"Move those lazy asses. Do you think we are here for a picnic?" The cavalry officers shouted the order as they charged towards the city.

 

"Vanguard cavalry is already engaging the garrison. The city is in view and you people are walking like a tortoise, while your brothers are dying…"  

 

The officers continued to throw hateful or encouraging remarks as the whole army charged at the city of Yeomcheon and it was quite effective. The soldiers fired up with fighting spirit. Some even started to run towards the city.  

 

Kinoya's troop was also burning up with the fighting spirit, itching to go to the battlefield, but didn't dare to move without orders. 

 

'They have heard that Kinoya was always the one who dives in the fight first.' But Kinoya's mood was different. He was walking as if nothing happened.

 

"Permission to talk captain" Chanakya who was little forward, came to the side of Kinoya.  "Why are we not engaging?"

 

He heard from here and there that ‘Vishnugupta’ is a noble family and is under the protection of the Emperor himself. Yet the family wasn’t well received.

 

‘Not like that is a problem for me.’ To be precise, Kinoya was a little impressed with this one, the one who can think.

 

He is 14 years old and has the drive to learn. What impressed him most was that he tried to incorporate the 'Wedge formation' in the cavalry squad. After trial and error, he had succeeded.

 

"You tell me why?" 

"Because it would be easier to defend a city with a high wall than open the door and fight outside."

"Why are they not doing that?"

Chanakya thought for a moment and said, "There can be many reasons."

 

"What if they don't have enough manpower?" It was Palsa, who had asked. He was not too bad. After 4 sergeants had left the squad, Kinoya had chosen Palsa as one of the new sergeants. Though he is little impulsive if trained well he will be a great asset to the troop.

 

"No, Palsa." It was Chanakya who responded first, "If that was the case, then it would have been better to defend the city behind the wall."

 

"It is because either they don't have enough food so they have abandoned the city or it must be a trap." Chanakaya's words shocked everyone and they looked towards Kinoya for confirmation.

 

But Kinoya responded with another question, "Which one of you wants to fall into the trap?"

Everybody turned silent, nobody spoke. Nobody wanted to fall into the trap. Well, almost nobody.

 

"I want to."Kinoya expected this kind of behaviour from Palsa. "It wouldn't be a trap if we know it's a trap. I will go."

 

"Knowing and breaking are two different things. Do you know how many enemies are there, what type of weapon they are going to use? Have you ever fought in the city?" And silence followed.

 

“Know yourself, know your enemy. A thousand battles will result in a thousand victories.” Kinoya couldn’t help but remember the line of his previous life. “You don’t know the enemy. You don’t know the place you are going to fight. How are you going to win?”

 

“But captain, even if we wait we won’t know anything.”

“But we can learn from the mistakes of the predecessor.”

 

Hearing his words everybody turned silent. Kinoya shook his head and continued, "It's not a bad thing to be cautious. The army should consist of the opposite type, so they could complement each other when needed, like offensive & defensive, a cautious and a daring one."

 

“Are you just 12?” Looking at the serious face of Palsa, Kinoya couldn’t help but smile. “Why does it feel like we are talking to an old man?”

 

It was Palsa who had asked the question, yet everybody nodded as if they had understood his meaning.

Kinoya smiled at their expression before continuing, " You can go but there are two rules you should follow when you are under me. Never kill the innocent and never rape. If any of you dare to do that…"

 

He chose not to complete the sentence but his black smoke and the blue fiery eye were more than enough for others to understand his intentions. 

 

[Talent check: [Extrasensory Vision] activated.]

 

His innate talent generates a blue flame in his vacant right eyehole.  With multiple uses, it had upgraded to level 2.

 

Amazingly enough, now Kinoya could see even with his closed eyes. It was like an infrared vision, it was not clear but enough to fight. Most of them are afraid of it except people like Chanakya and Palsa. 

 

While talking they had already reached the city. The fight at the gate had already died down. There was a pile of dead bodies scrambled across the gate. The paved road didn't absorb any of the blood, creating a puddle of blood here and there. With a frown on his face, he entered the city.

 

There was a different world inside the city. The stench was strong enough to make one vomit. The wind didn't blow swiftly inside the wall, so the stench remained.

 

Once a beautiful city was now decorated with burning houses, beheaded mutilated bodies. 

 

Naked and half-naked women could be seen all over the city, howling in pain, or died with eyes full of grief. Not even the child had been spared. Some of them died with a smashed head. 

 

'Was there any need for such brutality?' All he could do was sigh at the atrocity that rocked the city. 

 

"Captain, look." The voice of Chanakya woke him up from the trans. Walking by the paved road they had already reached the city centre. Kinoya took a deep breath and concentrated on the view in front of him. Kinoya's eye was like a child who saw something he loved. It was hard to take his eye off.

 

"If I remember correctly this is called 'Chararch'. A building with four arches. This thing can be seen in every city of Torria. It is always built right in the centre of the city. It will be better to say Chararch is built first and then the whole city is constructed.” Looking at his interested eyes Chanakya continued to explain.

 

The building was covered with white marble. It was over 60 meters tall yet the whole body was tattooed with elegant design and beautiful murals.

 

“The noble always conduct the court here. With four arches on four sides, everybody can see everything. According to the King, the country should be open with their administration. If the country is hiding something then they are doing something wrong."

 

"Wow, that is some king Torria has." Kinoya felt the words couldn't be truer.

Chanakya shook his head, "That was the last king of the previous dynasty and was executed in the civil war." 

 

" You certainly know a lot about it." To that Chanakya didn't answer. While moving around the Chararch Kinoya realised all of his troops were still following him. 

"You don't have to come with me. Just remember the rule."

 

With the order, the whole troop disperse in a blink of an eye. All expect Chanakya. "Why didn't you go?"

 

"I have no interest in looting," Chanakya said while following Kinoya. He was looking at the Chararch. Though it was beautiful at first, it had its ugly sides. 

 

One side had beautiful murals and decorations all over it, the other three sides of it were decorated with heads. Might be the head of the garrisons. The blood, flowing from the severed heads, had dyed the white marbles red.

 

“Are they soldiers or just vandals?” Kinoya couldn’t help but murmur.

“Vandals?” Curious Chanakya didn’t miss it.

“Vandals!?” Kinoya wasn’t sure whether he should explain it or not but said, “A tribe known for their brutality. They sack cities, destroy the arts, kill humans like livestock.”

 

“Vandal!” Chanakya wasn’t sure whether or not he had read about such a tribe but followed Kinoya.

 

He moved along the road further into the city. No matter where he went It was the same everywhere. Mutilated bodies, red roads and burning home. The act of savagery yet to end at the inner part of the city.

 

"Don't… No… please help me." Chanakya wanted to say something but an incoherent cry of a child foiled his plan. Chanakya felt Kinoya was looking for something but he never asked. 

 

The place was a little remote. There were 4 people present, along with their horses. There were one lieutenant and 3 soldiers. Two of them were already on a woman, one was holding the woman down when the other one satisfying his lust. 

 

The Lieutenant had a lusty smile on his face, "Lad you are so lucky, to get a virgin to pop the cherry. Quickly, do it. I don't know how much longer I will be able to hold myself in." He was holding on a small girl who was not even 10 years old. 

 

She was crying her snort out in fear. The reality hit her hard, before she could understand what was happening she was already under the control of them, and her mother...

 

"No, not my child, she is just a baby. Do it to me. I won't resist, leave my baby alone. I will..." Without thinking about her position she was screaming but all her words went to the deaf ears.

 

"Sweetheart, don't worry I am enough to satisfy your needs." The one holding the woman down said with a lustful voice. The other one was ramming her without the care. The woman tried her best to free herself but all was in vain. 

 

"Don't worry woman. This boy here is a virgin too. He will be the best suitor for your girl. And after he is done she will be in my experience care. I will let her enjoy the whole thing. Don't worry about it." The officer was becoming impatient, " What are you waiting for, do it."

 

 The boy looked at the girl in front of him. His burning desire was corroding away his conviction. The building lust was making it harder to control. He jumped on the girl and dipped his lips on her. 

 

She neither had any experience nor any will, she resisted till the bitter end. The rejection infuriated the boy, He slapped. His full-force slap stunned the girl for a moment before she busted into tears again. 

 

The helplessness further fanned the flame inside the boy. He had torn off the dress of the little child, revealing the undeveloped body with light brown skin underneath it. He was struggling to free his little soldier before someone spoke, "If you want to live, leave them now." 

 

All of them turned toward the owner of the voice, all except the one doing it with the mother of the girl. He didn't stop. Only the slapping sound of his family jewel was ringing in the middle of the silence.

 

 It was an awkward moment. The one holding the woman down was trying hard to hold the smile in..

 

But in a blink of an eye, the one humping was thrown in the air with a kick on his chest. He coughed out a mouth full of blood as he fell on the ground and fainted. The next punch broke the front row of the one holding down. 

 

Without anyone stopping her, she was freed from constraints and struggled towards her child without any care of her situation.