The secretary's breath caught in his throat at Lucius's words. For a long moment, he stood frozen, his lips trembling with something he desperately wanted to say but couldn't.
Finally, after forcing the words out of his dry mouth, he spoke.
"I—That is…I… do want to help. I've wanted to for a long time. But I don't have any great skill, nothing that makes me special."
"My talent lies in planning, analyzing numbers, organizing. That's why I was made secretary. I don't have the strength to lead soldiers. I never did."
His voice cracked at the end, heavy with self-loathing.
Lucius looked at him with a steady gaze, his tone even.
"Physical strength is not the only thing that makes someone strong. You think you're weak because you've been running away from yourself. Nothing more."
The secretary bit his lip until it nearly bled, turning his face away. His steps faltered before he muttered.
