“Mmm… Well, surely that is enough for now.”
He lifted his head, interrupting the heated military council. Komos was skilled in domestic affairs, but rarely participated in discussion of war. Even now, he was sitting in a corner of the room and watching the flow of conversation.
“Sorry. I ended up talking more than intended.”
“Not at all. A room has been prepared for you, so you may rest until the feast tonight.”
“I will do that.”
The lizardman was about to leave the room with Komos, but then he turned around as if remembering something.
“By the way, that strange kobold that I heard about. Is he here?”
“Sheto? He is not here now.”
“I see. I heard that you were training him, and so I was looking forward to seeing how skilled he is.”
Berganda apologized with a chuckle.
“What? Is he no good then?”
“I wouldn’t say that. But if more people like you come to him, he is likely to scream and run away.”
Recently, Sheto had become a very popular sparring partner in the fortress. Berganda thought it would be good for the kobold to fight with others as well. But then they kept coming. It seemed like they found the idea of fighting with Sheto very amusing.
“I think he was reaching his limit. And so I sent him away for now.”
“I see. It is very like a kobold to be turned into a toy.”
“Still, it is something to behold. He was originally a hunter who ran through the wild mountains. He can move with such flexibility. Besides, there is an honesty at the roots, and he is good with instructions.”
The kobold had complained a lot at first, but he clearly thought about what he was told, and would end up correcting his mistakes by the next training session.
“You sound like you are training an apprentice.”
“Perhaps I am. It is hard to not become absorbed when seeing someone like that.”
“Looking after your own is a good trait for a general… But you should be careful, or you will be caught off guard.”
When he was left alone in the room, Berganda let out a deep sigh.
His eyes went to the pitcher on the desk, next to the map. He shook it to confirm that it was not empty, and then drank. The fire work burned comfortably in his throat.
‘Don’t do it. You’re not suited to be a leader.’
The nostalgic voice was resurrected in his mind.
His old, one-armed master. The words of the master who had taught the art of the axe, and raised him to be an unbeatable warrior.
His master had said sit after the Demon King asked him to join the games.
‘I know. Being a general does not suit me.’
‘That’s not what I mean. You are…too emotional to stand above others.’
‘You mean…I would mourn the death of subordinates, and not be able to fight?’
‘No! Really, you do not understand at all!’
Berganda had thought his master would be happy, but he was telling him to refuse.
In the end, he left his master after an argument, and was not able to understand his words.
He was a genius, bad with words, who had strange ways of teaching. Berganda had often been stumped by his brusqueness. Perhaps it was because of that, that Berganda preferred to teach in a logical and sympathetic way.
‘Fine. What, next?’
Suddenly, he thought about the kobold.
Monsters tended to be self-reliant. Many did not like to do what others taught them. And he had been called too persistent in the past.
Still, Sheto had listened to him seriously.
“Now that I think about it, he might be the first one. Someone who actually follows my instructions.”
Before he knew it, the pitcher was empty.
It was much more delicious than what was brewed in the demon realm, and if one was not careful, they could drink so much that they would not be able to stand up.
He looked at the map once again and traced a finger down one road. It stretched down from the port city of Zaneji, and was where he had sent Sheto out on a scouting mission.
“Come back safely. There is still so much that I must teach you.”
Berganda muttered softly.