After squirming like a fish on land for the last hour, Mark was finally brought to the soldier’s barraks. He tried and tried again to tell them he was no soldier, yet his equipment told a different story. His captors, breathing as if to catch their souls leaving, were standing by the door, just in case he tried to push his way out.

"Man, how did I get into this situation? Guess the only thing I can do for now is to play their game. -sigh-", this was the only thing his mind was able to tell.

A knock on the door was heard, followed by the four soldiers making their way, standing tall like the trees Mark and Luke were cutting down. The smell of an important person was in the air, and Mark’s noise was full of it. A tall man, one who’d make Mark break his toes in an attempt to stand on the same level, made his entrance. The soldiers bowed down, the gentle breeze made by their movement moving through his long silver hair, yet his green eyes were unshaken.

"Soldier!"

Mark felt as if a wall had hit him in the face. His voice was cold, yet the heat of battle could be felt from deep within.

"Sir, yes sir!", responded Mark, his voice but a mere copy of the man sitting in front of him. Mark went with what felt natural, having seen some movies with soldiers acting this way.

"It seems to me that you still remember our ways-", his eyes now glaring at Mark just like a bear watching its prey, "-yet tell me, why did you walk down on the path of a renegade?"

Mark, his hair already flying on his hands, tried his best to keep his composure, yet thought of desertors being killed flooded his mind. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, calm awaits in the eye of the storm."A lie it is, and the best one I can make..."

Mark had found his resolve, "Sir, yes sir! I was caught up in a mission! There was a request for help coming from a smaller village from the south, yet only when I arrived did I find out just how bad the situation was."

The man, nodding his head as he listened to Mark’s answer, calmed his expression, seemingly pleased by his answer.

"Soldier, what’s your name"

"Mark, sir, yes sir!"

"I shall remember it, a soldier staying true to his code. I guess you already know who I am, yet I shall say it again. I am Gerard, General of Justice in the Kingdom of Raganon", followed by a sword being placed with its tip on the floor faster than one could even blink.

The noble presence emanating from Gerard was like the sun, burning everything in its vicinity to a crisp. Mark watched in awe, yet his face was frozen, as if time had stopped.

There was one thing rooted deep within Mark’s mind: "I must become like him, or even stronger!"

The general, now presenting a slight smile and eyes that seemed to have melted a bit, went on. "Soldier, come with me. I appreciate soldiers who follow the code, so I would like to train you personally."

"Sir, yes sir!"

The two of them left in a hurry, while the four soldiers stood there, as if what happened was merely a dream. It has been a long time since Gerard took any new soldiers to train personally, and those he did train became some of the strongest in the kingdom.

"Lucky bastard..." muttered one of the soldiers, fist clenched.

Mark found himself in an empty place, not a soul in sight, yet he could still see the giant walls surrounding him. Before he could even think about something else, Gerard returned, two wooden longswords in his hands, yet he wore no armour.

"Take off your armour... and your artifacts..."

"How did you know?", blurted our Mark, forgetting about the difference in rank.

"With age comes experience, and with experience comes knowledge."

Mark did as he was told, stacking them in a nearby place, not taking out his magic pouch.

It was just the two of them, poised to clash swords.

"Sir, don’t you think it is a bit unfair for me to fight you?"

"Hah, son, you almost made me laugh. Don’t worry, I will go ‘easy’ on you."

Something about that 'easy' made Mark feel fear building up, yet that build up came to a halt due to a sword strike. Mark’s movement was sloppy, yet he could block that strike.

"Not bad ,soldier, not bad... that is, for a child."

A storm of swords followed, to which Mark responded as best as he could. The two of them, engaged in a dance of deadly moves, kept exchanging blows. Mark was pushed back, yet he held up quite well.

Mark thought about his situation, "What do I do? I can’t even find an opening, let alone hit him. Maybe I should try something..."

The next strike came as a thunder, Mark responding in the same manner. Both swords, clenched together. Mark kept pushing, following with a slide of his sword along the blade of the other, closing the gap between them. He could see Gerard looking surprised, yet at the same time, excitement took over.

Thud, he made contact. The hilt of his sword managed to hit the general, to which he replied through ecstasy.

"Well, looks like you can handle it pretty well. Time to take this fight seriously."

He switched stances, closed the distance, and with a lightning move, hit Mark all over. The speed of his strikes was inhuman, leaving Mark both in pain and awe. He could barely stand up at this point, yet he felt the need to talk.

"Are you sure I can reach that level?"

Gerard smirked, "The simple fact that you are still able to stand up means that you can, yet the path you have to walk might kill you."

"Then I’ll die in peace."