do the same run as the other two. 

The result wasn’t much different from what I expected. Justin was by far the fastest person with the most endurance, followed by Sekh, then Irene, and finally Zeph. However, I believe that the placements would be a bit different for upper body strength. The rankings would most likely be Justin, Zeph, Sekh, and Irene, in order of strongest to weakest. 

“Is that all for the morning?” Justin asked while he was balancing on one foot.

“More or less,” I answered. “But if you want to do more, then it’s fine with me. Just remember that we’ll have training in the afternoon.”

“Got it,” Justin replied before diverting his focus back into his workout.

Compared to me, his endurance is still lacking. However, he would probably be better in regards to endurance if I didn’t have my hero boost. I would still be ahead in speed and pure strength, but not by too much. But this was only natural, since farmers tend to be some of the most physically fit people. 

As I was lost in thought, I felt Zeph lightly tap my shoulder.

“You have a moment?” she asked. 

“Sure,” I replied. “What’s the matter?”

Zeph paused for a moment before whispering. “I’m curious about how strong you are as a hero. All I know is that you’re just generally more physically powerful than most people, but can you give me specific details? Besides, I can’t really see you in action for a while.”

“I’ll answer, but I don’t even know all that much,” I said while rubbing the back of my head. “In terms of pure upper body strength, I’m slightly weaker than a particularly strong orc. The same goes for speed, reflex, and endurance. Just imagine the plausible peak for a mortal and subtract a little. That’s where I would be at. And I think I pass said peak if I train enough."

“However, my healing rate is a bit weird,” I continued. “Some things heal twice as fast, but it fluctuates around that area. Balance and pain resistance are more toned down, particularly pain tolerance. Maybe imagine receiving only seventy or eighty of the sensation. I also don’t have to really worry about disease. And I guess the only real downside is my appetite. Also, I theoretically have less endurance than a normal person since I can get hungry much faster.”

“So you’re just a better human?” Zeph remarked. 

“That’s the short explanation,” I laughed. “But it really sucks that I can’t learn faster. When I had access to the full powers, I could only learn how to use a spear faster. And even that had a three year time limit.”

“Why is there a limit?” Zeph wondered. “Seems rather specific.”

“It’s probably to discourage heroes from just training for decades to break the limits of mortal capability,” I answered. “At least that’s what I think. Maybe the gods got upset at one group of heroes over preparing.”

“How are heroes chosen anyways?” Zeph queried. “None of the history books I’ve read have given accounts that seem logical.”

I faced her with a deadpan look. “I honestly don’t know. Literally the only requirement that I’ve noticed is to be young and good looking.”

“That’s stupid,” Zeph commented.

“A bit,” I remarked. “But it makes sense in a way. Choosing candidates from such a pool is good for ensuring that the heroes are more likely to inspire people. Afterall, five pseudo demigods can only do so much in an actual war. Sure they can serve as an ultra precise tool for certain tasks, but it is inevitably up to the rulers and their armies to fight most battles.”

“Good job defending your benefactors,” Zeph replied. “Maybe they’ll give you a promotion in the future.”

When all of us had finished with our morning practice, we went back to the Bureau together. As the girls went to use the bath first, Justin and I had a race concerning who could make breakfast faster. The result was to be expected.

“Victory,” I declared after sliding some fried bacon off my pan. 

“Can you tell my lard to heat up faster?” Justin quipped while staring at his pan. 

“The trick is to yell at it,” I joked. 

“But you didn’t do that,” Justin argued.

“My mere presence is enough,” I pointed out. “But for someone like you, you’ll need to give the lard a few audio cues.”

“Understood,” Justin said with a mock salute before proceeding to face his pan. “Listen here you slab of fat, you better start heating up or I’ll stuff you back in the cow!”

“How would that even work?” I asked Justin with an amused look.

“Not a clue,” he replied while shrugging. “I was just yelling at an inanimate object.”

“That’s a shame,” I sighed. “I got really curious about a new fattening process for cows.”

“Maybe we’ll discover the method one day,” Justin said longingly. 

“Yeah, one day,” I replied. 

Whether that day will come or not, I doubt I’ll know. However, the girls were soon finished with their bath which allowed for me and Justin to finally wipe off our own sweat. 

After eating breakfast, I could finally get to the all important task of talking to the Doux of Damask. 

From what I remember, the current Doux is a fellow named Isaac from the noble Anhelas family. As for why he was appointed as Doux of Damask, the emperor wanted to buy off his family. And considering how Isaac was a fairly unambitious man of poor health, it only made sense to appoint him to administrate Damask. Alexios’ plan could best be understood as temporarily appeasing a powerful faction while waiting for Isaac to pass away early. After which, Alexios could appoint a more competent person. All Isaac had to do was be polite and die quickly. Which might be why he cares so little for the general state of affairs. 

The guards manning the citadel’s gates immediately opened the gate when they caught sight of me nearing the inner walls. As I walked through the courtyard, servants and soldiers all waved warmly to me.

“Maybe I should just be the Doux at this rate,” I thought jokingly. 

Arriving at the citadel’s main hall, I notified the servants there about my appointment with the Doux. Naturally, I ended up waiting for more than half an hour sitting in the lounge. Once the Doux was ready to greet me, I was led by a servant to the main office. 

Doux Isaac’s office could be described as Minerva’s wet dream. In fact, calling it an office would be incorrect. The room was a library filled to the brim with numerous books along with various papers and writing utensils strewn around. One of the books that I saw laying on the ground looked to be a manuscript on human anatomy and health. Most likely the result of Isaac’s declining health. 

Isaac himself was an unremarkable man. Taller than average with black hair and brown eyes, the Doux was neither attractive or ugly. His somewhat thin frame and tired eyes indicated that he might be a scholar, if the numerous advanced treatises on his shelves didn’t give it away. 

“Greetings,” he said while looking up from a book he was reading. “Iblis is it?”

“That’s correct,” I said with my best charming smile. “It’s an honor to be able to meet with you.”

Apparently, he doesn’t remember me, since the servant that brought me had to whisper in the Flux’s ear. Well that’s only to be expected, since our only interaction was a single handshake. However, I can always use my real identity as leverage to gain more access to the Doux’s resources. 

“Likewise,” he replied amiably. “I’ve heard quite the praise about you from Captain Gallus. So what business might you have with me?”

“I don’t wish to waste your time so I’ll keep it short,” I answered politely. “My recent forays outside of the city have opened my eyes to the dangers plaguing the countryside. So I wish to be able to help you clear these problems from the region. Since I have plenty of military experience, I would like to request command of the soldiers serving under you.” 

“That won’t do,” Isaac said, not surprising me. “I’m a very busy man as you can tell. Therefore, I would like for you to serve as more than just a commander. Your responsibilities will involve dispensing justice and helping manage the administration as well as commanding troops.”

“Come again,” I said, completely baffled. 

“Naturally you’ll be held responsible for what happens in the city,” he continued, while ignoring me. “Serve well and you will keep your position, serve poorly and I will find a replacement.”

“Isn’t this a bit much?” I asked, still confused. “Don’t you have other personnel more suited for such a responsibility?”

“I believe you are the most suitable,” he replied. “A noble like you must have received adequate education for such a role. You also have connections to a number of important people in the city such as the Labor Bureau manager. Additionally, your heroism against bandits and monsters give much credit to your name. So the citizens and soldiers would doubtlessly follow a hero of justice like you.”

“Ironic,” I thought while stifling my laughter. 

“You do me a great honor then,” I said while bowing to hide my face. "If I may ask, what is the pay?"

“It's 4 denarii a day,” Isaac informed me. “I’ll notify my subordinates about these changes as soon as possible and I will also try to assist you where I can. However, I am quite busy with my research for most of the day so I can’t promise too much.”

“Thank you, I’ll be off,” I said before shaking his hand. 

Once I left the vicinity of the citadel, I could finally let my emotions show through my face. The moment that madman started talking about giving me a second in command position, my brain started spiraling into confusion. At first I thought he was joking. And when I found out he wasn’t, I pretty much lost it. 

As of now, the only reason Isaac might have given me such a position was to ignore his own job and dump it on someone else so he could pursue his own goals. But why would he not assign someone from one of the local noble families. Could he be feuding with them? I’ve only heard rumors that he’s been buying a few estates here and there, but that’s it. Or was it something else?

Well I’m sure that I would find out soon enough. For now, I would have to tell my companions at the Bureau about what happened. 

“Is there a catch?” Sekh asked after I had finished retelling my meeting with Isaac. 

“Please don’t tell me that you threatened the Doux,” Irene commented. 

“I didn’t threaten the Doux,” I answered. “Though I’m almost sure there’s something that he might have left out when talking to me.”

“Probably,” Minerva replied. “Maybe there’s a curse surrounding the position.”

“I’ll find a curse-breaker if necessary,” Justin added. “Just don’t die before.”

“Thanks for the encouragement,” I responded. “Anyways, I’d like to have Minerva come with me to check the Doux’s records later tonight. As for this afternoon, I think we can just continue with our training like we had planned.”

In contrast to the morning, afternoon practice focused far more on form and sparring. Although I would have liked to add some form of strength or endurance building activity before, I didn’t think it was the best choice considering how tired everyone was. 

The sparring was fairly similar to what I had expected. Justin and Sekh were by far the best while Zeph and Irene were the typical “I can’t fight in melee” marksmen. The contest between Justin and Sekh was the most interesting event, though they weren’t going all out against each other. In contrast to Justin’s superior physical ability, Sekh had the edge in terms of skill and fighting experience, which made the contest quite entertaining. 

So for a few hours, I watched over the four while correcting their posture and technique. And being the good instructor that I am, I also went to bring refreshments such as fruits and drinks. 

That just left one remaining task for the day. So after dinner, Minerva and I went together to the citadel to read up on the situation regarding the city. 

Evidently the Doux had updated his subordinates since we were quickly guided to the office housing the majority of documents. But upon inspecting the tax reports, Minerva and I were left in a state of shock. 

“The projected yearly income is just 400 solidi,” I said with a deadpan look. 

Patting me on the back to offer condolences, Minerva didn’t seem very optimistic either. “Well it could be worse. At least it's profit.”

She wasn’t entirely wrong on the matter. However, for a trade city with fertile land, this income was around a third of what should be expected. Granted the lands were still devastated from war, but income should still be around 800 solidi in that case. 

“You think he gave me this job because nobody wanted it?” I asked Minerva.

“Partly,” she answered. “Did he tell you anything about pay?”

“4 denarii a day,” I answered. "Good pay for a soldier, but questionable for this job."

“That’s another reason,” Minerva responded. “I think no one wanted the job because of poor pay and the possibility that the Doux would take credit for their work. And that’s on top of the mess that they would have to take care of. All this indicates that the Doux needed someone skilled but with little personal interests. Someone whose personal interest is the wellbeing of the region.”

“Well that’s fine,” I sighed. "I won't let the Doux steal any credit if he tries. And it’s not like I care about money as much as I make it out to be. In reality, I got what I wanted. With this amount of control, I should definitely be able to change things for Damask.”

“That's good,” Minerva said cheerfully while closing the tax ledger. "In that case, I’ll support you in whatever way that I can."

“I’ll be counting on you then,” I replied with a gentle smile.