61 Collars

His back hurt. His feet hurt. His everything hurt. The sheer fact that it was a Monday morning made it even worse, as if that were possible. Sleeping in a chair stuck to the ground was not an experience he ever wanted to repeat. A few students had come around the training area earlier as the suns rose, both of them snickering at the halfway asleep Jacob. He didn't blame them; if he were in their position he'd be laughing at the poor idiot in the chair.

Luckily, his mana pool recovered enough by the time he regained his senses to free him from the ground. Unable to check the time, Jacob forwent the rub his ankles desperately needed to sprint to his regular training room. He feared the day that he arrived later than Provost Thomson. She was still a relatively new figure in his life, but he had learned enough in the time he spent at Relentless to know that she was dangerous and a cruel taskmaster.

The room was empty, the sunlight filtering into the room and casting a beam in the very center of the chamber. Mats still rolled up and weapons untouched, he had made it first. And not a moment too soon, either. Provost Thomson appeared not even a minute later, guiding him through some more defensive drills. Jacob could see the progress he had made from the previous night, though the difference between his technique and his instructor's was like night and day.

For the first time in two days, Jacob stepped out of the training room before he had trained for more than a handful of hours. His body was in constant discomfort from overstressing it. There had to be a balance in his training. Provost Thomson had warned him about this; he had ignored her. Foolish.

Mentally admonishing himself all the way to the mess hall, he picked up some kind of beef stew at the counter. It smelled surprisingly good, especially compared to most of the fare Jacob had available to him. Not many establishments had the enchanted equipment to even hold meat for a long period of time. Relentless Blade College was a clear exception. Money truly did do wonders.

Jacob regretted inhaling the food without giving a thought to its taste for the past few days. Many of the soldiers of the Fourth Infantry around him, of which there were only a few, were similarly enjoying their food. Most of them were of common birth with little prospects to enter such luxurious halls ever again. He didn't fault them for enjoying their stay. In other circumstances, he might have been among them, swapping stories over a delicious bowl of broth. These were not normal times.

Returning his dishes to the counter, Jacob passed by the group of soldiers. Some saluted him as he passed, a show of respect for his achievements at Writha Pass. While many soldiers disagreed with Commander Ericksson's decision to promote Jacob so many steps at once, few had the gall to say that Jacob hadn't been one of the most influential people in that battle. Commander Ericksson had been another. The last were the reinforcements they had received from Yoru. He wondered how those people were doing; were they still stationed at the Pass?

No news of new goblin attacks reached Steelshade, though Jacob knew that there'd be a significant delay between the event and a message arriving in the ducal capital. The Duchy of Hycinth was hardly the best connected of the three duchies in Delreya. It was probably the opposite, from what Rod had told him.

The Duchy of Raleigh, Rod's home, was far better connected due to the major influence of the traders and merchants flowing through the region. Riverbank was a true trading megapolis, the second largest city in Delreya after Kingsrest itself. Steelshade was smaller than some of the other cities in Raleigh, but it was no less influential.

Many soldiers in the Fourth had told tales over fires as they traveled. Some were more disgruntled than others, stating that "those bastards from Raleigh wouldn't even know what hit 'em. Those pansies don't know how to fight," as one particularly drunk man had eloquently put.

Jacob didn't spend enough time exploring Steelshade the last time he was here. As a city guardsman, he had only patrolled his sector of the city, the lower-class district. It was still nicer than Leafburrow had been, but it was nothing compared to Relentless' surroundings, he was sure. In a world of magic, it was a shame to ignore all of the potential beauty, even if it was marred by a heavy undercurrent of menace.

Plus, he still wanted to visit Lieutenant Edward. That could serve as his extra training for the day, Provost Thomson not included. Mind set on leaving Relentless, Jacob returned to his dorm and strapped his armor on. The kingdom's colors denoted him as a king's man, even if the collar failed to do so. His belt was wrapped tightly on his waist, holding his loaned sword.

Students gave him askance looks as he wore his uniform. It was the first time he had put it on since initially arriving at Relentless, and many were still unused to the idea of two hundred soldiers staying under their roof. Jacob tried for a disarming smile, but from their hurried gaits he could tell he failed.

He sighed, wondering what had happened to him. Inspiring fear was something he never would have been capable of back on Earth. He wondered if he even wanted to be someone who held that much sway over people. His boots fell almost as heavily on the wooden floors as his thoughts collided with each other.

Exiting the gates, explaining his desires to the guards and acquiring a pass to return to the compound, Jacob was shocked at what he witnessed. No longer accompanied by a sea of soldiers, the average people walking the street became much plainer to see. A good majority of them were wearing the most opulent clothing money could buy. Silk and velvet weren't uncommon; peacocks strut up and down the street. The rest?

They wore collars as Jacob did.