ThatÆs why the teleporter relays were acting at max capacity when you arrived Edraine added She pressed her fingers down against the table looking at her nails with the detached and idle curiosity of a child These worlds might have been surviving but they already endured the Calamities their Aether stream is currently rather minimal And most planets have established hierarchies where those at the top maintain their strength with what little Aether the planet receives There was always the opportunity to become a Village Spirit Champion or Nemesis for new Cohorts but those numbers were a pittance compared to the population of all the Cohorts For the first time in a long time a planetÆs youth broadly has the chance to leave their home and seize their own power
but they were so weak Randidly couldnÆt help but blurt out There hadnÆt been a single eye catching individual amongst the thousands of bodies that had churned around him Huang Li would be a wolf among sheep if he was similarly drafted Of course that was a minuscule sample and perhaps some had been rather capable at concealing their capabilities from RandidlyÆs casual examination but even so
Edraine shrugged What do you expect These people had basically no opportunity to absorb energy and strengthen themselves Why would the dominant forces raise Aether sucking individuals Plus most threats to their world have been dealt with There was no real pressure on any of them to improve But there is an even more thorny difficulty which is the real reason that a drill sergeant selections is such a mess Octavius
Octavius straightened and grimaced Because these recruits are from planets that have passed three Calamities in the past most have a very powerful and influential benefactor that currently resides in the Nexus this is the individual whose images allowed them to originally pass the Calamities Largely these individuals have left their planets to develop without their interference in the past but now that their descendants are coming into the Nexus they want only the best for them
To the point that theyÆve created an eliteÆ brigade of two hundred that will be personally instructed by Head Drill Sergeant However Octavius displayed a sour expression The selection criteria for these is ENTIRELY based upon who you know It is the farthest thing from elite as possible Just two hundred old monsters of the Nexus pointlessly meddling where they donÆt belong
Edraine waved a hand Such is the truth of our world Nepotism will never disappear But we need to move quickly if we want to seize this opportunity Again let me ask you are you interested in instructing these weaklings Teaching can sometimes be its very own sort of training
IÆm interested Randidly finally said Ten thousand people that would be a lot but both HeiffalÆs unit and Helen had been unknowingly practicing for a challenge just like this as they had boosted the image capability of those on Earth And it seemed like this would perfectly serve as a way for Randidly to come in contact with the powerful individuals in the Nexus IÆll be able to manage those numbers
Plus Randidly hadnÆt forgotten that VuallaÆs deployment date had been pushed up due to this very same Nether invasion of the Fifth Cohort If he could provide some assistance to her by training up these individuals
Oh perhaps I was unclear Edraine said She smiled and for a split second the image behind her stirred Randidly felt the eerie sensation of his body resonating with that shift The porcelain and pewter fingers of her image tightened on air The table beneath her fingers began to hiss seared by the ambient power she so casually released
Frowning Edraine pulled her hand back from the charred handprint she had left on the table Then she shrugged and spoke to Randidly YouÆll be going for the hundred and first position available the Head Drill Instructor Personally youÆll only have to assist with the riff raff elites But it will mean you will have all the elite benefactor meddling in your affairs Will really add some tension to your time here in the Nexus eh
Lady Iellaya folded her arms and crossed her legs as she sat in the large amphitheater She had arrived early here just so she could avoid a situation like this but her tormenter was a wily fox A slow burn of irritation smoldered in her heart At moments like this she missed Abiodun more than she could express with words His stoic presence would have deftly turned aside conversations like this before they even began Even senior officers had found her closest supporter off putting
So much lost for the sake of power Lady Iellaya allowed a sliver of melancholy to swim through her irritation But it was swiftly overwhelmed by her tightly controlled annoyance as the man continued to doubt her
Are you sure this applicant will be suitable Commandant Shevran Wick spoke in a gravelly voice his substantial jowls shaking as he did so The man was covered in thick brown fur and had the build of a bear The only hint of his truly impressive age was the long grey stripe that ran through his furr down his spine
It was clear both from his tone and the grand history of their interactions that Commandant Wick would like nothing better for Randidly Ghosthound to show up and be a steaming pile of donkey shit Then he could sorrowfully shake his head and lecture her on the importance of tempering and patience Her applicant like Lady Iellaya herself was too young too fresh What would be implied was that the Commandant himself was beyond reproach and capable of doing no wrong
YouÆve seen the survival rate of the men under his command during that particular attack Lady Iellaya said doing her best to keep her voice even The Commandant was not her direct superior but he was the senior member from the Military Council in charge of this project If she wanted to pull this off they needed his support She had no doubt that the Xyrt Brigade representative would continue to abstain Soon you will see him in person and taste his image But I assure you he will suit your purposes
The Commandant reached up and physically grabbed his furry jowls lightly massaging them as he considered what she had said Likely he was looking for any word that was a bit too hasty for his taste Lady Iellaya found herself less concerned about his general disbelief and more disturbed by the weird physical gesture she was forced to watch But she held her tongue The Commandant cleared his throat There are many methods to achieve such numbers on a battlefield Especially as one as chaotic as that one Many of those behaviors shouldnÆt be casually rewarded
You werenÆt even there you bastard You have no idea what it was like Lady Iellaya felt acid running through her veins eating out through the capillaries and sizzling hot and dangerous in her flesh For a brief second images of that haunting melee of bodies appeared before her eyes If there was a method of challenging and killing the man next to her without turning the entire military council against her she would do it But truthfully Lady Iellaya was unsure of whether she could manage it None of these ancient Commandants could be underestimated
Instead she offered him a brittle smile She never had hated an action as much as smiling at this man in front of her I believe that with your insight you will understand the truth when you see him
Hmm The Commandant fell back into the process of stroking his jowls and considering Luckily some of the other examinees arrived They greeted each other quietly less out of professional courtesy and more with the tired acknowledgments between laborers that had been grappling with a particularly difficult problem for far too long A giant tree had fallen across their road and now the investors were demanding assurances the thoroughfare would still open on time Some concessions needed to be made
Lady Iellaya and the Commandant represented the Military Council There were also two stern faced women from the NLC They sported identical glasses and frowns as they nodded toward the military representatives Last but not least the one Special Investigator from the Xyrt Brigade walked into the room and yawned Then he waved at the others while walking toward his seat and casually scratching his lower back Next to her Lady Iellaya felt the Commandant bristle at the unseemliness of the display