It was 4:45 in the morning, and the sun had yet to rise. The darkness enveloped everything; I had expected the soldiers to gather 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. Yet, I saw no one around. This was the designated meeting place. I sat under a tree, waiting for others to arrive, but it remained empty. It brought back memories of my training years—rising before everyone else, training before the captain woke up, running alongside the river. I was overwhelmed with emotions back then, not the seasoned person I am today, but a naive girl with grand dreams of serving my country. Those challenges molded me into who I am now. Checking the time again, it was indeed 5 am.
I spotted a man watching me from a distant corner. Could he be a Rooke? Yet, he looked strangely familiar, resembling someone I know. Since everyone I know is currently against me, I have no desire to socialize. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the tree. The sound of footsteps approached; it seemed people were finally arriving. A group of latecomers, and to think Adrik had the nerve to chide me for being late. The footsteps drew nearer, and suddenly, the scent of mud water filled the air. Realizing what was about to happen, I sprang up just as the mud water splashed where I had been sitting moments before—my reflexes had saved me. The audacity of these people!
I caught sight of a frail man, clutching a bucket—the very source of the water thrown at me. Next to him stood the observer, the man from the corner. I fixed him with a glare.
"Sleeping on the training ground is not what I expected from a former commander; no wonder you don't stand a chance against our troops. Ms. Everlong, you've shown signs of incompetence, but I will let you go this time. Don't let it happen again." With that, the observer turned and walked away. This had to be Edward, the man I'd heard so much about.
"If I had been sleeping, wouldn't I be soaked with mud water?" I called out loudly, then looked at him. He turned back to face me, his gaze as vacant as mine. It seemed he had endured hardships similar to mine.
"I wasn't soaked, was I? Since you place such high hopes in your troops, I trust you'll shape me accordingly, Mr. Edward," I stated sarcastically. I noticed a small, amused smirk on his lips. This must be the first time someone had shown such confidence in front of him.
"Ms. Everlong, you are not in a position to argue; it would be wise to act accordingly. And indeed, I shall shape you. After all, a broken vase requires molding, or else it remains useless as it is," he said, and then he departed. How dramatically villainous that man is!
Eventually, everyone was summoned to assemble. I chose to stand at the very back, disinterested in listening to the "Thorned Sparrow." Next to me, a group of girls stood chatting. It's hard to believe such individuals are part of this serious profession. They were discussing someone; notably, one girl, a blonde, was the most vocal. She appeared to hail from a wealthy, perhaps even affluent, family. It seems I might witness nepotism as well.
The Thorned Sparrow began his speech, and silence fell, his voice commanded attention. He started by detailing the rules and responsibilities expected of us all. He declared that Rotang's pride was synonymous with our pride, among other nonsensical statements. I could hardly equate the nation's pride with my own. I was eager for it to end. Just as he was concluding, he added, "And one more thing, sleeping on the training ground is prohibited." He likely sought me out to see my reaction, that malevolent man. I simply rolled my eyes and maintained my stance. Like I would listen.
We were split into teams of five, and I ended up with the same girls I had seen gossiping earlier. What luck. Given my tough exterior, none of them attempted to speak to me; they might have been intimidated. Our schedule was structured as follows: physical activities were planned until 11 am, followed by a break from 11 am to 1 pm. Afterward, we had classes on political situations and tactics until 4 pm, another break from 4 to 6 pm, and then close-hand combat practice until 9 pm.
The first half of my day went smoothly. Since I already had good stamina, I was still in good shape, while the rookies were already exhausted. As I was about to leave for my break, Edward stopped me.
"Where do you think you're going, Everlong? Who's going to clean up after your teammates? Teamwork is a must in this profession. These are the basics you ought to know," he said, with a smirk still playing on his lips that infuriated me the most.
So, as instructed, I cleaned up after my teammates. This man is trying his hardest to annoy me. Once I get the chance, I'll take it upon myself to deal with him personally.
............................................................................................................................................................
Upon seeing the food served here, I was reminded of the day I first acted out while eating such simple fare. I was incensed, questioning how they could serve a duke's daughter such food, and I lashed out at everyone. God, I was such a brat. Now, I am grateful to even have food during these hard times.
"Is this what I'm supposed to eat? Who dares to serve me such a pathetic excuse for food?" the same blonde shouted. I shouldn't judge, but she needs a reality check.
"Lisa, don't shout. If the commander hears you, he'll punish all of us," one of them said. Ah, so Lisa is her name, very classy.
"I don't care. Just wait until my father hears about this. How can they force me to eat this garbage?" she then looked at me for a sympathetic response but seeing me eat what she called 'this excuse of food,' she wrinkled her nose in disgust and continued her tirade.
"You woman, don't eat that; it's disgusting," she pointed at me, making a face. I was about to respond when Edward entered, prompting an internal eye roll from me.
"What seems to be the problem? Is the food not to your liking, Miss De Mare?" he asked in a deep voice. Oh, so now the so-called 'upholder of morals' is going to support nepotism.
"Yes, it's garbage; I can't eat it," she said in a somewhat low voice.
Intimidated by the commander? P A T H E T I C
"John," he called. The nervous-looking guy who had tried to drench me on Edward's orders came in.
"Don't give Ms. De Mare anything to eat until she eats this 'pathetic excuse for food,'" he said with a smirk. God, Why does he have to smirk so much?
"You can't do this to me, Edward! I will report this to my father," Lisa started yelling again. I was torn between focusing on the 'pathetic excuse for food' or the unfolding drama. I decided to focus on eating. The food was indeed unfit for consumption; it was like water, tasteless. I began to feel sympathy for Lisa.
"It's you who has a problem eating this; look at her," he pointed at me. Has he sworn to involve me in everything today? "Ms. Everlong is eating it as if it's her last meal. Be like her," he mocked me again. I glared at him.
He looked at me and smirked. I stood up and threw the plate into the bin. Lisa was stunned by the sudden agitation, as was everyone else, except for Mr. Edward.
"Indeed, this is unsuitable for consumption. It's not only tasteless but also devoid of any ingredients that could enhance the body's immunity. After rigorous practice, we certainly deserve something far superior," I declared, though I wasn't sure where this sudden anger came from.
"Hmm, so you have an issue with this as well? Then, John, make Miss Everlong eat another serving of this food. Miss Everlong, I warned you earlier not to say anything that could cause you harm," he said, waiting for my reply. Now that I've involved myself in this matter, I must fight.
"Then surely you must eat the same thing, don't you?" I asked
"That's not for you to know." he replied
"Why not? If our superiors aren't eating this, then why should we? I'm certain everyone is curious about what you eat, Mr. Edward," I thought, smirking internally.
"Yes, I want to know. If I'm expected to eat this, then you should too. Every superior should be made to eat it." Lisa said.
And with that, the commotion began. Chaos erupted everywhere. I suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction. I realized one thing – if I could exploit the rift between superiors and inferiors, I could ascend.
