After taking my place in the squadron, the middle-aged woman walks towards me, she is a bit overweight, has heavy makeup, red lipstick, earrings, a pearl necklace and wears an elegant, clean but old uniform similar to a man's suit.
"The other guys are late for your fault, Right?", the middle-aged woman asks, and without waiting for my answer she continues speaking, "Hmph.. Why don't you visit me in my room after training?"
This woman has a peculiar scent of old tree, her gaze although with unexposed eyes due to her glasses is penetrating, her posture that firm while her calloused hands seem to be enough to bend metal with no problem.
"Yes, lady."
I reply somewhat loudly, I don't understand how I should act in this situation, I have not been military.
The woman smiles before walking over to the other squad members.
...
"The first step to defeat your enemy is always the movements you make with your legs, a bad position of your legs can lead you to be knocked down and then killed..."
The middle-aged woman began to teach in a loud voice, with a wooden halberd in her hands and using her body to set the example, she makes fluid and precise movements.
She also told us her name, Clarity.
Her left leg goes in front and her right leg behind, this according to her is to get a good support, because in case of a takedown you can lean on your right leg to retreat, or kneel on your right leg, block the enemy's weapon and then return to a fighting position.
Meanwhile her hands move with precision and expertise, she swings her wooden halberd with strength and precision, breaking the wind and expelling the small drops of water near her towards us.
After a small demonstration we take some wooden halberds to start practicing against each other.
The one I get to practice against is a fat guy, not so fat as to be obese, but he does have some extra meat.
The pupils of the guy holding a halberd not far from me are brown, while his head is shaved and his uniform is the same as the others.
However, his uniform is dirty and wrinkled, Doesn't he clean his clothes?, maybe he doesn't mind Clarity punishing him for this if she does.
The fat boy gives a little jump as he swings his halberd towards my face.
I squint, two steps back is enough to dodge the halberd tip as my own wooden halberd lunges forward like a rapier.
The boy quickly moves his left hand to block my halberd with his wooden-shield.
It is not strong enough, I feel my right hand tense, I forcefully push the halberd against the shield.
I can feel a slight recoil that causes a tingling sensation to pass up my right arm as the fat kid backs up several steps.
The fat boy recovers quickly and roars back swinging his halberd at my head.
This time, I take several steps forward and use my shield to repel his halberd, my steps forward are quick and accurate, after repelling his halberd I charge forward with my shield and knock the fat boy down.
A slight sound can be heard as the fat boy falls to the ground.
I back up a little to take a fighting stance again, waiting for the fat kid to get up.
...
Time passes at cruising speed.
"You don't seem to be very smart today," Poki to my right makes a joke as he eats his lunch, Huanca on my other side simply concentrates on watching the raindrops falling from the sky.
"It's been raining for a week with this day, it should stop soon...", Huanca mutters with some regret, "I miss the daylight, I don't like this weather, it's so cold...", Poki finishes.
"I heard that the superior is a bit special, I mean, I hope she doesn't punish you too hard," Huanca mutters with a slight smile.
I squint my eyes with some fear, I really hope not.
After lunch we continued training. The fat guy who is facing me doesn't have much fighting ability, so I had to hit him a couple of times, but he kept getting up despite everything... determination, I guess.
...
It should be this way...
I've passed through several corridors after dinner, the superior, Clarity, well, she didn't tell me where her room was so I had to ask some people.
I have investigated a little more about this place, but I have not obtained much information, Poki and Huanca only know that this is a barracks, we have a year to train combat skills and then go to war.
About the situation of the war or what war it is, really almost nobody knows, Poki and Huanca are sons of humble peasants, so they have no information about the war, and I don't remember anything of this life.
"Is it," I murmur with some caution as I look at the door in front of me.
It is a brown door with golden edges, it has a sign with a name written on it ' Clarity'.
This should be it, I can't say I'm not nervous, I'm actually a little afraid.
However, I just take a breath of air, I have always said that it is better not to avoid bad things and face it, because the faster bad things happen, the faster it end.
I raise my hand to knock on the door however, before I can do so the door opens revealing the superior Clarity with an elegant suit and a slightly pleased look on her face.
"You arrived, come on... It's cold outside, Don't you think?", I give her a military salute before obeying her words.
The room inside is... beautiful, not at all similar to my cold room with a hard bed and a table... This is a room painted with a blue tone, several shelves with thick books are in the background, while the floor has a kind of padding and the room is warm, at the back there is a big bed that looks comfortable at first sight.
And of course, there are several bright decorations of statues with figures I can't recognize, there is a large table near her bed with some books on it.
"Don't stare at the books for too long, I've called you here for a special reason," Clarity says as she walks over to one of the statues and begins to look through the books.
"Lady, Sid you call me here to punish me for being late?", at my question Clarity doesn't flinch, she simply continues to check the books while muttering something under her breath.
"Actually, well...", Clarity chuckles a little under her breath, she makes a sound of victory with her tongue as she finally pulls a book from the crowded shelf.
"Magic and Precision, it's a book specialized in magic by erosion, I mean, it's not an official term for this kind of magic...", Clarity squints her eyes, her red lips puckered up, she's thinking.
Then, Clarity watches me, her eyes widen slightly as a smile appears on her face.
"Why don't you try to get Kaero's heart for me?, and this book will be yours...", Clarity smiles, the book in her hands makes a slight noise after falling on the wooden table, her red painted pointy fingers make a slight noise on the cover of the book.
I squint my eyes with some confusion, I don't know what Clarity is trying to communicate to me with her words, her words seem obvious but, Does she really want Kaero's heart?
Well, it's not like I know Kaero, I don't really have any memory of her, she seems to be a girl that the previous owner of this body declared his love to.
"Sorry, I didn't explain myself, I want Kaero, I want you to make her fall in love, I want her to fall in love with you, once you do that the book is yours", Clarity nods her head after speaking.
"Why?", I can't help but ask with confusion on my face.
"Well, that doesn't really matter, let's say it's to help me with something, just make her fall in love with you...", Clarity smiles again after speaking.
This is... Strange, however, thanks to Poki I know that this world is magical and magic can exist, so, maybe Clarity wants to do some kind of magic and needs my help conquering Kaero.
I squint my eyes with caution, my body is ready to turn around and leave this room, however, when I think about it I can only laugh to myself.
If I escape, Where am i going?... this barracks, I don't even know it well and I don't know what's outside.
Clarity makes a movement with her face before opening her mouth, "I can provide you with something as an advance, I mean an advance on your payment", Clarity suddenly disappears from her position.
My mind freezes, my pupils dilate and my eyes widen enormously as I see Clarity disappear as if she had been erased from existence, my body slackens and I am about to run away when I feel my whole body stop obeying the orders of my mind.
I can't move my limbs, a moment later Clarity appears in front of me, her eyes that before could not be seen through her dark glasses shine with an intense glow that can be seen through her black glasses.
One of her cold and hard hands touches my throat, a dull pain suddenly runs through my body but I cannot scream, Clarity's hand slowly sinks into my neck without tearing my skin, I can feel it, it is like a ghostly hand, a hand that carries an intense cold and pain wherever it passes.
Again, the pain runs through my body, however, or by Clarity's charity, the pain does not last very long and is quickly replaced by sleepiness.
My eyes feel heavy, my mind very relaxed, the pain is gone, and I slowly begin to relax until I fall asleep.