"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

 

Aldelmo recoiled from Maxwell's outburst. When Maxwell came to visit Aldelmo in the recovery tent, Aldelmo didn't expect it to be a pleasant experience. This was a bit more than he had been expecting.

 

"Hey! I did what I needed to do! I killed TWO giants out there! I could have got the third if-"

 

Maxwell cut him off, "I. Don't. Care." He stabbed a finger in Aldelmo's face, "I gave you a DIRECT order and you disobeyed! I gave you a shot nobody gets! I let you on the front line with ONE rule to follow!" He stabbed his finger into his palm with every word to punctuate the point, "Follow. My. Orders."

 

Aldelmo threw his arms in the air, "Sweet Mira I'm SORRY I defended myself! The giants ran right through my position. I couldn't-"

 

Maxwell clapped once to interrupt, "ENOUGH. You were told not to engage, you did anyways, but that's not the problem. When you were then ordered to DIS-engage, you went after the third giant anyways! You disobeyed both a standing order and a DIRECT order!" He pointed off in a random direction, "You are OFF the front line!"

 

Aldelmo got in Maxwell's face while tapping himself on the chest, "I'm The Best YOU GOT!"

 

Maxwell leaned right back getting nose to nose, "Which means NOTHING if you DIE! Do you have any idea what you looked like?"

 

Aldelmo snarled, "I'm FINE! I can take anything!"

 

"Are you completely INSANE? Did all these... tattoos you carved into your flesh affect your BRAIN? Everyone could see something was wrong with you! Your PARTNER could see something was wrong with you from the top of a nearby MOUNTAIN!" Maxwell turned and took a few steps away to take a deep breath, "But it isn't just that. I can deal with you being hotheaded and consumed with bloodlust." He turned back to eye Aldelmo, "It's that when the chips were down you couldn't do as you were told. I can't trust you and this is a TEAM. If you-"

 

Aldelmo grabbed Maxwell by the shoulder and got face to face with him. Aldelmo's eyes had a desperate intensity about them, "You can't do this! You can't take me off the front line!" Maxwell looked Aldelmo up and down while recoiling ever so slightly, "What the hell is wrong with you, boy? Are you that much of a battle addict you-"

 

Aldelmo shook his head, "It's not that! I... need this!" Maxwell pushed Aldelmo away, "NEED? You NEED this? You need to get yourself KILLED? Why? Explain this to me!"

 

Aldelmo clutched at the space where Maxwell once stood in silence, before turning away and running his fingers though his hair. Maxwell shook his head dismissively as he started to leave. Aldelmo couldn't look at Maxwell when he replied, "I screwed up." Maxwell rolled his eyes, "Well, duh."

 

Aldelmo looked away as he bit his lower lip, "No. Not HERE. Back at school. I did something bad. Really really bad. So bad I-" He started aimlessly wandering the tent, "I can't fix it. I can't. But I can... make up for it. I need to make up for it." He made a fist and looked like he wanted to punch something, "I need THIS. I need to succeed at THIS. I need to prove-"

 

Maxwell sneered, "Prove what? You've lost your mind? That you're a crazed berserker?"

 

Aldelmo turned around to glare at Maxwell. Through gritted teeth he spit out the words, "I need to prove Reed can trust me!"

 

"Is that what this is all about?"

 

Both Maxwell and Aldelmo turned to look at the entrance to the tent. Reed walked in, letting the flap close behind him, "Sorry. I've been dropping some eves." Aldelmo looked away. Maxwell looked from one to the other then stepped back out of the line of fire.

 

Ryan looked skyward before he started to close in on Aldelmo, "So tell me, you think you're going to earn my trust by ignoring orders? Or are you going to do it by pushing yourself so hard your heart explodes out of your chest?" Ryan yanked Aldelmo's arm to turn him around, forcing a face to face confrontation, "Explain what you were thinking, because right now all you are proving to me is that you have a death wish."

 

Aldelmo looked down at his arms and the mana channeling tattoos etched into his skin, "Reed... I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what I was thinking when Kyle approached me, and I don't have a clue now." He flexed both his hands making fists and relaxing them over and over, "I'm just sorry. I know you hate that, but I'm just... sorry."

 

Ryan was quiet as he processed this, slowly letting go of Aldelmo's arm, "If you think I trust you to follow orders and do what you are told, I don't." Aldelmo jerked his head away as if he had been physically slapped in the face.

 

"But..." Reed reached out and put a hand on Aldelmo's shoulder, "If you think I trust you to watch my back-" Aldelmo looked at Ryan out of the corner of his eye, "I do."

 

"Really?"

 

Ryan rolled his eyes, "No! I'm just saying that to be a jerk!" Then immediately slapped Aldelmo upside the head, "OF COURSE I MEAN IT." Aldelmo flinched a bit, "I-I just-" Ryan grabbed Aldelmo by both shoulders, "I am the one who should be sorry. I pushed you too far. I got so god damn excited about how well everything was working I didn't think about you. I'm sorry. I'm the asshole here. You... proved everything you needed to prove weeks ago." Ryan made a sweeping gesture toward the exit, "Everything you are doing here is just icing on the cake." He hung his head, "Forgive me."

 

Aldelmo's whole body relaxed as if a great weight had been lifted and he could finally breathe again, "No. It's good. We're even. Nothing to forgive." Ryan helped Aldelmo over to a folding chair next to Maxwell's desk. Maxwell followed a step behind. He spoke softly, "Okay now that... whatever that was... is over, can I count on you two having worked this nonsense out? I do not need your personal shit causing any more drama."

 

Both Ryan and Aldelmo nodded. Maxwell nodded as well, "Good. You are still off the front line." Aldelmo looked crestfallen. Maxwell continued, "At least tomorrow. You are going to take the day off. If you are in good health the day after, I'll put you back on the line... maybe." Aldelmo perked up a bit as Maxwell continued, "If you push yourself even a tenth as hard as I witnessed today, I will boot both of you. Got it?" Both responded with nods of agreement.

 

Ryan looked relieved, "Maybe this is for the best because we are still shaking out the bugs and frankly, I have no idea what happened to you out there." He scowled with narrow eyes towards Aldelmo, "Yeah, you got the job done, but I'm gonna be perfectly blunt here, Al. I was terrified you were going to drop dead." Ryan looked over his own tattoos, "I don't think my experience is the same as yours. We need to establish some rules of engagement so you don't burn out." He took Aldelmo's hand and turned it over to reveal a strange burn pattern across the wrist, "We've been too cocky."

 

Maxwell nodded slowly, "That sounds like a damn good idea. Damned if I know of anyone who could afford to do what you guys did. Mana stones don't come cheap." Ryan looked at Maxwell, "Well, if you don't mind being a lab rat, I can get the kingdom to foot at least part of the bill. I'm interested in seeing how the tattoos work on someone much older. I have a fear it could be risky, but maybe you can make up for youth and vitality with experience.

 

Maxwell held up both hands, "Whoa. I..." He stopped as his eyes darted to the side, "I got a kid, actually. He's not..." He furrowed his brow before continuing, "He doesn't display any talent for aura usage. If... it'd be possible. I'd rather you worked with him." He hooked a thumb at Aldelmo, "He might have the sapphire eyes of a water conjuror, but it's clear he's got a seriously powerful aura core as well.

 

Both Aldelmo and Ryan looked at each other as if silently trying to come to an agreement if they should talk about this. Aldelmo shrugged in a way to indicate he felt it was up to Ryan. Maxwell smirked, "I get it. You two kids are trying to pass it all off as your special tattoos and equipment, but I'm no idiot. I know aura strengthening when I see it." He pointed a finger at Ryan, "And I know who you are. Took a bit to figure it out, but you are that OTHER dual core I heard about, aren't you?"

 

"Other?" Ryan's tone was more than curious, "There's another?"

 

Maxwell nodded a solid confirmation, "Yeah. First the saintess, then you, and finally..." He jogged his head towards Aldelmo, "Once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern." Maxwell stepped up to Ryan and lightly tapped him on the arm, "I suspect you are the one who figured out how to do it... right?"

 

Maxwell glanced around then spoke in a conspiratorial tone, "I'm gonna be blunt, I'm worried about my kid. He's just not cutting it. He really wants to follow in my footsteps. He's got the guts and he's got the talent, he just doesn't have it HERE." Maxwell pointed at his stomach, "I don't have to tell you what it means to be someone who isn't mana active in this world."

 

Ryan covered his mouth and made a fist. He just stared at Maxwell before turning and walking away. He stopped at the edge of the tent and stood there, staring at the canvas as he lost himself in thought. Both Maxwell and Aldelmo watched in silence. Ryan started tapping the side of his head for a bit then finally spoke, "How old is he?"

 

Maxwell replied, "Fourteen. Well past the age he'd manifest naturally." Ryan glanced at Aldelmo, "Is the age to enter the academy set in stone?" Aldelmo thought for a bit, "Actually, there isn't any minimum or maximum age that I know of, it just depends on if you can pass the tests... have the right connections..." Aldelmo chimed in, "Have enough money..."

 

Ryan turned to face Maxwell, "I can't just do one. I'll need at least eight." Maxwell blinked, "Huh?" Ryan rolled a hand in the air, "I made a proposal a while ago. About how it might be possible to make entire squads of people like us. Possible super soldiers. I have a theory that anyone could potentially be magically active but due to malnutrition, unhealthy living, other factors, most people can't." He hooked a thumb at Aldelmo, "He's the alpha test. Proof of concept. Beta test needs to go big or go home. Do you want your kid in on phase two? I can do that, but I need at least another seven volunteers so I can get the king to sign off on this." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, "And I need informed consent. They need to know they could die. I'm overclocking the human soul and removing all safety limits. I didn't know how bad this could get until..." He glanced at Aldelmo, "I don't want anyone signing up without knowing the risks."

 

Maxwell scratched his chin, "I know some people in similar situations. Well, more than some, actually." Ryan bobbed his head slowly, "I don't want to make promises I can't keep, but if they are willing to keep their mouths shut and be in this for the long haul, I'll do my best to keep my half of the bargain." Ryan hought for a second then added, "And by long haul I mean a four year contract working for the kingdom."

 

Maxwell allowed himself a grin, "Well then..." He offered his hand, "I think something can be arranged."

 

---

 

The remainder of the subjugation went off without a hitch.

 

The number of monsters that could be subdued decreased dramatically after the first day. Either they farmed way too many monsters the first day, the dragon ate too many, or the rest fled the area after the dragon's passing. Whatever the reason, it took the remaining five days to get as many kills as they did the first.

 

However, while the dragon departed with all the monster corpses that the expedition had gathered the first day, the harvesting crew had done their job and just about every corpse had, at least, their mana stones removed. Not only did they get overpaid for what they had managed to hunt down on the first day, but they managed to get the money for selling the mana stones as well. On top of that, the remaining six days gathered up an entire new crop of monster corpses to butcher and sell. In short, they made four times the amount of money they typically brought in.

 

It was profitable, to say the least.

 

However, not everyone was happy with Ryan's good fortune.

 

Not by a long shot.