After I told my mother about my plan for the academy—and how it wouldn't just stop there, but eventually spread its influence across the entire kingdom—she listened to me far more seriously than I had expected. I laid everything out clearly, step by step, explaining not only what I wanted to do, but why it mattered. When I finished, she didn't immediately respond. Instead, she sat there quietly, thinking it through.
Then she smiled.
She agreed to help me. Not half-heartedly, not with conditions attached, but openly and sincerely. She supported the idea, and more importantly, she supported me.
With that, I had gained her backing.
That alone should have made things easier, but I knew better than to relax just yet.
There was still one more person whose support I absolutely needed—the Commander.
And unlike my mother, dealing with her was never simple.
