3 CH 3 The Fated Grayshirt

"First day in the King's Academy," Matthew sighed reluctantly, " Why do I have to go to school for years inside a game? I just got out of school god damnit!"

Matthew is in reality a young man quite near to Samuel's age who just got out of school and while college hunting, stumbled across an ad to enter into a drawing to alpha test a new VR game. He'd tried VR before and he didn't think it was anything special but he didn't hate the idea of getting a free VR headset and a small paycheck for playing a game at night and writing a small report in the day. Matt wrote hundreds of essays and book reports in his school career, what was a few more? So he applied and surprisingly was drawn out of millions of applicants. There were 500 slots for the alpha and the world is so big it would be surprising to meet even one other alpha tester unless they planned to meet up beforehand. This was unlikely as the world they were going to was kept so hush hush that only the title of the game was known, Monarch. The speculation as to whether this was a city or place or even a person, ran wild. Matt didn't have a single friend among the other alphas but he planned to play this game as a leader of strong npcs anyway. He decided to be the first player king!

Matthew walked up to a grandiose gothic cathedral with open double doors. An older kid rushed by him knocking him down as she ran into the cathedral. "Sorr… oh it is just an orphan conscript." She didn't even look again as she ran into the door and disappeared down a hall.

In Phoenix there are no orphans, any orphan is immediately "adopted by the kingdom" ; those younger than 5 are sent to nurseries and those older are immediately conscripted into the academy. And when old enough, into the army to pay back what they used. It was extremely effective at maintaining an army since any parent who got sick of their kid could just ship them off to the government. You would think that it costs the government too much money to employ this many people constantly but the kingdom is already flourishing so much that spending a little to bolster the king's army is basically pocket change. Besides with how many high circle mages the kingdom produces it is a wonder any other country can compete. Phoenix is surrounded by enemies and allies that would be only too happy to backstab so a strong military is essential.

A small hand touches Matthew's shoulder and another grabs his hand, so as to help him up. "Some people don't have any manners. Though her hair was cute. Hi, I am Samamantha but you can call me Sam!"

Matt finally looks at the little girl in her pink school outfit. She is so cute with peaches for cheeks and a huge white smile that could brighten up even the dimmest of caves. Matt accepted the assistance getting up and stood a few inches taller than her. He dusts off his pants and reaches out a hand for a handshake. She looks confused and gives him a small curtsy. He remembers that the game is not like home and does an exaggerated bow. The tittering laughter she lets out warms Matt to the bones and heals his injured soul. Suddenly a big hand lands on Matt's shoulder. "You made her laugh so I'll give you some advice" a large behemoth of a man seemingly larger than most vans says, "If you make my daughter cry, your pain will never end and there is nowhere you can hide. I will bring you back from the dead if that is what it takes to make you suffer till the world ends and beyond."

Shivers run so deep through Matthew he is worried that though mentally he is an adult, he will lose bladder control at this very moment. A laugh erupts from the man like a nuclear bomb and the daughter can't hold it in any longer either as she full blown starts laughing like a psychopath!

"Papa you are so mean, you apologize to this poor kid and you better make this right! You taught me to be better than that!" Samantha says while half scowling half laughing still.

"Kid, the fact that you didn't soil yourself shows great courage so I will allow you to be friends with my daughter and when old enough I'll ask for you to be transferred to my army alright? But that part about not making her sad… I meant that. Don't hurt her."

Matthew barely shakes himself out of the pure fear stupor in time to see a little semi visible status effect icon for fear disappear. "Yes sir, I MEAN NO SIR I WON'T! It'd be an honor sir, what is your name?"

"I am Baron Kincaid, general of the east. But you can just call me Edmund. Depending on how you treat my daughter," he whispered this last bit, " maybe one day you can call me Papa too." With a waggle of his bisected eyebrow he teased.

Flustered Matthew felt like he had no way to respond. Why was this game so lifelike? Frozen Matt stood there in his grey military suit with a single bar on the sleeve. A warm smooth hand grasps his and pulls him along.

"We better get inside or we will miss the opening ceremony, Papa don't you need to get prepared?" a soft but firm voice echoes in Matthew's ear.

"I'll be on my way, Son take care of her!" He winks and Matthew's ears and face turn all shades of red.

Why am I getting so flustered over NPCs in a video game!

Sam and Matt head inside the cathedral into a humongous atrium the size of the whole cathedral seemingly. Yet there were hallways and classrooms and even living quarters here. Matt looked around in wonder and he recognized many themes in popular fiction. However when he looked at Samantha he saw wonder and intrigue had glazed her eyes. These npcs are so lifelike and real. They found a map and followed it to the meeting hall. Samantha was not good with directions and got distracted by anything she didn't understand. Matthew thought it was quite adorable. A mildly heavyset teacher at the entrance to the hall split the children up and told them where to go to be in the correct classes. When he got to Samantha and Matthew he stopped for a second and stuttered "Young Lady Samantha? Did you make friends with one of them? Very well you may keep your pet, front row seat number 10 and you boy," he stares daggers down at Matthew, "you may sit in seat 11 but don't think for a moment that you belong there if not for Lady Samantha."

Matthew is rather upset at this and surprisingly he hears a wavy voice, "Where DOES he belong then?!"

"With the rest of the Rabble standing in the back, Lady Samantha." He says firmly and resolutely as though he were just telling her that the paper comes on Tuesday.

For a second she is somewhat upset and then she realizes what is going on. She huffs and says to Matthew, "Lets just stand in the back and not cause any problems."

Matthew is touched by this naïve and sweet gesture, but before he can refute her she tugs his hand along inside. Soon they are standing in the back among the other orphans. She stands out like a beacon on the rocks. Matthew whispers "Your outfit makes you stand out a bit you know…"

"Oh" she says with a start as she finally looks around.

Samantha let go of Matthew's hand and went to find a teacher as the presentation started. The Principal drones on and on about attendance and excellence, heaping tons of praise on the nobles and the king all the while. While half listening and half sleeping on his feet, since his new companion had already left him because he wasn't high class enough, he heard a bit of rustling and a warm hand grabbed his own. He was no longer half asleep as he looked over at this npc, whom he believed left him because he wasn't good enough, had returned in a drab grey suit. The contrast between her peachy complexion and rosy cheeks and the flat grey made her all the more adorable. "How did you get that outfit?" he whispered while secretly delighted.

"I joined the army, duh?"

Suddenly a loud commotion in the back of the auditorium got the attention of a few teachers but the student was quickly punished and hardly anyone was any the wiser. And those that knew where it came from figured as much from the "Grayshirts"

Matthew flipped over after counting aloud 100 pushups and looked at the teacher for acceptance. It was a different teacher, one in a grey uniform herself, though the way she wore it it did not seem boring at all. Her short bob-cut blond hair peeked out from under her grey bucket hat, and the silver griffin patch on her upper arms accentuated her toned arms. Matthew was beside himself. He realized the age gap and suddenly thought to himself "I won't be able to date anyone… I am basically a 25 year old man… when I am physically 15 my mind will be middle aged... She noticed him checking her out but assumed it was just that he thought she looked cool in her outfit. Meanwhile Matthew was going through an identity crisis and Samantha was looking at the weird dork in grey and still on the ground looking in admiration at their teacher. Needless to say, this situation would have been a whole lot stranger if Miss O'Shun hadn't chosen to wear dress pants today.

Matthew was still in a daze as a familiar hand gripped him and almost tore him off the ground. When he finally came to, he decided that he would become a wizard in this world. Besides magic would take a lot of time and effort to learn. As soon as he made this life changing decision he looked up to see Samantha's dad walk up to the podium to begin his speech.

"It has come to my attention that the conscripts this year are something special," as he began Matt could see the principal and other speakers talking as though trying to figure why he is going off script, "So I have decided that all incoming grayshirts this year are to join my army in the east!"

A loud murmur, and a few snickers. Matthew listened carefully, "Don't they call that front the grinder? Isn't this the Crazy Strict General that marched half his army to death and got the other half killed in the attack on the orc capital?"

"Yeah but he did basically single handedly conquer the orc capital with no mage support."

"100% fatality rate is still 100%"

It was at this moment he could feel a laser beam of hate on him, he looked up to see Samantha's father looking at Samantha standing next to him in a grey outfit. Well I guess I will have to make a new account afterall… I wonder how much it will cost… Do you think he will get tired of killing me back to 0 in the next ten years? Matthew fell into a deep depression of which there may never be a return.

I hope they turned down physical pain… Oh no, what about the emotional trauma from being ripped limb from limb every hour for 10 years… no surely he will get tired so maybe I will have some reprieve. Wait, he is a mage… they have unlimited stamina as long as their mana doesn't run out and he is a successful general he can probably afford mana potions… well maybe he won't realize I can come back to life. "I will bring you back from the dead if that is what it takes to make you suffer till the world ends and beyond." Replays in his head.

Suddenly a warmth spread from his hand and calms his mind as he hears a soft whispering chant next to him. He feels like there is a barrier in front of him as he hears a whisper, "Don't worry I won't let him hurt you for something I decided Matthew."

"Thank you Samantha."

"What are friends for Matt?"