Soon enough Chanakya returned. The reaction which Kinoya had expected from Chanakya wasn't delivered.

 

‘That was too harsh. I shouldn’t have reacted that way.’ Kinoya chose not to dwell on the matter and turned to his man.

 

“At least for one year, we will be staying here.”

With just one sentence, the tiredness that was on most of their face was replaced with a smile.

 

“Don’t you need to be happy.” Kinoya took off his weight vest and threw it towards others. Palsa tried to catch it, almost dropping it in the process.

 

“What is this?” As Palsa was trying to inspect the vest, thin pieces of plate fell on the ground from it.

 

“Those are the Osmium black steel. Don’t be a fool by those thin plates. Each one of them of 10 kg.”

 

From the sound, they could understand the heaviness of the metal still. They inspected one of the four plates that came out of the vest.

 

Kinoya could see the change in the attitude, “You don’t need to be like that. That is the part of the training you will be receiving.”

 

“Captain, why are you so obsessed with training? Didn’t we already train enough?”

“So did the soldiers who died in the field. Some of them were more trained than you, still, they died.”

 

“Then why are we even training? We are all going to die one day.” With Palsa’s words, all of them broke into a smile. Kinoya too. Yet he shook his head as he added, “We train to live one more day.”

 

“Let’s be serious here. There are a few things you need to know. First and foremost all of you will start weight training from tomorrow. We will start tomorrow, with 20 kg. You won’t be taking it off unless you are taking a bath and within six months I want all of you to carry as much as your weight.”

 

“That is impossible. Do you think I could carry around the weight of 80 kg all the time?” he was the biggest one.

 

“Why can’t you? If I can, why can you?”

“But captain, you carry 40 kg but I have to carry double.”

“Idiot.” Palsa chuckled, “40 kg to a 40 kg person feels the same as 80 kg to an 80 kg man.”

 

Kinoya didn’t know how much he understood, but the bulky man nodded. Kinoya smiled and continued, “So, all of you have decided to stay with me, right?”

 

“Why do you ask the same question every time?” Chand’s question got others to support but Kinoya was serious, “Because if you stay in my army you have to be an archer, I hope you are ready for that.”

 

“But captain, I worked 10 years on my swordsmanship!” It was his weak protest. Alas! It wasn’t effective against Kinoya.

 

“Then if you can beat me, I will let you be a swordsman.”

‘Beat you in swordsmanship? A double advance sword skill holder? Why ask something impossible?’ Chand took a deep breath and shook his head.

 

“I am not telling you to give up on swordsmanship, but I am telling you to be an archer who is also proficient in swordsmanship.”

“Come on captain you can’t ask everybody to be like you.”

 

“‘If I can, why can’t you?’ That is what he is going to say.” Chanakya said with a smile.

 

“Let’s be serious here.” With his words, all the sound died down. “I will be promoted as Major after my suspension is over, After 15 months or so. Shh!” 

 

Before others could congratulate him, he stopped them. “ My battalion will be different from others. There won’t be any swordsman, Archer, shield bearers and likes.”

 

“There will be archers who know how to use swords, cavalry who know how to use a bow on horseback, shield bearers who can use both swords and spears. Learning one weapon is never enough.”

 

“Come on captain, that is illogical things that you are talking about.” There were few protesters however there were supporters too.

 

‘Illogical? Those are the best soldiers in the world conquerors of my previous world. Greek hoplites, Mongolian cavalry is a joke to you?’ Alas! Kinoya couldn’t say it out loud.

 

“No, not illogical. It makes perfect sense. Think about it, after the first contact the shield bearers are useless. Aren't they left in front of the enemy for slaughter?” First, one to talk wasn’t Palsa nor Chanakya, but Chand.

 

Then Palsa added, “Yes, A spearman carries only three or four spears, that is no way that is enough to fight for the whole day. Same for the archers.”

“Horseback archers are a great choice. Is that the shock troop you were talking about?” Chanakya was most curious about the cavalry after all.

 

Kinoya nodded. “That is my plan, If six months isn’t enough, we can train for one year, if you still can’t master it then you are only good to dye the ground red.”

 

‘It’s quite natural that it is hard for you to believe but one day the world will understand the potency of the army.’

 

“But before all, we need to work on three things. First I want all of you to activate a hidden stat called endurance, and weight training is the best way to do it. Second is to earn all the basic weapon mastery before the recruitment of new soldiers.”

 

“And last but not least is to learn to study. Chanakya will teach you basic language and geography. And I will teach you history, military strategy and formation.”

 

“From today onwards, you will do 2 hours of weight training in the morning and evening. Followed by two hours of weapon training and will study for two hours every day. You are free to do whatever you want at the end of the time.”

 

***********

 

The slime was jumping his shoulders in happiness as the puddles in his mage space continued to evaporate at a visible speed.

 

After the space was free of any residue of water mana Kinoya breathed a sigh of relief. The orb was still beating on the pillar. He patted it, “Thank you for saving me.”

 

The mud slime on his shoulders became excited expecting his share of love.

Looking at it a smile appeared on his face, “It feels like I am a parent to them.”

 

But the happiness didn’t last long before space started to quake. It was for a moment and then something unexpected happened. His space had started to crumble.

 

The change was too sudden and Kinoya had no idea about how to respond to it. He tried to come out of the space too but failed.

 

“Can’t you let me sleep a little?” A familiar yet unexpected the voice rang in his ear. Kinoya turned and his theory was proven true. The black man had woken up.

 

“Are you doing it?”

“Idiot, you are dying.”

“Dying.” Before Kinoya could comprehend what the black man was talking about, the black man flickered on his forehead.

 

He woke up in his body yet, the pain almost forced him to faint. A dagger was stabbed into his heart. There was no black smoke coming out of the wound but the wound was corroding at a visible speed.

 

‘What is she doing here?’ Kinoya couldn’t comprehend how the little girl of the brother-sister became an assaulter.

 

The assaulter didn’t give him any chance to understand what was happening and stabbed again. Kinoya could see the dagger approaching his face in slow motion. It was not something he couldn’t dodge, his body wasn’t listening to him at all.

 

The tip of the dagger came into contact with his right iris and he failed. He failed to close his eyes as the dagger slowly penetrated his soft eyes.

 

It was painful. But the scream didn’t escape his mouth. All he could do was to endure the pain in silence.

 

“Can’t you use [extrasensory vision]?” The voice rang inside his head. “You are still that useless fellow. Can’t do anything without any help?”

 

The vision in front of him appeared again. It is not right to say it is a vision. If Kinoya had to put it in the word then it would be like infrared vision. He looked down to see his wound was healing at a visible speed, but…

 

“Heart and eye aren't the same things. And your heart wasn’t… Let’s not talk about it right now. I can’t heal your eyes. And what do you want to do with her?” Kinoya didn’t realise before he was choking the girl.

 

‘Why isn’t she struggling? Is she dead?’ 

“If she was dead then she wouldn’t have given off any aura. So she must be brainwashed. It’s best to kill her, otherwise…”

 

Kinoya didn’t wait till the voice finished his sentence and twisted her neck. Kinoya could see the aura around her vanished as soon as she died. 

 

Kinoya ignored the sigh in his mind and asked, “What had happened to me?”

“Scared ice-silkworms’ virgin silk essence.” 

“What type of freakish name is that?” Listening to his words, Kinoya cried out loud.

 

“Khuk?” 

“What was that?” Kinoya looked around but couldn’t find anything to exclude any aura. 

“She is on your left. Ten o’clock.” 

 

As Kinoya turned around, “So you can see me without your eyes? But who are you talking to? Can the devil see ghosts?”

“Who are you?”

“Huh? So you can’t see me.” Even if Kinoya couldn’t see her face he could still see her nodding.

 

“Who are you?” While he was asking he was trying to grab the scimitar.

“On your left. Your weapon is on your left.” The woman spoke again. “And before you ask again, I am Iilea.”

 

“Is she human? How come she doesn’t have any aura?” Kinoya inquired in his mind but the answer confused him more, “I don’t know for sure, but she is alive. I am sleepy, don't wake me up for at least half a year.” And silence followed.

 

“Why are you here?” 

Kinoya wasn’t sure for sure but it looked to him that she smiled, “I came here to watch a show, and show I got.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

 

“Afraid of what? That you will kill me? Do you want to kill me? You don’t look like the one who kills for fun or?” She couldn’t complete her words before when a short scimitar drew a thin layer of blood from her throat.

 

“Stop it, you idiot. She isn’t hostile.” The voice screamed in his mind, startling Kinoya. He put his scimitar back into his sheath.

 

“What? You don’t want to kill me anymore? Do whatever you want.” Without a word, she sat down on Kinoya’s bed, “I didn’t feel so sleepy for a long time. I am going to sleep.” Kinoya stood there, dumbfounded. 

 

‘How come there is an aura around her now?’ When his consciousness returned to him, he sat down and returned to his mage space. There were a lot of things he had to ask.