"Yenna. During a bloody battle, which one would you trust with your life?
A talented yet heartless medic?
who if sees you trapped and hurting, will deem you as a casualty not worth saving?
Or a inexperienced medic with a heart of gold?"
who sees you in pain and despite being a low-ranking newbie but still expends Aetherna to heal your wounds?"
- "...I...I..o-of course.. the latter..?"
"Precisely!"
- Foryan laughed, in a triumphant manner.
"First Code of the Azulunian Medical Division;
Judge not based on Talent!
But on Heart!"
————
"Heart...huh..miss..no..Sis Foryan..?" - Yenna mumbled back, legs still akin to that of soggy noodles.
"I-i'm glad..i have such..a heart.. bu..but..i don't.." - Yenna pushes herself up using an elevated table, eyes still twitching from the shock.
"..think..it..it is still fair..!" - She cried.
"..A golden heart indeed." - Foryan muttered.
"..erm..?" - "did..you say something..?" - Yenna asked, head tilting to the side.
"Nope! Go on." - Foryan transitioned back to her soft, unwavering smile. - "Tell me why do you suppose it is unfair to my other officers?"
"For..for example.. Lieutenant Charlotte has been in the Division for a little over a year.. why I still haven't met the unofficial year threshold.." - She began to repeatedly tap her index fingers together.
"Unofficial year threshold? Has such competitive spirit always been among them..? No.. It must be the doing of that.. Moron.. Salpha!" - Foryan's still smiling face contorted a little upon remembering a distinct lass as her figure flashed inside of her mind, it laughing maliciously.
"Nevermind that.." - Foryan focused once more on the fidgety Yenna. "This girl.. is weak to peer pressure huh?"
"How about this then?" - Foryan smirked.
"Yenna." - The Female Commander solemnly declared, face now ridden with solemnity. "High-ranking officers receive hefty compensation for their position, you have mentioned that you require a large sum of money to fund your sibling's education and perhaps allow your family to eat at least twice a day right? Well.
What matters more to you?"
Foryan turned around, back facing Yenna.
"The opinion of some peers?"
"Or the life of your family?"
- Yenna's eyes widened once more not out of defiance but rather realization that striked her like a lightning which caused a barrage of memories to suddenly proliferate inside of her head like an ever resonating whirlwind that she can't quite subside.
-
"Sis..I'm hungry..."
"Sis.. eat up.. the friendly mister gave me some bread.."
"it is spoiled.."
"Sis mom's is coughing again..!"
"Oh no..! Quick get me the bucket..! Pour some water..!"
"Sis..! There's.. no more clean.. water..! Just.. dirty.. water..!"
"I'll..ru-run to the nearby river sis..!"
"Wait..! Kelma! Your wound is still infected..!"
"..sis.. why is Mom's..so skinny...she's like a rag and some..bones.."
"..yeowch..!!"
"Kelma!"
"Sis..! the money collector people..! they're here..!"
"..Hello..! Miss Yenna?"
"Stay..away from my sister..!!"
"What's this fly? *SMACK!*"
"YEOWCH!!"
"Kelma!! Mmmphhff...!!"
"Where's this month's due..? You're two months behind..! You know what happens when it increases to three right..?
The large muscular man began to rub his fingers from Yenna's neck all the way to her collarbone, which caused the Young lass'es face to devolve to that of pure terror.
"..Three weeks.."
"Hm?"
"Just give my sister three..weeks..you bigiot!!"
"..Kelma..?"
"Bigiot..!? You Brat!"
*SMACK!*
-
As the flashback had finished, Yenna's once defiant eyes had now devolved into one of no anger nor frustration at all, just pure resignation eliminating all of the light that once shined on her purple irises for a brief moment.
"My..my..family..of-of course.." - Yenna stammered.
Which caused Foryan's soft smile to erupt into one of pure admiration, her teeth glistening against the morning sunlight piercing through the white tent as her eyes gazed back at the cautious, yet determined young lass.
"Wonderful!"
"A heart that loves so deeply that it is impenetrable by any pressure." - Foryan turned around again, her robe flying through the air as she did so.
"I'm proud of you."
Foryan smiled, causing Yenna's worries to dissipate a little while some of the light that previously vanished on her irises slowly started to return.
"Mi..miss forya—!" - Yenna squeaked before she was abruptly stopped by Foryan's palm.
"I shall organize the formal ceremony after all of this blows over." - Foryan shrugged before releasing a sigh. "Will that be alright with you? Yenna?"
Yenna's face softened back into the usual worried countenance as she saw Foryan's stature slouching slightly.
"the..the ceremony is the least of my concerns.." - Yenna squeaked out, causing Foryan's eyebrow to slightly ascend.
"Concerns?"
"ye..yes." - Yenna stammered before her eyes landed on the battered Hamilvan which caused Foryan to release a lighthearted chuckle.
"No worries about this guy, he had survived graver ones. You saw him overpower the Proklan Essence right? Hamilvan's not dying to this.
.
.
At least that's what I think.. Fufu."
Foryan's response had not alleviated an ounce of the ever-increasing sense of urgency plaguing the young lass'es heart.
"please try to at least hide that fact.."
"If.. he will be alright..because you said so..Then I trust you.. Mis— Sister Foryan." - Yenna's face softened to which the female commander simply nodded to.
"Now..on other matters.."
- Yenna's softened face slowly transitioned into a more solemn, yet with a drop of sweat sliding down her cheek type of expression; which intrigued the female commander a little.
"I, Hansilth, Yenna. Has something to report in regards to the latest issue the Azulunian Corps is facing..!"
Foryan's smile evolved into a small smirk as she saw the lass turn from a fidgety girl to a perhaps confident young lady.
"Wonderful. Fire away, Executive!"
————
"hey..hey..why is your hair..yellow?"
"..."
"hey hey..come play with us..!"
"..."
"she looks so pretty.."
"o///o"
"hey hey..what's your name..?"
"..Sophia."
"Sophia..that's such a pretty name.. how..can i be pretty like you Sophia..? I'm Kesha.."
"/// We-well.. you..grow up..eat healthy and..don't sleep too late.."
"Okay..!"
"Sophia..do you want to be my wife..?"
"..? Huh? I-i.. don't think ahaha."
"Why...? why..? I'll be sad..if you.. waah.."
"..!! Oh auh..? I'll..I'll be your wife..!"
"wuuhh...Yay! let's.. let's play house..!"
- A masculine chuckle could be heard nearby as a young, blonde-haired lass is conversing with kids of either younger or similar age as her with a flustered countenance.
"Is this.. funny.. Jankor?"
"Your expression is. Miss Countess."
"..Oh..? I-is that so..?"
A little silence assumed dominion in the air as the other kids continued to rally around her.
"I..i don't..look..u-ugly right?" - Before Sophia looked back with a slightly saddened, and pleading face.
"Not at all Countess." - The Knight, which named; Jankor replied with certainty accompanied by a smile on his expression, causing Sophia's heart to lighten a little.
"H-Hmph..! We-well the children of Azu..Azulunu are honest indeed..!" - Sophia tried her hardest to contain the goofy grin forming on her glass-like countenance.
Jankor however, sustained no more rebuttals and instead let out a soft chuckle as he towered over the kids and even Sophia herself.
"Kids these days.. despite the harsh living condition.." - Jankor thought, his eyes landing on a small toddler that locked eyes with him.
"They remained so cheerful.."
"Perhaps the empire could learn a thing or two about resilience outside of military might from its territories.." - Jankor thought, face peaceful while housing the smile, until..
[KIDS POV]
"Kids these days.."
STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE STARE
hie..hieekk...scary big..man..!
Jankor's face which he thought held a peaceful disposition akin to a meadow was actually perceived as a gloomy darkness with two glowing orbs staring down at the child accompanied by a devious smile on his lips as if he is about to plot the destruction of their homeland.
big man..scary..!!
WAHHHHH!
-
"..!" - Sophia's attention was quickly catched by a smaller toddler that spontaneously started crying.
"..Wo..woah.. there..there..!" - Sophia tried patting the head of the wailing child.
"what..what's wrong..?" - She inquired;
to which the child responded by pointing a finger towards a wide-eyed Jankor.
"scary..big man...!" - the child weeped.
"..wait..what..? Young Boy did I scare you in some way..?" - Jankor leaned in.
"WAHHHHHHHHHHH!!" - Resulting into the child's wails intensifying even further.
"Jan.." - The Countess murmured as she remained crouched beside the crying child. "KORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"
...
Jankor now sits under a tree on top of a small run-down bench with a slightly saddened expression as he repeatedly stole glances towards the kids and Sophia playing in the distance.
With just a single look, the same kid that had stopp was about to start wailing once again when Sophia quickly turned around to glare flaming daggers at him which was enough to cause Jankor to flinch before he turned his head away.
"Eek! Countess is indeed scary."
- Jankor whispered before heaving a deep sigh.
He then turned his attention to his surroundings, around the tree was a set of tents, and militias that were going by their daily business as the sun continued to slowly rise in the horizon.
"Azulunu.. it used to be peaceful.." - Jankor thought, before his mind wandered off to a topic that caused his face to solemnify a little.
"until..these..stampedes..hellsweeps happened." - The knight thought as he continued to scan his surroundings.
"it has gotten so worse ever since.. not enough space for the deceased that they are now buried in farmland soil or burnt to use for fuel."
"..Lord.. why allow such an ill-fate to befall on its citizens..?" - Jankor looked up to the sky before his eyes once again diverted to the playing children.
"These kids... most of them will grow up never having seen their family due to the inability of their technology to record visual info as well.."
He continued to gaze at them, a certain memory flashing inside of his head that made the knight go;
"I sometimes feel guilty complaining about my struggles when these children here.. are going through so much more.."
Jankor leaned back and heaved a sigh.
"Haah.. Noble kids really have it easy."
- Jankor stared, until the Same kid again locked eyes with him.
He was shaken to the core but before he was about to turn his head away.
"ehehe..!" - The kid waved!
Catching Jankor off guard a little. Such a tiny wave of the boy's palm was enough to make him realize, but the purity behind his smile was the final knockout hit for Jankor's ponderous heart.
He simply smiled back and reciprocated the gesture, before whispering and leaning back on the bench.
"The most privileged, indeed complain the most. huh?"