35 A Piece of His Mind

He stood taller than the two of us, he had that same expressionless face while staring at me. This continued for a minute until Romaine came in, interfering with the situation.

"What do you want?" Romaine asked him, clearly a bit peeved by his presence.

It was no surprise that he didn't answer him. He just stood there like a tree, immovable and quiet.

"Maybe he wants something?" I whispered to Romaine.

"I know exactly what he wants."

He cracked his knuckles and faced the breathing statue. He went to show an intimidating position as he motioned his hand to taunt him. That may have been the reason why he came to us since they both quarreled the other day.

"You wanna finish what we started?" He snickered.

The guy flinched, but he remained perfectly still against his opponent. I could feel the situation intensifying, they stared at each other for a couple of minutes as I kept myself in the same position; not daring to move.

As the guy moved, Romaine readied himself for the incoming movement, but what followed next had surprised us.

"What was that?" Romaine remarked.

The guy just passed by then left without saying anything. It felt like he wanted to say something but didn't, that last second he flinched hinted this. Before he could get away I snatched his hand, trying to stop him from getting too far.

"Wait!" I said.

He stopped.

"Have you seen my necklace?" I asked.

He was one of the few people that might've known where it went. I just wanted to know if he knew where it was, any hint could do.

Soon he turned around, composed with the same lifeless eyes.

"Have you seen my necklace?" I repeated.

He pulled his hand away almost immediately then proceeded to stare down at me without uttering a single word as he left.

"That was odd, it's like talking to a rock." Said Romaine.

My thoughts exactly, he more like an inanimate object that had the power to walk and interact with others. I wasn't expecting much but I was hoping that he'd know something...

"Well, I knew that would happen," I said.

"Heh! I swear that guy is out to get me, too many times have I seen the likes of his," He shrugged.

I took a last look at him and saw him walking towards the isolated part of the field; he was alone. None would dare even try to talk to him, I wonder what made him feel so despondent against his peers.

I realized that we were the same but the only difference was I had someone, and he didn't. I felt a bit sympathetic towards him.

"Anyways, what's with the question?" Romaine abruptly asked, he seemed curious.

I wasn't so sure if he had seen my necklace before since I last remember wearing it the other day.

"My necklace, I lost it."

"Necklace?"

"It's a small necklace made out of Corr, almost see-through with a slight tinge of green inside."

I told him as I awkwardly moved my hands trying to explain its size and shape that didn't make sense to him. He contemplated as he places his hand to his chin, pondering if he has ever seen an item like that. Ultimately, he shrugged claiming that he has never seen an item like that before.

"Besides, even if I had seen a necklace like that. I don't think I would forget it."

Which is probably why I lost it in the first place, it had looked too valuable, pricey for its distinct look. Something that carried immense value if sold to the right buyer.

It was something that even Cordelia had a hard time identifying, I wonder if it even fell within the Corr spectrum of category.

*BELCH!*

Everyone's attention got caught by a loud belch, of which the owner was everyone known as an unrespectable graceless drunkard.

"Ya'll get into position! We're going to do something different today!" He shouted.

As everyone panicked into the standard rectangular formation that faced him, while into the position Romaine caught my attention.

"Get ready for another hellish day with the pig..." He chuckled.

"Yeah..."

Well, it was known already that his own recruits made fun of him, but none could do so in front of his face. His temper was limited as his attention to our training, it was as if he was just here to bark orders. Which annoyed most of his recruits to a very high point.

"Here we go, now!"

As he clapped his hands satisfied with our position.

"Can anyone tell me what the hell Corr is?"

My skin crawled at the thought of Corr, I slightly shivered as I remembered the horrific things I did using it.

"You there! explain!"

I winced as he pointed towards me only to realize that it was the recruit behind me to which I sighed in relief, while the recruit pointed at himself as if doubting he was the one called.

"Yes! you! Come on! I'm sure even a maggot like you has a vague idea of what it is." He complained.

"Yes, Sir! Corr is the power given to us by the Almighty Gaia--" He stopped midway as he got caught coughing.

I turned to look and there I found the Instructor who struck him in the gut and how he immediately got there was a mystery that even I couldn't comprehend.

"WRONG! Now! Who can provide me with a better answer!?"

None answered... As a result Instructor Weylham could only sigh in disappointment as he pinched the bridge of his nose then in a blink of an eye he was back at the front again.

"Alright! let me make it clear to you incompetent fools! Corr is not some sort of religious entity!"

"Corr is our innate ability to connect with our surroundings. everything, living or dead has it," He continued.

As he stopped, he wove his hand that looked blurry. As if the very time of his hand had slowed almost to a halt that it made mirages in its wake.

"Now that I have demonstrated, let's see what you peasants can do. Let's start with you."

This time he made no error in judgement as he called, his finger was fixated towards me while his semi-drunken gaze had a hint of grumpiness that hinted a world of hurt if I didn't do so.

In a panic, I hurriedly tried channeling my inner power upfront at the base of my palm. I was scared, not because of him, but because of my Corr; I feared that I might spin out of control again.

Eventually taking lives in a horrendous Corr-fueled trance that destroyed everything in its wake. I closed my eyes as my hands trembled, not because of the potency my Corr held, but because of the insistent imaginative terror that played inside my head.

"Well?! What are you waiting for?! Show what you've got?!" He pressured.

He constantly yapped right then and there, complaining about my inability to demonstrate my ability.

"IS THIS WHAT LIBERATOR RECRUITS MADE OF?! INCOMPETENT PRISSY TWATS?!" He shouted.

What followed was silence until the recently wronged recruit voiced out.

"Fuck this shit! I don't want to be here anymore! I thought this place helped people not freakin' torture them! Who's with me?!"

His sudden outburst was unexpected but then again Mr. Oughtlawe had been testing everyone's patience right from the start. What followed was the cries of recruits in agreement, they were slowly stirring into a riot while I remained in my position; frozen.

"Fine! All of you cowards weren't worthy of being called a knight of Bardel Fortress anyway!" He mocked.

Each of them voiced out their discontent, venting out, threatening that they'd leave. None of which paid attention to the words of our Instructor.

"No more!"

"Sick and tired of this! We didn't sign up for this!"

"We just need to get out of here!"

"No, we need to teach that old man a lesson first!" Said the leader of this ongoing chaos. As his pride has been completely tarnished by the rugged old man.

"YEAH!!!!"

Everybody screamed in unison as I slowly kept to myself not keeping up with the situation. Romaine grabbed me then we fled to the side, as we saw the old man still drinking from the bottle he brought; casually sipping.

"ALRIGHTY! COME AT ME YOU FOOLS!" He taunted every single one of them.

He threw his bottle to the side then braced himself of the incoming rebellious recruits.

"IF ONE OF YOU MANAGES TO PUT A SCRATCH ON ME THEN I'LL LEAVE! BUT IF I BEAT ALL OF YOUR ASSES! EVERYONE IS GOING BACK TO HELLISH TRAINING WITHOUT QUESTION!"

Then the countless men poured towards him without any hesitation.

"Tsk!" Romaine remarked.

I saw his displeased look as we watched the ongoing fight despite my trembling hands.

"What's wrong?" I barely asked.

"It's just that every single one of them is stupid," He said in a condescending tone.

"R-right..."

Usually, he was cool, playful, and witty. Right now he wore a lifeless face that judges everyone because of their choices, but then again he's right. Was there a point to this?

Soon we saw how the fight was one-sided as each of the rebelling recruits either got knocked to the ground or got beaten senseless.

"What's happening?" I muttered.

"I don't know either but whatever Mr. Oughtlawe is doing, it's amazing," He said in awe while retaining the same facial expression as earlier.

His movements weren't the amazing thing about him as he just stood there doing nothing, waiting for each student to attack him despite their numbers. But what caught our attention was the impossible feat happening before our eyes.

Each attack thrown at him was just passing through him, as they did so he retaliated by countering each punch, kick, or spell he received; eventually leading them to the ground squirming in pain.

It was like fighting the air that had his perfect image floating where he stood, it even copied the same mannerisms he had, belching and yawning. Which annoyed the recruits even more.

"IS THIS ALL YOU'VE GOT?!" He roused the crowd with ridicule.

"Coward! hiding behind some cheap spell!" Said one of the rebelling recruits.

"Can't we just stop this?" I worriedly asked Romaine.

"And what? The guy owns the place! I doubt anyone can interfere, let alone stopping him," He said in a heightened tone.

Soon, there were at least five students that remained standing out of the estimated thirty. The instructor stood there, proud of the aftermath, staring at each and every one of them.

"Aren't you five going to fight me? I don't have all day," He said impatiently.

The remaining stood their place without uttering a single word against him. Everyone on the floor was groaning in pain, holding their stomachs or an area on their body that was sore.

"IN NOMINE DIE LIBERTAS!" He screamed.

He said it again a few times, over and over, making sure that it was ingrained in our heads.

"FREEDOM IN THE NAME OF GOD! THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS!"

As he said that, everything stood still, I knew that each and one of us had listened to his words. So that is what it meant? It was one of the few things I could never forget that my father told me. Today is finally the day that I learn what it means.

"For hundreds of generations that phrase was carried only by the devout monks of Gaia! but until a few years ago, it has found it's meaning again!"

"This once meaningless mercenary-for-hire holding Fortress had found its purpose because of your so-called snot-nosed Commander," He continued.

He even lightly mocked the Commander as if he was some sort of undeserving fool. I wonder how they knew each other.

"He carried these words and made it our own! To this day only those deserving of those words can only stand here as proper Knights and Mercenaries!"

"To think that this kind of recruits had entered our domain only hurts my pride and the name of those that came before you!"

"IF ALL OF YOU CAN'T PROPERLY TAKE A BEATING, LOSE, AND STAND FROM THAT! THEN YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN WHAT WE FIGHT AGAINST!"

"I DID NOT COME BACK HERE ONLY TO FIND IMPATIENT AND SPINE-LESS CHILDREN!" He shouted as he spat to the side.

"Disgusting! all of you!" He said clearly repulsed.

"Those that don't have the backbone to come back here tomorrow only proves my point! All of you are dismissed!"

After that emotion-filled speech, I remembered a specific memory engraved in my mind. It was the dark recesses of Blackmarket that held a lot of oppressed inhabitants, diseased-ridden children, and finally tortured slaves.

I knew what I had to do which was making sure that there is never a trace of that injustice anywhere in this country...

The recruits that remained on the ground slowly stood while others got pivoted standing by their peers, keeping their faces low in embarrassment and regret. To think that he had this side of him, maybe it was the reason why he was so strict.

I thought he was just an angry old man that had fun watching the pain of others; I guess I was wrong, we all were.

Soon, the enraged drunken Instructor paved his way towards me. I saw this and looked towards Romaine, thinking if he saw the same thing because I wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Don't look at me like that, I didn't do anything." He said that confirmed the reality.

As he came closer, romained leaned into my ear.

"Good luck!" He cheered with a hint of fear for me.

"Hey! don't leave me alone!" I told him as he went zooming away into safety.

As I turned again only to see the old man facing me, his heavy breathing was warm and intoxicating that felt like my face was melting. He still carried that grumpy look from earlier which was intimadating; I couldn't utter a single word. I guess he was pissed off from the situation earlier.

"Come with me, 'Your' problem needs a different kind of attention."

He said firmly, asserting that he knew that I had some problems, but I wondered what kind of problem was he talking about.