Chapter 75: 074 Established Expectations

"So then, Captain, where are we going to be staying? I recall you mentioning a barracks?" Donovan wanted to get his men situated before he did anything further. He felt it would impress well upon them if he looked out for their immediate needs first, as well as giving them some time to relax and explore. Donovan had plans to be a slave-driver, he would need to make herculean efforts if he was to make up for lost time, but that didn't need to start immediately.

"This is the barracks, a Regimental Barracks to be precise. You are not yet at the rank of Regimental Officer, but you are not under the command of an army either, therefore a decision was made to grant you a residence independent of the main complexes."

"Wait, really? Aren't barracks supposed to be cheap?"

"Maybe for the rank and file, but not for the children of lords and high ranking individuals. For their long term stay, more luxurious accommodations are appropriate. Your room is on the fifth floor, you may share it with Lady Diana if you wish."

"Wasn't she supposed to stay somewhere else? A dorm or something?"

"She was, however Montaug and the Scholar have voiced concerns about the arrangement we had in mind. We can discuss that later."

"Of course. In that case, you guys can choose any room you like. We'll reconvene in the courtyard in, say, thirty minutes? Is that enough time to bring your luggage to your rooms and change into your combat equipment?"

"It might be fine for Wall over there, but I'm not that confident in my ability to lug around a bunch of trunks. Could we have an hour?"

"That's fine by me."

- - - - -

"What's this business with Diana?" Donovan was back in the courtyard, speaking with the Captain. 

"I shall preface by saying that she herself has done nothing wrong, nor is there the worry that she will do anything wrong, however the Librarian and Montaug both independently came to the conclusion that exposing her to the hijinks that students in the dorms get up to will prove detrimental to her academic progression."

"Hijinks? Did you learn that from the Scholar?"

"I did, and I must say that it very much encapsulates what goes on there. I can only work off of what has I've been told, but even with that I can tell that they don't take learning too seriously. Parties and pranks are frequent occurrences." Disappointment was apparent on his face. "Her disposition is not fit for such an environment."

"I can see that, yeah. What about Mercedes?"

"The Arboreal Maiden still insists that she can care for her, though she is willing to hand her off to you. I believe it would be for the best if you didn't expose Mercedes to the world, there is no way of knowing how people would react."

"That's probably for the best, though I would like to see her every once in a while. Would it be acceptable to bring her on a walk every week?"

"I will bring it up. Do you have any other concerns?"

"Nope. You're free to go if you wish."

- - - - -

Donovan spent the next half an hour or so sitting down on a bench and thinking. He focused on strengthening his core a bit, but that could be left to go on in the background. Most of his attention was centered on how he was going to train his subordinates and form them into a competent fighting force. He didn't know their specific capabilities, but he could still craft theories.

Combination strikes, the most optimal positioning, force optimization, asymmetric methods of assault, stamina reservation strategies, he could hypothesize all he wanted to keep his mind occupied. 

His concentration was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Titanyana had returned. He didn't speak as she approached, only nodding in recognition. She stood at attention to his side.

'She'll be my XO.' Donovan decided. Aside from raw combat power, something he figured would be important in the academy, he had also determined that she was at minimum halfway competent in a command role. Don didn't have any proof of this, just a feeling, but he didn't think it was wrong. 

The next to arrive was Wall. Donovan didn't know if he should have been surprised, but his kit was just as flashy as the rest of his body. For one, he was carrying a massive metal rectangle with a slight curve to it. It had some fancy insignia engraved and gilded on its surface, but what drew Donovan's eye were the spikes on the bottom. They didn't seem very helpful.

"Shield?" Donovan heard Titanyana murmur the word under her breath. If he had to hazard a guess, she was very confused at this development. Donovan himself had been expecting him to have some sort of massive sword or axe, but a shield was not what he had been conditioned to expect. His image was only completed when he pulled a large axe off of his back and struck the side of his shield with it.

"URRAAAAAH!!" Flexing, Wall let out a roar. This revealed what he was wearing, a full set of plate mail.

Titanyana was brought to further heights of bafflement, tilting her head in much the same way Mercedes might when looking at something new.

"Would you keep it down you ignorant oaf?" Sanna poked his head out from one of the windows on the fifth floor. "I'm trying to concentrate over here!"

"Bah, it is only clothes. Combat practice is more important!"

"Nrrrgh, my equipment is far more than some simple pieces of fabric! I need to make sure my stuff is perfectly calibrated if I don't want to destroy everything around me!" With that he ducked back inside.

"Hmph."

- - - - -

Sanna was the next to arrive, coming out the same door as Wall. Where Wall barely had a place on his body not covered in metals, Donovan was hard pressed to find any metal on Sanna's body. No sword, no lance, no armor, not even the jewelry he seemed so fond of could be found. Instead, he had a wooden staff with a variety of inlaid gems and was wearing a red robe.

Titanyana's confusion only deepened. "Split Crystals?" Her head tilted the other way. "A Split Sorcerer?"

Upon hearing Titanyana recognize his role, he let out a haughty laugh. "Indeed! I am a Sorcerer of Split!"

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"Is there anything special about that?" Donovan, completely clueless about this sort of thing, wanted to know what to expect.

"It's unconventional, I guess. They can be useful, but they don't really fit in small engagements. I don't really know much about them aside from that."

"Hmhmhmhm, hehehe, that is RIGHT! I am one of a rare breed, a combat mage!"

Donovan didn't know how to react to that. He wouldn't know how to react to anything. He had very little idea what the his ranking of shock should be. Did Sanna qualify as the equivalent to special forces? An elite unit? Champion? Silently, he begged for Titanyana to explain further, he didn't want to seem ignorant to what should have been obvious.

Titanyana didn't answer his prayers, more out of her own ignorance to his pleas than malice.

Elevial Stri Sanna Di Rei, upon witnessing their lack of a meaningful reaction, all but shut down in embarrassment.

- - - - -

Len was the last to arrive, his footsteps uneven as he wobbled out into the courtyard. He was terribly unbalanced, and his equipment wasn't yet fully fastened. Judging from the red around his eyes, he was on the verge of crying. Given that, he was still keeping his composure. "Sir!"

"Fasten your equipment. You've still got about ten minutes left." Donovan could understand his panic. Without a way to tell time and knowing that the others are all assembled, it would be safe to assume you are running late.

"Ah, thank you sir." Donovan waved a dismissive hand back at him, he needed to start acting like the leader he wanted to be. The illusion of control could be just as useful as actually having it.

He watched Len as he readjusted and tightened the straps of his armor. Much like his own, it was very light in nature, a few hardened leather plates and a metal chest plate. The biggest difference was in the weapon. Donovan wanted to call it a lance based on its shape, but it looked different somehow.

For one, it didn't have a bladed head, the tip tapered down to a point. This meant it was a weapon that could only be used for piercing, and didn't have a fantastic area of effect. On second thought, it looked more similar to a staff, only thicker, and made of metal.

Once Len finished tidying his appearance, he took a position in line with his new comrades. Don then spent the next few minutes watching them, analyzing them, until the timer on his tablet went off. Naturally, the ringing caused them to jump.

"All right, time to begin. It would only be good manners if I started myself. My name is Donovan Strauss. While we are training or in an official setting, 'Sir' or 'Sergeant' will be enough, though you may attach my last name, Strauss, if you are uncomfortable with only using a single word. Outside of those situations, I insist that you call me Donovan. I am not someone who likes to go overboard with the formalities, and I wish to form a positive relationship with all of you.

Something I feel you should know about me is that I am something of a stranger to this place. I don't know how much you heard from the Captain, or even if you heard from the Captain, but I am one of the last survivors of my race, the Terrans. The realm I came from lacked split, as well as the urgent requirement for hand to hand combat. As such, I am in the midst of undergoing training to remedy my deficiencies.

Titanyana here is my primary coach in this regard. While technically her position is squire, you are to treat her as my second in command for the time being. Titanyana." He gestured for her to make her own introduction.

"My name is Titanyana Strapper, heir to the throne of the Nekh. I specialize in sword based melee combat and commanding small scale engagements. You may refer to me as Tanya in both training and combat. Outside of that, you can address me as you please."

Short and to the point, very characteristic of her.

"Before we start, I should warn you of the other person who will be sharing this residence with us. I have received word from the Captain that my partner will be staying here as the dormitories were deemed unsuitable for her character. For your safety, and my opinion of you, you are to treat her as if she is my sister. If that is not relevant enough to dissuade unwise or irrational behavior, consider her my wife. You are to give her more respect than you would give me. You are not to walk through the halls unless sufficiently clothed. You are not to interrupt her if she is meeting with other people, and you are not to permitted to pester her while she is working. I will absolutely not tolerate violations of basic decency in her presence.

That isn't to say that you may not interact with her. I believe that she would relish the chance to talk to people with new insights on a variety of topics I simply do not have knowledge on, and while this isn't exactly an order, I would like for you to oblige her when it is not an issue for you. On occasion, you may be blessed with some spark of genius from her suggestions.

Naturally, I would like for you to treat Titanyana in the same way you treat Diana, on the condition that she has no objections. I would also like the three of you to keep in mind that I expect all other women and high ranking individuals who find themselves on our premises to be given a level of courtesy on par with or greater than that which you provide Diana. Given our rather unique position, I foresee the invitation of various individuals from a variety of backgrounds and statuses coming to meet with Diana or I, and I would like to give off the impression that my subordinates are well-mannered and polite. It may not mean much to you, but to me it could be the difference between life and death.

Before I continue on my summary of our short-term objectives, I would like to ask if any of you have questions or concerns about what I just said."

Sanna raised his hand before speaking. "Concerning your past, would you be able to give more details to us so that we may better understand your concerns and intentions?"

"I am not opposed to that, however now is not the time. I promise to you that I will give you a run down when Diana arrives."

"Thank you sir. Might I also inquire why you are so adamant on women being respected? I understand the desire to keep your wife and Madam Strapper respected and happy, as well as any female guests, but is it not overkill to also apply such mannerisms to the servants of the Barracks? Surely it is not a necessity for them is it?"

"For me, it is mostly a matter of principle. While not necessarily the primary reason, I think you will find that women will feel more comfortable around men whose occupation is violence if those men display their understanding of boundaries, manners, and courtesy. I do not wish for those ostensibly under my care to live in fear of brutish, violent, and lascivious soldiers as there is good reason to believe that it will not only effect their performance, but also their mental health. Even if you yourself do not agree with this line of thinking, I humbly request that you follow it while on the barracks grounds."

Sanna and Wall both gave satisfied nods in response to Donovan's explanation. They either understood or fully agreed with the sentiment.

"Um, Sergeant?"

"Yes Len?"

"Might I be permitted to ask exactly what such etiquette entails? My family did not exactly give me lessons in that field, so I believe I am lacking."

"How did you treat your mother?"

Len just shook his head.

"Ah, sorry. Then how did you treat your older sister or mother figure? Surely you had a grandmother or some female servant that assisted in raising you." Len thought about it a bit before nodding. "In the time it takes for us to bring you up to a satisfactory level in that field, treat with a similar if not greater degree of respect and politeness. I'm not saying that she is more deserving of your reverence, only that that is the safe thing to do when I don't know your standards. If you feel uncomfortable you can avoid her for the time being."

Len nodded, his helmet shaking loose a bit, before returning to his version of a parade rest.

"Any further questions on the subject? No? Good. Moving on then."

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