"So what's your skill Noah?" I think for a moment before replying "I'm just a little stronger than other people" I chuckle, a bit ashamed of the real skill I have since it might be the weakest one in class I went to hide it, Peter replies "really? You have bad luck" he laughs back, I reply back with a challenging tone "really Peter what's yours?" He goes silent for a moment before he speaks "I got some stupid skill to do with being bilingual" I laugh out loud as his cheeks colour slightly with embarrassment "and I have bad luck? What you gonna do talk the enemy to death" he sighs before speaking "I always hated langauges but I guess it's something I have to live with" after he speaks we hear someone call for us and we get up to leave before a boy shoves us into the dirt and walks off chuckling, we just sigh, stand up and walk toward the middle of the camp.
Me and Peter stand with our classmates as they talk about the situation that we've ended up in, whispers of abilities and stats are passed around and when the captain appears silence falls over the group aside from the captains armor as he walks, he stops before us taking us in with a glance before he speaks with his loud powerful voice once again, in preparation we step back "you will all serve the continent of elphasia, do not get arrogant because of you abilities, your all just ants before a dragon, you will not desert the camp you will all fight to survive and my job is to keep you alive as long as I can, any questions?" He says this but we know not to question it, he takes his leave and an elderly woman walks past him like it was all staged she begins cooking, the aroma of the food makes everyone's shoulders slump, one of the popular girls immediately talks to her trying to get into her good graces "why is someone who is as unique as you in this war?" The woman smiles at her before replying "my sons and husband joined this war and they served their continent so I'll do the same" she brings up the mood as every begins to eat the stew for once no one complained the peace is short lived as something makes it into the camp it's agile and green.
The popular girls hiding behind the strongest guys in class, stew hits the floor as people run and suddenly I see it's going for Peter, I bolt and shove him aside before the thing slams into my stomach sending me into a nearby tent, I look up, dust everywhere as it begins to clear I see a small green figure, a goblin it is wounded and has a crude dagger in its hand clutched for dear life it looks tired and it looks like it's hungry, I can do this, I stand coughing up blood slightly before I stand up to fight and suddenly its head flies off as the old lady smiles "everyone sit back down I'll make more stew" she says in happy voice as she hums away to grab more ingredients, everyone sits down again ignoring the goblin behind us before the silence is broken "that old lady killed that thing with a smile" the popular girls are cuddled together some of the boys are just now realising the situation we're in they look like traumatised before anyone says anything again the captain walks over "Noah come with me" he speaks with an aura of commanding, I look around before I stand up and follow him to his tent he closes the flap and turns to me his presence nearly overwhelming before he speaks again "Noah, even if it was a lowly goblin, you stood up to it and even protected your friend from danger, your a soldier I would want on the battlefield therefore I'll give you a reward" I think for a second before I can speak he speaks again "a weapon of your choice it'll be slightly better than one's the soldiers get" before her can speak I speak first "sword I want a sword" I goes silent and smirks before he opens a chest in his tent and gives me a sword "this is the sword I used to train when I was younger, I hope you treat it well" he also gives me a sheath before he sends me out, as I walk back to my part of the camp I get envious looks from other soldiers I can feel the burn of their gaze in the back of my skull.
I get back to the camp everyone has more stew with the old lady who I learned was named granny M, she gives me a pat on the back before I go into the tent and lay down in the tent, I pull out my sword and look at it and a blue green pops up.
Skill additional function, appraise F rank and below swords.
I click the blue button and it pops up with information.
Captain's training sword
F rank
+1 str
+1 dex
Using a special forging technique by a village blacksmith the most impure steel was used and made into a single handed sword for the young future captain to train with.
As I hold the sword I can feel the small difference that the sword adds to my stats letting me sell my lie about my skill even more, I hilt my sword into its sheathe and place it next to me as I lay there, I fall asleep waking up at night to the sound of the wind I slowly stand up and leave the tent making sure I carry my sword with me, as I do I see a figure in a soldier uniform I walk over the moonlight shines giving me a glimpse of black hair and purple eyes before they spot me and turn to me, it's a woman she looks determined her eyes meet mine before she appears beside me and whispers "I like your sword" her voice like the calming ocean waves I turn to say something but she's gone, I rub my eyes before I realise that there are too many secrets in this world for me to be this weak.
I go back to my tent to rest and get ready to train a small determination in my eye to live not just for me but my classmates and for the soldiers I will inevitably fight alongside, as I think about this, I sleep with peace of mind.